Surrender to Chance [King's Bluff, Wyoming 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Fiona Archer

  “I should point out that Alex had to fly out Tuesday afternoon to deal with a situation at one of our operations. We’ve had a brief discussion since, and he’s left the decision up to me.” Kane paused, letting a few seconds go by before continuing. “Are you interested in signing our contract?”

  “Yes.” Her answer came out in a loud rush, joy dissolving her usual professionalism. She closed her eyes then breathed. “I mean, yes, I’d be interested.” She glanced at her mom, who now wore a huge grin on her face.

  “I’m pleased.” A hint of amusement warmed Kane’s voice. “Your previous employer couldn’t say enough good things about you, Olivia. He sounded like he’d hire you back in a minute, if that was possible.”

  She smiled to herself. Charles Graham had been an awesome boss. He’d mentored her in ways she’d never receive at a fancy management school. But he’d also understood she needed to make a break from New York and start anew.

  “That’s flattering, Mr. MacKenzie.”

  “No, it’s the truth. And that trumps flattery any day,” Kane stated in a matter-of-fact tone. “A messenger will deliver a contract. If you agree, sign and then call the number for collection. Once I have the contract, you can start. Monday’s soon enough.”

  In four days? Yes! A thrill shot through her body. This was it. Her new start.

  She wanted to jump off the sofa and shout out her joy. But, um, okay, maybe finish the call first. “Thank you for your offer, Mr. MacKenzie. I’ll await receiving the contract.”

  “Good. If you have any questions, you have my number. I look forward to working with you, Olivia.” His confident tone spoke of a man used to getting what he wanted.

  “Me, too, Mr. MacKenzie.” More than he’d ever know.

  The phone clicked, announcing he’d hung up. Before she had a chance to speak to her mom, a knock sounded at the door.

  Visible through the screen door’s mesh and grill, stood a young man wearing a navy-blue polo shirt and beige cargo pants. He held a large envelope.

  Wow, when Kane organized things, he didn’t muck around. It gave her a valuable insight into how he worked.

  She greeted the messenger, who introduced himself as Thad, and stated he’d be available to retrieve the documents whenever she required. After thanking him, she accepted the package, closed the door and on somewhat shaky legs, made it back to the couch. With a flop, she settled onto the cushions, then turned her head to stare at her mom.

  The older woman’s gaze showed understanding. “Well, baby, it’s all happening.”

  “Uh, huh.” Then reality kicked in. She held her breath. Alex MacKenzie would play a part in her new position. If he resented her presence, it could make her job nearly impossible.

  Then there was Kane and those kisses at the pub. The ones she hadn’t been able to get out of her head. Talk about complicated.

  “Whatever’s going through that mind of yours, quit it.” Her mom spoke in a firm tone. “This is your new beginning, Livy. Nothing is going to stop my girl from getting that chance. You read over those papers.”

  Olivia unsealed the envelope, smiling at the older woman as her fingers curled around a slim stack of papers.

  Excitement flared deep inside. For the moment, she pushed all thoughts of Alex MacKenzie aside. Maybe, just maybe, she could make this happen.

  * * * *

  Bright and early the next Monday morning, Olivia pressed the intercom button in the lodge’s foyer. The devices brushed metallic surface blended in with the rustic timbered wall that separated her from the lodge’s inner sanctum.

  A male voice echoed from the voice pad. “Can I help you, ma’am?

  Huh, how did he—? She glanced up. Of course, cameras.

  “Good morning. I’m Olivia Fletcher.”

  The voice replied. “Please, come right in.”

  A click sounded within the timber door leading into the lodge. She took a steadying breath. Let’s do this.

  On her last visit, Kane had shown her in via a door from the foyer that led directly to their offices.

  Now three steps inside the hushed surrounds of the main lobby, she understood why stressed out millionaires sought sanctuary here.

  It was luxurious, in the kind of understated way that cost a fortune.

  A bevy of chairs covered in rich fabrics of blues, dark browns, and stripes were arranged in clumps to form conversation nooks. Some chairs looked deep, allowing a person to sink in down past their knees, others more firm. They’d catered for every taste. She smiled as a male guest looked up from reading a book, maybe one that had come from the many shelves of reading matter that formed a freestanding wall between the lobby and an elevator.

