I bounced my pencil up and down on the blank paper in front of me. I liked being old school. I liked jotting things down. My iPad was on the table as well, but my big, meaty fingers made it difficult to push the ridiculously small buttons. I jotted things down, and my secretary took care of making it into a document.
I reached my hand up, tugging at the tie choking me. It wasn’t anything I would ever get used to. I liked the look, but damn, I hated the feeling.
“Will you stop?” my friend and right-hand man, Richie, growled.
I looked up at him and grinned. “Was I bugging you?”
“You know you are,” he said. “Why in the hell do you insist on writing stuff down? Welcome to the twenty-first century. Grab that damn tablet and put it to use.”
“Technically, I haven’t written anything down,” I retorted.
“We need to get this figured out,” he said in a serious tone. “Shit is about to get real. If we beat last year’s occupancy levels like we’ve predicted, we need to be ready. We can’t afford to have things go wrong. You know it only takes one of those stupid Yelp reviews to tank our business. It’s like a domino effect. When one hits, others quickly add their two cents.”
I nodded. “You’re right. Both hotels are booked solid. We could hire more staff, just temporarily to get through the first rush of the season when all the college grads are out looking to sow their wild oats. We need extra maintenance on hand as well—I don’t want a repeat of last year. Overflowing toilets is not something I ever want to encounter again.”
He winced. “We have hired more maintenance full time, but the temporary thing?” He shook his head. “That always backfires. Temps don’t have the same commitment as our full-time staff.”
“Do you have that list from the head of housekeeping?” I asked, deciding it was better to rely on the people who worked in the trenches and knew firsthand what it would take to make the job easier.
He nodded, sliding his finger over the tablet he was using to make notes on. “We talked about linens. Should we do it?”
I shrugged. “If that makes it easier, let’s do it. There will be less wait on laundry to come back.”
“Done. Next?” His blue eyes stared at me.
I let out a sigh. “I don’t know. We need to take care of our staff. They are going to be working their asses off. Why don’t we have breakfast catered for them every day? Breakfast and dinner,” I quickly amended.
“That’s going to cost you,” he advised.
“If I don’t have a happy staff, it’s going to cost me more,” I told him. “I want them to enjoy their jobs. It took too much time and money to get them trained to the level they are at now. This season could really put us on the map as a destination getaway.”
“Got it. You’re right.”
We talked a bit more about what we could expect for the coming weekend. Lake Tahoe was a destination for college kids all across the country. It was also a family destination. My hotels tried to cater to both. We had a system worked out that put families on the upper floors on one side of the hotel, with the louder, more likely to party young adults on the ground floors.
“It’s going to be a success,” Richie said confidently. “I know it.”
I smiled, nodding. “It better be. I’m going to get going. We’ve got a long couple weeks ahead of us, and I want to enjoy one last quiet night.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “You mean you’re going to go home and hang out with your dog.”
I grinned. “Maybe.”
He sighed, shaking his head. “You’re a nerd. You’re the only single billionaire I know who prefers to hang out at home with his dog. You should be out living it up, looking for a sexy Mrs. Billionaire. You’re Trent Gilroy, war hero turned billionaire. Everyone wants to know you. You could have any woman you want.”
“Not saying I’m not looking, but nothing I’ve seen has interested me. I’m in no hurry. I’m not going to hop from one bed to the next. You know that isn’t my style. Besides, that invites trouble, and I don’t want trouble. I like neat and tidy.”
“Neat and tidy is overrated,” he said dryly. “You’re thirty-two. You’re halfway over.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Halfway over? If you’re calling me old, I will remind you that you are about a minute younger than I am.”
“You’ve lived four lifetimes and probably used up at least eight of those lives you started out with during your time over there,” he said solemnly. “Don’t let this last one pass you by.”
He was always getting philosophical like that. He was my best friend in the world and knew things had been rough for me during my time overseas. I had lost a lot of good friends over there and had come back a broken man, literally and figuratively. A few savvy investments had saved my life. I was one of the fortunate ones and had something to build and money to do it.
“I’m out of here,” I said. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Prepare to be your most charming self, and wear your good suit.”
