by Donna Alward
“Thank you, and no, I was enjoying a drink and the music.” Mari struggled to make her voice sound less strangled than she felt.
A recent jazz cd played over the speakers. She hadn’t paid it a whit of attention but needed to cover. It was becoming clear that Luca was a toucher. He was comfortable with easy, physical gestures like polite kisses and hand clasps. It should help, knowing they were impersonal, but Mari knew she could never be that tactile with people. It was simply too difficult. Yet to explain was unthinkable. She’d just have to muddle through.
“I ordered us some wine on the way in. I’m looking forward to tasting something more local.”
Brenda came back with a bottle and moved to uncork it, but Luca took it from her hands. “Thank you, Brenda, but I can do this.”
Mari looked at him, tilting her head as he applied the corkscrew to the bottle. He was new, and likely jet-lagged, but he’d remembered Brenda’s name. She couldn’t help but be impressed. It showed an attention to detail that surprised her, and people didn’t often surprise her.
He pulled out the cork with a minimum of fuss and put the bottle down briefly. “You haven’t said anything.”
“I’m waiting to get to the business portion of the meal.”
She set her lips and looked him dead in the eye. A deal was a deal. As long as he kept it about The Cascade, they’d have no problems.
He chuckled as he poured wine into two glasses. “Single minded. I like that. It means you’re focused, driven.”
“A compliment.”
“Perhaps. I’m reserving judgment. Waiting to see if you’re also rigid, stubborn, and always need to be right.”
Mari grabbed her tonic water as her face flamed. Of all the nerve!
“I don’t apologize for being organized or efficient.”
“Nor should you. They’re admirable qualities.”
Mari looked out the window and away from him. She’d never met a man like him. She couldn’t quite pin him down and that threw her off balance. Normally she could typecast a person within moments of meeting. She put them in a file in her mind and dealt with them accordingly.
But not Luca. There was something different about him that she couldn’t put her finger on. He was very modern with his carefully messed hair, the way he left his collar open so that Mari was treated to a tempting glimpse of the tanned hollow of his throat. As he lifted his glass, she spied a ring on his right hand—plain, not ostentatious at all. It almost looked antique. In the centre of the flat gold oval was the imprint of a lily. The same imprint that she recognized from the company logo. It was the only jewelry he wore. His entire demeanor suggested playboy, but there was something more.
“Let’s order,” he suggested, his voice drawing her eyes away from the ring. “We’ll talk about the food and brainstorm about what The Cascade will become.”
He flipped open his menu, skimmed it and shut it again.
“Just like that?”
“Absolutely.”
Mari looked down at her own menu, though she could recite it without seeing the words. Everything about him threw her off her stride. Just when she credited him with not making decisions, he surprised her by being annoyingly definitive.
“We should switch tables. There’s usually a wait for this one and our guests do come first.”
Luca regarded her over his glass. “No need. I took care of it.”
“And how, may I ask, did you do that?”
His smile was meant to be disarming. She noticed again the sensual curve of his lips and wondered what cruel joke the universe was playing, sending such a man for her to deal with. She was completely out of her depth and drowning fast.
“I called the room, spoke to a lovely gentleman who is here celebrating his twentieth anniversary with his wife. I explained who I was and said that the hotel would be happy to treat him—and his wife—to a five course meal in their room, along with a bottle of champagne.”
Mari’s lips dropped open before she could help it. Mentally she added up the cost of such a thing. It was selfish. Indulgent. All so he could have the best table.
“It would have been easier, and cheaper, for us to simply eat at a different table.”
Luca ran a finger down the leather spine of the menu, a smile playing on his lips. “Perhaps. But they get an anniversary to remember, and I get to enjoy the sight of you at the best table in the house. It is…how do you put it? A no-brainer.”
She ignored the compliment. “It’s self indulgent.”
“Of course. Shouldn’t The Cascade be about indulgence?”
She lowered her voice to a whisper that hissed across the table. “You’re going to indulge us right out of business!”
A waiter came to take their order. Without missing a beat, Luca ordered the Harvest Squash Soup and Pancetta Salmon, while she scanned the menu once more before making her selection. In the heat of the discussion, she’d forgotten what she wanted, and the gap of silence was awkward.
“The pasta, Ms. Ross?” the waiter suggested. She closed the leather cover and nodded. When the menus were taken away, Luca leaned forward, close enough she could smell the light, masculine scent of his cologne. Exclusive, expensive, and somehow perfectly Luca. Her pupils widened as he took the finger that had caressed the menu and ran it lightly over her wrist. The action surprised her so much she couldn’t even think to pull away.
“Mr. and Mrs. Townsend will have an incomparable anniversary night. Mr. Townsend is a prominent attorney, did you know that? His wife is involved in several charities. What do you think they’ll say to their friends when they return home? That the room was lovely? That the mountains were splendid? That could be said of nearly every hotel in this area.” He withdrew his finger from the delicate skin of her wrist and looked in her eyes. “They will remark at how special they felt. The delightful meal served in their room by attentive staff. The complimentary champagne and the single red rose presented to Mrs. Townsend.”
