Her Billionaire Bodyguard Bridegroom (14 page)

“I need to check in with the resort’s chef to confirm the menu selections for the event. Why don’t I take care of that while you work on your slides? We can meet back up for lunch?”

“Perfect.”

The rest of the morning flew by quickly, but she was hyperaware of Luke’s absence. By the time lunch rolled around, she couldn’t wait to see him again.

She was hurrying to the dining room when she spotted a familiar face in the hallway.

“Elise?” she queried in surprised delight.

“I can’t believe it! Brianna!” her former college roommate exclaimed, wrapping her in an exuberant hug. “It’s so good to see you.”

“Ditto! What a surprise, running into you! Are you vacationing here?”

“Even better. I work here now. I’m the head chef for the resort’s restaurant.”

“That’s wonderful! Congratulations!”

“What about you? What are you doing here?”

“I’m here with a client. I’m preparing to present a motivational seminar for a team of outdoor writers.”

“Would that be the
Intrepid Explorations
group?”

“That’s the one.”

“I just met the magazine’s editor-in-chief. He stopped by to firm up the menus for the conference. What a hottie! I’m sure my tongue was hanging out of my mouth the entire time we were going over meal options. Now I know why he didn’t bite when I tried flirting with him. You’ve already snagged him.”

“Oh, it’s not like that,” Brianna quickly refuted.

“Really? You’re telling me you get to work alongside that gorgeous slice of masculinity and you haven’t been tempted to get horizontal with him? I’m not buying it. Besides, that besotted sparkle in your eyes tells a whole different story. It sort of matches the goofy smile he had on his face when he mentioned the talented speaker who was helping him plan this conference.”

She shrugged, feeling the heat already suffusing her cheeks rise another degree. “Okay, so maybe it isn’t
strictly
business, but we aren’t in a relationship. It’s just,

umm . . .”

“Casual sex?” Elise supplied, laughter dancing in her eyes.

If only it were that simple.

“Casual” had been her mantra going into this, but something had gone seriously awry. Despite Brianna’s valiant efforts to remain detached, she’d failed miserably. She’d wandered off the fun-and-uncomplicated path and directly into emotionally entangled territory.

She had no idea how she’d strayed so far from her plan so quickly, nor did she have the answer to the real dilemma. What was she going to do about it?

She decided it was time for a detour in the conversation. “You always were incorrigible, Elise. How long have you been the chef here?”

“Changing the subject, huh? I’ll let you off the hook for now, but I’m going to get all the juicy details out of you eventually. To answer your question, I’ve been here a year. After Ben and I divorced, I decided to make a fresh start. I got my culinary arts degree, and when I heard Summerhaven needed a head chef for their restaurant, I applied for the position. I didn’t think I stood a chance, but they liked the flair I brought to the traditional items on their menu and my suggestions for shaking it up, and they offered me the job. So here I am.”

“I’m sorry about you and Ben, but I’m glad you’ve landed on your feet.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’m not. After Ben decided the ‘forsaking all others’ part of our wedding vows was apparently just a suggestion, I decided it was time to move on. As it turns out, I’m better off without him. I adore my job, and I love the new life I’m building. Now back to you and your hunky client. I want all the salacious details.”

Brianna shook her head, laughing. “I see ‘persistent’ is still your middle name. Forget it.”

“Okay, I’ll give it a rest. But since you’re footloose and fancy-free, what do you say to a night out on the town? I know you enjoy the arts, and I happen to have a couple of tickets to an exclusive showing at a fabulous gallery downtown. One of my coworkers was going to come along with me, but her little girl has the chicken pox, so she had to cancel. Would you like to join me?”

Instead of jumping at the chance to take in the art show with her friend, Brianna hesitated. As wonderful as reconnecting with Elise was, Luke was at the top of her to-do list for the evening. If she’d needed confirmation she was in over her head where he was concerned, she had it now.

He was becoming an addiction, and that was a dangerous thing. A little time away from Luke might be a good idea. Shoving aside the yearning to spend the evening cocooned in his arms, she accepted Elise’s invitation.

“I’m so glad we ran into each other,” Elise enthused. “I’ll see you tonight, then.” Her smile dimmed when she spotted a man hurrying toward them. “Oh no,” she muttered under her breath.

