Stella stifled the urge to breath a sigh of relief at how smoothly the morning had gone with the part-time chef. Thankfully she’d agreed to step up full-time and save Stella’s ass.
Considering it was only lunchtime on day one of the replacement, Stella wasn’t about to pull out the confetti and celebrate just yet. But she did feel some of the weight ease from her shoulders.
Granted she should be relaxed after that wine and those kisses last night from a virtual stranger, but that sexual tension...
She’d had friends in college who had had one-night stands and Stella had never understood how someone could tumble into bed with a person they’d just met.
Well, now she knew exactly why they didn’t let their inhibitions get in the way. Just the memory of that intimate moment had her body heated in ways she didn’t think possible.
Unfortunately, as much as she wanted to replay the events and tack on her own fantasies, there was too much work to be done.
Since the lunch rush seemed to be under control, Stella headed toward the front desk. Checkout time had passed an hour ago and they were due to get a new wave of couples. Every room was booked, which was always a good thing on a weeknight.
Since Stella had taken over, she’d been trying her hardest to make sure her marketing team kept pumping out information and waving the amenities around all over social media. The previous manager hadn’t been interested in growing the business, but rather staying behind his desk and remaining stagnant. All he cared about was that he got paid.
Well, that had put a damper on her father’s plans to watch cash just flood in, so Stella had jumped at the chance to not only manage this remarkable resort, but also show her father she was a worthy businesswoman.
She didn’t need his approval. She didn’t need his money. But she wanted his respect and she had a sickening feeling in her gut that she’d never get it. This was her last chance. She was done putting herself out there, basically waving around in his face all the ways that she was worthy to be in his world, his damn life. If he didn’t acknowledge her or treat her the way she deserved, then she’d be done.
Even if that would leave her officially alone. Over time she had come to the realization that perhaps she’d be better off alone than begging for attention or love from her own father.
Stella passed through the wide-open, four-story lobby. She never tired of the beauty of this place. Not only had Mirage been built with wood from the forest where the building stood, the place had been built around some of the old trees. Literally, there was a large, live ponderosa pine growing straight up through the middle of the lobby. It was quite a focal point for newcomers looking for a place to take selfies.
Besides the live trees randomly found inside the resort, there were windows absolutely everywhere. A breathtaking view was never farther than a glance in one direction or the other. Mountain views were the main reason Stella loved not staying behind her desk. She’d taken the smallest office, though she had a feeling her father had a hand in doling that area out to her.
Even though she was rushing from one crisis to another, at least she was surrounded by breathtaking splendor, so she wasn’t about to complain.
After Stella registered several people, she headed toward her office just to double-check on the couples currently on fantasy dates. No matter what the couple wanted, the discreet employees at Mirage worked overtime to make it happen.
In the short time she’d been there, she’d had some strange requests and some...risqué ones, as well. It was not her place to judge or try to understand people’s fetishes, but she had to admit sometimes she was intrigued.
And that intrigue only intensified when the thought of Dane Michaels flooded her mind. She couldn’t help but wonder what he’d think if she invited him to the Lumberjack Room or the Campfires and Corsets Room. No doubt she’d be in over her head, but part of her wanted to. She ached to get his hands on her.
But there would be no need for fantasy dates between her and the sexy rancher in the penthouse. That man was already like every single sexy dream she’d ever had come to life. If she wanted to try something daring, risky, adventurous, she had a feeling just sleeping with that man would embody all three.
Stella smoothed her hair behind her ears and let out a sigh as she rounded her desk. She didn’t bother taking a seat, there was never any time for such things. She cross-referenced her lists of guests and their requests, feeling reassured in her certainty that her staff could handle every need that was requested and any additional ones coming in.
Well, food and fantasies were covered for the next twenty-four hours. Maybe she would get through this day without a complete meltdown or catastrophe. One could hope.
Stella rounded her desk to head back out, but Dane filled her doorway and she froze in place. Her hand rested on the mahogany desk and her toes curled in her boots.
“Didn’t think you’d be someone stuck in an office.”
He hooked his thumbs through his belt loops and steadied those dark eyes right on hers...right after he gave her a visual sampling. Perhaps the sampling he’d had last night hadn’t been enough.
