Undeniable Temptation (Reckless Beat Book 5)

by Eden Summers

  “You need to move on.”

  He inclined his head. “But that’s impossible when I see you all day, every day.”

  Was that the first hint that her job was in jeopardy?

  “You say you can live without me, so prove it. Go to Seattle,” he continued. “I promise you’ll be missing me within days.”

  She held back the cloying need to roll her eyes into the back of her head and let them hibernate there until summer. “Fine.” It was a small price to pay. “I’ll take care of the settlement.” She didn’t have a choice anyway. “And when I return, everything between us will be laid to rest.”

  “Okay.” He leaned back in his chair, the sparkle in his eyes gleaming at her. “If you last until settlement without needing me, I’ll pretend like we never happened.”

  Her chest loosened with unmistakable relief. “Great.”

  “Perfect,” he purred.

  Christ. So much for the reprieve. He was far too confident of her failure. He practically stripped her and took inventory with his eyes. “While I’m gone, why don’t you take Rebecca out on a date?”

  She was going to hell for throwing her assistant under the bus, but tough times and all that… “She thinks you’re gorgeous.” It wasn’t a lie. Rebecca remarked on his physical appeal all the time, she just always backed up the compliment with a comment on how much of an ass he was.

  “Been there, done that.”

  Her mouth gaped. “Are you kidding?”

  “That’s why I know the two of us are perfect together. I’ve played the entire field. From the single mom in accounting, to your assistant, and any welcoming bed I’ve come across when I do the yearly reviews on each of our hotels. No one compares to you, babe.”

  “You’re disgusting.”

  He chuckled. “You didn’t have a problem with me for all the months we were together.”

  She whimpered. She didn’t have the patience to reiterate her perspective. They’d been over it more than once. He thought they were a match made in heaven because she didn’t hound him. She hadn’t questioned his fidelity. There were no conversations about the future, or whispers of love and commitment. They shared meals and sex and spoke about business tactics whenever words were necessary.

  That was it.

  He considered it a perfect relationship. A ball and chain, without the ball and chain.

  She considered it enjoyable sex without emotional connection.

  End of story.

  “This has to stop,” she muttered and turned for the door. “I’m not going to put up with the bullshit once I return.”

  “You know where the door is, Savannah. I’m pretty sure you know where the unemployment line is, too.”

  And there it was, the unmistakable threat. Asshole.

  “Oh, and one last thing,” he called.

  She stopped in the hall, refusing to face him.

  “I should thank you for mentioning your connection with Penelope Augustine. My father was determined to send me to Seattle until you enlightened us. God knows I don’t want to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas in that hell hole. I appreciate you taking one for the team.”

  She ground her teeth and trudged into her office. Seattle wasn’t a place she dreamed to be during the holidays either, but the more she thought about it, the more she knew it would be the perfect opportunity to regroup and reassess.

  Spencer’s unenthusiastic work ethic had rubbed off on her. She’d become complacent and distracted. It was time to remind the father and son duo that she was an invaluable part of the team.

  The best way to do that was to prove she wasn’t here to kiss ass, she was here to kick it.

  Chapter Two

  One week later.

  Savannah tugged her suitcase into the hotel suite and was thankful for the loud click of the door as it closed. Peace. Quiet. She wanted both, and lots of it. After enduring a three-hour delay at the airport, then sitting next to a mother with a newborn baby on the plane, her nerves were frazzled. And today hadn’t come close to the stressful week spent training her assistant, Rebecca, to take on new tasks, or the hours spent arguing with Spencer over how to run the profit reports, or the unending phone calls from the Seattle hotel in preparation of her arrival.

  She needed a bath, or a glass of wine. Both would be best. Obviously, at the same time.

  Staff had whispered nervously as she checked in. Their hope-filled eyes tracked her movements. They expected her to fix all their problems. And she would. She just needed a chance to catch her breath and start fresh tomorrow.