“What is it?”

“The guy headed our way owns Cantata’s,
our competition. He’s been trying to recruit me. I’ve told him I’m not interested, but he won’t leave me alone.”

Blustering up to them, the persistent restauranteur immediately launched into a heavy-handed sales pitch for the position he was pressing Elise to accept. When Elise graciously declined his offer again, his frustration reached a fever pitch, and his behavior turned borderline threatening.

Brianna was relieved when she spotted Luke approaching—he was hurrying to intervene, in fact.

“Is there a problem here, ladies?”

The Cantata’s
owner’s brashness evaporated under Luke’s calculating gaze. Before either woman could respond, the man muttered something under his breath and walked away.

“Thank you, Luke. The guy doesn’t know how to take no for an answer.”

“Glad I could help.”

“You’ve already met Elise,” Brianna said, smiling.

“Yes. How do you two know each other?”

“We were roommates in college,” Elise grinned. “Brianna’s special, so you’d better treat her right.”

“Believe me, I plan to,” he replied, shooting Brianna a smoldering look that set her heart racing. Oh yeah, she was in imminent danger of falling into head-over-heels territory.

Relaying her apologies for having to hurry off, Elise headed back to work.

“I can’t believe I ran into Elise here. It’s such a small world. Thanks for coming to her rescue. That guy’s been bothering her. He wants her to work for him and he just won’t back off.”

“Happy to help. She seems like a great lady. And she certainly knows her stuff. I can see why she’s in demand. It’s neat that you got to connect with her.”

“Speaking of which, Elise has an extra ticket to a gallery show tonight and she asked me to join her. I told her I’d go.”

“That sounds like a fun time. I’ll book us in for an extra night so you can enjoy yourself without having to watch the clock.”

She found it perplexing that Luke wasn’t at all taken aback that she’d made plans for the evening that didn’t include him. “That’s very thoughtful, but not at all necessary. I’ll just grab a cab back to your house at the end of the evening.”

“You’ll do no such thing. It’s an hour-long drive. I have a few more loose ends to tie up here, so staying over one more night only makes sense. There’s a movie I’ve been hoping to catch. I’ll plan on hitting the cinema after dinner, and we can meet back at the hotel at the end of the evening.”

After lunch, they met with the hotel manager to solidify their requirements for the conference. When their work was completed, they returned to their suite and Brianna changed for her evening out.

Since the gallery opening was a black-tie event, Brianna donned the one evening gown she’d packed. The gorgeous, deep-purple garment dipped in a low-cut V in the back, treading a fine line between sophisticated and sexy. Its form-fitting shape made the most of her curves.

“You look amazing,” Luke said, smiling appreciatively.

“Thanks. And thanks for being so understanding about this.”

“No problem. You deserve a break from all the zaniness of the past few days.”

Melting into his parting kiss, she had more than half a mind to call Elise and cancel. The only thing keeping her from phoning her friend and bailing on their plans was the knowledge that unless she put some space between herself and Luke, she wouldn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of keeping their relationship in perspective.

“You can wait up if you want to,” she told him on her way out the door. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

“Count on it,” he winked.

The art show was magnificent, and she enjoyed spending time with Elise and reminiscing about their college days. Yet by the time they capped their evening off with dessert and coffee at a nearby café, she was eagerly anticipating seeing Luke again.

“This cheesecake is wonderful,” Elise sighed in appreciation, interrupting Brianna’s musings.

“Heavenly! I swear I’m going to gain ten pounds before this assignment is over.”

“Like you have to worry. You have a model’s figure.”

“Right. Catwalk here I come,” she laughed.

“You could model if you wanted to. But it seems to me you’ve found your niche at Upwords.”

“I really have,” she enthused. “There’s something immensely satisfying in helping people excel in their careers. And what about you? What’s it like being a five-star chef presiding over the restaurant of a world-renowned resort? Heady stuff, I’ll bet?”

“It’s a new adventure every day. I love the energy and the vibrant rhythm of the kitchen. When the entire staff is working in tandem to prepare and serve the very best meals to our guests, there’s nothing else like it. Troubleshooting the dozens of crises that inevitably crop up, regardless of how thoroughly we prepare, only adds to the challenge. The best part, though, is when a guest tells us how spectacular their meal was. That’s when we know we’ve succeeded in creating a memorable experience.”

