It wasn’t likely to happen again after what he was currently witnessing.
The window squeaked, and it snapped him back to the present. Great, he was so busy obsessing about fresh air he had forgotten about the person trying to break into his office! Stepping around the shrub and ready to haul off and give this person a piece of his mind, Hugh immediately stopped short, his jaw hitting the ground.
There, right in front of him, were two of the longest legs he’d ever seen and quite possibly the world’s most perfect female bottom.
In nothing but a hot-pink thong.
His throat instantly dried and his heart rate kicked up. He stood—mesmerized—as her sexy bottom wiggled back and forth. He couldn’t tear his eyes away.
Or move.
In that instant, it didn’t matter that she was trespassing. It didn’t matter that she was clearly breaking and entering. All that mattered was watching the movement of her body.
Then she disappeared through the window and into his office.
It took a full minute for Hugh to realize he was staring at nothing but his window before he shook his head to clear it and made his move. In a flash he was silently through the window, and his sexy intruder hadn’t noticed. She was looking around the dimly lit room, and unfortunately he couldn’t get a good look at her.
Standing in the corner, he continued to observe. If she was going to try to steal something, he wanted to be certain to catch her in the act. In a perfect world, he’d hit the lights as soon as she took something that clearly didn’t belong to her so he could press charges. He hated people touching his belongings—especially when they so blatantly held such little regard for his privacy.
But who was she? Why was she here in his office?
“Finally,” he heard her mutter. Stepping closer to his desk, he reached for the small lamp there and turned it on. A small scream escaped her at the intrusion of light.
“Is there something I can help you with?” Hugh asked with a calmness he didn’t feel. As soon as his eyes adjusted to the light, he felt as poleaxed at the sight of her face as he had at the sight of her climbing through the window.
The first thing to register was the fact that she was wearing more than the hot-pink thong. She had on a strapless white dress. It hit mid-thigh and showcased a curvy body and tanned limbs. Her hair was long and blond, and she looked like some sort of beach goddess.
Huge blue eyes stared back at him. One hand covered her heart as the other covered her belly. “Who…? What are you…?”
“Doing in my own office?” he supplied. “I believe that’s what I should be asking you. How about explaining why it is you’re in here and why you decided to climb in through the window? Some call it breaking and entering.” Hugh watched the play of emotion on her face as she lowered her hands to her sides. He expected tears. He expected apologies. He certainly didn’t expect attitude.
“You stole my suitcase,” she snapped at him.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and cocking a hip. “That suitcase right there? It’s mine. You had no right to take it.”
Hugh was stunned speechless. He owned the damn resort—didn’t this woman realize that? “You left it out in the middle of the property. I brought it here to keep it safe. Anyone could have grabbed it and taken off with it. I was simply making sure nothing happened to it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. It wasn’t your responsibility. I left it there for a reason.”
He cocked a brow at her. “Oh really? And what was it?”
“None of your business,” she said evenly, then looked at the watch on her slim wrist. “Look, are we cool here? Obviously the luggage is mine so…can I go?”
Was this woman for real? “Actually, it’s not obvious the luggage is yours. There’s no tag on it, no identification. And if you knew it was in here, why didn’t you go to the front desk and ask for it?”
A little of her bravado seemed to fade. “They were busy and…and…I needed to get it so I can go.”
“Leaving already? Were you even a guest here?”
She nodded. “I really need to go. What’s it gonna take to prove to you this suitcase is mine?”
The resort was small enough that Hugh normally recognized his guests. He didn’t recognize this woman, and God knew she was attractive enough that had he seen her before, he definitely would have remembered. “I don’t believe you.”
“About what?” she asked incredulously.
“About being a guest. I know all of our guests. I never saw you before.”
She rolled her eyes again. “We just checked in this morning. What are you, resort security?”
“No,” he said smugly. “The resort owner.”
Those blue eyes went wide again. Slowly she composed herself. “Okay, Mister Resort Owner. What happens now?”
“You said ‘we just checked in.’ Who’s ‘we’?”
“It doesn’t matter. I checked in with someone and now I’m leaving. It’s not a crime.”
“No…but breaking and entering is.”
“You stole my suitcase!” she cried.
“Okay, we’re going around in circles here, Miss…?”
“Burke. Aubrey Burke.”
“Do you have ID?”
“In my purse.”
Hugh looked at her expectantly.
“It’s outside in the bushes.”
Without a word, Hugh hopped out the window and looked around. Tucked under one of the shrubs was a pair of white sandals and a purse. He scooped them both up and climbed back in through the window again. And mentally cursed himself for having to behave like this.
He didn’t hand the small white clutch to her—he opened it and pulled out her driver’s license, inspecting it. Aubrey Burke of Raleigh, North Carolina. He placed the card back inside her purse before handing it to her, along with her shoes.
“Now can I go?”
“It doesn’t prove the bag is yours.”
“Oh, for crying out loud. Are you for real?” When Hugh didn’t answer, Aubrey let out a sigh of agitation. “Okay, fine.” She took a step away from the luggage. “Open it up. Inside you’ll find a white bikini with a matching cover-up, a white silk nightie, a red dress, a black dress, and a blue one.” She stopped and thought for a moment. “There’s also a cosmetics case, a small pouch with some jewelry, and my laptop. And six pairs of shoes.”
