He chuckled. “Why don’t you have a seat by the fire? I’ll check where they put our bags and get the keys to our rooms for the night, then we’ll take a tour, meet the chef and have dinner.”
She stopped in her tracks. “Our rooms? Dinner? Aren’t we flying back?”
“It’s after four o’clock and we still have work to do here,” he explained. “We’ll spend the night and go back tomorrow morning. That way you can meet with the chef and we can talk about the opening.”
“But that’s crazy,” Trish said before she could stop herself. “I can’t spend the night here with you.”
He studied her for a moment. “Is it spending the night away from home that worries you or the fact that you’re here with me?”
“Neither,” she said hastily. “I’m not worried. I’m just…hmm.”
He moved closer and seemed to grow taller, stronger, before her eyes. “We’re here to work, not play.”
“I know,” she whispered.
He was close enough that she could smell his scent, a heady combination of forest, citrus and Oh, dear lord, leather. If she moved another inch, their mouths would meet. It was tempting.
“Are you afraid of me?” he asked quietly.
She tried to laugh, but her throat was too dry. “Don’t be silly.”
“Because I assure you, Trish. You’re in no danger from me.”
“Of course not.” She smiled weakly.
He stared at her face for another moment, looking for signs of what? Fear? She gave him her best blank look. He nodded once and went off to get the keys. Sinking into a plush leather chair near the warm fire, Trish swallowed uneasily. In no danger from him? Was he serious? Or simply blind? Oh, if he only knew how much danger she was in. She just hoped he would never find out.
Six
After a tour of the lodge and the behind-the-scenes facilities, Adam introduced Trish to Jean Pierre, the head chef. Together with the hotel and restaurant managers, they all sat down to discuss opening-night strategies. After an hour, Adam ended the meeting and took Trish off to enjoy dinner in the resort’s most elegant restaurant.
Adam had already explained to Trish that although the resort wasn’t yet open to the public, the entire staff was up and running at full power these last few weeks until the official opening. The kitchen prepared meals throughout the day and the waitstaff served them to other employees with the same professionalism they would show to a paying guest. The same procedure was followed by the other departments throughout the hotel, and everything was observed and graded by the management team.
When it came to running their resorts, the Dukes preferred to leave nothing to chance.
And when it came to seducing beautiful women, Adam Duke left nothing to chance, either.
It had occurred to him as he was picking up their room keys, that his strategy with Trish could use some fine- tuning. So far, she was playing the model employee, pretending confusion and uncertainty when he’d informed her they’d be spending the night in this remote, beautiful place. He’d ostensibly played right into her hands, practically delivering himself on a silver platter for her enjoyment. So why hadn’t she taken the bait?
Why was she continuing to act so coy?
You’d never know she had her sights set on him, he thought with some disgust. She was obviously playing hard to get, but the goody-goody act was no longer working for him. He would have to find a way to break through her charade. He wanted to look into her eyes and see her hunger, her craving, her need for him.
That’s when he would make his move.
Adam had been in the corporate world a long time and his business instincts were well-honed. He knew how to stoke the fires of desire-in both business and pleasure. He was aware that the surest way to drive up both price and demand was to make it clear that the item was unavailable.
It worked in property development, in sales and acquisitions-and it would work with Trish. With that in mind, Adam decided that he would be the one to play hard to get. He would wine and dine and flatter and cajole and work her into such a state of frenzied need that she would be the one to proposition him. And then he would decide whether to say yes or no.
And because he was such a nice guy, he would probably say yes. Make that
Accompanying Trish into the dining room, Adam stood close enough to hear her breath catch as he touched her shoulder. He felt her heartbeat flutter as his fingers glided over the pulse point of her wrist. He wondered what she was thinking. Was she as attracted to him as he was to her? Oh sure, she wanted him as a husband, but did she want him as a lover? If so, she was playing it awfully damn cool.
He looked forward to turning up the heat.
They were led to a beautifully set table in front of the wide, plate-glass window overlooking the shimmering lake. As Adam pulled out her chair, he deliberately touched the small of her back, then let his hand glide up to her neck as she sat down. He was pleased to feel her back arch in response, as though she wanted more.
He would not disappoint her.
As Trish gazed at the view, dusk turned to dark and the world outside the window turned magical. She gasped as strategically designed outdoor lighting twinkled to life, accenting the beauty of the nearby forest and surrounding mountains. All of it was reflected in the serene surface of the lake.
“It’s so perfect,” she said, gazing across the table at him.
“I’m glad you like it,” he said, admiring the way her brown hair tumbled loosely around her shoulders and her green eyes sparkled in the candlelight.
“How could anyone not love it?” She smiled dreamily as she placed her napkin in her lap. “If I were you, I’d never want to leave.”
Adam was glad he’d arranged in advance to have the stylish restaurant all to themselves. It should’ve felt odd or eerie to be the only diners, but it didn’t. The room was beautiful and well-lit. Willow screens and feathery trees in large pots were used to create intimate dining spaces. The staff was attentive, yet discreet.
Again leaving nothing to chance, Adam had contacted Jean Pierre over the weekend and requested that the chef prepare an extensive tasting menu consisting of those items he was considering serving at the opening-night gala.
For the next two hours, Adam and Trish tasted tiny skewers of tender grilled baby vegetables and savory meats along with a wonderful assortment of delicate canapes. Tiny pancake pillows topped with smoked salmon, creme fraiche and dill, bite-sized pieces of rare roast beef in a pastry crust accompanied by dipping sauces of creamy, homemade horseradish and a savory chutney. There were decadent sauces, fluffy pates and fragile mini- souffles.
To accompany the hors d’oeuvres, there were six different champagnes to choose from and a number of vintages of cabernet sauvignon to sip and enjoy.
The conversation was enjoyable, as well. Adam found Trish’s opinions stimulating and thoughtful, so they had a spirited discussion on a number of issues. They discovered a mutual appreciation of both vintage jazz and the Sunday comics. She had a sense of humor and she was smart and most important, loyal.
When the conversation finally wound around to the issues plaguing the resort, Trish wondered aloud just how the construction snafu might have occurred. She offered to assist Bob with his investigation of the subsidiary that had cut corners.
“When the truth emerges,” she said, shaking her finger at him, “heads will roll.”
“I’m glad you’re on my side,” he said, chuckling.
“Oops,” she murmured, realizing what she’d said. “I think I’ve had too much champagne.”
“But you’re having fun, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” She smiled. “Everything is just beautiful. Thank you for including me in your evening.”
“I had no intention of dining without you.” He sipped his wine. “But now I have to ask, why were you so concerned about staying overnight up here? Do you have a boyfriend waiting at home?”
“Good heavens, no.”
