Saving Cinderella! (6 page)

“You say that as if you’re trying to convince yourself, but I’ve seen it happen before.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Good. But if the unexpected should happen and your ‘never ever’ turns to ‘maybe’, will
Wyatt
be fine?”

She blinked.

“Look, none of us know Wyatt that well. He keeps his personal life to himself. But he treats his employees well, even if he asks a lot in return. I know that better than anyone. I’m here today because Wyatt caught me trying to pick his pocket when my mother died and left me and my younger brother destitute. He grabbed me by my shirt, lectured me, and then
gave me a job with the understanding that I would keep out of trouble. Because he’s fair, those of us who work for him pay attention, and what we’ve seen is that he takes everything that concerns McKendrick’s seriously. If he chose you to work here and you somehow got hurt, he would brood over that.

“The truth is that whenever a woman shows up here with stars in her eyes, and he has to tell her no, he retreats into himself even more than usual. His past’s a secret, but something must have happened, because even if he’d never admit it, hurting people seems to affect him almost as much as it does them. Unless they deserve it, of course. Then he can be ruthless.”

“So you want me to protect Wyatt’s psyche by agreeing not to fall in love with him?”

“It sounds stupid, but, yes, something like that.”

“Not a problem. You’ve got it.” She hoped her voice didn’t wobble with uncertainty when she said that.

“Good, because people are already taking bets on how long it will be before you go down for the count.”

“Randy!”

“I’m just saying…”

“Well, stop saying. I’m here to do a good job. That’s all.”

With that, Alex returned to her desk, more prepared than ever to keep a safe distance from Wyatt. And that meant concentrating harder on her job.

She dug out more of the guides from Belinda’s desk and began to study them. She had to. Unlike someone who’d lived in the city, she didn’t know anything about the layout other than the world famous Las Vegas Strip. That would have to change, something that became clear when several people asked her questions she didn’t know the answers to. Fortunately they were nice enough to wait while she quizzed Randy. But Randy had his own duties, and her stalling tech
niques wouldn’t bode well for McKendrick’s if a reviewer for the competition showed up.

For two seconds Alex allowed self-doubt to creep in, but she battled it back. She had the ability to do this job, didn’t she? Or if she didn’t have it yet, she would. Knowledge was king in this position, but there had to be a better way to educate herself than sitting around reading tour guides. As soon as she got off work she planned to do her homework. The Alex way.

But for now…

“The elevators to the karaoke bar are that way,” she told one young man, and, “The shuttle to the airport will be here in ten minutes,” she told another.

She was searching through a drawer she hadn’t had time to explore yet when she looked up and saw Mr. Toliver coming in through the main doors. Automatically she glanced up at his hair, which…mostly wasn’t there.

Okay, this is so not what I expected
, she thought. His hair looked nothing like Seth’s sweeping blond mane. Still,
she
had sent him to the stylist; it was only right to follow up.

“Mr. Toliver,” she called.

To her surprise, he smiled and turned her way. “What do you think?” he asked.

“I think…”

“It’s short, I know,” he said, rubbing his hand over the top of his head. “But Gregory told me that my head was shaped perfectly for the almost shaved look, and since I was starting to thin on the top I thought I’d try it. It’s not for everybody, of course, but it’s very freeing,” he said, smiling. “Much cooler in this heat, too.”

Alex sent a silent thank-you to Gregory, the hairdresser she’d never met. It seemed that McKendrick’s had a happy
customer. And the style
did
suit the man. “It looks right on you,” she said. “Awesome.”

He walked away, his smile even broader, and Alex followed his progress. Her gaze snagged on Wyatt, who had entered the building while she hadn’t been watching. He was staring at Mr. Toliver, who had his back turned toward Wyatt.

Almost without thinking she stood up and moved toward the door. “It might look a little drastic,” she began, “but—”

“He likes it. I know. I ran into him outside,” Wyatt said. “Nice job.” Something close to pleasure lurked in his green eyes and sent her heartbeat racing ten times faster than it had when she’d seen Frank Toliver’s bald head.

