One Hit Wonderful (23 page)

Topped off with sandy, bleached-blond hair, stunning blue eyes that shone like the darkest sapphires and a smile that she imagined could turn Margaret Thatcher’s knees weak.

“I sure hope so,” he drawled, and leaned an elbow on the desk. “I’m looking for a hotel room.”

Lily fixed a sunny smile on her face. “Do you have a reservation, Mr…?”

“Keller,” he told her, and held out a hand. “Jonah Keller. And no, I’m afraid I don’t.”

“It shouldn’t be a problem,” she assured him. “Just let me check and see what we have available.”

A few quick strokes of the keyboard brought up the information she wanted. “We do have a room ready now, Mr. Keller. It’s a suite, I’m afraid, but I can give it to you for the single room rate.”

“That’d be great,” he told her and smiled again.

Lethal, she thought with amusement, and boy, does he know it. “I’ll just need to get some information from you, if you don’t mind.”

He pulled out his wallet and got out his driver’s license. “You can get most of what you need from that.”

“Yes, I certainly can.” She began efficiently keying his address into the computer, her brow rising slightly as she realized he had a local address.

“Termites,” he said, and she blinked.

“I’m sorry?”

“Termites.” He pointed to the license. “You were wondering why I’m checking into a hotel in the town where I live.”

“It’s none of my business, sir.”

He shrugged, a simple movement of muscle and bone that he somehow turned into a dance move. “I don’t mind. I’m renovating my house, and the foundation inspection was yesterday. They found termites. So we have to shut down the construction and tent the place.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said. Finished, she handed his license back to him. “How long will you be staying with us?”

“I hope not more than two nights,” he said. “But it all depends on the termites.”

“We’re happy to have you here as long as you like,” she told him. “How would you like to pay for the room?”

“Hmm? Oh.” He reached for his wallet again and handed her a credit card. She swiped the card, keyed in the security code, and handed it back while the printer spit out his room confirmation.

She cursed to herself when she realized he was toying with the torn envelope she’d set down next to the computer. He flipped it over, noting the name on the front. “Is this you? Lily?”

“Yes.” She smiled and slid the room confirmation page in front of him, tucking the envelope safely under the counter. “If you could sign here,” she said, marking the page with an
X
and handing him the pen. “How many keys would you like, Mr. Keller?”

He signed his name with a flourish and handed back the pen. “Just one,” he said with a smile.

No way this guy was hurting for female companionship, she thought, but said nothing as she programmed the key card and slipped it into an envelope.

“Here you are.” She handed him the card. “You’re in room 614. Would you like a bellhop to assist with your bags?”

He held up his single battered leather duffel back and winked. “I think I got it.”

She smiled back. “Take the elevators at the end of the hall here to the sixth floor then follow the signs. Your room is at the end of the corridor overlooking the pool.”

“Great,” he said. “A room with a view.”

“I hope you enjoy your stay with us,” she told him, and was already turning back to the computer when he spoke again.

“I’d enjoy it if you joined me for a drink,” he said, and raised one tawny eyebrow. “Unless it’s against the rules for employees to fraternize with guests? Because I’d be happy to find a new hotel if it is.”

Her smile was appreciative but cool. “It’s not against hotel policy, but it is against mine.”

“Taken, huh? Figures.” He tapped his key card on the desk thoughtfully then smiled again, this time with genuine humor instead of calculated interest. “No hard feelings?”

“Of course not,” she assured him. “Enjoy your stay, Mr. Keller.”

“Thank you, Lily.”

“You’re welcome.” Amused, she watched him walk to the elevator bank.

“Too handsome for his own good,” she muttered, and went back to the reservations list.

Across the room, Jonah Keller slipped his cell phone out of its belt clip and punched in a number. “Janie, it’s Jonah. I’m at the hotel.” He listened for a moment then punched the button for the elevator. “I made contact. No, she doesn’t suspect. I know how to play it, Janie.” He rolled his eyes. “Will you just shut up and listen for a second? Tell MacIntyre I’m here, and so far everything looks fine. I did overhear her say something about a note that was left at the front desk, but I couldn’t get a look at it. That’ll have to wait until later.”

The elevator doors slid silently open and he stepped inside. “Yes, Janie. Yes. Dammit, Janie, I know what I’m doing. Just tell MacIntyre what I told you, and that I’ll be in touch.” He hit the button for the sixth floor. “Fine, tell Mom I cursed at you. But if you do, I’m telling her you flunked French last semester.”

He clicked the phone shut on his sister-slash-assistant’s shriek of outrage. As the elevator doors were closing, he caught sight of Lily Michaels at the front desk.

“Shame,” he muttered. “I would’ve enjoyed that drink.”

* * * * *

At three o’clock that afternoon Lily set aside the guest comment cards she was going through—the ones from the debutante reunion had been a real riot—and stood to stretch before leaving the office. She wanted to make sure to catch Kevin before he started his shift on the front desk so she could talk to him away from the rest of the staff about the note that was left the night before.

Kevin was already at the desk when she emerged from the office. He sent her a smile that flashed the metal of his braces.

“Hey, Ms. Michaels. How’s it like, going?”

Amused, her lips twitched. “Just fine, Kevin. How’re you?”

“I’m cool.”

Yes, you are
, she thought, amused. “Kevin, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah. I mean, yes ma’am.”

Lily fought back another wave of amusement. He was young, but he was learning. “There was a note waiting for me when I came in this morning,” she began then stopped when his head bobbed.

“Oh yeah, from that guy.”

“What guy?”

