SWEETHEART ORDEALS

ChapterTwo

LIAM STOOD BEFORE THE FLOOR-TO-CEILING windows lining the walls of his balconied corner office. Far below, the city opened out before him like some great, living tapestry. The skyline of this city was much the same as any, with tall, giant skyscrapers standing as symbols of power and ambition—symbols of the world into which he was born and one whose view impressed very much. Yet somehow, as intense as this view was, Liam's thoughts remained a world away from the empire he was set to inherit.

Responsibilities fought for his overactive mind, unrelenting, for the fact of the matter was that this was unlike any other deal between Carter Industries and the Fairchild conglomerate; no, this was elephantine and massive in scale—all but—using up all of his concentration and thinking power. He felt if he failed, it would be massive—not only in regard to what could happen to the company but also regarding the legacy built by his father. Failure was a possibility he just couldn't process.

In addition to that, he would also soon be marrying Quincy Fairchild. That was a well-negotiated settlement, an agreement to mate that would ensure their families' vice grip in the business world would be secured for millenniums to come. At least, that was how it was supposed to be on paper; Quincy was gorgeous, intelligent, and cool, the ultimate life-mate match for a guy like him. Very soon, however, their marriage had proved to be more a bane than a boon, a duty rather than a desire.

Liam huffed and swept a hand back through his perfectly combed hair as he looked down into the street packed with milling bodies. He listened for that light knock on the door, which threw him off his thoughts, interrupting his train of thought. Turning around, he saw her—Tara Brien, his personal secretary—gliding into the office with a grace no one should ever have. Her expression was focused, efficient, and yet warm as she came in with a stack of files in her hands, but there was something that distinguished her from the cold, calculated world Liam inhabited.

"Good morning, Mr. Brown," Tara said, moving toward his desk with a slight smile on her lips. "I have those reports you wanted, and also the agenda for today's meetings."

Nodding a bit, Liam watched her set the files on his desk with a soft thud. Tara was everything he wanted in an employee: competent, reliable, discreet. Quietly efficient in the performance of her duties, she applied an attention to detail at her work that, more often than not, was hardly matched by those around her. It was more than her professional qualities, though, that Liam found drawing him in to her.

Standing straight to start making the day seem right, Liam caught his eyes on her, for a little too long. There was something about Tara, something which had always been there but to which he had only given himself permission to see now. She was different from all others in his life: unassuming, sincere, kind in a real way. With Tara, there is no pretentiousness, there is no plot, or any other acts of strategy; she is just… herself.

Maybe it was the first time Liam had consciously known that she was the only one in his world who didn't see him as the all-powerful CEO of Carter Industries; or in the coming future, as the husband of Quincy Fairchild. To her, he was just Liam—scared, hopeful, and vulnerable, like any other soul.

"Oh, Tara, thank you for all you do," he said, far less gruffly than he ever did. "I don't say it enough, but I really appreciate all the hard work."

The sudden compliment jerked Tara's head up. Her eyes locked with his, and for that second, the whole busy world outside vanished. "Thank you, Mr. Brown," she said, her voice soft but much more genuine. "I'm happy to help in whatever way I can."

it was a stirring in Liam's belly that he'd not have been able to acknowledge just a few moments before. His eyes met softly warm radiances with hers inside him. The quiet warmth swelled into something more at the moment his eyes locked with hers, surprising him.

All his life had been focused on duty, the empire he was to run, and expectations that entailed. Love had been secondary, something that could be compromised when appropriate for the greater good. But Liam felt a pang of longing now, standing here with Tara in his office, something he did not know existed.

"Is that all, Mr. Brown?" Tara's question had to jolt him back from his thoughts.

His pause became longer, and his mind wrestled with the repercussions of the sudden awareness. That was dangerous territory—falling for his secretary definitely did not fit the plan, let alone be approved by the world he was walking through. But then, truth could never be hidden. For the first time, Liam felt something real—something that far exceeded those frigid and calculated steps of life.

"No, Tara, that will be all," Liam finally said, in response, with controlled rigidity. But the feeling that something subtly shifted as he watched her leave his office remained—one he couldn't put his back to, no matter how much he wanted to.

As the door closed behind her, Liam returned to the window. He had been put further at odds with himself. He had made up his mind to marry Quincy because that was what was expected of him, and the realization of his feelings for Tara wasn't that simple.