Don’t even consider wondering what he would look like if he ever flashed a full smile
, she ordered herself. “Weren’t you even a little worried when you saw his head?”

He hesitated, as if studying the question. “I already had my fingers poised over my cellphone to order champagne shipped to his room.”

He sounded so disgruntled at even having to admit it that Alex couldn’t hold back a small chuckle. “Aha, so you
were
worried.”

Now the smallest trace of a smile lifted his lips. “If it makes you feel better, I
did
feel a twinge, but only a small one. Alex, in this business there are bound to be customers who have concerns now and then, but I hire good people. I expect them to do their jobs well, but in the end, I’m always poised to fix a few things. I’m the safety net. If you’re doing everything possible to give the customers the experience they have every right to expect, you’re doing what I require of you. Do we have a deal?”

He held out his hand. She stared at it, almost afraid to touch him.

And when she finally did place her hand in his, she knew
that she had been right to be afraid. The heat and the energy and the sudden attraction whooshed in, making it hard to forget that Wyatt was a man who was impossible to ignore.

A loner of a man, she reminded herself. His words just then had confirmed it as much as anything Randy had told her. He was an island—or at least he was the lone protector of the personal island that this hotel represented.

He was waiting for her answer. “We have a deal,” she managed to choke out, but when he released her it was all she could do not to stare at her hand. It felt as if he had imprinted a part of himself on her.

“You’re free to go, Alex,” he said.

She frowned, confused.

“Lois is here for her shift,” he clarified. “You’ve survived your first full day.”

I’m not so sure
, she thought as she walked away. She kept trying to tell herself that this was just a job, but her reaction to Wyatt made it feel more like a personal test.

Alex stared at her hand when she got back to her room. Sensation rushed through her, which was ridiculous. The man had merely shaken her hand, a brief brush of flesh against flesh, but the nerve-endings in her fingers had practically sizzled.

She was far too attracted to him, acting just the way Randy had predicted. Like an idiotic woman obsessed with Wyatt. Like those other women who had wanted him.

But she had one advantage over those women. She didn’t
want
to want him. He was the most potent and unattainable man she’d ever met, and darn it, she wasn’t going to do something stupid.

Alex took deep calming breaths. She counted to ten. “I’m strong. I’m not a slave to my emotions.”

Those words were important because, like it or not, she was
once again in a position of helping a man achieve his goals, the very thing that had caused her to walk straight into heartbreak after heartbreak. Assisting a man created a rush of very temporary positive emotions, but when those emotions faded the party was over. The pain began.

Not happening this time, Lowell.
Wyatt’s goals were part of her job, nothing more. When she was done she could run back to San Diego, set up her shop, and enjoy the rest of her life.

“I can be attracted to you without succumbing, Wyatt,” she whispered. “You won’t have anything to regret when I’m gone. In fact, you’re going to be glad you hired me, because I intend to help you surpass any competitors and win that prize.”

And she knew just how she was going to start.

W
YATT
prowled the halls of McKendrick’s, trying to shake off the feeling that he shouldn’t have shaken Alex’s hand. Ridiculous. He’d merely been trying to reassure her that she didn’t have to bear the responsibility for the success of the hotel. He hadn’t hired her for that.

What did you hire her for?
he asked himself. Easy answer. He’d simply wanted a smooth transition between Belinda leaving and returning. Alex had seemed like a woman who could make that transition invisible for the customers and staff.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t invisible to
him
—a fact he’d noticed from the minute he’d set eyes on her. The second she’d put her hand in his energy and desire had zipped up his arm, practically consuming him.

Then don’t touch her again
, he told himself. He didn’t intend to. But how he wanted to.

It was a new day, one that had so far gone smoothly. Alex hadn’t sent anyone to unknown locales. Nor had she followed her instincts and upbraided a man who had been loudly berating his wife about some nitpicky thing she had forgotten to do.

