The Romance Challenge, Complete Series Box Set: BBW Hot Alpha Billionaire Romance (3 page)

Vicky was fine with working more days, especially
since I promised her a bonus on top of the extra pay. I was getting a good one
from Nathan, and believed in spreading the love around. So, most of the
important items for this trip were dealt with, but I still had a million
details to handle. I had to organize my projects at the job and get Becca up to
speed to work on them, stop my mail, make sure my bills were paid ahead of
time…

Sitting in my car, I realized I was
gripping the steering wheel like it was a life preserver.

Stop.
This will all
get done. Make a list, focus on one thing at a time.

That's what I was good at. Organizing. One
reason Nathan chose me, and I wouldn't let him down.

Wednesday

"You look different." Michelle
glanced up from the TV. "Your hair. Any news?"

"I had it trimmed today. You like
it?"

"Yeah, I guess. Did the detective
tell you anything?"

"No, I'm sorry. He didn't call."
My heart bled a little, as always, when I said this. We both waited for news
from Chuck Taylor, the detective assigned to her case. But news never came.

She turned back to her program.

"I brought you a salad from the deli.
And more of those frozen lunches you like. And eggs. Hey, how about we make an
omelet for dinner? Then you can have the leftovers for breakfast
tomorrow."

"I don't feel like cooking. You
can." Her attention didn't leave the screen.

Wanting to stomp into the living room and yank
her off the couch, hating myself for even thinking it, I unloaded the groceries
and pulled out a frying pan, then whipped up scrambled eggs and bacon, enough
for us and two more meals. Vicky enjoyed my cooking and always thanked me when
I made extra for her. It was nice to be appreciated. Michelle liked the food I
prepared and ate every bite, but she never acknowledged my efforts.

"Let's sit in the kitchen and talk
while we eat. I need to tell you something."

I looked her over as she plodded in. Thank
the Lord, she still practiced adequate personal hygiene and wore decent clothes.
Jeans and a long-sleeve t-shirt today, neither article wrinkled or dirty. She
and Vicky did laundry together. I'd made sure the apartment she rented came
with a washer and dryer, since I knew Michelle wouldn't go out. The place was
always clean, too. Vicky took care of running a mop over the floor and making
sure dishes didn't stack up in the sink. I sent a thank-you prayer for the
CNA's excellent skills handling my sister.

 Michelle wore her long hair either
straight down or pulled back in a ponytail. Not dirty, but messy-looking. I
studied her as I filled our plates, without being obvious. It looked like she'd
lost weight. Maybe it was my imagination. I could never talk her into getting
on a scale.

"I'm going away for a week on a
business trip, starting next Sunday. Vicky will come in on the two Sundays and
the Wednesday I'm gone. I'll call you though, okay?"

Michelle ate with her head bent over her
plate, shoveling in the food. Today she had her hair down and used it like a
curtain to hide her face. I reached out and gently pulled it back.

"Hey, you in there?"

"No, Michelle has left her body.
She'll return your call soon."

I dropped my hand and sat straight up in
my chair. WTF? Had my sister gone loco? To my complete surprise, she giggled,
then tucked those wayward hair strands behind her ear.

"It's a joke, silly. Of course I'm in
here."

 I whooshed out a breath of relief. "Very
funny. Did you hear what I said?" Trying to keep the annoyance out of my
voice.

"Yes, I heard you. Fine. Where are
you going?"

"To Key Largo. To assist the owner of
Cameron Industries with a resort he bought. That's where I work, Cameron
Industries."

"I know that. The owner, Nathan
Cameron, right? Rich guy, really cute."

Well smack my ass and call me Sally.
"How do you know about him?"

"I remember him from the paper a
couple of years ago. I looked him up as soon as you got the job at Cameron. He
had trouble with his fiancé."

Wow. My sister investigated Cameron? 
"I never saw that in the papers, and I checked out the company."

"In my special papers; that's where I
read it."

"You mean those gossip tabloids? Oh,
come on. They're full of crap."

