The Hotel 3 (The Billionaire Seduction)(3)

I. Can. Do. This.

The lobby is busy, which is great. Camouflage. My plan for today is to  hide out and keep a low profile without running into Dominic. Focus on  work, and leave the heartbreak and drama for another day. Simple.         

     



 

"Ma'am? Ma'am!"

Someone rushes up behind me. Scratch that. Two someones. My heart leaps to my throat as security guards come at me.

"Ms. Evans. This way please." The taller guard reaches for my arm.

"Hey!" I protest. "This is all a misunderstanding. Check with Lillian-"

He doesn't even let me finish. "Mr. Rexford has made it clear that you are banned from the building."

A voice comes from behind me, smooth. "That's enough. Everyone forgets  there are two Mr. Rexfords. And this one says you better release Miss  Evans right now."

We all turn. It's Xander, looking like he's just strolled in off his  yacht  –  as usual. He smiles at me, charming. "Apologies, Lillian thought  you might have a few hiccups on your first day back."

"Thank you." I find my voice, straighten my suit, and follow him into the elevator. He's amused.

"I didn't believe it when Lillian said she'd offered you a job. I'm  happy you accepted. I can't wait to see the look on Dominic's face when  you walk into the board meeting." He smirks. My mind clings to ‘board'  and ‘meeting.'

"Uh, when is the meeting?"

The elevator dings, stops, and opens before he replies. "Oh, right now. Senior management."

So much for taking a few days to acclimate. "What's on the agenda?" I ask nervously.

"We're discussing plans for the hotel's new direction." He pauses. "Just  a warning. Dominic isn't going to like anything we have to say today.  You know he thinks this place is his own personal kingdom. Listening  isn't his strong suit."

Even after everything, I find myself bristling. "This is your chance to kick him when he's down, is that it?"

"No," Xander says quietly. "This is all of us coming together for the  benefit of the Rexford. You know that we have to fight against  Prescott's threat. For years, this place has been Dom's domain, his  territory. But it's time for him to see the bigger picture before  Prescott destroys us."

Xander leads me into the conference room. He blocks me as we enter so I  don't get a full view of the table or the room. But then I spot Lillian  and she waves to the chair next to her.

Xander moves, and then I see him, Dominic, standing in his normal spot  at the head of the table. The lines of his body are severe and my hands  itch to knead the tension out of him. I don't notice who else is in the  room, or even that I'm staring until Xander whispers at me to sit.

That's when he notices me.

Dom looks straight at me, his gaze like a cold wind. The tension before  was nothing to the way his body tightens now. I slip into my chair and  look away, trying to stay calm.

"What the hell is she doing here?" His voice is lethally quiet, just for us to hear.

"Oh relax," Lillian smiles. "Don't scare off my new Executive Liaison on her first day."



"What?"

I want to slink down in my seat and keep going until I find China.

"My Executive Liasion." Lillian repeats. "Juliet is one of the brightest  interns this hotel has ever had. She must be, or you wouldn't have  given her so much …  responsibility. I had to snatch her up."

I feel his stare, and I don't know if it's worse to look, or continue to study the wood grain on the table.

"Moving on." Dom finally announces. The rest of the people in the room  pay attention. "I've come to a decision. We're going to handle the  Prescott problem by doing exactly what we've been doing."

"So, nothing?" Xander looks annoyed.

"Keeping our dignity, Xander. Something you know nothing about." Dom  stares his brother down. "There's nothing to gain by engaging in a smear  war with Prescott. We'll continue excellent guest service and-"

"Boring." Xander leans back in his seat and props his feet on the table.  "We need to fight back. The hotel is overdue for a redesign, and new  publicity. The world needs to see us as a classic luxury hotel with a  modern twist. You know, spice it up."

A low murmur fills the room. I agree, which makes me feel guilty, too.  My still heart lies with Dominic, but my loyalty is to the future of The  Rexford. And I won't have a job if the hotel implodes before I get a  chance to make a difference.

