Deep Blue Impact (Deep Blue Series) (4 page)

             
I make to get off the bar stool and I trip.  My hands land on Ian's hard ass chest. 
I knew he was ripped under that suit
.  My face is inches from his. I can smell the alcohol on his breath mixed with his scent and I gasp. 
Oh yeah, I'm screwed
.

             
He grabs my elbows and I think he shocks me, white hot lighting shoots up my arms. I steady myself on my feet as he rubs his hands up my forearms to where my hands still rest on his amazing rigid chest. He holds my hands there with his, not letting me move away from him.   Staring into my eyes, his lips are seconds from touching mine when I hear my name.

             
"Aubrey, are you ready?" Thank you, Ethan, thank you, thank you.  If those soft amazing lips had touched me I am pretty sure I'd be gone.  Even though Mags keeps telling me that I need a good shagging to loosen myself up, a one night stand in Vegas by the god that is Ian Brady is not the way to go.  Pretty sure that would wind me up even tighter. 

             
"Ethan." I turn my head to him and wiggle from Ian's grasp.  He hesitantly lets me go before he turns is eyes on our intruder.  They are not happy eyes as he takes in Ethan.

             
"This is Ian Brady. I slipped and he was kind enough not to let me face plant."  I adjust my dress while turning, grab my clutch off the bar top, and then take a couple of steps away from the now very brooding Ian.

             
"Yes I saw that.  Are you alright?" Ethan says rubbing my arm. 
Nothing, I feel nothing from Ethan's touch
. Why do I feel so much from this man staring us down right now, not looking very friendly at Ethan's hand on my arm?

             
"I'm sorry. I thought you said no boyfriend." He seems mad, like Ethan is stealing his possession, which is exactly why I am so very grateful for Ethan right now
.  I am nobody's possession Mr. Brady
.

             
"Oh no, I'm Aubrey's personal concierge.  It’s my job to keep her on schedule," Ethan says.  I could kill him for that.  Would it have killed him to act like my boyfriend for two seconds?  He obviously had enough sense to come rescue me.......but let's not give the very brooding Ian the wrong idea now.

             
"Yes, like I said prep work. I must get busy." God I'm a flustered mess and so horny right now I can hardly think straight. Ian looking at me like that is not helping.  He takes in my whole body and then his eyes meet mine again. 
Yep getting very, very wet.

             
"Are you in town for a few days?" he asks. His voice is like sex on a spoon and I want to lick it off. 
Shut up
.

             
"Yes, but I’m very busy."
Very busy with my vibrator tonight thanks to you
.

             
"Maybe we can meet for a drink tomorrow night? That is if you can squeeze me into your very tight schedule." 
Oh for crying out loud, squeeze you in to my very tight
...... There's that damn sexy smile again.

             
"Yes, maybe.  I will be here at 9:00 if I have time." We need to leave now. I turn to Ethan, but not before Ian grabs my hand bringing it up to his lips. Those sexy, sexy lips. 

             
"It was so nice to meet you, Aubrey." He stares in my eyes as he brushes his lips across my knuckles.  My knees buckle,
they actually buckle
. 

             
He steadies me with his hands on my elbows again causing an electrical shock that rockets straight to my core.
Seriously how is he doing this
?

             
"I must've had too much wine." I try to explain away the clumsy behavior, but Ian's eyes tell me he knows it has nothing to do with the wine. 
Get me out of here
.

             
"Goodnight, Ian." My knees still weak, I turn and walk with Ethan to the elevator as quickly as I can without falling on my face.

             
Turning around in the elevator, I see Ian walking toward us.  Please close, please close I pray to the elevator doors. 

             
"Tomorrow at 9:00.  I'll be here," he says and I smile at him. The doors finally close and we are headed up. 

             
I lean up against the elevator wall fanning myself with my clutch. I look at Ethan who is smirking.

             
"What?"

             
"I think someone got hit with cupid's arrow." He's still smirking,
stop that Ethan, or I might fire you
.

             
"Whatever, I did not. He doesn't interest me."  I wave it off.

             
"Not just you, but Ian Brady also."

"What, do you know who he is
? What do you know?"

             
"Yeah you're not interested at all." He rolls his eyes at me.

             
"Just tell me," I sigh, lifting my leg and slipping off my heel then do the same with the other.

             
"Well he has been coming here at least once a week for about 6 months and always on different days.  He stays one night and walks all over the hotel.  He usually ends up in the bar, never picks anyone up, and he always dismisses girls that try to pick him up.  Trust me, there have been a lot of girls he has turned down." 

             
"How do you know he never picks anyone up?" Is Ethan a stalker?

             
He rolls his eyes at me knowing what I’m thinking. "Because a girl I date sometimes waitresses in the bar.  All the women employee's in this hotel are very interested in Mr. Brady and they all talk.  He has never so much as flirted with anyone.  In fact, tonight is the only night he has actually bought a girl a drink.  Don't think that didn't circulate through the staff like wildfire.  That's why I showed up to make sure you were OK."

             
"Thank you for that, by the way." What is he up to with my hotel?  Maybe I will meet him for a drink tomorrow night, if it means I can find out what his game is.

