Brazilian's Nine Months' Notice (9 page)

‘So there are jobs in this hotel you expect your staff to do that you wouldn’t do yourself?’

‘Of course I’m not saying that.’

‘Then why can’t I do this? What am I here for? What does everyone else think I’m here for? If it’s to manage people, as you suggested back in Scotland, I have to understand every job, as well as the stresses the people doing that job have to face. And if a waiter has an accident with a tray because he’s rushing from one room to the next, I not only have to help him, I have to understand how we can make the rota work more smoothly for him in the kitchen so he’s not rushing around. Understand this, Luc. I am not going to stand by, watching something going wrong and doing nothing about it. And I’m not going to wait until you give me permission before I move.’

‘Is that it?’ he demanded mildly when she paused for breath.

‘For now, but there are some very simple things that could be improved here. We need to talk.’

He huffed a laugh. ‘You are so right about that.’

Luc’s grip on her arm was non-negotiable. Dropping her used floor cloth on the cleaning trolley as he hurried her past it and on down the corridor, she flashed a reassuring smile at Karina, who was standing with a group of their colleagues in the lobby, watching this mini-drama play out with her mouth wide open.

Luc didn’t let go of her until they had walked past his shocked secretary and into his office, where he closed the door and paused as if gathering his thoughts.

How best to deal with a rebellious woman who had no official duty to fulfil was probably uppermost in his mind, she thought, taking the chance to look around. Office was a term she’d use loosely in this instance. The master of this building’s eyrie was a fabulous light and bright space with an incredible view over the city to the sea. It was surprisingly optimistic if you had to pin down the mood.

That would be because of the mega-money business deals conducted here, Emma reasoned. No expense had been spared. She didn’t need to examine the art to know that every picture would be an original, or sweep her hand across the polished surface of Luc’s desk to know that everything he owned was of the best—with the possible exception of Emma Fane, lately chambermaid with pride intact, now person of no account in Luc’s eyes.

But he didn’t own her. And she wasn’t one of his possessions, Emma thought, spearing a glance at Luc. ‘You’ve given me no proper job to do,’ she said, getting in first when he swung around.

‘I’ve told them to let you man the phones tomorrow,’ he flashed back. ‘You can answer a phone, can’t you?’

‘I can answer a phone politely, and so can a ten-year-old child. I’ll put myself in the complaints department.’

‘We don’t have one.’

‘That’s what you think. There’s always someone who can’t get a booking when they want one. Do you even know how popular this hotel is?’

‘Of course I know.’

‘Then you’ll know we have regular guests who should have their loyalty recognised, and if the hotel happens to be full when they ring—’

‘It’s full most of the time,’ he rapped, and with this came an impatient gesture.

‘Exactly.’ She faced him down. ‘So either we should have a list of associate hotels to supply to loyal guests we can’t accommodate, or we invest in some more real estate—create a super-haven, perhaps—’

‘We?
We?
’ Luc’s face was a mask of fury. ‘Who do the hell do you think you are?’

Emma slowly shook her head. ‘I’ve been asking myself that question since I first got here.’ Her jaw firmed as she lifted her chin to confront him. ‘And let me make this clear. I’m not staying unless I can do a proper job. I’m not just filling in time until I have my baby, and to date you haven’t seen me as anything other than an unfortunate encumbrance—the human element connected to the convenient womb for your child.’

Luc reeled back as if she’d slapped him. The expression on his face sent her thoughts into a tailspin. He had his shadows too, she remembered, and so far she didn’t have a clue what they were. They had gone about things backwards when it came to knowing each other, and maybe she had gone in too hard just now, but she had to wake Luc up to the fact that she wasn’t here to be a rich man’s plaything.

‘You’re not just a convenient womb,’ he said at last, his face dark with thoughts she couldn’t read. ‘Just remember that I didn’t even know you were pregnant, so you can’t accuse me of using you as breeding stock, but now you are having a baby that you say is mine, you’re my concern.’