“Six?” he asked with a smirk.
“I couldn’t decide which ones I wanted to wear so I brought a selection.”
Unable to help himself, Hugh walked over, crouched in front of the suitcase, and opened it. He should have just let her go. After all, who would lie about owning this hideous piece of luggage? Curiosity got the better of him and soon he found himself up to his elbows in all of the items Aubrey had listed.
And some she hadn’t.
“Oh yeah…and several pairs of panties,” she said with a smirk of her own. “Forgot about those.”
Hugh never would.
They were lacy and tiny and in every color imaginable. An image of the hot-pink pair she was currently wearing flashed through his mind and he had to stifle a groan. When he realized he was still touching the lingerie, he quickly dropped it, slammed the suitcase closed, and stood up. He cleared his voice before he could speak. “Um…so…yeah. I guess it’s yours.”
“I told you it was.”
“It still doesn’t explain why—”
“I know it was wrong to go through the window and all, but I was in a rush. And now, thanks to this little game of cops and robbers, my cab is probably gone and I’ve most likely missed my flight.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to apologize, but he quickly remembered he wasn’t the one in the wrong here.
“I’m so
rry about that, but you have to understand—you broke into my office. I can’t simply overlook that.”
Aubrey’s eyes began to well with tears. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice shaky. “I really am. You have to know I’ve never done anything like this before. I just… I needed…” She paused. “I never should have come here.”
“To my office?” Hugh asked.
She shook her head. “Here. To Napa. The resort. Everything.”
Something about her whole demeanor began to make Hugh uncomfortable. The situation was bizarre, to say the least, but Aubrey was clearly someone looking for a quick escape. “Are you in some kind of trouble?” he finally asked.
She shook her head and met his gaze. “I really need to leave. Please.”
Her plea was a mere whisper, and damn if it didn’t make him feel a tightening in his chest. He should be furious with this woman—he should be ranting and raving about her invading his privacy and pretty much pitching a fit because she had messed up his schedule. But one look at those big blue eyes and the slight tremble of her lips and he just couldn’t do it. Any of it.
Shifting uncomfortably, Hugh said, “I’m sorry about your flight. Is there anything I can do?”
Aubrey wiped a stray tear away and straightened. “It was the last available flight out of San Francisco tonight. I’ll have to see what I can find tomorrow.”
He nodded. It wasn’t any of his business anyway. “Well…for what it’s worth…I hope you get home safely.”
“Thanks.” Her words were soft, quiet. She turned and secured her suitcase, slipping on her sandals.
“If it’s all right with you, I’d prefer you leave through the door rather than the window,” Hugh said, hoping to lighten the mood with a little humor. He was relieved when Aubrey smiled.
“That would be nice. Thank you.”
Hugh followed her to the door and admired the soft sway of her hips and the way her short skirt swished as she moved. His throat went dry again. Aubrey looked curvy and soft and…he made a mental note to call Riley as soon as he got to his suite.
Reaching around her at the door, he opened it and was about to wish her well when she immediately stepped back, bumping into him right before slamming the door closed. “I can’t go out there,” she said, her gaze a little wild.
“What? Why?”
“I…I can’t. Please. Can I just stay here? For a few more minutes?”
His curiosity was beyond piqued, but he nodded and put some space between them. “Of course.” He motioned for Aubrey to sit down on the sofa set up against the wall. “There’s some water and soda in the mini fridge in the corner. Help yourself. I’ll be right back.” Hugh saw her nod but also noted she was looking around the room as if planning her escape. He walked over to the window and closed and locked it. “Promise me you’ll wait until I get back, okay?”
Aubrey grimaced. “Fine.”
“Thank you.” With a nod of approval, Hugh strode from the office and out to the lobby. Tim was standing at the desk talking with a guest. Standing back for a moment, he listened to the conversation.
“You must have seen her. She would have had to come here to get another room!” the guest snapped.
“I’m sorry, sir, but we haven’t had any requests for a room from any walk-ins,” Tim said with a smile.
The man sighed loudly. “She wasn’t a walk-in. She arrived with me. Blond. In a white dress. Pink luggage.”
Hugh stiffened. This was the we Aubrey had mentioned? The guy sounded like a total ass. Unable to help himself, he walked over to the desk. “Is there something I can help you with?”
Tim seemed to sag with relief while the other guy seemed to bristle. “Who the hell are you?”
“Hugh Shaughnessy. I own the resort.”
“Finally,” the man grumbled. “I’m looking for the woman I arrived here with. She took off and I need to find her.”
“I’m sorry,” Hugh began, “and you are?”
“Paul Hollingsworth.” They shook hands. “Aubrey and I checked in this morning and now she’s gone. This is a real inconvenience and I demand to know where she is.”
“Tim?” Hugh said with a serene smile. “Have you seen Mr. Hollingsworth’s guest?”
