The Romance Challenge, Complete Series Box Set: BBW Hot Alpha Billionaire Romance (12 page)

"I didn't think the police were still
looking into that."

"Me either. Not really. But I guess
so. What can you tell me about the statue? Why did Dad give it to
Michelle?"

"He said it would be her guardian
angel. She should keep it close and never get rid of it."

"She didn't like it that much, I
remember, did she? It wasn't terribly valuable and kind of an adult piece for a
teenager."

"I thought so too. I asked him why in
the world he picked it for her. Of all things. An angel with bare breasts. Highly
unsuitable."

I could picture my mom's face and grinned.
She was a prude when it came to nudity. "Did he say anything else, like
why he got it for her?"

Another silence. It hurt her to remember,
but I needed to learn all I could.

"You know, I recall him saying
something ridiculous. He was going on one night, like he would when he
was…"

Drunk.

"When he'd had a couple of drinks. He
said that little angel would take care of us all, and to make sure it stayed
safe. I pretty much forgot about it, and after that man, after he…"

"It's okay. That's all I wanted to know."

I simply couldn't put my mother through
this. Bad enough to dredge up memories of Dad. She shouldn't be forced to
recall how the robber had come into the house, hit Michelle on the head, probably
with the statue, and then left her lying there on the floor.

"I'll call you if I come up with anything,
okay?"

"Fine. Give Michelle a kiss for
me."

I thought about reminding her I was in
Florida, and she should come kiss her herself, but didn't. I'd stressed her out
enough for one day, and Mom had her own crap going on. We'd got through a civil
conversation, and I wanted to end on a pleasant note. We said goodbye and I
paced off a little nervous energy before I made the next call.

"Hey sis, how's things kickin'?"

"Kickin' good."

She answered the phone. We were off to a
good start. "I might have found your statue. You know, the one Dad gave
you that was stolen?"

"Yeah, I read your email. That's
nice." Her usual abrupt tone, but cut with an undercurrent of agitation.

"It's being delivered to me here in
Florida. I'll bring it to show you when I get home, okay? Do you want it
back?"

"I guess. Dad said it's
special."

"Do you remember Dad saying anything
about it, other than that? Did he tell you
why
it's special?"

"No. Dad said it was my angel. I'm
supposed to keep it, so it protects me."

Tears pushed hot at the back of my eyes.
It hadn't done such a great job so far. "Okay, when I get it, I'll bring
it over. You doing okay?"

"Yeah. Vicky came yesterday, instead
of you."

"Like we talked about."

I didn't mean to aggravate her, but I
needed to know. She sounded upset, more so than my questions should make her.

"Are you all right? Really? Tell me
what's wrong."

"I had one of my dreams. Someone was
chasing you."

Ah. A dream. That explained the tight fear
in her voice. When she was seven, she began having "weirdies" she
called them. Dreams, premonitions, bad feelings. I paid attention, after a
while, when her weirdies turned out to be valid. Like when she cried for two
hours when she was nine, telling me our neighbor kid was drowning. He damn near
did that week, in the municipal swimming pool. 

Then, one day, she told my mom she had a
nightmare. Dad kissed another woman who wore a scarf and smelled like roses.
Mom slapped her, hard enough I heard it in the other room with the television
on. I put frozen peas on Michelle's cheek and held her while she cried. We
covered the mark with makeup and Michelle didn't talk about her visions much
after that. Only the one other time. When I didn't listen.

"I'm fine. No one is chasing me. I
think you just miss me because I'm gone. Right?"

"Maybe. Be careful, okay?
Promise."

Oh, sweet Michelle. My heart squeezed. 

"I'm always careful. I'll be extra, I
promise. Did you get the pictures I sent? Of that thrift shop I went to?"
I heard her breathing, fast and hard. I needed to distract her. "What a
bunch of cool stuff! I got you a present."

"What?"

"It's a surprise. It will give you
something to look forward to." And take her mind off the place I'd asked
her to go. "I'll send you pictures, close-up parts of it, and you can
guess, okay? I'll tell you if you get it right."

"Like a puzzle."

"Exactly. You remember those we used
to work? On the card table in the living room."

"Yeah." Breathing slower now.

"Listen, I've got to get to work, so
I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? You going to be all right?"

"Yeah, I will. Okay. Bye."

