Now, I did. Now, there was no way I would get intimately involved with someone on my payroll. I was not my fucking father and ruled by my cock.
I would get this under control.
“I still vote to knock the place down,” Piper said.
“I vote to keep it.” Caden turned his glass on the white tablecloth. “I like the hotel, even if security needs a huge overhaul.”
“We’ll see.” The headache that had sprung up with a vengeance during my afternoon meetings had dulled. I still had a few more calls tonight. “Shall we call it a night?”
Piper stifled a yawn. “Yes, please.”
“You didn’t even need your hiking boots today,” I said.
She shot me a killer look. “There will be no hiking. And definitely no hiking boots. I’ll stick to my Jimmy Choos.” She held out one leg, flexing an ankle and showing off her strappy black heels.
I nodded at the server hovering nearby. “We’ve finished, thank you.” I pulled out my wallet and left a tip on the table. “Add the rest of the bill to my account.”
“Yes, Mr. Langston.” The woman nodded her head.
We headed out.
The lobby was quiet now. People were either out or back to their rooms. I heard the murmur of several voices from the bar. It looked like it was busy in there.
Piper wrinkled her nose. “I guess the place has a certain sort of charm.”
Ahead, an area of the floor had been cordoned off and there was a maintenance warning sign. That was good. It was better to do this sort of work at night when there were fewer guests around.
Ever curious, Piper frowned and strode over, her heels clicking on the wood floor. She bypassed the maintenance sign, staring down at the wet area on the floor. A second later, her heel slipped, and she toppled with a cry.
Shit. Caden and I lunged forward, but we were too far away.
A man appeared from nowhere and caught her. He was wearing jeans and a flannel shirt.
“Careful there,” he said in a deep voice.
I watched Piper and the man stare at each other for a long beat. I’d seen his photo in the staff files. Everett Murray. The head of maintenance.
He set Piper upright. “I guess you didn’t see the sign. We’re fixing a water leak.” His gaze dropped. “But maybe those ridiculous shoes were a factor.”
“Ridiculous? Do you know that these are Jimmy Choos? Expensive and stylish.”
He smiled. “If you say so.”
Piper bristled. “Do you work here?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Get this floor fixed before a guest hurts themselves. And don’t call me ma’am.”
“That’s exactly what I was doing before you walked past the warning sign.”
Her chin lifted. “I was inspecting the work.”
I glanced at Caden, who was watching with cool-eyed interest.
Everett smiled again. “Have a good night…ma’am. And watch your step on those ankle breakers.” He swiveled and sauntered over to a toolbox.
Beside me, Caden hid his smile with a cough. I held back my own amusement. Not many people could go toe-to-toe with Piper.
