Getting dumped only days before the wedding and spending the romantic mountain honeymoon at a fantasy adults-only resort by himself was humiliating. What could be worse than going on a honeymoon riding solo?
Or at least, that was the response Dane Michaels was counting on.
Sympathy could be a powerful tool, and he planned to use it in his favor. No one would have the slightest suspicion about the poor, abandoned man staying at Mirage Resort and Spa—and by a combination of laying on the charm and playing on everyone’s solicitousness, he should be able to get all the information he needed.
So did it really matter that Dane had never actually had a fiancée—never intended to marry? The lie had embedded itself so deep in his head, he was more than ready to play the part of the jilted groom.
Dane pulled his truck to the front of the resort. The four-story lodge seemed suspended on the side of Gold Valley Mountain and with each guest suite having one-way windows from floor to ceiling, nearly every angle offered a breathtaking view of the valley below.
Gold Valley, Montana, had been his mother’s first choice when opening Mirage. She’d had a vision, a life plan. But before she could fulfill her dreams, she’d suffered a fatal stroke, and her bastard husband, Robert Anderson, had taken over the two Mirage resorts and left Dane and his brother, Ethan, penniless and alone.
Dane exited the vehicle before the valet could assist him with the door. Dane wasn’t here for the amenities or the secret rooms designed to fulfill couples’ fantasies. He was here for one purpose and one purpose only—to find his opening to get this resort back in his name where it belonged, so he could honor his mother’s memory.
Slipping the attendant a couple of Benjamins, Dane headed up the stone steps leading to the grand entrance. Nostalgia threatened to suck the breath from his lungs, but he pushed on, determined to get exactly what he came here for.
He hadn’t been back in so long for several reasons. Mainly because he didn’t want to return until he was sure he could secure this place for himself. The time had come.
Ignoring the pain of being back nearly two decades after his mother’s death, Dane steeled himself against any emotions. He hadn’t gotten this far by being soft and sensitive. Dane had been smacked with a dose of reality at the age of eighteen and life had been a giant kick in the ass since.
Everything he’d done, he’d crawled and fought for until he got back the money, the power due to him...there was just one thing left.
Without a glance to any of the couples milling about in the open lobby, Dane headed straight to the front desk to check in, reminding himself to remain constantly aware of those around him. There was no room for error and no time to waste.
Dane had a nearly twenty-year-old promise to fulfill.
Mirage manager Stella Garcia had no clue who he was, had no idea her world was about to change. Mustering up charm and sex appeal wasn’t exactly Dane’s area of expertise anymore, he left that to his playboy brother. But right now, and for the foreseeable future, Dane would use every other tool in his arsenal to pull those family secrets from this stranger to get back what belonged to him.
Once upon a time, a seduction would have been Dane’s method of choice for an operation like this. Back then, he didn’t have to try to get a woman into bed, they were more than willing to follow.
Fighting overseas in Iraq had changed him, hardened him, made him even more hell-bent on getting what he deserved.
It had also left him scarred and horrendous.
Getting close to anyone, let alone being sexual, had been practically impossible ever since. He wasn’t stupid or naive. He knew what he looked like, knew doctors said there was hope if he wanted to go through painful surgeries in an attempt to cover the scars.
He didn’t need to cover them. They went far beneath the surface of his skin so some vain attempt at erasing the past was a moot point.
And that had been the sole reason as to why he’d been reluctant to follow through on this plan. But when he couldn’t think of another way to get what he wanted, Dane realized this might be the only way to gain full control of Mirage.
Besides, he needed a distraction from his own mind, the prison he’d been trapped in since coming home from Iraq. He’d thought getting his hands dirty and working from dusk till dawn at his ranch would exorcise the demons away, but they were still waiting every single night.
From the photos he’d seen of Stella, flirting with and charming her certainly wouldn’t be a hardship. “Charming” wasn’t his default mode, but he could turn it on if he needed to. And presenting himself as an abandoned groom seemed tailor-made to winning her sympathies and softening her reserve.
He sure as hell hoped his act of vulnerability and loneliness got her to trust him, to open up and give him a glimpse of exactly how he could use her to get to her father. Presenting himself as some woman’s reject chafed at his pride, but he’d put up with it so he could gain the information he needed. Then he’d head back to his ranch, make this deal a legal thing and no one would even care about his initial plan.
Of course he’d have to hire someone to run the resort. That person would have to be trustworthy and loyal. Dane would accept nothing less than the best for his mother’s place.
Dane kept his sunglasses firmly in place and quickly checked in, turning down the offer to have his bags taken to his room. He knew the way. There was nothing about this resort he didn’t know. A few things may have changed—the decor, the staff—but the layout hadn’t. He’d practically grown up here.
Dane had booked the largest luxury penthouse, the one he knew matched the owner’s penthouse. They were the only two suites with a mini pool and oversize hot tub off the enclosed bedroom balcony. Lovers could literally take just a few steps from their bed and sink into the pool or hot tub while overlooking the beauty of the mountains and valleys.
All of the rooms were top-notch, but Dane wanted the best. After all, wouldn’t any groom plan the most romantic getaway and spare no expense?
As