This was a dangerous train of thought.
Distracted with “what if” scenarios on her way back to the executive offices, Emily didn’t notice Hunter coming in from the pool until he was nearly in front of her.
“Wait up, Emily.” Hunter ran the beach and boat dock, taking out guests on the lake for booze cruises and other tours, and was currently wearing jeans and a Club Tahoe T-shirt.
“Is everything set up for the Emerald Bay cruise tomorrow?”
He laughed and shook his head. “Do you think of anything besides work?” He gave her a charming smile. One that had probably dropped some panties in his lifetime.
“Sometimes.” If only he knew her naughty thoughts about his older brother. “But not often. Too much to do.”
“You sound like a peppier version of Levi.”
She swallowed back her lust-filled guilt over the man in question. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Was there something you needed? You got the list I emailed you of the people who signed up?”
“I have it. The boat’s all prepped.” His cocky composure dropped and he shifted his feet. “I wanted to talk to you about something else… Do you think you could suggest something to Levi? Without telling him it came from me?”
Emily understood where the tension between Levi and his brother came from. That didn’t mean she wanted to be caught in the middle of it. “I won’t lie for you.”
“Not lie”—he glanced away as though thinking—“but just don’t mention you got the idea from me.” Emily didn’t respond at first, and Hunter scratched his jaw, looking even more uncomfortable. “It’s nothing bad. I’d like to do more for kids and teens visiting the club. Most of our activities are geared toward adults: gaming, the spa, golf. We have a pool and paddleboards, but I see the same kids each day at the beach and I’d like to start a program for them. We have the clearest water on the lake right in back of our hotel. We could offer snorkeling lessons, or have our yoga instructor do a children’s class on the beach. Wes could offer lessons for kids… I don’t know.” He rubbed his neck again. “It’s just a thought.”
She tried to smooth her brow. “It’s—a good idea, Hunter. A really good idea.”
“Hunt. Just call me Hunt. Only my father called me Hunter.”
“Why don’t you want to bring up the idea to Levi?”
His expression turned dark. “Nothing coming from me goes over well with Levi. Trust me. And this is something I kind of…care about. I remember spending summers here while the adults were inside doing their thing. I want to offer more for the kids.”
Emily gave him a light smile. “I’ll bring it up to him,” she said. “Providing more children’s activities on some type of schedule makes a lot of sense. And you’re correct, the number of guests we house under eighteen has increased. Safe activities can only benefit the hotel and guests. Thank you for the suggestion.”
He nodded and quickly walked off before she could say another word.
Emily watched Hunt make his way toward the beach. He wasn’t what she’d imagined when she first heard about his reputation. There was the dashing, playboy side of him, but there was also something more there…
“Admiring Hunt’s ass?”
The voice came from behind, and it was one Emily immediately recognized. Only the tone was off. Levi never spoke to her with a sharp edge in his voice.
She turned and smiled, ignoring what looked like a disapproving stare. If she brought up Hunt’s suggestion now, Levi might know it came from his brother, since she’d just been talking to him. And Hunt’s suggestion of a children’s program was one Emily would love to look into. So she kept her mouth shut for now, because Hunt was right. It probably wouldn’t go over well if Levi knew the idea came from his youngest brother. “Just saying hello in passing. Beautiful day, isn’t it?”
Levi looked like he didn’t believe her. “Don’t you have something to do?”
She frowned. “I always have something to do. That doesn’t mean I can’t take a second to admire the Lake Tahoe sky.”
He closed his eyes and breathed out. “I apologize. I’m not myself this week. Please”—he waved at the view—“enjoy. We’ll talk later.” And he walked away.
Whiplash, that was what working at Club Tahoe was like. One moment, Levi treated her as though she were an underage teenager who’d had too much to drink, and the next he was checking her out in an ugly one-piece bathing suit. And maybe that was all this was. Menlookedall the time. It didn’t mean anything.
He was a wealthy, rugged man’s man who dated women that looked like centerfold models. She wasn’t his type.
Emily stormed to her office, sinking heavily in her chair. She made the phone calls she’d put off this morning. Doing her job—that was what she needed to focus on. Levi had been a teenage fantasy. He was a man now, with flaws and hard edges…and walls. Walls her soft heart couldn’t break down. She wasn’t sexy enough to melt them away. Which left her bumping up against that hard edge daily.
She needed to develop a thicker skin, because she wasn’t breaking her promise to Levi’s father and quitting.
Chapter 12
No, no, no.” There was no way Emily would do it. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