‘But not under your control.’

He looked at her, but didn’t answer. He was taking a lot on trust, she conceded. She had told Luc he was the father of her baby, and he had chosen to believe her. She had no doubt that when the child was born there would be tests, but until then he was giving her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe Luc did care—about her and the baby—and caring was new to him. He certainly seemed concerned now, and he was surprised that she was so keen to get to work, but she had never been one to sit on the sidelines, looking on.

‘New real estate,’ he murmured, staring out of the window as he thought about her earlier remark.

If business was the way to touch him, the way to get this complex man to open up, then that was the key she would use for the sake of their child.

‘You’ve got some good ideas,’ Luc admitted, narrowing his eyes as he turned to look at her.

Condescending? Yes. But any step forward was progress in her book. She’d take it and mend his manners later. ‘You’ve got to allow me to be useful to you, Luc.’

His eyes sparked briefly with inner thoughts, but then he turned cold again. ‘I think I’ve done enough for you.’

‘I don’t know what you mean. You haven’t done anything, except bring me here and put me under your nose so you can monitor everything I do.’

‘And what’s wrong with that?’ he demanded. ‘Why do you have to make things so difficult, Emma?’

‘Why won’t I fold and let you have your own way, don’t you mean?’ she countered. ‘I’m not trying to be difficult. I’m just suggesting we try to find some common ground, but so far you haven’t even made time to speak to me.’

‘What am I doing now?’ Luc demanded, his arms open wide.

‘Occupying the same space isn’t a guarantee of communication between two people, Luc. It’s just an opportunity.’

‘So what are you suggesting?’

‘You make room for me in your organisation. I’ll do anything, but I must have a proper job.’

‘I offered you a proper job. Did you think being my mistress would be easy?’

She laughed. She couldn’t help herself. ‘You are such a dinosaur. And my answer’s still no.’

Angling his chin, Luc eased onto one hip as he surveyed her with a lazy stare. ‘So you’re not the same girl I had against a wall in London?’

For a moment she was too shocked to speak. ‘You were as desperate for it too, I seem to recall.’

Luc’s surprise at her counter-attack flashed across his face. He was so used to dominating everything and everyone around him that he took it as his right.

A tense silence resulted. She would not back down. And then a question came into her head. She had a baby to look forward to in her future, and the tragedy of her parents’ wasted lives in her past, as well as hormones bombarding her, but what drove Lucas to behave so unreasonably? Her maternal instinct was in full flood, Emma accepted, hence the caring when otherwise she might have been inclined to walk out on him right now. ‘I’m the mother of your baby,’ she said steadily, ‘and though neither of us can ever forget London, I would ask you to not to cheapen what we had.’

‘What we had?’ he said, frowning.

At least they were talking, she thought.

‘You’re right,’ he said at last, nodding his head. ‘We do have to sort this out.’

She was just breathing a sigh of relief when he added, ‘I won’t stand for you embarrassing me in front of my staff again.’

CHAPTER TEN

‘E
MBARRASS
YOU
?’ Emma fired back as Luc closed the door, enclosing them both in the controlled atmosphere of his elegant boardroom. ‘How do you think I felt when I arrived here? How do you think I felt walking into that meeting, where everyone knew me—or, at least, knew about me—but no one seemed to know what I was supposed to be doing at the meeting?’

‘Of course they knew. I spoke to my secretary...’ Luc’s brow crinkled as if for once in his charmed life he had forgotten to mention that Emma would be attending the meeting.

‘Either your secretary’s incompetent or you forgot,’ she said bluntly. ‘Everyone was seated when I arrived. They weren’t expecting me, and there was no place for me. You should try that on for embarrassment.’

‘I was wrong in that instance,’ Luc admitted tersely. ‘So, what am I supposed to do about it?’

She firmed her jaw. ‘Embarrassment I can recover from, but going forward I need something more. I need a reason to be here—a reason your staff can understand that doesn’t involve my sharing your bed.’

