more than a chance. Is it that obvious?” His voice was low and rough.
Kendall felt no sense of victory from having made this deduction. “Things all seemed to point to him. Is he really that vindictive? You’d think he would be happy you have this project. It means so much to you. He doesn’t even like the hotel, so why not just let you have it? Why would he want to hurt you like that?” She was surprised at the way her voice cracked, the way her emotions had bubbled to the surface. She was normally much more even-keeled, but her heart went out to Sawyer. She and her mom had butted heads over the years, but it was only ever out of love. They had both wanted the best for the other person. That did not appear to be the case for Sawyer.
He nodded and sat back, draping his arms across the back of the booth. “As far as he’s concerned, I’m guilty of far more than inheriting the hotel. I’m guilty of defying him. He does not like it when he doesn’t get what he wants.” Everything in his tone was dead serious. The problems between Sawyer and his dad were much more than family squabbles.
“I see.”
“Which is precisely why he’s not going to stop me.”
And that made Kendall want to give Sawyer every last thing she could.
* * *
Sawyer hated having to admit to Kendall that his father was his biggest problem. She might not be his to impress, but he didn’t want her to see him as vulnerable. He didn’t play that game. Not being able to stop or control his dad made him feel powerless, and he despised that more than anything. He knew, deep down, that it wasn’t true weakness—he merely wasn’t willing to stoop to his dad’s level. Sawyer fought with fists up, out in the open. His dad not only wasn’t afraid to deliver a sucker punch, it was his specialty.
“I’m so sorry, Sawyer. That’s terrible.” She reached across the table, her eyes brimming with sympathy.
At first, he took it as a sweet gesture, until he saw the ring on her finger and the air was sucked out of the room. “Pretty sad, isn’t it? All of this money on the line and I’m fighting my own dad? And it’s not just the newspaper story. There have been countless problems with the construction. Problems that all point to him.”
“Can’t you call a truce? Reason with him?”
Sawyer laughed quietly. She had this edge of hopefulness that was so appealing. Damn the guy who had to go and put that rock on her finger. If it wasn’t there, he could at least take her out for a drink and apologize for not calling her. He could feel like less of an ass. “It’s impossible to reason with someone when they won’t own up to doing anything wrong.”
She gnawed on her lip, seeming deep in thought. “Do you want to do something about that? Go on the offensive?”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“The PR campaign. We can put a new twist on it. Show your dad not only that you won’t be stopped, but maybe thumb your nose at him a little. I mean, if you’re up for that.”
“I don’t want to get sneaky. It’s not my style.”
“Oh, this won’t be sneaky. At all. There will be no doubt what we’re up to.”
Sawyer had been really turned on yesterday by Kendall’s talk of the slow burn, but this was taking things to a whole new level. A woman with a plan to get back at his dad? If she wasn’t engaged, the temptation to cross every professional boundary between them would be too much. “Please. Go on.”
“Let’s flaunt the history of this hotel that you love, everything your great-grandfather wasn’t ashamed of, but your dad hates.”
Sawyer was dying to know where she was going with this. “How, exactly?”
“We’ll still show the care and time you’ve put into restoration. We’ll show off the Grand Legacy’s beauty and luxury, just as we planned, but we talk about it in the context of the scandalous things that went on. We sell the Grand Legacy as the most notorious hotel in the city.”
The words rang in his head. The most notorious hotel in the city.
“You know how people are.” Kendall furiously scribbled notes as her voice became even more animated. “They love things that are naughty. Wrap that up in a sexy, beautiful package? It’s irresistible.”
Sawyer had to stem the tide of blood flowing in his body right now...the sexy, beautiful woman in front of him was too much to take. Every inch of him grew taut. If he could have done anything at that moment, it would’ve been to kiss her, and take her—right there in that booth. He couldn’t have been more attracted to her if he tried. “I love it. It’s fantastic. Absolutely incredible.” You’re incredible. And I’m an idiot.
She wrote down a few more things, then flipped her notebook closed and tucked it inside her purse. “Great. Well, I think this has been very productive. I should head into the office. I want to finish fleshing out my publicity plan, start setting up interviews. We’ll start right away. Jillian is going to want an update and I know you’re busy.”
“I can show you more the next time you’re here. The restaurant is close to completion and we’re opening a second bar.”
“Sure. Next time.”
He was going to have to fight his anticipation of next time. “Let me call a car for you.”
“You don’t have to do that. I’ll hop in a cab.”
He was still struggling with the distance she was so determined to keep between them. Sure, this was just business, but they did have a rapport. There was a spark between them—and frankly, it wasn’t that unlike their dynamic at the wedding. Did she have a spark like that with her fiancé? If so, it was no wonder the guy had been smart enough to pop the question. Sawyer was once again asking himself how smart it was to be the guy who won’t keep a woman around. “At least let me walk you outside and hail you a cab.”
She nodded, her eyes softening. “Okay. But do I have to wear this thing?” She grabbed the yellow construction helmet from the table.
He took it, their fingers brushing. Touching her was the final blow—he was going to need some alone time after this. “Just stay close to me.”
Once outside, they stopped at the curb, both of them eyeing the street for a cab.
“I really do love your plan.” He didn’t want their talk to end. He was already disappointed she was leaving.
“Call my cell if you need to reach me.” She cleared her throat and looked off in the distance down the street, avoiding eye contact. “You still have my number? From the wedding?”
He’d wondered when this would come up. “I do.” A moment of choking silence played out.
“So you chose not to call me,” she said matter-of-factly.
He didn’t enjoy being the way he was with women, unable to take things beyond the very beginning; he’d merely learned to accept this as one of his shortcomings. “If it makes you feel any better, I don’t call any women.”
“Ever?”
“No. Sorry.”
