by Dawn Brower
“I don’t need a ride. I’m gonna walk on over there to get a rental car. I’m not about to rely on you for anything. I might end up in a body bag somewhere marked as a Jane Doe.”
“You would be familiar with body bags seeing what you are responsible for.”
What? That was a new one. She had nothing to do with body bags or dead bodies for that matter. Clearly Wes decided to take a trip off the deep end into loco town.
“I’m not even going to touch that one. Leave me be, Wes. I can take care of myself,” Tori snidely remarked.
“I know. It’s what you’re good at. But I’m here anyway. Don’t worry, it’s not for you. I’m here ’cause Ginnifer worries about you. Only God knows why.”
“Well you can go on back to the ranch and tell her you saw me and I’m fine. I’m going to check into my hotel. I have an appointment. I don’t have all day to stand here and argue with you.”
“Well then quit bitching, and do as you’re told for once.” Wes continued to glare at her in disapproval. If he kept it up, he was going to get some serious forehead wrinkles and some unflattering ones around the edges of his mouth.
He wrenched her largest bag from her hand and stomped out of the airport. His attitude suggested he expected her to follow in his footsteps. Vitoria stared down at her four-inch, fire-engine-red stilettos. She had no chance of catching up to him with them on. So she didn’t even try. One thing was perfectly clear though—he took off with the bag housing most of her essential items in it.
She had two choices; either follow him, albeit a little slower, or let him keep the bag and get the rental car she intended.
After weighing both options with care, she decided on the rental car. Worst-case scenario, he would take her bag back to the ranch. It wasn’t lost, only misplaced for a little while. If she was being honest with herself, she’d rather lose it than deal with Mr. Grumpy the rest of the day.
Body bag? Really? A new low for him. She sashayed over to the rental car counter pulling other two bags.
“Can I help you, miss?” A guy with white hair and dark-rimmed glasses stared back at her.
Tori saw a nametag displaying the name Pete in bold black letters on his blue button-up shirt. “Yes—Pete.” She flashed him her most alluring smile and ran her fingers down his arm. “I’d like the most luxurious car you have available.”
Tori was in the mood to be splashy and extravagant. Why not? She had the money to burn and it filled her with happiness. The trust fund her parents’ set up left her quite wealthy. She hadn't seen them in years. After she left her parent's home and went away to college she saw no reason to visit—it really was best for her mental stability. Her parents didn't give off any warm and fuzzy feelings. The money though she utilized at every opportunity. It was hard earned living with two emotionless people who claimed to care about her. With the added profits from her business, Tori never needed to stress about money. She hoped they had a sports car, rare yes, but desired after dealing with Wes.
“I’m sorry, but we only have one vehicle left.”
“I guess I’ll be glad you have something at all. What kind is it?”
“It’s a standard SUV, a Ford Edge,” he explained.
“I’ll take it.”
Admittedly it was not a vehicle she preferred, but beggars couldn’t be choosers when they wanted out of the airport as fast as possible. She didn’t know if Wes planned on coming back and attempting to strong-arm her into going with him.
She located the yellow Ford Edge and clicked the remote on the keychain to unlock it. Luggage deposited in the rear hatch, she hastened to the driver’s side. The little disagreement with Wes put her behind schedule, and the awful downpour of rain still battered the streets.
So instead of going to her hotel, she put the realtor’s address into the GPS. Several minutes later she parked her vehicle and took a minute to relax while she plotted her next move. She needed to get inside without drenching herself from head to toe. If only she’d planned for the possibility of rain. Who went to Seattle and didn’t bring anything to prevent the rain from soaking them to the skin?
Clearly her sleep-deprived mind didn’t function well since she’d forgotten such an important accessory as an umbrella.
She gathered everything she needed and prepared to run as fast as possible in four-inch stilettos. She damn near skipped toward the office door as it opened to allow her inside.
“Quite the storm we are getting today.” A cultured voice filled her ears, and she looked up to see a male with black curly hair and chocolate-brown eyes smile down at her. Dimples formed at the corners of his mouth, giving him a charming exterior. She found him incredibly sexy and a nice change after Wes’s rude attitude.
“Yeah, it sure is. Not something I was expecting either.”
“I can tell with your lack of umbrella.” His dimples popped back out as he smiled.
“Thanks for getting the door for me.” Lame response, but she lacked anything else to say. His male beauty stunned her into stupidity.
“It’s always my pleasure to help a beautiful woman. I’m Miguel Santiago.”
“Vitoria Miene.” She held her hand out to shake his. Instead he pulled it up to his lips and kissed it. A small shiver traveled down her spine at the gesture.
“What are you doing in Seattle, Mrs. Miene?”
“It’s just Miss. I’m not married. I’m hoping to relocate here from New York. Are you a real-estate agent, Mr. Santiago?”
“No, not at all. I do have several holdings, but I am a developer, not an agent. I’m leaving a meeting with my agent, Miss Dearborn.”
