Swept off her feet by the boss!

When hotel tour guide Callie McKenzie is trapped in an elevator with a gorgeous stranger, they share a spark of connection so intense that it rocks normally guarded Callie to the core. So she’s horrified to discover afterward that the stranger is Blake Owen, ruthless tycoon and her new boss!

Since his divorce, Blake has steered well clear of relationships, yet Callie’s shy warmth intrigues him. The heartache of her past makes her a woman who deserves a fairy tale, if only Blake will risk his heart and give her everything...

9 to 5

Falling for the boss...

They’re working side by side, nine to five...

But, no matter how hard these couples try to keep their relationships strictly professional, romance is undeniably on the agenda!

Will a date in the office diary

lead to an appointment at the altar?

Find out in this exciting series!

The Tycoon’s Reluctant Cinderella

Therese Beharrie

www.millsandboon.co.uk

THERESE BEHARRIE has always been thrilled by romance. Her love of reading established this, and then spilled over into her writing and her way of life. Fortunately she married a man who constantly exceeds her romantic expectations and is an infinite source of inspiration for her romantic heroes. She lives in Cape Town, South Africa, with her husband and their two Husky furbabies, and is absolutely amazed that her dream of being a romance author is now a reality.

This is Therese’s first book for Mills & Boon Cherish!

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This book is dedicated to my husband,

my best friend and my biggest supporter,

Grant, thank you for working so hard so that I could follow my dream. Thank you for believing that I would be a published author when writing was only a vague possibility for my future. And, most of all, thank you for loving me so well that there is no doubt in my mind that good men and happily-ever-afters exist. I love you.

To my family and friends,

Thank you all for supporting me.

For listening to me as I went on about my dream of writing and the plans I had to get published. To those who allowed me to talk about plot lines and characters even though it might have bored you, thank you.

You have all contributed to this, and I am so grateful.

To my editor,

Flo, you invested time and effort in me even though there was no guarantee I would be worth it. Over and above that, I have experienced so much growth as a writer in the months we’ve worked together.

I can’t wait to continue this journey with you.

Thank you for everything.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

‘PLEASE HOLD THE ELEVATOR!’

Callie McKenzie almost shouted the words as she ran to the closing doors. She was horribly late, despite her rushed efforts to get dressed after her shift at the hotel had ended. She wouldn’t be making a very good impression on the big boss if she arrived after he did, so she was taking a chance on the elevator, ignoring her usual reservations about the small box.

Relief shot through her when she saw a hand hold the elevator doors and she hurried in, almost colliding with the person who had helped her. She had meant to say thank you immediately, but as she looked at him her mouth dried, taking her words away.

Callie thought he might be the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Dark hair sat tousled on his head, as though it had travelled through whirlwinds to get there, and set off the sea-blue-green of his eyes. He was a full head taller than her, so that she had to look up to appreciate the striking features of his face. Each angle was shaped perfectly—as though it had been sculpted, she thought, with the intention of causing every woman who looked at it to be caught in involuntary—or voluntary—attraction.

Her eyes fell to his lips as they curved into a smile and she felt her heart flutter. It was the kind of smile that transformed his entire face, giving it a sexy, casual expression that stood out against the sophistication of his perfectly tailored suit. It took her a while to realise that she was amusing him by staring, and she forced herself to snap out of it.

‘Thank you,’ she said, aware of the husky undertone her evaluation of him had brought to her voice.

His smile broadened. ‘No problem. Which floor would you like?’

Callie almost slapped her hand against her forehead at the deep baritone of his voice. Was there anything about the man that wasn’t sexy?

She cleared her throat. ‘Ground floor, please.’

‘Then it’s already been selected,’ he said, and pressed the button to close the elevator doors. ‘So you’re also going to the event downstairs, then?’

She frowned. ‘Yes. How did you know?’

‘Well, I’d like to think that this hotel doesn’t require its guests to dress up in such formal wear to have supper.’

He gestured to her clothing, and Callie once again resisted the urge to slap herself on the head. She was wearing one of her mother’s formal gowns—one of the few Callie didn’t think was absolutely ridiculous—and nodded.

‘Of course. Sorry, it’s been a long day.’ Callie wished she believed that was the reason for her lame responses, but she knew better. She wasn’t sure why, but he threw her off balance.

‘I can relate. This isn’t the most ideal way to spend the evening.’

Callie was about to agree when the elevator came to an abrupt stop. The lights went out barely a second later and Callie lost her balance, knocking her head into the back wall. The world spun for a bit, and then she felt strong arms hold her and lower her to the ground.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked, and Callie had to take a moment to catch her breath before she answered.

She wasn’t sure if she was dizzy because she was in his arms or because of the blow to her head. Or, she thought as the situation finally caught up to her, if it was her very real fear of being trapped in enclosed spaces that had affected her breathing.

‘I’m fine.’ Her breath hitched, but she forced it out slowly. ‘I’m sure it’s just a bump on the head.’ Inhale, exhale, she reminded herself.

‘Are you sure? You’re breathing quite heavily.’

Her eyes had now acclimatised to the darkness, and she could see the concern etched on his face. ‘I’m a little...claustrophobic.’

