9. Tessa
Chapter 9
Tessa
I stayed snuggled in bed, arms wrapped around my pillow. I knew my alarm would go off soon, but I loved lying in bed, dozing, and enjoying being warm and cozy. I’d set the alarm for earlier than normal. There was no way I was being late today.
But right at this moment, there were no worries, no pressing things to do, no insanely attractive and demanding billionaire bosses to deal with.
My traitorous mind served up a memory of strong fingers stroking between my legs, a firm tongue circling my clit…
Something tickled my face and my eyes flew open. What the hell?
My cousin Caleb leaned over me, his cute face two inches from mine. He had blond hair shades darker than his sister.
“ Caleb .” I really needed to get my key back from the kids.
“Morning, Tessa.”
I rolled onto my back, my blissful doze and X-rated daydream evaporating. “What are you doing here?”
“I really, really want pancakes and Leo won’t make them for me.” He pouted. “I’m not allowed to use the stove.”
Swallowing a groan, I snagged Caleb’s sturdy body and yanked him onto the bed. He let out a half yelp, half laugh.
“I demand a cuddle.”
“Noooo.” He grinned at me, showing off his two huge front teeth he hadn’t grown into yet.
“Yes.” I wrestled him. “Give your cousin a big, morning hug.”
He squirmed and giggled. “I need pancakes.”
“I didn’t hear the magic word.”
“Please, Tessa.” He fluttered his eyelashes at me.
I kissed his nose. “I don’t have time to make them, my gorgeous little man, because I have to get to work. But I have time to bug your brother into making them.”
A pleased, slightly evil grin crossed Caleb’s face. “Okay.”
Shaking my head, I let him go. “I need to shower and change. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
By the time I took a lightning-fast shower, then slipped into a fitted, gray dress that I always thought looked stylish and professional, I didn’t have much time. I managed some light makeup and put my hair in a ponytail.
When I entered my living room, I found Leo sprawled on my couch watching TV, Haley snuggled up beside him cuddling Simba, and Caleb working on one of the jigsaw puzzles I kept on the bookshelf. There were pieces spread all over my rug.
At least it wasn’t Legos.
A part of me wanted to sigh, but a bigger part of me smiled. I loved these kids to bits, even when they made my mornings a little bit chaotic.
“Good morning, guys.”
“Heya, Tessa.” Leo didn’t even glance my way. His shaggy, brown hair almost covered his eyes. He was long overdue for a haircut.
“I need to get to work. We have some bigwigs in town.”
Now Leo glanced over, straightening. “Ambrose Langston.”
“That’s the one.” I pulled my cellphone off the charger. Oh, only three emails from Ro. He must have actually slept.
“The billionaire.” Leo said the word with a blush of awe.
“Yes.”
“The six-foot-something, handsome billionaire who dates supermodels.”
Ro dated supermodels? My nose wrinkled. I shouldn’t be surprised. Where was Leo going with this?
“Life is so unfair.” He flopped back on the couch. “I’m short, skinny, not a billionaire, and I don’t date supermodels.”
I hid my smile. “You’ve got time, kiddo, and now, you’ll get to do something that Ambrose Langston doesn’t.” I pulled pancake mix out of my pantry and set it on the island. “Make pancakes for your brother and sister.”
Leo groaned.
“I need to get to work.” I caught Caleb for a quick, wriggly hug, then kissed the top of Haley’s head. Simba gave me an evil stare, and I glared back. Then I ran a hand over Leo’s hair. I knew it was all the teenager would allow. “Lock up when you guys leave.”
“Bye, Tessa,” Haley yelled.
Caleb waved and Leo lifted a hand.
There was no time to stop at Mountain Brew today. I rushed out the door and saw the rumpled form of my oldest cousin ambling up the path to my front door.
Josh smiled. “Hi, Tessa.”
“It’s a miracle. He rises before lunchtime.”
His smile widened, and I took a second to wonder where my cute little cousin went and how this handsome young man had appeared in his stead. Josh was still growing into his body, but he was going to be a heartbreaker.
“Are the terrors at your place?” he asked.
