by Stacy Hoff
His rough, harsh, nature was back. It reminded her of the obvious and the inevitable: At the end of the day, she and Ty were still opposite ends of a business deal.
~ ~ ~
The minute the French doors closed behind them, Ty felt his shoulders slump three inches. His lungs finally fill with air. His heart rate return to normal. Cautiously he glanced at Cat’s large blue eyes staring at his. Her firm yet delicate arm still held in his tight grip. Her body standing so close to his, almost as if she was seeking protection, despite the fact it was she who had saved him from the flying glass. And who tried to calm down a bad scene so the event could continue peacefully.
For someone who no doubt started out hating his guts, she was going way beyond the call of duty for him. Why?
There were three options. One—he wasn’t a total terror after all. Two—she had exceedingly poor judgment in assessing her dates. Three—she was truly a kind, caring person.
At the thought of the third option, his heart rate sped back up. In part because he was finding himself more and more attracted to her. In part because the guilt he was feeling was becoming worse.
What was happening to him for God’s sake? He should not be feeling this way about a business opponent. One of the biggest business opponents of his life. All that mattered was getting this deal done. The amount of money on the line was staggering. The acquisition costs, the legal expenses, the campaign contributions. Calculating all of it was nothing he wanted to do right now. And Rudy would lose his mind altogether if he sank the deal because the whole company could sink with it.
And then? Who would he be without his company? Without the CEO title, and a fine name like Orland Premier Properties, Inc., to back him. Cat Warner was screwing up his entire investment—and life—for what? So she could go hug trees in her undeveloped woods?
And yet, Cat Warner had just saved his skin. Literally. Now what the hell was he supposed to do?
Worse, if that was possible, she was nice. No pretense. No airs. No subterfuge. It seemed all she cared about was helping others. It would have been better if she’d been boring, in a ‘goody-two-shoes’ kind of way. The kind to put you to sleep if she didn’t preach you to death. Yet if he wound up going to bed with her, sleep would be the last thing on his mind.
Cat was beautiful. Funny. With an irrepressible joie de vivre. There was no denying her attractive inside was every bit as enticing as her outside. Elegant even in a wrinkled business suit. Standing in a room filled with ladies wearing cocktail dresses, expensive jewels, and elaborate makeup. He had a feeling her normal style was as down-to-earth as her personality.
But the worst thing about her—every time his hand touched the small of her back, or his lips kissed her, he felt a bolt of electricity shoot through him. There was chemistry between them, elemental and undeniable.
Damn Henry Morsik for muddling his mind. If he hadn’t gotten involved with Cat at the bar, she’d be selling him her land right now. Now that he did know her, how the hell could he ram the deal down her throat? Especially when he wanted to kiss it instead . . .
As if reading Ty’s thoughts, Cat broke him out of his malaise with a question. “Who is that Morsik guy, anyway?”
Ty paused. Spending a whole lot of time on Morsik was not what he wanted to do. What he did want to do he was pretty sure Cat wouldn’t go for. It was getting too tough to be around her without the overwhelming animal attraction taking over.
“He wants a partnership with me. I told him ‘no.’”
“What offer of his did you turn down? It must have been pretty important to him to have him throw a glass at you.”
“He wants me to develop a property he owns here in Vegas. I’m not interested. The Vegas market is already saturated.”
“Why doesn’t he ask someone else?”
“Maybe he has, I don’t know. His development deal is not my problem.”
Cat had a glint of laughter in her eyes. “Hmmm. Kinda sounds like I’m in your position when it comes to my land in Big Bear, doesn’t it?”
Her comment was a hard punch to his gut.
But as much as he didn’t want to admit it, she was right. Maybe he was acting like an asshole. Maybe it was time to act better. And mean it.
He stared at her, unspeaking. At a loss for what to say.
“What about the kiss you gave me? How are you going to explain that?” she challenged.
She was trying to torture him, he was sure of it. But this question was an easy one. A softball. “I kissed you because I like to lay my cards out on the table.”
“Really?” she said, teasing him now. “So do you think you’ve got the winning hand?”
Yes, Cat was thrown into his life to absolutely torture him. His hand moved of its own volition until it encompassed hers. She felt warm. Delicate. And so very right. Double damn.
Lifting her hand up to his lips, he kissed it. Long and slow. Savoring it, despite not wanting to. “I think I’m already holding the winning hand.”
~ ~ ~
Cat’s breathing quickened. If he was trying to seduce her, it was working.
“Are you trying to talk me into bed?” she said breathily. “Or into your business deal?”
“I told you, no more talk of business.”
“Until midnight. I feel like Cinderella.” She wrinkled her nose. “Though Cinderella dressed a whole lot better for the ball. I guess my fairy godmother forgot to say bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.” Laughing, she flared her business suit as if it were a ball gown. “Not quite the same, is it? Cinderella also wasn’t in desperate need of an iron.” Or Spanx.
“If I remember the tale correctly, Prince Charming was enchanted. So am I.”
Cat held her breathing—and her hope—in check. Fairy tales weren’t real. Getting her hopes up would be stupid. She wasn’t going to kid herself Ty would send Jacques to her hotel room tomorrow, have her try on the glass slipper, and then declare her the princely CEO’s bride.
