The Hotel 3 (The Billionaire Seduction) (2 page)

My
brain finally catches up. She and Dom’s
brother are taking control. She wants me to help her?

“I’m
just an intern!” I
protest.

“Say
what you will about my ex-husband, but he has excellent instincts
when it comes to finding good people.”
She shrugs.
“Dominic
trusts you.”

Pain
shoots through my heart. “
Trusted
,
Lillian.”

“He
valued your judgment. Obviously, that makes you someone to watch. An
up-and-comer. Besides, you know how Dom works. I need someone who can
stand up to him and fight in my corner.”

Fight
Dom? Suddenly, it becomes clear. “I
won’t
be your pawn! I didn’t
know what I was getting into with the set-up, and I won’t
do it again.”

“This
isn’t
a set-up. I’m
laying my cards on the table.”

I
shake my head. “He
won’t
even let me on the property. He hates me.”

“And
you’re
going to let that stop you?”
Lillian arches a perfect eyebrow. I don’t
know what to say. “I
misjudged you,” she
continues. “You’ve
worked hard for your career. I didn’t
think you’d
let him walk over you like this.”

She
opens her purse and takes out a business card. She looks around for a
clean surface, then gingerly places it on my purse.

“What
do you really want, Juliet? A career, or a broken heart that’s
going to get you nowhere? Dominic can’t
crush you if you don’t
let him.”

She
walks out, closing the door behind her with a click.

I
catch my breath, reeling. Going back to work at the Rexford…
It’s
a tempting thought, but I stop it in its tracks. I can’t.
If I work for Lillian, Dom will never forgive me. He values loyalty
above all else. Lillian says she’s
being straight with me, but how do I know this isn’t
part of some devious plan to drive Dom and me even further apart?

If
only he would talk to me, let me explain that I was never part of her
agenda.

I
need to see him.

I
grab my keys and phone, and rush out the door before I can talk
myself out of it. I’ve
downed half a box of wine in the last few hours at least, but I
manage to flag down a cab a couple of blocks away. Soon, we’re
speeding towards downtown.

This
is insane, but I can’t
stop now! My heart races as we pull up to the side of the Rexford.
Dominic is inside—so
close, but so much separates us. I have the crazy thought of telling
him what Lillian said, of us laughing over the absurdity of it like
we would if everything was fine.

I
get out and try to think this through. I don’t
want to make a scene at the front entrance. Besides, my yoga pants
and flip flops don’t
really scream ‘I belong’.

I
approach the side door, the one I used as an intern, and
instinctively reach for the keycard that I no longer have. I
recognize the door man and put on a smile.

“Ms.
Evans,” he
greets, his face giving nothing away. Maybe I can play this off. Each
second makes my desperation to see Dom grow. I’m
so coiled with it that it feels like something is about to snap
inside of me.

“Hey,
Rup. Mind letting me in? I don’t
have my—”

“Juliet,”
he says
apologetically. And I know.
I
know
he’s
going to deny me. “I
can’t
let you in. I’m
sorry.”

“Five
minutes.” God,
it’s
desperate, but I can’t
help it. He shakes his head and looks away, dismissing me. What do I
do now?

I’m
about to try and sneak in the front, when I hear Ray’s
voice behind me, talking to someone on their way out.

“Have
a good afternoon, Mr. Rexford.”

I
whirl back around. It’s
Dom. My knees get weak and I want to crumble from relief. He’s
looking at his cell phone as he walks, his long legs clad in black
pants, a pale blue button down open at the top, suitcoat over his
arm. His hair is perfectly tousled as usual and I want to dig my
fingers into it. He heads for the sidewalk, where his car is waiting.

My
chest squeezes but I find the strength to move toward him. He looks
up as I approach. Our eyes meet and warmth floods me. Surprise
crosses his beautiful face, and I think, for just a moment, that he’s
happy to see me.

“Dominic.”

His
face twists. “Stalking
me now?”

“I
need to talk to you. Please, just a few minutes.”

“I
don’t
make time for whores.”

I
stumble back like I’ve
been hit. He sounds furious.

