The lawyers had advised him to let them handle Shin Electronics, and he’d refused. If it turned out the company didn’t return, he was responsible. But he didn’t trust his lawyers to run Club Tahoe for him. As CEO, Levi would take on the big jobs like anyone else. For now, he’d have to come up with an alternative revenue source and quick.
Emily leaned down to doggy eye level, where Grace stared back at her from beside the desk. “Looks like it’s just you and me. And for the record, I am busy today. Your dad chose to ignore that part. Did you know he was so stubborn?”
Grace cocked her head to the side adorably.
“Me either! That man has ignored me for almost a day—after he kissed me—and then he has the nerve to come in here and ask me for a favor? I could strangle him right now.”
No response from Grace.
Emily frowned. “I suppose you love him unconditionally. Well, I’ll tell you one thing, he’d be a lot more lovable if he didn’t kiss and confuse people.” She petted Grace’s head. “He’s probably still in love with Lisa. I’m the one who stupidly thought… I don’t know what I thought. I just—like him. When he’s not bossing me around, he’s pretty incredible.” Emily sighed and stood. “All right, Grace. No more moping for us. You have a cone around your head and I’m a dunce when it comes to men, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t important. We have things to do, you and I. We’d better get to it.”
Emily grabbed her workbag with all her important electronics and walked to the door. And realized Grace hadn’t followed.
She made kissing noises with her mouth. “This way.”
She received the same curious head cock from Grace.
Emily patted her thigh. “Grace.”
The dog stood and walked over with her tail wagging.
Emily nodded and breathed in. “Okay, then. I can do this.”
She glanced out the door and into the busy hallway, filled with Club Tahoe executive staff conducting business. “I’m bringing a dog to meetings. This should be an interesting day.”
Chapter Sixteen
Emily stared at the square ceiling tiles. So ugly. Why did they always use those in office buildings? Club Tahoe was top-quality mountain lodge elegance, but even in the executive offices they’d used the same old ugly tiles as in every other office building. She supposed most people never looked up—you know, because they weren’t lying flat on their backs.
A long, wet tongue lapped the side of Emily’s cheek before she could block it. “Ugh, Grace!” She swiped at the wet spot. “I’ve seen where you put that thing, and I don’t appreciate you laving my face with it.”
Grace dropped her head on Emily’s chest and stared at her. When Emily didn’t move, Grace nudged Emily’s chin with her long nose.
Emily groaned. “Really? More rubbing? The hair behind your ears is going to fall off. You’ll have giant bald spots if we keep this up. And my arms have cramps. See?” She held up her hands stiffly. “I can barely move. You’re not light, either. You know, if we move to my chair, I could reach the itchy spots better.”
Grace drove another nose nudge to Emily’s chin, leaving behind a dampness Emily chose to not think about.
“Okay, okay.” Emily rubbed the back of Grace’s ears, breathing through thirty pounds of dog on top of her and the pain in her wrists. If she could only reach her phone. Which was on top of her desk, where she’d left it. A good four feet away.
“Help!” Emily tried to gently shove Grace off her, but the dog had amazing dead weight and managed to elongate her body. And Emily wasn’t about to hurt Grace to get her off.
The dog barked, and at this point, Emily wasn’t concerned about keeping her quiet for the other employees.
“Help!” she called again.
Why of all days did everyone decide today to leave the office by five? There were always a few stragglers. Okay, typically only Emily and Levi, but still. And it was a Friday night.
“You were so good all day. I stole bacon from the restaurant for you, remember that? We’re friends. Why, Grace? Why are you doing this to me?”
Levi was going to get an earful from her once she got her hands on him, or once he found her.
Oh God. She wouldn’t be left here all night, would she? She sank her head back and closed her eyes. No—Levi would eventually come for his dog.
And she was going to kill him when he did.
