What I needed was someone to help me with the semi-twitching in my boxer briefs.The memory of that leather-clad brunette blended with memories of the furious, gorgeous Mira until it was obvious I’d need to jerk off at home or face a night of blue balls.
There was no question of what I’d think about while I did.A Google search on my phone resulted in dozens of images of Mirabella Rinaldi looking regal and polished and very tempting.The princess of the Rinaldi empire.Not an ice princess, though.Those gold-flecked hazel orbs held too much fire.
Soon, she would be mine too.We might even have a little fun if she’d get out of her own way and let it happen.
4
MIRA
“Janine.My favorite general manager.”I accepted the matcha latte she handed me as I walked into her office in our Santa Barbara resort.I had looked forward to this visit ever since it hit my calendar.This place, in particular, always held a soft spot in my heart, along with the people working there.
When I first stepped into my role with the company, Janine had been working as night manager while studying for her MBA.That and her bachelor’s in hospitality provided a solid foundation, but it was her grit that made her rise through the ranks until she landed in the general manager’s chair a few years back.
“What’s the one thing we pride ourselves on around here?Going above and beyond in order to provide an exemplary experience for our guests.”She flashed a grin, taking a seat at the small table in her office, positioned by a window that overlooked a lush, almost supernaturally beautiful view of the gardens surrounding the building.My heart swelled as I gazed out at the tropical flowers, the graceful trees, and the terracotta-tiled roof visible in glimpses as branches moved with the breeze.
Swelling soon turned to seizing, though, once Janine spoke.“Before we dive into any of this, I have to ask.”She slid her latte aside along with the tablet on which she had pulled up a report.“Is it true?There’s been a lot of whispering going on among upper management.”
This was bound to happen.It didn’t matter how loudly I urged discretion.How I practically begged Papa to keep his thoughts about retirement quiet for now.We didn’t need a drop in employee morale, and what was a more guaranteed way to upset people than to talk about a shake-up in ownership?There would be questions about job retention, salary changes, restructuring.I had drafted memos to be sent out to all of our properties as soon as Papa solidified his plans, only waiting for the name of the man he chose to take his place.
Somebody needed to hand me an award for the acting I was doing, pretending nothing about the question bothered me.“I hope that kind of talk hasn’t gone any further than this office.”
“Of course not.”She scowled, not bothering to hide her hurt feelings.“You know me better than that by now, don’t you?Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, don’t feel bad.It’s been a lot.”That was much as I trusted myself to say.
“So he is looking to sell?”I flinched at her question, and this time, she looked sympathetic.“I’m sorry.It’s none of my business.Only…” Her smooth brow wrinkled in concern.
The least I could do was ease her fears.“You don’t have anything to worry about.That’s the truth.I am making sure staffing stays intact.No matter who my father chooses, I will still be Vice President.You’ll still be seeing me all the time.Sorry about that,” I concluded with a chuckle.
“Wow.I can’t pretend that’s not a relief.”She relaxed a little, slouching and blowing out a sigh.“And there I was, worried you were coming here to announce some big shake-up.I know you would never leave me to find out about it on my own, with no warning.”
“You’re right.I wouldn’t.”I tapped a nail on her tablet.“This is all I’m interested in today.Well, that and this matcha latte.”
She wasn’t ready to switch topics.“I found myself preparing to deal with some corporate stiff… a private equity guy who only saw the business as numbers on a spreadsheet.”
I had to shiver at the thought.“No way.That is never going to happen.They’ll probably bury me on the grounds of one of our properties.”
“To tell you the truth…“ She offered a faint smile that told me what was coming next.I would have to brace myself and put on the same cheerful expression I had been practicing since yesterday afternoon.
“You thought I would be named the successor?”I guessed.
She shrugged, tucking a dark curl behind her ear, a little awkward.“I’m just saying it makes sense.Nobody knows this resort like you do, and I know it’s the same with your other properties.You love the work.You understand it.You understand people.”
“I’m not the only brilliant, insanely driven person on the planet, you know.This is what Papa felt was best for the company, and he wouldn’t have gotten as far as he has without serious savvy.”Wow.That almost sounded sincere.Unpracticed.
“Of course.Please, don’t take that the wrong way.You know I’m always rooting for you.”
“Thanks.”What would she do if I gave her the full description of Papa’s little agreement?I wondered if she would still respect me if she knew I was willing to basically sell myself in marriage for the sake of keeping my job and hers.
“Now, let’s take a look at these reports.”Turning my attention to the tablet, I said, “I can see just by looking around the resort that occupancy isn’t a problem.”
“We’ve averaged eighty percent this past quarter.”She was proud, and she had every right to be.“The addition of the smaller ballroom means doubling our event capabilities.You’ll see what it did to revenue over the next few slides.”
I loved this part of the job, no question.Going over figures, seeing what worked and what hadn’t.Brainstorming when necessary to develop solutions we could then implement across our entire system.Opening the resort to smaller, more intimate events had been one of my ideas since weddings were big business but also time-consuming and resource-heavy.Adding smaller events meant increased profit.
I was happiest walking the grounds, though, which we did after running down the very promising reports.“Nina, how is your daughter doing in school?”I asked the food and beverage manager in passing.
Nina beamed like a proud mother.“She made the Dean’s list again this semester.”I had written a recommendation letter for Molly once she decided she wanted to go to UCLA for hospitality and management.
