The Romance Challenge, Complete Series Box Set: BBW Hot Alpha Billionaire Romance

by Sterling, Arlanna

  "I keep excellent records. There have never been discrepancies. You don't need anyone to look at my books. They're in perfect order."

  Uh-oh. Not good. I felt Nathan stiffen and from the corner of my eye, saw his jaw twitch.

  "I'm sure they are. As I said, an audit is standard procedure."

  Nathan had done a thorough check of the hotel finances before he even bought Bay Paradise Resort, I knew. There wouldn't be any issues.

  Julia sat back down and crossed her arms, her scowl deepening. "I'm very busy. I don't know when I'll have the time."

  "You need to make time. Why are you so adamant about not having an audit done? Do you have something to hide?"

  Nathan glared at Julia, his teeth almost bared. This could get ugly. I glanced at her desk and saw a picture of a teenage boy. "Is this your son?" I pointed.

  "Yes, that's Dante." Her mouth relaxed a smidgen.

  "How old is he?"

  "Thirteen."

  "They're a handful at that age, aren't they?"

  "You're telling me!" She threw up her hands. "That boy, he's got a mouth on him."

  "I bet he eats a lot too. He looks like a big guy. Does he play sports?"

  "He sure does eat, like a wild dog." She picked up the picture and gazed at it, a smile lighting her face. "Yeah, he plays basketball. Wants to be an athlete. But I tell him, he's got to keep up his grades, not…" She put the frame down and sighed, her mouth turning back down to a frown. "He's a good boy."

  "I'm sure he is." I smiled at her. "Sometimes, they just need a little push."

  She sighed, then ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry, Mr. Cameron. Give me the name of the auditor. I'll make an appointment with him as soon as possible."

  The tension in the room eased, and I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

  "It's Nathan, and I'll send you an email this afternoon. Thank you, Julia."

  We exited her office and made our way back outside.

  "Thank you. For dealing with that situation. I'm sorry; I didn't think she would be that upset about a routine audit."

  And I didn't think you you'd get that keyed up about a stubborn employee.

  "I heard her talking on the phone when we came to her office. She said the words 'problemas' and 'escuela'. They mean 'problems' and 'school'. I figured she was having a conversation about or with her son, who's getting into trouble. That upset her, so when you mentioned an audit, she got even more disturbed."

  Nathan looked at me, with that half admiring, half something-I-couldn't-put-my-finger-on expression. "Pretty smart of you, Amber."

  "Most people have a lot of crap, I mean, stuff going on in their lives. I try to remember that, so when they get crabby with me, I don't take it personal."

  "Good philosophy." He stopped walking as we neared the lobby. "I look forward to hearing what else you come up with during your time here. Why don't you have lunch at Water's Edge Café, then meet me back at the conference room at two o'clock."

  Excellent idea. I was starving. I went to the café, got a salad and wanted to take it back to my room, but remembered, my job was to observe. So I sat and listened to the other guests. Mostly happy, fun conversations. Who wouldn't be having a good time, on vacation in paradise? I heard one or two complaints. There weren't enough towels, the pool closed too early, etc. Nothing major.

  After I ate, I headed back to my room to change into my pants, as we would work indoors the rest of the day. Our plan, visit the café's kitchen and the laundry facility, and then we'd go over the budget together. After that, I'd have time off, then Nathan wanted me to sit with the front desk person for several hours in the evening. That's what he mainly wanted me to do, hang around discreetly, observe employees, and give him my reports.

  Once again, a little chill of excitement ran through me. This was fun! I was getting to use my talents, to stretch my skills. I always thought I'd make a great detective, since I could watch people and activities, and notice irregularities pretty quick. Like I did with Julia, a lot of that talent involved remembering that something was important to each person, and much of their energy went towards protecting that important thing.

  In my room, the bed was made up, the towels refolded. I couldn't tell if they were fresh, or the ones I'd already used. I made a note, to order those signs that let guests know about reusing towels. Conserving water helped everyone. I took a few minutes to freshen up, then headed back to the conference room. I typed up my notes from the morning and when Nathan arrived at two, he sat down and pulled up records on his laptop.