  At the far end, past the large rug with its dark brown and cream pattern, was a massive picture window that occupied the width of the wall and soared from floor to ceiling, affording an unobstructed view of the Bighorn Mountains. Sunlight streamed through the window, forming a shimmering pool on the rug and wide floorboards.

  How would it be to sink into one of those chairs, let the sunlight warm her feet, and take in that vista. Heaven.

  Olivia couldn’t hide her pleasure, feeling her smile spread over her face.

  “Takes your breath away, doesn’t it?” Kane’s deep voice came from behind her.

  “It’s magnificent.”

  She turned, catching his easy smile as he stood in jeans and a navy cotton shirt, his boots sporting a dull shine—clean but not too pristine. That sentiment captured Kane in a nutshell and backed up what she’d learned from her Internet searches of both MacKenzie brothers.

  Handsome ex-SEALs attracted women faster than a fifty-percent markdown on the latest Jimmy Choos. Add in their fortunes and at ages forty and thirty-six respectively, Alex and Kane were two hot prospects. Judging by the bounty of pictures of them with different women, they weren’t lacking for company.

  Kane stepped forward, his hand outstretched. She caught a whiff of his woodsy cologne. Its earthiness matched their surroundings.

  When their hands touched, she felt that recognition, an awareness of his maleness and her femininity. A tiny thrill shot over her skin, one she remembered well from Saturday night. When he’d held her, kissed her.

  Stop daydreaming, ninny!

  Yikes. She quickly withdrew her hand.

  His gaze sharpened on her face. Damn. Real smooth, Olivia.

  She rushed to find a buffer. “You must be tempted to gaze at that view all day, Mr. MacKenzie.”

  He grimaced. “There’s no chance I’d be left alone that long. And call me Kane. There are two of us named MacKenzie.” His gaze fell to the large but stylish black leather tote she carried. “I see you got the folder I messaged over on Friday. I thought it only fair to give you some kind of background on our local operations.”

  “I’d managed to skim some stuff on the Internet earlier, but the folder was invaluable. Thank you.”

  The sun lines around his eyes crinkled with his grin. “You can’t believe everything you read on the net.”

  An image of Alex and Kane escorting a gorgeous brunette to a gallery opening filled her head. Double teaming. Heat bloomed over her cheeks. “That’s true.”

  He stared at her a fraction longer, as if debating just what she might have dug up in her search. “Let me show you around.” He moved toward the reception desk with its roughhewn granite top.

  Two men, wearing the lodge’s navy polo shirts, manned the desk. She recognized Thad, who’d delivered her employment contract. His grin was a welcoming sight.

  “You’ll remember Thad.” Kane moved to stand in front of the desk. “If you need anything, he’s normally one of two people on reception. You’ll meet Kevin in a few days. He’s currently in purgatory for the next week or so before Alex allows him back out here.”

  Olivia blinked. Huh?

  Thad bit his lip while his coworker made a choking sound.

  Kane’s chuckle sounded wry. “Ignore me. Private joke.”

  Th
ad’s voice held a hint of amusement. “Hey, Miss Fletcher. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” The young man shook her outstretched hand. His friendly yet professional manner fit in perfectly with the lodge’s atmosphere.

  “Thanks, Thad, and please, call me Olivia.” She preferred first name basis, if possible.

  The younger man’s grin grew wider. “Done.”

  The man next to him smiled, his white teeth showing off against the rich ebony of his skin. “I’m Ben. I work in the restaurant, but you’ll see me around.”

  She greeted Ben, shaking his hand and enjoying the way his smile reached his eyes.

  Kane leaned an elbow on the desk. “Ben, book us both in for lunch around one, please. Thad, hold my calls unless they’re urgent. I’m taking Olivia on a tour of the property later this morning. I’ll let you know before we leave.”

  Lunch in the lodge’s restaurant? How lovely. Herky would later enjoy a surprise treat of her roast beef on rye she’d packed this morning.

