Free Sweet Talk Boxed Set (Ten NEW Contemporary Romances by Bestselling Authors to Benefit Diabetes Research plus BONUS Novel) by Linda Lael Miller, Sherryl Woods, Brenda Novak, Steena Holmes, Melody Anne, Violet Duke, Melissa Foster, Gina L Maxwell, Rosalind James, Molly O'Keefe, Nancy Naigle Page A

This couldn’t possibly go anywhere. It was best if he forgot about her, forgot about this feeling inside of him, and simply carried out his plans.
     

 
    Chapter Thirteen
     
    Liam put his head in his hands, and a deep sigh escaped.
    “Is everything all right, son?” Frederick asked as he walked into the room.
    “Yes. I just…” Liam trailed off. What could he say? Nothing. There was no rational solution. “It’s nothing. Too much work,” he lied.
    Three days had passed since he and Whitney had shared that kiss in the cave. And for three days since then she’d avoided him since, three days he had burned with need for her. The need extended beyond mere lust, though, the hope for simple pleasure. The need that burned inside him was to talk to her, share with her, learn about her.
    And those pathetic needs weren’t getting met.
    “I see,” his father said in a knowing voice, one that immediately ground on Liam’s nerves.
    It was time to change the subject. “Did you want me for something?” His words were sharper than they should have been, but he didn’t want his father intruding into his personal life.
    “No, not really. I was just checking in with you. Whitney has a caller in the main hall,” Frederick said offhandedly.
    “A caller? What do you mean by that?”
    “A gentleman caller. A man has come to call upon her.”
    It took a few moments for the meaning of his father’s words to penetrate.
    “I wasn’t aware she knew anyone here.” Liam was trying to seem casual, but feeling anything but that.
    “She apparently met someone at the market,” Frederick said.
    “Oh. I suppose it would be rude if I didn’t say hello, then,” Liam said, when his father didn’t elaborate.
    Without another word, he rose and walked from the room, not waiting to see whether his father was following him. He made his way quickly down the hall and the first thing he heard was Whitney’s laughter, which tightened his gut.
    “I’m so delighted you’ve agreed to come with me,” a man’s voice said, making Liam tense up even more.
    As he stepped in the room and saw the guy, he became even angrier. This worthless stranger was obviously trying to sweep her off her feet, and it looked as if it was working.
    “I’m thrilled you thought of me,” Whitney said, and laughed again.
    Liam coughed to make his presence known. “I see you have a visitor, Whitney.”
    “Oh, Liam, this is Sam. I don’t know if you’ve met before.”
    “It’s nice to meet you, Liam,” Sam said, holding out his hand.
    Liam ignored the gesture. Yes, he knew he was being rude, but he didn’t care.
    “So, what are your plans this evening?” he asked crisply.
    “I’m going to take this beautiful lady to dinner and a show,” Sam said. The man looked a bit uneasy as he started picking up on the tension.
    Liam stared at him a moment longer, and then turned his attention back to Whitney.
    “I thought you were taking the children to the play this evening,” he said, with clear disapproval in his tone.
    Whitney gaped at him for a few seconds. “The play I took the kids to was last night, Liam.”
    “My mistake. I hope you have a pleasant evening,” he told them, then quickly spun on his heel and began walking away.
    Still, he heard Sam tell her that he’d be back in a couple of hours to pick her up for the show. Since dinner would be afterward, it would evidently be a long night.
    He meant to go toward his father’s office and then to leave the house altogether. He in no way needed to talk to Whitney about her date. But somehow he found himself moving toward her bedroom.
    What in the hell was he thinking?
     

 
    Chapter Fourteen
     
    “How did you meet Sam?” Liam asked just as she reached her door.
    Whitney hadn’t been expecting to see him again, and the sound of his voice, clipped and formal in the extreme, nearly made her jump a foot into the air. Her heart was racing as she whirled around to face him.
    “You scared me to