Teddy sat up ramrod straight. “What are you talking about? You know nothing about my finances. It’s none of your business.”
Leo frowned. “I know you are in grave debt, especially after that debacle of a party you hosted recently.”
Teddy froze and stared at him. He was referring to the lavish bash she’d thrown in Venice for Michi and her British fiancé, Crispin McAllister Bradenton, III. She didn’t regret having the party for one second. Michi had been incredibly generous all year, providing ball gowns for her gala events and even doing a charity fashion show for free. The least Teddy could do was throw her a memorable party. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what it turned out to be—but not in a good way.
“You are mistaken, Señor Guerra, if you think you can pry into my business. My finances and personal life are none of your concern.” She leaned forward and rapped her knuckles on the polished desktop next to where he stood. “In case you have forgotten, I am Randolph Behr’s daughter and heiress to the hotel that employs you.”
“You are the one who is mistaken, Theodora,” he said scathingly. “Do you have any idea the financial mess the Riviera is in? Your father is dealing with the aftermath of a massive hurricane that decimated business and a few lawsuits that have nearly wiped him out.”
Teddy’s stomach formed a knot as Leo’s blistering gaze zeroed in on her with damning censure. “Oh. I didn’t know,” she said softly. Awkward silence ensued as he watched her incredulously.
“Your father needs you to act like a responsible adult, not an incorrigible party girl,” Leo said in a tightly controlled tone. “Your latest escapade at the Venetian palazzo was all over the tabloids and it was the last straw. You destroyed one of the finest hotels in Europe.”
Teddy did not want to debate over her part in the festivities that had gone haywire. She would only discuss it with Daddy and not this mean stranger. It was mortifying to have her dirty laundry aired in the tabloids. And if the exaggerations and lies weren’t enough, there was always The Amoeba. God only knew what she’d poisoned Guerra’s mind with. No wonder he was treating her like a senseless twit.
The need to defend herself made her swallow hard and suck in a deep breath. It’s not as if she’d done everything on purpose. She was filled with remorse over it.
“Things got out of control. It was very unfortunate,” she said sincerely.
“Unfortunate for your father mostly. The turtledove stunt cost him a lot more than the money you squandered. To avoid a major lawsuit he had to make a few concessions.”
Teddy pressed her eyes shut, wishing she could be anywhere but there reliving one of the most awful episodes of her life. Her enraged father had refused to talk to her after the news hit about the ultimately destructive engagement party she’d thrown for Michi and Crispin. One of the guests, a very drunk one, had let loose a flock of turtledoves that had swooped into the grand foyer terrorizing everyone, pooping all over the place and wreaking havoc. Several birds landed on curtain rods at once, toppling the expensive silk curtains onto candles and igniting a fire. By the time the flames were put out, there were extensive damages. As a result, Daddy cut off her credit cards and sent her the ticket to come home.
Reliving the shame, Teddy anxiously twirled a strand of her hair, but then tossed it back lest Guerra think she was flirting with him. “What do you mean he had to make a few concessions?” she asked, worrying about the consequences.
“Ask Martha about it. I don’t have time. Tomorrow morning, you will begin working to pay back your debt.”
She gave him a haughty glare to cover up her nervousness. “I do work, and you can’t tell me what to do,” she retorted.
“Wake up, Princesa. Your father’s investment in this hotel is depleted and the monies that exist are in an irrevocable trust.”
“Don’t use scare tactics on me, Guerra,” she said feebly. Leo’s severe face made Teddy flinch at the awful truth. My God, she was broke! Her canceled credit cards were not punishment for her misadventures in Europe as she had assumed. Daddy had canceled them out of financial need. Poor Daddy, she could only imagine the stress he was under—and all because of her!
"Starting tomorrow, you will learn every aspect of the hotel business," Leo said in a commanding tone.
Teddy’s hands curled into such tight fists that her nails dug into her palms. “I’ll do anything to help Daddy, but I don’t need to learn the business. I practically grew up here. I know what it takes to run a hotel.”
Guerra’s lips lifted into a mirthless smile, baring strong, white teeth. “Playing in a hotel doesn’t strike me as knowledge, and being a professional party girl doesn’t qualify you either.”
Teddy’s hackles rose. “I’ve studied at Oxford, La Sorbonne and at the Universidad de Salamanca. And I also have plenty of experience in event planning and public relations.”
Leo scoffed. “Your experience in lifestyles of the rich and famous is of no use to me.”
Teddy ignored his rude comments. He was out to rile her, and she wouldn’t rise to the bait. “I expect a title commensurate with my qualifications.” Her direct gaze narrowed on his disdainful one. “The least I’ll accept is vice-president—in the public relations department. I love people, and I speak French, Italian and Spanish fluently. And a bit of German and Portuguese,” she added, but nothing seemed to impress him.
“Report here tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.—sharp.” The determined glint in Guerra’s eyes didn’t waver.
Teddy’s leg swung like a pendulum ticking away the last free moments of her life. “What will I be doing?” she ventured to ask.
Leo walked around the desk and sat in the armchair. “You’ll find out tomorrow.”
She planted both feet on the ground and bit her lip not to curse at him. “This is beyond ridiculous. You’re treating me like a brainless child, not an independent woman.”
