I’m not sure what to do. Of course, who wouldn’t want to stay at The Plaza Hotel and dine there and enjoy one of the fabulous bars there?
But my pride is boiling inside of me and I don’t think it’s going to allow me to take anything he’s offering. “Look, Zane, I think it’s best if I keep things the way they are. I don’t want to be beholden to you in any way.”
“This doesn’t make you beholden to me, may I call you Elizabeth?” he asks.
I nod. “Yes, and yes, it does. I don’t know why you can’t see that. If I take these things it’s the same as telling you I’m giving up the fight for the lighthouse, which I am not doing.”
“Oh, but you really should,” he says with a frown. “It’s really a huge waste of your time, you see. I hate to see time wasted. It’s so valuable. Surely you have other things you need to do. What is it you do for a living?”
And now I feel stupid because I hate for anyone to know how I’ve yet to find employment with my history degree. I still have the same job I had when I was still in college. And I do not want to tell this man what it is.
“Stuff,” I say then turn three shades of red.
“Stuff?” he asks then his hand is on my chin, lifting my face up so I have to look at him.
Crap!
Chapter 8
ZANE
With an answer like, stuff, when asked what it is a person does, of course, I have to know more. The way her eyes look everywhere but at me has me thinking the absolute worse.
Is this beautiful woman a prostitute or something terrible like that?
“Okay, I’m a waitress at a very small café. There!” she says, easing my rising anxiety as I was just about to go into superhero mode and help her out of that life if that was the case.
“Why do you act so embarrassed by that, Elizabeth?” I ask as I release her chin and lean back on the desk again.
“I have a degree in history. I should be doing more with my life but I haven’t yet. Gramps died and it’s halted something inside of me, I guess. I’m not proud of how I’ve been treading water in the same position for some time now.”
“Time to move on then. Don’t you see that? It’s as plain as the cute little nose on your face,” I say.
She smiles shyly and touches her nose as she goes a nice shade of pink. She doesn’t say anything about my compliment but I know I’ve surprised her.
To be honest, I’m surprising myself. And I hope I get a shot at her this evening after she’s had a few drinks and has settled down.
My reasons for letting her stay at the hotel I live at the top of isn’t purely for her benefit. I have my motives too.
She’s quite a little spitfire and I’d like to see just how loud I can make her purr for me. I make a mental note to have my personal assistant buy her a nice outfit for tonight and have it, along with a note, delivered to her room. I think a nice invitation to dine with me will suffice.
There I can turn on the charm and she’ll be putty in my hands before too long. She does like my appearance anyway. I can read her expression like a book.
“I wish it was that easy to move on. Gramps was more than merely a grandpa to me.” Her eyes go all misty and she shakes her head. “Anyway, I should be going. I know you’re a busy man.” She stands up and I shove the cards into her hand.
“Take them. I mean it. Who knows, you might be seeing me around The Plaza. I have a penthouse there,” I tell her as I walk behind the desk to push the button to open the door.
She puts the things into her purse. “What’s the room number?”
A sigh of relief comes out of me with her question. This means she’ll be there and now I feel very optimistic about a night alone with her.
“When you get to the hotel, give the desk clerk the key and they’ll let you know which room they’ll set it too.” The door opens quietly and I walk back around to see her out. My hand goes to the small of her back where it seems to fit perfectly and I can’t wait to see what else fits me too.
“Okay, Zane,” she giggles. “This is not at all what I expected when I made plans to come here. But please don’t be mad when I try to get that lighthouse put on the historical registry and stop your plan.”
I laugh as she hasn’t been able to do it up until now so her chances are slim at best. “As long as you promise not to be mad at me when I get my lawyers to get it thrown out.”
She looks at me from under thick lashes and has a faint smile on her lips. “Okay, fair enough. Bye. Thank you.”
As she walks away, I watch her until she’s to the other door. “Bye,” I shout, making her and my secretary look at me.
Elizabeth waves at me then goes out the door. I stand in the doorway to my office, looking at the closed door until I hear, “Oh my God! You gave it to her.”
I look at my secretary who has pulled her glasses off and is staring at me with her mouth open. I laugh and turn around to go back into my office. “Of course, I didn’t. Don’t be stupid.”
I am going to give her something, though. I won’t be taking no for an answer about that either!
ELIZABETH
I’m not completely sure how this all happened. I was supposed to be leaving here with the lighthouse intact and instead I’m leaving here with nothing.
Things did not go the way I wanted them to. Yet, I feel kind of great anyway. Maybe because there’s this slight chance of seeing Zane White again.
I doubt it, though. I’m sure he was just saying he might see me, to be nice. He’s so gorgeous, I’m sure he has to beat the women off with a stick.
Climbing into the back of a cab, I start to tell the cab driver where to go when my cell rings. “Hello?” I ask as I hold up one finger to get the cabbie to hang on a sec.
“Yes, this is Lane, Mr. White’s secretary. He wants to know where to send his assistant to get your things to take them to The Plaza.”
My, he is efficient!