He scoffed. “All of my suits are custom. I don’t wear anything less than great.”
I raised an eyebrow. “They’re custom and like new because you rarely wear them.”
“I know good fashion,” he said, flicking invisible lint from his suit jacket. “It’s my skilled eye that made that lobby what it is. I wear what appeals to the masses. It’s summertime. We’re on a beach. It’s okay to dress the part.”
I rolled my eyes. “Your feminine side is showing through, bright and sparkly,” I teased.
He burst into laughter. “Women do not doubt my masculinity when I take them to bed. I’m comfortable enough in my own masculinity to talk fashion and good design. You wouldn’t know good fashion if it hit you upside the head. Men were not meant to wear jeans, T-shirts, and combat boots all the time.”
“It’s functional and comfortable,” I retorted, referring to my usual style. “And I wear shorts sometimes.”
“Rarely,” he muttered.
We both knew I avoided wearing shorts at the hotel because of the scars. I didn’t want to scare little kids and horrify guests. I also didn’t want the looks of pity. I hated pity.
He got to his feet and walked out of my office. I grabbed my things and left shortly after. It was going to be a wild summer. I was looking forward to the business.
TrentI walked through the grand lobby of my hotel, smiling and nodding at the guests. The doorman opened the door for me, and my car was waiting. I got into the backseat, still smiling and looking like the well put together man I was supposed to be.“Home, sir?” Bentley asked from the driver’s seat.“Yes, please,” I murmured, rubbing my right knee. The damn thing had been acting up again. I hated letting anyone know I was in pain.“Doing those exercises?” Bentley asked, his eyes meeting mine in the mirror.I considered lying but knew he would know better. “No.”He shook his head. “Man, you know you need to do the exercises.”“I know. I will. It’s just been kind of a busy few weeks.”I hated complaining to someone like Bentley. I rubbed the knee again before leaning back against the headrest. I looked out the window, watching the tourists roll their luggage, wrangle kids, and take pictures, all at the same time. I liked living in a town where people loved to visit. It made me feel luc
SadeI walked across the wide expanse of floor between the front door and the reception desk of the hotel. It seemed like a ridiculous waste of space. It was all very grand and remarkably affordable. Expensive, but affordable. We’d been saving all year with this trip in mind. Now that it was finally happening, I couldn’t believe it.“Sade, come on,” Julia said, turning to look back at me.“I can’t help it,” I said with total amazement. “Look at this place.”“I know. It’s gorgeous, but we’re here to see the lake, not the lobby. Come on.” Julia stomped her foot, her sandals clicking against the hard floor.I picked up the pace, joining Julia and Khloe at the counter. I stared at the receptionist, smiling brightly until Julia elbowed me.“Oh, uh, we—I mean I—I have the suite reserved under Sade Jones,” I said, remembering Julia had used my name with only me on the reservation.The woman leaned forward. “We don’t charge extra for people in the suite,” she said in a low voice, winking and
Sade“Who’s coming?” Julia asked.“Him,” I whispered, glancing up to see if he’d changed course.He hadn’t. He was weaving around tables and shaking hands with guests as he made his way toward our table. I noticed he had a slight limp but didn’t get the chance to think much more about it. He stopped behind Julia and Khloe, a hand on the backs of each of their chairs and his eyes on me.I was melting. I was absolutely melting into a mushy pile of goo under the gaze of the prettiest eyes I had ever seen. He smiled, and the perfectly straight white teeth practically blinded me, looking whiter against his tanned skin.“Good afternoon, ladies,” he said in a voice as smooth as honey.Yep. Died. Melted and died.I couldn’t speak. I could only stare. I felt so ridiculous, but my brain and mouth had a total disconnect, and words failed me.“Hi,” Julia said in her typical upbeat voice. She really worked the blonde thing and was almost always perky.“Hello,” he said, his eyes still on mine.“Hi,