‘Ah.’ He nodded his head and stood. ‘The electricity must have gone off, but I’m sure it won’t take long before someone realises we’re here.’

He removed his phone from his pocket and tapped against the screen. A light shone dimly between them but Callie could only see his face, disproportionately large in the poor light. She felt a strange mixture of disappointment and satisfaction that she couldn’t make out his features as clearly as she had before, but she did manage to make out the scowl on his face.

‘I don’t have any reception, so I can’t call anyone to help.’

‘You could press that button over there,’ she said helpfully, pointing to the red emergency button on the control panel.

Her breathing was coming a little easier—as long as she didn’t think about the fact that she was trapped. She wanted to stand up, but didn’t trust herself to be steady. And the last thing she wanted was to fall into the arms of her companion for a second time within a few minutes.

‘Of course I can.’

He pressed the emergency button and quickly conversed with the static voice that came through the intercom. He’d been right. There had been a power outage in the entire grid, and the hotel’s generator had for some reason gone off as well. They were assured that it was being sorted out, but that it might take up to thirty minutes before they would be rescued.

He sighed and sank down next to her, and Callie squeezed her eyes shut. She thought it might make his proximity—and her fear—less overwhelming. Instead, the smell of him filled her senses—a musky male scent that almost made her sigh in satisfaction. She swore she could hear her heart throbbing in her chest, but she told herself it was just because of the confines of the elevator. She opened her eyes and looked at him, and before she could become mesmerised by his looks—even in the dim light he was handsome—forced herself to speak.

‘I wonder what’s going on downstairs. There must be mass panic.’ She couldn’t quite keep the scorn from colouring her voice.

‘I take it that you’re not a fan of tonight’s celebrations,’ he said wryly.

‘I wouldn’t say that. I’m just...’ she searched for the word ‘...sceptical.’

‘About the event, or the reason for it?’

The innocent question brought a flurry of emotions that she wasn’t ready to face. Her brother, Connor, had warned her that the hotel they both worked at hadn’t been doing well for years now. Despite his efforts as regional manager, Connor was still struggling to bring the Elegance Hotel back from the mess the last manager had created. The arrival today of the CEO—their boss—held a mass of implications that she didn’t want to think about.

So, instead of answering his question, she asked, ‘Are you here to meet the CEO?’

‘Not really, no.’

‘A very cryptic answer.’

She could sense his smile.

‘I like the idea of being a little mysterious.’

She laughed. ‘You realise I don’t know who you are, right? Everything about you is mysterious to me.’

As she said the words she turned towards him and found herself face to face with him. Her heart pounded, her breath slowed, and for the briefest moment she wanted to lean forward and kiss him.

The thought was as effective as ice down her back, and she shifted away, blaming claustrophobia for her physical reaction to a man she barely knew.

She shook her head, and was brought back to the reality of the situation. Soon she didn’t have to pretend to blame her shortness of breath on her fear. She felt a hand grip her own and looked at him. She could see the concern in his eyes, and gratitude filled her when she realised that reassurance, not attraction, was the reason for his gesture.

‘Your date must be worried about you,’ he said, and nodded, encouraging her to concentrate on his words.

‘He might be,’ she agreed, ‘if I had brought one.’

He laughed, and the sound was as manly as the rest of him. What was it about the man that enthralled all her senses?

‘And yours?’ Callie asked, and wondered at herself. This wasn’t like her. She was flirting with him. And even though she knew that she shouldn’t, she wanted to know the answer.

Their eyes locked, and once again something sizzled between them.

‘I don’t have a date here.’

‘Your girlfriend couldn’t make it tonight?’

She turned away from him as she asked the question, and leaned her head back against the elevator wall. She didn’t want to succumb to the magnetism that surrounded him, but she had already failed miserably. She shouldn’t be asking him about his personal life. But every time she looked at him her heart kicked in her chest and she wanted to know more. If she looked away, the walls began to close in on her.

So she chose the lesser of the two evils and turned back to him. His eyes were patient, steady, and she gave in to the temptation. ‘Couldn’t she?’

‘There’s no girlfriend.’

Was she imagining the slight tension in his voice?

‘And you don’t have a boyfriend, I assume?’

‘You assume correctly—although I probably shouldn’t be telling you that.’

‘Why not?’

‘Well, you’re a strange man and we’re stuck in an elevator together. What’s going to deter you from putting the moves on me now that you know I don’t have a boyfriend?’

Callie said the words before she could think about what they might provoke. But he just said, ‘You don’t have to worry about that. I don’t “put the moves” on anyone.’

‘So women just drop at your feet, then?’ She couldn’t take her eyes off him as she dug deeper.

‘Sometimes.’

He smiled, but even in the dim light she could see something in his eyes that she couldn’t decipher.

‘Ah, modesty. Charming.’ She said it in jest, but her heart sank. This man—this very attractive man who made her heart beat faster just by looking at her—wasn’t interested in one woman. Women fell at his feet—and she wouldn’t be one of them.

He laughed, and then sobered. ‘Mostly I stay away from them.’

