She swallowed. They were her family. She loved them.
And yet she’d put her grandmother first. That knowledge—the guilt—ate away at her. She had to do her best for them. Better than her best.
She would not let her new boss fire them.
‘Thank you, Libby. Now, back upstairs with you and thank April for the warning. And no running this time.’
With a grin, Libby set off upstairs again, though thankfully at a more sedate pace.
How will you stop him? If he wants to fire them, how will you stop him?
She’d think of something. But hopefully it wouldn’t be necessary.
Through the expanse of glass at the front of the building she and Tina watched a long white limousine move down the drive, past the row of Christmas palms, to slide to a smooth halt by the front doors.
‘Good luck to us,’ Tina whispered. ‘I’m saying prayers...lots of prayers.’
Wynne moved out from behind the reception desk—a long curved confection of pine masquerading as polished oak—and then wasn’t sure what she should do. Hovering in the foyer like this made her feel like a fool.
She glanced around the faux Victorian interior and, as always, it made her smile. The Axminster carpet might be faded, and there might be the odd crack in the plasterwork, but the wooden staircase gleamed with the same rich lustre as the reception desk, the ginormous vase of gladioli looked stately on its marble stand, while the ornate mirror above them reflected an abundance of light over the space. The one thing Aggie’s Retreat did well was its welcome.
Wynne turned as a tall figure encased in an impeccable business suit strode through the door held open for him by his chauffeur. He stopped and surveyed the foyer through narrowed eyes, his chin held at an arrogant angle. His nostrils flared and light briefly blazed in his eyes before it was abruptly checked.
Wynne blinked—and swallowed. Dear Lord, the man was tall. And...um...broad. Dark eyes speared her with a steely gaze. Very slowly he moved towards her, and the closer he came the more he reminded her of something primal and immovable—like a mountain. Such a large man had no right to move with such panther-like grace. She flashed to a vision of him bursting the seams at the shoulders and arms of his jacket like the Incredible Hulk. Except...
Except he looked far too controlled and forbidding to do anything so unpremeditated.
Resisting the urge to run a finger around the collar of her blouse, she forced herself forward and made her smile broad. After all this was the new owner of Aggie’s Retreat. He deserved a welcome fit for royalty.
‘You must be Mr Ramos.’
He took her outstretched hand without hesitation, and this close to him she felt her pulse kick and her heart crash. He was the most disconcerting combination of hot and cold she’d ever come across. Despite the forbidding remoteness in his eyes, he had the whole simmering Mediterranean smoky sex appeal thing down pat.
‘Call me Xavier.’
The words fired out of him, clipped and curt—an order rather than a request. Her spine stiffened, until she reminded herself that he’d only flown in from Spain two days ago. Jet lag probably had him desperately discombobulated. And he was her boss. He could issue orders with gay abandon and she would simply have to bite her tongue and pretend that she wanted nothing more than to do his bidding.
She willed her body to relax. For the staff’s sake.
‘I’m Wynne Stephens. It’s lovely to finally meet you in person.’
He inclined his head and his hair gleamed as dark as the sea at midnight—jet-black. She’d never seen hair so dark. It looked thick and soft, and the tips of her fingers started to tingle.
His eyes were just as dark as his hair. The heat from his hand burned against her palm. But despite their darkness and depth his eyes remained cool. His lips had barely moved upwards into a smile, and she must have been watching too many B-grade movies recently, because she could swear she imagined a hint of cruelty about his mouth.
Those dark eyes scanned her face and she felt as if every secret she’d ever had was being pulled out for his examination and judgement. Heat travelled up her arm and she realised her hand was still clasped in his. She tugged it free, working overtime to hold fast to her composure.
‘You have a very attractive...’
Movement in the doorway captured her attention—the chauffeur, struggling in with a variety of luggage. Should she go and help him?
‘Ms Stephens?’
‘Oh!’ She swung back to him. ‘You must call me Wynne.’
His lips thinned. ‘I have a very attractive...?’
She choked back a laugh. Nothing like leaving a sentence hanging! ‘Accent.’ It was even better in person than on the phone.
One eyebrow lifted with devastating irony. ‘Really?’
She stared up at him and the derision in his eyes made heat rush into her face. Oh, he couldn’t think that she...
No way! He was attractive, but...
Suddenly the images flashing through Wynne’s mind became just a little too vivid.
She shook her head to dispel them, to try and get back on track. ‘Xavier, I’d like to welcome you to Aggie’s Retreat.’
He didn’t answer, just continued to stare at her with those pitiless eyes.
She lifted her chin, pushed her shoulders back. ‘I sincerely hope the motel brings you as much joy and pleasure as it has over the years to my grandmother and myself.’
Those lips cracked open into a ruthless smile that had her suppressing a shiver.
‘Don’t worry, Wynne, it already has.’
* * *
Wynne glanced past him and some of the tension in Xavier’s jaw eased. The wholeheartedness of her smile, its warmth, had taken him completely off-guard. He’d not expected her to be so...generous.
She’d not wanted to sell the motel—her reluctance had threaded through their every email and telephone exchange. It was no doubt why she’d made being manager one of the stipulations of the sale. His fists clenched. That still angered him, but it could be dealt with easily enough over the coming weeks. And it would be.
He’d arrived here today expecting tears...had readied himself for hostility. Instead...
He fought back a frown. Instead he’d been welcomed with a warmth that had made him want to turn around and return to Spain. She made him feel... He swallowed. For a moment she’d made him feel the same way his grandfather had always made him feel—truly welcome.
A dark weariness threatened to descend over him—an all too familiar grief that he’d wrestled with for the past four weeks and two days. It would be weak to give in to it, but it rose up within him now with renewed force as he glanced into Wynne Stephens’s face. He wanted to accept the welcome she offered. He wanted to embrace it and hold it tight.
It was a lie, though. She didn’t know him. She didn’t care for him. But that didn’t make the need gaping through him go away.
Dios! His hand clenched into a fist. He’d readied himself for a fight—a dirty fight—and she’d pulled the carpet out from under him. She’d welcomed him to Aggie’s Retreat as if she’d meant it. The woman was a witch! Just like her grandmother.