“Are you okay?” he asked softly as he came to stand in front of her.
She could have handled his annoyance or arrogance, but she wasn’t prepared for his obvious concern. It wasn’t something she was used to, and all she could do was nod and stare.
“I told your…companion…you’d left for the airport. He’s packing up and getting ready to head there. No doubt he’s going to look for you.” He took a seat beside her on the sofa. “Care to tell me what’s going on?”
Aubrey took in his strong features as her eyes scanned his face. The strong jaw, the sandy-brown hair that matched the color of his eyes. He had a five o’clock shadow darkening his jaw, and she thought it made him look beyond attractive.
Whoa, girl. Stop thinking like that right now! she admonished herself. Tearing her gaze away, she cleared her throat. “Who are you?” It came out before she could stop it. “I mean, other than the owner of the resort.”
His features softened a little at her inquiry, his smile growing, and Aubrey noticed the dimples and almost hummed with appreciation. Unable to help herself, she smiled back and waited. And waited. And waited. If she wasn’t mistaken, he seemed as interested in looking at her as she was with him.
“Hugh Shaughnessy,” he finally said, holding out his hand.
Aubrey didn’t hesitate to reach out and shake it, but as soon as she did, she gasped. His hand seemed to swallow hers. It was warm and hard and so…masculine. Wow. “It’s nice to meet you, Hugh Shaughnessy,” she said shyly, but didn’t make a real effort to take her hand back.
And he didn’t seem in a hurry to release it.
Growing a little uncomfortable with the silence, Aubrey reluctantly removed her hand from his and asked, “Why did you cover for me?”
He shrugged. “Honestly? He was being a major jerk and harassing my employee. I figured if you were so anxious to get away from him that you climbed through a window to get in here unseen, combined with the way he was talking to Tim…well, it seemed like the thing to do.”
“Oh. Thank you.” Aubrey tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear and shifted. “So…um…once Paul’s gone, I guess I’ll need a cab too.”
“Where are you going? I thought you missed your flight.”
“I did,” she began, “but I’ll still need a place to stay tonight. I don’t want to sleep at the airport—or risk running into Paul—so…”
“We have a room for you here,” Hugh said.
Aubrey was a little taken aback. How could she possibly explain that while she appreciated the offer, this resort was a little out of her comfort zone? Well, not her personal comfort zone but her wallet’s comfort zone.
“That’s very nice of you, but I think I’ve outstayed my welcome here.” She rose and walked over to the mini fridge he’d referred to earlier, helping herself to a bottle of water. “I think it would be better for everyone if I found someplace else to stay.”
From his spot on the sofa, Hugh continued to silently study her. Aubrey took a long drink of water, and when he still didn’t say anything, she found herself starting to fidget. “Thank you for the offer though. I mean, if I were you, I would be happy to see me getting in a cab and driving away. I’m sure I messed up your evening—you must have had other things to do than apprehending a luggage thief. Well…not really a thief…it really is my luggage and I was simply getting it back. I didn’t notice if there were other hotels nearby, but I’m sure I can use my phone to Google the area and find something appropriate for the night and—”
“Aubrey?” Hugh interrupted.
“Hmm?”
“You’re rambling.” His smile deepened. Those dimples were back and Aubrey’s knees went weak.
“I… I know. You just make me a little…nervous.”
“Me?”
She nodded.
“Why?”
Oh God. Was he really asking that? “Well, to be honest, you’re a little intimidating.”
He chuckled. “Really? Because I thought the same thing about you.”
The very idea made her laugh and she quickly covered her mouth to try to control it. “Me? I’m not intimidating to anyone!”
Hugh stood and walked toward her. “You broke into my office and had the nerve to make me feel like I was the one doing something wrong,” he said, and soon they were both laughing again.
“It was…what do they call it…false bravado. Trust me, this is not something I normally do.”
“Good to know I’m not harboring a fugitive.”
Her brows rose at his teasing tone. “Very funny. But seriously, I need to find a place to stay. Can you maybe check and see if Paul has left?”
With a nod, Hugh walked over to his desk and picked up the phone. He spoke quietly and Aubrey did her best to keep calm. The sooner she could leave, the better for her peace of mind. Hugh Shaughnessy was definitely messing with that right now. The last thing she should be doing after climbing out a window to escape marrying Paul was getting all cozy and flirty with the sexy resort owner.
“The cab is waiting and Paul is on his way down with a couple of bellhops, so he should be gone within the next fifteen minutes,” he said. “You’ll probably want to wait a little bit after he leaves to make sure he’s really on his way. Can I interest you in some dinner?”
This was bad. Bad, bad, bad, bad. And yet…
“I shouldn’t,” Aubrey forced herself to say.
“Why? Are you one of those women who doesn’t eat dinner?” he asked lightly, and Aubrey couldn’t help but giggle again.
“Absolutely not,” she replied. “I’m one of those women who seriously enjoys a good dinner.”
