Alec spoke in a low voice. “You’re still pissed about Kimberly, aren’t you?”
Ryan finished the rest of his drink.
“Look man, I get it. Kimberly’s hot. Really hot. But you’re making way too big a deal out of this commitment stuff. She cheated on you—big deal. If you like her, get over it. Take it from me, man. Women that attractive don’t come around every day. Give yourself a break and just pretend like it never happened.”
“No way.” Ryan shook his head. “There’s such a thing as trust and Kimberly betrayed that trust. I’m not just gonna look the other way and get over it.”
“Well, if you’re sure.” Alec took several swallows of his beer. “Of course, you know, other guys are gonna pursue her. As they would any woman with an ass that looks as good as hers.” He got to his feet. Slapping Ryan’s shoulder, he said, “Speaking of which, there’s a woman on the other side of the room and she’s got my name written all over her. Later, man.”
Ryan shook his head. Staring at his empty glass, he signaled for the bartender to give him a refill. His drink was replenished, and he finished it off as quickly as he had the first.
The alcohol began to numb his frustration and Ryan considered that maybe his friend had a point. Maybe he was going overboard, pushing Kimberly away after one cheating offense. When his friend Kevin had told him what was going on, he hadn’t even believed it at first. But that quickly changed, as the truth began to unravel. Ryan hadn’t seen the bastard’s face, but he had certainly gotten an eyeful when he opened the door to Kim’s apartment that night. Much as he wished it wasn’t the case, cheating was a serious deal. And this was the only time that he knew about, not necessarily the only time that it had occurred.
When he confronted Kimberly about the affair weeks before, she’d told him his friend didn’t know what he was talking about, that the man at the height of the rumor mill was a friend to her and nothing more. With pouty lips, she’d added that were she in his position, she wouldn’t listen to such far-fetched gossip. According to her story, the guy had gotten the wrong idea and kissed her a couple of times, and she was well into the throes of putting a stop to it. She had sure been in the throes of something, all right. Ryan couldn’t say for sure every detail of what had occurred in Kim’s bed that night, but he’d seen enough to know that his ex-girlfriend was nothing but a lying slut.
He might have been able to forgive her for cheating. But it was the fact that she had lied to his face about it that he simply couldn’t let go.
Turning in his seat, he stared across the restaurant. Alec was standing by the pool table, with two young women who seemed all too eager to give him their attention. Alec leaned close to them as he spoke, and the girls perched on their toes as though trying to get a better whiff of his aftershave. There was a time not long ago that Ryan had considered himself a ladies’ man. Now, he almost wished he shared his friend’s nerve.
Alec was talking a mile a minute, and his new female fan club appeared to be listening intensely to what he was saying. He cackled, and a couple standing in his vicinity wandered off, revealing one of the young women beside him. Short, blonde-looking—her features were difficult to make out from a distance. But she was definitely one of Alec’s many types.
A third woman approached the group. Tall with orange-red hair, she whispered something into one of the girls’ ears and the two of them started toward the bar. Ryan nearly fell off his stool when he realized that the red-haired woman, leading the brunette in the opposite direction, was one of his front desk associates. And the young woman his best friend was hitting on by the pool tables was none other than Abigail herself!
Watching as Alec zoned in on his decided prey, Ryan clenched a fist. Assuring himself that a woman who’d served ice cream for a living wasn’t likely to be hanging out in a bar, he did a double take. That was Abigail Mackenzie all right, with her golden-blonde hair, shapely little breasts, and body that made his mouth water. She was wearing a pair of formfitting jeans that showcased her thin legs, and he couldn’t help thinking that she looked pretty damn attractive, standing there in the middle of the action. Were they not coworkers, he might have considered taking the same course of action as Alec.
A New Yorker before moving to New Hampshire, Ryan thrived on the fast and furious side of life. That philosophy applied to women, both in the bedroom and out of it. Yet, for some inexplicable reason he was fascinated by Abigail. He’d been instantly attracted to her that day at the ice cream parlor, and even more intrigued by the way she’d approached him at the hotel. She seemed innocent, and he found that innocence both refreshing and alluring. That was why she was the absolute last person he ought to be getting involved with.
