the thing with Kinsley blows over?”
“I’m going to check out my new resort and make sure it meets Crawford standards. And who knows, I might run into a few hot snow bunnies.”
“Somehow I knew women would come into play at some point. Are you ever going to settle down?”
Solomon ran his hand across his damp chest. “How about no? I’m having too much fun. And there is enough of me to go around.”
“What happens when you meet a woman who knocks you off your feet?”
“Will never happen. I’ve come to this conclusion about New York women: they want my money and I want their bodies. Like the Rolling Stones said, ‘You can’t always get what you want,’ unless your name is Solomon Crawford.”
The men broke out laughing. “That’s bullshit,” Danny said. “Tell me something…You and Miss De La Croix, that’s strictly business?”
“Yes.”
Danny shook his head. “That woman is fine. And her body is sick. An ass you can sit a beer can on, and the way she fills out a top. I just want to lick her.”
“What’s stopping you?” Solomon asked as he began lifting free weights. “She’s a great girl. I’m making her rich, so you don’t have to worry about her pulling out a shovel and digging for gold.”
“All women aren’t bad,” Danny said. “You didn’t get like this until…”
“Don’t say it,” Solomon cautioned. The last thing Solomon wanted to think about was his broken marriage to Alyessa Cartwright. He’d loved her more than he wanted to admit. They’d met at a concert in Central Park during the summer of 2000, back when he was more carefree and studying filmmaking at NYU. Alyessa had the SoHo look down, from her wide afro to her platform-sandal clad feet. Her cocoa skin and shimmering brown eyes took his breath away. That night, they’d sat down and talked through the concert. By the end of the night, Solomon was falling in love. Over the next three years, he and Alyessa had fallen deeply in love and Solomon was about to premier his feature film at the New York Film Festival.
Beauty’s Embrace had been the fictionalized account of his love affair with Alyessa. The crowd loved it, especially the ending, which Solomon had described as yet to be written. As the credits rolled, he’d dropped to one knee in the crowded theatre and asked her to marry him. When she’d said yes, Solomon had been ready to give Alyessa her happily ever after and lots of babies. His family had been slow to warm to Alyessa, however, feeling that she was too common to be a Crawford. But Alyessa had been anything but common. She was of British decent and had come to New York to escape her domineering family. Had it not been for the headlines of her engagement crossing the pond, Alyessa and Solomon would’ve been able to have the dream wedding that they’d planned.
But on the couple’s wedding day, a man showed up at the church claiming to be Alyessa’s husband.
“Husband?” Solomon had demanded. “How in the hell can you be married when we just took our vows?”
“Solomon, I’m sorry, I didn’t think it would matter,” she’d said as she attempted to close the space between them. “I don’t love him.”
He’d pushed her away from him. “Get the hell away from me, you lying bitch. So, was I just the means to an end for you? You wanted to get away from your terrible family life and I was your sucker? Hey, man,” Solomon said, “take your wife and get the fuck out of here.”
Right then, Solomon had sworn that he’d never trust another woman again. One of the first cases he’d given Danny had been to track down Alyessa. When Danny reported that Alyessa was living a life of luxury and was happily married to a duke, Solomon resolved that women weren’t to be trusted and he’d never allow another one to get close to him. He’d switched his career focus from filmmaking to the family business, which shocked his family and the Los Angeles studio executives who’d been interested in putting his movie on the big screen.
At first, Solomon had allowed Richmond to take the lead at work. He’d watched his brother and learned everything he needed to learn about the industry. Looking back on it, Solomon was pretty sure Richmond hated the fact that he was such an excellent teacher now that he was taking orders from his little brother.
“You all right over there?” Danny asked as he stepped off the treadmill.
Solomon dropped his weights. “Yeah, I’m just thinking about what I need for this trip. I’m probably going to make a regular reservation and see how smoothly things run. My workers don’t need to know I’m looking over their shoulder.”
“That’s a good idea. Maybe while you’re gone, I can get Carmen to go out on a date with me,” Danny said as he wiped his face with the bottom of his T-shirt.
“Good luck on that,” Solomon said. “I don’t think I’ve seen her go out on a date since she’s been in New York. She needs a life.”
Danny flexed his muscles. “And I’m just the man to give her one.”
CHAPTER 4
When Kandace pulled up to the mountain resort, she thought she’d found the route to heaven. Snow quietly fell on the lush green grass, and in the background of the eight-story resort was Sugar Mountain in all of its snow-covered glory. Kandace couldn’t tell if it was real snow or manufactured, and it didn’t matter one bit. She turned her gaze to the classic building in front of her. It resembled a castle, with frosted windows, two towers, and what looked to be a giant snow globe over the entrance. Inside the globe was the Crawford crest, which adorned all of the hotels in the chain. This one was covered in snow. “Wow,” Kandace said as she put her car in park. “I can’t wait to see the inside.” As she stepped out of the car, she was met by two porters dressed in gold and cream uniforms.
“Hello, ma’am,” the taller man said. “We’ll take your bags and Tony can check you in curbside if you’d like.”
Impressed by their customer service, Kandace smiled brightly and popped her trunk. “Thank you, Cal,” she said, reading his name tag. “I don’t have my reservation number handy, so I’ll go inside.”
“All right, ma’am. Enjoy your stay at Serenity,” Cal said as he and Tony lifted her bags from the rear of her rented SUV. Kandace smoothed her ponytail and headed inside. Entering the lobby was another breathtaking experience. The lobby was decorated in lush earth tones. The plush carpet was a cocoa brown color, and in the corner, the fire inside the fireplace roared. Kandace wanted to snuggle up in the lavish love seat across from the fireplace and read a good book.
“Good afternoon, ma’am,” the desk clerk said. “Are you checking in?”
“Yes. Kandace Davis.”
The clerk pushed her blond hair behind her ears and began typing Kandace’s name into the computer. “Yes, Ms. Davis, I have your reservation right here. You’re going to be in our Wonderland Suite. It is a beautiful room with a private balcony and a fireplace.”
“Great, Brandi,” Kandace said, after reading the clerk’s tag. “I have to say, this place is beautiful.”
“Isn’t it? You’re going to love your room,” Brandi said as she passed Kandace her key card. “It’s on the fifth floor and three doors down
