32. Ronan
“ T his is a fucking joke, right?” I check around for hidden cameras.
Henry’s smarmy smile says he’s enjoying every second of my confusion. “If there’s one thing I would never joke about, it’s a business decision.”
“And you can’t think of a single other shoulder to tap besides mine? Really ?”
The boardroom leather chair creaks as he stands, relieving it of his weight.
“I can think of several.” He wanders over to peer out the window, his hands tucked into his pockets.
It’s rare to not see him in a suit, but today he’s dressed down in a golf shirt and plain black pants.
Still looks like he bleeds hundred-dollar bills. “So? Are you interested?”
I stall on an answer. I’m shocked is what I am. “Why me?”
Wolf pivots, setting his hands on the back of another chair, his ice-blue eyes settled on me.
I can’t argue that I don’t see the appeal.
The guy won every lottery at birth, including the physical genes.
If my proclivities leaned that way, I’m sure I’d be eager to impress him.
“Because you’ve earned my trust, and I trust very few people. ”
“I’m … honored?” What else do I say? “But how does that translate into running a hotel for you?”
His chuckle is dark. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. Not running the hotel. You’d report to the general manager.”
“But the grounds and facilities and admin managers would all report to me .”
“Yes.”
I sink my teeth into my bottom lip as I consider this. “ Why me ?”
“You have a degree in business administration and management from Indianapolis, don’t you?”
“It’s a piece of paper.”
“Graduated near the top of your class too,” he goes on as if I hadn’t spoken. “And you were hired as a staff coordinator at Wolf there?—”
“Before I begged them to move me outside because I hate being stuck behind a desk.”
“This will be nothing like that, I can promise you.” He chuckles. “I have to say, I’ve never had anyone try to talk their way out of a huge promotion.”
This isn’t a promotion. This is a joke. “I have no experience with this type of role,” I say instead.
“True,” he concedes. “But in the last year, your supervisor has been giving you more responsibility, has he not?”
“He’s definitely unloaded his job responsibilities onto me, if that’s what you mean.”
“Because I asked him to.”
My eyebrows arch. “That was coming from you ?”
“It sure as hell wasn’t coming from Charlie. He’s still paranoid we’re replacing him.” Henry pauses. “But he’s been impressed. Says you’re not nearly as stupid or lazy as he assumed.”
I snort.
Wolf settles into the chair he was leaning on. “If you haven’t figured it out yet, I make a lot of my decisions based on my gut, and it has rarely steered me wrong.”
“Whatever you base it on, you seem to be winning at life,” I agree begrudgingly. The guy has more money than he knows what to do with.
“My gut says you are capable of a hell of a lot more than popping umbrellas and stacking firewood. In the last two years, you have proven your loyalty?—”
“To your wife, not you,” I cut in.
His jaw clenches. “Don’t think for one second that I’m clueless about your feelings for Abbi. Now shut the fuck up and listen.”
After a beat, I purse my lips and nod.
Taking a deep breath, he continues, “You’ve proven your loyalty to my company and to those I would kill for.
You keep your mouth shut when you could be cashing in on the things you know.
You’ve got solid instincts. From what Abbi says, you’ve been trying to turn your life around, make better choices.
You’re not fucking every female that walks across your path. ”
Hey, Pot . I bite down on my tongue.
“You keep calm and pragmatic in the face of pressure.” He rubs a hand across the back of his neck, as if uncomfortable. “You crawled into a collapsed mine shaft to get me out. I literally owe you my life.”
My chest rises on an inhale, but I have no answer. Again, that was for Abbi.
“What do you know about Mermaid Beach?” he asks, swinging our discomfort to safer waters.
“There aren’t actually mermaids there?” I flash a crooked smile before I shift into semiserious mode. “It’s an up-and-coming area on the north side of the Gulf of Mexico.” I’ve overheard more than one person talking about getaways there lately.
“It’s exploding. This location is primed to become one of our most successful.
” He tosses a travel magazine across the table toward me, to where a modern white Wolf Hotel graces the cover—a luxury resort on the Emerald Coast. “My father saw the potential decades ago when he bought that land. He knew the area would draw tourism one day, and here we are. They’re calling it the Hamptons of the South.
The sand is made of white quartz crystal from the Appalachian Mountains, carried down by rivers and bleached by the sun.
It looks and feels like sugar. I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere else in the world.
” He hesitates. “This was William Wolf’s baby, and I’m determined to make sure it exceeds expectations. ”
I don’t know much about Henry’s father except what I’ve heard from Abbi.
