скачать книгу бесплатно
‘Your date must be worried about you,’ he said, and nodded, encouraging her to concentrate on his words.
‘He might be,’ she agreed, ‘if I had brought one.’
He laughed, and the sound was as manly as the rest of him. What was it about the man that enthralled all her senses?
‘And yours?’ Callie asked, and wondered at herself. This wasn’t like her. She was flirting with him. And even though she knew that she shouldn’t, she wanted to know the answer.
Their eyes locked, and once again something sizzled between them.
‘I don’t have a date here.’
‘Your girlfriend couldn’t make it tonight?’
She turned away from him as she asked the question, and leaned her head back against the elevator wall. She didn’t want to succumb to the magnetism that surrounded him, but she had already failed miserably. She shouldn’t be asking him about his personal life. But every time she looked at him her heart kicked in her chest and she wanted to know more. If she looked away, the walls began to close in on her.
So she chose the lesser of the two evils and turned back to him. His eyes were patient, steady, and she gave in to the temptation. ‘Couldn’t she?’
‘There’s no girlfriend.’
Was she imagining the slight tension in his voice?
‘And you don’t have a boyfriend, I assume?’
‘You assume correctly—although I probably shouldn’t be telling you that.’
‘Why not?’
‘Well, you’re a strange man and we’re stuck in an elevator together. What’s going to deter you from putting the moves on me now that you know I don’t have a boyfriend?’
Callie said the words before she could think about what they might provoke. But he just said, ‘You don’t have to worry about that. I don’t “put the moves” on anyone.’
‘So women just drop at your feet, then?’ She couldn’t take her eyes off him as she dug deeper.
‘Sometimes.’
He smiled, but even in the dim light she could see something in his eyes that she couldn’t decipher.
‘Ah, modesty. Charming.’ She said it in jest, but her heart sank. This man—this very attractive man who made her heart beat faster just by looking at her—wasn’t interested in one woman. Women fell at his feet—and she wouldn’t be one of them.
He laughed, and then sobered. ‘Mostly I stay away from them.’
Callie felt herself soften just a little at the heartbreak she could hear ever so slightly in his voice. And just like that her judgement of him faded away. He didn’t want women, or even just one woman—he wanted to be alone. Callie couldn’t figure out which fact bothered her the most.
‘I’m sorry. She must have been a real piece of work.’
He didn’t answer her, but his face told her everything that she needed to know. She placed a hand over his and squeezed it, hoping to provide him with some comfort. But when he laid his hand over hers in return, comfort was the last thing on her mind. His hand brought heat to hers, and lit her heart so that it beat to a rhythm she couldn’t fathom. He leaned his head towards hers, and suddenly heat spread through her bloodstream.
This couldn’t be right, she thought desperately as she pulled her hand away. They barely knew each other. She wouldn’t let herself fall into a web of attraction with a man who was as charming as a fairy-tale prince.
Before she could worry about it the elevator lurched and the lights came back on. He stood and offered a hand to her, a slight smile on his gorgeous face. Did he know the effect he had on her? Or was he simply aware that he’d helped distract her from one of her worst fears?
As Callie took his hand she had to admit that he had kept her thoughts off being stuck in an elevator. And she blamed that—and his good looks—on her uncharacteristic reaction.
‘Thank you,’ she said as the elevator doors opened. ‘I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.’
The breath of relief that was released from her lungs as she walked away was because she was out of the enclosed space, Callie assured herself, and ignored the voice in her head that scoffed at the lie.
* * *
Blake Owen stopped at the doors of the banquet hall and resisted the urge to walk away. He had never been a fan of opulence, but rarely did he have a choice in the matter. Which was fine, he supposed. In his business, events of an extravagant nature were integral to success, and the welcome for him tonight was an excellent example of that. He would be introduced to the Elegance Hotel in Cape Town in a style that would keep the hotel’s name at the forefront of the media’s attention while he sorted out the troublesome operation.
So he accepted his lot and walked into the room, snagging a flute of champagne from the nearest waiter’s tray before taking the whole scene in.
Glamour spread from the roof to the floor and fairy lights and sparkling chandeliers twinkled like stars against the midnight-blue draping. Black-and-white-clad waiters wove through the crowd while men and women in tuxedos and evening gowns air-kissed and wafted around on clouds of self-importance.
