“I read the paper—or at least Yahoo! news. How are his brothers? Are they okay?”
Emily sent her sister a knowing smile. “You mean Hunter?”
Lisa’s mouth twisted in mock annoyance. “I mean all of them.”
“I’ve only seen Wes and Levi, and Wes came across stressed. Those guys…well, I don’t want to say they’ve taken on a lot, but…”
Lisa gulped her wine and held up her hand. “The four of them running the resort? What was Mr. Cade thinking? Levi’s a firefighter—”
“Ex-firefighter.”
“—so what does he know about running a classy resort? Their dad must have been out of his mind when he made that decision.”
Emily tapped her toe and dragged her workbag to the side of her lap, her eyebrows knitting together. For some reason, Lisa’s doubts about Levi and his brothers bothered her. “Ethan Cade was a very smart businessman. He wouldn’t have made that choice if he didn’t have faith in his sons. They’re good men, and they seem hardworking.”
Lisa snorted, which only irritated Emily more.
Emily stood and walked to the kitchen island. She poured some red wine into one of Lisa’s fancy crystal glasses. “Don’t underestimate Levi. He can do it, and I’m going to help him.”
Lisa tracked Emily’s progress, swiveling in her stool to face her. “No offense, sister, but a one-year internship at an international hotel doesn’t make you a miracle worker.”
Emily hammered the cork back on the bottle with the heel of her hand, her eyes widening. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Lisa’s face scrunched. “It’s true.”
Emily might not have CEO experience, but she knew what she was doing. She could help Levi.
“So”—Lisa reached for a coaster without looking up—“does he hate me?”
Emily took a sip of wine, making her sister wait it out. She loved Lisa, but her sister had royally screwed up when it came to these brothers. And Emily was pretty sure it was a part of the sister job description to give her a hard time. “Which Cade are you referring to?
Lisa cocked her head and pursed her lips. “Levi, of course.”
“I didn’t ask him. But would you blame him if he did?”
“No,” she said sulkily. “Though I didn’t mean to hurt him.”
Emily set her glass on the counter. “Did you think about that before you hooked up with Hunt?”
Lisa winced. “It’s not that simple. I didn’t realize I’d been looking for a way out of my relationship with Levi until it was all over.”
And that was the most unimaginable part of Lisa’s history with Levi Cade. She’d actually wanted out of a relationship with one of the most handsome, eligible men in the area. Emily hadn’t understood it then, and she only marginally understood it better now.
The door creaked open and Jared entered the apartment. “My two favorite ladies.”
Jared was a financial guy at one of the casinos in town, so he was in a full suit and looking handsome as ever.
He kicked off his dress shoes by the door. “You guys started the party without me?”
“Just wine, baby.” Lisa grinned from ear to ear as Jared walked over. “We waited to bust out the hard stuff until you got home.”
Emily could think whatever she wanted about Lisa’s past relationships, but her sister truly loved Jared. He was the reason Lisa had recovered from the drama over Levi and Hunt all those years ago. Jared was the guy who finally got her.
Lisa needed attention. Lots of it. But her beauty was distracting for some guys. They’d suck up to her in order to get into her bed, but she was a good person and needed a good man. One who genuinely cared for her and gave her the attention she craved.
Hunt Cade might have been that guy. If he hadn’t been Levi’s brother. And eighteen. And completely not ready for anything serious.
Once Jared entered Lisa’s life, things turned around. She’d been happy for the last three years, and Emily wouldn’t be surprised if they got engaged.
Just because Lisa found happiness with Jared, that didn’t mean her guilt over Levi had dissolved. There were some things not even Lisa’s bubbliness could hide. She had imploded her relationship with Levi, and Emily knew her sister had felt guilty ever since.
“Hey, Em.” Jared wrapped his arm around Lisa’s shoulder and kissed her cheek. “I hear you have a new job. How’s it going at Club Tahoe?”