He sat back, satisfied. “Don’t underestimate the power of a happy customer, Mari. We’ll more than earn back what dinner cost. The Townsends will come back. And they’ll likely bring a trail of friends and associates with them. They’ll remember the romance.”
His eyebrows lifted as it dawned. “That’s it. That’s the new branding.”
He changed tack so often she was having difficulty following. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“The Fiori Cascade. Remember the Romance.” He clapped his hands together then reached for his wine. “This room—the Panorama. It’s romantic, don’t you think?” He didn’t wait for her answer. “Look at the color, the furnishings. Timeless, nostalgic, reminiscent of a golden age. Gleaming wood, rich scarlet and gold. A place where women feel beautiful and wooed. A place to slow down, be indulged, pampered. Chandeliers and fine wine and—”
He paused.
“You’re not saying anything.”
“I can’t get a word in edgewise.” Mari wasn’t as impressed as she perhaps should be. By tomorrow his ideas could have changed a half dozen times, for all she knew.
“You don’t like it? You don’t agree?”
“I think you’re getting carried away with an idea.”
“Oh, but Mari, ideas are best part.” He reached out and clasped her hand. “There is nothing more exciting than looking and seeing all the possibilities.”
She pulled her hand away, cradling it in her lap. Luca carried on as if he hadn’t noticed her abrupt withdrawal. “Taking a vision and making it reality is the best part of my job.”
Their first course was served. Mari watched as Luca tried the soup, closed his eyes, and murmured, “Mmmm.”
She stared at the full curve of his lips, shocked to feel the stirrings of attraction in the midst of such animosity. Instantly those stirrings were followed by numbing fear. It wouldn’t matter. She wasn’t capable of relationships. She was done with trusting and taking risks. That she’d suddenly gone from physical appreciation to attrac
tion startled her sufficiently to keep her on task. She stabbed at her greens like she was wielding a pitchfork.
He looked around and Mari tried to see what he was seeing. People enjoying fine food in an elegant setting. It’s what they paid for, what they expected. How would that all change? How would the rest of the hotel look, if it followed in the tradition of this room?
“What are you thinking?” He put down his spoon and she felt his eyes on her.
“Just wondering.” The trouble was, she could see it. Could see how stunning, marvelous it would be. Like stepping back in time.
“Trust me, Mari.”
She dropped her eyes and focused on spearing a large chunk of walnut from her salad. “I can’t.”
“Don’t you feel the beauty here? This room…this is what The Cascade should embody. It’s warm, it’s cozy, yet it’s rich and opulent at the same time. From the outside it’s a castle. On the inside…it needs to be an embrace. When guests are here they need to be soaked in beauty.”
“Please.” That one word was ripe with disdain. She could not be wooed by pretty words, and he’d been doling out more than his share. Pretty words did not keep a four-star hotel profitable. Pretty words did not—would not—not keep her in line.
“You’re worried about the money. And details.”
“Bingo.”
Luca picked up his spoon again, ate some soup. “I’ll tell you what, Mari. I’ll start making some notes. I’ll even put some preliminary figures together… just for you.
“You’re too kind.” She didn’t attempt to disguise the sarcasm. It was becoming increasingly clear that Luca was full of grand schemes and she was going to have her hands full keeping him out of the clouds and on the ground.
“Mari?”
She raised her eyebrows.
“Why are you so determined to dislike me?”
She looked away from the steady gaze. There was nothing condemning in it, just a curiosity that burned through her.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to like him or dislike him. It was more a matter of self-preservation. She didn’t like change, didn’t work well with change. And it was everything Luca represented. She’d worked so hard to get where she was, to feel comfortable and established and…safe. And he waltzed in, in his expensive clothes and sexy smile and heirloom rings and wanted to change everything. And with a method that made no sense to her. All of a sudden safe wasn’t a sure thing.
“It’s not about liking or disliking, Luca. It’s about the changes. You’re changing more than the name. You’re changing things that some of us have worked very hard to maintain. I’ve put a lot of time and energy into this hotel and perhaps I feel like that’s being swept away without a moment’s consideration. Meanwhile all of us here will remain long after you’re gone. When you’re done, you can wash your hands of it. We’re left to deal with what comes after.” He’d blow through like a whirlwind, and what destruction would be left in his wake?
Luca leaned forward, linking his hands on the white cloth on the table. “I understand that, really I do. But this is where you have to trust me. This is what I do, Mari. This is what my family has done for decades. I know my job and I’m good at it. If I weren’t, Fiori wouldn’t be nearly as successful as it is. I’m not going to throw out you, or the staff, along with the old carpet. I promise.”
And oh, she wanted to believe him. Desperately. But trust was a very rare commodity.
“You also need to consider how this will effect us fiscally. The reality of it. It cannot be ignored.” I can’t be ignored, she thought, but swallowed it away. This wasn’t about her, not really.
“Reality is overrated. What we’re selling is an experience, an escape, a fantasy.”
He leaned over so that the enticing scent of his cologne tickled her nose once more. His toffee-eyes captured hers. “When was the last time you indulged in a fantasy, Mari?”
Chapter 3
Mari stopped, smoothed her skirt first and then her hair, then knocked on the door that was her old office.