“They are and itching for pancakes.”
He slid his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. “I’ll sort them out and make sure no one burns down your house.”
I kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
Powerwalking, I headed straight for the hotel. My brain didn’t listen to reason and thought about Ro while I walked. I sensed he and his father really didn’t get on. One thing I’d heard yesterday kept reverberating in my head.
Since he’d taken over, Langston Hotels had increased training opportunities and a range of benefits for employees at all the hotels across the globe. I’d done a little digging last night. I realized now that Ro was behind that.
He really wasn’t what I expected.
As I entered the lobby, I waved at Enzo. I checked my watch. Excellent, I was early.
In my office, I dumped my stuff on my desk. There was no sign of Jazz yet. Right, time to start the tour and show Ro the best parts of the hotel. Setting my shoulders back, I headed back into the lobby. Today, I was going to dazzle Ro with all the wonderful things the Windward Resort had to offer. I paused and pulled in a breath of floral-scented air. There were some guests headed to the restaurant for an early breakfast, no doubt adventurers who were keen to get in an early hike or bike ride. The rest of the guests would appear over the next few hours, filling the space with a hubbub of conversation.
Coral was at the reception desk, and I felt zero guilt about using a potted plant to avoid catching her attention. I hurried to the private elevator leading to the penthouse level and held my card against the reader. We had two penthouses. I’d given Ro one, while Piper and Caden were in smaller suites, one floor below.
In the elevator, I glanced at my reflection in the mirrored walls. I straightened my dress and tucked a loose strand of hair away.
Quit fussing. It doesn’t matter what you look like. But the thought of seeing him again left butterflies in my belly.
They’d die down eventually. “It’s going to be fine. Just focus on the hotel. You’ll show him the resort, and he’ll realize that knocking the place down makes no sense.”
The doors opened. I strode toward the double doors to Ro’s suite and knocked. I buffed the brass nameplate that said Penthouse while I waited.
The doors opened.
I smiled. “Good morning…” Oh . My brain sort of fuzzed. He’d clearly just gotten out of the shower. He wore dark suit pants, and his snowy white shirt was open. It displayed a lean, muscular chest with a light smattering of dark hair that I couldn’t seem to drag my gaze off.
I hadn’t seen much of his body that night at the masquerade. There were so many intriguing muscles and bronze skin. I highly doubted Ro sunbathed by a pool regularly, so it had to be the natural color of his skin.
“Good morning, Tessa.”
Say something. I looked up, my tongue feeling twice its usual size. “Morning.”
Okay, it came out as a slightly embarrassing squeak, but I’d managed to drag my gaze off the best chest I’d ever seen.
How did a man who wore a suit every day and did business from dawn to dusk have a body like that?
He whirled away from the door. “You’re early. Let me just finish getting ready.”
I closed the door behind me and then took in the view. The other view. The pretty mountainside, not the hot billionaire. Who is your boss, remember?
“I hope you slept well.” I noted he’d ordered room service for breakfast, the remains sitting on the coffee table.
“I did. I had a few late phone calls, but I can’t fault the beds here.” He briskly buttoned his shirt.
The naughty part of my brain mourned. He shrugged into a jacket. His suit today was dark blue. That’s when I noticed a punching bag suspended from the ceiling in the corner of the penthouse living area. I blinked.
“One of Everett’s guys installed it for me this morning. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure nothing is damaged when it’s removed.”
“You box?”
“When I can. I move around a lot, so the bag is easy to take with me.”
“You live out of your hotels?” I tried to imagine what that would be like.
He nodded. “Wherever my latest project is, that’s where I call home. At least temporarily.”
That wasn’t a home. Home was comfort and familiarity, your safe space with all your own things. I knew in theory that living in hotels sounded exciting, but I managed one, and knew how quickly the excitement would wear off.
“Well, I have the first day of our tour planned.”
“Great. I have a video call meeting with the east coast just after lunch.”
I nodded. “I’ll have you back by then.”
See, brisk and professional. I could do this.
He smiled at me. “Excellent. Let’s get started.”