Nina’s feet throbbed in protest. “Seven thirty? No problem. I’ll set my alarm.”
Joe studied her for a few moments, as if he knew that every muscle in her body was crying out for relief. He leaned a little closer. Vince had gone to the other end of the bar, leaving them temporarily isolated.
“Sure you’re coping?” Joe lowered his voice. “You look wrecked.”
For a second she was almost taken in by his sympathy before she wondered if this was a trap. If she admitted her total exhaustion, Joe might use it as an excuse to get rid of her.
“Thank you for your concern,” she said smoothly, “but I’m fine. I’ll see you in the morning. Good night.” She turned to go without waiting for his reply.
“Night, Nina,” he said after her. “Have a good rest; you’ll be busy tomorrow.”
The warning note in his tone made her stiffen her aching back as she walked away. Joe Farina would not get the better of her.
Later, it wasn’t Joe but the shower that got the better of her. She’d returned to her dreary room, stripped off her clothes, wrapped herself in a bath towel, and walked down the long, drafty passage to the bathroom. There, under a harsh fluorescent light that made the white-tiled bathroom feel like a mortuary, she’d turned on the faucet, desperately looking forward to a hot shower to ease the kinks from her weary muscles.
The pipes creaked as tepid water dribbled down her back. Impatient, she twisted the hot water tap another inch. The lukewarm trickle persisted. She spun the tap some more and scalding-hot water jetted over her, making her squeal. Joe hadn’t been kidding when he warned her this bathroom wasn’t renovated. She battled with the faucet some more until she had the temperature just right.
She’d just massaged shampoo into her hair and the ache in her back was beginning to ease when, without warning, the hot water cut out. One moment she was warm and relaxed, the next she was attacked by stinging cold water. Startled, she frantically twisted the tap, but freezing water continued to hammer her. Swearing a blue streak, she managed to turn off the water and staggered out of the shower.
Shampoo stung her eyes, she was wet and chilly, and her muscles were once again tied up in knots. She wrapped her towel around her shivering body and sank down on the toilet seat. Her body shook, her chin trembled, and a sob hiccuped out of her. Followed by another, and another, and suddenly she couldn’t stop the sobs bubbling out.
Last night she’d slept at her dad’s golf resort in an executive suite complete with spa bath and an open fireplace. Now she was shivering in a nightmare bathroom with no hot water and only a dreary bedroom and another day of hard labor ahead of her. Why on earth was she doing this? What was she trying to prove to herself…or to Joe? It didn’t matter if he thought she wasn’t up to the job. She’d only met him today; she didn’t need his approval.
This whole “going incognito” stunt was insane and pointless, and she was suffering for no good reason. How stupid could she be? She pushed to her feet, exasperated at her own lunacy, and marched out of the bathroom. Her damp feet slapped on the floor as she tramped down the hall. Just as she reached her bedroom, the door to Joe’s office opened, and Joe stepped out. Instantly her rib cage constricted. She’d assumed this part of the inn was deserted.
He scrutinized her, his face expressionless. “Trouble with the shower?”
She huffed at the wet, soapy strands of hair hanging over her eyes. “You didn’t tell me the inn was haunted. That shower back there is possessed! First it scalded me, and then it tried to drown me in ice water.”
The corners of his lips twitched. “That shower’s only used by employees, and not very often. You just need to jiggle the faucets.”
“No, I’m not jiggling anything because that’s it. I’ve had it.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You’re quitting already? I thought you’d at least make it through twenty-four hours. What happened to all that turning-over-a-new-leaf shit you were sprouting earlier?”
The edge in his voice made her bristle. “Don’t judge me until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes, buddy. You don’t know what I’ve been through today.”
It had been a day from hell. She’d discovered no one appreciated her hard work or thought her capable of anything, and then she’d crashed her car, hatched a stupid, stupid scheme to prove herself, met a man hot enough to melt her bones, worked her ass off, and now she was wet, shivering, and half naked in front of that same hot, infuriating man.
