Her Alpha Saviors [The Hot Millionaires #2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (11 page)

“Oh, delighted. And I’d pay them how, exactly?”

“You don’t. I will.” Jay was aware of Luke gaping at him right along with Skye. His partner probably thought he’d taken leave of his senses. He might well be right. “Look,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I need to talk to you about this place, get to the bottom of your plans, and see if there’s a way we can salvage something from the mess.”

“I thought that’s what we were doing.”

“Wrong. We were here all day yesterday and never got to speak to you properly because you kept having to deal with one crisis after another.”

“Yes, but—”

“Crises that occurred because you don’t have enough experienced staff to keep the place running. You can’t be all things to all people, Skye.”

“That’s what I keep telling her.” Hannah had stopped pretending to strip the bed and was taking an avid interest in their conversation. “She’ll make herself ill if she carries on like this.”

“Exactly.” Jay grinned at the support from such an unlikely quarter. “You’re just one woman, and you’re running yourself ragged. I know how much you need me here, but you haven’t even had the time to put a proper proposal together.” He smiled at her. “So remind me again why you don’t need my temporary help.”

“You should have asked me first. I don’t like other people just making assumptions. It makes it look as though I can’t manage.”

“And if I had asked you, what would you have said?” Her disgruntled snort was all the answer he required. “These people are here for a couple of weeks. If you and I haven’t come to some arrangement by then, we never will.”

“Very well. I suppose I have no choice.”

“You’re welcome,” Jay said, grinning at her.

“If they’re staying I’d better go and make sure they know what to do.”

“Okay. Luke and I need breakfast. We’ll join you in the snug in half an hour.” Jay was in business mode again, trying to put the events of the night before out of his head. No easy matter. Every time he looked at Skye’s flushed face and swollen lips he was reminded of the little moaning sounds she made when she was close to orgasm, of the way the walls of her cunt tightened round his cock when she was desperate to come, of…Shit, this wouldn’t do. He needed to focus on the business of the pub, not the attraction he felt toward its owner. “Bring your business plan, if it’s finished, and don’t get caught up in anything else. Let the new people deal with it.”

Without a word, Skye swivelled on her heel and marched off, a mixture of annoyance and gratitude evident in her expression.

“You were a bit hard on her,” Luke remarked.

“Cruel to be kind,” Jay said, watching the glazier expertly dismantle the remains of the window and measure up for a replacement.

“Leave me to finish up,” Hannah said, all smiles. “You boys go and have your breakfast.”

“I think we’re in there,” Luke joked as they left the old lady to it.

* * * *

Skye didn’t know why she was so annoyed with Jay. He hadn’t yet given up on The Fox
and intended to give her a chance to sell her proposals to him. She ought to be overjoyed, and she was. At least she thought she was. She’d just been a bit taken aback by the way he’d effortlessly taken over and had everyone dancing to his tune, even Hannah, who disliked and mistrusted all strangers on principle. Well, she thought mutinously, it would be easy enough to make things happen if you had the money to back you up, so he had no reason to look so bloody smug.

She ran down the stairs toward the new people waiting for her in the hall.
Face it, Skye, you’re only peeved because he wasn’t still in bed when you woke up this morning.
He was right about that as well, damn him. A half-dressed man leaving her loft in full view of the kitchen staff would have really set tongues wagging.

Thinking about wagging tongues was something she absolutely
did not
need to do. It reminded her all too graphically, if any reminder were necessary, of precisely what Jay did to her with his tongue last night. God help her, her panties were soaked through just thinking about it. Since when had she turned into a sex maniac?

“Get a grip, Skye,” she muttered to herself. “He seems to have put the night behind him like it was no big deal. You can, too.”

She hadn’t gotten that much sleep, even less than usual, but she felt rejuvenated this morning, ready to fight the world. If that was what no-holds-barred sex did for a girl, she damn well wished she’d discovered it earlier. It would have saved her a whole shedload of angst.

The new people were quickly passed on to existing staff members to assign their duties. If they were as experienced as Jay claimed—which they probably were because he obviously got what he paid for—then they’d soon get the hang of things. She then dashed back to the loft to collect her half-written proposals, wondering whether she ought to change into something more formal. She was wearing jeans and a bright red cotton sweater that clashed with her hair, but also didn’t in a strange sort of way. Anyway, she liked it. It sculpted her body very nicely, and she was damned if she was going to make a special effort for Mr. Bossy Boots.

Jay and Luke were already in the snug when she arrived without being detained by any domestic crises. She paused outside the door, heard them chatting quietly, and was tempted to loiter outside and eavesdrop, just in case they were saying anything about her. In the end she decided against it. Jay had ears like a bat and would probably know she was there, placing her at a disadvantage before their meeting even began.

Skye walked confidently into the room and plonked her papers on the table.

“Hope I haven’t kept you waiting,” she said, knowing she was bang on time. “Good breakfast?”

“Fine, thanks.”

Luke grinned in an infuriating but oddly soothing way. She couldn’t help grinning right back, aware of Jay’s unsmiling face watching them closely. Unlike yesterday, his eyes no longer reflected derision. They were softer, focused on her face as though seeing her in a different light. What that meant she had no way of knowing but was damned if she’d spend her valuable time trying to second-guess him.

“Okay,” she said briskly. “I outlined my main plans for the place yesterday. Any thoughts?”

“Yes,” Jay said, crossing one foot across his opposite thigh and settling more comfortably in his chair. “First of all they’re too ambitious.”

“Not if I want to—”

Jay held up a hand that stalled her words. “You’re trying to do too much. Slowly does it.” He flashed a brief grin as he echoed the words he’d used with her several times last night. Her spontaneous reaction caused her cheeks to heat and her pussy to leak. “Don’t run before you can walk.”

