High Stakes by Cheryl Douglas Page A

knew she’d had half a dozen too many
and he still thought she was able to make sound decisions that would
potentially affect the rest of her life? Men. They really were clueless at
times.
    “I think I have some in the bathroom. Let
me check.”
    She peeked her head out from under the
covers and watched him walk across the room. She couldn’t suppress the tiny
sigh that escaped her lips. Lena was right; the man was gorgeous. Yet he’d
waited forty-four years to get married, in spite of the fact he had a child
with another woman. There must be something wrong with him, something he’d kept
hidden from her last night.
    He was probably abrasive, cold,
domineering, a workaholic, messy… but when he treated her to that slow, sexy
grin, she realized she could forgive almost any sin… almost. At least he had
the decency to return from the bathroom wearing a robe. It made him marginally
more resistible.
    “What time is it?” she whispered, taking
the two pills and bottle of water he handed her.
    He glanced at his watch. “Seven thirty.”
    “Oh God, I have a meeting with that
designer in an hour and a half. I have to pull myself together.”
    “Maybe she could meet you here? At least
that would buy you a little more time.” He opened the leather-bound room
service menu and glanced at the offerings. “You’re welcome to use one of the
conference rooms.”
    “Thanks, but my flight’s scheduled to leave
right after our meeting, and her studio is only ten minutes from the airport.”
    He tossed the menu on a nearby table and
turned his attention to her. “You’re not seriously thinking about leaving this
morning, are you? We need to talk, Alisa. To figure out where we go from here.”
    She knew where she was going… home to
contact her lawyer. But how was she going to tell him that without offending
him, especially when her brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders? She rubbed her
eyes with the heels of her palms and prayed the pain reliever would take effect
soon so she could get her butt in gear and make that meeting on time and, more
importantly, make her flight.
    “I’ve got a lot going on with the store
right now, Liam. Shipments are coming in. Displays are being set up. The
merchandiser is going to be there later to go over the layout. I have someone
coming to dress the windows. Not to mention the launch party I have planned for
next weekend. The party planner needs to meet me to go over the details later
today so we can finalize the menu.” She sighed at his look of disappointment.
Apparently, even wealthy hotel tycoons reserved the right to act like spoiled
little boys when they didn’t get their own way.
    “I understand you’re busy; so am I. But
don’t you think our marriage has to take precedence right now? No doubt it’s
been all over the news and Internet by now. The press will want a statement.”
    She covered her face with her hands. Her
parents. Oh God, what was her father going to say when he heard about her
impromptu wedding to a gazillionaire twenty years her senior? A man with a
teenage daughter, for the love of God. “What if my father pulls my funding
because of this? I have suppliers and contractors who need to get paid. What am
I going to do?”
    Liam smiled as he sat down on the edge of
the bed and slid his hand up and down her bare leg. “Relax, sweetheart, money’s
the least of your worries. I’d be happy to fund your project.”
    Alisa pulled the sheet up, trying to
maintain some sense of modesty, which she knew was ridiculous under the
circumstances. “It’s not a project,” she said through gritted teeth. “It’s a
business. And I don’t need your money. Even if my father disowns me, my
grandparents won’t. They know how much this business means to me.”
    His grip on her leg tightened and she could
tell he was trying to maintain his composure. “I’m your husband now, Alisa.
Whatever you need, I’ll provide.”
    Oh, so it was going to be like that, was
it? “I don’t