“I feel like…” She struggled to find the words.
“Tell me.”
“Like I’m in limbo,” she at last said. “I can’t seem to get my shit together.” She shook her head in frustration. “It’s stupid.”
“Holly.” He grimaced, turning his attention back to the road.
“What?”
“You’ve been through a traumatic experience,” he reminded her. “Give yourself time to heal.”
There was a slight hesitation that made her sense that hadn’t been what he was going to say, but before she could press him, he turned into an upscale subdivision on the edge of town.
She frowned in confusion. “I thought we were going to breakfast?”
“We are.”
He pulled to a halt in front of a brick, ranch-style home with a low, gabled roof and pretty marble fountain in the middle of the circular drive.
“Here?” she demanded in surprise.
Sliding from behind the steering wheel, he rounded the hood and helped her out of the car.
“Mary makes the best pancakes in town,” he assured her.
“Mary?”
“My sister. Mary Magdalen Conner Black.” He offered a rueful smile. “But don’t tell her that I spilled the beans on her middle name. She’ll break my nose.” He lifted a hand to touch his slender nose. “Again.”
Holly took an instinctive step away from his looming form, pressing her back against the expensive automobile.
His sister? Was he out of his mind?
Not only did she look like she’d just crawled out of bed after spending the night making mad, passionate love to this man, but you didn’t take a woman to meet your sister.
Not unless…
Her brain couldn’t even form the thought.
“I can’t intrude on your family,” she breathed.
He arched a brow at her obvious horror. “I’ll warn you now that my family doesn’t understand the word ‘intrude.’ We wander in and out of each other’s lives without regard for privacy.”
His words did nothing to comfort her.
“How many of your siblings live in Vegas?”
He shrugged. “All of them.”
Holy shit. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” His lips twisted. “I know.”
Before she could insist that they leave, the door to the house was slammed open and a tiny bundle of energy came hurtling in their direction.
“Liam.” The female who looked to be in her late twenties had Liam’s russet hair, although hers was pulled into a long ponytail, and the same strong features. Her eyes, however, were more hazel than green, and her mouth easily curved into a warm smile. With obvious affection she tossed herself into Liam’s waiting arms, giving him a loving hug before she pulled away to study Holly with a searching gaze. “And Holly.” She sent her brother a teasing smile. “It’s about time you brought her around.”
He rolled his eyes. “Behave yourself, imp.”
Holly frowned in confusion. “I’m sorry, have we met?”
Mary chuckled. “Not officially, but I’ve seen your picture in the papers, and Liam speaks about you so often we all feel as if you’re a part of the family.”
Holly glanced toward Liam, startled to discover a line of red on his high cheekbones.
She’d known that he wanted her in his bed.
It wasn’t as if he’d ever kept his desire a secret.
But the thought that he’d actually discussed her with his family was…
She waited for the anger. The outrage. The righteous indignation.
But it didn’t come.
Instead, a dangerous warmth was beginning to replace the hollow sense of betrayal deep in her heart.
“Sisters,” Liam muttered, shaking his head. “Can’t live with them, can’t drown them at birth.”
“You know you love me,” Mary teased.
With an easy familiarity that Holly deeply envied, Liam leaned down to kiss the tip of Mary’s nose.
Although she’d developed a relationship with Luc over the past five years, Holly knew they would never be as close as siblings who’d been raised together.
“I do, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to throttle you on occasion,” Liam informed his sister.
With a chuckle, Mary turned to head toward the house. “Come in.”
Reaching out, Liam threaded their fingers together as they followed the vivacious woman into the lovely home.
Holly had a fleeting glimpse of tiled floors, stucco walls, and rattan furniture as Mary headed directly into the large kitchen that overlooked the in-ground pool out back.
Casual and homey seemed to be Mary’s motto, Holly decided.
Even her pretty yellow sundress was well worn, without one designer label in sight.
Not exactly what she would have expected from the sister of one of the richest men in the country, but Holly instantly liked her.
“Eric is in his office,” Mary told Liam, moving to the stainless steel fridge to start pulling out eggs and milk. Clearly this wasn’t the first time her older brother had stopped by expecting breakfast. “Go pester him.”
Liam frowned. “Holly—”
“Will be fine with me,” Mary firmly interrupted, sending Holly a wink.
Heaving a sigh, Liam headed toward the glass doors that led to the back patio.
“Fine,” he conceded defeat. “But I expect blueberries in my pancakes.”
Holly swallowed a rueful sigh as she watched him leave the kitchen.
She’d spent so long trying to turn Liam into the enemy, she’d refused to acknowledge his finer qualities.
She didn’t want to see that he was always fair as a boss, that he was loyal to his staff, and generous to a number of charities.
And now she was being forced to realize he was also devoted to his family.
Damn.
That warmth in her heart began to spread.
She was in trouble.
***
The office that was built at the far side of the pool was private enough to avoid interruptions, but Liam was barely paying attention as Eric gave a brief overview of the latest accounts for Conner’s Irish Pubs.
