Flirting with Fate (3 page)

He’d never felt so divided.

Eric was counting on his best friend to keep her safe. The only way he was going to pull that off was to keep his mind out of the bedroom and go along with her crazy plan. He could be risking his career, but if she got hurt, mentally or physically, he’d never forgive himself.

Even before they reached the lobby, the sound of music and people laughing filled the vast open space. Castle Alainn had been around for hundreds of years. A lot of the ancient opulence had been preserved. The lobby, with its marble floors and atrium, resembled an opera house he’d seen in a movie.

Red ribbons and bows dotted the walls and hung from the ceiling. A hand-carved, life-size nativity scene filled one corner. At the opposite end of the room, a huge Christmas tree with multicolored lights sat before a wall of windows. The curtains were open to show the blowing snow.

Elle’s hand on his arm stopped him. “Ethridge is about ten feet in front of you.”

“I got him. The blonde is his daughter?”

“Yes. Don’t let Nicki’s looks blind you. Her neighbors think she’s unpolished.” Elle chuckled. “Their words, not mine.”

“You got the neighbors to swap gossip with you? I’m impressed.”

“Don’t laugh. I read that if you make people feel like you’re a friend, they feel more comfortable speaking. Once I convinced them to let me inside, I’d take a quick look around their living room and pick a family picture or a piece of art to ask about. After we chatted for a minute, they usually relaxed and answered my questions.”

“Interviewing 101.”

Logan watched as Nicki Ethridge openly flirted with everyone from the male guests to the waitstaff. A tug on his sleeve pulled his attention to Elle. Her pupils flared.

“You’re staring.”

“Just checking the layout,” he lied with a grin. Had he detected a bit of jealousy? “Let’s get a drink and work the room.”

Having Elle’s hand tucked in the crook of his arm felt good as they travelled between the guests. They shook hands, chatted with a few couples, and then moved back into the mix.

Eventually, they found themselves a few feet away from Ethridge and his daughter, who were talking with a group of possible marks. He stopped and turned his back to the room. No way was Logan letting this opportunity pass. “We need to make nice with Brandon and Nicki. Think you can pull this off?”

“Of course.”

Logan doubted Elle’s acting ability. Hatred was a hard emotion to hide. He turned and casually moved to the Ethridges’ circle and took charge of the introductions.

Elle’s lips tightened when Logan used his real name. It had panicked her, but an idea on how to play Ethridge had just formed in Logan’s mind.

Nicki quickly inserted herself next to him. She and Ethridge played off each other, reaffirming compliments and comments. Their behavior felt like a well-choreographed performance. The hair on the back of his neck vibrated.

Brandon, as they’d been instructed to call him, wore dark gray slacks and a red sweater. His salt-and-pepper hair gave him a distinguished appearance, but at the same time, he was almost pretty. Not one wrinkle marred his face, meaning he’d been born with great genes or he had an expert plastic surgeon. No way was he old enough to have a daughter in her late twenties.

Nicki’s platinum-blonde hair, pale ivory skin, and bright red lips were all by design. A pale blue dress stopped at her ankles, showing off toenails polished to match her lipstick. The plunging neckline and high slit up the side of one leg left little to the imagination. Her style screamed sex and money.

“Aren’t you just cotton candy for the eyes,” Nicki purred. “When did you arrive?”

“A few hours ago. You?” Logan would use her flirting to his advantage.

“Dad and I flew into Denver yesterday. We waited in town until the blizzard eased before coming up the mountain. Noble Pass can be quite treacherous.”

“I heard that at the airport. You’re familiar with the area?”

Her smile answered before she spoke. “I can be. If you need a guide, I’m free.”

Logan doubted if anything about her was
free
. “Thanks. I’ll remember your offer.”

He turned his body slightly so he could see Elle. Her expression was stone cold. Her gaze should have frosted Brandon’s balls. Logan had to intervene. He leaned closer to Nicki.

“You’ll have to excuse my friend. She doesn’t warm up to strangers very well.”

