“You’re awfully quiet,” Dane stated as he
punched the code in to take them up to her penthouse. “Maybe I wore you out.”
Stella squeezed his hand and rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m not even going to deny that because it’s true.”
He kissed her forehead. “I’ll let you sleep a few hours before I take you again.”
Her body stirred. Just those simple words had her imagining them together again. Each time was just as thrilling as the first. She was half-dressed, and they were entirely alone, so he could have her right here and now and nobody would ever know.
But she really needed to figure out what she was going to do about her feelings...how to tell him.
Maybe she should actually put some clothes on to have the talk because it didn’t seem appropriate to have a serious conversation when her underwear was gone, her shirt was tied over her bare breasts and her skirt was so short her nether regions were nearly showing.
The elevator door slid open and Stella took in everything all at once. The roaring fire that she hadn’t started, the overwhelming scent of a pipe and the robust man wearing a suit at nearly midnight.
“Dad. What are you doing here?”
Fourteen
Dane released Stella’s hand and stared at the man across the room. So this was Ruiz Garcia. The businessman was clearly all business. Who the hell stayed dressed up at this time of the night?
“I told you I was coming.”
Ruiz turned to face them and his eyes widened at the sight of Stella’s outfit. “I don’t have to ask what you’ve been doing. Is this typical behavior at my resort for you?”
“Dad, I just—”
“Decided to take advantage of a fantasy suite,” Dane chimed in, earning him a glare from Stella. “She’s been working her ass off,” Dane went on, ignoring her wide eyes. He stepped around her, mostly to shield her half-naked body, but also to shield her from the proverbial big, bad wolf. “This is an adult resort, and it’s beautifully managed and maintained, with everything a couple could want. No reason she can’t take advantage of the amenities.”
Ruiz narrowed his eyes as he slid aside his suit jacket and slid his hands into his pockets. “And you are?”
“He’s with me,” Stella answered before Dane could.
Ruiz wouldn’t recognize Dane’s name because each deal that Dane had his broker send had been listed under a business name. Ruiz had no clue who he was really dealing with. But Dane knew exactly what he was up against, which gave him just another edge he needed.
Stella came to stand beside Dane as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You told me the other day that you were coming in a couple weeks. Why are you here now?”
“I had news I wanted to deliver and didn’t want to discuss over the phone.” Ruiz glanced to Dane. “Perhaps your friend could give us some privacy and you could put some decent clothes on.”
Stella stepped forward and Dane remained rooted in place. This was her fight, but he wanted her to know he had her back. If her father started mansplaining or talking like he had the impression he was above her, she could know Dane was there and was totally on her side.
“Dane is staying here with me, so say whatever you need to say.”
Ruiz’s brow quirked as he glanced between the two. “Well, whatever you have going on is irrelevant to the news I need to pass on. I’m selling Mirage.”
Stella gasped. “Does that mean you’re giving me the chance to—”
“No.” Ruiz pulled in a deep breath and took a step toward his daughter. “I received an offer just today and I’m accepting it. The terms were too good to pass up.”
Dane didn’t know what to feel, how to react. Clearly he couldn’t show any sign of knowing about the offer, even though he had no doubt the offer Ruiz spoke of was his.
After all this time, Mirage would be his. Dane swallowed the lump of emotions at the thought of getting his mother’s place back where it belonged.
But he glanced at Stella and all of his elation simply vanished. The look on her face, one of betrayal and pain, sliced right through him.
“You—you’re just selling this when you’ve known how much I want to have it?” she asked.
“Business is business,” Ruiz stated with a shrug as if that summed up crushing his daughter’s entire world. “If you didn’t get so emotionally involved, you would know that and you’d already have a plan B instead of investing your entire future here.”