Break My Fall(27)

Kyle





I couldn’t sit still. I was so pissed. Linda was pressing my buttons again. I’d told her, time and again that I wasn’t hiring anymore kids. And what did she do? Hire a teenager, a fucking teenage girl.

I moved over to the desk and grabbed the envelope with a tasty check I had written out. It would soften the blow of being let go. Linda really should have known by now that young girls didn’t work out here. I thought of the last disaster we had that involved a minor member of staff. I had to pull in some major PR rep to cover up that dung heap of drama. God dammit, it was so hard to find good staff these days.

There was a small knock on the door. “Come in,” I called still facing the window that looked out onto the street. I hated firing people. It wasn’t something I enjoyed, or relished doing, but it had to be done. After Mindy Simmons and her scandalous affair with a certain guest and politician, I was not going to have another young girl drag the hotel’s name through the gutter. Hell no, I was never going to be incriminated in that type of farce again.

Fucking women.

I heard the door open and close, but didn’t turn around. I didn’t want to look at this girl Linda was so obviously fond of, in the eyes. Linda had spoken up for her this Delia kid. Apparently, the girl was a doing a fantastic job in housekeeping and had yet to make a mistake, but I couldn’t risk it.

“I’m sorry to call you in here like this Delia, but I’m afraid your services will no longer be required,” I said. I heard sniveling. Damn, I needed a drink. Making young girls cry was not something I was proud of. “I have enclosed a severance check for your inconvenience. You’ll find I have been more than generous. I hope it will tie you over until you find employment elsewhere.” When she didn’t answer, I turned to look at the girl and my breath caught in my throat.

What the hell was she doing here?

“You’re firing me? Did I do something wrong?” she asked, with tears rolling down her cheeks. Shit, fuck, shit.

“Lee?” I asked, totally confused by her being here and totally turned on by the way she looked in that uniform. I walked over to where she was leaning against the closed door. “I thought your name was Lee?”

She nodded looking up at me, her pale gray eyes wild with fear. “It is. I mean it’s what people call me. My full name is Delia. Lee is a nickname that stuck. I prefer it to Delia.”

Irony was a cruel bitch.

“Shit,” I growled harshly, pulling at my tie to loosen it. How the fuck was this happening to me? It was hard enough to stay away from her at the house, but now she was in my goddamn office dressed like that. My eyes narrowed, realization dawning on me. “Did you know I owned this place? Did Cam tell you? Did you think you’d get a job here, just because you live with the boss?” I shook her shoulder to make her look at me. “What the fuck kind of game are you playing? Did some little bird tell you I was a good cash in?”

She flinched away from me. “I’m not playing any game I swear,” she sobbed. “I didn’t know you worked here until I walked into this room.”

I wasn’t naïve enough to believe her. I knew women; they trapped men with money, or tried to. Was that it? Was that why Lee was here? Had she watched Rachel do it and thought she’d jump on the bandwagon? How convenient it was that she appeared at my house out of nowhere and now in my hotel, as well.

I stared at her trying to read the lies in her expression, but only saw the truth in her eyes. “I don’t play games Kyle, ever.” She placed her small hand on my forearm; her voice was no more than a whisper. “Whatever kinds of women you are used to dealing with, they’re not me.” No, they were definitely nothing like Lee Bennett. “I’m not sure why you hate me so much,” she whispered, blushing. “But I’m not trying to trick you. And I don’t want your money. I promise.”

Was she serious? Lee thought I hated her? She couldn’t be more wrong. I was obsessed with her. I was an ass to her because it was the only way to keep her away from me, because I sure as hell couldn’t stay away from her. I had promised Cam I’d keep my distance and I took my promises seriously. Yeah, I had caved a few times, but I hadn’t taken her. Rachel’s reaction had been the rude awakening I needed. I had to stay away from Lee, but dammit, she didn’t make it easy on me. Strutting around the house, flirting with Dixon and now standing in my office, dressed like that…

“How did I not know this was where you worked? How did I not see you in that?” I ran my hands over her dress and she shivered.