“So why not let me—”
“Hugh, I appreciate all you’re doing. I do. But I’ve intruded on your evening enough. By now you probably would be at home having dinner with your family. I promise not to climb through any more windows. You can go on home and I’ll stay out of trouble.” She made a cross over her heart.
“By now I would be home reading reports and waiting for room service to bring me my dinner,” he said simply. “Not the most exciting way to spend the evening.”
“Oh.”
“But…you’re probably right. I do need to go. I’ll take you out the back door and you can sit by the lounge or the pool, or have some dinner. I’ll let Tim know you’ll be needing a cab in about an hour. Will that work?”
She couldn’t believe his kindness. His considerateness. Unable to speak due to the lump in her throat, she merely nodded.
“Okay then. Why don’t you grab your luggage and we’ll head out. Once you’re on your way, I’ll go to the desk and talk with Tim. He’ll take care of you and help you find a place to stay if you need it. But we do—”
“It’s okay, Hugh. Really. You’re being beyond generous, considering what I did here today.”
“You were in a bad situation and needed help.” He paused. “You’ll notice I haven’t pressed you for details on what exactly that situation is.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, I did notice and I thank you.”
He looked like there was more he wanted to say, but didn’t. Instead he walked over to the door and held it open for her. Together they silently walked down a hallway labeled Employees Only and out a door leading to one of the many gardens.
“If you take this path to the left, you’ll get to the pool area. There’s a lounge there and they offer drinks and appetizers. If you want dinner, you go to the right and there are two restaurants to choose from. The Vine is a five-star French restaurant that I highly recommend. Then there’s also Lillian’s—you can get everything from soup to burgers to steak there. They specialize in comfort food.”
That one intrigued Aubrey, but she didn’t comment on it. Instead she said, “I do want to thank you for everything, Hugh. I appreciate all of your help. And kindness.”
“You’re welcome, Aubrey. I hope… I hope everything’s okay.”
She forced a bright smile. “It will be. Thank you.” And with that, she picked up the handle of her suitcase and let it roll behind her as she walked away.
* * *
He should have been relieved. After all, now he was free to resume his schedule and get down to the business of preparing for his meeting with William Bellows tomorrow. Hugh watched until Aubrey turned a corner out of sight.
He sighed.
Riley. He needed to call Riley and see if he could hook him up for a weekend. Just the thought of it suddenly made his stomach turn. This was what he was reduced to? Asking his own brother to act as some kind of pimp? Okay, scratch that. Don’t call Riley. But pencil in some personal time where he could hopefully meet someone and maybe work off some of this…tension.
And if she happened to be a curvy blond with big blue eyes and a thing for lacy thongs, who was he to complain.
“I’m seriously losing it,” he muttered. “I need to focus on the present. Blonds…or…women with any color hair will have to wait.”
With a renewed sense of purpose, Hugh turned and walked back into the main building, toward the front desk. He found Tim standing behind it with a smile on his face. “Later on, Miss Aubrey Burke will be coming up here to speak to you.”
Tim looked at him expectantly.
“She’ll need you to get her a cab and maybe help her find another place to stay.”
“She doesn’t like her room?”
“She no longer has a room and I get the impression she couldn’t afford one on her own.”
“I don’t think I understand.”
“She’s the owner of the pink suitcase,” he said, and chuckled at the image of it as it popped into his mind.
“I thought you said you had put her in a cab to the airport earlier.”
Oops. “It’s a long story.”
Tim chuckled. “Apparently.”
“Did Mr. Hollingsworth leave?”
“Yes, sir. I put him in the cab myself.”
“And did he behave while he was getting ready to leave?”
Tim chuckled again. “Define behave.”
Hugh laughed. “Unbelievable. I don’t understand some people. It wasn’t our fault his companion bailed on him. Maybe he should be taking a closer look at himself rather than putting the blame on us.”
“Well, in his defense, they were supposed to get married tonight.”
“What?” Hugh said loudly, then stepped closer to the desk and lowered his voice. “What do you mean?”
Tim nervously fidgeted with his tie. “Well…um…he and Miss Burke were the couple who were supposed to get married in the gardens tonight.”
Son of a bitch! And then it hit him—the white dress, the white negligee, the white bikini. Dammit! “So the bride got cold feet,” he forced himself to say, but his throat felt tight. “It’s still not an excuse to take it out on you or the staff.” His mind was reeling—he couldn’t believe Aubrey hadn’t said one word about it. “Did he…did he mention what happened?”
Tim studied him for a moment. “He really didn’t speak directly to us.”
“Oh.”
“However…I got the impression this was not a marriage based on love.”
“Why not?”
“Because he mumbled several times about how he should have asked Kristen.”
“Who’s Kristen?” Hugh asked.
“I don’t know, sir. Like I said, he really wasn’t talking to me. By the time we got to his suite, he was on the phone and David and I waited by the door for him.”
“Did you hear any of the phone conversation?” Hugh hated to sound like a fourteen-year-old girl, but he had to know.
“I could only hear part of it and…”
“And?”
“I feel really weird about this.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re gossiping.”
Hugh looked at him incredulously. “And?”
