Chapter Four

Chapter 4

Liam couldn't sleep at all that night. He tossed and turned, getting all tangled up in his sweaty sheets. His mind was filled with visions of Ava, her bright, beautiful smile, the graceful curve of her neck, and the way her eyes had met his for just a second across that crowded bar. He could still feel the jolt of electricity that shot through him during that brief moment.

He punched his pillow in frustration. Dave's mocking words still stung like acid. Was he really so delusional to think he could land a woman like Ava Taylor? The ravishing heiress moved in rarefied circles, her life a whirlwind of charity galas and European jaunts that were lightyears from his own gritty existence.

But just as quickly as that kernel of insecurity took root, Liam felt that blazing sense of determination flare up again, that same burning drive that had pushed him to get this far in life. The thrill of an impossible challenge, the allure of the unattainable - that was his fuel, his motivation to work harder and go farther than anyone around him until he achieved the impossible.

Leaping out of bed, Liam started pacing the cramped floors of his crummy Brooklyn apartment, his mind racing a mile a minute. Think, Parker, think. If money was what separated him from Ava's world, then he'd have to fake it until he became it. A slow grin spread across his face as a plan began forming.

By mid-morning, Liam was standing outside the towering high-rise that housed the headquarters of Malicon Oil and Gas and the corner office of Taylor. He smoothed his palms over the exquisitely tailored suit he'd borrowed from an old friend, willing an aura of casual wealth and affluence to radiate from his very being.

"Alright, Liam, game time," he muttered as he strode through the revolving doors and into the opulent marbled lobby.

A priggish-looking woman behind the reception desk eyed him up and down, her nose wrinkling slightly.

"Can I help you?"

Liam flashed his most disarming grin. "Yes, I have a meeting with Ms. Taylor."

The woman's perfectly groomed eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "You have an appointment with the Chief Marketing Officer?"

With a casual wave of his hand, Liam replied smoothly, "Please, just let her know Liam Parker is here to see her. She's expecting me."

Clearly rattled but not wanting to risk offending a potential client, the woman shakily buzzed up to Ava's office. Moments later, her features settled into a frown. "I'm sorry, but Ms. Taylor is not available for any meetings at the moment. You'll need to schedule an appointment through her assistant."

A flash of annoyance rippled through Liam, but he quickly tamped it down with a tight smile. "I understand, but I can assure you, Ms. Taylor will definitely want to see me. I'm an old friend."

The lie slipped off his tongue with surprising ease. But before the receptionist could protest further, the elevator doors parted and out stepped the woman herself, Ava Taylor in the flesh. If possible, she looked even more striking than Liam remembered, her chestnut tresses swept into a sleek chignon that accentuated the sharp lines of her face.

As soon as her gaze landed on Liam, her eyes narrowed to icy slits, lips pressing into a thin line of disapproval. He felt his heart stutter at the intensity of her stare, but he refused to be cowed.

"Ms. Taylor," he greeted with a confidence he didn't quite feel. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Who let this vagrant into my lobby?" she snapped, not even sparing him a second glance as she turned her attention to the flustered receptionist.

Liam recoiled as if he'd been physically slapped, shame and anger churning in his gut. Vagrant? He opened his mouth to fire back a biting retort, but Ava didn't give him the chance.

"Security!" Her voice sliced through the air like a whip crack. "Have this man forcibly removed from the premises if he does not leave of his own accord immediately."

Sensing he was rapidly losing ground, Liam bit his tongue and swallowed his pride. He'd come too far, put too much effort into this charade to blow it all on some misguided display of ego.

With a stiff nod, he bit out, "My mistake, Ms. Taylor. I must have had the wrong building." Without another word, he pivoted on his heel and stalked back out onto the bustling city streets, suddenly feeling very small and insignificant.

He was halfway down the block before finally yielding to the anger simmering within him, slamming his fist against the brick wall of an alleyway. Shards of pain lanced up his arm, but still, he kept pummeling at the unyielding surface until his knuckles were raw and bloody.

How dare she? How dare that uppity, self-important bitch look at him with such disdain, like he was little more than a piece of trash on the bottom of her designer heel?

Breathing hard, Liam rested his forehead against the cool brick, willing the rage to subside. He was better than this, more calculated and composed. Games of passion and impulse were how reckless idiots operated, making stupid, knee-jerk decisions without thinking of the long-term fallout.

No, he would stay the course, stick to his carefully laid plans. If the direct approach hadn't worked, then he would have to be more...subtle. Suck up his pride, lick his wounds, and find another angle to worm his way into Ava Taylor's orbit. After all, that's what he did best adapt, persevere, outmaneuver.

With slow, measured breaths, Liam began plotting his next move.

As the gears turned in his head, a wry smile crept across his bloodied features. He may have lost this round, but Ava Taylor was in for a rude awakening. Liam Parker didn't back down from a challenge that easily.

By the time he emerged from that dingy alleyway, his steps were light, and purposeful. Let the games begin.