Thank you.” The woman’s voice trembled. “Thank you so much. You won’t be sorry, I promise you.”
“Go downstairs to the lower lobby employee entrance and ask for Francine. She’ll fit you for a uniform.”
He rarely interfered with the head of a department, but there were times it was necessary. Anything that took place here at the Four Winds was ultimately his responsibility, and that included hiring and firing. He straightened, set his jaw and prepared himself to face both women. Janet might not like it, but if he had to supersede a decision, then she’d just have to—
The door opened, and his mind simply went blank.
Her face was everything he’d imagined and quite a bit more. A sensuous, delicate sculpture of high cheekbones, straight nose and wide, full mouth. Smooth, sun-bronzed skin against deep, smoky-blue eyes. Eyes that considerably widened when they met his.
The faint tinge of black and blue next to one of those bewitching eyes was like a sucker punch in his gut.
“Sam, I didn’t know you were here.” Smiling, Janet moved to the door. “This is Kiera Daniels. Kiera, Sam Prescott, general manager of the Four Winds.”
“Mr. Prescott.” Kiera’s smile never made her eyes. “How do you do.”
He took the hand she offered; it was as soft as it was warm. “We’re not formal here, Kiera. Just Sam.”
“I hired Kiera for the lunch shift at Adagio’s,” Janet said. “She’s on her way downstairs to see Francine.”
“Welcome to the Four Winds.” He realized he was still holding the woman’s hand and reluctantly let go. “I’m headed in that direction. Why don’t I show you the way?”
“I wouldn’t want to trouble you.” Kiera hitched her purse a little higher on her shoulder. “I can find my way.”
“I’m sure you can.” He kept his gaze steady with hers. “But it’s no trouble at all.”
He saw the resistance in her eyes, knew she wanted to refuse his offer but, under the circumstances, couldn’t. He’d cornered her, and she countered with a lift of her chin and a nod.
Janet looked at Sam. “Was there something you needed?”
Something he needed? Oh, right. He had been lurking outside her office, hadn’t he? “I want to take some stats into my lunch meeting with the Cattlemen’s Association. I’d like to reassure them we have the staff to handle a convention their size.”
“No problem.” Janet’s gaze shifted to Kiera and softened. “If you have any questions, or if you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to call me.”
Sam set his back teeth. Obviously, Janet had let her heart rule her decision, not her head.
Rule Number Three: Do not get emotionally attached.
Which he wouldn’t. But what he would do, at least for the moment, was trust Janet’s decision.
And keep an eye on Miss Kiera Daniels himself.
“I know how busy you must be,” Kiera said politely when he walked with her in the hallway. “I hate to trouble you.”
“No trouble.” He pressed the elevator button, slipped his hands casually into his pants’ pockets. “My ten o’clock meeting was cancelled.”
Her lips pressed into a tight smile before she turned away to adjust the strap of her purse. With her attention elsewhere, he allowed himself the pleasure of drawing her scent into his lungs, held it there for a long moment.
And for reasons that had nothing to do with hotel policy, wished like hell Janet hadn’t hired her.
“In fact—” he followed her onto the elevator when the doors slid open, made a decision he was certain he’d regret “—since I’m free for the next hour, why don’t I give you a tour?”
Two
Kiera was certain she hadn’t heard him right. She cleared her throat and calmly met his eyes. Dark, intense eyes, that seemed to bore straight through her. “A tour?”
“Every person on the staff needs to know their way around the hotel.” He pushed the elevator button. “But if you haven’t the time …”
“Not at all.” Why would he do this? She’d worked in hotels before, knew perfectly well that the general manager didn’t take new employees on a tour. She also knew perfectly well she couldn’t refuse. “Now is fine.”
“Good.”
The smile he gave her made her pulse jump. Something told her that very few people—especially women—ever said no to Sam Prescott. He had a … presence, she thought. Not just his height, or the broad stretch of shoulders. Not even those lethal eyes, strong jaw and thick, espresso-brown hair.
No, it was much more than the way he looked. The first time she’d stepped into the elevator with him, she’d felt it.
Power.
The air inside the elevator had sizzled with it. She’d intentionally kept her gaze turned from him, even when she’d felt the gripping pull to look. Perhaps for self-preservation, perhaps to prove to herself that she could resist. She hadn’t even been able to breathe until she’d stepped out of the elevator.
And here she was again. Same elevator. Same man. Same sizzle.
Trey had told her on more than one occasion that she was naive. When they’d argued before she’d left the ranch, he’d told her again. So maybe she was. But she wasn’t so naive to think that Sam Prescott standing outside Mrs. Lamott’s office door was an accident. And she wasn’t so naive to think that this tour he wanted to take her on was hotel policy.
She certainly hadn’t done anything to attract this man’s unwanted attention. As far as he knew, she was simply a new employee—a waitress. There was nothing about her that should warrant interest from a general manager.
Unless he suspected she wasn’t being completely honest …
Oh, good grief, Kiera, she silently chided herself. You’re being paranoid. Of course he doesn’t suspect anything. How could he?
This has to be the slowest elevator I’ve ever been on.
“You’re not from around here,” he said flatly.
She hesitated, decided that the best way to avoid questions was to offer information. It might be useless information, but she hoped it would alleviate any apprehensions he might have about her. “I was born and raised in East Texas. Have you heard of a town called Rainville?”
“Can’t say that I have.”
“It’s not exactly a tourist spot.” It wasn’t exactly where she was from, either, though it was close. “Unless you’re interested in honey.”
“Honey?”