  She dropped her handbag and the suitcase handle at the end of the short hall, and shuffled the five steps to plant face-first on the bed. Movement wasn’t necessary for the next twelve hours. She’d eaten an airport sandwich on the cab ride to the hotel, and staff didn’t expect to see her until morning. From now until then, she would rest in a coma-like state.

  Within two minutes her mind was fading to black, sweet dreams hovering on the edge of her consciousness, then the loud trill of the suite phone tore a groan from her throat.

  “Go away,” she mumbled into the comforter.

  The phone continued to wail its siren call, disrespecting her plea. She gave a soft whimper and clawed her way to the other side of the mattress, picking up the receiver from the bedside table.

  “Yes?”

  “Ms. Hamilton, it’s Kelly from reception. I’m sorry to disturb you, but there’s a man here asking to see you.”

  She pressed her forehead against the pillow and closed her eyes. “Are you sure he’s here for me?” Nobody knew she was here. Nobody except hotel staff and her colleagues back in San Francisco.

  “Um…” The receptionist’s nervous hesitation was clear. “He said he’s your cousin.”

  Savannah pushed to a seated position and kicked off her heels. “Are you sure he asked for me?”

  “Yes, ma’am. He asked for you specifically.”

  “Come on, Savvy, let me know your room number.”

  Savannah grinned at the masculine voice calling in the background. The tone was unfamiliar, far too deep for the teenager she knew from her childhood. But the long-forgotten nickname wasn’t. Dominic was the only person who called her Savvy.

  “It’s okay,” she told the receptionist. “Send him up.”

  “Will do.”

  Savannah couldn’t wipe away the grin as she hung up the phone and padded to the bathroom. The unfavorable reflection in the mirror slaughtered her happiness. She looked like a drug addict. Her blouse was crushed, her light-brown hair a tattered mess. The bags under her bloodshot hazel eyes were something she couldn’t ignore, the dark smudges announcing her exhaustion, while her pale complexion told of an unfavorable amount of hours spent in a high-rise office without a glimpse of sun.

  She rushed back into the main room of her suite and yanked her handbag off the floor. She scrounged for her compact concealer and dabbed it under her eyes with less than artistic flare. A quick slide of lipstick later and she was ready for the loud knock that echoed through the room.

  Anticipation bubbled in her belly as she padded to the door and pulled the heavy wood open.

  “Whoa.” She needed to raise her chin to meet Dominic’s eyes. “How long have you been on steroids?”

  Dominic chuckled, his brilliant smile whacking her with a heavy dose of déjà vu. “Is that any way to greet your favorite cousin?”

  He stepped forward and pulled her in for a hug. The scent of his aftershave was all wrong. The feel of his hard muscles, too. Her short and skinny cousin was nowhere to be seen. He was no longer the kid she remembered dragging her under the water on summer vacation. He was a man. Tall, broad, and professional.

  “You got big.” She pushed back from his chest and scrutinized him from head to toe. His blond hair and blue eyes hadn’t changed, but everything else had, including the bump in his once perfect nose. “And you learned how to dress yourself.” His white collared shirt was in better shape than her blouse, n
ot a crease in sight. His charcoal slacks and matching tie were in perfect order, too.

  “And you became completely stunning.” He eyed her with appreciation. “If we weren’t cousins, I’d totally hit that.”

  “Oh, Jesus.” She slapped a hand over her mouth to stop an encouraging laugh. “You’re still as inappropriate as ever.”

  He held up his hands in surrender. “Just paying you a compliment, Sav.”

  “Let’s not make this awkward.” She shook her head and indicated for him to come inside. “I don’t want to regress to the time where I had to punch you in the face to stop you from trying to kiss me.”

  “I was eight.” He walked past her. “It was dark out, and I thought you were someone else.”

  “We were ten, and it was in the pool before lunch.”

  He snickered. “You have a good memory.”

  “It’s not easy to forget the first time your cousin tries to lay one on you.”