I should have known. Since Michelle had
locked herself away for the past eighteen months, she'd devoured those
magazines. Maybe she lived her life vicariously through the rich and famous, or
imagined she might become one of them. Who knows? Even before her attack, she'd
read those silly papers now and then. More often and more thoroughly than I
thought, clearly.

 Michelle resumed eating, but I couldn't
let the subject drop. For one thing, this was the most animated I'd seen her in
a while. She made a joke! For another, a teeny little part of me wanted more
info about Nathan. Gossip or not, there was usually a nugget of truth in those
tabloid stories.

"So, what about his fiancé?"

"She died in a car accident a few
years ago. Something about drugs. Not much got reported, I don't think. Guess
they couldn't get a whole lot on him. He has a bunch of money, you know
that?"

"I figured. Cameron Industries does well."
Hmmm. I might have to track that story down. Becca or Shannon must have details.
"Anyway, you'll be okay here without me for a little while, right?"

"I guess." The hair curtain was
back in place. "You'll come back though, won't you?" Her voice
trembled.

My throat tightened and my eyes teared up.
I put my hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away. "I will, I promise.
And I'll keep trying to find that man. The cops will catch him soon, and put
him away for a good long time. Right?"

Silence.

"Right?"

"Right." A tired sigh.

"Hey, look at me a minute."

She tilted her head, and before I could
stop myself, I stuck my tongue out and blew my lips. The confused expression on
her face made me burst out laughing.

"That's for teasing me earlier."

A slow grin spread across her face.
"You got spit on me."

"I'll get more if you don't watch it.
What do you want me to bring you back from Florida? You want some shells? I'll
pick them right off the beach. And I'll even make sure no animals are

 inside
them."

The grin widened, and this time she let me
touch her. I stroke her hair and vowed to earn the money we needed to help her.
I wanted to bring back the woman I knew and loved, the one who smiled at me now
with faith in her eyes.

Sunday

How did last week fly by so fast? I sat in
the airport, a bead of sweat rolling down my low back. I didn't even want to
bring a jacket, but it was too chilly in Chicago not to wear an outer layer. It
would turn into a blanket or pillow on the plane. Not like I could fall asleep,
though. I was way too excited. Only a three-hour flight, nonstop, thank
heavens. My nervous self didn't need to be roaming around another airport,
running to make a connection. I'd fly straight into Miami, where a car would
meet me (maybe a limo!), and then drive an hour to Key Largo.

 I managed to get everything finished on
my to-do list over the last week, without going bat-shit crazy. I'd picked up
my working uniforms on Friday and to my absolute relief, the shorts didn't look
too terrible. Much better than the sample the saleswoman had shown me, these
were cargo walking shorts and covered most of my thighs. The short-sleeve
cotton-blend shirts fit nicely and so did the pants. Not as loose as I wanted,
but not overly tight.

 Maybe the shorts were for outside work only.
How much of that would I be doing? I heard Florida stayed humid, even in the
fall. Imagine, being hot and sweaty outside in November. What a thing to be
worried about!

I'd spent Thursday, Friday and Saturday
running around like a crazy girl to finish getting ready. I bought new
underwear and a nice bra, even though I'd vowed not to purchase any more
clothes until I lost weight. That hideous shopping session ended with a bottle
of wine and a comedy movie, to dull the pain of having looked in full-length
tri-fold mirrors for four hours under blazing bright lights. If I ever won the
lottery, I'd open a department store for big girls, with a huge selection of
clothes that fit right, soft, cheerful music playing, and no florescent bulbs. 

My phone chirped and reminded me, time to
send my mom a text. Blerg. Best to get it over with or the guilt would nag at
me like a hungry cat.

Hi mom. I'm going to Florida on business
for a week. Michelle is fine. Vicky will visit every day and report to me. Hope
you're doing well.

She wouldn't answer. She only did if it
was important, if it concerned Michelle, and I needed something from her. After
that awful night over a year ago, Mom did her own form of retreat. We'd never
been terribly close anyway, and she pretty much shut down as far as
communicating with me. I knew she was trying to protect herself, or so Thea the
Therapist told me. (The counselor's real name was Theresa. I gave her the
nickname to make the experience less stressful.) But it still hurt that Mom
never talked to me unless I initiated the call.