‘You’re right,’ Luc said thoughtfully, taking the wind from her sails. ‘I left you stranded and I apologise for that, but there was a crisis to handle that couldn’t wait. I could have given you clearer guidance.’

‘You could have given me
some
guidance,’ she argued quietly.

Luc’s black eyes plumbed the depths of hers. ‘Why the fuss, Emma? You’re not as feeble as you make out. You’re not feeble at all. You can handle embarrassment and any other situation that comes your way, so don’t expect me to mollycoddle you while you’re here.’

‘I don’t expect different treatment from the rest of your staff. I just expect the respect you show them. My intention is to do the best job possible for you. I can make my time here count, but you have to make that possible.’ Luc was the gatekeeper. Without his say-so she would be a redundant cog in a very large wheel, with nothing to do other than to wait patiently for the birth of their child.

‘Are you hungry?’

His change of tack was so swift she had to pause a moment. Luc’s thoughts were always leaping ten steps ahead. So where were they now? She decided to play along and see where that took them. ‘I’m expecting a baby. I’m always hungry.’

‘How about a late breakfast, and then we can chat through things?’ he suggested.

‘That will make me late for manning the phones, or whatever other work you decide I should do.’

‘Not if we meet in the restaurant,’ Luc argued. ‘You can take a look around, eat, and then you can start work there immediately afterwards. Manning the phones can wait.’

‘Work in the kitchens,’ she murmured as she thought about it. ‘Better,’ she agreed, remembering the waiters attending to room service and how they had to run about. Working in the kitchens would give her a proper chance to work out something more manageable for them.

‘Have you eaten today?’ Luc demanded.

Care for the brood mare, she thought, shaking her head with exasperation. ‘I do have money with me, and there are cafés here. I’m not as helpless as you seem to think.’

‘You’re not helpless at all.’ Luc’s compelling stare narrowed on her face.

As always her body rejoiced, while she closed her mind to him. ‘You don’t need to worry. I am looking after myself.’

He seemed unconvinced as he led the way to their next destination.

It was early for lunch, and the corridor was deserted when they arrived outside the kitchens. Expecting Luc to open the door for her, she paused as he stepped in front of her. ‘Aren’t we going in?’

Luc’s eyes were black and dangerous. ‘Say please,’ he taunted in a husky tone.

‘I’ll say something,’ she promised briskly.

Her pulse was off the scale. They were close enough for her to see the flecks of gold in his eyes. They were breathing the same air, sharing the same space, two wills colliding; his fierce enough to bring him all the riches in the world, while hers was forged in steel out of sheer necessity. They were as unequal as two people could be in the material sense, but at their cores they were the same.

Gripping the handle, she swung the door wide. ‘Shall we?’ she prompted, stepping inside.

Luc was as good as his word. Emma was able to spend the rest of that week familiarising herself with the kitchens and the staff, though she rarely saw him. Whether Luc was keeping away from her on purpose, or whether he was just too busy visiting his hotels in other parts of the country, she had no idea.

His absence gave her some much-needed breathing space and time to reflect. Sometimes, when she was tired, she wondered what she was doing in Brazil—why she hadn’t stayed in Scotland, and why she hadn’t given herself more chance to mourn the deaths of her parents. She came up with the answer in the most unlikely circumstances, while she was doing the most monotonous task: cleaning out a deep fat fryer.

Mopping her brow with the back of her arm, she accepted that thinking about her parents always made her sad, because nothing had been resolved between them. She hadn’t won their love and doubted now that that was possible. Sometimes hard truths took longer to accept, she thought, knowing the only certainty was that the harder she worked, the closer she came to her goal of providing a good life for her child. She might not have had the best role models for parenthood, but she loved her baby already, and her child was going to be the most wanted child on earth.