“Dom,
please –”

He
seems to war with himself for a second, but then his tone comes out
harsh. “You
took away the only thing that mattered to me, Juliet. The hotel.”

Deep
inside, I feared this was going to happen. My dream that he’d
listen, that he’d
forgive me, crumbles. But I have to know.

“Didn’t
I matter?”
I ask.

His
face is a mask. Unreadable. “What
do you think?” Slipping
into the car, he slams the door. The car drives away and I’m
left alone on the sidewalk with his words ringing in my ears.

Whore.

I know he’s angry,
and thinks I set him up, but there’s no excuse
for speaking to me like that. I
didn’t know the truth when I got into the situation, and he
wanted it just as much as I did. But that was the beginning, when it
was simple. All sex. Then things got deeper – and way more
complicated.

I
take a deep breath, and slowly walk away, already thinking about what
the hell I can do to make this right. I can’t
wallow. I can’t
hang on and hope. He wants me to disappear like a bad mistake, but
I’m not letting him call the shots anymore – or destroy
my career before it’s even begun. I have to figure out a new
plan.

Fumbling
with my cell phone, I pull her card from my purse and dial.

“Lillian?
When do I start?”

I’m
going to throw up on my two hundred dollar power suit.

Standing
outside the Rexford, I clutch my shiny briefcase. I’ve
been chewing Mentos until my teeth hurt in attempt to stay calm.
Executive Liaison to Lillian Rexford? (Yeah, she kept her married
name.) In crisp, professional clothes, with subtle highlights in my
salon-fresh hair, I look I like I belong. I had just the weekend to
whip myself into shape for this new gig, and on the outside, I did.
On the inside, I still need a little work. I left this place in a
cloud of scandal, and now I’m
supposed to walk back in like I wasn’t thrown out the doors.
Twice.

But
thanks to Lillian, I can hold my head high. True to her word, she
couriered over a contract, spelling out my dizzying new salary and
benefits, plus a company credit card and instructions to look the
part when I showed up here Monday morning. I have everything an
up-and-coming hotel exec needs.

“Miss?”
The doorman
nods to me, one hand on the handle ready to open the doors. I don’t
recognize him, and apparently he doesn’t
recognize me. Which means I might actually get in this time without
any problems.

“Thank
you,” I
nod back. My brand new black leather pumps make a satisfying click,
click, click on the marble floor. It’s
good for the confidence.

I.
Can. Do. This.

The
lobby is busy, which is great. Camouflage. My plan for today is to
hide out and keep a low profile without running into Dominic. Focus
on work, and leave the heartbreak and drama for another day. Simple.

“Ma’am?
Ma’am!”

Someone
rushes up behind me. Scratch that. Two someones. My heart leaps to my
throat as security guards come at me.

“Ms.
Evans. This way please.” The
taller guard reaches for my arm.

“Hey!”
I protest.
“This
is all a misunderstanding. Check with Lillian—“

He
doesn’t
even let me finish. “Mr.
Rexford has made it clear that you are banned from the building.”

A
voice comes from behind me, smooth. “That’s
enough. Everyone forgets there are
two
Mr. Rexfords. And this one says you better release Miss Evans right
now.”

We
all turn. It’s
Xander, looking like he’s
just strolled in off his yacht – as
usual. He smiles at me, charming. “Apologies,
Lillian thought you might have a few hiccups on your first day back.”

“Thank
you.” I
find my voice, straighten my suit, and follow him into the elevator.
He’s
amused.

“I
didn’t
believe it when Lillian said she’d
offered you a job. I’m
happy you accepted. I
can’t
wait to see the look on Dominic’s
face when you walk into the board meeting.”
He smirks. My
mind clings to ‘board’
and
‘meeting.’

“Uh,
when is the meeting?”

The
elevator dings, stops, and opens before he replies. “Oh,
right now. Senior management.”

So
much for taking a few days to acclimate. “What’s
on the agenda?” I
ask nervously.

“We’re
discussing plans for the hotel’s
new direction.” He
pauses. “Just
a warning. Dominic isn’t
going to like anything we have to say today. You know he thinks this
place is his own personal kingdom. Listening isn’t
his strong suit.”