Blake almost rolled his eyes—until he remembered the guests were there in his honour. The thought made him empty the entire champagne glass and exchange it for a full one from the next waiter. He noted that the power outage hadn’t seemed to dampen the evening’s festivities. But when he looked at the scene with the eye of a manager he could see some slightly frazzled members of staff weaving through the crowd doing damage control.
He managed to get the attention of one of them, and took the frightened young man to a less populated corner of the hall.
‘What happened when the electricity went out?’
As Blake spoke the man’s eyes widened and Blake thought that ‘boy’ might be a more appropriate description.
‘It was only a few moments, sir. As you can see, everything is running smoothly again. Enjoy your evening.’
The boy made to move away, but at Blake’s look he paused.
‘Was there anything else, sir?’
‘Yes, actually. I was wondering if you brush off the concerns of all your guests, or if you reserve that for just a handful of people.’
If the boy had looked nervous before, he was terrified now. ‘No...no, sir. I’m sorry you feel that I did. We’re just a bit busy, and I have to make sure that everything is okay before Mr Owen gets here.’
‘That would be me.’
The words were said in a low voice, softly, but for their effect they might have been earth-shatteringly loud.
‘Mr... Mr Owen?’ the boy stammered. ‘Sir, I am so sorry—’
‘It’s fine,’ Blake said when he saw the boy might have a heart attack from the shock. ‘You can answer my original question.’ At his blank look, Blake elaborated. ‘The power outage...?’
‘Oh, yes. Well, it wasn’t such a train smash here. The candles gave sufficient light that there wasn’t much panic, and Connor—Mr McKenzie, I mean—managed to calm whatever concerns there were.’
Blake was surprised the boy had been able to string enough words together to give him such a thorough explanation.
‘And that was it?’
‘Yes, sir. The generator was back on in under thirty minutes, so it wasn’t too long. Although I did hear there were people trapped in the elevator.’
Blake thought it best not to tell the boy he had been one of those who had been trapped. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to handle another shock.
‘When was the last time the generator was checked?’
‘I...I don’t know, sir.’
Blake nodded and left it at that, making a mental note to check that out when he officially started on Monday. The list of what he would have to do at the hotel seemed to grow the more time he spent there, and he wasn’t having it. Not any more. Somehow the Elegance in Cape Town had flown under his radar for the past few years, while he had focused on his other hotels in South Africa.
And while he focused on rebuilding his self-respect after letting himself be fooled into a relationship that should never have been.
When he had eventually started reviewing the financials he’d realised that although Connor McKenzie had pulled the hotel out of the mess that Landon Meyer, the previous regional manager, had made, it wasn’t enough. The hotel hadn’t made a profit for three years, and he couldn’t let that continue.
But that wasn’t tonight’s problem, Blake thought as he scanned the crowd. He knew it would only take a few minutes before he would be recognised, and then he would have to start doing the rounds as guest of honour. He paused when he saw the woman he had been stuck in the elevator with a few moments ago. She was standing near a table full of champagne, and before Blake knew it he was walking towards her.
As he came closer he saw that his recollection of their time spent in the elevator didn’t do justice to what he saw now. He had noticed that she was attractive when she’d walked in, but he had taken care not to stare. And with the darkness that had descended only a few moments later, he hadn’t been able to look at her as he was now.
The red dress she wore clung only to her chest and then flowed regally down from her waist to the floor. Her black hair stood out strikingly against the dress, her golden skin amplifying the effect, and for reasons he couldn’t quite place his finger on it disconcerted him. Her round face held an innocence he hadn’t been privy to in a long time, and her green eyes persuaded him to consider pursuing her.
The thought shocked him, as there was nothing in her expression to prompt it. There was also nothing in his past that encouraged him to trust a woman again. Yet now he felt an intense desire to get to know this woman. One he had only just met an hour ago.
* * *
‘I think that after being stuck in an elevator the least we could do is have a drink together.’
Callie heard the deep voice as she reached for a glass of champagne. Her hand stilled, and then she continued, hoping that her pause wouldn’t be noticed.
‘I don’t know if I’m inclined to agree,’ she said and took a sip of her drink. ‘I never have drinks with anyone I don’t know.’
‘Really? But you have nothing against flirting with strangers?’ He gave her an amused look, his smile widening when she blushed.
‘Must have been a temporary lapse in judgement.’
‘How do you date if you don’t flirt?’
‘I don’t.’ She sipped her drink.
‘Which would explain the lack of a boyfriend.’