It was a free country, he reminded himself, gripping the sides of his glass. Abigail could talk to whoever she wanted to. But as his cocky best friend laid a hand on her shoulder and brushed back her hair, knowing damn well what Alec was cooking up in that thick head of his, venom churned in Ryan’s stomach. He stalked across the room, stopping when he’d reached the dynamic duo.
“Hey, I thought that was you.” Positioning himself between Alec and his decided target, he said, “I didn’t expect to see you here tonight, Abigail. You know, we didn’t really get a chance to finish our conversation the other day.”
“Didn’t we? I thought you had to be somewhere,” Abigail said, crossing her arms as she came back a step.
Alec furrowed his eyebrows. “You two know each other?”
“As a matter of fact, we—”
“Are working together at the Washington Valley Hotel,” Abigail finished, making it sound as though their doing so was a fate worse than death.
“My father’s latest venture,” Alec said drily. “Really, how ostentatious can he be, creating such an enormous place right in the middle of town?”
Abigail’s big brown eyes widened. “Oh my God. You’re Alec Westwood?”
Alec grinned. “The one and only.”
“Amazing. You know, I met your brother Colin a few years back when my friend Joanna needed stitches. Colin was a medical student at the time, but he did most of the work himself. Joanna swore we’d spent the afternoon with a real, live celebrity. I guess the two of you are the closest thing we have to celebrities in North Conway.”
Colin had been just as much of a med student then as he was now, Ryan thought. Though he didn’t suppose it would help him much to throw the point in Abigail’s face.
“Well, I guess my reputation precedes me. Care to check out my hidden talents?” Alec delivered a not-so-subtle wink.
Ryan swiveled his eyes. “Dammit, Alec—”
“It just so happens that I’m an expert at pool.” Alec pointed to the table beside them.
Abigail smiled. “Pool sounds like fun.”
“How about the three of us play,” Ryan cut in. Looking Alec’s way, he added, “It’ll be fun.”
Alec cast a bewildered look. Positioning himself beside Abigail, he said, “Pool’s kind of a game for two. Don’t you agree, Ryan?”
“Doesn’t have to be. We can play doubles.” He looked around for the red-haired girl he’d seen Abigail with earlier, the one she always hung out with at work. But he couldn’t seem to find her, or anyone else he recognized.
“All right,” Abigail said after a moment. “I’ll ask my friend Claire if she’d like to play with us.” She started toward the bar, and disappeared amidst the crowd.
Alec’s eyes burned holes against the back of Ryan’s head. Keeping his hands in his jacket pockets, Ryan said nothing and whistled as he focused on the dynamics of the ceiling fan.
A few minutes later, Abigail returned with a tall young woman who had dark hair and glasses. She wasn’t either of the girls Ryan had seen with her earlier. He managed a polite introduction as the group got acquainted. A few minutes later, the four of them selected cue sticks from the wall.
“All right,” Alec said as he rubbed chalk onto the end of his stick. Smiling in Ryan’s direct
ion, he said, “How about Abigail and I versus you and Claire?”
Noting how closely Alec was standing beside his desired “teammate,” Ryan resisted the urge to whack him with his stick. He forced himself to stand back as Alec lined up to break.
As though having reconsidered his strategy, Alec took a few steps back. Coming to where Abigail was standing, he wrapped an arm around her and led her to the head of the table. “Ladies first.”
Abigail looked dizzy. Turning away from the table, she said, “You want me to break? If you care at all about winning, I think you ought to do it yourself. I’ve only played this game a couple of times. I’m not really very good at it.”
“Is that right?” Alec stroked his chin. “Let’s see if we can’t do something about that.”
Ryan ground his teeth as Alec handed Abigail the queue stick, taking an obvious opportunity to brush his arm against hers. Abigail approached the table and lined up her shot. She slipped the stick back and forth between her fingers. Nodding, Alec came beside her.