Her eyes were drawn to that belt buckle again. She’d ask him about the emblem sometime, though she already knew he’d tell her that it was his ranch. She found that she genuinely wanted to know more about it...about him.
“I’m rarely in here,” Stella replied, attempting to get her heart rate and nerves to settle. “I had a few things to check on. How did you know where my office was?”
The offices and anything considered “behind the scenes” were discreetly hidden from guests. Lara had thought of everything when she’d designed the adult retreat. She’d wanted the guests to feel like they were truly in a magical place and reality didn’t exist.
Dane shrugged and offered that sexy, borderline naughty half grin. “I can be persuasive when I want something.”
Wasn’t that the truth. She wasn’t naive enough to ask him what he wanted from her. He’d made that perfectly clear last night. In his defense, she’d also made her own wants quite apparent, even if she hadn’t fully acted on them.
“Dane—”
Her cell rang from inside the pocket of her button-up plaid dress. She held up a hand to Dane. “I need to take this.”
He nodded, but didn’t step out to give her privacy. Instead, he actually came on in and made himself at home by going straight to the window to look out over the back of the property.
Stella smiled at his audacity, but pulled her ringing phone out. One look at the screen and that smile vanished. She resisted the urge to groan or flat-out ignore the call, but she reminded herself that she wanted this. She wanted a relationship, so she swiped her finger across the screen.
“Dad,” she greeted. “I haven’t heard from you for a while. How are you?”
“I’ve been busy working.” The gruff reply wasn’t abnormal or unexpected. “Have you been keeping an eye on the weather? There’s a storm coming and they’re saying it could be quite substantial.”
Storms in Montana were always substantial. They were in the mountains so high, they were about one good stretch from touching clouds—or so it seemed most days. Snow and blizzards were nothing new here. And of course she kept her eye on the weather. Just like everything else around here. She had to stay sharp and know everything going on inside and out of her resort. Well...almost her resort.
“I’m aware,” she replied, risking a glance to Dane who remained with his back to her. “Everything is under control, Dad. Our backup systems have never failed and all of our guests will remain comfortable and happy. We’re actually booked up for the next month.”
She couldn’t help the pride that surged through her. When she’d come on board, they hadn’t been completely booked up, which told her that her marketing team had tapped into something brilliant in a relatively short time.
“Only a month ahead?” he scoffed.
Stella gritted her teeth and turned to pace to the other end of the office. There was no way Dane wasn’t hearing every word she said, but she couldn’t focus on the handsome stranger right now.
“In comparison to last year, we’re doing a remarkable job,” she retorted. “It’s been years since Mirage has been completely booked for more than a night at a time.”
When her father had first purchased the resort, he’d had an amazing manager, but when that manager passed away suddenly, her father had scrambled to fill the spot. Unfortunately, the replacement lasted only a year and that had been enough time to see numbers start to decline.
So here she was cleaning up someone else’s mess all while proving to her father that she was capable and deserved to have this property.
“One month of solid bookings won’t make up for three years of dismal numbers,” he replied.
“Yes, well, I’m working as hard as I can.” If he was here, perhaps he’d see that. “I’m confident the numbers will continue to grow now that I’m in charge.”
“And what have you done about the chef who quit?”
Of course he would know about that. He wasn’t a ruthless businessman for nothing. He’d never let his investments go unsupervised—and he wouldn’t consider his daughter to be supervision enough on her own. Stella had no doubt her father had spies strategically placed throughout the resort, either as employees or guests.
Dread curled through her. She’d just been half joking to herself, imaging the resort full of spies, but now that she thought about it, she realized she wouldn’t put it past him. In fact, she was positive he’d done just that. There was no other way he would know about the chef less than twenty-four hours after the man quit.
“Like I said, I have everything under control,” she told him.
On a sigh, she spun back around, only to lock eyes on Dane. She hadn’t seen that look from him before...something akin to compassion or worry. But just as quick as she saw it, the look vanished.
“If you want to know more about what’s going on here, you can ask me or maybe come check things out yourself. I think you’d be pleasantly surprised,” she added. “But I don’t appreciate being spied on.”
Her breath caught in her throat as she continued to stare at Dane. “I have to go,” she told her dad before disconnecting the call.