The scent of coffee tickled my nostrils
and with an effort, I pushed away family thoughts. I'd been down that guilt
path enough times to have worn a deep groove. I didn't need to go there now. I'd
treat myself to a tasty drink, one with whipped cream on top, then on to enjoy
my window seat and daydream about palm trees.

CHAPTER THREE

Even the air in the Miami terminal felt
tropical. I stood at the baggage carousel, grinning like an idiot. I texted the
driver as soon as I got off the plane, and he would text me back when he
arrived to pick me up. I imagined a guy in a spiffy chauffeur uniform, standing
there to greet me with a sign, but with all the airport security now, that was
just a movie dream. Not having to get a taxi or find other transportation was really
enough of a treat.

Once I got my luggage and piggybacked it
with my carry-on, I headed outside, where Chris, the driver, said he'd pick me up.
I was dying to get into the open air and let that sunshine kiss my face. The
minute I stepped out the door, my entire body sang. Even through the vehicle
exhaust, I smelled sea salt and flowers.

Okay, probably, it was my imagination, but
this was a whole different world. Everyone seemed so happy, and they smiled at
me like I was a friend. Or maybe, I still had that goofy grin on my face and
people found it amusing. Whatever, it felt good.

My phone chimed. Chris, letting me know
he'd pulled up, in a dark blue Rolls-Royce. Oh boy! My first time riding in a
limo. I saw a driver get out of a car and wave at me. As I moved closer, I
realized, it was a woman.

"Are you Amber?" She popped open
the trunk.

Not a huge, stretch limo, but impressive
looking anyway. Shiny, sleek, and I could already smell the leather. "Yes,
that's me. You must be Chris."

She tipped her hat. "I'll be your
driver for your stay at Bay Paradise Resort. Welcome to Florida."

She grabbed my bags and tossed them in the
trunk like they weighed nothing. Trying not to stare, I checked her out. Though
she wasn't huge, she had muscle under that uniform, and she moved smoothly,
like she was comfortable with her large body.

"There's a bottle of chilled water
for you, and a choice of fruit and sandwiches."

I climbed into the car and opened the
small cooler on the floor. "Thank you so much."

I'd been so excited I didn't even realize
I was starving, until I saw the food. Unwrapping a sandwich labeled
"tuna", I took a few bites. Delicious. I polished off half, took a
sip of water (Evian!), then checked out the interior more closely. The seats
were more comfortable than a couch, and I
had
to slip off my shoe to run
my foot over the plush carpet. Even through my sock, it felt deliciously soft.
I wanted to peek in all the compartments, but I didn't want Chris to think I
was some kind of nosy, unsophisticated woman who'd never been in a fancy car.
Instead, I leaned forward to talk to her.

"Chris, how long have you worked at Bay
Paradise Resort?"

"Three years."

"Do you like it there?" Kind of
dumb question. She'd be gone if she didn't, right?

"I love it!" She turned her head
and flashed me a genuine grin. "I started working on the grounds crew,
then laundry, now this. Along with front desk and concierge. I hop around."

"Are you happy that Cameron
Industries is taking over?" Blunt, but I hoped she would answer me honestly
and not tell me what she thought I wanted to hear.

"So far. The other company that ran
the place, Mauldin Management, had a lot of issues the past year. Paychecks
late, schedules changed at the last minute. I kept trying to get promoted, but
no one ever listened. As soon as Cameron took over, I got bumped up to driver
and the other positions real quick. Part-time for everything, while I go to
school for my degree in hospitality management."

From reading the reports, I learned Cameron
Industries acquired the resort three months ago. Since then, they'd sent Toby
Burns, an employee on staff with hotel experience, to be the initial general
manager. Toby did all right, but Nathan wanted more. When Toby requested a transfer
back to the United Kingdom to be with his family, they hired another manager,
who would start at the end of November. In the weeks between, Nathan came down
himself to spend time becoming familiar with the property.