Emily was ignoring him. That was the only explanation for why she hadn’t returned his calls. He didn’t want to do it, but he needed to have a talk with her. She must assume that the kiss last night meant more than it had and that she could take advantage of her new status. Not the first time a woman had tried to use him or one of his brothers; he was simply surprised Emily would try.
Levi rubbed his forehead and stood, straightening his back, furious to find himself forced to go to her. She should come to him. He didn’t like going to her office. It smelled like her and she smelled too damn good, but that was beside the point. He was the boss, not Emily.
Walking down the hall at a fast clip, Levi didn’t bother to knock. He shoved open the door to her office. “Emily—”
She wasn’t at her desk. His eyes darted to the ground, where his dog was sitting—really, sprawled would be more accurate—on top of the woman in question. Who looked rather small with Gracie Girl on top of her. “Grace!”
Grace climbed off Emily and ran over to his side.
A moan came from Emily, but she didn’t move.
“What’s going on in here? Why are you on the floor?”
Emily’s head popped up. “I have a bone to pick with you.”
She was mad at him? “Look, Emily. We need to talk.”
“Damn straight we do!” She sat up, her arms lying stiffly in her lap. “You can’t just leave me with your dog. I’m not a dog watcher. I’m a top executive assistant with an MBA from Harvard, and, and…” She swallowed. “I’m so mad at you, Levi Cade!” And then she growled.
Levi flinched. She was using his full name. That couldn’t be good. Maybe he should take a step back. Probably wasn’t the most courteous thing to leave Gracie with Emily while he ran meetings. She had her own busy workload.
Okay, he’d been an ass. He also might have wanted any excuse to see her. Leaving his dog with her had been the first thing that had come to mind.
Shit. He was thwarting his own plan to stay away from her.
Levi walked over and held out a hand. “How did you end up on the ground?”
Emily plucked a Grace-colored hair from her white blouse. “She was chewing her stitches. I tried a bunch of stuff to get her to stop, but this was the only thing that worked.” She took his hand, and he pulled her up in one smooth move.
“Lying prone on the ground with her sitting on top of you like that?”
Emily sent him a look that said she wasn’t amused. “Of course not. I went over to pet her. She seemed to need a little scratching behind her ears where the cone was covering her fur.” Emily waved her hand and winced, cradling her wrist. “As long as I rubbed her ears, she wouldn’t lick her wound—which, in some doggy Houdini move, she was able to do despite the cone. You should take that thing off. It’s completely useless and only irritates her skin.”
“I told you she was smart. Can’t leave her alone.”
“Yeah, well, at some point she inched closer, and I kneeled to get a better angle. Before I knew it, she’d crawled on my lap.” Emily shrugged. “It was cute at first. And then she got comfortable and added more of her weight. And her legs. If I stopped scratching her ears, she’d bark. At first I tried to shush her, but then I realized she weighed a ton and I couldn’t get her off me. I was crying for help and no one came!”
He wanted to smile. The scenario she painted was…sweet. And it also made him feel doubly bad for leaving Grace with her. “So you were sitting on the ground with Grace on your lap. How did you go from sitting to lying with her sprawled on top of you like a blanket?”
The side of her mo
uth pulled back and she glared. “It’s not funny. I might have lain back to rest for a moment. That was when Grace really got comfortable and wouldn’t budge.” She bent over and pulled off one of her heels. “I can’t feel my toes and I think I have carpal tunnel in my wrist.” She held her arm up to show him.
He gently took her hand, kneading it with his fingers and moving up her forearm. Okay, it had been an excuse to touch her, but dammit! Her scent filled the room—along with eau de dog. Emily was adorable and sexy as hell. This close, he had impulsive touching problems.
She closed her eyes, and he took the opportunity to stare at her while he rubbed her arm and wrist. Her hair was blond, but she had dark lashes that rested against smooth skin. Her small nose was perfectly shaped, and then there were those lush lips… He gazed farther still, over the swell of her small breasts that, despite their size, he had the urge to touch, on down to her flat stomach and the curve of her hip. When he looked up, Emily was staring at him.