Callie felt herself soften just a little at the heartbreak she could hear ever so slightly in his voice. And just like that her judgement of him faded away. He didn’t want women, or even just one woman—he wanted to be alone. Callie couldn’t figure out which fact bothered her the most.

‘I’m sorry. She must have been a real piece of work.’

He didn’t answer her, but his face told her everything that she needed to know. She placed a hand over his and squeezed it, hoping to provide him with some comfort. But when he laid his hand over hers in return, comfort was the last thing on her mind. His hand brought heat to hers, and lit her heart so that it beat to a rhythm she couldn’t fathom. He leaned his head towards hers, and suddenly heat spread through her bloodstream.

This couldn’t be right, she thought desperately as she pulled her hand away. They barely knew each other. She wouldn’t let herself fall into a web of attraction with a man who was as charming as a fairy-tale prince.

Before she could worry about it the elevator lurched and the lights came back on. He stood and offered a hand to her, a slight smile on his gorgeous face. Did he know the effect he had on her? Or was he simply aware that he’d helped distract her from one of her worst fears?

As Callie took his hand she had to admit that he had kept her thoughts off being stuck in an elevator. And she blamed that—and his good looks—on her uncharacteristic reaction.

‘Thank you,’ she said as the elevator doors opened. ‘I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.’

The breath of relief that was released from her lungs as she walked away was because she was out of the enclosed space, Callie assured herself, and ignored the voice in her head that scoffed at the lie.

* * *

Blake Owen stopped at the doors of the banquet hall and resisted the urge to walk away. He had never been a fan of opulence, but rarely did he have a choice in the matter. Which was fine, he supposed. In his business, events of an extravagant nature were integral to success, and the welcome for him tonight was an excellent example of that. He would be introduced to the Elegance Hotel in Cape Town in a style that would keep the hotel’s name at the forefront of the media’s attention while he sorted out the troublesome operation.

So he accepted his lot and walked into the room, snagging a flute of champagne from the nearest waiter’s tray before taking the whole scene in.

Glamour spread from the roof to the floor and fairy lights and sparkling chandeliers twinkled like stars against the midnight-blue draping. Black-and-white-clad waiters wove through the crowd while men and women in tuxedos and evening gowns air-kissed and wafted around on clouds of self-importance.

Blake almost rolled his eyes—until he remembered the guests were there in his honour. The thought made him empty the entire champagne glass and exchange it for a full one from the next waiter. He noted that the power outage hadn’t seemed to dampen the evening’s festivities. But when he looked at the scene with the eye of a manager he could see some slightly frazzled members of staff weaving through the crowd doing damage control.

He managed to get the attention of one of them, and took the frightened young man to a less populated corner of the hall.

‘What happened when the electricity went out?’

As Blake spoke the man’s eyes widened and Blake thought that ‘boy’ might be a more appropriate description.

‘It was only a few moments, sir. As you can see, everything is running smoothly again. Enjoy your evening.’

The boy made to move away, but at Blake’s look he paused.

‘Was there anything else, sir?’

‘Yes, actually. I was wondering if you brush off the concerns of all your guests, or if you reserve that for just a handful of people.’

If the boy had looked nervous before, he was terrified now. ‘No...no, sir. I’m sorry you feel that I did. We’re just a bit busy, and I have to make sure that everything is okay before Mr Owen gets here.’

‘That would be me.’

The words were said in a low voice, softly, but for their effect they might have been earth-shatteringly loud.

‘Mr... Mr Owen?’ the boy stammered. ‘Sir, I am so sorry—’

‘It’s fine,’ Blake said when he saw the boy might have a heart attack from the shock. ‘You can answer my original question.’ At his blank look, Blake elaborated. ‘The power outage...?’

‘Oh, yes. Well, it wasn’t such a train smash here. The candles gave sufficient light that there wasn’t much panic, and Connor—Mr McKenzie, I mean—managed to calm whatever concerns there were.’

Blake was surprised the boy had been able to string enough words together to give him such a thorough explanation.

‘And that was it?’

‘Yes, sir. The generator was back on in under thirty minutes, so it wasn’t too long. Although I did hear there were people trapped in the elevator.’

Blake thought it best not to tell the boy he had been one of those who had been trapped. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to handle another shock.

‘When was the last time the generator was checked?’

‘I...I don’t know, sir.’

Blake nodded and left it at that, making a mental note to check that out when he officially started on Monday. The list of what he would have to do at the hotel seemed to grow the more time he spent there, and he wasn’t having it. Not any more. Somehow the Elegance in Cape Town had flown under his radar for the past few years, while he had focused on his other hotels in South Africa.

And while he focused on rebuilding his self-respect after letting himself be fooled into a relationship that should never have been.

When he had eventually started reviewing the financials he’d realised that although Connor McKenzie had pulled the hotel out of the mess that Landon Meyer, the previous regional manager, had made, it wasn’t enough. The hotel hadn’t made a profit for three years, and he couldn’t let that continue.

But that wasn’t tonight’s problem, Blake thought as he scanned the crowd. He knew it would only take a few minutes before he would be recognised, and then he would have to start doing the rounds as guest of honour. He paused when he saw the woman he had been stuck in the elevator with a few moments ago. She was standing near a table full of champagne, and before Blake knew it he was walking towards her.

