Her Accidental Boyfriend(4)
“I’m not going back. Not yet.”
“Yet?” He sounded hopeful, and Kagan didn’t want to mislead him. Her father had no jurisdiction over her love life and the fact that Brett went along with the idea of marriage even though they’d never been romantically involved really riled her, but she never wanted to hurt his feelings.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I have a boyfriend,” she blurted out. “And it’s serious.”
Chapter Two
Shane Sullivan hated complications.
He’d mastered keeping his job and personal life simple and straightforward, although he used entirely different skills working toward the end goal.
With his hands behind his head, he relaxed against the leather desk chair in his corner office. He loved his job as project manager for Burke & Associates, one of the largest architectural firms on the west coast. For the past eighteen months, he’d happily spent ten- to twelve-hour days as point person on The Duchess, Cascade’s new oceanfront boutique hotel. The grand opening was set for this weekend, and he’d just deflected a major hiccup.
Three, two, one.
His boss flew into his office with a mega-watt smile on her warm and attractive face. Her joy lit a firecracker of pride inside Shane and he leaned forward on his desk, thrilled to work for and learn from this smart and creative woman.
“You did it again,” Belinda Burke said. “Thanks for getting us out of what could have been some painful financial loss.” She extended her hand. “Not to mention an unhappy client.”
Shane stood and shook hands, the older woman hanging on longer than necessary. “It’s my job.”
“Yeah, well, no one knows details like you do. Keep this up and I’ll have no choice but to make you vice president.”
“You won’t regret it.” His pulse turned a brisk tempo. Getting that kind of promotion at his age was unheard of. He wanted it. He wanted it bad. By some stroke of amazing luck, he’d found something he loved and excelled at. The townspeople of Cascade thought he was nothing but a flirt and confirmed bachelor, but he had another side, that of a dedicated employee who worked his ass off to keep Burke & Associates at the top of their field.
Belinda laughed. “No doubt.” She stepped back from Shane’s desk. “Mrs. Huston made sure I knew she thought you were a dream to work with.”
“Did she?” He smirked. Mrs. Huston, wife of hotel magnate Duke Huston, was “the duchess.” This afternoon Shane might have used his charm to alleviate a mistake that had left the hotel’s fifty-something namesake none too happy.
“She blushed every time she mentioned you.” Belinda shook her head and gave a closed-mouth smile in admiration. “The woman has a stick up her ass ninety-nine percent of the time, but you can get her to loosen up. And forgive a major slip-up.”
“What did you think?” Shane asked. As the project lead the error did fall on him. The second he’d walked into the hotel’s pool area this morning and discovered the umbrellas, couch and chair cushions, throw pillows, and cabanas were not white and coffee-colored as ordered, but lapis blue and pale yellow, he’d had two choices. Bawl out his buyer for the screw-up, which wouldn’t solve his problem, or spin it to his advantage.
“I think you’re a genius and it looks outstanding.”
As luck would have it, he’d done his research on the Hustons and knew they’d met at the University of Michigan. So when Mrs. Huston almost had a coronary upon discovering the outdoor colors were not what she wanted, Shane had quieted her by disclosing it as a surprise to honor her alma mater, whose colors were maize and blue.
Shane complimented her, mentioned how her eyes matched the blue of the décor, and guided her around the pool with her arm securely hooked in his.
Two minutes and she’d bought it, happy to be overruled and sharing stories about her college days.
“Thanks, Belinda.”
“Love that bachelor status of yours. You’ve got women young and old eating out of the palm of your hand. Mrs. Huston can’t decide if she wants you for herself or her daughter.
“A young, single guy like you is exactly who I need to pinch-hit for me when the occasion calls for it.” Belinda headed out of the office. “Keep up the great work and get out of here at a normal hour tonight.”
“Will do,” Shane called out. He sat back in his chair and ran a hand along his jawline. Belinda hadn’t just implied he flirt with clients, had she? Shit. He hadn’t meant for his reputation outside the office to seep into work hours.
Besides the inkling that he stay single to get the promotion, though, he’d planned on staying a bachelor. His reason always sat in the back of his mind, a constant reminder of the wrong he’d done. He’d never hurt anyone again because he’d never put himself in a position to be counted on again.