Ryan laid a plate in front of her with triangles of French toast sprinkled with powdered sugar and garnished with fresh melon. He went to the fridge and returned with a jar of maple syrup and his own plate.
She dug in.
“This is great. Where’d you learn to cook?”
Ryan sat across the table. “My mom passed when I was eighteen. My older brothers were off in the military and away at college. Dad worked a lot, so I left school to take care of my younger brother.”
“I’m sorry about your mother. And that you had to leave school.”
He chuckled. “I did more partying than learning, anyway.”
Nadia laughed along with him. “What did you study?”
“Art history.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Really.”
“Really. When I was a kid, my class took a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You know how people say you can go anywhere by reading a book?”
She nodded, taking a sip of her coffee.
“It’s the same with art. After I dropped out of school, I got a part-time job with the security company that supplied the guards. Walking those halls sure is something. Almost like being transported to the past.”
“I can tell how much you love it. But why choose to work for a security company that wasn’t West?”
Ryan paused, his fork suspended halfway between his plate and his mouth. He frowned.
“Sorry. It’s none of my business.”
“My dad and I didn’t always have the relationship we have now. Losing my mother was...well, let’s just say it was better that we didn’t work together at the time.”
“It must have been hard for you to lose your mother at such a young age.”
He stared at her, sparking butterflies in her stomach. “It’s always hard to lose a loved one.”
A familiar pang sang in her heart. She waited until he finished chewing the bite of food he’d just put in his mouth. “I never thanked you for attending Nate’s memorial.”
Surprise registered on his face.
“You didn’t think I noticed you there?” There was no way Ryan West could be in a room and not be noticed by every woman there, but it was endearing that he seemed to have no clue about his draw.
“There were so many people wanting to pay their respects. I didn’t want to add to your load.”
“You couldn’t have.”
Their gazes connected. His eyes held hers, not allowing her to look away. Not that she wanted to. Her heart pounded as if she’d just skied Whiteface Mountain, and there was no doubt in her mind that he knew the effect he had on her.
Ryan’s phone beeped, and he pulled his eyes from hers.
She couldn’t tell if the message was good or bad from his expression, but she was unprepared for his next question.
“What can you tell me about Dr. Wallace Hardee?”
“I... What?” She pressed a hand to her chest as much to quell the beating of her heart as in surprise. “Why are you asking about him?”
She hadn’t spoken to Wallace in nearly two years—nor did she ever want to again.
“You were engaged to him?” Ryan’s gaze searched hers.
“Yes, but that was a long time ago.” She looked away.
She wasn’t trying to hide anything from Ryan, but her relationship with Wallace was a source of humiliation she hadn’t totally come to terms with yet. It wasn’t as if she’d been a doe-eyed twentysomething when they’d dated. She should have seen the signs he was nothing more than a manipulative gold digger.
“Sometimes anger takes time to build to a place where it gives people the courage to act,” Ryan said.
“You don’t think Wallace...” She shook her head, her curls bouncing. “No way. I can say without a doubt Wallace doesn’t care enough about me to do this.”
The raw truth of the statement still stung.
“I want to check him out, anyway. Just to make sure,” Ryan said.
Nadia exhaled. “I thought I was in love with Wallace when I accepted his proposal, and I thought he loved me.” Bitterness imbued her words. “It took me longer than it should have to realize he only cared about the size of my bank account.”
Wallace hadn’t even cared enough to call or send his condolences when Nate died. In more than one way she was better off having broken up with him before they’d progressed down the aisle.
“He’s an idiot.”
She smiled wryly. “I agree.”
Ryan’s eyes locked into hers again. “You deserve a man so in love with you he burns with it. Who can’t make it through a single day without seeing your face. Kissing your lips. Taking you to his bed. Dr. Wally was the luckiest man on earth and too stupid to know it.”
Once again his gaze held hers as if it was magnetized. She was pretty sure she’d stopped breathing and would embarrass herself in front of him for the second time in as many days by passing out at any moment.
Thankfully, she was saved by a beep.
Ryan glanced at his phone and typed out a short message. “I need to clean up.”
“Right,” she said focusing on the remnants of her breakfast until her heart rate slowed. “If you don’t mind, could you drop me off by my place? I need to change before I go to the hotel.”
His body tensed. “I’ll go with you.”
“I really do appreciate your concern and letting me stay here, but I’m sure it’s safe enough for me to go back to my apartment now.” And she needed some time away from him.
Ryan lowered his phone to the table. “I put a couple of men on your apartment last night.”
“What do you mean you put men on my apartment?” She sat her coffee cup back on the table with a thunk.
“I was concerned those guys might come back, so I had two of my operatives stake out the building. I wasn’t wrong to be concerned.”
Fear flowed through her. “They came back.” The words were barely more than a whisper.
“They didn’t go in. A police cruiser drove by and scared them off. Unfortunately, my men couldn’t grab them.”
