frowned. “What did I say wrong? If it was the reference to rescuing your car, that will totally be our secret. If anyone asks, you got yourself out of there.” His teasing grin was back, but there was a look of caution in his icy eyes.
Sighing, she allowed any and all inappropriate thoughts about him to vanish, along with her hope for rebound sex with a stranger that evening. “I’m Kate Hartley. We spoke on the phone.”
* * *
NO SOONER HAD he shut his office door than his office intercom beeped. “Mr. Dillon, there’s a woman here at the front desk to see you,” Cameron said.
Yes, the woman he’d been picturing naked in the backseat of his pickup truck, only to have the image shattered seconds later when she’d revealed her identity. So much for his hope of having literally stumbled upon a gorgeous tourist, one who wasn’t planning to stay in Big Bear for more than a night or two. His favorite kind of woman. “Tell her I’m not here.”
“Um...she just heard me talking to you,” Cameron whispered.
“So say it anyway,” he said. He scanned the mess of his office, knowing that regardless, in about a minute and a half, the determined, spirited, sexy-as-hell Kate Hartley would be barging in with or without his consent. She hadn’t driven all this way to be ignored. Too bad he couldn’t offer her the kind of attention he wanted to bestow.
He stacked the pile of unpaid invoices in a drawer, tossed the empty coffee cups into the trash can in the corner of the room and quickly swept the visible dust from the top of the fine oak furniture around him with the palm of his hand. Housekeeping had been reduced, and he sure wasn’t keeping on top of it.
Oh, well. If Ms. Wedding Planner didn’t like it, he’d be happy to watch her curvy ass leave.
The knock on his door was loud and right on time, he mused, glancing at his watch. “Go away,” he yelled, picking up the phone receiver and bringing it to his ear.
The door opened, and Kate walked in. “I just need a few moments of your time,” she said, forcibly polite.
Gone was the flirtatious, easygoing smile. And contrary to what he would have expected, this meaner, more professional look was even sexier. The front of his pants grew even tighter—his previous hard-on for her in his truck had yet to disappear completely. Damn. He covered the receiver. “You already took up enough of my time, Ms. Hartley...and I’m on the phone.” He motioned for her to leave.
Coming toward the desk, she hit the hang-up button on the phone.
“Hey! I was on hold for an important guest...client...thing.”
She cocked her head. “None of the lines were lit up.”
Busted. He replaced the receiver and stood. “Look, I already told you when you called that I will not be hosting a wedding here, so unless you came in here to thank me again for saving your ass...” His face was just inches from hers. He could so easily reach out and kiss her...and probably frighten her out of his office and back down the mountainside.
But she didn’t give any ground, remaining firmly on the spot. She was tall, almost eye level with him, and her dark eyes held a determined, heated expression. “I don’t understand. It’s your brother’s wedding.”
“You don’t need to understand. What you do need to do is go buy yourself a set of chains and get back to sunny, warm LA before it gets too late.” He fought the insane sensation of disappointment at the thought. Sure, he’d envisioned lots of wine and hot tub sex before he knew who she was, but even entertaining the thought now was absurd. Now he needed her out of his resort as soon as possible.
“I’m not leaving.” To his surprise, she sat on the edge of his desk.
Huh, maybe he should have left the dust. “You’re not?”
“No. Here’s the thing. I need this wedding to happen. Here. On Memorial Day weekend. So unless you can give me a really good reason why that can’t happen, I’m not leaving.” She folded her arms across her chest, a challenging look on her face.
Oh, he could give her a reason. A really good one. In fact, it would be his pleasure. Moving closer, he placed a hand on either side of her on the desk. His legs touched hers, and the smell of her expensive, soft perfume tickled his nose as he lowered his face to her ear and whispered, “I had sex with the bride-to-be.”
KATE PACED THE stone walkway outside the resort moments later, her cell to her ear, oblivious to the blowing snow and deep, damp chill cutting through her thin jacket. Liz was crazy to want to hold a wedding here—it was freaking freezing.
Pick up, Liz...pick up...
“Hello?”
“Liz, it’s Kate.” She paused. Now that the woman had answered, she realized she had no idea how to confront her about Scott’s accusation—or if she should at all. This contract was important, and pissing off the bride was a sure way to lose it. Still, she had to find out if Scott had been telling the truth. She couldn’t fight fire with fire if she was holding a match against his blowtorch.
The crackling reception interrupted Liz’s words. “I...can’t...hear...where are you?”
Kate reluctantly moved just inside the resort lobby doors, where the lack of howling wind made it easier to hear. She lowered her voice. “I’m in Big Bear. I came to see Scott.”
“I knew that asshole would refuse to hold the wedding at the resort,” Liz said, her bitterness perfectly clear through the bad reception.
Kate sighed. A heads-up would have been nice. And unfortunately, the tiny glimmer of hope that Scott had been lying vanished with Liz’s words. “Yeah...he’s reluctant.” She refused to give up yet. There had to be some way to convince this guy to do this for his brother. Even though he’d slept with the bride.
“What’s his problem?” Liz asked.
As if she didn’t know. “Um...” How to say this delicately? Losing this client was not an option. “He says there’s a history between you two.”
“A history?” Her laugh held no amusement. “He calls one stupid night—that was completely his fault—a history? What a jackass.”
Kate remained silent. Usually when two people had sex, they were both responsible, not that she was letting Mr. Arrogant off easy. “How long ago did it happen?”
“A million years ago. Really, Kate, it should not be a problem. He’s just being stubborn because I refuse to tell Derek about it. I mean, what would be the point? It’s not like I care about Scott, and he certainly doesn’t have feelings for me. It was one night before I realized that Derek and I were serious about one another, perfect for one another.”
That was for sure. Derek and Liz were both city people, in the movie industry, driven by success and power and money. Kate had never met a better suited couple.
Scott, in comparison, was...what was Scott?
Earlier in the day, she’d been tempted to find out. Now she just needed to know the kryptonite to break him.
She scanned the lodge through the interior glass doors. Now that she’d seen it, she thought it really would be a shame if he didn’t allow the wedding to take place here. With the marble and stone accents throughout, it didn’t have that old, log-cabin feel so common to these mountain ski resorts. The large check-in area and dining room that she’d seen on her way out were extravagant and elegantly decorated—quite a contrast from the rugged man who owned it. She’d had her doubts, but she was starting to believe this place could actually be a perfect place to hold the wedding...and future mountain weddings, she thought.
“So how do I get him to agree?” she asked Liz, her determination returning. She suspected money wouldn’t