The blond-haired CPA had joined the business shortly after marrying Mary three years ago, and with his obvious drive and ambition he’d swiftly earned Liam’s trust to take over the accounts for the pubs, while three of Liam’s younger brothers and one sister were the day-to-day managers.
When Liam had impulsively promised Holly breakfast, he’d somehow thought he could kill two birds with one stone.
He could ensure Holly was distracted by his vivacious sister while he read through the tedious tax reports that Eric had been nagging at him to complete.
Unfortunately his concentration was shot to hell.
Damn Theodore Wentworth Junior.
The bastard just had to get in one last spiteful gesture.
When he tracked him down—and he would track him down—Liam intended to beat the shit out of the weasel.
At last reaching the end of the report, Liam hastily signed his name and shoved himself to his feet.
“Is that all?” he demanded with obvious impatience.
Eric rose from behind his desk, his blue eyes twinkling with humor.
“Would it matter?”
Liam headed toward the door. “No.”
“You got it bad, bro,” Eric teased, following Liam as he made a straight line across the patio to the nearby house.
Liam snorted. The one-time surfer boy had been wrapped around Mary’s little finger for years.
“And you don’t?”
Eric shrugged, a goofy smile curving his lips. “I was a goner the day Mary dumped the plate of corned beef in my lap when I pinched her ass.”
Liam elbowed his friend in the side. “You’re lucky I wasn’t there.”
Reaching the French doors, Liam unconsciously came to a halt, studying the dark-haired beauty who was seated at the breakfast bar, her head tilt
ed back as she laughed at something his sister had said.
His chest tightened, the ache in his heart almost unbearable.
“She is lovely,” Eric murmured, clapping Liam on the shoulder.
“She’s more than that,” he insisted. “She’s intelligent, and loyal, and kindhearted and…” He forgot how to speak as she turned her head to stare directly at him.
“Sexy?” Eric prompted.
His cock went rigid, suddenly eager to have her alone.
At his apartment.
In his bed.
“Hell, yeah,” he growled.
There was a beat before Eric cleared his throat. “Have you told her?”
Liam stiffened, turning his head to glare at his companion. “No.”
Eric shook his head. “You’re playing with fire, bro.”
Liam shoved open the French door, knowing his brother-in-law was right, but determined to ignore the disaster that loomed just out of sight.
“Ah. I knew the scent of bacon would lure you out of hibernation,” Mary teased, sending Holly a knowing smile. “It’s an aphrodisiac to the male sex.”
Coming behind Holly, Liam settled his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to whisper directly in her ear.
“Something to remember.”
She tensed at his touch, but astonishingly, she tilted her head back to flash him a mysterious smile.
“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind…” There was a deliberate pause. “Lee-bean.”
Swallowing his chuckle of delight at her teasing, Liam lifted his gaze to send a playful frown toward his sister.
“Traitor,” he growled, knowing Mary had to have delighted in revealing his mother’s name for him when he was a baby. “Silly family pet names are strictly off-limits. What else did you tell her?”
Mary blinked with faux innocence. “Every woman needs a little ammunition.”
“Not Holly,” he wryly assured his sister. The female had been tying him in knots for the past year. “She has more than her fair share of firepower without your help, thank you very much.”
“I happen to find stories of your childhood fascinating,” Holly assured him, her tone mocking.
Sliding one hand beneath the thick silk of her hair, Liam curled his fingers around her nape while his other hand cupped her chin, tilting back her face so he could place a slow, lingering kiss on her lips.
“Do you now,” he drawled as he reluctantly lifted his head, studying her flushed features with a brooding gaze.
She shivered, sucking in a deep breath as she tried to act as if they weren’t both going up in flames.
“I didn’t grow up with any brothers or sisters. I can’t imagine having a house with ten kids.”
Mary snorted, her tone amused as Liam and Holly remained lost in one another’s gaze.
“It was loud, messy, and occasionally violent,” she assured Holly. “You can’t imagine how many times I longed to be an only child.”
“There’s nothing to envy.” The cognac eyes darkened with a remembered sadness. “It was lonely.”
Liam’s heart twisted, but before he could speak, Mary was reaching across the bar to pat Holly’s hand.
“You don’t have to worry about that anymore,” she assured Holly. “Just wait until Ma gets ahold of you.”
Panic tightened Holly’s expression and Liam straightened to send his sister a warning glare.
“Enough. You’re going to make her flee in terror.” His attention shifted back to the woman who had turned his world upside down. “I just got her.”
Her lips parted, something that might have been yearning darkening the cognac eyes.
“Liam.”
Leaning down, he stole a tender kiss.
“Come with me.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Come with me…
They were the last words that had been spoken as Liam had returned her to his Mercedes and sped toward the Strip.
Reaching the luxurious Angeli, a combination hotel and casino, he pulled to a halt in front of the glass doors. Tossing the keys to the valet, he helped Holly out of the car and headed into the black and silver foyer that was a signature of the Angeli brand.
