The Romance Challenge, Complete Series Box Set: BBW Hot Alpha Billionaire Romance (4 page)

One of the guests started clapping, the
rest of us joined in, and the spell was broken.

"It's fine. You've had a long day and
I don't expect you to work tonight. Chris is right, this has been a beautiful
sunset. I'm glad you got to enjoy it. You'll be staying in an executive suite
at the hotel. Juan can show you there, and Chris can take you anywhere you'd like
to go for dinner tonight. Come to the conference room tomorrow morning at eight
o'clock and we'll get started."

He turned and walked away.

"Man, that guy gives me the
creeps." Juan did a fake full-body shudder.

"Oh, he's not that bad. I saw him smile.
Once." Chris did a fake-smile face that made Juan and I laugh.

"What kind of food do you enjoy? There
are lots of good places to eat." Chris nudged my arm. "I can show you
our island night life too."

A combination of travel-tired and the
tequila snuck up on me like a prowling lion. Suddenly, I was exhausted. "I
think I'll just get room service tonight and go to bed early. Is there room
service here?"

"You bet. There's a menu in your
suite for Water's Edge Café. They serve until late, one o'clock. Come on Juan,
let's get Amber settled in. She can take the grand tour tomorrow."

+++

So much for a warm welcome to Amber. Not
what I'd planned at all. I had intended to show her around the exterior of Bay
Paradise Resort, then take her to watch one of our mind-blowing sunsets. With
me. When I saw her on the deck, laughing, with Juan standing too close next to
her, something in me tightened up.

Stupid. What she did in her personal life
didn't concern me. I didn't plan to be a dick about employees dating each other,
as long as it didn't become an issue. So why this urge to pull her away from
Juan and drag her to a secluded spot in the woods? Back her up against one of those
gumbo limbo trees and see how that sweet body felt pressed against mine.

Damn it. I pulled into the parking lot of
my condo building and sat for a minute with the top down, letting the breeze
cool my brain. I must have caught some kind of tropical fever, to be thinking
that way about an employee. In Los Angeles, I dated, enough to keep me sexually
satisfied. Mostly satisfied. Nothing more than casual, only women on the fast
track like me, who had no desire to get serious.

 I didn't want more than casual from a
relationship right now. I had too much to do. The real estate market was still
hot here in Florida, and I intended to take advantage of it by purchasing
several more rental properties. And my other large project would really suck my
time and energy. I didn't need any kind of distraction, especially not the
female kind.

Not ready to head to my empty condo yet, I
pulled up my email on my phone. A note from one of the lawyers that worked for
us. Joel. Updating me on the status of a situation we'd been dealing with. An
employee had been caught leaving his work site with a flash drive of sensitive material.
He swore it was an accident, but in his division, management stressed over and
over, no information was to be taken out of the building.

We were well within our rights to
terminate him. Or we could take his word, give him a warning, end it there. The
final decision rested with me. I turned on my stereo and let the tunes roll
out. Closing my eyes, I leaned my head back on the seat. So nice, to sit here
and feel the breeze on my face, smell that ocean air. The perfect way to meditate
and let my head clear out.

After ten minutes, I picked up my phone to
call Joel. Talking to lawyers was not my favorite thing to do on a Sunday
night, but better to get it over with. "Joel, it's Nathan. I'll send you
an email shortly, but I wanted to talk to you first. What's the consensus? Did
the guy take the flash drive on purpose or not?"

"Nate, I'll tell you. I don't know.
The prick could be lying, could be telling the truth. My recommendation? Fire
his ass, just as an example. Maybe bring theft charges against him too. Bet no
one else walks out with company property in that department ever again."

I grit my teeth. I liked to keep things
casual with everyone who worked for me, but no one calls me "Nate"
and I remembered why Joel pissed me off. He had a vicious streak in him that
made my stomach sour.

"We'll do this instead. Let him go,
make it a layoff, give him a year's severance pay."

Silence for a moment.

"Yeah, that's a great idea. He won't
cause trouble if you do that. We don't need any negative publicity."

Joel was also an ass-kisser. I started to
clarify, that wasn't my intention. The employee had a family to support. He was
a good technician and I knew if we let him go, he'd find work in his field.
Since we weren't one-hundred percent sure of his innocence or guilt, I wouldn't
punish him unnecessarily. But I couldn't have a man working for me that I
didn't trust.

The therapist my sister Karen insisted I
see after Tanya died told me I had "trust issues." So maybe I did.
When you have as much money as I do, people treat you differently. You don't know
who to trust. Don't know who likes you for yourself, or who wants you for your
money. Don't know if an employee made on honest mistake, or thinks he's
entitled to a little more from the rich guy and wants to sell company
information.