Tim shook his head. “No, I haven’t, sir. Which is what I’ve been trying to tell him.”
Hugh turned back to Hollingsworth. “My employee has no reason to lie to you. Are you sure she didn’t go shopping?”
“No,” Paul snapped. “All of her things are gone!” He threw up his hands and took a few steps away while he muttered, “Inconsiderate bitch. I knew I should have asked someone else.”
The statement filled Hugh with rage. “Wait…did you say she had pink luggage?”
Paul nodded and came back to stand in front of him. “She did.”
“Long blond hair? White dress?”
Again Paul nodded.
“Right, right. I remember her now. I helped her get a cab. She said she was going to the airport.”
“What?” Paul yelled. “And you let her go?”
Hugh shrugged. “It wasn’t my place to stop her,” he said mildly. “Guests request cabs or town cars to take them to the airport all the time. Is there a problem?”
“Damn woman,” Paul muttered. “I’m going to need a car to take me to the airport too. I need to collect my things.” He turned to Tim. “Get a bellman to help me transport my luggage immediately.” Then he was gone.
“Yes, sir,” Tim said. “Right away.”
Hugh watched until Paul was out of sight before he turned to look at Tim. “Make sure he gets everything he needs and he leaves the property. Close out his bill and if he comes back, we don’t have any vacancies, understand?”
Tim looked at him curiously but nodded. “Understood.”
There was no doubt in Hugh’s mind Tim wanted to know what was going on. Hell, so did he. Why had he lied for a complete stranger? Why did he get involved? “Let me know if there’s any further issues, Tim.”
“Yes, sir,” he said pleasantly and turned to take care of his task.
For a minute, Hugh stood rooted to the spot, torn about what to do. There was work to do, meetings to prepare for—it’s what he had scheduled for the evening. He was already behind thanks to this current drama, and it seemed as if he was going to remain so.
Looking toward his office door, he sighed. “Okay, Miss Aubrey Burke, let’s find out what’s really going on.”
Chapter 2
Aubrey silently shut the office door and let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. On shaky legs, she walked back over to the sofa and sat down. This was so not the way she had imagined things going. Not in any way, shape, or form.
A quick glance at her watch showed it was nearly seven. In a few minutes she was supposed to be getting married. Married. Just the word was enough to make her stomach clench. What the hell had she been thinking? Paul Hollingsworth was not the man she pictured living happily ever after with.
And that explained the runaway bride stint she was currently living out.
When she’d opened the door and seen him in the lobby, she’d panicked. And when she’d looked out a few minutes later and seen…hell, what was his name? All he’d said was that he owned the resort. He’d never given her his name.
Well damn.
Anyway, when she’d looked out the door and seen Mister Resort Owner talking to Paul, Aubrey had a strong urge to flee out the window and into the night. But somehow she had stood her ground and watched as whatever Paul was hearing made him more and more furious. It wasn’t until he’d walked away that Aubrey had closed the door.
Now what? What was she supposed to do now? It was too late to get a flight and she’d have to find a place to stay for the night. Preferably someplace far from here where she wouldn’t run into Paul.
&
nbsp; It wasn’t that Paul was a mean person, but he did have a tendency to talk over her and make her feel small and more than a little incompetent. That’s how she’d ended up here. It had been Paul’s idea for them to get married. They’d been in San Francisco on business when Paul had brought up the idea. Aubrey still couldn’t believe she’d let him talk her into it, but here they were.
They’d never really dated and if she were completely honest, she didn’t particularly like him. But…like most of the people in her life, Paul had played on her one insecurity and used it to his advantage. He was business partners with her father—a man who barely acknowledged her anymore—and Paul had convinced her this would be a way to get back in her father’s good graces.
It wasn’t until she had mistakenly overheard the two on the phone that she realized it didn’t matter if she was in her father’s good graces or not. There was no way she could possibly go through with the ceremony. Paul’s smarmy, condescending tone as he’d talked about finally getting Aubrey to fall in line had really sealed the deal.
So while he talked and thought she was taking a nap, Aubrey had packed her suitcase and thrown it out the second-story window. Once it was on the ground, she was ready to crawl out after it when she’d spotted Mister Resort Owner picking it up and carrying it away! In her entire life, Aubrey had never been a tomboy or one who climbed trees, and yet she had shimmied out the window and down the side of the building as if she had been doing it for years. She’d followed the man all the way to the main building and then had to find a way in without drawing attention to herself. The fewer people who saw her leaving, the better.
Clearly that didn’t go as planned.
Now she was stuck in this office, trying to figure out where to go from here.
No doubt Paul was furious. And probably on the phone with her father right now telling him what she’d done. It couldn’t be helped. Aubrey hated it, but right now, it was the least of her worries.
The door to the office opened and Mister Resort Owner walked in. He closed the door and offered her a small smile. She studied him. He was tall—easily over six feet—and reminded her a little bit of Thor…or Chris Hemsworth. He was definitely movie star material, and for a minute she wished they had met under different circumstances. Right now she was certain he was anxious to get rid of her, probably still a little annoyed at finding her in his office in the first place.
Love Walks In Page 3