“Charlie would,” Noah threw in.
She ignored them both. “All I know is that Silver Summit is taking a really hard look at Dell’s. Bruno does a good job of ingratiating himself. You should try it sometime.” Her smirk broadcast that she enjoyedneedling him as much as she had Germaine, and a question popped into his head: Had Ursula always been this vicious, or had she grown into it?
He couldn’t be sure if anything she was telling him right now was truth or fiction. Then again, he’dneverbeen sure, and she’d railroaded him many, many times. “I’d ingratiate myself too if I could get with them face-to-face.”
Dixie appeared with a tray of empties. Wanting an escape and a moment to look in on Chance, Noah lifted the tray. “I’ll take these back to be washed.”
“Okay. I’m following you to see how Dewey and Reece are holding up. Amy can cover the tables for now since folks seem to be dribbling out.”
Noah strafed the dining room one last time for Hailey, his gaze probing all the places she’d been and coming up empty. She’d been like a green firefly, flitting from one table to the next, eluding him like the proverbial pot of gold. He wanted to capture her before she could flit away. All the while, she’d drawn appreciative looks from the male population that made the green guy inside him restless. But right now she wasnowhereto be found.
He dropped his voice as Dixie fell in beside him. “Any sign of the Fräulein?”
“You mean the Irish hoochie mama? No. Maybe she’s checking on your dog? I think it was her turn. How ’bout you go upstairs and find out? We can spare you for a few minutes.”
“Thanks, Dix.” Noah handed off the tray and took two steps at a time to his apartment. The dog had been unexpectedly mellow so far, though it should have come as no surprise. He’d been dosed with meds, and Neve had warned the mutt would sleep a lot while he recovered.
Noah entered, dismayed to find no living thing besides Chance lying on his couch. The dog looked up, and if a dog could have a guilty expression, this one was all that. As Noah approached, Chance dipped his head and began to quiver. Noah dropped into a crouch and scratched the pup’s soft ears, deriving a surprising sense of tranquility from the action—even if the animal was on his best piece of furniture.
“The couch is for humans, dude. You’re supposed to hang out on this really expensive bed I bought you, remember?” Noah patted the fluffy fleece oval beside him. “See? Super comfy. Boy, I wish this wasmybed.”
The door opened, and Noah’s pulse jumped with expectation. Grinning, he turned his head, ready to take in blue eyes, blond pigtails, and a killer bod squeezed into something small and green. Instead, he got smoky brunette. The smile slid from his face.
“You do?” Ursula’s sultry voice sent shards of ice skittering down his spine. What the hell was she doing in his sanctuary? Why was he even surprised?
Without asking, she strolled in, squatted beside him, and stroked the dog’s head. She still wore the leprechaun hat. “Who’s this?”
“Lex Luthor,” he gritted out as he rose to his feet and backstepped.
She looked up at him, eyebrows arched. Whether she was questioning his distancing move or the dubious choice of dog names, he couldn’t say. Didn’t care. Her mere presence was scattering what was left of his Hailey cloud until it was a handful of wisps.
He leaned his hip against the narrow expanse of kitchen counter. “What do you want, Ursula?”
She stood and faced him, something foreign flickering in her eyes. Whatever it was, it didn’t move him. Instead, a voice in his head shouted that this was not the woman he wanted standing in front of him.Thatwoman possessed a warmth and candor he found alluringly refreshing, and he wanted to get back downstairs and find out where she’d gone.
Ursula’s gaze swept the room. “This place is a bit of a downgrade, isn’t it?”
Amajordowngrade from his folks’ spread, but at least it washis. “Works for my needs.”
“And what is it you need, Noah?” The question held an invitation he didn’t want to accept.
“Ineedto know when the Silver Summit owners are coming together again to discuss their plans so they can hear mine. Ineedto stop being fed bullshit and kept in the dark like a damn mushroom.” Though he’d made overtures aimed at the resort’s principals, their response had been lukewarm at best. Heneededto get in front of these guys.
She shrugged and checked her nails. “Can’t help you there. They don’t share their schedules with me.”
Frustration simmered inside him. “But youcanfind out. Youarethe liaison between them and the communities.” A notion struck. “Or don’t they want you knowing their plans?”
She ignored the jab. “Why not motivate me, and I’ll see what I can do?”
He narrowed his eyes, suddenly weary of her and her puppeteer games. Against his better judgment, he asked, “Motivate youhow?”
“Hmm … well, why don’t you give me a ride home, and we can discuss it along the way?”
“Now?” he blurted and immediately gave himself an inner smack for not out-and-out refusing her. She probably assumed he was willing to take her to her place later and relive old times, but he was done taking Ursula anywhere voluntarily. Theonlygirl he was willing to give a ride home tonight was named Hailey Bailey.
“I’m willing to wait. We need to talk, Noah.”
Her statement wasn’t a request; it was an imperial command. And her “willingness to wait” was couched as though she was doinghima favor. Had she always sounded like this and he was only now hearing her with a different set of headphones?