And now she stank. Cleaning out a deep fat fryer was the worst job she’d done so far. The smell of old oil pervaded everything, and by the time she had finished her hair was plastered to her face, and eau de oil was her least favourite scent. But she did have a great view of everything going on in the kitchen. Standing on the sidelines, taking notes, wouldn’t have suited her. She didn’t want people thinking she was afraid to get her hands dirty while everyone else was run off their feet. And there were benefits. She smiled as the chef offered her a titbit from his latest creation. ‘Mmm, delicious.’

‘You deserve it, Emma.’

She didn’t know about that, but she’d learned a lot—and not just that the food at Luc’s hotel was superb. If she could ease things in the future for her colleagues, she’d count it as a victory. And that was her primary concern—not where Luc was. So why was she fretting about him?

The answer came when she met Karina on her way out.

‘You stink.’ Standing well back, Karina faked an explosive coughing fit as she wafted the air with her manicured hand.

‘I don’t know whether to be flattered or to hit you with a greasy cloth,’ Emma admitted. ‘But you’re right. I do stink.’

‘Like an old chip pan,’ Karina confirmed. ‘Didn’t they give you an overall to wear?’

‘I was covered from head to foot in designer plastic, but this exclusive cologne is what they call perma-stink oil.’ With an appreciative hum she inhaled deeply and almost gagged.

‘Better get yourself sorted out,’ Karina advised. ‘It’s my birthday party tonight, and you’re coming.’

Emma’s face dropped. ‘Oh, goodness. I’d forgotten! Joke,’ she added, seeing the look on Karina’s face. ‘Of course I haven’t forgotten. You wouldn’t let me.’

‘Quite right. Tired or not, you have to come. Someone has to keep my brother in line.’

‘Your brother?’

‘The Beast, otherwise known as Lucas? Don’t look at me like that. I won’t accept any of your lame excuses.’

Emma’s head was spinning.

‘You have to be there to stop him ordering me about. This is the first time I’ve met a woman who can control him. Please don’t spoil my fun now.’

‘Lucas is your brother?’ Emma mused. ‘Of course he is,’ she said faintly, suddenly seeing everything she’d missed in Karina’s likeness to Lucas. ‘But why didn’t you mention it before?’

‘I thought you knew. I thought Lucas would have told you.’

Emma hesitated. This was not the moment to admit that she didn’t have that type of close relationship with Lucas.

‘I know he’s got it bad,’ Karina added. ‘I just can’t understand why he hasn’t thrown you to the floor and had his evil way with you. Judging by that scowl on his face, he hasn’t.’

Emma forced a laugh. ‘You don’t seriously expect me to share trade secrets with his sister, do you?’

‘Please, don’t!’ Karina exclaimed, pulling a face. ‘But I will say this. You’ve certainly made an impression on him.’

She longed to tell Karina about the baby, but as Luc’s sister grabbed her arm to lead her away to chat about the party, she knew with a sinking heart that once again this wasn’t the right time to raise the subject.

* * *

She had used a whole bottle of shampoo on her hair, and then had to choose something from her well-stocked dressing room to wear, as the suit she owned had winged its way to the hotel’s dry-cleaning service, and her working day wasn’t over yet. Housekeeping had asked if she could add the finishing touches to some recently renovated rooms before the first guests arrived. She just had time to fit that in before Karina’s party. It was a job she was looking forward to. It didn’t involve industrial cleaning methods and gave her the chance to evaluate what improvements could be made for guests, if any. Checking out her reflection in the mirror one last time, she grimaced. There was a lot to be said for the high-end designer’s plain navy blue tailored suit teamed with a neat white blouse that Luc’s team had chosen for her. It could be summed up in three words: Boring. Boring. Boring.

Calling Housekeeping, she asked if they had any spare uniforms handy.

Happy now she was dressed appropriately in one of the smart Marcelos-branded outfits, she headed out to complete her last task of the day before Karina’s party.

A party. Hadn’t she vowed to steer clear of parties?

