“I’ll e-mail you the list of demands he’s already given us as far as the Michigan Avenue property is concerned. I foresee more demands like this in the future, meaning we’d have to continue to finance them. Men like Amadeus Schlittler don’t come cheaply.”
The other men nodded.
“It seems Ray has already set a deadline for us,” Tom said, “so I’m willing to wait until then to see if we can come up with the best solution.”
“And as I said before, I won’t hold you to your contracts if I decide it’s in the best interests of the company not to give Schlittler the Michigan Avenue property.” Adam stood and shook the hands of the other men. “Thank you again for coming. I’ll get you that information later today, and I encourage you to see the gem that we already have in place.”
The other men left, but Tom remained in his chair. Age may have lined his face and turned his hair white, but it had only sharpened the intelligence in the older man’s eyes. “I have the sneaking suspicion you’re leaving something out, Adam.”
Adam fetched the papers and put them in his folder, ignoring the trickle of unease that slid down his spine. “I told you everything that’s pertinent from a business perspective.”
“But you left out the personal perspective.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Come now, Adam, I’ve been friends with your parents since before you were a twinkle in their eyes, and Maureen was telling me all about how she introduced you to Lia a few weekends ago up at the lake house.”
“I’m glad she did. If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have discovered what a fabulous chef she is.” Or what a passionate lover she was, either. Lia had spent three nights of the last week in his arms, making the nights she wasn’t with him a form of agony that grew harder to bear with each passing day. Traces of her scent covered his pillowcase. Memories of her laughter echoed through his empty living room. And the peace he knew lying beside her, completely spent after making her cry out his name in ecstasy, called to him throughout the day. She was slowly turning his condo into a place he couldn’t wait to come home to, but only if she was there to greet him when he did.
Tom watched him but said nothing. The old man probably saw right through him, but at least he had the decency not to say anything more about it. “We need to have dinner once your mother gets back from Vancouver,” he said as he stood.
“I agree.” His mother had left this morning to take care of his brother after Ben had suffered a season-ending knee injury two days ago. “The surgery was today, so she should be home in a week or two.” He stood and shook Tom’s hand. “Thank you for being the voice of reason.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Ray could hold you to the original contract. He’s got enough fingers in the town’s pie to make life difficult for you and Lia.”
“I know.” He just prayed it wouldn’t come to that. He wanted both Lia’s and Schlittler’s restaurants—the question was, which one did he want more?
“So here’s a little piece of advice from me. Remember Robert Cully?”
Adam nodded, wondering where this conversation was going. His father had hired the private investigator several times over the last decade, usually to gather information on suspected fraud cases. He glanced down at the files, then back up to Tom. “Is there anything you think I should hire him for?”
“You don’t make it far in Chicago politics without getting your hands dirty along the way.” He winked and walked out of the boardroom, giving Adam the spark of hope he needed to see himself out of this mess.
Chapter Eleven
Lia hummed an aria from one of Verdi’s operas as she tossed some tortellini in a warm gorgonzola sauce with prosciutto and peas. The last entrée of the night was about to go out to the dining room, bringing her one step closer to the end of the evening. She’d given her mother the same line about staying late at work once again—meaning don’t wait up for me—so she could stop by Adam’s tonight. It was easier than trying to explain that she was sleeping with someone she’d known less than a month.
Of course, if La Arietta was forced to close at the end of the month, she’d have to come up with a different excuse.
That is, if she continued to see Adam.
As much as she enjoyed his company, things definitely were more complicated now that they’d become lovers. They never mentioned the lease when they were together, but it was never far from her mind when she left his arms. She kept her heart guarded, afraid their relationship would end once she no longer had her restaurant. But every night in his bed only made it that much harder to leave when the sun came up. She was happy with him, miserable without him, and constantly on edge when it neared the time to see him again.
Dax came into the kitchen. “I had to keep Mr. Hottie in a Suit from barging in here like he owned the place.”
“He does own the place,” Lia replied with a laugh. “But thank you. He’s usually not here during business hours.”
“Meaning he’s been here after hours, I presume?” Dax tailed along behind her as she went out into the dining room. “Stopping by for dessert?”
Heat rolled into Lia’s face like a line of thunderstorms. “That’s none of your business.”
Adam stood by the maître d’ stand, waiting for her with a smile that remained polite but with an underlying gaze that already spoke of the naughty things he wanted to do with her. He rocked back and forth on his feet with his hands clenched in his pockets.
“Told you she’d come for you, Mr. Kelly.” Dax took his position behind the stand and gave her a saucy wink.
Thankfully, no one was around to hear the innuendo in his voice. Lia grabbed Adam’s arm and led him to the corner by the elevators. “You’re a bit early tonight.”
“I had to see you.”
Her pulse quickened. Perhaps he had some good news about the lease. “What about?”
Adam opened his mouth but snapped it shut as a pair of guests left the restaurant and pushed the button for the elevator. “Is there some place we can talk in private?”
“There’s my office.”
“Someplace else?” The heat in his eyes told her talking was the last thing on his mind.
Her sex clenched at the thought of what was lying in store for her this evening, and her breath quickened. “Can this wait until after we close?”
He shook his head and pulled her into the stairwell. They ran down three flights, stopping only long enough for Adam to punch in a key code and unlock the door that led to a darkened hallway full of empty offices.
As soon as the door closed behind them, his lips were on hers, hungry and demanding. Any cry of protest she made faded into a moan of pleasure. He pushed her against the wall, his body pressed against hers while he tugged at her clothes. “I need you now, Lia.”
I’m like a junkie craving my next hit.
Or at least, that’s the closet thing Adam could think of as he fumbled with the zipper of his pants. He’d gone home after the meeting and tried to come up with a solution that would please everyone, but every time his mind circled back to Lia, a new wave of longing consumed him.
She’d only been in his condo four times, but she’d already left her mark there. The half-empty bottle of wine in the kitchen. The extra crumpled napkin left on the dining room table. The magazine on the coffee table left open to an article about a Napa Valley winery. The indention in the pillow next to his that smelled faintly of the peach-scented lotion she kept on the table beside his bed. All little reminders that made him miss her.
He’d gone to the restaurant with the intention of inviting her back to his place to watch a movie and unwind before going to bed, perhaps even to broach the subject of possibly relocating her restaurant in case Schlittler and Ray refused to back down. But by the time he got there, something else had seized control of him, a burning thirst for her that had to be quenched before he lost all control. A basic need that now had him kissing her like a starving man while he slipped her panties down around an ass that fit perfectly in his hands.