Chapter One
Room for Two More
by Michele Dunaway
Her stilettoes should be illegal. Or at least against hotel policy.
Four inches high. Black leather. Scuffed red bottom.
Hint of clear polished toe. Liam Clayton frowned with prickly, unwanted awareness as he assessed how long, shapely legs covered in flesh-colored stockings skyrocketed and disappeared under a black, A-line, knee-skimming skirt.
Curvy hips swayed as the brunette edged around the ballroom.
Even without those heels, he could tell she was tall, at least five-nine.
A white oxford, long-sleeved shirt covered thin, dancer’s arms that toted a medium-sized cardboard box.
The silky black vest indicated she was a Beaumont Chateau staff member, but Liam hadn’t seen her before.
Dark hair pulled into a French knot revealed a face that could stop men in their tracks: perfect nose, full bow lips and high arched brows.
Liam was too far away to see her eyes but imagined them to be soft brown and full of intelligence.
She didn’t appear to take notice of any grand opening gala guests.
She strode forward with complete confidence, despite the fact her steps became increasingly wobbly the closer she was to the exit.
When she shifted the box, her right ankle twisted and bobbled, but she righted herself before he could cross the room and offer assistance.
Then she disappeared like a figment of his imagination.
Maybe she had been. Just a ghost from another time, back when he’d had a heart and a libido.
Curious as to why the woman had caught his attention, he began to follow. “Not so fast,” Eva said, putting a hand on the sleeve of Liam’s tux. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Anywhere but here?” Liam peered at his little sister. Since she was five-two, he topped her by ten inches. Still, she succeeded at pushing him around.
Eva arched a brow. “Ha. Ha. Aren’t you the jokester. No, seriously.”
As Eva folded her arms, Liam frowned at her. “What? It’s the truth. I’ve put in my time.”
“Is that what you see this as? It’s a party. With your family. At the grand opening of our latest hotel. You should be having fun.” Eva pointed at his chest. “Lighten up. Enjoy yourself. You have to get back into the world sometime. Might as well be tonight. Stop wallowing.”
Even though she hadn’t jabbed him, Liam rubbed a spot on his chest. “You know these events aren’t my scene.” That was one reason why he’d sold his tech start-up two years ago, a few months after the accident.
“Look, we all know you’d rather be in some developing country doing something noble, but you’re needed here. And it’s time.” Eva caught herself before she waved a finger.
“I don’t like the BS of doing things like this.” And the sale of his firm had netted him enough money to allow him to concentrate on his charitable works, most of them being done anonymously.
“Boo-hoo. Look, we all know you’d rather be hiking—”
“I haven’t done that in two years.” Liam interrupted more harshly than he intended.
He felt guilt rise both for snapping at his baby sister and for his decision to forgo his favorite hobby.
The accident had not been Eva’s fault. She meant well.
She simply didn’t understand, which she made clear when she continued to speak, ignoring his discomfort.
“Maybe it’s time you should get back on a mountain. Anya wouldn’t have wanted you to stop doing what you love. You’ve been a walking dead man for two years. A shell. Enough’s enough.”
As Edmund, Liam’s older brother, took the stage to make his grand opening speech, Liam thanked the gods for their fortuitous timing. Edmund’s planned remarks saved Liam from dealing with Eva and her further nagging. He wasn’t ready, and she didn’t need to keep pressing.
Liam half listened as Edmund, who served as the VP of Clayton Holdings, welcomed everyone to the Chateau.
When the heir apparent began to thank the mayor, Liam tuned his older brother out.
Edmund, the king of ambition, had followed in their father’s footsteps in wanting to build the Clayton Holdings empire.
Minus the Roman nose Liam and his brothers shared, and the gray eyes all four siblings shared, Liam took after their mother more than their father.
He wore his dirty blond hair far longer than his siblings’ black locks.
He hated the proverbial rat race. He wanted wide open skies, not steel towers and concrete sidewalks.
Wanted to give back, not conquer, unless it was a mountain summit.
Maybe his philosophy came from being born second—the heir spare to the dynasty.