I decided not to waste my time explaining
my reasoning to Joel. I said goodbye and hung up. My phone chirped, and I looked
at a text from Karen. Wanting to make sure I'd be at home,
her
home in
Sacramento, for the Thanksgiving holiday. Shit, was that coming up already?
Yeah, it was. I checked my calendar, to make sure I had nothing scheduled on
that day. A note popped up, from my assistant, Dwayne.

This is a holiday. Do not work. Spend time
with your family, eat food, watch sports. Have fun.

I smiled. Dwayne kept an eye on me, helped
me keep my shit together. Best assistant ever.

Karen and her husband, Paul, liked making
a big thing about the holidays with their extended family. Being around them
and their kids was kind of fun, and they liked having me join them. So I went.
Restaurants closed, and being alone on Thanksgiving and Christmas, brutally
depressing. I shot her back a quick reply.

I'll be there. Tell me what time and what
to bring.

Come at noon so you can help Paul set up
the Christmas tree. And bring a date. Are you dating anyone?

The usual question. And she'd get my usual
answer.

Not dating anyone. How about food?

We've got plenty of food. Any of your
friends are welcome to come, you know. You don't have to be engaged. Don't you have
any special person who would enjoy a home-cooked meal? We always make so much.

I cursed whoever came up with
talk-to-text. Karen used to keep our convos short, since she lacked the
patience to type much on her phone. She could go on forever now.

Just me. Got to go. See you in a few
weeks.

An image of Amber, sitting at the dinner table
surrounded by my family, suddenly popped into my head. She wore a tight sweater
with some sparkly holiday shit on it, and jeans that hugged her ass. Her hair
was pinned on top of her head and she'd be a little sweaty, because Karen
always kept the thermostat cranked up way too high. She was passing around her
phone with pictures of her cat, laughing.

I rested my head on the steering wheel.
What the hell was wrong with me? Maybe I should have picked one of the other
women from the Chicago office to be my assistant. All three were excellent
employees, one reason I chose that branch. If one left, the other two would
keep up with the work. But I had my mind set on Amber from the start. She'd be
perfect for the job, I knew. I wasn't going to fuck up this project.

I could keep control of my dick for a
week, could act like she was just another employee.

No problem.

CHAPTER FOUR

So this was how the other half lived. I'd
never stayed in an executive suite. Damn, I could get used to it! I bounced on
the king size bed. So soft. I slept on a blow-up air bed at home, which worked
fine. Sort of. I bought it because I didn't feel like dragging a frame and
mattress up to my apartment. And because it was cheap. My move to the small
place was supposed to be temporary, but it all depended on Michelle. If, no,
when
she got better, we'd get a house together again.

A large dresser and flat-screen television
filled the bedroom portion of the suite. A couch, coffee and end table, and
dining table with chairs occupied the next section. In the kitchen area there
was full-size refrigerator, a sink, microwave and even a two-burner stove, and
plenty of counter space and cabinets. Good. I didn't want to eat out every
meal. Being able to prepare food in my room would be perfect. I dug out my
planner and made a note to ask Chris to take me to the grocery store soon.

Checking over Nathan's itinerary, tomorrow
would be busy until five o'clock. After that, he'd put TBA. Hmmm. To be
announced? I wasn't sure if he was kidding or not, so I didn't make a joke about
that. I got the impression, Nathan worked pretty much nonstop. Determined to
keep up with him, I vowed not to get sucked into playing around while here.
Florida was vacation-land, especially the Keys, but I was here to work. To earn
that bonus, and maybe more.

But I
would
enjoy the awesome view.
Shoving the curtains open, I sighed out loud. Just enough light remained for me
to see out over the Bay, a huge expanse of water, stretching endlessly. What would
it be like to look at this every day? Pure heaven, that's what. And the
weather? Darn near perfect. Cool and breezy right now, but from the forecast, we
were in for sunny, warm days.

After I found the room service menu and
placed my order, unpacking went quick. The uniform shirts, pants and shorts
traveled well. There was an iron in the closet but if there was one domestic
chore I hated, ironing topped the list. Michelle used to love to iron our dad's
work shirts. I remember her singing at the top of her lungs as she'd stand
there and press those shirts expertly. Dad would kiss her and tell her what a
great wife she'd make one day.

Speaking of Michelle, I had to call her
before I fell asleep. Her phone rang, and I left a message, like I always did.
Sometimes she picked up if she was near the phone. She never made a special
effort to get to it.

Hey there, I'm in Key Largo. It's beautiful!
You would love it here. I watched a sunset that looked like something from a
painting. Maybe we can come here together sometime. Okay, call me if you need anything.
Vicky will be on her usual schedule, except you'll also see her Wednesday and
next Sunday too. Bye.