As he came closer he saw that his recollection of their time spent in the elevator didn’t do justice to what he saw now. He had noticed that she was attractive when she’d walked in, but he had taken care not to stare. And with the darkness that had descended only a few moments later, he hadn’t been able to look at her as he was now.

The red dress she wore clung only to her chest and then flowed regally down from her waist to the floor. Her black hair stood out strikingly against the dress, her golden skin amplifying the effect, and for reasons he couldn’t quite place his finger on it disconcerted him. Her round face held an innocence he hadn’t been privy to in a long time, and her green eyes persuaded him to consider pursuing her.

The thought shocked him, as there was nothing in her expression to prompt it. There was also nothing in his past that encouraged him to trust a woman again. Yet now he felt an intense desire to get to know this woman. One he had only just met an hour ago.

* * *

‘I think that after being stuck in an elevator the least we could do is have a drink together.’

Callie heard the deep voice as she reached for a glass of champagne. Her hand stilled, and then she continued, hoping that her pause wouldn’t be noticed.

‘I don’t know if I’m inclined to agree,’ she said and took a sip of her drink. ‘I never have drinks with anyone I don’t know.’

‘Really? But you have nothing against flirting with strangers?’ He gave her an amused look, his smile widening when she blushed.

‘Must have been a temporary lapse in judgement.’

‘How do you date if you don’t flirt?’

‘I don’t.’ She sipped her drink.

‘Which would explain the lack of a boyfriend.’

Callie aimed a level look at him. ‘Yes. And it would also explain why I don’t have to deal with conversations like this very often.’

‘Touché.’ He smiled and lifted his glass to her in a toast.

Her lips almost curved in response, but then she stopped herself. What was she doing? A memory flashed into her mind, of him sitting with her in the elevator, patiently talking to her to distract her from her fears. And then she remembered. She was flirting with him because there was something about him that had kept her calm when she should have had a panic attack.

Heaven help her.

‘And you’ve told me everything I need to know about why you’re single, then?’ she asked, and immediately regretted it when his expression dimmed. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.’

‘No,’ he responded, ‘it’s fine.’ But he changed the topic. ‘Since you seem to want to know so much about me, how about you offer me the same courtesy? You can start with your name.’

She smiled. ‘Callie.’

She held out her hand, proud that her voice revealed none of the strange feelings he evoked in her. He took it and shook it slowly, making the ordinary task feel like an intimate act, and she shifted as a thrill worked its way up her spine.

‘Blake? I’m so glad I’ve found you. I was about to send out a search party.’

Callie stared dumbly at her brother as he strode towards them, his tuxedo perfectly fitted to his build and perfectly suited to his handsome features.

‘Hey, Cals, I’m happy you made it without missing too much.’ Connor gave her a kiss on the cheek, and angled his face so that Blake wouldn’t see his questioning look. ‘I see you’ve met the reason we’re all here.’

It took a full minute before Callie could process his words. ‘This is Blake Owen?’

‘Yes.’ Blake intercepted Connor’s reply. ‘Although, to be fair, I was about to introduce myself. Connor just got here before I could.’

Blake shook Connor’s hand in greeting, and Callie couldn’t help but notice how much more efficient the action was now than when he had done it with her.

‘How do you two know each other?’

‘Connor is my brother,’ Callie said, before her brother could say anything. All the feelings inside her had frozen, and she resisted the urge to shiver.

‘So you’re here to support him? That’s great.’ Blake smiled at her.

Connor laughed. ‘No! Callie’s a good sister, but I’m not sure she would attend an event so far out of her comfort zone for me.’ At Blake’s questioning look, Connor elaborated. ‘Callie works at the hotel.’

Connor’s simple words shattered the opportunity for any explanation Callie might have wanted to give. Blake’s eyes iced, and this time she couldn’t resist the shiver that went through her body.

‘Well, we should probably get going,’ Connor said when the silence extended a second too long.

‘Yes,’ Blake agreed, his gaze never leaving Callie’s. ‘You should probably start introducing me to the other employees—’ he said the word with a contempt that Callie hadn’t expected ‘—before I make a mistake I can’t rectify.’

Callie watched helplessly as they walked away, wondering how she had already managed to alienate her CEO.

CHAPTER TWO

BLAKE WATCHED AS the crowd in the banquet hall began to thin. There must have been about three hundred people there, he thought. And, the way he felt, he was sure he had spoken to every single one of them. No, he corrected himself almost immediately. Not everyone. There was one person he had avoided ever since learning who she was—an employee of the hotel.

Julia, his ex, had been an employee. She had been a part of the Human Resources team in the Port Elizabeth hotel, where he spent most of his time.

He had been enamoured of her. She was beautiful, intelligent, and just a little arrogant. And she had a son who had crept into his heart the moment Blake had met him. It had been a fascinating combination—the gorgeous, sassy woman and the sweet, shy child. One that had lured him in and blinded him to the truth of what she’d wanted from him. The truth that had made him distrust his judgement and conclude that staying away from his employees would be the safest option to avoid getting hurt.