  "I know finance isn't your specialty, but take a look at this spreadsheet and see what jumps out at you. Come here, sit next to me."

  I did, willing my brain not to register his spicy scent, heavier this afternoon now that I was so close, and he'd sweated a bit outside. It was no use. A little burst of heat flared between my thighs. Spicy and sweaty. Yum.

  "Amber?"

  "Hmmm?" Oh shit, what did I miss?

  "I said, can you see the screen all right?"

  "Yes, fine."

  Spreadsheets. Look at the spreadsheets. Focus. I did, for ten minutes, while Nathan tapped away on his phone.

  "Well, the only thing that strikes me right away is the food expense seems high. But maybe that's not true. I really don't know much about the cost of running a hotel."

  In the short time I'd had to get ready for this trip, I studied what I could about the hotel and resort industry. So much to learn! More went on behind the scenes than most people realized.

  "No, I agree, I think we spend too much on food. I'm considering going with a leased restaurant instead of trying to run one ourselves." He seemed pleased that I'd picked that up "The hotel used to do its own grounds keeping and now hires an outside company. Seems to work well so far. We might even outsource the housekeeping, one day."

  A knock sounded on the door, and one of the front desk people came in. Rose, her name badge said.

  "Excuse me, I'm so sorry to interrupt. Amber, a woman named Vicky said it's urgent you call her. About your sister. She can't reach you on your phone."

  Damn, I'd turned the volume down during our tour and forgot to turn it back up. My heart thudding, I dug through my purse. "Thank you Rose. I'll call her now. Nathan, I need to return this call."

  "Take whatever time you need."

  "It should only take a few minutes. We can get right back to work." Crap. I was so not used to traveling and had been having such fun today, I nearly forgot my responsibilities at home. I should have kept my phone on, at least set to vibrate. What could be going on with Michelle?

  Nathan shut his laptop. "I'm done here anyway and need to take care of other matters." He stood and put his hand on my shoulder.

  Oh, crap again. That same tingle as when we'd first shook hands.

  "We'll be keeping odd hours, including evenings and nights. You don't have to work every single minute of the day. I need you rested and alert, and I realize you have a life back home and responsibilities that don't stop because you're here."

  He squeezed my shoulder, then removed his hand. "Take your time, let me know if you need anything. I'll meet you at the front desk at six o'clock. Take a break before. You'll spend two hours there observing, so bring along whatever you'll need. After that, we'll go out to dinner at this great place I found. I want you to get a feel for the other businesses on the island."

  Missing the warmth of his hand on my shoulder as soon as he removed it, I waited until he walked out the door before I called Vicky.

  "So sorry to bother you. I hope I didn't get you in trouble." Her voice sounded strained.

  "That's okay Vicky, my fault for not having my phone turned up. What's going on?"

  "I got a letter from this insurance company. You told me to look through Michelle's mail while you're gone. It says they'll cancel her policy if you don't give them some information, and they want it in two days."

  Great. "Read me the letter."

  Vicky did
, and fortunately, it was nothing complicated, only a clerical question. The insurance company claimed they'd sent an initial request weeks ago, but I didn't remember seeing any such thing. She gave me the phone number, I called and we had the problem resolved in ten minutes.

  Lesson learned; keep my phone on and nearby. And maybe I should try again to get Vicky to text. She'd enjoy it, once she got started, I knew.

  I closed my laptop and stood, when the last part of what Nathan said hit me. Dinner. He planned to take me to dinner tonight. A business dinner, but still. A little ball of unease rolled around in my stomach, like it did every time I had a date.

  Not a date. A business dinner. Nathan said that.

  So why did my pulse speed up as I pictured sitting in a restaurant with Nathan, both of us laughing, trading bites of food?

  Stop. We'd talk about Bay Paradise. No food swapping.