It sounds like their relationship was complicated, but Henry obviously respected him greatly.
“Which is why, again, I’m wondering how your gut says a guy from your outdoor crew is the right call.
I’m a little worried. Should I call Abbi in here? ”
He smirks. “I thought you’d be more excited.”
“Did you, actually?” I counter dryly.
“Why does everything with you feel like a test? I’m seconds from pulling this offer.”
“Okay, okay,” I hold up my hands in surrender. “Say for a second I was mildly intrigued. What if I go out there and it doesn’t work? What if I hate it? What if I fuck it up?”
“You have a team of experienced managers who know how to do their jobs, and you have Belinda to help you get a handle on things. I’m sure you remember her,” he adds.
“Vaguely,” I lie. “Is she on board with this?” With having a supremely underqualified guy run all the facilities, one she got caught on a security camera fucking two summers ago?
“Of course she is,” he retorts without missing a beat, his lie delivered as smoothly as mine.
“Give it six months. If you hate it or still feel like you’re not the right person, you can demote yourself and go back to doing grunt work.
Here is your contract, which includes compensation and perks.
” He slides a sheet across the table with his index finger.
I scan the page.
And struggle to keep my calm. “That’s … enticing.”
“I thought it would be.” He pauses. “So, is that a yes?”
“ Wait , you want an answer right now ?”
“Before I leave this room in …” He glances at his gold watch. “Four minutes. We’ve moved up the start dates for the last wave of hires to next week. I need you in your new office by Thursday.”
“Fuck, man! I knew you were impatient, but that’s in, like, three days .” Today is Monday, which means I’d be leaving Miami on Wednesday. “That doesn’t give me any time to sort out my shit.”
“And what shit do you need to get sorted, Ronan? Rent for the condo you share?” He leans back in his chair, a triumphant expression on his face as if he’s already won.
The truth is, he probably has. I don’t have anything tying me down here.
This new salary is more than enough to cover my rent—which is higher now with Ryan moved out— and wipe out my student loans, forget the perks of a company vehicle and paid accommodations.
I’d only be committing myself for six months.
Still … that’s a long time in a place where I don’t know anyone, while I prove to this arrogant prick that his gut isn’t always right.
A thought strikes me. “Hiring decisions are mine?”
“Theoretically, yes. A lot of the staff is already in place. We still need to fill seasonal roles, which we’ll do at this Friday’s job fair. Your managers will take care of that, but you’ll oversee final decisions.”
“So I could bring in my own people?”
“ You have people?” he asks smugly.
I grin. “One extremely annoying person.”
Henry’s lips twist with his curse. “Let me guess … ”
“Hey, you’re asking me to pick up my life in three days, and I don’t know a soul there besides Belinda, and we both know exactly how that’s going to go.
” After that fateful day, she avoided Connor and me like we were carrying no less than ten communicable diseases.
“Besides, Con and I are a package deal.” We’ve been attached at the hip since the day I stepped off the plane two years ago.
Something tells me he will riot if I don’t negotiate on his behalf.
“That’ll leave Charles two bodies short,” Henry says after a moment.
“You and I both know he can replace us like that.” I snap my fingers.
With a heavy sigh, he concedes. “If you want to bring your man-child with you, that’s your call.” He leans in, suddenly serious. “But this is not Wolf Cove. I can’t have my director of operations fucking every staff member there.”
“It would only be the female staff.” The flat look I get back has me retreating. “Those days are done, I promise you.” I’m not about to admit that I haven’t had sex since New Year’s Eve and even that interaction left me feeling hollow.
“Yes, Abbi alluded to that.” He hesitates. “You’ll be senior management, and Wolf Hotels has strict policies in place about managers engaging in intimate relationships with their subordinates …”
His words drown out with my bark of laughter.
A ghost of a smile grazes his lips. “Fair enough, but the policy is real, even if I didn’t follow it.”
“Can I hire my own assistant?”
“ No . Belinda has taken care of that, and he is getting your office ready as we speak.”
“Probably wise.” When Henry replaced Abbi, it was with Miles—a gangly, nervous guy who Abbi never has to be jealous of.
“Also, the neighbor is off-limits.”
I frown. “The hotel ’s neighbor?”
“The owner of the property beside us, yes. They’ve caused me plenty of legal issues and I’m dealing with them accordingly.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“They picked the fight. And they’ll end up regretting it, believe me. Now, unless there’s something else, sign that and get your ass to admin.” Henry Wolf doesn’t wait for my answer, sliding out of his chair and strolling out of the Pacific Room without another backward glance.