He narrowed his eyes when he saw Callie walking towards him, and cursed himself for the attraction that flashed through his body. But he refused to give in to it. He would ignore the way some strands of her hair had escaped from her hairstyle and floated down to frame her face. He wouldn’t notice that she walked as if someone had rolled out a red carpet for her. He hardened himself against the effect she had on him—and then she was in front of him and her smell nearly did him in.

The floral scent was edged with seduction—a description that came from nowhere as she stood innocently in front of him, those emerald eyes clear of any sign of wrongdoing.

‘What do you want?’ he snapped, and surprised himself. Regardless of the way his body reacted to her, he could control it. He would control it.

Her eyes widened, but then set with determination. ‘I wanted to set the record straight. I know you must be confused after finding out I work here.’

‘That isn’t the word I’d use.’

‘Well, however you would describe it, I still want to tell you what happened.’

She took a breath, and Blake wondered if she realised how shakily she’d done it.

‘I had no idea who you were when we were stuck in that elevator. If I had, I wouldn’t have—’

‘Flirted with me?’

Something in her eyes fired, and reminded him that he had flirted with her, too. But her voice was calm when she spoke.

‘Yes, I suppose. It was an honest mistake. I didn’t seek you out to try and soften you up, or anything crazy like that. So...’ She paused, and then pushed on. ‘Please don’t take this out on Connor.’

Blake frowned. She was explaining to him that she’d made a mistake—and the honesty already baffled him—but she didn’t seem to be doing it for herself. She was doing it for her brother, and that was...selfless.

Almost everything Julia had done had been self-serving. But then he hadn’t known that in the beginning. He’d thought that she was being unselfish, that she was being honest. And those qualities had attracted him. But it had all been pretence. So what if there didn’t seem to be a deceitful motive behind what Callie was saying? He knew better than anyone else that she might be faking it.

But when he looked at her, into those alluring and devastatingly honest eyes, that thought just didn’t sit right.

‘So,’ he said, sliding his hands into his pockets, ‘I can take it out on you?’

Was he still flirting with her? No, he thought. He wanted to know what she thought he should do about the situation. Yes, that was it—just a test. How would she respond now that she knew he was her boss?

She cleared her throat. ‘If need be, yes. I understand if you feel you need to take disciplinary action, although I don’t believe it’s necessary.’

‘You don’t?’

‘No, sir.’

The word sounded different coming from her, and he wasn’t sure that he liked the way she was defining their relationship.

‘I apologise for my unprofessional behaviour, but I assure you it won’t happen again.’ She looked at him, and this time her eyes pleaded for herself. ‘I didn’t know who you were. Please give me a chance to make this right.’

Blake was big enough a man to realise when he had made a mistake, and the sincerity the woman in front of him exuded told him he had done just that, in spite of his doubts. He straightened, and saw that there was almost no one left in the room for him to meet. Relief poured through him, and finally he gave himself permission to leave.

But before he did, he said, ‘Okay, Miss McKenzie. I believe you. I’ll see you at work on Monday.’

* * *

By eleven o’clock on Monday morning Blake had had enough. He had got in to the office at six and had been poring over the financials since then. Again. But no matter how he looked at it—just as he’d feared the first time he’d reviewed them—there was no denying the fact that this hotel was in serious trouble.

How had he let it get this far? he thought, and walked to the coffee machine in the office he would be sharing with Connor. The man had set up a makeshift space for Blake, which made the place snug, but not unworkable. Right now, he was tempted to have a drink of the stronger stuff Connor kept under lock and key for special occasions—or so he claimed. But even in Blake’s current state of mind he could acknowledge that drinking was not the way to approach this.

With his coffee in his hand, he walked to the window and looked out at the bustle of Cape Town on a Monday morning. The hotel overlooked parts of the business district, and he could feel the busyness of people trying to get somewhere rife in the air as he watched the relays of public transport. But he could also glimpse Table Mountain in the background, and he appreciated the simplicity of its magnitude. It somehow made him feel steadier as he thought about the state the hotel was in.

How had he let this happen?

The thought wouldn’t leave his head. He had picked up that the hotel had been struggling years ago—which was why he had fired Landon and promoted Connor—but still this shouldn’t have got past him. But he knew why it had. And he needed to be honest with himself before he blamed his employees when he was probably just as responsible for this mess.

He had been too focused on dealing with Julia to notice that the business was suffering.

His legs were restless now, as he got to the core of the problem, and he began to pace, coffee in hand, contemplating the situation. About five years ago the Elegance Hotel in Port Elizabeth had started losing staff at a high rate. When he’d noticed how low their retention numbers were, he’d arranged a meeting with HR to discuss it.

It had been at that meeting that he’d first met Julia.

She hadn’t seemed to care that he was her boss, and had pushed the boundaries of what he had considered appropriate professional behaviour. But the reasons she had given him for losing staff had been right, and he’d had to acknowledge that she was an asset to their team. And as soon as he had she’d given him the smile that had drawn him in. Bright, bold, beautiful.