He shrugged his narrow shoulders. “I’ve never seen him before. Oh hey, I hope it’s okay that I like, didn’t hand it right to you, you know. But you weren’t here when I went off shift…”

She waved a hand. “It’s fine, Kevin. Did the guy leave a name?” She bit down on frustration when the response to that was another shrug. “Can you tell me what he looked like?”

Kevin frowned, his long face a study in concentration. “He looked like a used car salesman,” he finally said.

Lily bit back a laugh. If ever there was a description that fit Max… “Dark hair, about so tall?” she asked, holding her hand out to indicate height.

“Yeah. And his suit was shiny. You could like, see yourself in it.”

Yep
, she thought.
That’s Max.
“Thanks, Kevin. That helps.”

“Cool,” he said.

She laughed, patting him on the shoulder as she turned to go back into the office. A flash of movement in the lobby seating area caught her eye, and she looked out to find Jonah Keller sitting on one of the sofas with a newspaper across his lap. He lifted his hand in a wave, that charming smile spreading across his face.

Amused, she waved back. He really was crazy handsome, she thought. About as movie star handsome as one could be and not be Brad Pitt. She felt a purely female tug of appreciation as he unfolded himself from the sofa and, setting the paper aside, strode to the front desk.

“Are you enjoying your stay so far, Mr. Keller?” she asked.

“Very much,” he told her, flashing another smile. “I was just about to head into the restaurant for a late lunch.”

“Try the steak sandwich,” she suggested.

“Actually, I’m a vegetarian,” he told her, and she laughed.

“Well, then I recommend the tomato basil soup and the green salad. And if you can eat dairy, a slice of cheesecake for dessert.”

“I’ll do that,” he said. “I don’t suppose I can persuade you to join me?”

“I ate lunch several hours ago,” she told him.

“Then we’ll call it an early dinner,” he cajoled, leaning on the counter and giving her the full force of his charm.

She smiled, charmed in spite of herself by the completely unthreatening pass, and had opened her mouth to respond when she saw the doors open over his head. Her smile went warm as she saw Nate stride in, casually sexy in jeans and a plain white tee, and when his dimples flashed she felt her whole body go on alert.

“Excuse me,” she murmured to Jonah, and stepped to the other side of the counter.

“Hi,” she murmured, and though her personal sense of professionalism kept her from leaning over the counter to kiss him as she wanted, the heat in her gaze left little doubt that she was happy to see him.

“Hi, yourself,” he murmured.

She glanced over her shoulder. Kevin was watching avidly, a bright flush staining his cheekbones, but Jonah had disappeared. She caught a glimpse of his back as he disappeared into the restaurant before Nate caught her chin in his fingers and turned her back to face him.

“Is anything wrong?” he murmured, and she shook her head.

“Just missed you,” she said, and watched his dimples wink into view again.

“I missed you too,” he said. “So I figured I’d kidnap you for the afternoon.”

“Really?” she laughed, reaching out to twine her fingers with his. “And what are you going to do with me once you’ve spirited me away from here?”

He chuckled. “There’s a Mel Brooks movie marathon showing at the old theater Main Street.”

“You mean the one with the velour on the seats that’s so thin you can see through it, and the sticky floors and tiny bathrooms?”

“And real butter on the popcorn and penny candy at the concession stands,” he said. “They’re showing
Young Frankenstein
,
Blazing Saddles
and
History of the World, Part I
.”

“Is the kidnappee allowed to get her purse?”

He chuckled, nodding, and she dashed back to the office to retrieve her things. She was back in moments, and after a quiet murmur to Kevin, slid her hand into Nate’s.

“This is a great idea,” she told him as they walked out the door.

“I thought so,” he agreed. “Especially since we can neck when the lights go down.”

“A really great idea,” she amended, and they stepped out into the sunlight.

Chapter Fifteen

In the middle of
Young Frankenstein
, right when the unsuspecting doctor was about to discover the secret laboratory, Lily’s cell phone buzzed.

She’d put it on vibrate so as not to disturb the rest of the patrons—though there weren’t many for the matinee triple feature—but since she was still on call for any emergencies at the hotel, she had to keep it on.

She whispered an apology to Nate and rose from her seat, slipping down the aisle and out the door to the lobby as she dug in her purse for her vibrating phone. She dug it out and flipped it open.

“Hello?”

“Lil?”

“Bridget! Oh thank God, I’ve been trying to get hold of you.”

“I know. I turned my phone back on and it almost blew up. What’s going on?”

Lily snuck a glance over her shoulder at the theater door and moved farther out into the lobby. “Listen, I don’t have a lot of time to talk. Can I call you back tonight?”

“What? I can barely hear you.”

Lily bit down on frustration as static crackled across the line. “I said, can I call you back tonight?”

“Lily, you’re freaking me out. Just tell me what’s going on?”

“Have you talked to Max?”

“What? Max? No, I’m not talking to Max. I mean, he’s left a few more messages. What’s he got to do with anything?”

Lily checked over her shoulder one more time to make sure she was alone before saying, “I think he broke into my apartment and tore your wedding dress into shreds.”

“What?”

Lily jerked the phone away from her ear with a wince. What a time for the static to clear.

“Someone broke into my apartment and tore the place apart, but the only thing that really got destroyed was your Vera Wang. I think it was Max.”

“Why the hell would he do that?”

“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure it’s him since he also left me a threatening note at work. Anonymous, of course, but the clerk on duty described him perfectly. Do you have anything of his, anything he might want back? Something he’d have reason to believe you’d have given to me?”

“No.”

“Don’t you still have the engagement ring? It was his grandmother’s, maybe he’s looking for that.”