“Thank you for the compliment,” she said, “but I’m wondering whether this wonderful night will turn into a pumpkin.”
Whatever answer he may have wanted to give, he didn’t give it. Without a word, he leaned forward, kissing her lips. Caressing her cheek. And then pulling her close to him. The warmth of his body was irresistible, a force compelling her to come nearer. She lost any ambition to pull away. With a simple touch of his lips, she stopped thinking about what would happen after midnight. Or their business deal. Or even the morning after. All thoughts were consumed with only one thing—being with him.
The intensity of his gaze was like a key in her ignition. Revving her up.
“Cat, I know you’re feeling what I’m feeling,” he coaxed. “Say it.”
“I might be,” she said slowly. “First you tell me what’s on your mind.”
“That trust issue with you, huh? This isn’t about the land deal. This is about you and me. Tonight.”
Her voice was gone, her throat a parched desert. A nod was the only communication she could give.
“Let’s go, Princess Cat.” He laughed softly, taking her arm. “My castle awaits.”
In moments, they were outside the hotel and on the strip. They passed the Bellagio in time to have the music of Sinatra’s “Luck be a Lady,” come over the loudspeakers. Instantly, the fountains raised themselves out of the water and danced, the cascading waterspouts as ethereal as ghosts.
Without a word, she and Ty stopped walking and watched, transfixed. Ty’s hand, warm and strong, grabbed hers. When the song played out the fountains grew smaller until they, too, fell silent. Sounds of applause from other onlookers filled the air.
“Beautiful,” Cat sighed.
“Yes, you are.” Ty’s expression was as serious as she’d seen it. Intense and sincere.
“Oh,�
�� Cat gasped. Forget the water, this man is creating rippling effects on me.
His eyes grew rounder, darker. Without answering, he picked up her hand again and kissed it. Cat snaked her arm in his, and they started off down the Strip to their own hotel.
They waited at the intersection, smiling at each other. “Do you think there’s some way I can contribute toward next year’s charity event? I’d like to help, if I could.”
“You would?”
“Yes. I can’t be a big contributor, unfortunately, but there’s still stuff I can do. I noticed you had a silent auction going on. I can give away a free weekend at one of my inns.” She felt her face heat up. “That is, if you think that would be enough of a draw for your level of clientele.”
“Orland Charitable Foundation will be all the better for having your contribu—”
A car sped by, halting his words and their walk. The bright yellow Jeep was way too close to the curb and Cat instinctively jumped back. In her haste her foot, already stressed from the trip in the hotel, suffered another angry twist.
“Slow down!” Ty yelled to the driver, who sped off. It was doubtful whether the man could even hear Ty yell through the closed windows, music blaring.
“What an ass that guy was,” she muttered. Then she looked down at her ankle. “Crap,” she cursed. “That’s twice in one day. I hope it isn’t going to hurt tomorrow.”
“Are you okay?” Ty asked, his brows furrowed. He actually looked worried for her. “Can you walk?”
“Sure, sure, I’m okay. It just hurts.” Picking up her leg a little, she flexed her ankle a few times. “Good thing I’m wearing flats, or I’d be out two pairs of shoes.”
“What happened to your other shoes?”
“I tripped at the hotel earlier today. Not even sure how I did it.” She felt her face turning red. “My parents forced me to take ballet classes for years to counteract my klutziness. Didn’t work.”
“Are you such a safety hazard I’m in danger simply by being around you?”
Cat scrunched up her face, trying hard to ignore his laughter. Head down, cheeks blazing, she felt her breath hitch as Ty swept her up into his arms. To her shock, he was carrying her—her butt and back supported by one arm, her legs propped up by the other. Strong emotion caused her eyes to well up.
And she knew she was still in danger of falling. For him.
Chapter 8
Ty’s hotel room was exactly what she expected. Namely, a whole heck of lot better than hers. She had been pleased her upgraded room had a king-sized bed, loveseat, and a thirty-six-inch flat-screen TV. His room, on the other hand, blew those ‘small potato’ features away. His suite was richly furnished. She’d find out the exact details if she could peel her eyes away from the vast floor-to-ceiling windows. Although the hotel itself was one block off the Strip, the tall height of the building, plus the angles of the windows, maximized what percentage of the Strip could be seen. They were standing above it all, watching the lights and action far below.
So different from her small, historic inns. One of their chief draws was their sense of history. They were decorated with Victorian lace and loveseats, not glitz and glamour. The small-scale nature of them helped make her guests feel how she wanted them to feel: at home, only better. Everything she did was centered around this theme. The breakfasts they offered were gourmet, though the ingredients were natural and simple fare, from kale chips to organic free-range chicken eggs. Las Vegas, on the other hand, was going for the full-on, out-and-out, ritz factor. As a guest, she loved the change of pace. But as a hotelier, she was staying with what she knew worked for her. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t be impressed.