“That’s good,” he said. “Now, spread your feet apart. Put your left hand down on the table. Very nice. Make sure you keep your forearm straight.” With his hand on her elbow, he guided her arm, causing Ryan to take a few steps forward.
“Use your left hand to guide the queue,” Alec instructed. “That’s right—just like that. Why don’t you try taking a couple of practice shots?”
As Abigail slid the stick back and forth, Alec got behind her, placing his hands around her waist. Blood boiling, Ryan stepped forward as Abigail caused the balls to break. To his astonishment, two of them made it into the corner. Seeing that Alec had made no effort to release Abigail, that she was now tucked within the groove of his arm, Ryan shot his friend a look that told him he’d better start running when they hit the parking lot.
With a cocky smile, Alec said, “We’re solids.”
The group went on to play three rounds of pool, after which they had buffalo wings and several more drinks, all of which Alec insisted on paying for himself. The more the bastard drank, the more he seemed to hang on Abigail like some sort of human bloodsucker.
After a night Ryan thought would never end, Alec offered to walk the women to their cars. As Abigail said good-bye to her friend Claire, Ryan waited with him a few feet away.
Ryan glared at his friend, and Alec’s smile said it all. Oh yes, he knew what he was thinking. And there was no way in hell he was going to let it happen. If Abigail was going to work under him at the hotel, he refused to allow her to sleep with a guy like Alec. If his friend couldn’t get that through his thick head, Ryan was going to make sure she knew it.
“Sorry about that,” Abigail said, approaching the two of them a few minutes later. “You guys didn’t have to wait for me. My car’s just over there.”
“Now, what sort of a gentleman would I be if I expected a lady to walk alone through a dark parking lot so close to the woods this late at night?” Alec said with a flirtatious smile. Lowering his voice, he added, “Especially one as pretty as you, Abigail.”
Abigail’s complexion turned crimson in the moonlight. The sexiest smile formed on her face. She stepped forward, brushing past Ryan as though he weren’t there as she made her way toward his soon-to-be-dead best friend.
Ryan turned a second later to find that Alec was no longer beside him. He looked up to find his friend headed toward the farthest corner of the parking lot, Abigail tucked tightly under his arm.
Ryan started briskly forward. Someone stepped in front of him. “Kimberly?” Getting his bearings, he cleared his throat. “Did you follow me here?”
“Follow you?” She held a hand to her chest. “I’m here to meet some friends. But I’m glad that I ran into you because we need to talk.”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“Well, that’s fine, because I have something to say to you.” Leaning against him, inching her pink lips closely beside his, she said, “I’m truly sorry for what I did to you. Truly sorry, and I’d give anything to take it back. I love you, Ryan.” Placing her hand against the back of his neck, she drew him close and moved her mouth over his.
For a second, Ryan forgot to think, and he kissed her back, numbed by the familiar taste of her lips. A wave of arousal pulsed through him. Inhaling the sweet scent of Kim’s perfume, a surge of adrenaline flooded his senses. Feeling as though the woman in his arms could somehow fill the emptiness inside him, he kissed her hard, bringing her back against the car beside them. A flash of Kim tangled beneath her bed sheets with that backstabbing son of a bitch came into his mind. He tore his mouth away.
Whatever arousal Ryan had been feeling quickly vanished. Closing his eyes, he imagined that if Abigail were the one kissing him, he wouldn’t be able to stop. Wondering where the hell that thought had come from, he looked at Kimberly with firm resolve.
Doing his best to ignore how sexy she looked in her fishnet stockings, he forced the reality of her indiscretion into his mind. “I understand what you’re trying to do, Kimberly. But, this isn’t going to happen. At least not right now.”
“Ryan—”
Pushing gently past her, Ryan looked to the end of the row of cars, where Alec had been walking with Abigail. Seeing no one, he charged ahead, to where he and Alec had parked their cars earlier that night.
Reaching the end of the lot, he turned, praying he’d somehow missed what he was looking for. But as he spotted his own car, there was no missing the empty space beside it.