“Funny you should mention her name. I am actually supposed to meet with her in fifteen minutes to look over some possible office space. It’s been nice meeting you, Mr. Santiago, but I’m afraid I must run.”
“Miguel.”
“What?” Tori stopped in her tracks, baffled.
“Please call me Miguel. I hate being so formal with such a lovely woman as yourself. Perhaps I can talk you into having dinner with me this evening?”
Smoothness, this man oozed it out and recycled it for future use.
“Oh, I don’t know. I have quite a bit to do. I’ll have to take a rain check.” She waved her hands outside. “No pun intended.”
Miguel chuckled. “I will hold you to it.”
“I’m sure you will.” Tori flashed him her most gamine smile.
“Until we meet again.” Miguel nodded at her and exited the building with an open umbrella raised to the sky.
The things she learned and the people she met when she least expected it. He certainly dripped charm and charisma. Maybe she should have taken him up on his offer of dinner. She could use a good meal with a handsome man. Sadly, she had way too much to do before she could enjoy such things. Like finding a new office and a place to live. Those took precedence over drool-worthy and lickable men. Tori watched him stroll down the sidewalk until his black suit was no longer visible from the office window. She turned her attention back to the task at hand and went to check in with the receptionist.
“I’m here to meet with Miss Dearborn. I’m Vitoria Miene.”
“I’ll let her know you are here.” The perky redhead got up and bounced over to Miss Dearborn’s office. After delivering her news, she sat back down and typed at her computer, not glancing up once, even when Miss Dearborn finally exited her office to retrieve Tori for their meeting.
“Miss Miene?” she asked.
“Yes. That’s me.”
“If you follow me to my office, we can get started.”
Vitoria got up and trailed after her. She entered a plush office with a color scheme of beige and cream. Vitoria sat down in a chair located near her desk and relaxed back into its cushiony comfort.
“I have a list of places that would be acceptable for what you require. Here is a mock-up of each office space and where they are located. It includes rental fees and what is expected in the lease.”
Tori took the files and browsed through the materials. When she made the appointment, she detailed exactly what she would need in an office space and apartment to help expedite the process.
“What about apartments?”
“I have a separate folder for those, but I thought the office space was a more immediate need.”
“Both are now equally important. I’ve had a change of plans. I’ll look over the office file first though.”
Tori went over each rental unit carefully and picked the one most suited for her needs. She needed a basic space for her office and her assistant. Only one fit her exact requirements.
“I want to sign a lease on this one today if possible after I view it in person. When will you be able to show it to me? If it fits my needs, after I sign the contract I will leave the deposit and first month’s rent with you.”
"We can go look at it right now if you have time." Tori nodded. Miss Dearborn continued, “I’ll have Tabitha print out the contract for us to take with us. Look over the apartments, and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
As Miss Dearborn left the office, Tori perused through the pictures of the apartments. She wasn’t particular, but she wanted it to be comfortable. Maybe she shouldn’t rush into a living space. A visit to each one was required before making a decision. There were at least two she desired a personal look at before she made a decision.
“Did you see anything you like?”
“Yes these two apartments might work. I’d like to arrange a viewing of each one.”
“Certainly, that can be arranged. I’ll call them and set up an appointment. Is there any specific time that works for you?”
“No, call me when it is all arranged.” Vitoria shook her head. “Wait, I can’t look at them tomorrow. I have other plans, but any other day will work. "
"If you're ready to view the property we can head over now. Would you like me to drive?"
Vitoria nodded. "Yes that works for me."
Miss Dearborn led them to her vehicle. Tori stepped into the passenger side and sat down. The location of the space for lease wasn't far from the real estate office. Fifteen minutes later they were already inside looking over the floor plan.
"As you can see it meets all of your requirements."
The office space was located on the fifth floor of the building. She scanned the front area—the room was filled with natural light and a view of the Seattle skyline.
The walls were painted soft beige accented by chocolate-brown carpet. The windows were ceiling to floor with long sweeping venetian blinds the same color as the carpet.
Some new seating with a mix of the already existing colors in the room would look chic. The desk Alison already used would fit in nicely within the room. It had three rooms that could be used as separate offices and one large room that would make a nice conference room.
The largest space utilized for office space would be hers. It was a corner room with the same window design as the front entrance. All she needed was a small table for her personal office. A table along with some chairs and then she could set up her meeting with her client, Colt. She would order one from a furniture store to be delivered. This office space would work well with all of her plans and ideas.
"Yes it does. Do you have the contract?”
“Yes. Here it is.”
Vitoria looked it over and made sure it all appeared to be in order. She didn’t go to law school to get taken in by a real estate lease. Everything looked good so she signed it and wrote a check out for the rental fee and deposit.
“Do you have the keys or do I need to come back and pick them up?”
“I can give them to you when we return to the office.”
“Thank you.”
They left the building and went back to the real estate office. Tori was relieved to have at least one thing settled. It would be a lot better once she knew where she was going to live. In the meantime she could live out of a hotel room.