Joe’s shoulders stiffened. “Oh, yeah? Well, let me tell you about my day. I waited hours for you to turn up, and when you finally did, you clearly showed you had no experience. But I let you stay, despite my better judgment and knowing Sarah didn’t approve, and this is how you repay me. By throwing it in my face.”
“Hey, I haven’t thrown anything at anyone. I’ve cleaned your bathrooms, cleared your tables, washed your dishes, let Sarah boss me around. God knows why!”
“For someone with no experience, you sure are picky. You should be grateful for the opportunities you’ve been given.” He exhaled a long breath, as if struggling to hold on to his temper, and held up both hands, palms facing out. “But don’t let me stop you. Frankly, I’m not surprised.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean I knew from the start you didn’t have it in you.”
She pulled the towel tighter around her chest. Joe’s criticism hurt more than it should. He was a stranger, and she shouldn’t care what he thought of her. But, perversely, she did. His words were an echo of the conversation she’d eavesdropped on between her so-called friends. They didn’t think she had it in her to succeed on her own, and Joe shared the same view. And since he didn’t know her true identity, that made it even worse.
“If you thought that, why did you take me on in the first place?”
“I dunno. Call me crazy.”
Joe’s gaze wandered over her, lingering on her bare skin. His mocha eyes softened slightly, and a flush of warmth feathered through her. Why this man had such an effect on her, she didn’t know, but she couldn’t seem to control her reactions. A second ago he’d been telling her off, criticizing her, but suddenly the mood had shifted, and there was something wistful, almost seductive in his sweeping scan. But then he shook his head, and that seemed to break the spell.
“You’re welcome to stay the night,” he said, all businesslike. “There’s an early morning bus service to Fort Bragg tomorrow. You might pick up a coffee shop job there.” He dug into the pocket of his jeans and drew out his wallet. “And I’ll pay you for the shift you’ve just worked.”
Nina recoiled from the money he offered her. “No, thank you. You’re giving me a bed for the night, and I had a meal in the bar and I broke two plates. I’m sure that makes us even.”
She wasn’t going to accept charity from anyone, especially not Joe. She might only have a few dollars on her, but she still had her cell phone. Tomorrow morning she’d call her dad. He’d organize help, probably send the company helicopter to pick her up. And then she’d arrange for her BMW to be hauled out of the quarry and transported to San Francisco. Her heart sank lower at the prospect of telling her dad what had happened, but it seemed the only sensible thing to do.
Joe gave her an enigmatic look before pocketing the money. “Have it your way.” He paused, then shrugged. “I might not see you in the morning, so good luck and stay out of trouble, Nina.”
Not waiting for a response, he turned and strode away like he’d just completed a distasteful chore.
Chapter Three
Joe spent a restless night, plagued by thoughts of Nina. He barely knew the woman, but she intrigued him and bothered him equally. His instincts had warned him she wasn’t suitable for the job, that she was bound to cause trouble, and trouble was the last thing he needed in his busy life. But then he’d damn well let her stay, because his common sense had been overruled by other instincts. Base instincts he tried to ignore but couldn’t.
As he tossed under the sheets, he couldn’t help remembering Nina standing in front of him, naked except for a bath towel. Even as they argued, his senses had been invaded by her moist, sudsy skin and her blue eyes glaring at him through her slick hair. A caveman urge had boiled in him to yank her into his arms and find out with his lips and fingers exactly how silky her skin was.
She hadn’t seemed to care that only a thin scrap of fabric stood between him and her lithe body. She’d taunted him, letting the towel slip an inch or two, revealing the tops of her breasts, and he’d fought the compulsion to silence her by bringing his mouth down on hers, hard and hot and demanding. Nina got his motor running in overdrive, but he didn’t care for it.
After Deanne, he’d vowed never to lose his head over a woman again, and for four whole years he’d kept that promise without breaking a sweat. Until Nina arrived and jolted something alive in him, something that threatened his vow. Fortunately, he wouldn’t have his resolve tested any further, because she was leaving as suddenly as she’d arrived. Thank God. But he didn’t feel as relieved as he should be.