“So far so good.” No need to inform her sister and Jared that Emily’s crush on Levi was still firmly in place. Or how distracting working with him was going to be. She’d never shared her secret crush with Lisa, and she wasn’t about to do it now.
Jared looked down at Lisa. “What would you like? Mango martini? Raspberry mojito?”
Emily drank the last of her wine and headed for the couch, where she’d left her workbag. “I’ve gotta go. I have to work tonight if I’m going to pull off a major investor push next week.”
Lisa swigged the last of her wine and absently held out the glass to Jared, who grabbed the bottle and poured her more. “No idea what an investor push is, but I’ll take your word for it.”
There was no question Emily and Lisa were different. Lisa was sweet and flashy, and Emily was reserved. Lisa liked fashion, while Emily stuck to jeans and flats when she wasn’t working. Emily liked numbers, and Lisa was only interested in numbers when they added up to the amount she needed for the Gucci purse she lusted after. But despite their differences, they had a strong bond. They disagreed a ton, but never over anything important.
Emily planted a kiss on Lisa’s cheek while her sister flirted with Jared from across the counter.
Just when Emily thought her sister wasn’t paying attention, Lisa spun around. “Hey, Em, try to get Levi to let his guard down and relax a little.”
For a moment, Emily didn’t know what Lisa was talking about. Get Levi to drop his guard? Her? That had been Lisa’s job back when they’d dated. “I’m not the right person, Lis.”
Her sister cocked her head to the side. “I don’t know. You two are more alike than you think.”
Lisa had lost her mind. Emily wasn’t flashy. She was nothing like the women Levi dated. “Even if I were his type, which I’m not, he’s your ex. I’d never touch that.”
Only fantasize about it.
Lisa rolled her eyes. “I didn’t mean it that way. Not romantically, but in terms of”—she swirled her hand in the air—“cracking the granite that’s formed around him. Levi and I were too different. But you—you might be just what he needs to soften.”
“Is this granite the stony exterior he built after you crushed him?”
Lisa frowned.
“Sorry—but not sorry.”
“I didn’t put granite around that man. It was there before we even started dating.”
“Noted. I’ll try to keep the company from crumbling and chip the granite off your ex. Anything else?”
Lisa actually looked up as though considering. “Nope, that’ll do for now.”
Emily swung her bag over her shoulder and considered bringing up something else she’d been meaning to talk to Lisa about. Her sister worked at a clothing boutique on the strip and actually knew something about fashion, unlike Emily, who stuck to the same work outfit—dark pencil skirt, button-up top. “Before I go, do you think you could help me find better clothes? Club Tahoe is classy. I don’t know…I want to look nice.” And not be entirely overshadowed by Levi’s beauty. “You know how much I hate shopping, and you’re so much better at it.”
Lisa set her glass on the counter with a ping. “Oh, sister, yes. I’m all over that.”
Emily flinched. “Shit, don’t go crazy. Remember, I’m more conservative than you.”
Her sister cackled. “Understatement. But I’ll be good.”
The smile on Lisa’s face didn’t reassure Emily. “Maybe I should do it myself.”
Lisa flew out of her chair and across the room faster than Emily thought possible. She pushed
Emily toward the door. “No, no, I’ve got this. You go work. Stay up all night if you need to. Let me take care of the clothing.”
“But—”
“Bye!” Lisa shoved Emily over the threshold and slammed the door in her face.
There was nothing Emily could do for Levi except help him hold on to Club Tahoe and make it profitable again. Emily wasn’t even sure Levi was over Lisa. But she could step up her game and not look the dowdy secretary. Anything else—much as she might fantasize about it—would be unprofessional and completely out of the realm of possibilities.
Chapter 5
The next day, Emily tugged the bottom of her navy sleeveless sweater until it lay smooth against her body, and knocked on Levi’s office door. Lisa had called this morning to tell her she’d bring clothes by from the boutique this evening, and Emily was scared. What had she been thinking, tasking her sister with finding new office attire?
Disaster, that was what it spelled.