TrentI hadn’t been able to stop smiling since I’d first laid eyes on the beautiful young woman who’d been unable to stop staring at me. I had the same problem, except I had a little more self-awareness and realized I was openly staring at her, so I pulled my eyes away. Briefly, but away all the same.She was stunning. There was something about her that drew me in. It was like a magnetic pull that I was helpless to ignore.I found myself standing at her table, openly gazing at her before I remembered who I was and where I was. I couldn’t remember ever seeing a woman that I was that attracted to. Her friends were pretty in the traditional sense, but the woman who’d caught my eye was my kind of pretty.She had a natural beauty to her that matched the natural curves. She was radiant and glowing, and I wished like hell I could have seen her standing up. I was imagining round hips to go with the round breasts. I imagined she’d have the classic hourglass figure that men drooled over back in
TrentI held up my hand, stopping Richie’s boasting about his bedroom habits before he could get started. “Linens. Are they ordered?”“Yes.”“Good. Are we set for the happy hour tomorrow?”He nodded again. “Yes. We have extra servers on hand and a shitload of champagne. I hope this extra expense is worth it. You’ll see the invoice for the champagne in that stack. I suggest you be sitting down when you look at it.”“It’s okay,” I said. “You have to spend money to make money. I want people to feel like they are getting luxury treatment. I want them to feel like their hard-earned money is appreciated and we’re not only a reasonably priced hotel, but we also have all the little extras that the five-star places offer.”He didn’t look convinced. “We’re not exactly running a dive here. We’re right up there with the five-star places.”“Yes, but we’re not there. My goal is to be at the top. I want people waiting to get into this place. I want them settling for the others. Right now, we’re prob
SadeI rolled over in the bed that I swore was made from clouds, and I looked into the sleeping face of Julia. She and I had agreed to take the room with the two queen beds, giving Khloe the master bedroom in the suite.I didn’t feel like we had settled at all. The beds were comfortable and inviting. It kind of felt like a sleepover with my best gal pal. Julia and I had been friends since we were in third grade. Friends from a distance—a very long distance sometimes, with my family bouncing all over the world.She’d gone to a different school, but we had kept in touch. We had managed to make plenty of time to hang out on the weekends, and the three of us had all become the best of friends. They were my family. They were my real support system, and I didn’t think I could have ever made it through the grueling years without them pushing me and encouraging me to keep moving forward.“I don’t want to get out of bed,” Julia moaned.“Me either, but I think that would completely ruin the pur
SadeI rolled my eyes. “Easier said than done. I’m a dork. I sound like a dork, and I look like a dork. That man is way out of my league. He was only being nice. He probably dates Victoria’s Secret models.”“I don’t know,” Khloe commented. “He looked like he wanted to eat you for dinner. It was kind of awkward. The tension was thick.”“Stop. It was not. You guys are completely exaggerating.” I felt my cheeks flush.“Oh, she’s blushing!” Julia squealed.“Stop, I am not,” I argued, knowing I was.“I think we need to see if we can find him,” Khloe suggested. “He could be your summer fling.” I gasped in horror. “No! You’re crazy. I’m not going to have a fling.”“I think you should,” Julia said. “You need to let your hair down and get wild. You’ve been buttoned up for too long. Take a walk on the wild side.” I shook my head. “My wild side is buying a movie I haven’t seen.”Khloe nodded. “This is true.”“There’s something to be said for being a good girl,” I said, lifting my chin.“Yes, i
TrentShe looked nervous. I could tell I was flustering her. Her cheeks were a pretty shade of red, and it had nothing to do with the sun.I liked that she was shy. She had a very innocent quality about her, which was new to me. Since my recent rise in financial status, it wasn’t often I encountered a woman who truly intrigued me. They were usually very obvious in their attraction, and most were very skilled at the art of flirting. Not her.I wanted to talk to her more. I wanted to ask her to have a drink with me. My ringing phone pretty much destroyed that plan.I looked at the number on my phone and saw it was the front house manager. “I have to take this. I’m going to see you again.” I looked directly at her, letting her know I found her very attractive.“Okay,” she replied, her voice so low I barely heard her.I nodded, answering the call as I walked away. “Trent here.” “Sir, I’m sorry to bother you, but we’ve got a situation here, and you said to call if there were any problems,