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Authors: Damage Control
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weighing that option carefully. “I guess that would work.” He looked down at Adam. “Just mind your manners, kiddo.”
“I’ll be good, Uncle Pete.” After giving Pete a hug, Adam moved beside Anne and took her hand. “Can we paint, too?” he asked as they headed through the lobby.
“Oh, yes. And we can have popcorn and soda…”
When Adam and Anne disappeared from sight, Renee pointed behind her and began stepping backward. “I’ll go make the arrangements now. I’ll call the room when I have a definite time.”
Renee spun around and headed away, knowing that she would have to face several dilemmas later on. She’d spent much of the day waging a war against getting too cozy with Pete, a war she had lost when she’d spontaneously taken his arm earlier. And when she heard the sound of footsteps behind her as she turned the corner and entered her office, she realized he wasn’t going to disappear anytime soon.
“Why are you running away from me, Renee?”
She moved behind her desk, dropped down in her chair and picked up the phone without looking at him. “I’m not running. I’m taking care of business.” She punched Luc’s extension and waited silently until he answered. “Could you come into my office for a few minutes?”
“I’ll be there as soon as I answer a guest’s question,” Luc said, saving Renee from too much alone time with Pete. She’d have an ample dose of that tonight.
After she set the phone back onto the cradle, Renee finally looked up at Pete, who’d taken up residence near the door, his back to the wall, as if he had no intention of leaving. “You might want to think about returning to your room now in order to get ready,” she said. If he stayed much longer, she wouldn’t be able to think straight when Luc arrived.
He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall to his right. “We have at least three hours, and I don’t have a tux yet. Remember?”
Unfortunately, he was correct on that count. “I’m about to take care of that. I also have several things to finish up here before I head home. Once I’m there, I’ll definitely need a couple of hours.” And more time than that to mentally prepare for spending the evening with Pete, yet she wouldn’t have that luxury. Not unless she could convince the couple to postpone the wedding until next week. Or next year. And that wasn’t going to happen.
Pete did nothing other than simply stare at her, as if he wanted to say something, although Renee had no idea what. Okay, she had a few ideas, but she hoped he didn’t voice them. Hoped that he didn’t say anything that might chase away her common sense. But she immediately recognized that look he leveled on her, the one that was all heat and suggestion and much too tempting to ignore.
“Is there something else I can help you with?” she asked when she could no longer stand the suspense.
“Oh, yeah. I can think of a few things, beginning with—”
Luc strode into the room, saving Rene from becoming the target of Pete’s verbal, sensual assault. “What can I do for you, Miss Renee?”
“Have you met Mr. Traynor, yet?”
“I did when his party came in yesterday.” Luc stuck out his hand for a quick shake. “Nice to see you again.”
“Same here,” Pete said, but with a certain lack of enthusiasm. The way he was sizing up the concierge, Renee would wager her Bogie and Bacall DVD collection that he somehow suspected she might be involved with the concierge, the same as he had with the chef. Granted, Luc was definitely handsome with his sandy hair and blue, blue eyes, a very friendly man who readily charmed everyone he met. He was also several years her junior, and younger men had never held her interest for very long.
Ignoring Pete’s suspicious gaze, Renee gave her attention to Luc. “I need you to do a few things for me, Luc, and I need your absolute discretion.”
Luc tugged at his collar. “You can count on it.”
“Good.” Renee rounded her desk
“I’ll be good, Uncle Pete.” After giving Pete a hug, Adam moved beside Anne and took her hand. “Can we paint, too?” he asked as they headed through the lobby.
“Oh, yes. And we can have popcorn and soda…”
When Adam and Anne disappeared from sight, Renee pointed behind her and began stepping backward. “I’ll go make the arrangements now. I’ll call the room when I have a definite time.”
Renee spun around and headed away, knowing that she would have to face several dilemmas later on. She’d spent much of the day waging a war against getting too cozy with Pete, a war she had lost when she’d spontaneously taken his arm earlier. And when she heard the sound of footsteps behind her as she turned the corner and entered her office, she realized he wasn’t going to disappear anytime soon.
“Why are you running away from me, Renee?”
She moved behind her desk, dropped down in her chair and picked up the phone without looking at him. “I’m not running. I’m taking care of business.” She punched Luc’s extension and waited silently until he answered. “Could you come into my office for a few minutes?”
“I’ll be there as soon as I answer a guest’s question,” Luc said, saving Renee from too much alone time with Pete. She’d have an ample dose of that tonight.
After she set the phone back onto the cradle, Renee finally looked up at Pete, who’d taken up residence near the door, his back to the wall, as if he had no intention of leaving. “You might want to think about returning to your room now in order to get ready,” she said. If he stayed much longer, she wouldn’t be able to think straight when Luc arrived.
He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall to his right. “We have at least three hours, and I don’t have a tux yet. Remember?”
Unfortunately, he was correct on that count. “I’m about to take care of that. I also have several things to finish up here before I head home. Once I’m there, I’ll definitely need a couple of hours.” And more time than that to mentally prepare for spending the evening with Pete, yet she wouldn’t have that luxury. Not unless she could convince the couple to postpone the wedding until next week. Or next year. And that wasn’t going to happen.
Pete did nothing other than simply stare at her, as if he wanted to say something, although Renee had no idea what. Okay, she had a few ideas, but she hoped he didn’t voice them. Hoped that he didn’t say anything that might chase away her common sense. But she immediately recognized that look he leveled on her, the one that was all heat and suggestion and much too tempting to ignore.
“Is there something else I can help you with?” she asked when she could no longer stand the suspense.
“Oh, yeah. I can think of a few things, beginning with—”
Luc strode into the room, saving Rene from becoming the target of Pete’s verbal, sensual assault. “What can I do for you, Miss Renee?”
“Have you met Mr. Traynor, yet?”
“I did when his party came in yesterday.” Luc stuck out his hand for a quick shake. “Nice to see you again.”
“Same here,” Pete said, but with a certain lack of enthusiasm. The way he was sizing up the concierge, Renee would wager her Bogie and Bacall DVD collection that he somehow suspected she might be involved with the concierge, the same as he had with the chef. Granted, Luc was definitely handsome with his sandy hair and blue, blue eyes, a very friendly man who readily charmed everyone he met. He was also several years her junior, and younger men had never held her interest for very long.
Ignoring Pete’s suspicious gaze, Renee gave her attention to Luc. “I need you to do a few things for me, Luc, and I need your absolute discretion.”
Luc tugged at his collar. “You can count on it.”
“Good.” Renee rounded her desk
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