“Is that what you call living off of your daddy’s income?” Guerra’s mocking tone insulted her.
“I draw an honest salary. The charges on my expense account are necessary for my job as the Behr Foundation’s goodwill ambassador.” Teddy’s throat ached with the effort not to yell at him.
“No more goodwill ambassador for you, Princesa. Your father has given me full control of your finances.” Guerra’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction when he heard Teddy’s gasp.
“Since when?” she demanded, squinting at him.
“Since I bailed you out.”
Teddy blanched. The last person in the world she wanted to be indebted to was Guerra! The humiliation was too much to bear. She felt like an indentured servant.
Suddenly lightheaded, Teddy swayed in the seat as the financial walls of doom closed in on her. She had no working credit cards and her shares were in an irrevocable trust until she turned 35. She didn’t have much left in her account and only a couple of hundred dollars in her wallet.
She wasn’t about to turn to her friends for help, financial or otherwise. Not even her Heart Sisters, her dearest childhood friends. Ronnie and Tasha were both married now and starting families. Knowing Ronnie, she’d charge over and punch Leo’s lights out. And Tasha would fly over from Scotland and smother her with nurturing. This was one battle Teddy would fight for herself.
“Don’t be afraid of hard work, Theodora,” Leo said condescendingly. “It builds character.”
His mockery was just what Teddy needed to jolt her out of shock. Her face heated to boiling and a fierce desire for retaliation coursed through her veins. Who did he think he was lecturing her on character building? He needed a dose of humility.
Stiff with indignation, she said, “I’m not the spoiled brat you make me out to be.” Nothing would have given her more pleasure than to slap the smug look off his face.
Teddy had proudly followed the legacy of her mother’s philanthropic work and had raised millions for worthy charitable organizations. The trips she had taken on behalf of the Behr Foundation had brought her to third world countries where she’d raised awareness and funds for disease control. But it was no use telling Guerra those things. Most likely, The Amoeba had already poisoned his mind with lies about Teddy. He could think what he wanted about her, but she knew the truth.
“Somebody needs to rein you in,” he said evenly.
Teddy gave him a death stare. “It won’t be you, Guerra. I am the major stockholder here.”
Before marrying Lola, Daddy had assured Teddy that she would be the sole heir of the Riviera Hotel. Further honoring his pledge, Randolph had put all the shares in trust for Teddy, his only child, to be transferred to her when she turned 35 or got married.
He had provided generously in his will for Lola, bestowing the mansion and many other properties to be divided by her and Teddy. But that wasn’t enough for Lola. She would never accept the fact that she didn’t own a piece of the Riviera. Daddy really was too indulgent with his cunning wife, but then he’d always had a soft spot for The Amoeba. Teddy’s stomach churned with disgust.
“Your shares are in trust. I now own a large portion of the Riviera shares,” Leo said with cool confidence. “Yours will be worthless if your father loses the hotel.”
“Impossible. I am the sole heir of this hotel. Daddy would never sell my shares to the likes of you!” She shot up from the chair. The sooner she got out of there and did some investigating, the better. “Let’s get something straight right now, Guerra,” she said pointing at him. “You are not my boss. Not now, not ever. I—”
“Don’t pull the heiress card around here,” Leo interrupted. “The grand re-opening is next week. All employees will pull their weight or they’re out of a job. That includes you. You have no leverage. None whatsoever,” he said with heartless finality.
Teddy stared at Leo’s long fingers pounding the keyboard and she wished she could crush them as hard as he was trying to crush her. Burning with wrath, she turned and stalked toward the door. She was through trying to reason with the most obstinate, rude man she’d ever met.
“8 a.m. sharp. Be on time and ready to work. Unless you want to get a job elsewhere, which is fine with me. I only work with professionals,” he said infuriating her further.
Teddy turned back to retort and caught him checking out her backside. For a split second, their gazes met and the air sizzled like a Taser between them. Leo cleared his throat and turned his attention to the keyboard.
She glowered at him. “You’d like me to leave, wouldn’t you? Well, I’m not going anywhere. I’m here to protect my assets,” she snapped, to which he responded with a rude snort. “And don’t ogle me, Guerra. It is not professional.” Teddy thrust her nose in the air and sailed out of his office, her dignity intact after calling him out.
But her tenuous dignity crumbled when she entered the ladies room and noticed the back of her silky skirt was hiked higher than usual. Turning to glance in the mirror, she saw the fabric was caught on the tiny gold metal clasps that connected the sheer triangles of her nude La Perla panties. It must have happened when she shot up from the chair to argue with the hateful Spaniard. No wonder she’d felt an updraft when she’d left the office.
Deeply frustrated, Teddy smoothed her skirt down and leaned her elbows on the counter. She dropped her head in her hands and tried to block the image of herself sauntering out of his office with false confidence and a bared booty, boasting about protecting her assets. Ugh. He must have gotten a good laugh from her parting eyeful.
Could this day get any worse? After flashing her booty to the Spanish dictator who was now her new warden, she felt angry and depressed.
“Happy Birthday to me,” she sang softly as she exited the ladies room. “Happy Birthday to me…Happy Birthday, dear Teddy, Happy Birthday to me.”
She had to sing. The other alternative was to cry and Theodora Behr had stopped crying a long time ago.