“Congratulations. And then I’m guessing you went straight into full time work.”
“Exactly.”
So defensive. Had she wanted to study but couldn’t? Was she saving for it now? He’d bet on it. So why was she here and not using the money her father had gotten from the sale of their hotel to study?
“Presumably you have Ivy League qualifications coming out your ears,” she grumbled.
He smiled, pleased she was curious about him too. “Actually no. I went straight into work too. Studied while working.”
“So you’ve been here your whole life?”
“Pretty much.”
She turned just before the wide doorway, her eyes glittered. “Can’t handle it in the real world?”
“Why would I want to.” He stood under one of the crystal chandeliers and spread his arms wide. “When I have this?”
And to really ram the point home, he took her to the Sanctuary. Showed her the indoor pool that had an infinity effect that he still couldn’t figure how the architects had gotten to work.
“What’s your verdict?” he asked, having given her ten minutes to just look.
“Jury’s still out on many things.” She gazed over the pool, but a defeated expression flickered in her eyes. “It does look perfect.” She turned, ran her gaze over him. “Absolutely perfect.”
Just like that he was hard. Correction. Harder.
“You use the pool?” she asked.
“Every day. And the gym.” He hadn’t shown her that yet.
“For a couple hours?” Her cheeks pinked.
“Yeah,” he nodded, surprised. “How did you know?”
“You don’t get your kind of muscle definition without serious training. It helps you sleep?”
“Usually.”
Her lashes lowered. “You didn’t sleep well last night?”
“My ribs were sore.” Which was true, but not what had kept him awake.
“Of course.”
“Would you like to make use of the spa? If you want to sample any of the options, I can arrange it.”
“Oh, you do the massages?” Her lips curved wickedly. “Didn’t you say you’ve done all the jobs at the resort at some point or other?”
He realized she was doing it deliberately. That all his great plans to stay close, to touch, to tempt her with simmering looks… were exactly what she was doing to him. Only her talk was more tart. Her looks more effective.
“Come on.” He took her hand. “I’ll take you to the offices. You can see command central.”
“The seat of power? I can hardly wait.”
It was a normal boring office space really, just with an exceptional view and neatly and discreetly attired staff who knew to steer clear. As Savannah took in the gleaming screens and paperless desks, Connor took the chance to check through the zillion messages that had landed in the hour he’d been with her.
Nothing too major. Nothing that couldn’t wait another few minutes.
“Is this your desk?” She gestured at the empty desk that stood in the most private corner of the large room.
“No. One of our assistants finished with us recently,” he said uncomfortably. Cynthia had been his father’s latest. His messiest affair. In the end she’d resigned, but Connor had managed to get her a large final pay packet. Poor woman had believed she truly loved Rex. She so hadn’t grasped the rules of the game his father played. “I’ve yet to recruit a replacement but my managers are coping.”
“So where’s your office?” Savannah looked about. “Through there?” She pointed at the door to the office that was so conveniently near Cynthia’s old desk.
His father’s office. Now also empty.
“No” He walked away from the scene of so many infidelities. “I’m upstairs.”
“Away from everyone?”
“I like my space.”
“Show me.”
Oh that little purr deserved a reward. “I’ll take you the secret way.”
“Another ‘secret’ passage that all the tourists love?” she mocked him.
“No this one really is a secret. Though actually, you’ve been up there before.”
Savannah followed him up the narrow, never-ending spiral staircase. “You’re right up in the attic?”
“Yeah, it has the best view.”
“It’s your eyrie.” His eagle’s nest. So appropriate for him. A solitary predator who liked to see all of his world at once. Make sure everything was just perfect.
He flashed her a gorgeous wide smile. “Exactly.”
It was a beautiful suite. There was none of the over the top ornate opulence of the ballroom, or the mountain lodge grandeur of the great hall. This was minimal in its decor and not ridiculous in its size either.
The whole effect was calming. Quietening.
There were the cozy fireplaces but that was it. Because you didn’t need anything to detract from the view.
She looked out the window on the side that showed the slopes. The first ski-lift operated almost from the door of the larger lodge.
“What did your father want, really?” Connor’s soft question broke into her thoughts.
“Success.” She shrugged. “He thought he could model himself on the great Rex Hughes. But your family had such an advantage. You already had money. Already had status. Already had this mountain. The ordinary guy can’t compete with this. Can’t ever achieve it.”
“Maybe not on this scale, but you owned a hotel, right? He wanted more?”
Her father had wanted his wife back. His dignity. Wanted measurable, recognisable success. And then he’d thought he’d be happy. “He wanted to make our hotel this successful. He wanted to be the big man in town.”
“Why?”
“Why does anyone want that? But it doesn’t matter. He’s lost it all.” She turned and caught Connor’s frown, but she was thinking about something else now. Needed to think about something else. “I slept up here the other night, didn’t I?”
“There’s a guest room on the other side of a small lounge through that door, yes.”
Desire flamed through her. She turned back to the view.
“Savannah?” He sounded as edgy as she felt.
“I hate it,” she whispered.
“What?” Now he sounded stunned.
“It’s so gorgeous. I hate it.” She didn’t want to like it. Didn’t want to accept that it was every bit as amazing as the damn promotional material stated. More amazing. It was perfect. “The whole place is so smooth. Everything runs like clockwork. So elite. So exclusive. And that’s just the hotel itself. Because then there’s that.” She pointed to that mountain and it’s unbelievable beauty.
“So Rex wasn’t full of lies?”
“Not about Summerhill, no.” She turned back to face him. “There’s no need to look so smug.”
“I’m not.” He strolled towards her. “You’re not happy, Sugar? You’ve seen it all but you’re not happy? You can’t let it go?”
“I haven’t seen it all. Not yet.”
“What haven’t you seen?”
“Your room.” She watched the arrogance in his expression burn up as desire flared.
Good. She needed him to help her forget what it was he reminded her of.
He walked to the double doors on the farthest wall, turned both handles and pushed. Then he stood back and waited.
Savannah walked until she stood just inside the doorway. The bed, like everything else in the building, was big, expensive, beautiful. And not what she wanted right now.
She turned her back on the bed and reached up to pull him to her.
“Something else you want to explore, Sugar?” he laughed, pulling her close.
“Kiss me.”
She could lose herself in those kisses. And that was the problem.
She pulled back, pulled a condom from her pocket, felt satisfaction kick when his expression sharpened.
“Bruises okay?” she asked.
“Not a problem.” He snaked his hands round her waist, stroked.
He was acting brave, but she liked that he wanted her enough to put up with the pain. “The bed will be too soft, not good for your ribs.”
He looked startled, then thoughtful. “So what do you suggest?”
He had her jeans undone already. Sly.
“The floor is firmer, the rug here soft.”
“And the fire warm.”
“Very warm,” she agreed. “So you’d better get naked.”
He groaned. Then sighed. “We can’t.” His phone chimed, proving the point.
“We can if we’re quick. And you know I can be quick.”
“I know, that’s why I’m going to kiss you.” He dropped to his knees. Ignoring the phone.
“Oh no. Everything this time. Now.” She knelt too, managed to get his zipper undone.
“Demanding.”
“You’re the one who promised.” And she needed the escape right now.
His phone chimed. Again.
“Turn it off.”
He glanced at it a moment. Then at her. And switched it off.
She tossed it out of reach, bending to taste him the way she had last night.
“High-speed Savannah.”
“You’re complaining?”
“Never.”
She tried to roll the condom onto him, only her hands were shaking too much.
Seeing her struggle, he laughed, so damn sexy.