I look at the cabbie. “To The Plaza Hotel, please.” He nods and takes off like a rocket. I suppose that two seconds he had to wait for my answer cost him money by the way he’s hauling ass. Turning my attention back to the woman waiting on the phone, I say, “The New World Hotel is where my things can be picked up from. I’ll give them a call to let them know.”
“Thank you, Miss Cook. And Mr. White said to ask you what your favorite perfume is.”
“I don’t have one,” I answer her. “Why would he ask that?”
“I’m not sure, miss. Maybe he wanted to buy you some,” she says.
“Do you think he plans on seeing me tonight?” I ask as I grip the seat and tense up.
“I would suppose so. I have no idea really.”
Then I hear a man say in the background. “Have scarlet roses sent to her too.” It sounded a lot like the deep sexy voice of Zane White but he’s most likely not talking about me.
“Yes, sir,” Lane says.
Then I hear him say, “Do you think she liked me, Lane?”
“Shh,” I hear her hiss at him. “Sir, I have Miss Cook on the line, getting her hotel information.”
“Shit!” I hear him say and have to cover my mouth so I don’t laugh out loud.
Pretending I didn’t hear a thing, I say, “Will that be all, Lane?”
“Yes. Have a good evening, Miss Cook. We, here at The Sandstone Company, hope you enjoy your stay in New York. If you need anything at all, please feel free to call our office while you’re in town. Good day.”
“Good day,” I say as the call is ended and we are pulling up in front of the fancy hotel. “Thank you.” I pull out two twenties and hand them to the driver.
“Thank you,” he says. “Enjoy your stay.”
I feel like a princess as I get out of the car with the help of a doorman. “Welcome to The Plaza Hotel, ma’am.”
“Thank you,” I say as I make my way inside of the enormous building.
Valets are hustling around the large open area as I step inside. It’s like a little city in here. Ma
king my way to the massive front desk, I feel as if I’m walking on air.
There’s a magical feeling in the air inside this place. Like anything can happen, magical.
A nice young woman looks at me as I approach the part of the desk she’s taking care of. “Hello, welcome to The Plaza Hotel. What can I do for you?”
I pull the key out of my purse and hand it to her. “Zane White sent me.”
With a swipe of the keycard, she types something into her computer and then hands the card back to me as she points to a set of elevators. “You’ll take that bank of elevators to the twelfth floor. Your suite number is 1212. Have a nice evening, Miss Cook.”
I didn’t tell her my name so her using it takes me by surprise. “You know my name?”
“Of course,” she says with a perfect smile. “Mr. White called a little while ago. Your things will be taken to your room as soon as they come in.”
Walking away, I feel like I’m in a dream. A glorious dream that I don’t think I want to wake up from.
Then it hits me. Have I sold out the lighthouse for one night in a fancy hotel?
To be continued…
The Billionaire’s Lighthouse Series
A Billionaire, Bad Boy, Romance
Book 2
Her Quest
By Michelle Love
Description
Deceit. Collaboration. Aspirations.
Zane has a stalker, a high powered judge named Maegan Saunders, who is out to make Zane hers.
The overly aggressive woman is beautiful but not Zane’s cup of tea. Meagan isn’t the kind of woman who takes no for an answer.
When Elizabeth goes to a bar in The Plaza Hotel to calm here increasing nerves over a dinner date with Zane, she finds Zane coming in with a tall, gorgeous woman on his heels, looking distraught.
She’s surprised to see him there with another woman when he’s set up a date with her after having her pampered all afternoon. Zane’s just pleased to see Elizabeth there and comes up with a plan to get Meagan off his back for good.
Introducing the two women to one another, he surprises them both when he introduces Elizabeth as his wife.
Elizabeth, though a little drunk and a lot startled, goes along with Zane and his lie. She makes sure to include the lighthouse in it and thinks she’s managed to gain the property with his need for her cooperation.
Elizabeth thinks she’s won the battle but soon finds out Zane needs more from her than just that to chase the other woman off. He needs her to play along for a while if she wants the lighthouse.
But will their pretend marriage lead to real feelings?
Chapter 1
ELIZABETH
Feeling as if I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole and ended up in an alternate universe instead of in a gorgeous hotel in New York, I walk into the suite Zane has set me up in. The surroundings are so plush I can foresee I’ll be spoiled from such extravagance for some time.
Being an avid fan of fancy bathrooms, I make my way to it and find myself anything but disappointed. A deep jetted tub is the centerpiece of the large room. A stand up, beautifully tiled shower is in one corner. The toilet is even artistically designed.
This feels so unreal!
Absentmindedly, I fill the deep tub with hot water and go to the vanity to pick out some scented soap and hair care products. A nice hot bubbling bath will be a good way to ease my mind, I think. My clothes aren’t here yet but there are two very fluffy white robes hanging on hooks on the back of the door so I can dress in one of those when I get out.
Opening the cap of one of the shampoo bottles I find a lavender and mint scent and it sends chills through me. It has to be more expensive than any shampoo I’ve ever used and I’m dying to see how it makes my hair feel.
Closing the bathroom door, I slip out of my clothes and place them neatly on the counter near the sink. Everything is so pretty and organized I can’t see tossing them to the floor like I do at home.
