High Stakes Read Free Page B

imagination. What was it about this man that made her think about
big beds, subtle strokes, and long, lazy mornings without a care in the world?
It was painfully obvious as she watched his index finger skim his lips. He was
six plus feet, two hundred plus pounds of temptation no woman in her right mind
could resist.
    “I’m in fashion.” She cleared her throat as
she closed her magazine and placed it in the seat pocket in front of her.
“Actually, I’m opening my first boutique next week. It’s called Alisa’s.”
    “Of course it is.” He followed suit,
tucking his magazine back inside his briefcase. “What made you decide to get
into the business?”
    “I modeled for several years, and I’ve
always loved fashion.”
    He chuckled. “A model? Why am I not
surprised?”
    Alisa bristled at the way he said the word model. She was used to being labeled because of her chosen profession. The fact that
she’d chosen to make her living in front of a camera earned her a reputation as
shallow, self-indulgent, and spoiled. “In case you’re wondering, I kept my
clothes on.”
    “I never had any doubt. You’re obviously a
classy lady.”
    The compliment was a mild balm to her
wounded ego, but she wasn’t willing to let him off the hook that easily. “Why
do you have such a low opinion of models?”
    He laughed. “Let’s just say I’ve dated my
fair share, and they all seem to fit into a certain mold.”
    She’d spent enough time around models to
know he was right. They definitely shared common characteristics. Maybe that’s
why she wasn’t strong enough to go the distance. “Sounds like you’re
stereotyping.”
    “Maybe.” He shrugged. “But I call it like I
see it. I won’t apologize for having an opinion, even if you don’t happen to
share it.”
    Of all the arrogant, egotistical men she’d
met in her life, this man claimed the prize. “Excuse me, I’d like to use the
restroom, if you don’t mind.” When she came back, she intended to tune in to
the movie, so she could tune him out.
     
     
    Liam Bryson cursed his big mouth. Speaking
his mind was part of who he was, and he knew people judged him because of it.
They’d called him opinionated, arrogant, insufferable, stubborn—the list went
on, but those qualities helped him build one of the most exclusive boutique
hotel chains in the world, so he refused to apologize for the attributes that
made him successful.
    But when he realized his unwarranted
opinion had offended Alisa, he immediately wished he could retract his words.
He’d lumped her in with all of the other women he’d dated, and it was obvious
to him in the few moments they spent together that she was nothing like them.
She was special. He didn’t know how he knew, and he didn’t question it. He
trusted his instincts, and he knew he had to find a way to get back into her
good graces, because even if he never saw her again after their plane touched
down, he didn’t want her to think poorly of him.
    He hadn’t considered another person’s
opinion of him in years, and he’d never, ever gone out of his way to impress a
lady. He’d never had to, not when the prospect of accessing his bank account
seemed to be the only enticement they needed.
    He stood up to let Alisa slide into her
window seat and impulse prompted him to settle his hands on her waist and pull
her flush against his chest as he whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry.”
    He heard her slight gasp the minute she
felt the evidence of his arousal, but he couldn’t hide his attraction to her, and
he didn’t want to. He wanted her to know, without a doubt, what she was doing
to him. “I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean it, sweetheart.”
    They were getting too close, too intimate.
They were still strangers, yet to the casual observer, they must look like
lovers intent on making up after a harmless spat.
    Her hands closed over his as she slid his
hands off her hips. “Excuse me.”
    He watched her slide a set of