  I left the conference room and headed back to my suite. It appeared I had time off. I could finish up my notes, or take a break, as Nathan suggested. The adrenaline spike from Vicky's call now had my nervous system dive-bombing, and a rest sounded good. I'd type my notes while at the front desk. There would be some activity in the evening there, but not a lot. The employees would act more naturally if it didn't appear I was looking over their shoulder every minute.

  Back in my room again, I set my phone alarm, undressed, and laid on the bed with my laptop and a book. I'd check in with my email back home, then read for an hour or so.

  When my alarm blasted at five o'clock, I woke with a start, my laptop underneath me and my book on the floor beside the bed. I must have been more tired than I thought. After I got up, moved around, drank a glass of water and shook the haze out of my brain, I called Michelle.

  "Hey sis, how's things kickin'?"

  "Kickin' good."

  Our standard greeting, when she actually answered the phone.

  "I'm in Key Largo and boy is it beautiful. I saw a sunset last night…"

  "You told me."

  Okay, someone was cranky.

  "Today I went down by the water and you would not believe all the stuff in there. Sea grass, little fishes, coral."

  "That's nice."

  Definitely a chill coming across the air waves.

  "What are you all crabby about?"

  "Vicky couldn't reach you today. She called you, and you didn't answer. It was important."

  I clenched my fist, then let it relax and crossed my fingers, ready to fib again. I couldn't tell Michelle I had my ringer turned down. "I was in a meeting. I got back with her, and we took care of the problem. It's okay."

  "What if something happens to me? Something serious, and you aren't here?"

  "Vicky is a licensed CNA. That's why I'm paying extra money, to have someone with medical experience visit you. And you know perfectly well how to call 911 if there's an emergency."

  "Don't yell at me."

  Pushing out a breath, away from the phone, I lowered my tone. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. I'm just saying, if anything happens to you, I've got it covered, okay? You're safe, like you've always been. Right?"

  Silence. I'd been looking out my window at the water and now rested my forehead on the cool glass. Only Michelle could torment me by not saying a word.

  "Right." The word, delivered reluctantly, made me sigh with relief.

  "I promise, even if I'm not there, I'm thinking about you and taking care of you. I posted a picture to Facebook today, of one of those fish. I hope it came out; I've been too busy to check. Tell me how it looks."

  Curiosity would drive her, I knew. Her computer was always on, and I heard the keys clicking, then a giggle. My shoulders dropped a notch.

  "They're cute. Such big eyes."

  "Yeah. Hey, maybe sometime you can come down here with me, right?" My never-ending quest to get her interested enough in something to leave the house.

  "Maybe."

  "Listen, I've got to get back to work. I'm going to sit at the reservation desk and observe the employees."

  "Have fun."

  She was lost in her social media world now. Though I'd rather she talked to people live or on the phone, her Internet friends kept her mind active, so I didn't discourage that activity. We said goodbye, I got dressed, and headed out.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Amber had a secret. When Rose interrupted us this afternoon, her face turned white as a sheet. Something about her sister. Shannon, the Chicago office supervisor, told me Amber helped take care of a sick mother. So she had a sister to deal with too? No, the look in her eyes this afternoon combined worry and fear. Like she was hiding something and really didn't want me to hear that message.

  I didn't care if Amber had personal issues. She had her shit together enough to do her job very well. Whatever went on in her home life didn't matter to me as long as it didn't affect her work. So why was I so curious? Because I wanted this project to succeed and didn't want anything to fuck it up, that's why. Maybe. Or maybe because when Amber walked into the conference room, looking hotter than hell in those cute shorts, I wanted to know more about her.

  Somehow, I didn't think that was going to happen. She shared very little of her personal life when we communicated, except about Pumpkin. I knew way too much about that damn cat. Cute cat, actually. Only because she made him that way. Her creativity showed when he got brought into our emails. One of the reasons I enjoyed our online conversations.