Without taking her eyes from Dane, she slid her phone back into her pocket then crossed her arms.
“How long have you been working for my father?”
Dane’s dark brows rose toward his hairline. “Excuse me?”
“You were sent here to spy on me, right? See if I can actually do this job and not screw it up?”
She’d been such a fool to think a kind stranger just happened upon her and saved the day, then was suddenly attracted to her.
“Does he know you want to sleep with me or is that all part of his plan?” Stella asked, suddenly sickened at the idea. “How much is he paying you?”
Before she could draw her next breath, Dane had closed the distance between them. His fingers curled around her biceps and he hauled her against his chest. The motion had her tipping her head back to keep her focus on him.
“You think I’d whore myself out?” he demanded. “I don’t work for anybody and I sure as hell wouldn’t take money to have sex with you.”
Oh, he was angry. She didn’t know Dane, but after hearing the conviction in his voice, she had no doubt he was telling the truth. Beneath that anger, Stella saw pain.
“When I get you in my bed, it won’t have anything to do with your father,” he growled.
When.
Her entire body heated between the threatened promise of her in his bed and the way he’d plastered his body against hers from hip to chest, and Stella couldn’t do a thing but hold on.
She gripped his arms and stared back into those dark eyes, now hard with fury. But she wasn’t scared. Dane wouldn’t hurt her. Someone who sacrificed his whole evening to help a complete stranger, expecting nothing in return, wasn’t a person who should be feared.
But he was hurt by her accusation.
“I’m sorry.” Stella closed her eyes and pulled in a shaky breath, trying to rein in her frustrations. “My father... It’s all complicated, but I think he’s spying on me and how I’m doing here. With the timing of you showing up, I just jumped to conclusions when I shouldn’t have doubted you.”
Dane’s grip lessened, but he didn’t let her go. He eased back slightly, the muscle in his jaw clenched.
“Your father doesn’t trust you?” Dane asked, his brows drawn in.
“Apparently not. I never thought that was an issue,” she replied, hurt spreading through her. “But it would seem that my loyalty is in question or at least my judgment.” Stella shook her head and attempted a smile. “I don’t know why I find you so easy to talk to. Sorry about all that.”
Dane stroked his thumbs over the curve of her shoulders. “Don’t apologize. I’d say I’m easy to talk to because I don’t know the dynamics here. I’m just a stranger to you.”
Yes, something she needed to remind herself of. She shouldn’t get wrapped up in a stranger, emotionally or physically.
Yet here she was, doing a stellar job of both.
Everyone had a breaking point and apparently Dane Michaels was hers. She’d worked so hard for so long, putting her personal life on the back burner. No, her personal life wasn’t even on the stove, let alone a burner.
Maybe she should take an hour a day just for herself...and whatever pleasantries came along.
“Come to my penthouse for dinner,” she told him. “I’ll have everything ready at eight.”
Dane’s brows shot up. “You live on-site full-time?”
Stella nodded. “There’s no way I’d want to commute when I’m always needed. This resort is my life, my baby. I want to always be available.”
“You really do love this place,” he muttered.
“Of course I do.” She stepped back, needing to distance herself from the man who had her reevaluating her priorities. “So, eight o’clock?”
“You don’t need to feed me dinner.”
Stella smoothed her hair away from her face and squared her shoulders. “I do, so don’t argue. I’ll apologize and you’ll be a gentleman and accept my offerings.”
Once again, he got that hungry look in his eyes. Being in such close proximity with Dane made it quite difficult to remain a professional.
“Do you really think you’ll be back to your room by eight?”
“I’ll make it happen if you promise to be there.”
Dane flashed her that smile that had her stomach tightening with anticipation. “I’ll be there.”
He leaned forward, not reaching for her or even attempting to touch her. His breath on the curve of her ear sent shivers assaulting her every nerve ending.
“I’m counting down the hours until I touch you again,” he murmured.
Before she could regain her mental balance, Dane had eased around her and walked out of her office. Stella remained in place, wondering how she was going to focus on work when her body was more than ready for Dane’s promised touch.
And just how the hell was she supposed to concentrate on the potential storm heading toward the resort when her own storm was taking over her emotions?