On the other hand she might have done that…if Wyatt hadn’t appeared. He had clamped one hand on the man’s
shoulder and firmly if not gently shepherded the man to the side. Wyatt’s eyes had brooked no argument, his voice had been commanding, but he had given the man an out, casually drawing him into conversation about how vexing travel could be. When the story of a plane stranded on the tarmac for hours had spilled out, Wyatt had relented, called for a bellboy to deliver the couple’s luggage to their room and presented them with complimentary tickets to the spa for massages.

As they moved away, Alex could hear the man apologizing to his wife. “Nice,” she said to Wyatt. “But the man looked as if he would explode when you pulled him aside. How did you know he wouldn’t take your interference out on his wife?”

Wyatt stood very still, that cool stare trapping Alex in his sights. “You disapprove of my tactics, Alex?”

Alex was sure that she was blushing. “On the contrary. I’m glad that you took him aside and defused the situation. But…I was afraid he was going to hit you.”

Wyatt shook his head. “He wasn’t the type. I know the type.”

The way he said that…as if he’d met men who’d used their fists on him…

She remembered what Randy had said about not knowing much about Wyatt. She should keep that in mind. A woman who couldn’t handle men she knew well should definitely not tangle with men who were mysterious. Or dark. Or dangerous.

Slowly, so that he couldn’t see how he affected her, she took a deep breath. “I’d better get back to work.”

He tilted his head in acquiescence. “You should know that a few customers have complimented me on your helpfulness, and…”

“And?” She waited.

“And on your smile,” he said, as if he hadn’t really intended to admit that.

But his comment warmed her and emboldened her. “It never hurts to smile,” she said. “Even if you’re a McKendrick.” Because he didn’t smile. Not much.

And yet he looked amused. His eyes lost some of that fierceness. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said. “Maybe I’ll even write it down on a blue notepad.”

Then he walked away. Had Wyatt McKendrick, he who kept his distance from his employees, just teased her?

He had.
And that sent a tingle in a zipping, swirling course down her body.

Don’t be affected
, she told herself. But she found herself looking for him when her day ended. Which made her angry. Whether the anger was because she was looking for the man, or because she was unsuccessful in her quest, maybe even wondering if he was with the pretty restaurateur, she didn’t want to know.

Besides, she had things to do. Last night she’d hit the town with a digital camera and her notepad, scoping out sights for a time when a customer might need help. But, being unfamiliar with the territory, she had covered very little ground. Tonight she would cover more.

Wyatt was on his way to his penthouse apartment late in the day when he turned a corner and nearly ran over Alex. She’d been walking while looking at a map and she bumped up against him, the map crumpling and tearing.

Instantly he caught her, stopping her forward momentum, heat branding him as his palms closed around the bare skin of her upper arms. Fragrant skin. Smooth skin.

Stop it
, he ordered himself, glancing down. She was looking a bit dazed.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I wasn’t even looking where I was
going.” For two seconds they stood there, connected, as Wyatt tried to ignore how she felt…and how she looked, with those big, startled blue eyes.

Then reality kicked in and she took a step backward, gathering the crumpled, crinkling paper and trying to smooth it into something resembling a map again as he released her.

Walk away
, he told himself. Treat this situation the way you would with any other employee.

But Alex wasn’t like any other employee he’d ever hired. There was something about her that was difficult to ignore. Which was unfortunate. Ignoring people, not letting them get to him, was what enabled him to be who he was. It was how he had managed to survive a brutal childhood.

“Do you need directions?” he asked, ignoring his own good advice.

She smiled, that brilliant, room-brightening smile that his customers seemed to warm to. “I’m just having a little trouble figuring out where to start.”

“Start?”