The inside of Ty’s suite, from what she could see of it, was bigger than a football field. Or maybe even North America. The décor had a clean, modern feel. Pendant lighting. Leather club chairs. Cabinetry built of mirror, glass, and chrome gave a modern twist on the Hollywood age and fit the showy feel of Las Vegas.
She was sure the room, obviously intended for high rollers, came with a butler. The man must be around somewhere, or at least on stand-by. Unless Ty wanted to use Jacques instead. She wondered how often Ty pressed upon him. Was he the type of man who snapped his fingers, expecting everyone to jump? A few short hours ago, she would have said yes, but now she knew the man. Or at least she thought she did. He didn’t have a sense of entitlement as far as she could tell. Having grown up with entitled people all her life, it was something to which she was very attuned.
Ty was more of a protector than anything else. He had to be. Maybe that’s why she felt so safe around him. And why she was sure she’d feel so much safer in his arms.
“What do you think of this place?” he asked, interrupting her thoughts.
Cat looked at him, observing a sight even more spectacular than the one she’d been staring at. Ty had taken his jacket off, and the white Oxford shirt he wore made her sorry she wore the same. What appeared bland on her was regal on him. The informality of his loosened red tie and opened collar button didn’t negate the imperial effect. In fact, the result was so temptingly sexy, the only thing missing from his attire was a warning label: ‘Caution, too hot to touch.’
“Everywhere you’ve brought me tonight is blowing me away. Including here. I mean, just look at this . . . mansion . . . No, on second thought, you were right. It is a castle. A castle in the sky.”
He burst out laughing. “I never thought of it that way.”
“You can see all the way to Stratosphere on one side and Mandalay Bay on the other,” she marveled.
“So, is it fancy enough for you?”
“A better question is, is this place fancy enough for you?”
“Oh. You think I’m royalty, huh?”
“No. I’m afraid you think so,” she teased.
“Yes, I am a prince. Ruler of Vegasland. You are my loyal subject,” he boomed. His eyes glittered with mischievousness. The CEO/ hotel magnate/ charity fundraiser/ Prince of Vegasland was clearly enjoying himself. His voice dropped to a sultry tone. “You are my harem girl.”
Being simultaneously entertained and turned on was not easy on the body. Laughter seemed to be the best reaction to go with. For now. “Harem girl, huh? Are you prince of Vegasland or Arabia?”
“Which answer will get me better results with you?”
“Neither,” she said, wiping a tear from her eye.
“Sounds like I’ll need to come up with a different tactic because I’m seriously bombing.”
Cat tried to nod solemnly, with little success.
“You’re being polite,” he jested. “It’s okay, you can tell me the truth. I’m going down in flames.”
“Big time.”
“And yet, you’re still here.”
There was no denying the obvious truth. She was in his hotel room because she wanted to be. Because she wanted to be with him. Everything about the man drew her in, a moth to flame. The heat, the brightness of him was too irresistible. She could only hope she didn’t get burned.
Suddenly, she was in his arms. Held more forcefully than before. The feel of his body pressed against hers had its own powerful effect. Stoking the flames higher. Her skin tingled. Her breath caught. Blood felt as if it were pounding in her veins. Her lips waited for his to touch her. To feel his answering passion.
Instead, she touched her forehead against his chest, a rich scent of spicy cologne filling her nose. Her hands ran up the length of his chest. And then down. Headed toward the buckle of his pants.
What was happening to her? She never acted like this. Then again, she’d never been with a man like this. Ty Orland was everything she wanted. As handsome on the inside as he was on the outside. And tonight, he wanted her.
If she stayed with him, would she be strong enough to hold her own against him in
business tomorrow? As he demanded she give up her land? But as physical desire swirled through her body, her mind cast off the last thoughts of doubt.
Then he kissed her. With an intensity she’d only ever dared dream about. In his kiss, every answer she was searching for seemed suddenly to appear.
His hands were on her hips, pressing her pelvis to his. She could feel the heat rolling off of him, just as it was rolling off of her. Through his slacks his body was hard and rigid. His kiss, though intense, was still soft enough to make her float away . . .
“I want you, Cat,” he ground out. “Tell me you want me, too.”
She’d closed her eyes to savor his words. Speech left her, but she managed a nod.
“I know this is going to be right for both of us.”
She swallowed hard and nodded again. “I know. And I understand it’s only for one night and—”
She stopped mid-sentence as he stepped away. There was an expression on his face she couldn’t quite read. She couldn’t have said something wrong?
“It doesn’t have to be like that, Cat. I do want more than one night. I want to see you. Go out. Do things. In a few short hours you’ve made me feel more alive than I have in a long while. Than I’ve felt in forever, maybe.”
His gaze was so intense, it practically bore into her.
“I can’t fight off this attraction. You need to say it, Cat. Tell me you want me, too. Really want me.”
Cat felt her heart flutter. Could this perfect man be real? Could he care about her on a deep level? Men had always liked her for superficial reasons. Which explained why she was thirty-one and single. Rudy had been the worst offender. She had no doubt he proposed to her for family connections. But she was not a mere stepping-stone to get to her parents. A gateway to riches. Power. A way to please their own parents. Ty didn’t even know about her family connections. All he knew was her.