Bay Paradise Resort was an unusual place.
Not a big hotel, not a small grouping of vacation rentals units. It couldn't exactly
be called a luxury resort, but was a step above the cookie-cutter chain hotels.
More like a boutique hotel. Accommodations consisted of four individual
executive cottages and a two-story building of guest rooms. Nathan wanted to
maintain that boutique environment, but have it run as efficiently and make the
money that the chain hotels did, while keeping the room rates affordable.

Hearing the happy tone in Chris's voice
cheered me. Reading how well a place ran on paper was one thing. Talking to an
actual employee told the true story. Unless Chris was telling me lies, she seemed
content.

"What do you want to do in the future
at the resort?"

"Be a manger, eventually. I know it's
long hours, but I don't have a husband or children yet. I want to try it while
I can."

"Do you know Nathan, the owner of
Cameron?"

"Not really. I've seen him a few
times. He's cute." She turned again and grinned.

"The employees are aware he's staying
for a few weeks, right? And why?"

"Oh yeah, we know. He wants to check
out the place before the new manager comes on board. Toby was good, I guess.
He's the one that promoted me. Said my talents were wasted, that I should have
a job where I interact with people."

I had to agree. Chris was easy to talk to
and extra friendly. "We'll be handing out employee surveys. Please tell
everyone to answer honestly. They can stay anonymous if they want."

"Will do." Chris tapped her
fingers to her cap in a salute.

"I'm going to check my email and
enjoy the scenery. Thanks for talking to me."

I leaned back and picked up the rest of
the sandwich. I'd never been in a supervisory position and wasn't sure exactly
what my role would be here. Nathan liked my take-charge attitude, but I didn't
want to overstep my bounds. He told me he wanted me to talk to the employees,
to get to know them and have them confide in me. When we had
that
email
discussion, I'd phrased my response carefully.

Lying's not my thing. I could never pretend
to be a friend, then betray a confidence and tattle. Nathan assured me, he
didn't expect or want me to do that. If someone told me information and asked
it be kept private, as long as it wouldn't cause harm, he understood. He just
needed a liaison between himself and the employees. Someone who wasn't
management, exactly. He didn't come right out and say it, but I think he knows,
he's kind of intimidating.

Especially once I met him in person. Those
laser-beam eyes seemed to look right into my soul. If I didn't know him, hadn't
worked with him and heard him laugh at one of my silly jokes, I'd be pretty unsettled
talking to him.

So, my job here, be the intermediary
between Nathan and the staff. A perfect use of my skills.

Driving down the two-lane US 1 to get to
Key Largo, I had plenty of time to gawk at the tropical scenery. And to learn a
new curse word from Chris.

"Hey you fuckass, go the speed limit would
ya? Oh, shit!" She clamped her hand over her mouth. "Sorry, you're so
quiet back there, I forgot you were in the car. I didn't mean to say fuck. Or
ass. Or shit. I don't talk like this when I'm driving people. Really."

I laughed. "It's okay. I've heard
those words before. Did this car belong to Mauldin Management?"

"Nope. Somebody told me, Nathan
bought it and drove it here himself, from Orlando. But that could just be a
story."

From what I knew of Nathan, it sounded like
something he would do and enjoy the hell out of.

"This must be a tough stretch to
drive."

"Yeah. It's great when everybody
moves along, but there's always one fuckass, I mean, one idiot who goes too
slow. We only get a few spots with passing lanes, then you're stuck. Okay, I'll
calm down now. There's no rush, right?"

But I was anxious too. I wanted to see Bay
Paradise Resort, get settled into my room, and get to work. And, to see Nathan.
To hear what our plans were.

"Do you live on Key Largo?"

"Yes. I rent an apartment with two
roommates. It's small, and one day I'd like a house on the island, but I don't know.
They're so expensive!"

"Most of the staff doesn't live on
the island, do they?"

"No, they take a bus to and from
work. Where do you live?"

