Dane spun her around and lifted her up before circling the bed and laying her back down on her side. He rested a hand on either side of her head and stared down at her dark eyes, that midnight hair spread all around her.
A sheen of sweat had broken out on her chest and Dane couldn’t resist. He leaned down and took one breast into his mouth. How could he want her again when his body hadn’t even recovered from the last time?
When she arched against him and let out something akin to a purr, he knew exactly how. Stella Garcia was magnetic and there was no way he could say no or deny either of them what they both needed.
“You’re not going to get any more sleep.”
She smiled up at him. “Is that a threat?”
He palmed the other breast. “No. That’s a promise.”
Nine
She didn’t know how she was doing it, but somehow Stella was going from one part of the resort to another, checking on staff, guests, food, and anything else she could. She tried to stay calm and competent, but it was much more of a struggle than usual. This storm was raging like nothing she’d ever seen and she was running on next to no sleep.
And yet in spite of that, the memories from last night had her smiling as she made quick strides to one of the theater rooms. If the power went due to the blizzard, she knew her generators would kick in and there would be no worries. But she still wanted to make sure everything was in good shape and that all of her guests were as comfortable as possible. They’d likely be stuck beyond their projected date, so she planned on offering discounts and extras to make up for their inconvenience.
As much as she hated the idea of stranded guests, Stella couldn’t help but feel a little giddy about one guest in particular.
Once she checked on the theater rooms and the fantasy suites, she breathed a sigh of relief. So far this day was going better than most. Each guest was quite understanding of the fact the mountain road would likely close. Each guest was also given the choice to check out now and get a discount on their next stay or continue their vacation at a lower rate. Everyone had decided to stay and she couldn’t help but feel a burst of pride. Thankfully they had just enough rooms and they were full.
She was actually doing this. She was kicking ass at being the manager of Mirage, one of the most spectacular adult resorts in the world.
Stella hoped like hell whoever her father had planted here saw that. She only wished she knew who the culprit was, but she wasn’t wasting her time trying to find out. Whoever it was, there was nothing she’d be doing any differently even if she knew. Her guests always came first and losing sleep, skipping meals, and having achy arches in her feet were all worth it to have happy guests.
Stella pulled her cell from her pocket to check the radar once again. Not that anything had changed since she looked at it thirty minutes ago, but she just wanted to see...just in case.
The bright blue blob right over Gold Valley stared back at her. Okay, well, she would get through this. Blizzards were expected in this part of the country and there wasn’t much she could do to fight Mother Nature. If the mountain closed, at least her guests would be safe right here and she would play the dutiful host and make sure each need was met.
Perhaps she could include her own needs in that mix. Her cell vibrated in her hand and she glanced back down to see her father’s number.
Quickly swiping the screen, she answered, “Hello.”
“Stella. How are things with my resort?”
His resort. She didn’t roll her eyes, but she just barely suppressed herself.
“Every room is still full and the guests are all staying through the storm.”
“Of course they are. Why would they leave?”
No reason to give her any credit. Really, no problem.
“I will be arriving in two weeks to check things out,” he went on. “I trust the penthouse will be ready for me.”
Stella gripped the cell. “We are booked up. I wasn’t aware you wanted a room.”
“You don’t think you should always have a handful of rooms at the ready for special clients or your own father?”
Stella smiled at a young couple strolling through the hallway. Once they passed, she still lowered her voice as she made her way toward her office.
“I think that every client deserves the same treatment no matter their financial status,” she stated. “I wouldn’t turn someone away in the hopes that some millionaire needed a room. I maximize on every profit possible.”
“That line of thinking will get my doors closed,” he growled. “If you’re running my resort, then you’ll do it my way.”
Stella finally slipped into her office and closed the door at her back. Fury pumped through her.
“Your resort. Your way.” The words slowly slipped through gritted teeth. “And here I was under the impression this resort would eventually be mine.”