His father and uncle wanted Liam to join the family company, but Liam so far had said no.
After immense pressure from his mother, Liam had caved and agreed to be present and accounted for tonight.
He wished he could loosen the bow tie or at least take off the tuxedo jacket.
Hating the penguin suit, he ran his finger under the shirt collar and murmured noncommittally to those who stopped to make conversation.
Now that the opening remarks were done, Edmund began to make his way through the crowd.
When he stopped to greet their parents, Liam used the opportunity to plan his exit.
Before he could escape, he watched as Margot Van Horn cornered his older brother.
Edmund had been trying to acquire Van Horn Hotels for at least two years, but he hadn’t been successful.
Liam hated the wheeling and dealing part of the family business.
Edmund had had to go undercover to try to win the hotels, but he’d failed. However, everyone was smiling. Strange.
Whatever was going on, Liam took it as a good sign that he could finally disappear without being missed.
And when Edmund suddenly made a beeline outside and into the French gardens, Liam decided he wouldn’t begrudge Edmund his getaway.
Perhaps his brother was finally going to try and win back the woman of his dreams. If so, Liam wished him well. Edmund deserved some happiness.
Besides, logic said that if Edmund got to leave this fancy party, so did Liam.
He glanced at his parents. He loved them, but after already dealing with Eva’s opinions on his lack of dating, Liam had no desire to talk to anyone else tonight.
He nudged his sister and showed her his empty glass.
“Here comes Mom and Dad. Divert them, will you? I need another drink.”
“Liam!” Eva protested, but he blew her a kiss and pivoted in the other direction. He moved swiftly, weaving through the crowd toward the open bar. Then, once he’d put enough people between him and his family, he slipped into the hall.
Several people mulled in the corridor, but Liam kept walking.
He’d put in enough face time. He’d smiled for the requisite family pictures, publicity photos that would be circulated online and in the mainstream media, the culmination of Eva’s PR work to launch the opening of the Beaumont Chateau.
Liam didn’t care the hotel was the crown jewel in the family portfolio.
He was ready for escape. But before he could reach the exit, he saw his cousin Jack and his wife, Sierra.
They hadn’t seen him yet, giving Liam time to avoid another long conversation about the family business.
He pivoted and stepped through the first opening he could find, which led into the softly lit hotel bar.
And there she was.
Lexi Henderson wasn’t the type to be impressed easily.
But everything about the Beaumont Chateau was perfect.
Absolutely, gobsmackingly, fantastically perfect.
She’d been working at the luxurious boutique hotel since the April 1 soft open.
Now that the official grand opening weekend was here, Lexi wasn’t regretting her decision to take a bartending job in Esprit de Bonne Vie, which she’d learned meant “spirit of a good life” in French.
Her job certainly was a way toward a good and normal life.
In the past two weeks since she’d arrived at the Chateau as an associate bartender after a stint at the Beaumont Grand, Lexi had doubled her tips.
That boded well for her finances, especially as the Chateau was completely booked for May and June.
At this current rate, in eight weeks, she’d be in a strong enough monetary position to afford classes at the local college.
She’d also have a minuscule nest egg in the bank, which was fine, for her mother always said a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush.
Thinking of her late mom made Lexi’s heart pang, so she focused on the positives.
She was lucky she’d learned to bartend so fast, and that she’d managed to snag an opening at the coveted Chateau.
She still wasn’t sure how that miracle had happened but was extremely grateful.
Clayton Holdings had outdone itself. The Chateau was a beautiful six-story hotel, built to exacting standards.
French settlers had founded the town of Beaumont in 1769, and castles such as Versailles, Fontainebleau and Chambord had served as the architectural inspiration for the Chateau’s exterior.
The interior consisted of thirty-seven guest rooms, most of them suites.
With full banquet facilities and meeting rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, a world-class spa, two fine dining restaurants and the French bar where Lexi worked, visitors never needed to leave the grounds.
Although, if they wished, they could take a complimentary shuttle to all six of the nearby Clayton wineries.