“Whoa, man, what?”
If anyone could understand his frustrations, it would be Chad. Chad had fought tooth and nail for his business expansion plans. The fact that the microbrewery had put Daniel’s resort on the back burner should have annoyed him, but he was proud of his little brother, and he couldn’t hold it against him.
“I need to get away, bro. I need some space to deal with everything that’s happening around here. I just can’t deal with seeing—”
“Okay, I get it,” Chad interrupted. “Look, just let me know when you get to wherever you’re going, and I’ll break the news to Dad and Adam that you’ve done a runner.”
“I’m not doing a runner; I’m going on a scouting trip.”
“I don’t want to know. The less information I have, the less trouble I’ll get into. I hope,” Chad said on a laugh. “I got your back, Dan.”
“Thanks, Chad, I owe you.”
“Yeah you do, big time, bro. Take care.”
As Chad disconnected the call, Daniel opened Google and typed in Travelocity. Half an hour later, he had his flights and accommodation booked. In two days, he’d be in Australia inspecting Kulang Resort. He would make the changes to his resort even if he had to take out a second mortgage on his house to complete them. He believed in his vision, and he would do whatever it took to bring it to life.
• • •
Rochelle Harris rearranged the flowers on the reception desk, removing some blooms that were wilting. The perfume from the lilies was subtle but refreshing. She straightened a magazine and gave a slight nod, satisfied that the area looked neat but welcoming.
She loved her job. There was nothing more fulfilling than seeing people enter the resort tired and in desperate need of relaxation and then checking out with an abundance of energy and eager to book their next visit. Knowing she played a little part in making their stay enjoyable and that her innovative marketing techniques drew guests to the resort made all her hard work and the sacrifices she’d made along the way to get into the management position she now held, all worthwhile.
It wasn’t hard to relax, not when surrounded by the healthy rainforest and treatments meant to restore a weary soul. Even she made sure to book a weekly hot stone massage to ensure her energy levels were constantly on an even keel.
As Rochelle gave the reception area another once over, she noticed a man walking into the resort. He strode confidently through the doors; she pegged him for a successful businessman. He probably had a glossy, perfectly made-up woman following behind.
Except he didn’t. He didn’t waver in his strides, as if he was waiting for someone to catch up with him.
She made her way a bit closer to the reception desk. It wasn’t unusual but it definitely wasn’t common for a single man to come to the resort. She moved behind the counter, smiling at one of the staff as she did so.
“Good morning, sir, and welcome to Kulang Resort.”
Rochelle smiled as she heard the front desk clerk greet the mystery guest. She had no idea why she was so interested in him, but he’d piqued her curiosity. She risked a glance at him then looked quickly away. Up close, he was even more magnetic. She tried to ignore the increase in her heart rate. She wasn’t normally one to like a five o’clock shadow on a man, but on this guest it was extremely sexy.
She pushed the thought away. It was her personal policy not to get involved with any guest. The owners of Kulang had no hard and fast rule about guests and staff. But for her, getting involved with a guest could be detrimental to her career. She’d made that mistake once, and she wasn’t going to do it again.
“Good morning, my name’s Daniel Whitman and I have a reservation.”
Daniel Whitman.
Why did that name ring a bell? She racked her brain, trying to see if there was something that would trigger her memory. He was American; she got that from his accent.
Was he a returning guest? No, she didn’t think he was. But then again, it wasn’t like she knew all the guests who had ever stayed at the resort.
Daniel Whitman.
She knew that name, she was sure of it, and it was bugging her that she couldn’t remember how she knew him.
“I see you haven’t booked in for any of the treatments the resort offers, Mr. Whitman. Is there something in particular you’d like to experience?”
“I haven’t made up my mind, but when I do, I’ll let you know. Your resort has so much to offer; it’s almost too hard to choose.”
There was nothing in what he said that should have unlocked her memory, but she suddenly knew who Daniel Whitman was. He was the person who had been emailing her to get information about the resort. She’d not responded because she wasn’t sure if his claim as a resort owner was legitimate. She had been too caught up with the new marketing and expansion plans she’d been working on to take time to do proper research on the resort he said he was from, and until she’d looked more carefully into his background, she wasn’t going to respond to his queries.
Now was the perfect opportunity to find out why he was here and what he wanted from her. If he wanted anything. She took a step forward and held out her hand toward him.
“Good morning, Mr. Whitman, I’m Rochelle Harris, marketing manager at Kulang Resort. You’ve been emailing me, right?”
Rochelle wasn’t prepared for the sensations that shot through her the moment Daniel grasped her hand. It took everything in her to shake his hand professionally and not pull away and tuck her own hand behind her back.
“Ms. Harris, finally we connect.” His voice had lowered fractionally and the hint of a smile he sent her way did nothing to quell the feelings that were starting to override her good sense.
He sounded so calm, as if their hands touching didn’t affect him in any way. It probably didn’t; it was probably nothing new to him. She was sensitive to the reasons why he had been emailing her, not because of her earlier admiration of him when he’d entered the resort.
Rochelle extracted her hand from his hold. “I wouldn’t say connect, Mr. Whitman, but welcome to the resort. I hope you enjoy your stay with us.”
He looked her up and down, and she worked hard to control the slow rise of heat she could feel building inside of her.
“Everything I’ve seen so far leads me to believe I’m going to enjoy my time here very much.”
“Excellent. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to contact any of our staff. We’ll be more than happy to help you decide on any of the services we offer. We do have a range of treatments especially designed for our male guests. Enjoy your stay, Mr. Whitman.”
Rochelle moved away from the desk and from the man who had screwed up her equilibrium.
She reached the safety of her office and closed the door. Leaning against the solid wood, she took a few deep breaths. Never before had a guest rattled her like Daniel Whitman had. But he wasn’t a guest in the true sense of the word. She’d been caught out once before by thinking someone was a guest when in fact they’d been there to use her and her knowledge. She wasn’t getting caught out this time though. She knew from the emails Daniel Whitman was from a rival resort. He wasn’t there to relax. He was visiting to scope out Kulang’s facilities. She would make sure she kept out of his way for the duration of his stay. If he had any questions, she would refer them to her assistant, Melanie. It probably wasn’t the most professional thing to do, but it was the only way she knew she could handle the situation.
For the sake of her career, and to keep her focus on her goal to learn everything she could about running a resort so she could be appointed General Manager and run it one day, she had to be sensible. She could not get distracted by an attraction to someone who could ruin it all. Avoiding Daniel Whitman was a top priority now.
Lovers Unmasked: The Complete Series Page 58