Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
The conference room overlooking Newport Harbor had fallen silent. Unfortunately for everyone present, it was not the productive kind of silence.
Instead, it was the kind that settled in after someone realized they were about to have the worst day of their career.
I stared at the financial report spread across the polished table before lifting my eyes to the six executives seated across from me.
“Tell me something,” I said, folding my hands. “If I walked into one of your hotels and found a six percent decline in guest retention, would any of you consider it acceptable?”
The regional director cleared his throat. “No, sir.”
“No.” I nodded. “Because six percent isn’t a fluctuation,” I slid the report across the table. “It’s incompetence.”
The paper stopped directly in front of the man. I watched as he swallowed, and everyone around him stayed silent.
“Sir, if I may,” another spoke.
I looked at him. “Go on…”
“Well, it’s just that times have changed.”
I glanced at Wyatt, then at the man. “Have they now?”
“Yes, people are traveling differently. Less.”
“Interesting,” I answered. “Wyatt, tell me, has Horizon Madrid seen a decline due to the recent economic news flash Mr. Porter revealed to us?”
“No.”
“What about Horizon Monaco?”
“They’re actually seeing an increase,” Wyatt answered.
“Horizon London?”
“No.”
I exhaled. “Do you know what bothers me most?” I asked, my voice low and even. “I don’t really give a shit about the revenue.” I looked each woman and man at the table in the eye. “Revenue can be recovered. Reputation cannot.” I leaned back. “Wyatt?”
“Yes,” my brother answered, sitting casually in his chair.
“How many months has the La Jolla property received complaints about service?”
He inhaled, eying the executives seated across from him at the table, “Six months.”
“Six months,” I repeated, flipping to another page of the report. “And here, it was five months ago that your management team identified the issue.” I flipped to another page, not looking up. “Four months ago, nothing changed.”
This time, I actually heard a motherfucker swallow.
I continued. “Three months ago, guests started canceling reservations.” Then, I tapped the final report and looked up. “And today, I learned that every person sitting in this room decided to wait for someone else to solve the problem.”
Nobody looked comfortable.
“Tell me why I employ any of you.”
“Sir. We were working on a strategy—”
“No,” I interrupted her. “We pay people for results.” My eyes locked on hers. “Not intentions.”
She immediately looked away while I stood.
“This isn’t just some airport hotel on Interstate 5,” I reminded them. “It’s Horizon La Jolla. It’s the flagship of our California portfolio. If guests are leaving that property, every investor in this company starts asking questions.”
“Sir?”
I ignored the man who was framing an excuse, as I was done with bullshit for the day and meeting Catalina for lunch.
“By tomorrow morning, I want solutions,” I said, buttoning my suit jacket and walking toward the door.
“Not presentations. Not excuses.” My hand rested on the door handle.
“If any of you are still confused about the difference between leadership and employment, I’ll be delighted to demonstrate it personally.
” I glanced at Wyatt. “I need the Horizon Los Angeles reports on my desk first thing tomorrow.”
Wyatt stood and followed me out. “Any reason we’re not just putting the shit on the projection screen in the room? Why are we suddenly printing shit out like the dark ages?”
“When I see numbers declining like that?” I answered him. “We go back to the elementary way of doing things. I’m not spoiling them with my riches if they choose to waste my time and money.”
“Something’s different about you,” he said as I slid my hands into my pockets.
“Nothing is different.”
“Yeah, you normally demand solutions after lunch. Why are you cutting them slack by giving them overnight to save their asses?”
Then, Wyatt’s eyes practically glittered with amusement and humor as they looked past me and toward the waiting area.
“Something amusing?” I asked, turning, and that’s when I glimpsed the beautiful woman who had devoured my body for two days on my yacht.
Every tense muscle in my body vanished, and I licked my lips as if I could taste every inch of her again just by staring. Goddamn, this woman was more beautiful now than before. I relished every moment having her alone on my yacht.
“Ms. Veléz,” Wyatt greeted her as he walked over to her while I trailed behind. “This is indeed a lovely surprise.”
“Nice to see you again, Wyatt,” she answered, her eyes flicking to me then back to my brother.
“The pleasure is mine, hermosa,” Wyatt responded while I stood at his side. “Titus said your sister is well?”
“Very,” she answered.
God, we were like two love-struck teens, melting over each other right in front of my brother. The best part was that I didn’t give a shit.
Wyatt glanced at me, well aware that this was a side of Catalina he’d never encountered before.