He didn’t look away at first, caught in that stormy gray gaze that should be cold, but only made him warm. And then he realized he’d been caught checking her out and that she likely read every thought that had just passed his mind. He reluctantly released her and took a step back.
He was supposed to be setting her straight—and himself straight too. Instead he was touching her and thinking about all the ways he wanted to continue touching her and where. “How long has she been sitting on you?” he said, to distract her from anything she might read on his face.
“An hour? Maybe two? I don’t know.” She shook her head. “I lost track. I think I dozed off once or twice. She’s kind of warm and cuddly.” Emily frowned at Grace. “You knew what you were doing, didn’t you?”
Grace’s tongue lolled out in what was most definitely a dog smile.
Emily’s lips parted. “Did you see that? She’s mocking me.”
Levi didn’t hold back his grin this time. “You shouldn’t let Grace take advantage of you. She’s addicted to love. She’ll use anyone who doesn’t mind petting her for a few hours.” His smile faded. “Are you really okay?”
She hobbled over to her desk and sank into her seat. “Yes. But next time, you’re in charge of the dog.” She glanced at her phone. “Crap, I have to go. I can’t believe it’s this late.”
Emily forced her foot back into her shoe, stood, and grabbed her bag, rubbing her lower back. “You owe me a massage.” He lifted his eyebrow and her face turned bright red. “From the club spa, not… You know what I mean.”
He walked her to the door. “Agreed. Thank you for taking care of Grace. I won’t force her on you again.”
Emily glanced at Grace, who had the most innocent puppy look—for a grown dog. Grace was good. Damn good.
“I don’t mind. She’s sweet. Maybe I am a dog person after all. Just give me a heads-up next time, okay?” She checked the time again.
“Where are you off to?” He really didn’t have a right to ask her what she did after hours, but he’d never seen Emily in such a hurry to leave the office. His assistant was a workaholic.
“I have a date… A blind date. Courtesy of Lisa. Wish me luck.”
Before Levi knew it, Emily was out the door and down the hall.
His throat closed, his heart hammering in his chest. A date?
Chapter Seventeen
The Fireside Lounge was busy, with the guitarist Emily had secured bringing in a new, livelier crowd. Levi sat with his brothers and Wes was in full scout mode.
Levi glared at him. “Not a good idea for you to hunt on Club Tahoe grounds. It was fine when Dad ran the place, but we have a responsibility to our customers now.”
Wes shot him a look. “Stop being so damned uptight. Shouldn’t have missed our Friday round of golf today. It would have loosened you up.”
“Someone needs to keep the resort going.”
Wes ignored Levi’s jab. “When was the last time you got laid? Maybe that’s what you need. You’re turning into a prude.”
Levi didn’t answer. Because the last time he’d hooked up was before his accident. Going on eleven months now. And contrary to what his brother believed, Levi wasn’t feeling pure at the moment. If Wes only knew how immoral Levi’s thoughts leaned toward his assistant, he would be razzing Levi for an entirely different reason. Between his past with Lisa and Emily being his subordinate in the workplace, he was fairly certain he’d be crossing moral lines.
Only problem? He damn well didn’t want to see Emily dating anyone else.
He balled his hands into fists and took a deep breath. He wasn’t supposed to care if Emily went on dates. He was supposed to forget about their lapse in judgment last night and return things to normal. He shook his hands out. This was the right thing to do—to let her go.
Let. As if he had a say in whom she dated.
He needed another beer. Maybe if he hounded his brothers about their indiscretions, he could forget about the one he wanted to commit. Again.
Wes’s gaze narrowed on Levi in a way that made him leery. “Your velvet hammer put her tiny foot down at the ball last night. Ruined a perfectly good hookup.”
Warmth bloomed in Levi’s chest. Emily was tough…and hot, and sweet. She tasted good too. Dammit.