“Memorizing the city. I realized that if I’m going to be effective I need to know Las Vegas almost as well as I know San Diego. I have to be able to envision a place when someone asks me a question, so I’m trying to experience as much of the city as I can. Last night was easy. A cabdriver took me past a few of the popular restaurants for a survey of what’s available. But what I really want is to totally lose myself in the whole Las Vegas scene. I thought I’d walk this time and surround myself with the city, but I’m having trouble deciding where to begin.”

“Alexandra, you don’t have to put in extra hours.” He expected loyalty from his employees, but not servitude. He was the last man who would ever ask for that.

She frowned. “I’m not asking you to pay me for this. It’s something I need to do for me. Tomorrow will be my third day on the job, and I’m determined to close the gaps in my knowledge.”

“You’re doing a good job.”

She tilted her head. “Thank you. I’m not doubting myself. The past two days
have
been good. I’m starting to feel more settled. I just want to push myself a little harder, learn more. I have goals. By the end of this week I intend to be a winner at the ‘totally invisible concierge’ game.” She gave him a dazzling conspiratorial smile that made his pulse leap.

Wyatt didn’t have the heart to tell her that she was never going to be invisible. She was too darned electric, attractive, alive. But he knew what she meant. She didn’t want anyone to be able to notice that she was still learning her job, so here she was with her map and her determination. And, yes, her good idea. Well,
almost
a good idea.

“I applaud your dedication,” he said, “but wandering the streets alone with your head buried in a map? I don’t think so.”

Her chin lifted slightly. “I’m fully capable of taking care of myself. I know self-defense, and I have hairspray, a lighter and sharp keys in my purse.”

“And if you’re distracted, you’ll never even get to them. You’re not doing this.”

Ah, the pretty sky eyes could flash angry sparks. Wyatt knew he shouldn’t allow himself to be intrigued by her mercurial spirit, but what man wouldn’t be? The woman was like an erratic fire, burning low and warm one minute, then leaping to an eager flame when something entranced or challenged her.

“Let me rephrase that in a less condescending way,” he
said. “You’re off the clock now, and that means you’re not answerable to me, but if my presence won’t be unwelcome, I’ll show you Las Vegas up close.”

Alex hesitated. Then she raised one brow. “Do you really expect me to tell my boss that his presence would be unwelcome?”

He fought the urge to smile…and then he lost the battle. “Actually, yes, I do. As I mentioned, you’re on Alexandra time now. You call the shots.”

She studied him. “You don’t have to be my bodyguard.”

Bad choice of words. It made him far too aware of how attracted he was to her curves and her pretty long legs.
None of that changed the fact that sending Alex out with nothing but a map, a smile, innocent blue eyes and a can of hairspray buried in her purse would be an invitation to men with the wrong things on their minds. Men like him…except he was
not
going to touch her.
And that’s an order, McKendrick.

“If I’m asking you to point out the sights of my city, then it’s only right that I should show you that city.”

She opened her mouth, no doubt to give him another out.

“Alexandra,” he said, “let’s go.”

“Is that an order from my boss?”

He frowned. “That’s a request from an impatient…”

Man
, he’d been going to say. “Tour guide,” he finished a bit lamely. He could not begin to think of them as man and woman.

“Well, then,” she said with a wide smile. “Lead on, tour guide. And make it good.”

Wyatt wanted to groan. He glared down at her fiercely.

Immediately she looked contrite. “Too much? Out of line?”

He slowly shook his head. “It’s your night.”

She nodded. “I’ll make it up to you tomorrow.”

He couldn’t help himself. He arched an eyebrow.

A pretty trace of rose suffused her cheekbones. “I meant that since I’ll be more comfortable in my job tomorrow, it will pay off with the customers.”

“You’ve been…uncomfortable?”

“Just a little—and only because I’m still getting my bearings and learning both the city and the hotel. I know you said that you’d handle any difficulties, but I need to handle things myself, you know?”

A loner like him? He understood the drive to be self-sufficient all too well.

“All right. We’ll take care of that.”