Lisa had better fashion sense than Emily, no question, but it skewed on the sexy side. And Emily wasn’t sexy.
“Come in.” Levi’s deep voice rumbled through the door.
A shiver racked Emily’s body. God in heaven, his voice was hot. This attraction would wear off… It had to.
She straightened her shoulders and entered the office as if she owned it. Or at least like she wasn’t intimidated. “Is now a good time for our meeting?”
Levi was standing, looking out the window with his back to her.
He glanced over. “It’s as good a time as any.”
And that was when Emily caught sight of what Levi was wearing. Dark slacks that fit his body to perfection. White dress shirt, the sleeves rolled a couple of times to the top of his forearms. He might have been wearing something similar yesterday, but she’d been distracted enough by his presence. And she hadn’t seen him from behind. And his behind…
Her jaw slackened.
When Emily was younger, Levi in a flannel shirt and work boots had stimulated all of her rugged-guy fantasies. But in designer business clothes that fit his muscular frame perfectly, making him look like a suit advertisement? Not right. No man should look this good. His ass and the vee of his back… What had she gotten herself into?
She strode to a chair near his desk and slumped into it, staring at her tablet—and not at the masculine perfection in front of her.
“I made a list,” she stammered.
“A list, eh?” A hint of humor filled his tone. She sensed—still couldn’t look without gawking—him approach and sit at his desk. “Let’s hear this list. Gotta be better than what I’ve come up with.”
Emily tapped the screen to pull up the ideas she’d compiled last night. “Our special guests arrive Monday morning. They’ll have been on a plane for many hours. I thought we could bring in extra massage therapists for when they first arrive, then plan a late afternoon meet-and-greet.” She glanced up to gauge his reaction. He was staring intently, which didn’t help her concentration. “We—we could have it catered, or have one of our restaurants provide appetizers and drinks.”
He nodded slowly. “I’ll talk to Bran. Get the chef to come up with something good.”
She made a note. “Bringing out our best wines might not be a bad idea. We could have a mini wine tasting of bottles from California vineyards. The meet-and-greet could wrap early, allowing guests to rest for the night. I’m preparing gift baskets in each room with snack food and other goodies if they want something light to eat later on.”
He tapped one strong finger on the desk, and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “What else?”
“Uh.” She glanced back at her list. “The next day I thought we could provide a morning buffet followed by a tour of the grounds. The afternoon would be reserved for meetings the company requested with their American liaisons. Dinner would be formal and in the grand ballroom.”
“So you’re thinking hit them hard as soon as they catch their breath?”
“I—yes. I thought it would be good to put our best foot forward from the start. We’d leave the afternoons open and provide fully equipped meeting rooms with snacks, drinks—whatever they want. After the grand ballroom dinner on the second night, the meals would be informal and take place in a different restaurant on Club Tahoe grounds, or they can dine independently. I’m talking to Wes about reserving the golf course for them one day. And we could provide some sort of evening entertainment…”
“Entertainment?”
Emily bit her lip. She’d been nervous yesterday and had rambled on about making changes to Club Tahoe. But the truth was that it could stand a few livelier touches to its elegant façade. “We have three of the finest restaurants in the city, but no live entertainment, aside from a pianist who plays in the Fireside Lounge. I thought we could hire musicians.”
He crossed his arms. “Is that necessary? We’re in a bit of a financial crisis. I’m not sure spending money is the solution.”
“That’s generally true, but sometimes you need to spend money to make money. There are local bands, as well as domestic and international talent that travel through town. We don’t have the space to host large entertainment, but a small band or guitarist would be enough to draw in new customers and entertain our larger groups. In addition to music, we might want to reserve one night a week for a comedian.” Emily stopped talking because Levi had gone silent. “Sir?”
He rubbed his square jaw that, despite his more formal attire, held a day’s worth of scruff. “It’s Levi. Just Levi. No sir. No Mr. Cade.” He stared at her for a long moment, and she still couldn’t figure out what he was thinking—if he liked her ideas or loathed them, though he seemed receptive to her initial ideas on the meet-and-greet and meals. “My father would have hated bringing in a comedian to the hotel. Can you get the musicians lined up by next week?”