Talking with Michelle, I had to maintain
that fine line between keeping it upbeat and simple, but not treating her like she
was stupid. She didn't have any brain damage, the doctors said, though
sometimes I knew I fell into the habit of acting as though she did. I tried to
push her as much as possible, to make her activate her mind, and want to get
out of the pit of depression where she lived. But if I pushed too much, she
became agitated. Which was why we didn't live with each other.

We tried it after her attack. We moved
into an apartment because she wanted to totally leave that house. But my
presence seemed to get her wound up after we were together too long. I think I
reminded her of the attack. I don't know. My naturally perky attitude might
have got on her nerves, too.

She saw one therapist, in the hospital,
then once she got home, refused to go anywhere. So, I hired Vicky, and I
visited twice a week, keeping the visits short. Mom had her hands full with her
new husband and his family, and she got down from Wisconsin to visit three or
four times a year.

Blerg. The holiday season was coming up. I
used to love holidays, starting with Halloween all the way to the end of the
year. I'd decorate, make cookies, and hang lights, the works. Last year, I had
to almost beg Michelle into letting me set up and decorate a little tree in her
apartment, and I was too busy to do much of anything in mine. For Thanksgiving,
I over-roasted a small turkey, burnt boxed stuffing, and under-cooked frozen
green beans at her apartment, then we watched a holiday movie on cable.

 We did a repeat on Christmas. Mom came down
and stayed for a week, in between the holidays. She and I managed to get along
during that time. I kept busy, mostly, and let her have time with my sister.

Michelle didn't seem to care, one way or
the other, about our efforts. I wondered what we'd do this year. Probably the
same as last year. My stomach flip-flopped as I thought of eating another
crappy meal and faking the festive. How many more times would I have to do
that?

I blew out a breath. One more call to
make, to Detective Chuck Taylor. He'd had the bad luck to be in charge of the
case, when my sister was attacked. I knew he was tired of me and must be sick
of giving me the same bad news. Poor Chuck. But like an OCD habit, I called at
least once a week.

"Detective Taylor. Can I help
you?"

You'd think he'd recognize my number and
ignore my calls, or have them blocked. "Hello Chuck. It's Amber. Any
news?"

That sad sigh. "No, I'm afraid
not."

No matter how many times I heard it, his
words still made my heart ache. "Okay, well, contact me if anything comes up."

He would. There was absolutely no reason
for me to bug the poor man. Except I wanted to believe the police were still
looking for the guy who broke into my sister's home, hit her on the head, then only
took a statue. He didn't steal any jewelry, no electronics, nothing else. Just
an ugly, worthless knick-knack that our dad, Sean, had given her years ago. So
why did he break in? Why take an item of so little value?

If we found him and solved that mystery, I
truly believed Michelle would get better. Every time I saw her, she asked me
the same question I asked Chuck Taylor. Any news? When I told her no, the small
light in her eyes dimmed. I was afraid that soon, it would go out altogether.
Any extra money I had, and the reason I worked myself into exhaustion, was to
hire a private detective. The police could only do so much and I suspected
Chuck actually stopped working the case long ago and didn't have the heart to
tell me.

So, I'd take care of it myself. I'd
decided this months ago. I'd save my money, find a PI. Once the cops caught the
burglar and put him away, Michelle would feel safe. Then, I knew I could talk
her into leaving the house and seeing a therapist. She'd get better, and I'd
get my little sister back.

A knock on the door broke into my
thoughts. Dinner. I'd eat, read a few chapters, and turn in early so I'd be
energetic for tomorrow. A new day, a new challenge. I loved taking on fresh
projects. I couldn't wait!

Monday

At eight o'clock Monday morning I stood
outside the conference room where Nathan and I would be working. He said there
was an office for the manager here at the hotel, but it wasn't much bigger than
a closet, only useful to store records and talk to employees in private. One area
he wanted to work on during his time at Bay Paradise Resort. This small
conference room would be the main spot I used during my stay.

 I'd got up early, too excited to sleep,
and looked around the hotel briefly, but I got the impression, Nathan wanted to
take me on a tour himself. I stopped and glanced inside the conference room. He'd
opened the blinds on the glass windows and was already seated at the table,
studying his laptop screen, frowning. In one hand he held a pen and twirled it
between his fingers. One of those ultra-pricey ones, no doubt.