“And…it was you who trained us all to not gossip about our guests.”
Well…damn. Tim had a point. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be doing this. The whole situation really… It was all a little bizarre and dramatic and I guess I needed a distraction more than I thought.”
“If you’d like I can tell you what I heard,” Tim offered.
“No. No,” he said more firmly. “I’m going to my suite. If you can, have the kitchen send my dinner over in about thirty minutes.”
“Tonight’s special at The Vine is Blanquette de Veau. I hear it’s spectacular.”
Hugh shook his head. “It’s Thursday, Tim. Call the chef over at Lillian’s. He knows what to do.” With a smile and a nod, he turned and walked away.
* * *
Three hours later, Hugh’s mind was still reeling. Married. Aubrey had come here to get married and had essentially run away from her wedding. He snorted with disgust. It made perfect sense after meeting her fiancé, but something about the whole thing still didn’t sit right with him. And there was no way for him to get any answers because by now Aubrey was gone and he had no way of contacting her.
And really, he shouldn’t.
Or shouldn’t want to.
The thing was, finding Aubrey Burke climbing through his window—and flashing her spectacular ass at him—was probably the most exciting thing to happen to Hugh in months. He was in a rut. Stuck in his routine. And that’s the way he normally liked it. Only now…it felt sad. Empty.
Depressing.
“Fresh air. I need some fresh air,” he said as he rose from his sofa and stretched. The remnants of his spaghetti dinner were still on the table, but he didn’t have the will to care. He’d ditched his dress slacks and shirt earlier and was currently in jeans and a T-shirt. Casual. Comfortable. “And I’m not in a rut,” he mumbled, although he knew he was lying. While he didn’t always change into casual clothes at the end of the work day, it wasn’t completely unheard of.
With no specific destination in mind, Hugh left his suite, deciding to see where the night took him. The weather was warm for a May evening and as soon as he stepped outside, he felt himself relax.
On the path he waved to a few guests, picked up a couple of stray pieces of trash—a straw wrapper, a napkin—and soon found himself approaching the pool and lounge area. Since the temperatures were mild, one wall of the lounge was fully open, and he smiled at the sound of the music playing and people laughing.
Deciding he could use a drink, he wandered over and smiled at his bartender Nick.
“How’s it going, boss?”
“Can’t complain.” Hugh looked around at the small crowd and smiled again. “It looks like you’re having a good night here.”
Nick nodded. “Definitely a nice crowd for a Thursday night. I was just thinking—” His words were cut off by a boom of laughter coming from the corner of the room. Both Hugh and Nick turned. “That has got to be one of the loudest guys I’ve ever heard.”
Hugh chuckled. “Has he been drinking a lot?”
“No. He wasn’t impressed with our wine selection—made some snarky comments about it—and he’s been nursing a beer for the last hour.” Then Nick smiled. “But he’s certainly one lucky SOB.”
“Why?” Hugh craned his neck, trying to see who this guy was.
“He came in alone, but he managed to snag a beautiful woman and she’s been sitting with him ever since. All she’s drinking is water.” He shrugged. “I’m not going to Hawaii on those tips, I can tell you that.” He slid a beer over to Hugh—the same beer he always drank.
“Thanks. See you later, Nick.” The bartender waved and Hugh decided to get up and see who this loud—and lucky—guy was.
“Hugh!”
Hugh heard the man b
efore he saw him, and when he made his way through the throng of people, he found William Bellows sitting at the corner table. “William, hey! I heard you arrived early. Having a good time?”
“Please, we’re off the clock and we’re casual. And besides, I prefer to be called Bill.”
This was news to Hugh, but he’d go with it. “So, are you having a good time, Bill?” he asked with a smile, and laughed when Bill toasted him with his half-empty bottle of beer.
“I’m having a great time. The massage was amazing, dinner was fantastic, and…” He motioned to the woman sitting across from him—whom Hugh hadn’t noticed—“this lovely lady has been laughing at my jokes and regaling me with stories of her uptight family.” He laughed. “It’s been a great night.”
Hugh felt as if he’d been punched in the gut.
Aubrey.
Her expression was a little bit bashful and a little bit defiant, and Hugh said the first thing that popped into his mind. “You didn’t leave.”
She shook her head. “No, I didn’t leave.”
“You were supposed to get married today.” He hadn’t meant to say it, but it was out before he could stop himself.
“How…? Who…?”
“Holy crap!” Bill yelled. “You were supposed to get married today? Did the groom leave you at the altar?”
Without breaking eye contact with Aubrey, Hugh answered, “No. She left him.”
“That is freaking awesome,” Bill said with a laugh. “Bartender! Champagne! We’re celebrating!”
“No,” Aubrey said, trying to keep her voice down. “No, we’re not.” Her eyes strayed to Bill’s as she said it, but immediately went back to Hugh’s. “I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t go announcing that to everyone.”
He knew she was right, and yet it angered him how he had offered her dinner, a room for the night—not his—and she had turned him down, only to find her sitting here with…Bill.
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