Nadia wrapped shaky hands around her mug, grateful for the warm porcelain against her suddenly ice-cold palms.
“We can pick up some of your things, but I’m not sure it would be safe for you to stay at your apartment until we know more about who’s after you. You should also consider avoiding the Shelton hotels.”
Nadia shook her head. “I can’t do that. We have a conference booked next week at the Harlem property and three weddings this weekend at the Lower East Side property.”
The lines on Ryan’s forehead deepened along with the frown on his face. “Couldn’t one of your managers handle it?”
She had a great team of people working with her, but she was the CEO of Shelton Hotels. “People depend on me. I have to go to work.”
“I’m not suggesting you hide, just that you not take unnecessary risks. Anyone looking for you is going to start at your apartment and the Shelton hotels.”
She couldn’t hide away indefinitely. Still, she wouldn’t dismiss the potential danger she faced.
She drained the last of her coffee. “I’ll avoid my apartment and consider whatever you suggest to ensure my safety, within reason.”
“Within reason meaning you need to go to work?”
She nodded. “Exactly.”
Ryan let out a heavy breath and stood. “I can work with that. Let’s finish up here and get to your place. I already cleared my day so I could stick with you.”
Chapter Five
Ryan spent the ride to Nadia’s condo on the phone arranging for increased security at the Shelton hotels, grateful to have something to do that would keep him from focusing on his almost kiss with Nadia. He’d been attracted to her for months. But hearing how strong she’d been in the face of Dr. Wally’s betraya
l and Nate’s death had shown him a whole new side of her. One he liked. He could fall hard for her if he wasn’t careful.
He shouldn’t have said those things about kissing her, but he’d been dreaming about kissing her since the first time he’d laid eyes on her. As good as those dreams were, they didn’t come close to the real thing. She’d felt so good in his arms. Better than good. It felt like she belonged in his arms.
He slowed the SUV to a stop in front of Nadia’s apartment building. He’d had men waiting for them there, so Gideon slid up to the passenger door as soon as Ryan turned off the engine and helped Nadia out of the vehicle. He didn’t think it would take too long for her to pack a bag, but he’d rather be safe than sorry.
Dale Jackson, another of West’s operatives, slid into the driver’s seat as Ryan hopped out, assuming the double duty of staying with the car and keeping an eye out for trouble outside the building. Ryan jogged to catch up to Gideon and Nadia as she unlocked the front door of the building.
Gideon stepped in first and conducted a quick sweep of the small lobby and mail alcove while Ryan and Nadia hung near the door. “All clear.”
“This seems a bit excessive,” Nadia grumbled as they strode to the elevator.
“Humor me.”
Nadia lived in an older, renovated building with four apartments to each floor. The background check he’d pulled on Nadia last night showed she’d purchased the apartment four years ago.
They exited the elevator on the fourth floor.
Ryan grasped Nadia’s shoulders, moving her to the side before she could unlock the door. “Let Gideon go in first.”
She frowned but didn’t argue.
Ryan took her keys from her hand and slid them in the lock. He glanced at Gideon, who held his gun out and at the ready. On Gideon’s signal, Ryan pushed open the door. Gideon was inside for several moments before a sharp Clear sounded from inside.
Knickknacks, shattered glass and shredded stuffing from the sofa covered the wood flooring. Loose pages from a book scattered about. A general sense of destruction permeated the space.
Gideon stepped back into the hall as Nadia crossed the living room and picked up a picture frame from the floor. A quiet whimper escaped her lips.
Ryan stepped beside her. “Are you okay?”
She looked at him with glassy eyes. “I didn’t expect it to look so bad.”
Ryan wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and after a brief hesitation, she leaned in to his side. “Why don’t you go change and pack a bag.”
“A bag? Why?” Nadia lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up at him.
“You can stay at my place until we figure this out.”
Nadia eased from his grasp. “I don’t know.”
“You said you’d follow my lead.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Staying at my place, in the guest room, is within reason.”
She held his gaze for several long moments before nodding. “There’s something else I remembered when we walked in here. I’ve been getting hang-up calls, and last week someone keyed my car.”
“You have a car?”
“I keep it in the garage next door. I don’t use it often, but it’s useful if I want to get away for a few days.” She shrugged. “That’s not really the worst of it. Two nights ago I came home to find a mutilated rat on the fire escape outside my bedroom window. I tried convincing myself the neighbor’s cat left it, but...”
“Now you’re not so sure.”
While she packed, he surveyed the damage. Nadia’s apartment was an open floor plan, but on a smaller scale than his own home. The kitchen cabinets hung open, the cabinets, drawers and their contents strewn about the kitchen. Ryan lifted a dining chair only to realize one of its legs was broken. He walked through the space, trying to make sense of what they knew so far. Why push Nadia in front of traffic, then break into her apartment, seemingly in an attempt to kidnap her? Was she in possession of something someone wanted, or did they want Nadia herself?