  Smart woman, too. She said she'd type up her notes while at the front desk, so the employees would act more natural, maybe even forget she was there. And she had a good understanding of people. When I lost my cool with Julia, she stepped right in. I handled that poorly, but when the bookkeeper questioned my decision, told me there was no reason for an audit, my first thought ran to deceit.

  Damn it, I didn't want to think that way, didn't want to believe everyone here had something to hide. Another reason to keep Amber close by as I interacted with the staff. She read people well, talked to them well, brought out the best in them.

  Amber seemed to be happy, except for that call this afternoon. When I saw her at six though, she looked more relaxed. I'd left her at the registration desk with Lora and went back to my office to grab a file. I'd get her to open up tonight, find out more about what made Amber tick, during dinner at one of my favorite places, Bayview Grill. Casual, but a step above flip-flops and shorts.

  I wanted Amber to get to know the area, the people. I got the impression she didn't travel much. I'd have fun showing her around the island during her stay here, and maybe we'd head all the way down the islands to Key West one day, maybe do some snorkeling another time.

  As I dressed for dinner, an image of her in a swimsuit popped into my mind.

  Oh, hell no. Do not think about Amber in a swimsuit.

  Too late. My imagination revved up and quickly filled in the details. She'd be the kind to wear a sexy one-piece. It would be cut up the side to show off her long legs and scooped low in the front so I could see cleavage. That girl had a fan-fucking-tastic rack on her. How was I going to keep from staring at her chest while she was here?

  I sat down hard on my bed. Man, get a grip. I did not have time to think about Amber's body. Or her smile. Or how good her hair smelled. She was not here for my pleasure and I had to concentrate on work, and to make Bay Paradise show a profit. A large profit. I'd take care of my sex life when I got back to L. A.

  Fuck, dinner tonight, maybe a mistake. But we'd be out in public. I'd keep my mind off her body. We'd spend an hour or so talking about work. I'd find out she had the table manners of a wild orangutan and this crazy attraction would disappear.

  That's what would happen.

  +++

  "Is your sister okay?"

  "What?" I paused, my drink midway to my mouth.

  "That phone call, this afternoon. About your sister?"

  Crap, I should have known Nathan would ask. I'd been so busy rushing around getting ready for our dinner, I didn't put together a
ny sort of cover story.

  "That. Right. My sister calling about my mom. I mean, the nurse, Vicky, who takes care of my mom called. And my sister needed something. It's fine, I took care of it. I'm sorry again for the interruption."

  Nathan said nothing, just took a sip from his beer. But the way his brows drew together, I could tell he didn't believe me.

  "It's not a problem. As I said, your hours will be irregular working here, so when you need to take care of business, do so. How do you like the crab cakes?"

  Good, he wouldn't pry. "They're great. You've been here to the island before this trip, right?"

  "Yes, several times, when I was planning to buy Bay Paradise Resort."

  "Do you personally visit every property you want to buy? How would you know all the details of operating each different business? I did some research and most hotels are run by a management company."

  I knew the guy was a billionaire and found it odd that he'd be here, doing this aspect of the work, in person. Maybe my question was rude. He frowned. Damn, he looked fine, even when he did that. He hadn't shaved tonight and had that five o'clock shadow going on that sent all kinds of hot to my lady parts. He left the top down on his convertible on our drive to the restaurant, after checking that it was okay with me. Since I'd put my hair up in a clip, it was, and that cool breeze touching my face felt awesome, and left his hair sexy-messy from the wind.

  "No, I rarely spend so much time at any business I purchase. This property is somewhat different than what I normally buy. Another drink here, please." He signaled our server and pointed to me.

  Whoa, glass empty. I'd plowed through that first drink pretty quick. It tasted good, and I was kind of nervous, being alone with Nathan. We got along so well online, but in person, this tension boiled between us. I found him immensely attractive, so that was scrambling my brain. Maybe he picked that up, and it annoyed him. Whatever, I wish I could figure it out and stop it. I wanted to go back to that comfortable relationship we had.

  "These are on special, so you get an extra one." The server plunked two more of the yummy drinks in front of me.