Wild Suspicions (Romantic Suspense) (8 page)

When he removed his lips from hers,
Liddie crossed her arms and smiled. “I might,” she teased. All pretense of a business trip had now melted away. Three years of office flirtations, she realized, would climax – quite literally – in this hotel room and its bed.

Parker pounced on her again.
Liddie tried to keep up, moving her lips to keep pace with his, but Parker’s erratic energy was overwhelming. He kissed like one of the boys she’d dated her freshman year in college. His mouth was all over the place, eager to lick every inch of her face and neck, like a puppy with a play toy.

A
n image of Garrett Wade, watching her from the cockpit window, came to mind.

“
Damn.” said Parker suddenly, and for one fleeting second, Liddie thought he’d read her mind.

“
There’s not enough time for this.” He released his hold on her, got up and backed away from the bed. “I’ve got to stop and take a shower, there’s work to do.”

“
But I thought we’d have time together.”

“
We will,” he promised, “We will. First, though, I have to meet with some people. There’s important business I need to take care of. It’s not something my father could trust to anyone else, and if I don’t do it, he’ll have a fit.”

“
But, Parker, it’s two o’clock in the morning.” Who could he possibly have to meet at this hour? A sudden thought occurred to her. “If you’ve changed your mind and you don’t want me to be here, I can get another room.” It had been such a rough flight; perhaps he was making an excuse to escape her.

“
Don’t even think that. Not for a moment.” He dropped to his knees in front of her. “I’ve been waiting to be with you, Liddie.” He reached for her hands. “Don’t flake out on me. This is our time. Understand?” He frowned. “It’s just that work has got to come first for now.”

Liddie hesitated.
It seemed so odd; yet the trip had always been described as business first, pleasure second. “I do understand, Parker. I’m sorry.”

“
I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can. With any luck, we’ll have plenty of time to finish this.” He jumped up and gave her another long kiss.

“
What time do you have to go?” she asked as her interest in Parker rekindled.

“
They’re actually waiting for me right now. That’s why I can’t even cancel or postpone. You know what they’re like – all them CEOs, CFOs and ASSoles,” He laughed. “At this time of night, they’d be livid if I didn’t show up. It’s not like they want to be there either.” He shrugged. “I’m sorry.”

If it
weren’t so obvious that he’d prefer to stay, Liddie would have been angry. “All right, go.”

Parker
tossed the pair of clean underwear into the bathroom. “International business goes on twenty-four hours a day, Liddie.” He unbuckled the belt on his jeans and pulled it from the loops. The leather hit the bed with no sound. “If it were up to me, my father would add a few more executive positions instead of relying on a select few all the time.” He shrugged. “But for now, I guess he’ll continue to work me to the bone.”

Liddie
almost blurted out a smart retort, but thought better of it. Perhaps he did work harder than she knew.

He excused himself with
another wink and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving the door open, in case she decided to join him.

Liddie did consider it.
However, it would be their first time together and she didn’t want it to be a wham bam. It would be pathetic to be left wet and wanting afterward, while he ran out the door.

Instead
, Liddie walked around, exploring the luxuriousness of the suite and its magnificent view of the Arabian Gulf and Dubai beaches. As her eyes left the colorful lights of the coastline, the ocean waves became lost in the night sky. It was like standing in the center of a living, breathing panoramic postcard.

The living room
downstairs, with a long sofa full of more pillows, was decorated in rich reds, purples and a bright gold. There was a glass-top dining set in the area to the right, a large bar with its own sink and stainless steel appliances, and another huge guest bathroom with mosaic tiles. All designed to encompass you in comfort.

Liddie
heard the shower turn off, but remained downstairs, looking out the windows until Parker was dressed and ready to go.

“
I’ll try and be quick,” promised Parker.

“
Maybe I can find a place to eat downstairs,” said Liddie. “A cafe or bar. There ought to be something in the lobby of a place this grand.” After being on the plane for so long, Liddie wanted to get something to eat and explore the area. There were obviously clubs surrounding the beach, and at the very least, she could experience some of the fancy nightlife she’d heard about.

“
Without me?” asked Parker, expressing disappointment. “I don’t think I like the thought of you wandering about in the middle of the night.” He sighed. “As a matter of fact, I know I don’t.”

“
I wouldn’t go far, Parker. I’d stay near the resort.”

“
Look,” he said, grabbing the bottle of expensive champagne that had been left in an ice bucket on top of the bar – along with a small basket of chocolates and large display of flowers. “You relax. Have some champagne and chocolates.” He popped the cork of the bottle with ease. “Grab a nap or order yourself a sandwich. I shouldn’t be more than an hour or two. I promise you.”

He pointed to a window
and then turned to grab a glass. “Go look out to the left. See if you can find a building with blue and pink lights surrounding the penthouse area.”

Liddie did as he asked.
So many of the buildings were lit up in color, but she found the one he was speaking of relatively quickly. “I see it.”

“
We’ve got a small office there with a boardroom,” he explained. “There’s a staff of about twelve people.”

He walked over to the window
swirling a delicate, crystal flute filled to the top with the bubbling beverage. “That’s where I’ll be. Okay?”

Liddie nodded and took a sip. It tasted
a little flat, nothing like the champagne she’d had in the past. Obviously, she’d have to develop a taste for the good stuff.

“
Enjoy yourself, Liddie. I want you to have fun.” He lifted the glass to her lips and she sipped more of the champagne. “There. Celebrate the trip. I promise things will get better soon.”

After planting another
long kiss on her lips, Parker left.