She smiled, and they left the building. He had his car brought around. “We’ll walk part of the way later,” he promised, handing her inside.

For several minutes they rode in silence.

“This awards situation,” Alex suddenly said. “Now that I’ve been on the job a couple of days I’m curious. You played it down the other day, but obviously McKendrick’s means a great deal to you. Do you really not care if you win or not?”

Her question caught him off guard. He thought back to all the times when he’d been told that he was less than nothing and that he would
never
be worth anything.

“I want to win,” he admitted.

“A lot?”

He didn’t want to think how much he needed to win. Thinking about it made him think of times he didn’t want to remember.

“Wyatt?”

“A lot. Too much. It’s just a meaningless award.” But it was more than that to him.

“Okay. We’ll win,” she said.

“You say that as if it’s that simple.”

“Maybe it is, if we treat it as if it is. I’m a big believer in affirmations, at least where the obstacles aren’t impossible to overcome.” For a second, a tiny shadow seemed to turn those sky eyes darker. Or maybe he’d been mistaken. Her smile held.

He gave her an incredulous look. “Were you always this…optimistic?”

“You meant to say naive, didn’t you?”

Wyatt studied her. “I meant to say that I appreciate your enthusiasm for the task.” The sparkling smile she gave him warmed him more than was safe.

“All right, enough about awards. I’m going to give you a whirlwind tour. Las Vegas in a night,” he said, trying to turn his thoughts from Alex.

He began with a quick tour of some of the major hotels that would have left experienced speed-daters short of breath. Walking her around the grounds of each hotel, he pointed out the things that would appeal to visitors. They visited the Eiffel Tower, the waterfalls at the Mirage. Alex gazed up at the black glass pyramid at the Luxor.

“I feel like a tourist,” she said, taking a picture.

“You
are
a tourist.” He tried not to smile, but lost the battle when she turned mock-indignant eyes on him.

“Not for long. With this great tour I can feel myself turning into Super Concierge already.”

And when he took her to see the canals and gondolas and strolling performers at the Venetian, she touched his sleeve. “It’s wonderful,” she said.

Her eyes shone, and Wyatt found himself wanting to find ways to bring her smile out in full force, which would be…amazing…exciting…too much, he reminded himself.
Back off, McKendrick,
he ordered. Getting too close to Alex wouldn’t be good for either of them.

“The vintage cars here belonged to celebrities and historic figures, heads of state,” he said, pointing out the auto collection at the Imperial Palace, his voice droning on as if he wasn’t totally aware of the woman at his side in a way that was perfectly…physical.

“It’s a museum,” she said.

He could tell by the way she automatically looked toward her little pink purse that she wanted her notepad, but then she shook her head and gave all her attention to the cars.

“Of sorts,” he agreed. “But the cars are actually for sale to those who have enough money, and people do pull out their millions and buy them every day.”

She laughed. “I’ll start saving my millions tomorrow. Just as soon as I have my shop paid for.”

Wyatt was glad she’d said that. It was good to be reminded how temporary she was.

“Last hotel,” he said, leading the way. “One of the finest in the world.”

“It’s beautiful,” she agreed, as they paused before the fountains of the Bellagio. “But you said it was one of the finest, and I know that’s a title you covet for McKendrick’s… So I guess I don’t understand tonight’s tour. You have a totally gorgeous and amazing hotel. Why show me the ones I won’t be sending people to?”

He held out his hands, as if to concede her point. “But you might send them here for some things—a restaurant, a view, a good photo op. It may not make sense to promote a competitor’s wares, but it’s all about giving the customer the perfect experience. No one hotel does it all. If a customer is looking for something we don’t have, I’ll provide it by sending them elsewhere during their stay with us. In the end it pays off. They tend to remember that we were willing to bend over
backward, including letting them escape our clutches for a few hours, to ensure their satisfaction, and they return to us. It works. Besides, placing too many restrictions on people tends to backfire.”