It didn’t matter that she wasn’t his normal type. Emily was a paperclip counter list maker, who could hold her own against his unruly brothers, all with a genuine smile. And she’d been kind to Grace this afternoon—his old, slightly arthritic, and not always fresh-smelling dog.
His lips twitched as he remembered how he’d found them this evening. Emily knew enough to not let his brothers walk all over her, but she’d bent over backward for his gentle dog.
“What are you smiling about?” Wes looked appalled.
Levi coughed into his fist. “Nothing. The point is, Dad knew what he was doing when he hired me, and Emily’s been a big help. I’m glad she put you in your place.”
“Whatever.” Wes slid a lopsided grin toward a blonde at the bar, and the woman grinned back.
“We all need to remain focused,” Levi continued. “We could learn a thing or two from Emily’s approach to her career. Although…”
Wes must have scented something. His head swung around. “Although?”
“Emily’s, uh, you know… She’s out tonight too.” His voice came out strangled.
Wes leaned forward. “Your little workhorse has a hot date? Huh. Good. She needs to get laid as badly as you do.”
Levi gripped his knees beneath the table. “She does not need—”
“What about her?” Bran said to Wes, gesturing with a subtle nod to an area across the room. “No, not that one…the one by the door.”
Wes’s gaze took in the woman in question. “Not bad.”
The woman Bran had gestured to was pretty—dark hair, full figure. Just the kind of woman Levi used to pursue. Now he wasn’t interested in anyone who wasn’t smart, sweet—yet hard-assed when she needed to be—and kind to dogs. But Levi had a bad track record with serious relationships. He couldn’t afford something like that setting him off course. Which was another reason why pursuing Emily wasn’t in the plans.
Wes shook his head. “I’m in the mood for a blonde tonight. Had a brunette last week. I need to switch it up or I get bored.”
“Dude.” Hunt, who’d slipped in while Levi was silently brooding over Emily, looked surprised. “You’re getting worse than me.”
Wes’s attention slid back to the blonde at the bar. “No one’s as bad as you.”
Hunt grinned wolfishly. “True.”
“You’re all pigs,” Levi murmured.
Hunt, Wes, Bran, and even Adam, who’d remained quiet the entire time, checking his watch every few minutes, stared at him.
“What?” he said sharply.
Wes looked to Adam, who set his beer on the table and sat forward.
Adam wore jeans and a West End Brewery T-shirt instead of the designer duds he used to sport when they went out. It would
be an early night for Adam. He was likely minutes away from ditching them for his fiancée.
“The guys are probably wondering,” Adam said, “what in the fuck has happened to you?”
Levi stretched his neck. He still wore his buttoned-up work clothes, and they were strangling him at the moment. “Nothing. I’m the same.”
Adam tapped his finger on the table. “Levi, man, you’re more uptight than I’ve ever seen you. And that’s saying something, because you’re typically controlling and overbearing.”
“Your point?”
“The point is, what’s causing you more stress these last few days than everything else combined—the loss of Dad, running Club Tahoe… Wait.” His finger stopped its tap dance. “You said Emily is on a date?”
“So?” Levi’s voice came out more irritated than he intended.
“Damn.” Adam said. “Hayden called it, but… Are you really thinking of starting something with Emily?”
Hunt snickered, shaking his head as he checked out a busty waitress approaching. Bran, Wes, and Adam, however, continued to stare at Levi, waiting for his response.
His brothers’ combined focus left Levi sweating as though he were under a stage spotlight. “Course not.” He gulped the last of the beer in front of him.
“No, I think you’re on to something, Adam,” Wes said, his dark eyes flashing.
“Agreed.” Bran nodded, oblivious to the busty waitress Hunt had been checking out, but who kept her eyes on Bran.
“Well,” said Hunt, stretching his arms above his head, “it makes sense. Emily’s a hot little piece of—”
Levi was across the table and had Hunt in a chokehold before his brother could finish his sentence.
Wes, Bran, and Adam leapt from their chairs. “What the fuck,” Wes said, pulling Levi off Hunt.
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