To this day, whenever he thought about that smile he felt a knock to his heart. Especially since those thoughts were so closely intertwined with the way it had softened when she’d looked at her son. The boy who had reminded him eerily of himself, and made him think about how Julia was giving him something Blake never had—a mother.

Until one day it had all shattered into the pieces that still haunted him.

He knew that Julia had taken his attention away from the hotels. And now this hotel was paying the price of a mistake he’d made before he’d known better. The thought conjured up Callie’s face in his mind, but he forced it away, hoping to forget the way her eyes lit up her face when she smiled. He had just remembered the reason he didn’t want to be attracted to her. He didn’t want to be distracted either, and she had the word distraction written all over her beautiful face. And, he reminded himself again, he knew better now.

He grunted at the thought, walked back to the desk, and began to make some calls.

And ignored the face of the woman he had only met a few days ago as it drifted around in his head.

* * *

‘Yes, darling, include that in my trip. I would love to see the mountain everyone keeps harping on about. And please include some cultural museums on my tour.’ The woman sniffed, and placed a dignified hand on the very expensive pearls she wore around her neck. ‘I can’t only be doing touristy things, you know.’

‘Of course, Mrs Applecombe.’ Callie resisted the urge to tell the woman that visiting museums was very much a ‘touristy’ thing. ‘I’ll draw up a package for you and have it sent to your room by the end of the day. If you agree, we can arrange for the tour to be done the day after tomorrow.’

‘Delightful.’ Mrs Applecombe clasped her hands together. ‘I just know Henry will love what we’ve discussed. Just remember, dear, that it’s—’

‘Supposed to be a surprise. I know.’ Callie smiled, and stood. ‘I’ll make sure that it’s everything you could hope for and more.’

After a few more lengthy reminders about the surprise anniversary gift for her husband Mrs Applecombe finally left, and Callie sighed in relief. She loved the woman’s spirit, but after forty minutes of going back and forth about a tour Callie knew she could have designed in her sleep, she needed a break.

Luckily it was one o’clock, which meant she could take lunch. But instead of sneaking into the kitchen, as she did most days, she locked the door to her office and flopped down on the two-seater couch she’d crammed into the small space so that if her guests wanted to they could be slightly more comfortable.

It had been a long morning. She’d done a quick tour first thing when she’d got in, followed by meetings with three guests wanting to plan trips. Usually she would be ecstatic about it. She loved her job. And she had Connor to thank for that.

She sighed, and sank even lower on the couch. Officially she was the ‘Specialised Concierge’—a title she had initially thought pretentious, but one that seemed to thrill many of the more elite guests she worked with at the hotel. Unofficially she was a glorified tour guide, whose brother had persuaded her to work at the hotel to drag her from the very dark place she had been in after their parents’ deaths.

She didn’t have to think back that far to acknowledge that the job had saved her from that dark place. Once she had seen her parents’ coffins descend into the ground—once she had watched people say their farewells and return to their lives as usual—she had found herself slipping. And even though her brother had been close to broken himself, he had stepped up and had helped her turn her life into something she knew had been out of her grasp after the car crash that had destroyed the life she had known and the people she loved.

The thought made her miss him terribly, and she grabbed her handbag and headed to Connor’s office. Maybe he felt like having lunch together, and he could calm the ache that had suddenly started in her heart.

As she walked the short distance to his office she greeted some of the guests she recognised and nodded politely at those she didn’t. She smiled in sympathy when she saw her friend Kate, dealing with a clearly testy guest at the front desk, and laughed when Kate mimicked placing a gun to her head as the guest leaned down to sign something.

Connor’s door was slightly ajar when she got there, and she paused before knocking when she heard voices.

‘If we keep doing what we’re doing, in a couple of years—three, max—the hotel will be turning a profit again, Blake.’ Connor’s voice sounded panicked. ‘I’m just not sure this plan is the best option. Surely there’s something else we can do? Especially after we’ve stepped up in the last few years.’

‘Connor, no one is denying the work you’ve done at the hotel. You’ve increased turnover by fifty per cent since you took over—which is saying something when you consider the state Landon left it in. But three years is too long to have a business running in the red.’ There was a pause, and then Blake continued. ‘Would you rather we move on to the other option? I’ve told you that it would come with a lot more complications...’

‘Of course I would prefer any other option. But you know what’s best for the hotel.’

Callie felt a trickle of unease run through her when she heard her brother’s voice. It wasn’t panicked this time, but resigned, as though he had given up hope on something.

‘All right, then.’ There was a beat of silence. ‘I suppose we should start preparing to lay off staff.’

The words were fatalistic, and yet it took Callie a while to process what she had heard. Once she did, her legs moved without her consent and she burst through the office door.

‘No!’ she said, and her voice sounded as though it came from faraway. ‘I can’t let you do that.’

CHAPTER THREE

‘EXCUSE ME?’ BLAKE LIFTED his eyebrows, and suddenly Callie wished her tongue had given her the chance to think before she spoke.

‘I’m so sorry, Mr Owen... Connor...’ She saw the look in her brother’s eyes and hoped her own apologised for interrupting. ‘I just heard—’

‘A private business conversation between members of management. Do you make a habit of eavesdropping?’

His eyes were steel, and she could hear the implication that he thought she had more poor habits than just eavesdropping.