“So you’re a couple?”

“Oh, hell no.” He laughed.

“Well, I think she’s jealous that you’re talking to me. Don’t you?”

“I’m not worried. Are you?”

“Not hardly.” Nicki swept her long hair over one shoulder. “What line of business are you in?” She scanned his clothing. She probably knew how much each item cost. Good thing he’d splurged.

“I own a small chain of B and Bs. Nothing on the scale of the Castle Alainn, but they’re profitable.” The idea of making himself a potential target had come to him when he’d shaken hands with Brandon. The B and Bs belonged to his dad, but he would play along.

“How quaint.” Her eyes sparkled with interest. “What are they called?”

“Texas Country Inns.” Before she could quiz him further, he turned to Elle and extended his hand. “I see Liam and Alana have joined the party. We should say hello.”

“Sure thing,” Elle agreed, twining her fingers through his.

“Wait,” Nicki said. “Why don’t you two join us for an early-morning trip down the mountain?”

“I haven’t skied in years, but I’m game.” Logan flashed his pearly whites at Nicki.

“I’ll have to pass,” Elle said quickly. “I signed up for a refresher lesson in the morning.”

“I’m sure that’s a good idea.” Nicki’s attempt at an innocent smile failed. “We’ll entertain Logan while you’re busy.”

“Works for me.” Logan could feel Elle’s gaze burning a hole in his cheek.

“We’ll meet at the lift desk at nine.” Nicki looped her hand into Brandon’s elbow. Together they navigated through the crowd.

“I’ll alert rescue to be ready in case you don’t return.” Elle smiled up at Logan, but her smoldering eyes held no humor.

“Nicki thinks you’re jealous of my attention to her.” He twirled a lock of Elle’s dark chestnut hair around his finger. Thoughts of satin sheets slid through his mind.

“In your dreams.” Her words were firm, but a smile played at the corners of her lips.

“Be glad Nicki misinterpreted your actions. Otherwise, Brandon and Nicki might have questioned your disdain.”

“I’m sorry.” Elle sighed. “Visions of my grandmother standing on her feet all day at the daycare center kept popping into my head. At her age, there’s a big difference between volunteering a few hours a week and working full time.”

Logan’s heart melted a little. He’d never been able to stay mad at Elle. Hadn’t he forgiven her when she’d crashed his new bicycle into the tree, worrying only about her scrapes and bruises? Then there was the time she’d sideswiped his car while turning into the driveway. Anyone else would’ve caught hell, but Elle had never been just anyone else to him.

“Interviewing people you’ll never see again is one thing. Undercover work requires you to take on a role and stay in it for the duration. You have to be believable. We won’t learn jack shit if we piss off Brandon and Nicki.” Logan stopped, turning her to face him. “Can you do that?”

Elle’s expression turned solemn. “Yes. I won’t blow it.”

“That’s my girl.” He caught her hand and restarted their trip across the room.

“You keep Nicki happy,” Elle said. “I’ll do the rest.”

Logan didn’t have time to respond. Liam and Alana Fitzgerald had left their group and were approaching. The couple not only owned the castle, they were the sponsors of The Noble Pass Affaire Getaway.

Elle leaned close. “Look how the Fitzgeralds hold hands. Just the way they speak to each other tells me they are still deeply in love.”

“You really are a romantic,” Logan whispered. She was probably thinking of her parents. They’d died in a car wreck before he’d met Elle and Eric, but Logan had heard stories about their love for each other.

“Randall.” Alana spoke first, leaning in for a handshake. “I see you met our other winner.”

“Yes.” Logan wouldn’t have time to fill in the details, but he had to start somewhere. “I’d like to schedule a meeting with you tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Liam said. “Is there a problem?”

“Not yet, but I should have told you at check-in that my name isn’t Randall Newman. It’s Logan Ford.”

Liam’s shoulders stiffened. “Why did you use an alias?”