"Chicago. The suburbs."

"I've got a cousin who lives in
Evanston."

We chatted about Illinois for a while,
then I let Chris return her full attention to the road, while I acted like a
tourist, and put down the window to take pictures of the palm trees and
water.  

We finally rolled in to Bay Paradise. The resort
was on the bay side of the island, and I glimpsed the water behind the hotel as
I got out of the car. Chris pulled up to the front door of the main building
and much as I wanted to dash around back and see the full view, I figured I
better go inside first.

But my driver had other ideas.

"Perfect! The sun is setting. Looks like
a good one tonight. Hey Juan," she yelled at the man who stepped out to
greet us. "Bring me and Amber margaritas, would you, out back to Tiki Largo?
One of those kick-ass ones. Come on. We'll get your stuff later."

I grabbed my purse from the car and hurried
to follow her. The ground was a mixture of sand and rocks and I picked my way carefully
along the driveway. Chris walked fast, swinging her sturdy arms, and I hurried
to keep up. My jaw dropped open when we turned the corner of the building and I
stopped. The sky was lit up with pinks, yellow, blues…so many colors I couldn't
believe it. Clouds formed all kinds of shapes, lending an abstract effect to
the show. Chris gestured for me to join her where she stood at a railing
overlooking the water.

"Over here. Nice view, huh?"

"I'll say." I joined her, then
took a quick look around, not wanting to tear my gaze from the spectacular
show.

The Tiki Largo bar was situated on a large
patio. Several tables filled with guests occupied the wooden deck, part of it
under cover and part open. Further out on the deck where we stood, more tables
and chairs were positioned. A railing circled the entire area, and this is
where we perched.

"Is the sky like this every
night?"

"No, not always. Sometimes it rains
or is cloudy. But we get a bunch of these awesome sunsets to enjoy. Hey Juan,
over here. This is Amber. She's working with Nathan for a week. Amber, this is Juan
Rivera, one of our best front desk clerks."

"
The
best front desk clerk.
But now off duty, so I'll share a drink with you." He put down the tray he
held and handed us our glasses, then leaned on the railing.

"Amber is from Illinois and they
never get to see the sunset there."

"Uh, yeah, we do, but it doesn't look
like this."

"Enjoy our free show. It's what keeps
me here." Juan took a sip of his drink and smacked his lips. "That,
and the margaritas. So, so good."

"You stay on Key Largo for the sunsets
and drinks?"

"No, but the tourists do and that's
why I have a job. To tourists, sunsets and margaritas."

We all laughed, then clinked our glasses
in a toast. Wow. I took another drink. This
was
a killer margarita. I'd never
tasted anything better.

"Our bartender makes a good drink,
no?" Juan smiled.

"No, I mean yes. It's excellent. A
secret recipe?"

"Yep. We've tried to get him to talk.
Tortured him a little. He won't tell."

"Enjoying your drink?"

I'd been so caught up with the view and
laughing with my new friends, I hadn't even noticed Nathan approach. I put my
glass down and stood up straighter. "I am, thank you. I've just had this
one, but I'm ready to work now."

He looked at me with an odd expression.
Damn, I shouldn't have had that drink. What was I thinking? I was here to work,
not act like a tourist, guzzling alcohol. Juan stiffened, and I caught a scowl
on his face from the corner of my eye.

But Chris flashed Nathan an impish smile.
"Don't blame Amber; it's my fault. I dragged her down here and insisted
she taste a margarita. I believe Mother Nature is putting on an extra special
show to welcome her. Isn't this the best sunset ever?"

Nathan looked away from me, thank the
Lord, and stared at the sky. None of us spoke. Most of the other guests were
quiet too, caught up in the spectacular display. I snuck a glance at Nathan and
my heart skipped a thump. The beginning of a smile curved his mouth, giving his
whole face a deliciously sensual look. Those penetrating eyes softened, as
though he gazed at something that gave him great pleasure.

How would it feel to have that expression
directed at me?

No, no, no. Bad girl. Not going to think about
Nathan like that.