Chapter Three
“What the hell are you doing in my room?” A horrified expression fell across Vitoria’s beautiful heart-shaped face. She stood outside the bathroom door with only a towel draped around her slender frame. Her hair fell around her shoulders in wet, dark-blonde ringlets.
Wes lounged on the bed, his back resting against the headboard, and his legs crossed at his feet. He lifted his arms and folded them behind his neck as his eyes traveled down Vitoria’s body from top to bottom. She’d sent him on a bit of a wild-goose chase.
When he realized she wasn’t following him, anger soared through his veins. He stormed back into the airport but had no luck locating her through the crowd of people. He turned around, toting her luggage back to his vehicle. He tossed it in the trunk and started making calls to figure out where she could have run off to. He hit pay dirt when one of the hotels he called verified she had a reservation.
“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked.
Tori flashed him an irritated look as she made unmistakable movements to tighten the towel around her body. “Evidently not, since I asked you why you’re here.”
“I brought you your luggage. You ran off without it.”
“If you hadn’t hijacked it, I’d already have it.” Vitoria paused and gave him a scathing glare. “You can leave anytime.”
“And deprive you of your righteous indignation? Why ever would I do that?” Wes fought to hide a smile of triumph. He liked the feeling of one upping her.
Vitoria glared at him and stomped over to her suitcase. She rummaged through the contents picking out a few things placing them on the bed.
Wes studied her, trying to figure her out.
She was so achingly beautiful it almost hurt to look at her. He hated all the unwanted emotions welling up inside of him each time he was forced to spend time with her. If Ginnifer hadn’t asked him to pick her up from the airport, he would have done everything in his power to avoid her. Instead, he found himself watching her wander around a hotel room, half naked. Hell, there was no half about it. Only a towel stood between her and complete nudity. One little slip and the towel would showcase her in all her glory.
“So are you ignoring me now?” he asked.
“No. I have better things to do than talk to you.”
“Such as?”
“None of your business.” She flipped the suitcase shut and zipped it before pushing it off the bed. A loud thud filled the room as it hit the floor. “Why are you still here?”
“Because Ginnifer asked me to pick you up and take you back to Novak Springs. I made a promise and I intend to keep it.”
Vitoria rolled her eyes.
Wes struggled to force a smug, satisfied smile down to a firm flat line. He wished he didn’t find her so damned sexy. Watching her traipse around the hotel room only wearing a skimpy towel was playing havoc on his libido.
A droplet of water trailed down her shoulder blades and left a stream of water in its wake. He wanted to lick the moisture off her back and taste her glistening skin. He squashed the temptation down before he acted on it. Wes refused to get involved with such a traitorous witch like Vitoria Miene.
“You don’t need to wait around, Wes. I have no plans on going to Novak Springs right now. I have a few things to do in Seattle first. Don’t worry. I will let Ginny know.”
Wes sat silent, still leaning against the headboard.
“I’m serious. You need to leave. How did you get in my room anyway?”
“When I explained to the nice front-desk worker how I got separated from my fiancée, she was more than happy to give me a room key. I showed her your luggage and begged her to please save me from your wrath. She didn’t want me to fall victim to your rage, so she took pity on my situation.”
“You charmed my room key out of some poor unsuspecting woman?” Vitoria had a baffled expression on her face. Her mouth gaped as her eyes widened in surprise.
“What can I say? Women like me.”
“That’s only because they don’t actually know you
.” Vitoria sneered.
“Are you going to get dressed or are you going to wear a towel all day?”
“Hmm—Perhaps, I kind of like this look. It’s toalla de baño chic.” Vitoria raised her arms with her hands held out at a flat angle and twirled for him. “Should I go out tonight only wearing this towel?”
Wes stood up and stalked over to her side. He towered over her with his six-foot-five-inch frame. She seemed more petite than usual without her killer high heels to make up some of the height difference. The space between them dwindled to next to nothing. Heat radiated off her decadent body.
Fists clenched tight against his side, he fought for control of his response to her. His fingernails dug into the flesh of his palm as he took a few deep, calming breaths. He didn’t want to desire her, but every time he got near her, he had an overwhelming craving to pull her into his arms. Make her experience every one of his deep-seated emotions. He hated her, but he also needed her. Being around her made him hunger for things he could not—would not allow himself to have.
His eyes roved over every inch of her before he took a step back, not only to gain some distance but to regain his own momentum. If he didn’t put up the walls necessary to resist her charms, he’d be stripping off the only barrier between him and her delectable body.
The towel she wore like a designer dress wasn’t enough to stop his gaze from lingering over her.
The key to regaining control was maintaining the careful distance between them. Wes needed a reminder why he couldn’t give into his weaker impulses. If he insulted Tori, it would put her on the defensive. It was a sure way to start an argument and get out of the sticky situation he found himself in.
“It does suit you. Definitely go out in the towel. It will let every person you meet recognize exactly the type of person you are.”
“What is that supposed to mean?’
Wes shrugged his shoulders. “Take it any way you want to. I don’t really give a damn.”
“You’re really a jerk sometimes.”