“It’s important that you not reveal what I tell you. I’m a Texas police detective, and I need you to trust me. I apologize for not explaining right away.” Logan had to gain their cooperation. “Tonight isn’t the time to discuss this. Tomorrow, we can get behind closed doors, and I’ll explain everything.”

“I don’t appreciate being deceived.” A nerve in Liam’s jaw twitched.

“Liam,” Alana said. Her voice was soft and encouraging. “The least we can do is hear him out.”

Liam’s face relaxed as he looked down at his wife. Alana gave him a slight nod. He turned to Elle. “You’re okay with this?” he asked.

“Yes. I promise that Logan and I will come to your office right after lunch tomorrow. We’ll clear everything up then.”

“Why not earlier?” Liam asked. “We’ve never had problems with our contest, and I’d like answers.”

“This is my fault.” Elle stepped forward. Her eyes were wide with panic.

“If you’ll give me a chance, I know you’ll understand. Elle and I made plans for the morning. Changing them will make certain people curious.”

“We’ll expect to see you two around one tomorrow,” Alana said.

“Thank you,” Logan said.

“Then it’s settled.” Alana took Liam’s hand and practically dragged him away.

Liam didn’t look happy, but he nodded slowly. “Your rooms are as expected?”

“They’re beautiful,” Elle said. “I appreciate the separate entrances and lock-off doors to the common room.”

“Safety first,” Liam said, cutting his gaze in Logan’s direction. “We want our clientele to have a fun and safe visit.”

“If we can do anything to make either of you more comfortable, please let us know.” Alana guided Liam off to meet other guests.

Logan led Elle out of the crowd into one of the many alcoves. “You understand why I told Liam and Alana?”

“Yes. We have to prevent them from giving Brandon any money.”

“After we explain things, they can help steer Brandon and his scheme toward me.”

“You?”

“Yes. I hinted to Nicki that I was wealthy.”

Elle grasped his arm. “You want her and Brandon to try and con you?”

“Brilliant. Right?”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Elle squeezed, pulling his gaze to her fingers for a minute. “What if Brandon checks up on you?”

“I’ll call my dad and alert him. If anyone calls for Logan Ford, they’ll say he’s on vacation in Colorado.” With a quick scan of the room, he’d located Brandon and Nicki going into the restaurant with Liam and Alana.

“Let’s get a bite to eat.” He tilted his head toward the dining room. “We’re going to be in surveillance mode. Think you can handle it?”

“Of course,” Elle said. She ran her hands over her hips, smoothing out her dress. “Lead on.”

Logan chuckled at Elle’s enthusiasm. “I’ll make a good cop out of you.”

“I’m happy with my little management search firm. Nothing’s better than working from home.” She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. “But I’m pretty good at reading lips.”

Logan’s chest swelled with pride. The warmth of her touch sent his brain floundering.
Now is not the time to be distracted.
She matched his long strides as they crossed the expanse of the hotel lobby to the restaurant.

“Welcome. Dinner for two?” the
maître d’
asked.

Logan scanned the room, locating his targets. “The lady is a bit chilled. We’d like a table near the fireplace if possible.”

“Of course,” he said. “One moment.” He walked to the hostess and they chatted briefly. She smiled broadly and hurried to Elle and Logan.

“This way, please,” she said, leading the two across the dimly lit restaurant.

Elle smiled and waved at the two couples while Logan held her chair. He seated himself with his back to Brandon. The hostess handed them menus and placed the wine list at his right elbow.

“Enjoy your meal,” she said.

“Thank you,” Logan responded, adjusting his position so Elle could see around him. “Smile. We’re supposed to be having a nice dinner...just the two of us.”

“Sorry. I’ll do better,” she said flashing her pearly whites. “I can’t hear a word. Can you?”

Logan concentrated for a second, picking up a random word or two. The easy listening music in the background wasn’t loud, but it made eavesdropping difficult. “Not very well. We’ll put your lip-reading skills to the test. Repeat anything you understand to me. Just try and make it look conversational.”