Chapter Twenty Two

Reece set off for Plymouth early the next morning for a meeting with Steve, so they could both discuss the contract. When he arrived he was surprised to see his business partner hobbling about on crutches. “Sprained my bloody ankle playing football,” he grumbled. Steve was a football fanatic and played for his county team. “Can’t drive so I’m not going to be able to have a look around the hotel any time soon. I’ll have to take your word for it.”

“Trust me it’s worth investing in. Gwel Teg has a lot of potential,” Reece assured him. “I’d like us to agree on the terms before I go back to London on Saturday. I’ll come back down early next week and get the owner to sign it.”

He handed the contract to Steve. “I’ve made a slight amendment.”

Steve hobbled into his study and eased himself into his large leather chair.

Reece followed, stopping to help himself to a coffee from the machine. “Want one?” he asked.

“I’ve just finished one. “Steve started to read the contract, flicking over the pages as he scanned through. “Where’s this amendment of yours?” Then a frown creased across his forehead.

He’s found it then. Reece sat down opposite him and waited.

Steve muttered an expletive and stared at Reece as if he was mad. “Are you serious? You want us to keep this woman on as manager? And let her continue living there?” He leaned back in his chair and scrutinised Reece’s face. “Why?”

Reece ticked off the reasons on his fingers. “Because she’s got a wealth of experience, she’ll be an asset to us. It’s better than training a new manager. It’s a family hotel, she’s lived there for years, she has its best interests at heart.” He met Steve’s gaze. “Her post is only for five years. We can reconsider then.”

“Five years is a long time.” Steve twiddled the pen in his hand. “This is something we’ve never done, Reece. We’ve always bought the hotels outright so that we can do what we want with them. This complicates things. And I don’t like complications.”

Reece placed his elbows on the desk, locking his fingers. “I know but maybe it’s something we should think of doing in the future. It makes sense, both financially and personally. If we let the owners continue living in the hotel and manage it for us, they’ll have a personal and financial investment, that’s got to be a good thing.”

“Reece, all the hotels we buy are in difficulties. We rescue them. If the owners had good management skills they wouldn’t be in trouble in the first place.”

“In some cases yes. But not all. Take Gwel Teg for example, it was making a tidy profit until the owner’s husband died a couple of years ago. The owner’s struggled to cope since then.”

“Does this owner have a pretty daughter by any chance?”

Reece bristled. “I find that insulting. Since when have you known me mix business with pleasure?”

“Never. But I think you are now. Which is worrying.”

“We have to move with the times, Steve, be seen to be a caring company. We’ve got a bit of a ruthless image at the moment, sort of like vultures that prey on dying businesses, and it’s not how I want people to see us.”

“I thought all you cared about was results? Making money?” Steve leant forward. “You haven’t found religion have you?”

Reece ignored that remark. “I’ve been thinking about our image and think we should rebrand ourselves as a company with a heart. A company people will turn to when they’re in trouble instead of us seeking them out.”

“I don’t like it, Reece. I don’t like things that aren’t straightforward.”

“Think about it. I haven’t taken this decision lightly.”

Steve sighed and leaned back. “This isn’t something I can make a rush decision about . It’s something I need to think about. I can’t give you an answer for Saturday. You’re going back to London then, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I’ll come back on Tuesday. Give me your decision then.” Reece got up, ready to go. “There’s just one thing you might like to know.”

Steve raised an eyebrow.

“If you don’t want to go with the contract then I’ll buy the hotel myself. I can raise the cash.”

Steve looked stunned. He shook his head. “Well, I never thought I’d see the day you had a heart. It’s got to be a woman.”

Reece picked up his briefcase and walked out.

He knew that Steve would give the contract careful consideration, he was a business man above everything else. And it was a good contract. Not the one he’d originally been planning, he acknowledged, but seeing how desperate Ellie was to help her mum keep Gwel Teg, and how much Sue loved the place, he’d wanted to help them.

And it was all because of Ellie. His heart quickened at the thought of seeing her again. Steve was right. He’d got personally involved. He didn’t want to walk away from Ellie. She’d got right under his skin and into his heart.

“Well you’re a difficult one to get hold of,” Kate said when Ellie finally returned her calls – one last night and the other early this morning. “Is it that busy at the hotel?”

“Sorry, I meant to phone you back but we’re really busy. We’ve been doing lots of repairs and sprucing the hotel up a bit.