Much as I hated to dredge up bad memories,
I hoped by mentioning the statue, something might click in her mind, that she would
remember Dad giving her more details during one of their afternoons with each
other. The two of them spent a lot of time together, watching movies or messing
around in his garage out back of the house. She'd sit for hours and help him
work on his old cars, handing him tools, wiping up spills. If he'd lived
longer, no doubt they'd still be puttering around, building cars.

I blew out a breath. One more call, to
Chuck Taylor. A text, I decided. He must have been out late last night and
might not be up yet.

Thank you so much for your help.

My phone buzzed an instant after I sent
it. Chuck.

"Go buy yourself a lottery ticket. I
am. Last night was my final shift. For good. I'm retiring, going to let the
wife drag me around Europe for a while. Finding that statue, a lucky break. Nice
way to finish up my time, with Lady Luck on my side."

"You deserve time off. I'm happy for
you. And I know you should have stopped working that case a long time ago. I
appreciate you sticking with it."

"Aw, I poked around a little in my
spare time, no big deal. Send me a text, let me know if that's the statue. And
if you find out anything else, let me know that too. Max couldn't tell me much about
the guy who brought it in. But I told him to call me if he remembers."

"I'm planning to hire a private
detective. Now that I have a lead, kind of. Can you recommend anyone?"

"Sure can. I'll get a short list
together and send you an email before I take off on vacation. Good luck."

"Thanks again."

A combination of positive news and great
sex put a smile on my face. I leaned back in the chair and stretched my arms over
my head. I should go for a swim. I didn't particularly want to socialize,
wasn't thrilled about the staff, or anyone seeing me in a swimsuit, and totally
didn't want to run into Nathan. Evaluating the small pool area, though, was on
my list of things to do. Loosening up my tight muscles would do my body good,
so might as well get that chore done, while happy endorphins danced through my system.

Swimsuit shopping was the absolute worst
chore ever, right up there with cleaning the hair out of the shower drain, on
my list. But I'd found a great store back home. Small, with helpful sales
people. The clerk I worked with took her time and found the perfect suit for
me. One-piece, black, with side panels that shaved off ten pounds, and a
pattern that hugged my curves just right, accentuating my breasts and hiding
the rest. I didn't swim much but was pleased to have this suit when I needed
it.

As I shimmied into the garment, I hummed a
song our dad used to sing. An Irish lullaby, he said. Full of good fortune and
joy. I would focus on that thought, that feeling of hope building in my heart.
Maybe Chuck was right, and Lady Luck really had come for a visit.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Thankfully, the pool wasn't crowded. I swam
a few laps without ramming into anyone and I didn't see any resort employees.
While I moved through the water, I thought about Nathan. Dinner tonight. Out in
public, or so he said. He could easily have changed his mind by now and realize
what he'd done. The bright light of day often chased away the crazy magic of a
passion-filled night.

How would he react to me today? I went
over several scenarios in my mind, then finally stopped. I couldn't drive
myself crazy this way. I'd deal with however he chose to handle the situation.

Gracefully. I'd deal with it gracefully.
While I showered and dressed, I practiced my reaction. Cool and calm when he
told me how sorry he was, that going to bed with me was a huge mistake. Or,
that he enjoyed our hook-up, but we shouldn't tell anyone. Dinner, sorry, he
forgot, he had other plans. I'd smile my professional smile, tell him I
understood, and we'd move on. No problem.

I dressed and headed to the conference
room. I beat Nathan there. By the time he arrived, I was busy typing notes.

"Did you have a good swim?"

Crap. He saw me at the pool. Though the
smile he directed my way looked perfectly innocent, his eyes shone with a
wicked light. One that promised naughty activities.

Not what I rehearsed for.

I cleared my throat. "I did. It's a
nice pool. I've got a few comments I'll send you."

He put his laptop on the table, opened it
up, and sat down next to me. I crossed my legs. Tight. That hint of bay leaf
scent greeted me, and moisture formed, drenching my panties. We needed to keep
our distance from each other. If I got too close, I'd grab him and throw him
down on the floor, right here.

"I've got a great spot we can try for
dinner tonight. Do you like pasta?"

I scooted away from him, a tiny bit, but
enough to bring a frown to his face. "I can't go out to dinner tonight.
Now that I have a lead about Michelle's attacker, I've got to work on
that."

"By doing what? You don't even have
the statue yet."

"I can call the owner of the pawn
shop, find out if he knows anything about who brought it in." I mentally
crossed my fingers for telling a fib. Max wouldn't share any more with me than
he'd told Chuck. Once I hired a PI, I could send him to Pawn Castle with enough
cash to jog the shop owner's memory.

