A million questions popped into my mind. I wanted to know the type of person he was in his private life. Did he cross the street at a red light? Was he the type of person who saw a homeless person and thought they were just too lazy to work? Or would he give them a few dollars? I didn’t know why the answers mattered, but they did. I wanted to know about his character.
Before unleashing my crazy on him, I had a confession to make.
“In the name of complete honesty, you must know something about me: I’m inappropriate 99 percent of the time. I talk too much, ask too many questions, and require way too detailed answers.”
Liam chuckled, and the low rumble almost made me swoon. “Good to know. Go ahead. I don’t mind.”
I smiled back. Clearly, he was trying to put me at ease, but he had no idea what he was getting himself into. I eyed him intently, trying to figure him out.
“Give it a try. I don’t bite, Tess. Unless you insist on it.”
Holy shit. Liam wasn’t only trying to put me at ease, was he? He was openly flirting with me. Did he have any intention to behave at all?
My face instantly heated. My mantra just changed from not ogling to not flirting back. But judging by that smoldering glint in his eyes, I was going to fail.
Chapter Five
Liam
Before coming here tonight, I’d been determined to be on my best behavior, and yet within minutes of seeing her, I was flirting.
I had to make an effort. A real effort.
“What made you decide to open an investment firm? Why not enjoy all that money you got when you sold the InvestMe app?” Tess asked.
The question was unexpected even though it was all out there for everyone to see. Our background was listed on the Harrington & Co. website, and information about our app’s sale was included.
I had to think about her question for a moment before I answered. “I received advice from some people I respect a lot to be mindful about the future, not just the present. And by people, I actually mean my grandfather.”
I’d thrown a huge party to celebrate the sale. My grandparents hadn’t come, insisting it was for young people, but they asked me to visit them the next day for lunch. I’d been too hungover to make it in time, only able to visit for dinner. Grandpa had taken one long look at me and told me I was getting one hall pass, that they hadn’t raised me to throw my life away and that they expected me to make them proud.
Tess smiled broadly, and damn, it was a good look on her. She lit up completely. I suspected that underneath all her fire and determination was a layer of warmth. The urge to find out slammed into me. Of course, I had no business finding that out. This was business, not pleasure. I didn’t mix the two.
Was this what working with her would feel like? A constant exercise in self-restraint? I was going to fail; I just knew it.
I cleared my throat, pointing to one of the tables.
Servers circulated with trays of drinks, and one approached us as we headed to the nearest table. Tess took a glass of water. I did the same.
“What do you do in your free time?” she continued.
I felt like I was in a college interview, but one I was especially interested in nailing. No pun intended.
“I go for a run.”
“Do you see your grandmother often?”
“Every two weeks.”
Her eyes widened a fraction of an inch, and her smile widened. That was clearly important to her. I was learning more from the questions she asked than she did from my answers. Not many people would even have the guts to ask about such personal matters.
She pressed her lips together. I was betting that not only did she have a whole lot more but that they were even more personal.
But I had my own questions too. I had a standard list of them I used for all business owners. Usually, I liked to go with that, but now all I wanted was to deviate from the standard and go as personal as possible.
“Why did you two decide to open up a business?” I asked, proud that I’d stuck to the list...for now. “Per your résumé, you were both in mid-management in your previous jobs. You’d done very well for yourself in the corporate world.”
Business owners usually fell into two categories. The first was young professionals, who were dissatisfied with their jobs, feeling like they could make more money on their own. The other end of the spectrum was those in very senior positions who had a lot of cash and wanted a change. Tess and Skye didn’t fit in either category. Tess was only one year younger than me and had been in a well-paid midlevel management position.
“We like working together, so that part was easy,” Tess said. “But I think the interest came about because I’ve always struggled to find the right lingerie for me. It’s a tricky subject, because it’s tied to self-esteem. Anyway, the right lingerie gives women confidence, and we love that we can do that for our clients.”
I liked the passion in Tess’s voice, and her body language. She fascinated me. There was no denying it anymore at this point. I just couldn’t look away from her neck. I wanted to nuzzle into her warmth; I wanted to kiss her hard and deep, pulling her bottom lip into my mouth. I barely kept from looking farther down. She was a gorgeous bombshell in her dress. The belt accentuated her curves, and it all messed with my focus.
Back to the list of questions, Harrington.
“Do you plan to keep it indefinitely or sell at some point?” I asked.
“We’re not planning on selling. Is that a problem?”
“Not at all. Just wanted to know where you stand on this.” I liked working with entrepreneurs who wanted to do this long-term. My colleagues often wondered why I didn’t ask about it directly in the initial application the business owners had to fill out, but it was such a personal yet important question that I wanted to look them straight in the eye when they answered. We needed time with each investment in order to make back our money, and a sale early on was not a good return for us. And knowing a client’s commitment meant they’d work damn hard for everyone involved.
I nodded, fighting to not fixate on her mouth as she brought her glass up to it. Behind the rim, I noticed the corners of her lips lifted.
“You’re trying to hide a smile,” I said.
“Guilty.”
“Why?” I moved closer to her, enjoying the way her pupils dilated.
“I thought tonight was about getting to know each other, but the questions you ask are very...stiff.”
She was challenging me in a way no one else dared, least of all an applicant. I realized she did things her way. I liked that.
“Would you rather I go back to telling you all the reasons I can’t stop flirting with you?”
Her eyes bulged. “Is there no middle ground?”
“When it comes to you and me, apparently not.”
She exhaled sharply. On instinct, I touched her lower back, leading her toward a darker corner of the room. I couldn’t miss the light shudder in her body. It made me want to pin her against a wall and kiss her until she was shaking.
“I have a list, Tess. Sticking to it is best for both our sakes. You have no idea just how personal I want to get.” I looked her straight in the eyes so she wouldn’t mistake my intentions.
She licked her lips, raising her glass to her mouth again as if it were a shield.