“Am I late to some gossip party or something?” Wyatt questioned.
“Indeed, you are,” I said, never taking my eyes off the beauty standing in front of me. “Excuse us. We’re taking lunch in Los Angeles today,” I informed him.
“Who, me and you?” Wyatt asked, completely unaware of what had changed between Cat and me.
“No,” I finally stepped toward Catalina and brought her hand to my lips. “Catalina and I are going,” I said, looking back at Wyatt while resting my hand at the small of her back. “You’re to get those numbers for me.”
“Are you meeting up for drinks tonight?” he asked, as if putting a puzzle together in his head.
“Depends on whether Catalina wants to spend her evening in the company of men getting drunk,” I said, my eyes back on her. “I doubt she does, though,” I added, smiling back at Wyatt’s completely baffled expression. “Numbers. Tomorrow,” I reminded him.
“Do the rest of the people in that room still have their jobs?” Cat asked as I led her down toward my office to get my leather bag.
“I’ll have that answer tomorrow as well,” I smirked. “Now,” I said after the door closed behind us. “If I don’t kiss you now—”
To my shock, my face was cradled in her delicate hands, and the delicious taste of Catalina was igniting every last nerve in my body.
I deepened our kiss with the fiery passion burning inside me, eager to claim her now and discuss the details later over lunch. Sadly, I didn’t want to break the kiss or have the office windows tint black, hiding what I desperately desired with this woman at this very moment.
She consumed me, and I loved the sensations I felt with her. It was something I’d never felt with anyone before, and I wondered how I’d survived all those years being starved of it.
To my extreme disappointment and understanding that she most likely needed to come up for air, Catalina pulled her delicious kiss away from me.
“Damn,” she said, covering her heart and slightly out of breath, “I didn’t realize that not seeing you for two days would have us practically ripping each other’s clothes off in here.”
I smiled when she softly laughed, then glanced around my office.
“I can easily arrange that, no apologies,” I said, turning to where she walked toward my large mahogany desk.
“Wow,” she exhaled, taking in the view the windows offered. “This is so beautiful,” she softly said. “How the hell can you rip into a room full of executives after enjoying a view like this?”
I chuckled, walking over to where she stood next to the elegant bar I had built into my office. “Because if I didn’t, that most certainly would not be my view.”
She turned back to me. “So strange,” she said, shaking her head as her eyes moved over my dark suit. “I had you pegged as someone so different from who I’m learning you really are.”
I closed the last of the space between us, bringing my fingertips to her face and tracing the soft lines of it. “Trust me, I’m most definitely everything bad you believed me to be.”
Her chocolate eyes raptly studied mine. “No,” she said, bringing her hand up to mine, forcing my body to react without my permission. “You’re a good man. Brutal, yes, but good.”
I licked my lips. “Do good men fuck their girlfriends in their skyscraper offices?” I grinned.
“Girlfriend, is it?”
“Lover?”
Jesus Christ. I’d gone from wanting this woman in my bed to imagining her name attached to mine.
That should’ve concerned me.
“We should probably get to our lunch before I do things to you I’m not prepared for,” I said, walking toward my desk to get my bag.
“Not prepared for?” she taunted, arching her eyebrow. “Another condom fail, eh?”
I pulled her into me with one arm. “It appears that since you’re now in my life, I must prepare every room I enter with them, or I’m fucked.”
“Actually, you’re not,” she laughed.
I exhaled. “Now,” I said, walking her out of my office, “are we going over the details of my next event you’ll be planning, or am I having my pilot land at my hotel so we can discuss details over room service in my penthouse suite?”
“I wouldn’t mind that at all,” she said as we entered the elevator.
I inhaled, pressing the button to bring us to the bottom floor. “I would naturally be all over you when those doors closed,” I said, motioning toward the closing elevator doors. “But I’m already struggling to maintain my composure.”
She smoothed her hand over my tie. “Do you have condoms in your suite, Mr. Hawk?” she whispered before leaning up and kissing my chin.
“I do,” I said, my voice raspy.
“Then we’ll make very good use of them while discussing my plans for your next event.”
“Fantastic idea, preciosa,” I answered. “Now, if only I can keep my hands off you until we arrive.”
This woman was affecting me in ways I had never expected.
The best part was that I wasn’t resisting it; instead, I embraced every sensation it brought.
I never imagined I would feel so overwhelmed by a woman, but I wasn’t afraid.
I felt more alive than I had in years, and I was determined not to let anything or anyone take that away.