Alone again.

Liddie sat down on one of the plush chairs by a window.
If Parker wasn’t sleeping, he was off to a meeting. Sitting alone in the lap of luxury wasn’t what she’d hoped for when signing up for this trip.

An hour or two
, he promised. Was that so long to wait?

Liddie
reminded herself to stay positive. Sure, the trip had been rough, but hadn’t Parker been trying to please her? Look at how much he’d already given – the clothes, the helicopter tour, and the hotel. Was it fair to hold the actions of his men against him? Parker promised to make it right and she had to believe he would.

As for
his kisses? Liddie touched her lips, amused by the thought. They would get better. She was sure of it. They just had to find time to get used to each other.

Liddie
drank half the glass of champagne and carried the bottle up to the bedroom. It was her turn, she decided, to do something nice for Parker.

She opened
several drawers looking for the one that held her new lingerie. Parker’s clothes filled four drawers, while Liddie’s only took two. She assumed her new cocktail dresses were hanging in the closet, but didn’t bother to look. No need to, since there wouldn’t be a chance to wear them, though Dubai would have been the perfect place to show them off.

She
grabbed one of the lace negligees she’d bought in New York. It had two pieces, a tiny burgundy lace bra with a lace skirt and skimpy pair of panties. It would take a bit of courage to wear it, but the champagne was certainly providing that.

This outfit, she decided,
would make Parker think twice about leaving her alone again.

Garrett Wade came to mind, followed quickly by
the horrible faces of Jerry and Paco. If all went well, Liddie wouldn’t see any of them again.

She wondered
, though, where Garrett could be now. At a much cheaper hotel, no doubt. When they got into the chopper she had checked to see if he was flying it. As if he could. She wondered if airplane pilots could operate helicopters as well.

Liddie took another sip and dangled the nightie by one strap
. It was daring of her to buy it. She knew Parker would approach it with enthusiasm initially, though it was doubtful he had the patience or control to appreciate it for long. Garrett, on the other hand, looked like a man who excelled in restraint and patience.

Again?

Why was she thinking about him? There was no doubt Garrett was handsome, in a rough-and-tumble kind of way. If it weren’t for that mean streak, he might be worth something to some woman. Then again, she countered, he did protect her, unlike Parker. The realization of that stung. Parker was going to have to step it up and show more concern.

Liddie
held the nightie against her body. The little cups would make her breasts look huge. She grabbed the matching bottom with new determination. The champagne was feeding her desire to share a few special hours with Parker before leaving again.

The bathroom was as large as a bedroom.
That made her laugh. The richer you were, the bigger your bathrooms.

Pulling off her clothes, Liddie entered the shower
area. More mosaic tiles encircled her with brilliant colors and exotic patterns. Had she been brave enough earlier, she would have joined Parker in the shower. There was certainly enough room. Then again, a quickie like that held no interest for her. In fact, if Parker returned too late, she’d rather get a bite to eat and have a nap before leaving again. Better to postpone, than to rush.

The aromatic shower gel, supplied by the hotel, provided a thick foam that easily covered most of her body. Liddie
played around with the faucet knobs and adjusted the water until it squirted from several different holes, up and down her body. She closed her eyes and let the water wash all cares away.

Liddie
began to yawn while using the hair dryer supplied in the bathroom. She downed more of the champagne wearing nothing but the lingerie. The airy lace of the fabric was helping her feel sexy and she liked it. With a paranoid eye toward the locked bathroom door, she flipped over and back to give her hair the volume she desired.

Why did
Garrett try so hard to scare her? Right from the beginning, he wanted her gone. Recalling his heroics on the plane and their conversation afterward, she wondered if he still felt the same way.

Liddie
sighed and studied her reflection in the bathroom mirror. For a cheese head from Wisconsin, she looked pretty damn good. The company provided a gym membership and she used it as much as she could. While the panties didn’t cover her butt totally – like they would a more regular exerciser – they still flattered her derriere better than a g-string.

Her confidence waned
. Parker had dated many beautiful women in the past. Liddie had shopped for their Christmas, birthday and thank-you-for-last-night gifts. Now, she could only hope that her loyal personality, sunny disposition and under-wired bosom could compete.

Liddie settled into one of the
plush velour chairs in the corner of the bedroom. She yawned, but poured another glass of champagne anyway. The more she drank, the more relaxed she became. Her handbag sat on the floor nearby and she stretched to reach for it. Who knew what time it was in the U.S.? Parker had mentioned something about a seven- or eight-hour difference, which would make it early evening in New Jersey. If that was so, Melody wouldn’t be going to bed for another three hours and it was a good time to call. Her latte pal would love to know what was going on, and Liddie couldn’t wait to tell her.

Another yawn convinced her to make the phone call from bed
. She started pulling pillows away from the headboard and piling them onto the chair, but it was taking too long. She pushed the rest of them to the floor, and then turned her attention to the ornate bedspread. It was heavy and took a little muscle to fold back, but once that was done Liddie was able to climb atop the embroidered silk sheets and collapse into comfort.

The
fabric was cool against the skin of her legs, and the bed was so wonderfully soft. She closed her eyes and almost forgot about calling Melody. Determined not to do so, she took another swig of the champagne and quickly pulled her purse from the floor. She rummaged inside it. No cell phone. Liddie dumped the contents of the bag onto the bed.

She pushed around the
wallet, keys, compact and loose change. No phone. Liddie rubbed her eyes and shoved everything back into the bag before dropping it on the floor again. Could she have left her cell phone on the plane?