‘No, of course not. I was on my way to ask Connor if he’d like to do lunch, and then I heard you because the door was open.’ She gestured behind her, although the action was useless now, since it stood wide open after her desperate entrance. ‘I didn’t mean to listen, but I did, and I’m telling you that you can’t lay off staff. Please.’

Blake’s handsome face softened slightly, and she cursed herself for noticing how his dark blue suit made him look like a model from the pages of a fashion magazine. It was probably the worst time to think of that, she thought, and instead focused on making some kind of case to make him reconsider.

‘There are people here who need their jobs. Who love their jobs.’ She could hear the plea in her voice. ‘Employees here who have families who depend on them.’

‘I’m aware of that, Miss McKenzie.’ Blake frowned. ‘I’ve thought every option through. This one is the best for the hotel. If we downsize now we can focus on operations and then expand again once we turn enough profit. It would actually be fairly simple.’

‘For you, maybe. And for the hotel, sure. But I can assure you it would be anything but simple for the people you lay off—’ She broke off, her heart pounding at the prospect. ‘This is a business decision without any consideration for your employees.’

His eyes narrowed. ‘I have considered my employees, and I resent your implication otherwise. You have no idea what any other option would require from us. This is the most efficient way to help Elegance, Cape Town, get back on its feet.’

‘Are you listening to yourself?’ she asked desperately. ‘You’ve been tossing around words like “downsizing” and “efficiency” as though those are good things. They aren’t!’

‘Callie—’

Connor stepped forward and she immediately felt ashamed of her behaviour when she saw the warning in his eyes. She knew she was embarrassing him in front of their boss. She even knew that she was embarrassing herself in front of her boss. So, even though more words tumbled through her mind, and even though the shame she felt was more for Connor than for herself, she stopped talking.

‘It’s okay, Connor.’ Blake eased his way into one of the chairs in front of Connor’s desk. ‘I understand your sister’s anger. However unprofessional.’

Callie’s heart hammered in her chest and she wished that she hadn’t said anything. But then she thought of Kate, and Connor, and of the fact that her job meant the world to her, and she straightened her shoulders. She wouldn’t feel bad for standing up for their jobs. Not when it meant that she’d at least tried to save them.

‘There is another option, Callie.’

Blake spoke quietly, and she wondered if he knew the power his voice held even so.

‘I’ve looked into other investors.’

‘Why did you dismiss the idea?’

Something shifted in his eyes, as though he hadn’t expected her to ask him about his reasons.

‘The Elegance hotels are the product of my father’s hard work, and mine, and I don’t want an outside investor to undermine that. Not at this stage of the game.’

He looked at her, and what she saw in his eyes gave her hope.

‘Of course I have considered it. Especially an international investor, since that might give Elegance the boost it needs to go international. But it would be a very complicated process, and it would require a lot of negotiation.’ He turned now, and looked at Connor. ‘Like I told you before, I would have to think through the terms of this thoroughly before I make any decision.’

‘But you’ll reconsider it?’ There was no disguising the hope Callie felt.

Blake looked at her, and those blue-green eyes were stormier than she had thought possible.

‘I don’t want another investor. This hotel group has been in my family for decades, Miss McKenzie. It’s a legacy I want to pass on to my children.’ He paused. ‘But if we can secure an international investor, that legacy might be even more than I thought possible. We’ll talk about it.’

He gestured to Connor, and then moved to sit behind the desk Connor had had put in his office for Blake.

Callie waited, but the look on her brother’s face told her she had been dismissed. She nearly skipped out of the room, because despite his non-committal response Blake Owen was considering an option other than laying off staff. If Blake chose an investor it would mean that everything her brother had worked so hard for wouldn’t have been for nothing.

He had toiled night and day to try and get the hotel running smoothly again, and the news of Blake’s arrival had been a difficult pill to swallow—it had been a clear sign that everything Connor had done hadn’t been enough. Callie knew he loved the hotel, and the last thing that he wanted was for his employees to lose their jobs. And, she thought, the last thing she wanted was for him to lose his job—and for her to lose hers.

So before she left she wanted to say one more thing to Blake.

‘Mr Owen... Blake?’

He looked up, and she smiled.

‘Thank you for reconsidering.’

* * *

Blake couldn’t sleep. He had been working with Connor until just past midnight, trying to draft an investment contract that he was happy with. A contract that would require all his negotiation skills to convince an investor to accept—although he knew it was possible. He had put out feelers even before he had spoken to Connor, when he had initially thought of finding an investor, and the response had been positive. But he still wasn’t convinced that this was something he wanted or if it was something he was being persuaded into by a pretty face.

He threw off his bedcovers and walked downstairs to the kitchen of his Cape Town house. He had bought the place without much thought other than that he would need somewhere to stay when he visited his father, who had retired here. Now he was incredibly grateful he had, since he didn’t know how long he would be in town.

The house was a few kilometres from the hotel, and had an amazing view. He could even see the lights of the city illuminating Table Mountain at night through the glass doors that led out onto a deck on the second floor. But he wasn’t thinking about that as he poured himself a glass of water and drank as though he had come out of a desert.