  “First and last. I learn from my mistakes.” He slumped onto the corner of her Queen-sized mattress, dwarfing the bed with his large frame. “So how have you been?”

  “I’m good.” She settled against the tiny desk opposite him, unable to stop mentally noting all the ways he’d changed. His feet were so big. His hands, too. “But I’d love to know how you found out I was here. And why you turned up on my doorstep.”

  He pulled a face, a cross between a wince and a smirk.

  “Don’t tell me.” She put up a hand to stop his explanation. “My lovely Aunt Michelle.”

  He winked at her. “Guessed it in one.”

  Christ. Savannah’s mother couldn’t keep a secret to save her life, especially when it came to her sister. For as long as she could remember, her mother and aunt had been inseparable. They endeavored to lessen the miles between them, from San Francisco to Seattle, by daily phone calls and weeks on end in a family cabin during summer.

  “I gather you didn’t want us finding out,” he drawled.

  “It’s not that.” It was a tricky situation. She hadn’t kept tabs on her cousins’ lives. If she had, maybe she could’ve foreseen the current drama. Years separated the last time they spoke, and she wasn’t confident in assuming they wanted to see her again. Especially when Penny’s involvement in the sale of the Seattle property seemed like a personal vendetta. “I didn’t know your sister was working with Grandiosity. I’m actually here because…”

  How should she put it? Her relationship with Dominic had always been solid. They were born within months of each other. They reached the same milestones together and became long distance best friends.

  Her communication with Penny was in vast contrast. She was the younger relative neither herself nor Dominic wanted to play with. She threw tantrums and demanded attention. She was immature, annoying, and daddy’s little girl even at the age of fifteen when they’d last spoken.

  However, the past didn’t dictate her favorite cousin’s current bond with his sister. He could’ve outgrown the annoyance toward his sibling.

  “She’s stirring up trouble again?” Dominic straightened.

  “Kind of.” Merely scaring grown men and women from their long-term employment. “Is she still a—”

  “Bitch?” he interrupted. “No. I think she’s evolved from that. Being a bitch was mere child’s play.”

  “Perfect.” Savannah chuckled, ignoring the flush of annoyance heating her cheeks. “You still haven’t told me why you’re here.”

  “Yeah…about that.” He flashed a smile at her. “I was supposed to call and make sure you came to a family dinner tonight. I was actually going to do it days ago, but it completely slipped my mind. So instead of calling now and getting an inevitable last-minute rejection, I thought I’d show up and drag you along kicking and screaming.”

  “Kicking and screaming?” It was a possibility. She wasn’t in the mood for a family reunion. Dominic was enough for now.

  “I’d prefer your ire to my mother’s. That woman can hold a grudge.”

  So could his sister. “I’m exhausted, Nic.” She slumped her shoulders for effect. “I don’t want to leave a bad impression after all this time apart.”

  “You’ll be fine.”

  “I’ve been in my suite less than half an hour. I haven’t even opened my suitcase.” The opportunity to catch Penny in a friendly, family situation was favorable, but Savannah needed a certain mindset to approach danger. A mindset she didn’t think she had the determination to muster.

  “Don’t waste your time with excuses. You know what my mother is like.” He stood, hovering over her. “If I show up without you, I won’t hear the end of it.”

  A smirk pulled at her lips. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

  “So you’ve decided on the kicking and screaming option?” There was no inflection in his tone. No humor. Only a formidable determination in his features. He was going to make good on his promise; she could see it in his eyes.

  “Damn you.” She pushed to her feet and glared at him. He hadn’t changed. Not one little bit. And apparently, neither had she, because she was still succumbing to his stubbornness. “I’ll get my coat.”

  Chapter Three

  “Family dinner?” She shot Dominic a scathing glance as they approached a familiar house. The curb on either side of the street was banked with cars. The driveway, too.

  “I think she may be a little over excited.” He parked in the drive behind a shiny silver sports car and cut the ignition. “But it’s free food, right?”

  There were no words. All she could do was glare.