  “Yes, sir,” Thad said.

  After a nod to the men, Kane headed toward the door near the desk. Olivia gave a quick smile to both men before following.

  With a swipe of his keycard, he gained access, then held the door open for her. “We’ll visit security and get you kitted out with a card before we head out later. As a consultant, you don’t have a permanent office here at the lodge, but since you’ll come and go you’re welcome to use one of the spare offices we keep for staff visiting from Seattle.”

  “Okay, great.”

  He strode halfway down a corridor that fed into various rooms, then turned right. She found herself in a large room containing two massive printer-copiers, along with three desks, and various shelves and cupboards made from the same light bleached oak laminate. Unlike the indulgently accented lobby, this room was functional in its outfit and design. From an open doorway on one side she spied a small kitchen.

  One of the two female staff members rose from behind their desks. Olivia recognized Faith Barnhill, a King’s Bluff local. The thirty-something woman smiled at Olivia.

  Kane said, “This is our general admin area. Faith and Lacey keep everything running like a well-oiled machine.” When he smiled, the full force of his charm showed in the way Faith grinned and stared back, oblivious to others scrutiny. The woman was married, but Olivia understood what it was like to receive compliments from such an attractive and virile man.

  Olivia shook hands with the woman. “Hi, Faith.” She answered Kane’s questioning glance with, “We knew each other in school.”

  “The benefits of a small town.” Kane slid his thumbs in his front pockets.

  “Olivia was a year ahead of me,” Faith explained further. “Glad to see you’re back home.” Her genuine smile brought a shine to her round face.

  Warmth bloomed in Olivia’s chest, easing her first-day nerves.

  “You must have been quite a few years ahead of me.” The younger woman, her dark hair braided at the sides to fall down her back finally stood, showing off her tall, slim body. “I don’t remember you at all.” Her tone was flat. “Lacey Hooper.” She didn’t extend her hand.

  Olivia worked hard to keep her brows from rising. She recognized the challenge, though why it was given mystified her.

  Kane said, “Lacey takes care of our phones and general admin needs here at the lodge.”

  The brunette lifted her chin a fraction. “I have everything under control.”

  And she saw Olivia as a threat to that control?

  “Lovely to meet you, Lacey.” Olivia gazed directly into the woman’s eyes, held her stare as she offered her hand.

  No matter what motivations were driving her, the younger woman needed a lesson in professionalism.

  Reluctantly, and obviously aware of Kane’s presence, Lacey shook her hand. Her grip was fleeting and loose, but nonetheless, Olivia was satisfied.

  “I’m sure I’ll be asking you both for help as I get to know where everything is, so I’m thanking you in advance.”

  “No problem, Olivia. We’ll both be happy to assist,” Faith assured her. Was that a twinkle of understanding in her eyes?

  “Let’s head to my office, Olivia.” Kane smiled to the women before moving through a door on the far side of the room.

  She followed him, ending up in the corridor she’d walked down at her interview.

  “The far door leads to Alex’s office.” Kane gestured down the hallway.

  She glanced at the door. Closed. The nerves in her belly tightened. Maybe she could put off running into him for another hour or two? Just until she’d found her sea legs?

  “My brother’s in Seattle.” Kane’s words compelled her to look up at him. “He’ll return tomorrow.”

  Damn, he didn’t miss a thing.

  She forced a casual note in her voice. “I guess he’s there often.” One could hope.

  “Of the two of us, he’s there the most.” Kane led them into his office. “I’m not the suit and tie kind of guy. Basing myself at the lodge is a perfect compromise. Not that Alex lives for city life, but he’s the president of the company. It’s natural for him to be in Seattle more than me.” Kane’s cheeks creased with his smile. “I need a coffee. How about you?”

  “That would be lovely.” She bit back the urge to offer to get the beverage. She was a PR consultant now, not an executive assistant.

  “Our restaurant makes a mean coffee. Name your poison. I’ll have it brought here.” Kane lowered himself into the chair behind his desk, then picked up his phone, his gaze expectant as he punched in three numbers.

