Chapter 3 #2
I consider myself attractive in a no-nonsense, secretary-like way. I’m not a bombshell, nor a beach babe. A man this successful and sexy probably dates a different model every week.
Which is fine. Kellin’s not here to date me. He’s here to invest in my hotel. Hopefully.
“You know, I skipped lunch.” Kellin briefly rests a hand on my forearm. His touch makes keeping rational thoughts in my head more difficult than an act of Congress. “And I’ve heard wonderful things about your chef. Henri Moreau, isn’t it?”
So I’m not the only one who did their homework. The realization fizzes pleasantly through my head.
I admire a man who pays attention to detail. “Yes, Henri. One of our best finds.”
“You’ll have to introduce me to the menu.” While his unhurried tone relaxes me, his buttery, suggestive gaze frays my focus.
As we walk the halls, I struggle to keep from stuttering, and more than once, I’m left trailing off as he casts an appreciative glance at my profile or legs.
He’s so smooth, it’s like someone’s drizzling olive oil down my spine, vertebra by vertebra.
I may be stressed and perennially single, but I’m not so far gone that I don’t recognize sexual attraction.
Still, I can’t afford to lose myself to this man’s inconvenient allure. Thankfully, life as Declan Gallagher’s daughter has taught me how to keep up my guard. How to hide my true self.
If Kellin thinks he can charm and seduce me into giving him an advantage or signing a bad deal, he’s in for a rude awakening.
And he’ll soon find that out for himself.
I lead him through the hotel, pulling out all the stops. I show him the conference rooms, the gardens, the indoor pool, the outdoor pool, and the downstairs bars.
Throughout the tour, he compliments the decor. The hand-etched designs in the hall wainscoting. The imported wallpaper in the bar.
By the time we’ve circled back to the lobby, I’m aware of what a keen eye he has for expensive things.
He stops walking to admire the Botticino marble beneath our feet. “Italian marble, isn’t it? Must have required a significant initial investment.”
My radar pings. Interesting. A subtle probe into the hotel’s original financing.
I deflect while brushing a lock of hair behind my shoulder. “We believe in quality. The Cypress was renovated from the ground up, no expense spared. The epitome of luxury.”
“Someone has exquisite taste.” His eyelids lower when he smiles at me, his expression flickering with approval and an emotion that looks a lot like desire.
I try to ignore the fluttering sensation in my stomach. “I could say the same about you.”
He arches an amused eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?”
“Your taste. After all, you picked the Cypress.” I tilt my head to the side. If Lenora were here, she’d accuse me of flirting. “Is this your specialty, Mr. Jameson? Choosing hotels to invest in?”
“I suppose you could say that.” He rocks back on his heels, once again drawing my attention to those long, powerful legs. “Hotels are my idea of an oasis. I’m always searching for a new one.”
“You sound like you’re trying to get away from something.” The observation escapes my mouth before I can think better.
That remark should have upped the awkwardness level by a good thousand percent and turned Kellin off. Instead, he practically smolders.
“Aren’t we all, Ms. Gallagher?”
My breath hitches. “Touché.”
“The property is just as impressive as I anticipated, but in all honesty, I’m more interested in the mind behind the hotel.”
Kellin’s liquid-honey gaze leaves no room for confusion.
I’m most interested in you, Maeve.
Weren’t we just discussing the hotel decor?
I shift my weight, uncomfortable but also flattered. I can’t deny the way my blood rushes from my head to my belly and then out to every extremity.
Huh. Guess all those months of disuse didn’t transform my body into stone after all. Gaining the notice of a man like Kellin is…a uniquely flustering experience.
I steel my resolve, reminding myself of the goal. Whatever personal interest he may have in me doesn’t help matters.
Of course the first and only investment firm to contact me about the Cypress would send their best womanizer to close the deal.
Well, maybe womanizer is unfair. I can’t fault Kellin for oozing sex appeal. But he certainly knows how to use his natural assets.
He’s alluring to a fault. Polite, deceptively soft-spoken, and silver-tongued. A charmer with a dangerous edge beneath all that charisma.
Nothing overtly obvious, but the way his muscles shift beneath that bespoke suit jacket suggests he can handle himself in a fight. The way his sharp gaze sweeps an entire room in an instant implies that he could identify and neutralize a threat before it became a problem.
I shake the image away. He’s not my father, not my brothers. I’ve spent too much time around the mob.
And yet… Kellin’s probably closer to a wolf in sheep’s clothing than a lamb. Because of that, I need to remain vigilant.
He’s still staring at me.
I won’t glance away first.
“Mr. Jameson, why don’t we get you settled? Afterward, we can have dinner at the restaurant on the fifth floor, Emerald & Oak.”
A slow grin spreads across Kellin’s handsome face. “It’s a date.”
“A business meeting.” I feel like I’ve said that a lot in the past hour alone. At this point, I’m not sure who I’m reminding. “Now, if you’ll please follow me, I’ll show you to your suite.”