“Come in.”
It was odd, finding her new boss sitting in her old chair, but she pushed the feeling aside. He needed a working area, and she was now in the manager’s office. It didn’t make sense to feel he was taking over her space. She was the one with the big office now.
She’d had to push a lot of feelings aside this morning, like the lingering fear that flickered in her belly when she remembered her dream of last night. There was no sense worrying about the fact that the dream was back. She would just chalk it up to the chocolate she’d indulged in last night at dessert. That, paired to the chaos that was rapidly becoming her life, explained it, even if she couldn’t quite shake the darkness of it from her system. Considering the letter she’d received two days ago, it wasn’t surprising. She hated the thought of Robert being up for parole. Hated the way the mere mention of his name paralyzed her. Focusing on work was the only thing keeping her sane. And Luca wasn’t making it any easier. He’d featured in her dream as well. But she had to shake it and be objective.
This was about today, about figuring out what it was Luca planned to do and exerting some of her own caution over the procedure. He would do whatever he wanted. She’d realized that after their dinner last night. But she was no pushover. Not anymore. She would keep things logical, reasonable. Within boundaries. In all areas.
“Mari! Good morning.” He gave a click of the mouse before pushing back his chair. “I was just sending an email to my sister in Florence. Sharing my ideas and getting her input. She’s got a fantastic eye.”
“Then why didn’t she come?” The question was out before Mari could think and her cheeks bloomed at her rudeness.
“Because she has a three-year-old and a baby to look after. I’m hoping she’ll make it out next summer, when the refurbishing is complete, and the landscaping done. As it is, she’s nagging me to be back home for Christmas.”
“You think we’ll be done that soon?”
“Shoulder season is the best time to renovate. I can always come back after the holiday and finish things off.”
Mari stood awkwardly in the doorway, unsure of how to proceed. Her blazer pocket contained half a dozen messages she should answer, and she knew there were matters that needed her attention on her desk. So why didn’t she get to it?
“Did you need something in particular?” Luca posed the question, raising his eyebrows and Mari felt even more awkward.
“No, not really. I’ll just, um, go to my office, and if you need me for anything you can find me there.”
“I’m waiting for a call from a designer. He did some work for us when we bought the Colorado Springs property and with the similarity in settings, I thought bringing him up here would be a good idea. I know what I want, but I’m at a loss when it comes to deciding fabrics and tapestries and…well, it’s Dean’s job to take my vision and put it all together.”
Her mouth went dry. Nine o’clock in the morning and he was already moving forward without even discussing things with her. Was this all going to happen without her, then? “And what’s my job in all this?”
For a moment she was afraid he was going to get up and her fingers felt for the handle of the door. Briefly she remembered the touch of his finger on her wrist last night. But he merely crossed an ankle over his knee and smiled up at her. “Your job is to keep the hotel running as seamlessly as possible for our guests and staff. I can already see you’re good at it. And your job is also to help me. I do want your input, Mari.”
When the phone on his desk rang, his attention slid away from her completely, and she felt like a child dismissed from the principal’s office. Damn, she’d come in here hoping to get some insight into his plans, figure out a way to retain at least some control over the whole business. And she was leaving with nothing.
Mari made her way to the manager’s office in a daze. It was clear she wasn’t needed when it came to whatever changes were impending. As far as Luca was concerned, she
was there to keep people happy.
She shut her office door firmly and threw her purse on her chair. She hadn’t worked this hard to build up her life to have someone dismiss it like it didn’t matter. Her years of being a doormat were over. She thought of the court proceedings happening this very moment and lifted her chin. She smoothed her hands over her cheeks, trying to soothe away the nagging feeling of inadequacy. She wouldn’t let him do this to her. This was her life now, and she would hold on to it with both hands.
He was bringing in a designer, of course he was. That was logical. But it was all happening so quickly. And she didn’t deal well with change. She wanted everything back the way it was.
Luca would consult with this designer and she’d be out of the decision-making process. She couldn’t let that happen. If she did, he’d start making unilateral decisions that affected everyone. He’d have all the control and the thought terrified her.
But how could she hold her ground, when the very thought of asserting herself into the situation made her stomach tremble and her knees watery?
She had to come up with something that showed her value. When the idea hit she was shocked she hadn’t thought of it before. The hotel had an attic. And with every renovation, she knew certain things had been placed there for storage. She was sure there was a trove of antiques from the original design up there. She remembered what he’d said last night about returning to a “golden age.” Rich fabrics and natural wood. If she remembered correctly, there was an old chandelier up there, and who knew what other treasures she’d find?
She jumped up from her chair, ignoring the open file on her desk and grabbing instead a ring of keys from the back of her desk drawer. She was just turning into the hall when she ran smack-dab into the solid wall of his chest.
“Allentare!” He gripped her arms to steady her, and she stiffened beneath his fingers. “Mari, slow down! Are you all right?”
“Let me go. I’m fine.” She shook off his hands and straightened her shoulders.
Luca stood back, nonplussed. The woman was as prickly as a cactus. She’d nearly knocked him over and now stood glaring at him like it was his fault that she’d come storming out of her office, not looking where she was going.