  “A latte please. No sugar.” She sat in one of the chairs opposite.

  Her gaze was drawn to the framed pictures on the credenza behind his desk. They included a few of him dressed in outdoor gear as he camped in the wilderness on what looked like various MacKenzie Corp projects. There was another of him and his brother hiking in the mountains, and one of them together dressed in military fatigues, their faces partially hidden under beards and sunglasses.

  Kane followed her gaze. His lips tipped in a wry slant as he replaced the phone’s handset. “I’ll be honest, this”—he waved a hand at the scattered sheets on his desk—“isn’t my strength. Meeting people, working with them, seeing things built, that’s where I’m best. I’m a hands-on kind of guy.”

  She nearly choked. Hands-on? Yes, and he did it with superb skill. But that wasn’t what he meant and she knew it.

  There was something of the mountain man in Kane that could make a woman forget all her reservations and fantasize about the fun to be had in a two-person tent.

  Just not her. Well, okay, a little bit. But he was a client. So that made his obvious charm-filled maverick, wrap-me-up-in-your-arms appeal an out of bounds for her. Didn’t it?

  Hey, nobody said life was fair.

  “I’m a born organizer.” She tapped her pen to her pad. “I love making lists. I’ve got a shelf full of customized notebooks waiting to be filled with nothing but lists.” Wow, how tragic did that sound? But nerves kept her blabbing like a nerd possessed. “I found this amazing shop in Greenwich Village that could make them to order.” She laughed a little too high. “It was, um, great.”

  Kane stared at her for a few seconds before a slow smile formed on his face. “Sounds intriguing.”

  She was saved from further self-induced humiliation when one of the servers delivered their coffees, and then left.

  Taking a sip of her latte, she sighed as the rich java delighted her taste buds, delivering a much needed jolt of caffeine.

  Kane paused in the process of lifting his mug of coffee to his mouth. “You’re enjoying your latte.”

  “It’s my one vice.”

  “Only one?” His tone was innocent enough, but combined with that twinkle in his eyes, her imagination conjured up images of him saying the words as he lay half naked on silk sheets.

  “So…” She cringed inwardly as she spoke a little louder than necessary. “I’ve
read over the folder you provided and have a grasp of the company’s divisions and current local projects. I jotted down some questions, too. If that’s okay?”

  “Sure.” He nodded, leaning forward in his chair, all business. “We’ll go through them when I’m driving you around on the tour. Sound good?”

  “Great, thanks.”

  “You’ve cleared your schedule to be here for the next two days as agreed?”

  “Yes, that’s no problem.” Not hard, since MacKenzie Corp was her one and only client. And she’d have to make some plans to rectify that soon.

  “Great. I want you to see how we operate and get a feel of the place. Alex and I are results based people. We’re not interested in whether you come in twice a week or every day. We’ll judge your effectiveness on you achieving agreed targets.”

  “That sounds wonderful to me.” He’d be giving her free rein. Good. She didn’t like being held back from doing exactly what she was best at. “I’d like to speak to your marketing staff in Seattle. Do you mind if I set up a video conference?”

  Kane’s gaze turned thoughtful. “I was going to suggest it myself. The marketing VP thought tomorrow morning. I know he has some ideas he’d like to go over with you.”

  His voice warmed on his next words. “Louisa Palmer, our executive secretary, will speak with you to arrange for your travel to the head office. She knows this company better than anyone. Been working with us since before I was born. Alex and I adore her.”

  He gulped down a long swallow of coffee. “I’ll call security to take you downstairs to get your credentials. Then we’ll head out for the tour.” He glanced at her barely touched latte. “Coffee okay?”

  “Lovely. I just like to drink it when it’s practically near cold.”

  He settled against his chair with his palms pressed down on the desk before him. “By the way, I should have asked earlier, how’s your mom?”

  “She’s doing okay, thank you. Today she started back at the medical clinic working half days.” In truth, Olivia was certain her mom was more stressed worrying over the mess Jackson had made of her patient files than if she’d get too tired. “I have a friend on call if anything happens and mom ends up needing help this afternoon. But she should be okay.”