The peal of Elise’s cell phone cut into their conversation, and her friend frowned when she checked the display. “Darn. It’s the resort. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to take this call. Will you excuse me for a moment?”

“Of course.”

Elise returned to the table a few minutes later.

“Is everything okay?” Brianna queried.

Elise shook her head. “I’m afraid one of those crises we were talking about has cropped up. My sous chef tangled with a chopping knife, and the knife won. He’s on his way to the hospital for stitches. I’ll have to fill in for the rest of his shift.”

Brianna glanced at her watch. It was only eight o’clock. Luke wouldn’t be back until ten, and she wasn’t eager to return to an empty suite.

“No worries. I’ll finish dessert, and then check out the bookstore we passed on the way here. The resort isn’t far. I can walk back when I’m done.”

“Are you sure you won’t let me drop you off? The Summerhaven’s grounds are secure after dark, but this area is an entirely different story.”

“Don’t be silly. I’m from New York, remember? I’ve got this.”

“I’d feel better if I knew you were safely ensconced back on the resort grounds,” Elise insisted.

Brianna waved off her friend’s concern. “I’ll be fine. Thanks for inviting me. I had a great time.”

The expression on Elise’s face made it clear she wasn’t convinced, but she accepted it was pointless to argue. “Me, too. We’ll have to make a point of doing this again soon.”

Brianna lingered over coffee before making her way to the bookstore. The shop was cozy and well-stocked. She enjoyed browsing through the stacks, and she chose a couple of new mystery novels from the offerings.

The sidewalk was far less crowded when she left with her purchases, bringing Elise’s cautionary words to mind. Her initial bravado slipped away when a man appeared at the intersection of an alleyway and began to follow her. Full-fledged panic set in when he closed the distance between them and grabbed her arm, tugging her to him.

“Your purse,” he demanded, pressing the cold, hard steel of a knife blade against her side.

Her pulse pounded in her ears as she moved to comply, but she wasn’t quick enough. With an impatient tug on the strap of her handbag, the man yanked it from her arm, then shoved her roughly to the ground.

Shell-shocked, she watched him run off. She was getting to her feet when she heard a familiar voice shouting her name.

What is Luke doing here?

A half second later, he was at her side. “Are you okay?” he demanded.

“I’m fine. Some guy just snatched my purse, though.”

“I saw.” He steered her into a nearby coffee shop. “Call the police, and wait here. I’ll get it back.”

She shook her head vehemently. “No! It’s too dangerous! He has a knife.”

Ignoring her protests, he took off in the direction her assailant had taken.

She wasn’t sure what compelled her to follow him after she’d phoned the police, but she couldn’t stand by while he went after an armed man alone. She had no doubt he could take care of himself, but she felt responsible somehow since it was her own stupidity in ignoring Elise’s warning that had led to the incident.

The blaring of sirens up ahead announced help was on the way. She ran faster, breathing a sigh of relief when she spotted Luke. He’d caught the purse snatcher, and had him pinned to the ground.

The cavalry arrived in a chorus of flashing lights and squealing tires, and promptly took over. She had teased Luke earlier about being in bodyguard mode, but watching him interact with the authorities, it occurred to her that he really did look the part. If she was in the market for personal protection, she would certainly want someone like him on the job.

One of the officers said something to Luke and pointed in her direction. Luke spun around, thunderclouds in his eyes.

“What are you doing here?” he snapped.

“I could ask the same thing of you,” she shot back, bristling at the anger radiating off him in waves. “You said you were going to the movies.”

Seeing hurt and confusion wash across Brianna’s gorgeous face, Luke instantly regretted losing his temper. He ran a hand through his hair before blowing out a frustrated breath. It wasn’t fair of him to be angry at her. But when the police officer asked him if the young woman approaching them was the purse snatcher’s victim, he’d lost it. In that moment, Brianna’s headstrong disregard for what was in her best interest had reminded him of Tanya’s stubborn willfulness—and that stubborn streak had gotten Tanya killed.