Climbing into the tub, I settle back and immediately feel tons of tension leave my body. My feet already feel better. Being a waitress has them aching almost constantly.
Thinking about my job, I reach over and pick up my phone I left on the edge of the large tub. I need to call and make sure Tanya can take my shift tomorrow.
With a swipe, I call her and find her giggling when she answers her phone, “Hey you.”
“Guess what I’m doing.”
“I hear a loud noise in the background. It reminds me of something. Oh, Lord, Liz, you’re not using a vibrator and calling me while you’re, you know?”
“God no! Freak!” I shriek at her. “I’m in one of those Jacuzzi tubs. Guess where.”
“Um, I have no idea, so you just tell me,” she says as I hear a man talking in the background.
“I’m in a suite at The Plaza Hotel, Tanya.”
“Why. How. No way!” she says then erupts into giggles. “Stop tickling me, Bob!”
“Oh, I see you’re over at his place,” I say as I really don’t like her on again, off again boy-toy, Bob.
“I am and since you’re in that fancy hotel I guess things went well with that man about the lighthouse you have your heart set on.”
“Well, no. He wouldn’t budge on that topic. But he did set me up for the night in this hotel and he did set me up to take his private jet back home and he also gave me this card that’ll get me food and drinks in the hotel.”
“Sold out, did you?” she asks and I can hear the smirk on her lips.
“No!”
“Sounds like he threw money at you and you dove to pick it up and turned your back on the real reason you’re there, Liz.”
Well, now I’m really pissed at myself because even Tanya can see that I’ve been bought and she’s pretty dense!
“I’ll be back later tomorrow is the reason I’m calling you. Do you think you can take my shift and I’ll make it up to you next week? I’ll even do a double for you or whatever you want. I just need you to do that for me tomorrow, please.”
I hear more giggles come out of her then Bob says, “She’ll do it but you have to work for her for three days next weekend because I’m taking her to Vegas so we can get married.”
“Congratulations?” I ask as I don’t really think she should marry the just turned twenty-one-year-old guy who has no job and lives with his mother.
“Thank you, Liz!” she squeals. “You should see the ring he gave me.”
Bob butts in, “It’s a three-karat.”
“My goodness! How did you ever afford that?” I ask as I think the kid must’ve robbed a bank to be able to buy something like that.
“It’s a cubic zirconia, Liz. Come on, get real,” Tanya says with a laugh. “But it’s gorgeous. It looks real.”
“I’m sure it does,” I say and shake my head. I’m afraid that’s what her life will be with this dude, a series of empty promises.
I’m glad my parents didn’t raise me to need a man, any man, in my life to make it complete. I’m glad my head is on straight and I know I can be by myself forever if that’s the way life goes for me.
I don’t need or even want a Mr. Right Now. I’m holding out for The Man. The man who ignites me with a simple smile, touch, kiss. The man who can make me feel special with only one word.
I’ve had a few go-nowhere boyfriends and the time that was wasted on those relationships I’d love to have back. So with the knowledge that I will no longer waste my time with men who don’t tempt me with their touch, I feel whole with just myself. No man need apply!
“Okay, so it’s settled,” I say. “You work tomorrow for me and I’ll work all next weekend for you so you can go make a huge mistake. I mean, get married.”
The way they both laugh has my stomach tightening. “One day you too will find love, Miss Non-Believer,” Bob says then the call is ended as he must’ve taken the phone away from Tanya and she’s giggling again.
Well, I’m not looking for love, so screw you, Bob and Tanya!
> Chapter 2
ZANE
“On the card please write this, please join me for dinner and drinks this evening and then write my phone number down,” I tell the florist.
“Yes, Mr. White. So this is an order for two dozen scarlet roses delivered in a Waterford Crystal vase to a Miss Elizabeth Cook in room 1212 of The Plaza Hotel, correct?”
“Yes, see that she gets them soon,” I say then end the call.
I have no idea why I feel so giddy. I don’t get giddy. Ever!
But I’m feeling it today, after meeting her. It’s been only a couple of hours since she left my office and I still see her lingering around my office as if she’s really here. It’s insane!
I hope like hell she lets me have a nice long taste of her so I can get her out of my system. I can’t possibly keep thinking about her and how soft her skin must feel and how her breasts would feel mashed beneath my chest.
I’ll never get any work done!
Even now, I’ve had two phone calls about some kind of business thing and I have no idea what either call was about. Looking at my notepad in the top drawer of my desk, I see where I’ve only doodled as I listened to what the people on the other end of the line had to say.
No, I can’t keep on like this. I’ll go broke!
My phone beeps with a text and I look to find a picture of a dress my personal assistant has sent to me. It’s a chiffon knee-length dress in a deep burgundy color. And behind it, still hanging on the rack, I see the dress I want to see Elizabeth in.
So I tap in, -Get the one behind you. The short, black dress and find some heels to match it. Make them a name brand, nothing cheap. And let the sales person help you with finding a nice necklace and earrings to go with it.-
The Billionaire’s Lighthouse Series: A Billionaire, Bad Boy, Romance Page 4