Alec’s car was gone.
Chapter 5
Abigail flicked the light switch as she entered the hotel break area. Making her way into the middle of the room, she observed that the space around her was empty, which made it a perfect place to work on the project she’d just been assigned.
Seeing as how she was the only person on the front desk staff with any “food service experience,” she had been given the lovely task of assembling the coffeemaker. She didn’t really see what one thing had to do with the other, but there was a definite perk to completing the assignment—all the free coffee she could drink.
Of course, she didn’t know the first thing about putting together an industrial coffee machine, which was why she’d asked Julia to help her. Considering the hotel was so large, and only getting larger, she was pretty sure they could afford a machine that was already assembled. But—she thought as she sat on the floor—whatever.
As Julia crouched beside her, Abigail observed that her best friend’s face was glowing. Having been given the instruction to set up the coffee station by none other than Shane Dempsey himself, she probably shouldn’t be surprised. Apparently Julia was quite taken by their new assistant manager.
“Don’t worry, Abs. I’ve got this covered.” Julia took a large piece of plastic from inside the box. After a couple of minutes of snapping and screwing, she said, “You and that handsome stranger certainly seemed to be hitting it off last night. Not that I got a very good look at him, or the hottie he was hanging out with.”
Abigail hid her eyes. “I wasn’t sure you’d seen them at all.”
“I didn’t,” Julia replied, “but the glimpse I had of their backsides wasn’t half bad.”
“Julia!” Abigail blushed. Her friend really didn’t have a censor button. She imagined that working side-by-side with her every day was going to be quite interesting if she didn’t find a way to put some sort of a lid on her outspokenness.
She hadn’t wanted to go to Valley Tavern last night. She hated bars—they were crowded and noisy and usually full of men too drunk to remember their own name. But Julia had insisted they celebrate their first week on the job. And being notoriously unable to say no, Abigail had gone along with her friend’s plan.
When she left her house, Abigail had been expecting a girls’ night out with nachos and margaritas. But that had quickly changed when Alec Westwood approached their little circle of friends. Thankfully, Julia hadn’t gotten a very good look at him before she’d wandered off. Ab
igail hadn’t even realized herself at first, who it was she was talking to. But the even bigger surprise was who Alec had been there with.
Hoping very much to change the subject, she asked, “Where did you disappear to last night?”
“I told you, Mel and I went to check out that new bar on Main Street. A complete waste of our time, by the way. But you still haven’t answered my question. What happened between you and Mr. Fine-Rear-End?”
“Nothing.”
“What?” Julia dropped the dome she was holding. “Come on, Abs—”
“Julia, you come on. The guy was a pig. I should have known the minute he approached me what his agenda was.”
She could hardly believe that the man she’d met was Alec Westwood, or that Ryan was friends with him. Come to think of it, she could hardly believe she’d run into Ryan at all.
She supposed, if she was being honest with herself that she’d flirted with Alec because she wanted to make Ryan jealous. But clearly it hadn’t worked. Ryan hadn’t even come after them as they’d walked to Alec’s car. They’d stayed there for several minutes. In all that time, he hadn’t shown his face.
Ignoring Julia’s disapproving frown, Abigail said, “I told him I had to be in work early this morning, and that I’d never make it in on only a few hours of sleep. He was disappointed, but said he understood. We both got into our cars and left.”
“Wow.” Julia shook her head. “Well, whatever makes you happy, I guess. Though I can’t say I understand your reasons for putting off a fine catch like that. Maybe if you loosened up a bit, you’d find it isn’t such a big deal to just—”
“Pardon me, ladies.”
Abigail turned around. Ryan was standing in the doorway, wearing a white shirt and a tie. The look of him dressed up like some important business exec made her insides quake. His thick black hair was brushed lazily about his head. He’d obviously shaved since she’d last seen him, but there was already a touch of light stubble on his cheeks.
Dangerous Secret [The Pinnacles of Power Prequel] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Page 4