“Ryan,” Nadia called from down the hall.
He found her in a small second bedroom that doubled as an office. It looked much like the rest of the house, with papers, books and files tossed haphazardly about the room.
“My computer is missing.” Nadia pointed to the white architect-style desk. The power cord remained plugged into the wall behind the desk, but there was no computer at its other end.
“Have you noticed anything else missing?” He took her black travel bag from her hand and hooked it over his shoulder.
She shook her head, sending the loose curls at her shoulder bouncing. “It’s hard to tell with all the destruction. If anything else is missing, it’s not obvious.”
“Anything on that computer worth attempted kidnapping or breaking-and-entering charges?”
“The company’s files are kept on a secure server, and I use two-step authentication for all my personal information.” She exhaled a sigh laced with exhaustion despite the time of day. “I’ll change my passwords when I get to the office, but I doubt anyone could get much information.”
Nadia’s phone rang. She tugged it from her handbag and connected the call. The color drained from her face as the person on the other end of the line spoke. Nadia sprinted for the front door, the phone still at her ear.
Ryan followed, seizing her arm to stop her from barreling into the hallway. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
Nadia pulled her arm from his hand, wrenching the door open with her free hand before turning back to him. “My hotel is on fire.”
* * *
NADIA ENTERED THE hotel lobby at a run, Ryan at her side.
Olivia stepped away from the two men she’d been talking to when she spotted Nadia coming through the hotel entrance. “Everything’s under control. The fire is out, and we evacuated the second floor just to be safe.”
Nadia expelled a breath as the claw of tension gripping her neck and shoulders released. No one had been hurt. Insurance would cover any damages.
“Miss Shelton?” The taller of the two men stepped up. “I’m Detective John Parsmons. This is Gene Gould, Fire Inspector.” Detective Parsmons gestured to the man that had walked over with him. “The fire has been extinguished, but we will need to cordon off the affected section of the second floor until we complete our investigation.”
“Investigation?” Just like that, the claw gripped her shoulders again.
“Yes, ma’am. Unfortunately, it looks like the fire was purposely set in a trash can in the room.”
Nadia gaped at the inspector.
“What about the people checked into that room?” Ryan asked.
Olivia shook her head. “That room is vacant.”
“Vacant?” Nadia turned her attention to Olivia. “Then, how did anyone get in?”
“The log shows the door opened at 8:43 this morning,” Olivia said.
“With whose key card?” Nadia asked, confused.
“No one’s,” Olivia answered. “That is, the door was opened with a guest key card, but our records don’t show a card having been created for that room.”
“We’ll be investigating all that.” Inspector Gould waved away Olivia’s words, clearly irritated by the discussion. “Luckily, the people staying in the room next door smelled the smoke rather quickly, and you have a top-notch sprinkler system. The damage is mostly due to water and smoke and is contained to the one room.”
Nadia knew the inspector meant well, but she wasn’t feeling lucky at the moment. She was thankful no one was injured, but a fire in her hotel, one that may have been purposely started, was not good by any means.
Gould and Parsmons returned to the damaged hotel room. Nadia, Ryan and Olivia headed through the door behind the check-in desk. Nadia headed up the trio through a short hall leading to a small suite of offices where she, Olivia and the hotel department managers worked.
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br /> “How many rooms are in the section that the fire department has put off-limits?” Nadia asked.
Olivia sat behind the desk positioned in front of Nadia’s closed office door. “Four, but only two were occupied. I’ve moved those guests to rooms on the fifth floor.”
“Great.” Nadia chewed her bottom lip. “The first guests for the photography conference will be checking in on Monday. They’ve pretty much booked every standard room we have. We’ll have to move some guests to suites, assuming they aren’t all booked too.”
“I’ll look into it.” Olivia spun her chair, so she faced her computer monitor and began tapping away.
“I’ll be back.” Nadia headed back the way they’d come.
Ryan fell in step next to her. “Where are we going?”
“I need to see the damage.”
Ryan put a hand on her arm, stopping her before she could enter the lobby. “It might not be safe yet.”
She pressed her lips together, shaking free of Ryan’s grip. “I’ll be careful, but this is my hotel. I need to know what happened in that room.” She was responsible for the hotel, its guests and her employees, and she would make sure they were safe.
He opened his mouth, but she didn’t wait to hear what he would say.
Turning, she pushed through the door and into the hotel lobby. She picked up a master key from the front desk, then headed for the elevators, Ryan dogging her heels. With the fire contained to a single room on the opposite end of the floor from the elevator banks, there’d been no need to keep the elevators shut down.
As an enterprising businessman, her father had undertaken a major renovation of the hotel fifteen years prior. Each of the seven floors had been separated into five wings with fire doors between each wing. That, plus the fact that the affected room was at the back of the floor, would make it easier to keep nosy guests from sneaking a peek and getting hurt.
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