"The police can't do that for
you?"

"The police aren't really on the case
anymore. My detective pal, Chuck, that was his last night on the job. I'll
continue with my plan to hire a private investigator."

"So the PI can do the work. Probably
faster than you."

I edged further away. "I know how to do
research."

He scooted his chair to follow me.
"Yes, you do. You're an excellent researcher. But a PI will have access to
records you don't. He or she can come up with more information in less time.
Allowing you to concentrate on other things." He ran his fingertip down my
arm.

I pulled away. "I need to do this.
Myself. I need to do something. I can't just goof off while there's a chance I
can find this guy."

He sat back in his chair and studied me. Annoyance
settled on his face for a moment, then his mouth twisted into a slight grin.
"How about this. I'll hire an investigator to get started, right away,
today, if you'll have dinner with me tonight. And after dinner, dessert."

I clamped my thighs shut tighter. The way
he said "dessert" made my pussy clench. He was
not
talking about
apple pie. But I needed to stand firm. I took a deep breath.

"I know I said I would be fine with a
hook-up, and last night was really great. But I don't think I can have casual
sex."

Honestly, I hadn't known
what
would
come flying out of my mouth, since I fully expected Nathan to give me a
brush-off again. But as soon as I saw him, felt the way my body responded and
how my heart tightened up, I knew.

Casual with Nathan would not work. The
night before with him was too good, too real. I'd only want more and that wouldn't
happen. Yeah, we might have fun here. We'd go out to dinner, have drinks, more
sex. But when we got back to the real world, it would be a different story. He'd
go his way, I'd go mine. And I'd miss him too damn bad.

"I thought it was great too. And not
necessarily a one-night thing. That's why I want to take you to dinner. So we
can get to know each other."

"Nathan, we shouldn't get involved.
You said yourself, you don't want employees and their supervisors dating."

"I said direct supervisors. I'm not
your direct supervisor."

"You're still my boss, and the owner
of the company I work for. We need to keep our relationship strictly
professional." I turned back to my laptop.

From the corner of my eye I watched a
flicker of anger cross his face. Then he leaned toward me. "What's really
going on?" His tone stayed even, but I heard a steel bite beneath the
surface.

"I told you, I have to concentrate on
my family life. I have things to do."

"That isn't logical. I can help you
with whatever you need, like I did last night."

"I didn't ask you to help. I'll pay
you back."

"That's not what I meant." He
tapped his finger on the table.

"Look, last night, it was fun. But it
has to be a one-time thing. I'm not the type of girl you're used to. I don't
play at romance, and I don't want to get hurt." I held up my hand as he started
to talk. "Please, don't argue with me. I've made up my mind." I
looked back at my computer. "We have a meet and greet with the employees
scheduled tomorrow and all weekend, right? Tell me about that."

Anger churned in his eyes, like the ocean
during a storm. I held his gaze, though I truly wanted to turn away. To leave
this room, and the powerful force that pulled me to Nathan.

 He looked like he wanted to say more, but
instead, leaned away from me and set his features back into his coolly
professional look. "Yes. I want to personally meet every employee. The
Reef room will be set up with food and beverages at various times this weekend,
so we can catch the staff members. Since all employees are required to work
either Friday, Saturday or Sunday, we'll have the chance to meet everyone we haven't
yet."

He closed the laptop he'd just opened.
"You have access to the employee work roster. Arrange a schedule for us to
be in the Reef room, so that everyone can get in to see us at some time before,
during, or after their shift. Email it to me. I'd like you to put together a
comment box and suggestion slips, and post notes about the event at the time
clock and in the break room."

His tone said all business now, but I
caught a glimmer of anger still shining in his eyes.

"I'm having this catered by a local
restaurant. They know the basics of what I want. I'll send you an email with
the budget. Get with the restaurant for the details and go to the Reef meeting
room to check out what else we need. Housekeeping will set up tables and
chairs, but see what you can add. I want to promote a relaxed atmosphere, so everyone
feels like they can talk openly to us."

He stood, pulled out his wallet and tossed
a card at me. "The company credit card. My offer for dinner still stands.
Whenever. Dessert after is optional. I want to get to know you better. And I
will."

Oh, that tone. I narrowed my eyes at him. It
did not sound like a request, more like a command. I didn't do commands. My
annoyance must have shown, because I got that half-grin again, like he knew he
was pissing me off and kind of enjoyed it.

"I always get what I want." He
turned and walked out.

Not this time, buddy. Not this time.

