hardly be called an airport, although that was the Dukes’ eventual plan for it.
Adam glanced over at Trish and noticed that she’d turned a delicate shade of green. It must’ve been that sharp bank over the last mountain range that did her in. Was she going to be ill? She had a death grip on his hand and was rubbing her stomach with her free hand. She seemed to be trying to swallow over and over, probably to keep her ears from popping.
A moment ago, a strange protective instinct had made him take hold of her hand in an attempt to reassure her that everything would be okay. Watching her now, he had an irresistible urge to pull her onto his lap, cradle her in his arms and soothe away her fears. But he resisted and the moment passed.
It wasn’t his job to comfort her. Yes, it bothered him that she seemed to be suffering, but he had to keep in mind just why she was there in the first place.
Damn, she was the most unlikely gold digger he’d ever met. She should’ve been more sophisticated, more of a game player. She should’ve been the sort of woman who was used to flying off to exotic places and carrying on casual, flirtatious conversations with men. But she hardly seemed the type.
He wondered what Sally and Marjorie had promised her in exchange for her part in this charade. Besides Adam Duke, that is. Had they offered her money? A new car? A permanent job with the company?
But Adam knew his mother and the more he thought about it, the more certain he was that his mother would never try to buy off a woman with material goods. No, Mom would figure that marriage to her son would be a good enough lure for any woman.
And Trish had agreed. He supposed he should be flattered, but he wasn’t.
Whatever devil’s bargain she’d agreed to, she would ultimately fail. In the meantime, though, Adam was more than willing to play along. He would be lying if he said he only wanted to seduce her because of her part in Sally’s matchmaking game. No, Adam just plain wanted her. Wanted his hands on her lush curves. Wanted his mouth on her lips, her skin. He wanted to feel her all over, inside and out. It had been this way ever since the first day she walked into his office. And he would have her, all of her. Soon.
And that’s where the game would end.
Norman Thompson, the ADA lawyer, had a tendency to drone on and on.
“I’ve already told you that we’ll make the changes, Norm,” Bob Paxton said calmly. “Just give us your notes and cut the editorials.”
“Did you get that last measurement, Trish?” Adam said, crossing the narrow walkway to stand beside her.
“Yes, I’ve got it,” she murmured, grateful she’d brought a new legal pad with her on the trip. She’d filled almost every page. She was also grateful she’d borrowed Deb’s warm down jacket and thin, thermal gloves or she would’ve turned into a block of ice by now. Despite the sunny day, it was cold up here in the mountains and they’d been outside for almost five hours.
“Do you have anything more for us?” Adam asked the lawyer.
Thompson snorted in disgust. “Isn’t that enough?”
“Yes, it is,” Adam said easily. “Thank you for your input. We’ll send you a complete list of the changes we make, along with photographs of the completed work. I assume you’ll want to conduct a final survey of the grounds after the work is completed.”
“Absolutely,” he said.
“Good.” He glanced from Bob to Trish to the lawyer. “We’re finished here.”
“I suppose,” Thompson said, dropping his own notepad into his thin briefcase. “I’ll expect your report within the month.”
“You’ll get it next week,” Adam said briskly, holding out his hand. “Have a good day.”
“Well.” He shook Adam’s hand. “You do the same.”
They watched Thompson walk back to his car, then Bob turned to Adam. “Next week might be cutting it close, but we’ll aim for it.”
“I want it done,” Adam said. “If you have any problems with the crew, I want to hear about it immediately.”
“There won’t be any problems,” Bob said determinedly as he put his small, digital camera back in his pocket. “I’ll e-mail you the photos as soon as I’m back in my office. And I’ll find out exactly who was responsible for all the mistakes.”
“I know you will,” Adam said, shaking hands with the contractor. “Thanks, Bob.”
“It was great to meet you, Bob,” Trish said.
“Nice meeting you, too, Trish,” Bob said, shaking her hand. Then she and Adam watched him head back to the construction trailer parked on the periphery of the resort property.
“Let’s get up to the lodge,” Adam said, placing his hand on the small of her back and leading her away from the parking structure. “It’s freezing out here.”
“I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed,” Trish said, but now she wasn’t sure if her shivers were from the weather or from his touch.
As he guided her along the bark-covered shortcut to the lodge, Adam pointed out the beginnings of several trails to be used for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing once the snow began to fall. The downhill skiing trail was just a short hike away.
“It’s so beautiful,” Trish said, stopping to look in every direction.
“I think so,” Adam said gruffly, looking right at her.
Trish felt herself blushing and would’ve looked away, but how could she? It was as if he were a magnet and she were metal. His eyes were so blue and knowing, so aware of everything. Did he know what she was thinking? What she wanted?
Trish blinked. What was wrong with her? She still couldn’t believe she was here in this place with him. When she’d first seen that letter from the ADA lawyer, she wished she’d been the one to alert the man about the problems at the resort. It would’ve been sweet revenge indeed against Adam Duke. But after hearing Adam talk about the handicapped kids he’d known at the orphanage, she was glad she’d had nothing to do with it. It almost broke her heart to know Adam had spent part of his childhood so lonely and alone.
She was still determined to seek justice and closure. She owed that much to Grandma Anna and the others. But she wouldn’t do it on the painful memories of a lonely child living in an orphanage.
There was no sign of that childhood pain now as she stared at Adam and saw the stark hunger in his eyes. Then the starkness disappeared as Adam glanced around the trail.
“Serenity Lake is just beyond the main building,” he said, casually pointing over her shoulder as if they hadn’t just shared a special, lust-filled moment. “We’ll be able to see it from the lodge. In summer and fall, there’s boating, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hiking, bird watching, mountain biking. We also offer yoga, croquet, tennis, golf and horseback riding.”
“Wow.”
He grimaced. “I sound like a travel agent, don’t I?”
She laughed. “Yes, you do. But I’m sold. This place is fantastic.”
Trish stared up at the magnificent Arts and Crafts-style resort that rose six stories up the side of the mountain. Fantasy was a perfect name for it. The stone and timber facade, dark wood gables and carved willow balconies offset the forest-green pitched roof, covered walkways and tall stone chimneys. The overall effect was stunning, rustic yet aristocratic.
“It’s amazing,” she said.
“Wait’ll you see the inside,” Adam said, grabbing her hand to take her up the wide plank stairs and through the impressive double-door entrance.
“It’s…” Trish slowly spun around to take in the massive main lodge. The huge fireplace at one end of the room was tall enough that Trish could walk inside it. She wouldn’t, of course, since there was a roaring fire warming the space. But it was certainly big.
Throughout the room, golden brown leather chairs and sofas were grouped around hand-built twig tables. Thick carpets covered the hardwood floors and wide wood beams stretched across the immense cathedral ceiling. The walls were exposed timbers, bleached, then varnished to a rich, warm hue.
“It’s dazzling,” she said finally.