Even
after everything, I find myself bristling.
“This
is your chance to kick him when he’s
down, is that it?”

“No,”
Xander says
quietly. “This
is all of us coming together for the benefit of the Rexford. You know
that we have to fight against Prescott’s
threat. For years, this place has been Dom’s
domain, his territory. But it’s
time for him to see the bigger picture before Prescott destroys us.”

Xander
leads me into the conference room. He blocks me as we enter so I
don’t
get a full view of the table or the room. But then I spot Lillian and
she waves to the chair next to her.

Xander
moves, and then I see him, Dominic, standing in his normal spot at
the head of the table. The lines of his body are severe and my hands
itch to knead the tension out of him. I don’t
notice who else is in the room, or even that I’m
staring until Xander whispers at me to sit.

That’s
when he notices me.

Dom
looks straight at me, his gaze like a cold wind. The tension before
was nothing to the way his body tightens now. I slip into my chair
and look away, trying to stay calm.

“What
the hell is she doing here?” His
voice is lethally quiet, just for us to hear.

“Oh
relax,” Lillian
smiles. “Don’t
scare off my new Executive Liaison on her first day.”

“What?”

I
want to slink down in my seat and keep going until I find China.

“
My
Executive Liasion.” Lillian
repeats. “Juliet
is one of the brightest interns this hotel has ever had. She must be,
or you wouldn’t
have given her so much…
responsibility.
I had to snatch her up.”

I
feel his stare, and I don’t
know if it’s
worse to look, or continue to study the wood grain on the table.

“Moving
on.” Dom
finally announces. The rest of the people in the room pay attention.
“I’ve
come to a decision. We’re
going to handle the Prescott problem by doing exactly what we’ve
been doing.”

“So,
nothing?” Xander
looks annoyed.

“Keeping
our dignity, Xander. Something you know nothing about.”
Dom stares
his brother down. “There’s
nothing to gain by engaging in a smear war with Prescott. We’ll
continue excellent guest service and—”

“Boring.”
Xander leans
back in his seat and props his feet on the table. “We
need to fight back. The hotel is overdue for a redesign, and new
publicity. The world needs to see us as a classic luxury hotel with a
modern twist. You know, spice it up.”

A
low murmur fills the room. I agree, which makes me feel guilty, too.
My still heart lies with Dominic, but my loyalty is to the future of
The Rexford. And I won’t have a job if the hotel implodes
before I get a chance to make a difference.

Dom’s
jaw sets like stone. “What
do you have in mind? Letting some celebrity trash the place for some
spicy
press?”

Xander’s
face lights up. “Exactly!
Front page news. Better yet, let the paparazzi catch a congressman in
bed with his eighteen-year-old golf caddy. Prime publicity, right
there.”

Dominic
stiffens. “Exactly
what I expect from you. I’m
in charge, and we won’t
be capitalizing on sleazy press.”

Xander
slides a look to Lillian. “Actually,
we’re
in charge. Between Lillian and I, we have the controlling shares.”

Dom
takes a step back, as if his brother had physically punched him.

Lillian
clears her throat. “I
agree. Not with sleazy press, of course, but with a new strategy.
Juliet, what do you think?”

There’s
silence. Me?

“Her
opinions don’t
matter,” Dom
grinds out between gritted teeth.

“I
disagree. The best press this hotel has had in years was from the
gala event she planned. Go on, Juliet.”
Lillian looks
at me expectantly.

I
take a deep breath, trying to ignore the anger in Dom’s
eyes. “Guests
have commented on the outdated décor.
A redesign can be subtle but powerful. A fresh advertising campaign
will target the younger, wealthy demographic we’ve
been missing. There’s
a way to stay true to the Rexford’s
history,” I
add quickly, “but
make some changes for good. The point is to give the press a new
story, a reason to write about us. Business as usual isn’t
a good story, but a great new design will be.”

I
stop, waiting for Dom’s
reaction. He doesn’t
move for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he gets up from
his seat and simply walks out. It’s a more powerful statement
than any words he could have spoken.

Xander
leans over. “Don’t
worry.
He’ll
come around.”

I
nod, but I don’t
believe it.