             
"Do you think he knows I own the hotel and that's why he came on to me?"
Damn, that's probably it
.  Why am I upset by this?

             
"I don't see how he would know unless you told him?" Ethan sounds confident in that.

             
"Well all the staff seems to know me.  Maybe one of them told him."

             
"Not if they want to keep their job they wouldn't. Discreetness is very important. Your dad put that in play a long time ago.  No staff is allowed to share the identity of any guest to another guest."  We finally reach the top floor and I head to my room to change.

             
“Stay here, I'll be right back." I tell Ethan I want to know more.

             
The first thing I do is strip off the dress and can feel the slickness between my legs. I will take care of that later. I smile to myself at the thought of my date with my vibrator, although some of the excitement is gone now.  I know he might have been working his charms because he knows I am the new owner.  Either way, that was some serious chemistry and I know he felt it too.  If he knew I owned the hotel he certainly did not show it. 

             
I throw on some underwear
YES,
yoga pants, and an oversized tee before I head out to Ethan to find out more.  He's on the phone when I walk in.  I curl up on the giant leather sofa tucking my legs underneath me and wait for Ethan to finish is call.

             
"OK, so that was Mallory, the waitress serving Ian tonight.  She says that he asked her if she knew who you were and she swears she didn't tell him.  She said she had never seen you before.  Then he told her he wanted to buy you a drink."

             
"You think she is telling the truth?" I myself am not a very trusting person, but I don't know the girl so I can't pass judgment.

             
"Honestly, I really do.  Mallory can't lie for shit and I know she would have told me if she had because I'd never get her fired."

             
"So I'm to believe that you aren't just telling me this so that she doesn't get fired?"  I shoot back at him and wait for him to waiver.  He doesn't, which my best guess is he is telling me the truth.

             
"I really don't think you're that kind of person. You wouldn't get someone fired for telling someone else who you are." He looks at me giving me a knowing smile. 

             
"How is it that you know me so well after only meeting me this morning?" 

             
"I have always been a good judge of character."

             
"You, my friend, are also a pretty good detective."  I give him a smile.

             
"It's my night job." We laugh then he tells me he will be sleeping in the adjoining suite and will have his cell on all night if I need anything.

             
"Ethan, I think I can get through the night without having to call you. It's early for Vegas.  You should go have some fun, on the clock."  I wink at him and he smirks. 

             
"I'm actually beat. I think I will head to bed.  Maybe tomorrow night."

We say good
night to each other and I crawl into my giant bed sinking into the fluffy clouds of pillows.  I need to get one of these beds for home.  I am actually so tired and the bed is so comfortable that I fall asleep right away, without the date I'd planned with my vibrator.

Chapter 5

              Mags calls me as I'm putting on my makeup.

             
"Are you alone?" Is the first thing she says.

             
"Yes, Mags, no dirty details. Sorry there was no shagging in my room last night.”

             
"Awe, come on! I was hoping for some juicy details this morning." I'm not going to divulge last night's events with her just yet because I'm not in the mood for a lecture from her about how life's too short and blah, blah, blah.  "What are you wearing to your meeting?"

             
"Black pencil skirt, white silk blouse, and black jacket.  The form fitting one you picked out."

             
"Good for business, but still sexy as hell. Shoes?"

             
"The lace up Minolo Blahnik's you made me buy."  Mags is so obsessed with fashion it drives me a little crazy.  Thanks to her I now have a closet full of some of the world's best fashion.  Even though the price tags are ridiculous, they are amazing clothes. 

             
"You'll drive them wild when they see you and then you'll impress the shit out of them with your business smarts.  You've got this in the bag, mate."  Mags is my biggest fan besides Rex.  They always have a way of making me more comfortable with myself.

             
"Thanks. I have to go. I'll call you later though." I hang up with her and finish up my makeup.  I went with understated cool tones; only a little mascara, blush, and some lip gloss. 

Ethan is in the main room with breakfast when I enter.
My stomach is nothing but a bundle of nerves right now. Whatever he has smells wonderful, but I don't think I will be able to eat.

             
"Beautiful, Ms. Aubrey. You are going to knock them out." 

             
"Thanks, Ethan.  I hope I don't puke all over the boardroom table from these nerves." I sit in front of my breakfast and try eating some toast.  It's not happening. I have to force myself to swallow it. 

             
"You should try to eat more so you don't faint," Ethan says, noticing that I am not interested in the food at all.

             
"Puke or faint." I push my hands up and down, palms up, weighing my options.  I decide I can push down a few more bites of toast, but have to take many sips of water to get it down.

             
Looking at my watch, I decide it is time to head to the boardroom on the 2nd floor.  Time to face the music; it’s time to sink or swim.

             
Ethan escorts me down and when I walk into the boardroom he assures me he will be right outside if I need him.  Just knowing that a friendly face is close does make me feel better.

             
I step through the doors.  Some of the ten members that make up the Board of Trustees are already sitting.  They rise when I walk in.  I walk around to them all and introduce myself.  In the corner of the room is Matt Wilson, second in line to me in share holding, and with him is Tandi Jackson. The jilted widow has seemed to move on to the next best thing.  They were together at the reading of the will so I have no doubt that she was cheating on my dad with him.