Dom's jaw sets like stone. "What do you have in mind? Letting some celebrity trash the place for some spicy press?"

Xander's face lights up. "Exactly! Front page news. Better yet, let the  paparazzi catch a congressman in bed with his eighteen-year-old golf  caddy. Prime publicity, right there."         

     



 

Dominic stiffens. "Exactly what I expect from you. I'm in charge, and we won't be capitalizing on sleazy press."

Xander slides a look to Lillian. "Actually, we're in charge. Between Lillian and I, we have the controlling shares."

Dom takes a step back, as if his brother had physically punched him.

Lillian clears her throat. "I agree. Not with sleazy press, of course, but with a new strategy. Juliet, what do you think?"

There's silence. Me?

"Her opinions don't matter," Dom grinds out between gritted teeth.

"I disagree. The best press this hotel has had in years was from the  gala event she planned. Go on, Juliet." Lillian looks at me expectantly.

I take a deep breath, trying to ignore the anger in Dom's eyes. "Guests  have commented on the outdated décor. A redesign can be subtle but  powerful. A fresh advertising campaign will target the younger, wealthy  demographic we've been missing. There's a way to stay true to the  Rexford's history," I add quickly, "but make some changes for good. The  point is to give the press a new story, a reason to write about us.  Business as usual isn't a good story, but a great new design will be."

I stop, waiting for Dom's reaction. He doesn't move for a moment, his  expression unreadable. Then he gets up from his seat and simply walks  out. It's a more powerful statement than any words he could have spoken.

Xander leans over. "Don't worry. He'll come around."

I nod, but I don't believe it.





Chapter Four




A week later, and I still don't feel like I belong here on the executive  floor. Lillian found me an office and even gave me use of an assistant,  but I can't help feeling like an interloper when all the other  secretaries and interns look at me like I'm way above my station.

I try to keep my head down and focus on work. Lillian put me in charge  of pulling together a team for the redesign: PR people, designers, and  more. I still have the details of everyone who worked the big gala  event, so I hit the ground running. I even found an amazing interior  designer who's restored some of the best old buildings in the country.  She couldn't wait to get her hands on the famous Rexford, and couriered  over a portfolio of ideas almost the next day. Now a draft of the grand  lobby is spread across my desk, along with fabric and paint swatches. I  can't stop running my fingers over the colorful rendering of what the  Rexford could be. It's stunning.

"It's elegant, modern, and kissed with history," I say excitedly, out  loud to myself in my empty office. I don't care. I want to kiss the  drawing, but that might be crossing a line.

"How inviting."

My head snaps up. Xander is leaning against the door frame with a charming look on his face.

I laugh. "I know it sounds weird, but this design is sexy."

"This I've got to see." Xander strolls around to my side of the desk and surveys the plans.

I wait, nervous. "Well?"

"Well, what?" He gives me a sly grin. "Oh, were you waiting for my opinion?"

"Yes!"

"Sorry. I'm not used to people caring what I think."

I'm tempted to roll my eyes. Xander's whole nobody-loves-me routine is  half sincere and half attention-seeking, but I'm not falling for it  today. "Boo-hoo," I smile. "Talk."

Finally, he puts me out of my misery. "I like it. With a few tweaks, it would be the perfect new look for this place."

"Tweaks? Like what?"

"Well … " Xander surveys the plans. ‘This braid trim is too heavy for the  lobby furniture. And this shade of blue is a touch too dark for the  ceiling." He flips through the swatches. "The Rexford's elegance is  subtle. Here." He hands me new samples, and I hold them to the drawing.  He's right.

"You've got a really good eye for this sort of thing," I say, impressed.

"I've seen almost every luxury hotel in the world." He winks. "Mostly on my back." I can't help laughing..

"Seriously, Juliet, this design is amazing. Well done. Now, you just need to run it past Dom for the go-ahead."



He says it casually, as if there isn't a blood feud going on between  Dominic and me. I've done a great job of avoiding him since the planning  meeting last week. In fact, avoiding Dom is ninety-nine percent of the  reason I hide in my office.