nodded toward the kitchen. “Follow me, Mr. Michaels.”
“Dane, remember?”
As she led the way through the dining room, she felt very aware of the intriguing stranger following closely at her back. She worked with men every single day. Her father was one of the most powerful men in business and had a slew of minions in suits that worked for and with him. None had her in a fluster like this one.
There was certainly something to be said about a mysterious, attractive man riding to the rescue at the eleventh hour. It was like fate had planted him right in her path.
And the fact he was here alone had her even more intrigued. Stella couldn’t imagine there wasn’t a line of women with lingerie packed and ready for a getaway to a fantasy resort with this guy.
“There should be several starters made up in advance,” Stella began as she pushed on the swinging kitchen door. “Let’s hope that’s the case tonight.”
“Either way, it will all work out,” he told her.
When that velvety voice washed over her, she wanted to believe him, but considering they were coming from two different positions, she wasn’t sure she should be so quick to let her guard down.
“The menu is set up two weeks in advance so we can have enough supplies ordered in—that means we have a direction on where to go.” Stella pointed toward the wooden board hanging outside the walk-in refrigerator. “I know we’ll have everything for tonight’s menu, it’s just putting it all together like it should be that’s the challenge. And well, I’m not known for my kitchen skills.”
Dane stepped around her and placed a hand on her forearm. That warm, rough palm slid over her skin and had her wondering just how those hands would feel over other, more neglected parts of her body.
Now was not the time for her dormant hormones to come rushing back to the surface.
“I promised it would all work out, right?” he asked. Those dark eyes held her in place. “Trust me.”
“That’s a bit difficult since I don’t know you,” she stated as she stared into those midnight eyes framed with heavy black lashes. “But for now, I’m going to have to trust my instincts and roll with this plan.”
His thumb stroked over her arm. “I’ll make sure this all works out. For both of us.”
Suddenly, Stella wondered if he wasn’t just referring to dinner.
Dane had originally thought his plan was going to be easy, but getting in the door had taken charm and a little flirting. He was usually so good at getting information he needed.
Both actions painfully outside of his comfort zone these days, but he’d taken a page from his younger, more social brother, Ethan.
For now, Dane would act like he was the most confident, suave man Stella had ever seen. There would be no cause for her to be suspicious. Soon, she’d trust him with all sorts of secrets, and after that, the resort would be his in no time. Finally, after all of these years.
And all he had to do was get close to a striking, sexy woman. Cooking was going to be the easy part, and hopefully this instant foot in the door would give him that extra boost he needed when it came to capturing her trust and attention.
She’d certainly captured his attention with no trouble at all.
That first glimpse of Stella when she’d turned around had nearly rendered him speechless. Thankfully, he’d remembered why he was here and that any distraction, no matter how sexy, could cost him everything.
Just because he was here to get close to her, didn’t mean he could lose sight of the prize.
But then the rest of the kitchen staff started milling in and Stella went to work and took charge. While Dane figured out what the hell he needed to do to create a dinner for one hundred–plus people coming in and out over the next few hours, he also managed to watch Stella in action, knowing that would give him insight as to how to handle his next steps with her.
Damn if she wasn’t even sexier when she focused on her own goal. He knew she wanted this resort for herself, he also knew her father wouldn’t let that happen. The old bastard was stringing her along and had no intention of giving his daughter anything.
While Dane had never met the man in person, watching him from a distance and hiring an investigator to dig up details had shown that Ruiz Garcia was the biggest male chauvinist jerk Dane had ever heard of.
But that was just one more weapon in his arsenal—a point of connection between them he could use to create sympathy and trust. They both had bastard father/stepfathers and they’d both lost their mothers.
Once all was said and done, and he’d secured Mirage, Stella would see that he’d actually done her a favor by getting her out from under the thumb of her controlling father.
Until then, well, Dane would have to do a little more socializing than he’d planned. The pleasure of spending time with a sultry, alluring woman would make up for the comfort zone he’d stepped so far from. She was responding to him nicely so far—he just had to make sure that he kept up the act...and that he didn’t let her expose the ugly, scarred parts of him, whether they were visible or not.
There was one obstacle after another, but that end result...
Several hours and countless dishes of pork roast with mashed potatoes later, Dane worked on the cleanup. The rest of the staff had been dismissed and Stella was out in the dining room straightening everything.
Dane certainly wasn’t a star chef, but being raised by a single mother had given him an edge in household tasks. Lara Anderson had been adamant that her boys do every bit of work deemed for “women” and she swore she’d make them good husband material. His mother wasn’t here to see that neither of her sons had any intention of being a husband, but Dane was still thankful he’d paid attention when she’d shared her special recipes and guided him through basic preparation steps.
Most of the dishes were washed and put away. From the checklist, it looked like all Dane needed to do was prepare a few things for the breakfast crowd. The fruit needed to be cut and placed into separate bowls. The bread was all ready to go, it just had to be put out at room temperature.
The more Dane did, the more he missed his ranch. Being alone and feeding just one was more his speed. His cattle could fend mostly for themselves and the horses were like his best friends. Aside from his ranch hands, those animals were about the extent of anyone or anything he wanted to care for.
Soon, though. Soon he’d be out of here, with the property in his name and then he could figure out how much time to spend at the ranch and how much to spend here. The penthouse he’d gotten for this stay would be a perfect suite for him to keep, but he knew the owner’s suite was even more spectacular. His mother had spared no expense when she had brought her dream to life.
“Well, you saved my ass.”
He’d admired said ass quite a bit since first stepping through the dining room. The sway of her little dress as the hem hit the back of her knees. Those tiny buttons that ran down the middle
