Business Deal

Chapter 5 - Dinner for 6

Liam sat opposite her in a seat near the bar of the restaurant the limo had taken them to. Melissa loved it, from the gilt edged mirrors and elaborate light fittings that screamed kitsch wealth, to the extravagantly laid tables, it was perfect. A waiter appeared immediately, both impeccably dressed and attentive. Melissa smiled at him before returning her eyes to the window. Anything to avoid Liam's eyes.

"A bottle of Barolo please." Liam ordered without even making eye contact with her, as the waiter disappeared, he turned to her, dropping the wine list back onto the table. "So are you going to speak to me at all this evening?"

"If I'm told to speak then I will," she shrugged giving him a sarcastic smile. If he wanted to treat her like this, then she could play the part to the hilt.

He leaned forward, his blue eyes glittering, and muttered through gritted teeth "when my guests arrive I expect you to drop the childish mood and be the most pleasant woman they've ever met."

She stared at him for long moments, tempted to raise two fingers to her brow in a mock salute. But she couldn't lower herself, she was brought up to rise above things like this. So through a forced smile in a quiet and calm voice, she answered, "I hate you."

Reaching over he cupped her cheek with his hand possessively, "tonight you won't be hating me, that I can promise." Liam's eyes ran over her face looking for that sign of resistance, his smile lazy. To casual observers they looked the epitome of a couple in love.

For Melissa, it was the first time he'd touched her, and she unsuccessfully tried to ignore the tingling that buzzed under every millimetre of the skin below his hand, to ignore the way her heart had started to pound. His words inflamed her, her anger, her disgust. He was presuming...she shook her head to fight away the image. He expected her to fall into bed with him, or rather beg to be in his bed? She knew that would never happen. She would never lower herself that much. 

"You can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink." Her voice was hoarse, her throat suddenly dry, but her eyes were loaded with anger and hatred, as she managed to spit out the retort.

"I can guarantee that I'll make you drink! You'll be begging me for more, I promise," His reply was a predatory snarl.

"Pah!" she sat back in her seat, "you call me childish?" she laughed, "yet you take every opportunity to get one over on me. I thought I'd never understand someone as inconsistent as you, but I've got your number! It's control Liam! Every time you let your guard down you hate feeling exposed, so you turn the tables, play the big boss man!" Her words were edged with anger, but like a true professional her facade remained unemotional.

"Well you can hide behind your name, your wealth, you can talk down to me, shun me, you can even abandon me with no explanation, I'll go along with it, I'll play your game Liam, but that's as far as it goes. Let's not forget this is just that, a game. I'll abide by your rules, I'll be what you want me to be, but it still doesn't change you and who you are!"

Melissa knew she'd finally hit a nerve as a flush of anger streaking his cheeks he snapped, "that is all I ask!"

They drank silently after that, Liam's eyes barely left her face, he'd been as stunned as her at the tension that seemed to initially sizzle between them, but then it had disintegrated into the now familiar animosity. It was a long time since he'd felt this attracted to someone, it'd been a long time since he'd let himself, and he wasn't sure which emotion he felt happier with. He also knew he was antagonizing her, and he was unsure whether he could truly handle her backlash when it came! 

Melissa refused to lower her gaze, and could almost identify each of the swirling contradictory emotions crossing his face, from anger to interest, to frustration. He was as easy to read as a book, she was glad that he wasn't completely immune to her, but she couldn't fight her own feelings of anxiety that the whole situation raised. She also hoped that she was a little less visual with her feelings than he was, as she knew that if he had a hint of her confusion, insecurity, then he'd take control and that would be the end of her.