“Maybe.”
His mouth turned down at her vague response.
“Yes—I think I can. Give me a day or two to look into it.”
“Good. The comedian as well.”
“But you just said your father—”
“Would have hated it. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good idea. Set up entertainment every night of the week. I’ll speak to Bran about catering for the parties, but I want you to be the point person for arranging everything and hiring any extra employees we may need while Shin Electronics and their associates are in town. There will be seventy-five of them if we include their clients.”
Emily swallowed. “Seventy-five? I calculated thirty.”
“Seventy-five. I just confirmed this morning. Which means we’ll have our hands full.” He gave her a look of worry and determination—one that mimicked her own emotions.
Thank God for Emily. Her ideas were brilliant and nothing Levi would have come up with on his own. What did he know about entertaining foreign businessmen? He put out fires and resuscitated people.
Bran had been correct on every point the other night, not that Levi would have ever admitted to it. He was unqualified to run Club Tahoe, but he could make sure his employees were on top of things or heads would roll.
The grunt to his assistant’s clever ideas.
Someone like Emily should be running this place, but his father had made Levi the point person and he would do his best.
“That’s all for now.” He stood and went to the window. When he didn’t sense her leave immediately, he glanced back. And caught her looking at his…butt? “Emily?”
“Oh, um, yes.” She hastily stood, balancing files and her tablet in her arms. “I’ll be in touch later this afternoon to give you a rundown of how things are going.”
“Good. We’ll talk then.” She left, and he shook off the look he thought he’d caught. She’d been zoning out, not staring at his ass. Emily was Lisa’s sister… Lisa.
Levi hadn’t thought of Lisa this much since she’d cheated on him with Hunt. He’d never loved any woman except her. The one short-lived relationship he’d had afterward
ended in different, albeit equal, disaster, and that was when he stopped having relationships altogether. He kept things casual, and that was the way they needed to remain for the foreseeable future. He had too many responsibilities.
Chapter 6
Levi said he’d be around late, but Emily searched the offices and couldn’t find him anywhere.
Employees worked hard at Club Tahoe, something Emily could appreciate. As long as she was moving and pushing her career forward, she didn’t feel so alone. Working late came with the territory, but it seemed most of the executive employees at Club Tahoe were gone by five or five thirty.
How healthy of them.
The sun had set hours ago, and Esther was the only one still here. She pulled her Coach purse on her shoulder and tucked in her desk chair, preparing to leave.
“Have you seen Mr. Cade?” Emily asked.
He’d told her to call him Levi, but Emily couldn’t do it in mixed company. Not yet, anyway. She’d like to continue calling him Mr. Cade in person as well, to keep things from getting too personal. He had no idea the thoughts that filled her mind when she was around him.
“Oh, honey,” Esther said, “he’s probably down by the dock. That’s where he goes when… Well, you’ll figure it out. I can’t say he’ll be much use to you down there, but you can try.”
Emily had told Levi she’d give him an update. He wanted to know what she’d managed to arrange. She’d make a quick stop at the dock then head home. “Thank you, Esther. Have a good night.”
Emily returned to her office and grabbed her things for the evening. She headed out through the grand lobby that never failed to steal her breath. Velvet couches adorned with silk throw pillows and worn leather ottomans strategically placed filled nearly five thousand square feet of lobby and lounge area. Club Tahoe offered a luxury lodge-like retreat for its guests, with dark, knotty wood and stone accents on the walls, and crystal and wrought-iron chandeliers on the ceilings.
At the back of the lobby, Emily passed through the massive stone arch and crossed the bridge over the indoor lazy river that guests floated on during the day. In the evenings, they gathered to roast s’mores on the center island in campfire-like fire pits. To the left of the lazy river were high-end shops and restaurants that ran along the lower level of the hotel’s building, and on the right was the stunning Timber Casino.
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