Crap. It was weird being alone with him in a room again.
Liam looked at me from where he sat at the end of the table. We were not quite opposite each other, just slightly offset. He was still annoyingly good-looking. I could feel my heart skip a beat, then settle into a rhythm that was way too fast to pull off the calm,contritevibe I was aiming for.
Ugh. It would be fine as long as I didn’t go red again like I had in the stairwell. Hopefully, he just thought I was really into blusher.
He opened his laptop, staring at the screen. What was he reading—a list of all the insults I’d inadvertently hurled at him in bed?
“Ms. Jones. Thank you for finding the time to see me at short notice.”
Ms. Jones?That stung. So brutally polite and formal, likehe didn’t even know me. Like he hadn’t seen me naked. Kissed my thighs, licked between my legs…
Was that how this was going togo?
But of course it was. I’d seen the photos in the papers—women were disposable to a man like von Roth.
I don’t know what I’d been expecting, but this felt almost painful. I breathed in deeply and tried to keep in mind what James had said when I told him about thenon-optionalmeeting that had been scheduled for me.
You’ve got the upper hand, Andy.
I could do this.
“Of course.” I gave him a small smile, no teeth. Not upset. Not even annoyed.Professional.
Von Roth leaned back in his chair and crossed his left ankle over the right, folding his arms. Then he seemed to change his mind and leaned forward, elbows on the table. His expression was grave, considering I was here on a butt-kissing mission. Maybe he was really pissed off. He’d seemed slightly friendly at the rooftop bar, but now he was all business.
A completely different person.
All you have to do is apologize, Andy. How hard can itbe?
Except that we were only about three feet apart, facing each other, and I had nowhere to look but him. He was way too attractive.
He put his wrists on the table, one large hand over the other. His hair was pushed back, but a few curls had broken free, and his jaw had a hint of stubble.
A dark V-neck T-shirt was just visible under his black blazer—obviously bespoke. Even if he hadn’t been wealthy, nothing off the peg would fit shoulders that broad. His skin was tanned, like he’d just come in from a day surfing.
Prima von Donnaprobably got a spray tan from his personal beautician twice a week.
I lowered my eyes. The muscle of his long thigh was visible through the navy denim. Was it hot in here? Chesty McSweatpants—big-shot CEO—had had a major glow up.
Maintaining eye contact was almost unbearable.Would it be weird if I just looked out thewindow?
“Right. So I thought we might clear the air—” he said.
“Lia—Mr. von Roth, I think an apology—” My words tripped right over his, and we spoke together. My upper lip started to sweat. “I mean, some of the things that were said…”
“An apology?” Liam’s eyes shot to my phone. I glanced over in case a message had come through, but it wasn’t even vibrating.
He looked back, and I shifted my eyes away.
Say you’re sorry, Andy, keep itshort.
“Um, yes. An apology… is…” The words stuck. I couldn’t breathe.
The collarbone. That seemed neutral enough. I focused on the small patch of skin between the T-shirt’s edge and his neck. Shit. I’d had my face pressed in that nook. I knew how his chest felt.
I knew how his dick—
NO.
