Page 10 of Sam's Salvation
He rested an elbow on the window and stared out. “If I were to invest in another restaurant, what would you want to see?”
“You’re asking for my opinion?”
“Of course.” He looked at her. “You’ll be my wife soon. People will look up to you. You’ll have your own social responsibilities in that role, and others will respect your opinion. If you don’t like a restaurant or call it dull or unoriginal, others in our circle won’t go there. So, what would you like to see?”
“More flare. Exotic ingredients used in exciting ways. That place had the ingredients, but they put them in a stew and used the same herbs and spices you’d get in any traditional stew, so it didn’t taste any different.”
He nodded. “Perhaps I’ll suggest a change to their menu.”
Audra stayed silent, not wanting to get in the middle of it. That chef likely worked hard to not only create the dish, but to secure Liam’s backing and that of other investors. She would not be the one to derail his or her business.
Liam peppered her with other questions as Rowan drove toward her condo. She answered as diplomatically as she could. When he broached the subject of a menu for a new restaurant rather than a current one, she answered more freely, feeling more comfortable when it wasn’t someone’s livelihood on the line. It made the drive pass quickly, for which she was grateful. When they pulled up outside her home, he looked surprised.
He tipped his head, eyeing her thoughtfully. “I had a nice time this evening.”
Her brow wrinkled. “You don’t normally enjoy my company? This bodes well for our marriage, Liam,” she said with a chuckle.
A quick smile flashed over his face. “I guess I haven’t really taken the time to get to know you as well as I should. Ma arranged this marriage, and I went along with it because she’s right. I need an heir. You’re beautiful and come from a good family, so I never looked much further than that at you. But you’ve got a brain hiding behind that pretty face.” His expression turned quizzical. “Why did you agree to this marriage?”
Crap. Why now, of all times, when they were so close to bringing this operation to a close, did he want to get personal? She dredged up the backstory they’d come up with for her, then lied through her teeth. “My father’s business put our entire family in danger. Your mother offered us a way out. I have younger siblings. They don’t deserve to suffer. Plus, I’ve grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle. And let’s be honest. You’re not exactly hard to look at.” She lifted a shoulder, playing the part of a spoiled heiress. “No one was going to want some bankrupt mogul’s daughter. No one of any standing, anyway. It was a win-win for both of us. My father saves his business and our family’s status, I get to keep my lifestyle, and you get access to my father’s business contacts and a spot on the board of his company. It was a no-brainer.”
A slow smile spread over his face. “Why, Alexandra. I never knew you were so calculating. I like it.”
Audra’s stomach turned. That should not be an attractive quality to anyone. She swallowed the bile and pasted a naughty smile on her face. “Yes, well, when you grow up in our world, it’s a good quality to have.”
“Indeed.” He slid a hand over her knee. “Can I persuade you to let me come in tonight?”
Her stomach churned so hard she feared she’d be unable to choke down the vomit this time. She clenched her teeth, swallowing as inconspicuously as possible, and covered his hand with hers. “No. I might be calculating, but I also love to torture myself by denying myself things I know I would enjoy until the time is right. And I’m sure I’ll enjoy our first night together, which is why I want to wait.”
A hardness entered his eyes, turning them cold. “What if I decide I no longer wish to wait?”
You’ll find yourself without your bollocks. Audra barely bit back the words. She forced a sickly-sweet smile onto her face. “Now, why would you want to do that? A willing woman will always make the experience more fun.” She leaned in and ran a finger under his jacket lapel before injecting a low, sultry note into her voice. “There are things I can do that you’ll only get from me if I’m a willing participant. Wicked, naughty things.”
The cold glint in his eyes heated, and Audra knew she’d averted disaster.
“Such as?”
She sat back and ticked a finger back and forth. “A woman never gives away her secrets. You’ll just have to wonder.”
He growled. “You’re not as innocent as your father would like me to believe.”
“No.”
“I like that.”
Audra only had a moment to steel herself before he grabbed her and fused their mouths together. Her dinner threatened to make an appearance, but she tamped it down and forced herself to participate in the kiss. When he slid a hand up the outside of her thigh and under the hem of her dress, she pushed him away, her hand planted in the middle of his chest and her arm extended. “Nice try. Haven’t you learned I can be stubborn when I want to be?”
He chuckled. “I’m learning many things about you. Forgive me if I’m eager to learn more.” His fingers dug into her thigh.
“We have plenty of time for that.” She swung her legs away and slid toward the door. “I’m going in now before things get any more heated.”
Liam sat back in his seat and rubbed himself through his pants. “Give me a taste, at least. Bend over and flip up your skirt. Let me see that pert little ass of yours.”
Gross. She hid her disgust with a chuckle. “You can watch it walk away.” She pushed the door open and got out. As she walked up the sidewalk to her front door, she put some extra sway in her hips. Once she crossed her threshold and locked herself in, she let out a hard shiver. “Bleh! Disgusting pig.” She dropped her clutch purse and keys on the entryway table and shucked her shoes. Like the night before, she went upstairs, but this time, instead of hopping in the shower, she grabbed her toothbrush and cleaned her mouth. She could still taste him.
After brushing twice and rinsing—and gargling—with mouthwash, she stripped out of her clothes and stepped into the shower. Tonight’s wash was a quick one. She didn’t want to linger. She wanted to dig into the two men from dinner.
Dressed in her standard sleeping attire of a t-shirt and panties, she made herself some tea and sat down on the sofa with her laptop. Gathering some intel would tell her if the men were worth putting surveillance on. Though she was bringing Simon down, no matter what. The man deserved whatever charges she could make stick.