Holly ignored the curious gazes as they rounded the front desk to enter the private elevator. Later she might be embarrassed to have been seen with her boss, headed to his private rooms, but right now nothing mattered but discovering more about this man who was swiftly becoming an obsession with her.
Stepping into the elevator, Liam used his key to take them to the top floor, his hand pressing against her lower back as the doors opened to reveal the penthouse suite.
Automatically she kicked off the flip flops that had been another gift from the Playhouse store before she stepped forward, taking in the silver and ivory living room that was surrounded by three walls of glass.
Not surprisingly, she’d never been up here.
Her father had preferred to live in a grand mansion several miles away from Vegas, leaving this penthouse for high-rollers or visiting VIPs. Now, her breath was wrenched from her lungs at the sheer beauty of the view.
Liam wrapped his hand around her fingers, tugging her to the side of the elevator toward the back of the apartment.
“I have something I want to show you,” he murmured, his thumb brushing the inside of her wrist where her pulse was racing.
They bypassed the open kitchen that led to a small dining room, to move down a short hall, stopping at a closed door.
Half expecting to find herself in his bedroom, Holly arched a brow at the sight of a heavy walnut desk and walls hidden behind ceiling-high bookcases.
Leading her to the back of the room, he halted beside a long table that was covered by a thin cloth.
“What’s this?” Holly demanded in confusion.
“I hope it’s the future.”
He grabbed the cloth, tugging it aside to reveal two 3D architectural models.
Instantly curious, Holly leaned forward, studying the tiny, perfectly detailed prototypes.
They were clearly casino hotels, but they were designed with a modern flair that her father would have detested.
Holly loved them.
She leaned closer, reading the small plaques at the bottom of the models.
“St. Louis. Biloxi.” Straightening, she sent Liam a startled glance. “You intend to expand Angeli’s?”
He shrugged, his expression oddly unreadable. “These wouldn’t be Angeli.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I want something we can build together,” he said, his voice soft but filled with determination. “Something that has no taint of Vigo.”
Her heart missed a beat.
“Together?”
He cupped her cheek in his hands, his gaze searing over her face as she struggled to accept his words.
“Full-fledged partners,” he swore.
Holly found it ridiculously difficult to think.
It wasn’t just the astoundingly generous offer. Or the knowledge that she could finally achieve her dreams.
It was his sheer belief in her ability to undertake such an enormous project.
Granted, her father had vaguely implied he might one day consider her worthy of taking his place, but it had never been about his confidence in her skill.
It’d been a power play to force Luc to return to his place as the rightful heir.
Vigo had never really bothered to see her as more than a weapon.
“I…” She had to halt and clear her throat. “I’m not sure what to say.”
His thumb brushed her cheek, sending sparks of intense pleasure through her body.
“Then let me speak.”
“Okay,” she breathed.
“I came to Vegas with nothing but twenty bucks in my pocket. At the time, I didn’t have any real goal beyond getting a roof over my head.” He shrugged, his gaze focused on her mouth as she unconsciously peeked out her tongue to dampen her lips. “Eventually I discovered I had a talent fo
r gambling. And more shockingly, the ability to turn my winnings into a successful business.”
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his modesty. The man had gone from sleeping in his car to creating a dozen profitable restaurants, to owning the jewel in the crown of casinos.
And all before the age of thirty-five.
A hell of an accomplishment.
“Why Irish pubs?” she asked.
“I missed my ma’s cooking,” he said with a smile that could melt the Antarctic. Or her unexpectedly susceptible heart. “And I had nine brothers and sisters looking for employment. They became my first waitstaff, bartenders, and dishwashers.”
She heaved an unconsciously wistful sigh. “Your parents must be very proud.”
“They would have been just as proud if I’d stayed in Dublin and joined my father’s construction company,” he said without hesitation. “Their love has never been conditional.”
Unlike her own father’s, she silently acknowledged.
“When did you decide to buy Angeli’s?”
“It didn’t take long as a gambler to learn that the true money wasn’t made at the tables, but by owning the tables,” he explained. “And since Angeli’s is the finest chain of casinos, I decided I wouldn’t be satisfied until I owned them.”
She hesitated before asking the question that had been on her mind since she’d first learned that Liam had purchased her father’s business.
“Was I part of your climb to the top?”
His brows snapped together, almost as if he was outraged by the perfectly reasonable question.
Unfair.
Even if she was illegitimate, she’d spent her life being chased and flattered and flirted with because of her connection to Vigo Angeli.
Even Ted had hoped to use her as a means to convince Vigo to switch his massive wealth to Ted’s investment bank.
Why wouldn’t she have assumed that the hotshot immigrant gambler was looking for a way into Vegas society?
“No. You’re not a trophy to me, princess,” he rasped. “Hell, I’d have given anything if you hadn’t been a part of Angeli’s.”
She blinked at his harsh tones. “Thanks.”
He snorted, his fingers trailing over her cheeks, down the line of her jaw, his touch so gentle it made her knees weak.