+++

My phone buzzed, and I picked it up. Lora,
at the front desk.

"There's a couple here. They're using
the Coral room next Sunday for their wedding. The woman said you would talk to
her about some issues. Tablecloths, she said."

I vaguely remembered a short email a month
ago. "I passed that request on to Julia."

"She wants to talk to you personally,
the owner. She's got her wedding planner with her and they're both in the Coral
room now. She's kind of, uh, excited."

"Okay, I'll be right over. Thank
you." I searched through my emails until I found it. A message, forwarded to
me by a staff member. Mariana, was the bride's name, and Daniel, the groom.
They wanted to know if they could bring in their own tablecloths. I'd forwarded
the note to the company that handled our weddings, Silver Bells. The owner,
Julia, worked with our staff and the brides, to make sure all ran smoothly. A
perfect arrangement that Mauldin Management started, and I intended to keep
going.

I hadn't planned to get involved with
tablecloths at a wedding, but if a guest wanted to speak with me personally,
I'd oblige.

Lora hadn't been kidding. Excited was an
understatement to describe the woman flying across the meeting room. I stood in
the doorway and watched for a few minutes, as she whipped a tape measure
around, barking out orders in Spanish to a dazed-looking woman holding a
notebook.

"She's something, huh?"

I turned my head to see a man standing a
pace behind me. He came closer, joining me in the doorway.

"Everybody has that look on their
face the first time they see Mariana in action."

Oh hell. Was he talking about me or the
person in the room with her? I hoped my amazement wasn't showing. "Are you
Daniel, the groom?"

"Sure am." He stuck out his hand,
and we shook as I introduced myself. "It's okay, I stared at her like you
were doing for about six months, when I first met her. Like a force of nature.
She never holds still, always moving. She's a fireball. Sometimes a bitch on
wheels, too."

He shoved his hands in his pockets and
grinned. "But once you get to know her, man, she's the best. She'll do anything
for anyone to help out, got a heart as big as the ocean. I'd rather marry a
woman with a little bitch in her, some fire, then a boring, well-behaved chick.
Hey,
chula
!"

Mariana looked in our direction, and her
face lit up like the sky on the Fourth of July. She sailed across the room and
into Daniel's open arms. He scooped her up and twirled her around while she
rained kisses on his face.

A sudden ache tugged my heart, and I
almost looked away. It was like watching a deeply intimate moment, though they
weren't behaving promiscuously. The passion they felt for each other came
across so strong though, they might as well be rolling naked together on the
floor.

What would it be like to have a woman
greet me that way? She clearly adored him and he was crazy in love with her.
They both kind of glowed. Going to be a good marriage. Daniel finally put her down,
and she turned to me.

"You are the owner here?"

I stuck out my hand. "Yes, I'm Nathan
Cameron. Nice to meet you."

"Mariana." She pumped my hand,
then pulled me away. "Come with me. I have questions. We're using our own
tablecloths, okay? I like purple, you have white. And I want the tables set up
another way, like on this drawing. We're going to spread rose petals around the
floor, yes?"

"All that sounds fine. Did you contact
Julia at Silver Bells? They do our wedding planning and they work with our
staff here."

"Oh yes, Julia, very helpful. But
then, I have two more requests. We want wax candles, not the battery kind. To
make it so much more romantic. And I'd like to allow several of my guests to
bring their dogs in with them. They're a part of the family, you know?"
She held my arm and squeezed it, cocked her head, and gave me the most charming
smile.

I saw why Daniel was captivated. I smiled
back but shook my head. "No open flames, and no dogs except service
animals in this room. I'm sorry."

She stuck out her lower lip in a pout.

"You can have the dogs outside, if
you'd like. Aren't you doing an outdoor ceremony? We'll make sure there are
water bowls set up and bags for scooping. Tell Julia I said it was okay and ask
her to provide those items for you."

The pout turned into another beaming
smile. "
Gracias
, Nathan. You are
muy amable
. Daniel!"
She waved to him. "Don't go away. We need to finish the wine list."

With another squeeze on my arm and one
more dazzling smile, she ran off.

Lucky Daniel. To have that affection, that
fire, showered on him. It reminded me of what I'd recently enjoyed with Amber. 

It had taken a great deal of restraint to
resist grabbing a pair of binoculars earlier and getting a closer look at Amber
in her swimsuit. I'd seen her naked not too many hours before, but watching her
all sleek and wet, I wanted to peel that suit off and join her in the pool.
Show her an interesting position or two we could try in the water.