Since the house was temperature-controlled, he knew he wasn’t feeling the heat of the January weather. No, he thought. It was because he was considering something that would complicate his life when all he’d wanted was a simple solution.

Blake had been raised in the family business. His father had opened the first Elegance Hotel four decades ago, and had invested heavily in guest relations. He had made sure that every employee knew that the Elegance Hotel’s guests came first, and seen that vision manifested into action. Eventually, after two decades, his investment had paid off and he had been able to expand into other hotels.

Blake had been groomed to take over since he was old enough to understand that his father was not only building a business, but a legacy. And he hadn’t been given control of the hotel until his father had been sure that he could do it.

That was why he wanted to lay off staff instead of considering an outside investor. He would be able to solve the problem that had arisen while he’d been trying to fix his relationship with Julia easily, and make the reminder of his failure disappear. It would mean that his feelings of losing control and being helpless would be gone.

A memory of himself standing at the front door, watching his mother leave, flashed through his mind, but he shook it away, not knowing where it had come from, and forced his thoughts back to the matter at hand. Laying off staff might have been the simple option, but it was also a selfish one. Especially when he thought of the hope he had seen written on Callie and Connor’s faces.

He sighed as he made his decision. He would do this—but not for Callie. The slight heat that flushed through him every time he thought about her, the intensity of it every time he saw her, was a sure sign that he should stay away from her. He wouldn’t make this big a decision based on his attraction to her or her need for him to do so. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

* * *

‘Mr Owen, do you have a moment?’

Callie stood awkwardly at the door, wishing with all her might that she didn’t feel quite so small in his presence. But she straightened when he looked up and gestured for her to come in.

She knew Connor had to attend one of the conferences at the hotel today, and she was using the opportunity to speak to her boss without her brother’s disapproving look. And without the disapproving lecture she would no doubt receive—like the one she’d received just after midnight—which, she had been told, was when Connor and Blake had finally finished their meeting.

She knew she’d been out of line when she had spoken up, and she hadn’t needed Connor to tell her that. So once again she was preparing to apologise to Blake.

She walked in and swallowed when he looked up, the striking features of his face knitted into a stern expression.

‘What can I do for you, Miss McKenzie?’

‘It’s Callie, please.’

He nodded. ‘Okay, then. What can I do for you, Callie?’

Her stomach jilted just a little at the way he said her name. She cleared her throat. ‘I wanted to say sorry.’

He almost smiled. ‘It’s becoming a habit, then.’

She let out a laugh. ‘Seems like it. I’ve made quite the mess since meeting you.’ She stepped forward, resisted pulling at her clothes. ‘But I am sorry. The first time I apologised it was because I’d made a mistake. This time it’s because I shouldn’t have barged in here and spoken out of turn.’

‘I’m not upset with you because you spoke out of turn.’

Blake stood, walked around the desk and leaned against it. He was wearing a blue shirt, and the top button was loosened. She swallowed, and wondered if the temperature in the room had increased.

‘I’m not your school principal.’

‘Aren’t you, though? In some ways?’

This time he did smile, and it did something strange to her heart.

‘I won’t take the bait on that one.’

He paused, and then crossed his arms. She could see the muscle ripple under his shirt, and the heat went up another notch.

‘You say you’re sorry for barging in here. But not that you eavesdropped?’

‘No, I’m not sorry about that. If I hadn’t you wouldn’t have considered investors. Which you have been doing, right?’ she asked, and knew that subtlety was not her forte.

‘I have. I made a few calls this morning, and I have a few people interested.’

He walked towards her, and though the distance between them wasn’t small her heart thudded.

‘So the answer to your real question is yes, I am going to do this.’

‘You are?’ Relief washed over her. ‘Oh, wow!’ She pressed a hand to her stomach. ‘That’s amazing.’

‘But I need your help.’

Relief turned into confusion. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Like I said yesterday, we need a very specific kind of investor. An international one who will be willing to invest in the hotel, but also in this city. Especially if I want him to agree to my strict terms regarding the expansion of Elegance Hotels.’

His hands were in his pockets now, and he moved until he was just close enough that she could smell his cologne. It reminded her of when they were in the elevator together—a time when she hadn’t had to think of him as her boss.

She shook off the feelings the memory evoked, but when she spoke, her voice was a little husky. ‘And how can I help with that?’

‘You can help me sell the city. You are the “Specialised Concierge”, right?’

He smiled slyly, and she realised he knew about her made-up title.

‘Or, in more common terms, a tour guide,’ she said.

‘Exactly. So I’ll need you to help me sell Cape Town to potential investors. Your knowledge of the city will be an asset to any proposal I make. I’ll take care of the business side of it, of course, and once that’s done we can take them on the tour you will custom-design to fit my proposal.’

‘How do you know I can do it?’ She felt her heart beat in a rhythm that couldn’t possibly be healthy.

‘Because your job depends on it.’

He smiled now, and she couldn’t read the emotion that lined it.

‘Callie, are you prepared to work with the boss?’

She stared helplessly at him, and despite everything inside her that nudged her to say otherwise she answered, ‘Yes, I am.’

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