“We? Is your Mum up to all that physical stuff? I thought she had to take it easy?”

“She does. Harry and Reece have been doing most of it.”

“Reece?” Kate pounced on the name. “Reece, as in the guest you walked in on in the shower? The arrogant one.”

Trust Kate to remember that. She’d told her about it in one of their phone calls last week. “Yes but he’s actually really kind. He’s helped me such a lot. We’ve got really friendly.”

“Do I take it that you were with him when I phoned at 10.30 last night which is why you didn’t answer my call?” Nothing much passed by Kate.

“Yes. We’ve spent the last couple of evenings together.” She briefly told Kate how much Reece had helped them. “We just sort of became close.” She didn’t confess just how close.

“A holiday romance!” Kate squealed. “I never thought you’d go for that! Well, why not? It’s about time you had a bit of fun. You’ve been working far too hard just lately.”

“That’s what I thought,” Ellie told her. “And he’s going home tomorrow so no danger of getting too attached.”

She’d miss him though. She’d got used to having him around.

She glanced at her watch. One o’clock. Reece had been gone all morning. When would he be back? This was their last day together.

Suddenly a familiar pair of arms wound around her waist and she felt Reece’s breath on her neck. “I’ve been waiting to do that all morning,” he murmured, nuzzling into her.

She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I take it you’ve missed me then?”

“You bet I have.” His eyes held hers and she saw the flame of pleasure light them up. “I’ve got some good news though. Well, at least I hope you think it’s good news.” He kissed her deeply then smiled down at her. “My business down here isn’t finished yet so I’ll be back on Tuesday for a few days. That is if you still have a room for me?”

Her heart did a somersault. It wasn’t goodbye yet then. She smiled up at him. “Oh I think we can manage that.”

“And I’ve been thinking…”

“Yes?” She wondered if she could hear her heart thudding in her chest. What was he going to say?

“When I go back home next week it doesn’t have to be goodbye…”

She shot a glance at him. “What do you mean?”

He met her eyes, his gaze steady. “I like you, Ellie. And we have fun together. I was hoping we could continue seeing each other. London’s not that far from Birmingham. We could meet up at the weekends. If you’d like that?”

She searched his face, saw the desire in his eyes and knew that he meant it. He wanted to keep seeing her. Well she wanted to keep seeing him too. But she’d try to keep it casual. What harm would the odd weekend meet up do? She nodded. “I’d love too.”

“That’s great. I really don’t want to say goodbye to you.” His embrace tightened and his lips found hers.

I really don’t want to say goodbye to you. Reece’s words kept going over and over in Ellie’s mind. And she had to admit that she didn’t want to say goodbye to him either. He was the sexiest, kindest man she had ever met. And she loved him.

The words popped into her mind before she even realised she was thinking them. Where had that come from? She liked him, enjoyed his company and yes, she’d like to carry on seeing him when she returned him. But love, no. She didn’t do love. She didn’t do serious. Footloose and fancy free, in charge of her own destiny that was her motto. And she wasn’t breaking that for any man.

Not even a man as hot, gorgeous and incredibly kind as Reece Marshall. So it was a good job that they would be living miles apart. That way she could keep the relationship light.

Even so, as she lay in Reece’s arm in his bed much later that night, listening to his gentle snoring, Ellie found herself wishing that she could wake up every morning with Reece.

Yeah right, and lose your independence, your dreams, she told herself. That wasn’t the life for her. She enjoyed these moments when they came but it wasn’t something she wanted every day. She looked at the clock. Three o’clock. Time to go back to her own bed, as she did every night. As she went to leave, Reece’s arm snaked around her waist. “Don’t leave me,” he murmured. “Stay a bit longer.”

She hesitated.

“Please. We won’t be able to do this again until Tuesday night.”

How could she resist? She turned back and snuggled into him.

Reece left early the next morning. “I’ll be back Tuesday afternoon,” he said as he kissed her goodbye. “Don’t go letting my room out.”

“We might have to if we get lots of bookings,” she teased.

“Then I’ll have to sleep with you in your attic,” he told her playfully.

As she watched Reece walk to his car Ellie realised how much she’d come to depend on him the last few days and how much she’d miss him.

You’ve got a lot to do so stop moping and get on with it, she told herself. It’s only a couple of days. He’ll be back.