Callie aimed a level look at him. ‘Yes. And it would also explain why I don’t have to deal with conversations like this very often.’
‘Touché.’ He smiled and lifted his glass to her in a toast.
Her lips almost curved in response, but then she stopped herself. What was she doing? A memory flashed into her mind, of him sitting with her in the elevator, patiently talking to her to distract her from her fears. And then she remembered. She was flirting with him because there was something about him that had kept her calm when she should have had a panic attack.
Heaven help her.
‘And you’ve told me everything I need to know about why you’re single, then?’ she asked, and immediately regretted it when his expression dimmed. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.’
‘No,’ he responded, ‘it’s fine.’ But he changed the topic. ‘Since you seem to want to know so much about me, how about you offer me the same courtesy? You can start with your name.’
She smiled. ‘Callie.’
She held out her hand, proud that her voice revealed none of the strange feelings he evoked in her. He took it and shook it slowly, making the ordinary task feel like an intimate act, and she shifted as a thrill worked its way up her spine.
‘Blake? I’m so glad I’ve found you. I was about to send out a search party.’
Callie stared dumbly at her brother as he strode towards them, his tuxedo perfectly fitted to his build and perfectly suited to his handsome features.
‘Hey, Cals, I’m happy you made it without missing too much.’ Connor gave her a kiss on the cheek, and angled his face so that Blake wouldn’t see his questioning look. ‘I see you’ve met the reason we’re all here.’
It took a full minute before Callie could process his words. ‘This is Blake Owen?’
‘Yes.’ Blake intercepted Connor’s reply. ‘Although, to be fair, I was about to introduce myself. Connor just got here before I could.’
Blake shook Connor’s hand in greeting, and Callie couldn’t help but notice how much more efficient the action was now than when he had done it with her.
‘How do you two know each other?’
‘Connor is my brother,’ Callie said, before her brother could say anything. All the feelings inside her had frozen, and she resisted the urge to shiver.
‘So you’re here to support him? That’s great.’ Blake smiled at her.
Connor laughed. ‘No! Callie’s a good sister, but I’m not sure she would attend an event so far out of her comfort zone for me.’ At Blake’s questioning look, Connor elaborated. ‘Callie works at the hotel.’
Connor’s simple words shattered the opportunity for any explanation Callie might have wanted to give. Blake’s eyes iced, and this time she couldn’t resist the shiver that went through her body.
‘Well, we should probably get going,’ Connor said when the silence extended a second too long.
‘Yes,’ Blake agreed, his gaze never leaving Callie’s. ‘You should probably start introducing me to the other employees—’ he said the word with a contempt that Callie hadn’t expected ‘—before I make a mistake I can’t rectify.’
Callie watched helplessly as they walked away, wondering how she had already managed to alienate her CEO.
CHAPTER TWO (#u06b914d6-08fb-5a27-a24b-996affef23e6)
BLAKE WATCHED AS the crowd in the banquet hall began to thin. There must have been about three hundred people there, he thought. And, the way he felt, he was sure he had spoken to every single one of them. No, he corrected himself almost immediately. Not everyone. There was one person he had avoided ever since learning who she was—an employee of the hotel.
Julia, his ex, had been an employee. She had been a part of the Human Resources team in the Port Elizabeth hotel, where he spent most of his time.
He had been enamoured of her. She was beautiful, intelligent, and just a little arrogant. And she had a son who had crept into his heart the moment Blake had met him. It had been a fascinating combination—the gorgeous, sassy woman and the sweet, shy child. One that had lured him in and blinded him to the truth of what she’d wanted from him. The truth that had made him distrust his judgement and conclude that staying away from his employees would be the safest option to avoid getting hurt.
He narrowed his eyes when he saw Callie walking towards him, and cursed himself for the attraction that flashed through his body. But he refused to give in to it. He would ignore the way some strands of her hair had escaped from her hairstyle and floated down to frame her face. He wouldn’t notice that she walked as if someone had rolled out a red carpet for her. He hardened himself against the effect she had on him—and then she was in front of him and her smell nearly did him in.
The floral scent was edged with seduction—a description that came from nowhere as she stood innocently in front of him, those emerald eyes clear of any sign of wrongdoing.
‘What do you want?’ he snapped, and surprised himself. Regardless of the way his body reacted to her, he could control it. He would control it.
Her eyes widened, but then set with determination. ‘I wanted to set the record straight. I know you must be confused after finding out I work here.’
‘That isn’t the word I’d use.’