“What are you suggesting then?”

“If I went along with your ambitious plans to refurbish the existing rooms and create more, as well as bringing on the corporate entertainment side you’re so keen on, it would cost a fortune. I’d also have to pay off your bank loan. If I did that, I’d want a controlling interest in The Fox, which would leave you where?”

“As a glorified manager,” she said, nodding in defeat.

“Exactly, and that would make you feel like you’d let your family down.”

“Yes, but what’s the alternative? If you don’t help me then I’m sunk anyway.”

“Have you considered renegotiating the repayment terms with the bank?”

“How can I?” Skye frowned. “I’ve got nothing left to negotiate with.”

Jay fractionally raised his brows. “You need to let the people who matter know that you’re still fighting here at The Fox
and show them the advantages the pub has over the competition.”

“Agreed, but how the hell am I supposed to do that?”

“Well, here’s what I suggest. Two days from now we’re gonna hold a lunchtime reception in the entertainment barn with a finger buffet and champagne in free fall. We’ll spill out onto the courtyard, weather permitting, of course. Can’t rely on the weather in this damned country. Anyway, we’ll invite members of the Chamber of Commerce and a few other corporate dignitaries from organizations who might want to use the place.”

“Wedding planners, dancing groups, people like that?” Luke jotted down rapid notes like this crazy notion was a done deal.

“Yeah, and remember we have two acres of open land. Think archery aficionados, reenactment groups, stuff like that. Oh, and don’t forget the local bank manager. Make sure his name’s on the guest list.”

Skye watched Jay and Luke bouncing ideas off each other, anticipating one another’s thoughts. She couldn’t help wondering if they operated equally easily in the bedroom, rather hoping that she’d still get to find out.

“Excuse me,” she said, finally finding her voice. “I hate to put a damper on things, but you did say two days’ time, didn’t you?” Without waiting for a response, she ploughed on. “The courtyard is a glorified, weed-strewn storage area, in case you hadn’t noticed, and the entertainment barn has peeling walls, no heating, no furniture.” She shrugged. “Need I say more?”

“Oh, is that all you’re worried about?” Luke laughed at her. “I’m betting that the moment you give the go-ahead, Jay will have an army of people crawling all over this place.”

“Right.” Jay threw her a lazy smile. “The courtyard just needs clearing of rubbish and pressure washing. The cobbles are old and rather nice. They’ll lend character to the place once they’re cleaned up. We’ll rent some furniture and a few potted plants and it’ll be transformed.” Skye’s mouth fell open and didn’t seem to want to close. “As for the entertainment barn.” He shrugged. “A couple of coats of paint, some space heaters, more rented furniture, and tasteful background music. The old slate floor in there is in pretty good condition. Just needs a thorough wash.”

“I can’t believe you’re serious.” Skye shook her head. “And people tell me that
I’m
mad to soldier on with The Fox.”

“I am serious, and you’d better be, too, if you want to save The Fox
without losing control of it.”

“You know I do, but would it be enough?”

“It would be a start. In my experience, people lack imagination, so you need to show them what’s available on their own doorsteps. Make them aware that you’re here. Give them special rates if they want to stage an event here in the next six months.”

She sighed. “Would it really work?”

“It’s worth a shot. What I’m saying is that you need to lay it on thick with the bank manager at the reception, explain what you’re planning to do, and ask for an appointment the following week. He’ll put off any proceedings in the meantime because he really doesn’t want to repossess. If we can persuade a couple of the people who come to the reception to provisionally book an event—”

“And we will,” Luke said, winking at her. “It’s what we do best.”

“Right, and it’ll give you something positive to show the bean counter.” Jay stretched his arms above his head. His shirt rode up, giving Skye a clear view of the toned abdomen she’d kissed her way down at one point last night. He caught her staring, and she hastily averted her eyes. “But,” he said, the amusement in his eyes abruptly fading. “All this will be pointless unless we can discover who’s been trying to sabotage The Fox.”

“Jay, I really think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick there.” She sighed. “It’s all just coincidence.”

“Like hell it is!” He pinioned her with a glare. “Who benefits if The Fox
goes under?”

“Only the bank.”

“And whoever picks it up at auction,” Luke pointed out.

“Yes, but I don’t see what good that would do them. It’s a listed building, so they can’t change it in any way. They probably wouldn’t even get permission to turn it into a domestic dwelling.”

“It’d make a pretty big domestic dwelling,” Luke remarked.

“Exactly. There are loads of big houses on the market in this part of the world that don’t require the hassle of change of use.”

“There has to be a reason,” Jay insisted. “What about the land next to The Fox
where you keep your horse?”

“That belongs to Patrick, but it’s greenbelt. He’d never get permission to build, even if he had access.”

“Which he’d need The Fox
for anyway.” Luke shook his head. “It doesn’t jibe.”

“No, so it has to be personal.” Jay had been leaning back, balancing his chair on two legs. He brought it forward again and slapped it back on the floor. “This guy you were engaged to? What’s his story?”

“He’s an estate agent.” Both men looked at her intently. “What you’d call a realtor.”

“Yeah, we know what an estate agent does. Why did you split up?”

Skye swallowed back the desire to tell Jay it was none of his business. They were trying to help her, didn’t know the people involved, and were jumping to what for them must seem like reasonable conclusions.

“No big mystery,” she said. “He was a regular customer here when I came back from university five years ago, and we kind of got friendly. He got on well with Dad, too, and we drifted into a relationship partly because of that.” She glanced at Jay, bit her bottom lip, and blurted out what was in her head. “But there was no real passion there.”

“So you gave him the elbow,” Luke said briskly. “Good girl. I didn’t like him.”