Yes, but she couldn’t let Karina down. And, as far as she knew, in spite of what Karina had said about controlling him, Luc wasn’t back from his travels yet.

But wouldn’t he make the effort to be there? Yes, he’d been away, but surely he’d be back for his sister’s party?

If he was, so what? She was going for Karina’s sake, not Luc’s.

But now her heart was thundering. Part of her hoped he’d be there, while the other part of her had more sense.

* * *

‘What are you working on today?’

‘
What?
’ Emma catapulted away from the bed she’d been straightening as Luc walked into the room. ‘Don’t touch me,’ she yelped as he placed a reassuring hand on her arm.

‘Steady,’ he murmured.

‘I’m not your horse.’ Still recovering from the shock of seeing him, she gave him a glare, but she couldn’t deny that she was pleased to see him.

‘Forgive me,’ he drawled, leaning back against the door. ‘I didn’t mean to surprise you.’

‘So you just guessed I was up here in this room?’

A smile hovered around his mouth. Luc knew everything that happened in his hotel.

‘How’ve you been while I’ve been away?’

Better. Calmer. A lot calmer than she felt now. ‘I’ve been fine. Why shouldn’t I be?’ She glanced at the door, which he’d just closed behind him. ‘How did you get in?’

Luc shrugged as he held up the master key. He was the master of all he surveyed—with one exception, who now straightened her spine to shoot him a hard look.

‘What are you doing here?’ he asked, frowning as he glanced around.

‘Putting the finishing touches to this room.’

‘Not bad,’ he approved.

She held back on the curtsey. Casually dressed in black jeans and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled back, she guessed Lucas had been back at the hotel for some time and that he was fresh from the gym. The clock was creeping steadily towards evening, yet his hair was still damp from the shower...

Either that, or he’s been in bed with someone.

‘Are you all right?’ he asked as she swayed.

‘Never better,’ she confirmed, sidestepping him neatly.

Had she really swayed at the thought of Luc in bed with someone else? Shutting out that ugly thought, she tried not to react in any way while the scent of his cologne, warmed and intensified by his body heat, invaded her senses like a drug.

Turning around to face him, she tilted her chin to meet his keen stare, and was immediately dazzled by the expression in his eyes. The same potent combination of lust and humour was there, with, yes, a little caring in the mix. And even without that she’d missed him more than she’d realised.

That way lies heartache
, Emma’s inner guardian angel warned. Luc wanted sex, while she wanted so much more. ‘I need to get on,’ she said briskly, moving past him before the heat of his stare could do any more damage.

‘You seem to be on edge,’ Luc commented. ‘What’s wrong with you?’

‘I don’t want to be late for your sister’s party.’

‘Are you sure that’s all? Is the baby okay?’

‘The baby’s fine. I would have said something—’ She bit back the words, knowing they didn’t have that type of close relationship. She would have to find a use for her hands or stop wringing them.

He stopped her at the door. ‘So everything’s going well with your pregnancy?’

‘Yes.’ The crazy part of her longed for Luc to drag her into his arms, and say ‘Good.’ For him to whisper it against her hair as they shared the joy, but he didn’t move and neither did she. Why would he? Why would she? She couldn’t risk becoming reliant on anyone. She had to be strong enough to do this on her own. And Luc was going to make that difficult. There was only one way for him, and that was his way. It was up to her to find a compromise, though how she had no idea as yet. ‘The doctor says everything is going to plan,’ she said, feeling she ought to reassure him.

‘Doctor?’ Luc frowned.

‘The hotel doctor is very helpful. I registered with him the morning after I arrived.’

‘You have made yourself at home.’

‘I’ve done what’s necessary for my health and for the health of my baby.’

He eased away from the door. ‘Our baby.’

Had Luc accepted their child? A little ray of hope lit inside her, but she didn’t push it. ‘The medical care you offer your staff is very good.’

‘I’m glad you approve.’