Stepping back so he couldn't see me, I
tugged at my shirt. The clothes fit me well, as Sharon promised, but I was
still self-conscious. The text Nathan had sent me earlier suggested I wear shorts
as we'd be outside a good part of the morning. I really didn't like letting
this much skin show and it wasn't that hot, but I think he wanted the employees
to see the new uniforms. I'd bought a perfect pair of light brown tennis shoes
with green trim, to match the colors, and cute crew socks with palm trees. I felt
sort of like a large cheerleader. For a sumo wrestling team, maybe.

Taking a deep breath, I put on my
professional smile and opened the door. "Good morning."

Nathan looked up, and the frown
disappeared. He smiled easily and there was that odd look again, that one he'd
given me when we first met in the Chicago office. Kind of surprise, mixed with
something I couldn't identify.

"Good to see you, Amber. Come in."

I sat down across from him. "I didn't
bring my laptop this morning. From your schedule, it looks like you want to
tour the grounds and the interior."

"That's correct. I want us to visit
each department, and you give me your first overall impression, of the
employees and the environment."

I pulled a notebook out of my bag. I'd
bought a special pad, with an ocean scene, sun and sparkles, to get me in the
mood for this job. Not exactly corporate style, but the flair of fun gave me
confidence. "I take notes the old-fashioned way, writing them down. Then I
can type them up and send them to you, if you'd like."

"That sounds perfect. Have you eaten breakfast
yet?"

"I did. I ordered room service. For
dinner last night, too. I hope you don't mind. It's more convenient and I would
rather use my time here working than waiting for food at a restaurant."

"No problem at all. Your meals at the
hotel will be paid for by the company. What did you think of room
service?"

I held up my notebook. "I've got it all
right here. Do you want me to tell you now?"

His smile widened. "No, I'll wait. As
always, your efficiency amazes me. Ready for a tour?"

"Ready!"

Bay Paradise Resort was amazing. The hotel
sat on a good-size piece of land, with a patch of undeveloped space to the side
of the main driveway.

"I want to keep most of this
natural." Nathan gestured as we wandered into a tree-shaded area. "It's
not really a resort, the way it is now. I plan to add on a spa and turn this
spot into a meditation garden. Put up privacy walls, more plants, and
fountains. Then, I can market this property as a retreat center. What do you
think?"

I'd been watching a ginormous iguana,
strolling around like he owned the place. "I think that's a great idea. It's
so beautiful here. Who wouldn't want to come for a retreat?"

Me, me I would! 
One
day, when I could enjoy a real vacation.

What did Nathan's home look like? Did he
have a meditation garden? Probably. The outside of his house would be
landscaped to perfection, and the interior would match his personality. High
ceilings for maximum space, and huge windows to let in the sun. Polished floors
for a sleek, elegant feel. He'd have a huge living room, no, a library, with
shelves full of books. And a fireplace. In front of that fireplace would be a
soft rug, where two people could lay naked and…

"Amber?"

"What?"

"Did you hear me? I asked you if
you'd ever seen a koi pond."

"Oh, sorry, I was distracted by the
uh, by the iguana. He's so cool. Yes, I've seen a koi pond."

Nathan smiled. "Iggy the Iguana is
one bad-ass lizard. Ready to move on?"

Ready to get that daydream out of my head.
We walked down to Tiki Largo, the outdoor bar where I'd been last night. I
marveled again at the view of the bay. Calm, glass-like water stretched to the
horizon, and the sun sparkled an invitation to jump in. A few people sat on the
deck, coffee mugs in front of them. One man pushed out on a kayak and paddled
away almost soundlessly. More kayaks and paddleboards sat on a small, sandy area.
They were free for guests to use, Nathan told me. A nice perk the hotel
offered. We toured the rest of the grounds and I made a few notes.

The landscaping was beautiful and
well-maintained. A coat of paint would help the exterior of the buildings, but
they didn't appear to need much more work. Parking seemed haphazard, but part
of the lot was sand and gravel and not marked well. Improvements could be made
there. The small pool was filled with salt water and the deck contained ten
lounge chairs. A few of those looked worn and ready to be replaced.

Nathan showed me around inside the main building
which contained the offices, Water's Edge Café, and the on-premises laundry facility.
Coming up with a water management plan was a priority, Nathan said, along with improving
efficiency in all their equipment. Not only to save money, but to conserve
energy.

Nice. I watched him as he talked and
showed off Bay Paradise Resort. He wanted it to succeed because he liked the
property, a lot. It wasn't just another business to him, to make money on
paper. He felt the specialness of this place, like I was beginning to.

Our last stop of the morning was the
accounting office. The door was closed and through the glass window I saw a
middle-aged woman talking on the phone, waving one hand around. Her forehead
creased in a frown and I picked up a few words she spoke in a loud tone. Nathan
knocked on the door, then opened it and we stepped inside. Her eyes widened,
then she held up her forefinger, signaling us to wait.