  “Okay, okay, I’m sorry.” The laughter in his tone said otherwise. “I may have known there were a few additional people invited.”

  “A few?” Savannah released her seatbelt and shoved open her car door. “The least you could’ve done was tell me to get changed.” She was still wearing her travel clothes—old comfortable jeans, her crushed blouse that was now hidden under a black suede coat, and a shimmery pink scarf she’d hoped would detract from her laziness.

  It detracted nothing.

  “I’m going to look like the homeless cousin stumbling to the doorstep for a free hand-out.”

  “Don’t exaggerate.” He slammed his car door and rounded the hood. “You look fine. And besides, I wasn’t going to wait for an hour while you tried on a million outfits and plastered your face with make-up.”

  “Now who’s exaggerating?” She walked backward, shooting daggers at him as she approached the single-story brick building. “Just remember payback’s a bitch.”

  “And so are you, my sweet cousin.”

  He was a jerk, but gosh, she’d missed him. The banter and the fun. The laughter and the snarcasm.

  She swung around to the house to hide her smile and bounced up the three stairs toward the front door. Movement nudged her periphery and she slowed, taking in the sight of a man standing in the shadows at the far end of the porch. His hip was cocked against the banister, his eyes hooded.

  Her concentration latched on to him, unmoving as the world around her dulled to a faint hum in her mind. She wasn’t sure what intrigued her. It could be his narrowed stare, the way he didn’t greet her with warmth or kindness. Only sterile appraisal. Or maybe it was the package his arrogance came in—the tense expression, stubbled jaw, and lush lips pressed in a tight line.

  Her tongue tingled. Mouth salivated. She would’ve liked to think it was due to the heavenly aroma of her aunt’s cooking drifting in the air. Would’ve liked to…but that was a load of bull.

  “Hi.” She gave him a friendly finger wave as Dominic came up behind her.

  The man continued to stare, his face still unwelcoming in the shadows.

  “Keenan, don’t be a prick.” Dominic tugged on her arm, stealing her attention. “Come on. I’ll introduce you later.”

  She kept her focus on the stranger, their gazes entwined, hers soft and inquisitive, his harsh and fierce, as her cousin dragged her inside, the door slamming shut behind the
m. “Who was—”

  “Oh, my sweet Savannah!” Aunt Michelle hustled up the hall, wiping her hands on an old apron tied around her waist. “It’s so good to see you.”

  The familiar face held more wrinkles than Savannah remembered, her aunt’s long blonde hair now gray and thinning. But the beautiful blue eyes were still the same—loving and gentle.

  “It’s good to see you, too.” She ignored the strangers poking their heads into the hall from different doorways and fell into a comforting embrace. “Thank you for the dinner invitation.”

  “Oh, please,” her aunt chastised. “You don’t need an invitation. Come around any time.”

  There was a whirlwind of introductions. Her aunt took position on her right, gushing with affection and compliments, while Dominic remained on her left, muttering snide comments that threatened to make her laugh.

  A timer dinged from the kitchen, a welcome reprieve as her aunt excused herself and left Savannah to take a breath. There had to be twenty people crammed into the small house. All of them smiling and friendly, unlike the man outside who still lingered in her thoughts.

  “You want a drink?” Dominic nudged her elbow.

  Hell yes. “Please.” She followed him to the back of the house, into the laundry, and toward a fridge stocked full of beer, wine, and pre-mixed drinks.

  “Help yourself.”

  He held the door open while she grabbed a small bottle of something red and no doubt comatosingly sweet. “Thanks.”

  “I’m gonna hit the bathroom.” He closed the fridge door and looked at her in concern. “Can you survive for a few minutes without me?”

  “I guess I’ll have to. I’m not going to follow you to the toilet.”

  “Obviously,” he drawled. “You gave up that opportunity when we were eight.”

  “Twelve.”

  “Ten.” He chuckled and walked from the room, leaving her alone with the hovering threat of chatter from the other end of the house.