“You don’t even know me!” She laughed, coughing a bit in the process. He could sense that she was having difficulty resisting his offer, and now that he had asked a second time, he could see she wasn’t sure what he would make of her rejecting him for a second time.
Locking her eyes with his, she finally said, “You know, I’m sorry, but I don’t go to dinner with strangers.” As much as she didn’t want to say it, this was what he was to her. They didn’t know each other from Adam.
“No worries, we can accompany each other here, at least. I insist.”
“Well, I suppose you’re right. Yes, we can.” She finally gave in, and Stephan grinned.
“I look forward to it, Mickey.” He smiled.
“How do you know my name? Don’t tell me you came here following me all the way from Colorado.”
Stephan immediately laughed, “Yes, you got that right.”
“Hi, Stephan!” David said as he came moving toward the two of them, “I see you finally got to meet Mickey.”
“Hello, David. And, yes, I did,” Stephan said.
“You two know each other?” Mickey asked, curiosity knitting her brows.
“You would too, if you had attended the staff meeting the other day.” David chuckled. “This is Stephan, the owner of The Aiyana group of Hotels,” he explained.
Mickey’s eyes widened. She was obviously embarrassed, and ran out of words for few seconds. “Oh, you’re the owner of the hotel. Oh! Well. Hello, Stephan. I must apologize. I didn’t know, and also thank you for your kindness with the soup and the breakfast. They were both very good, and the doctor, a godsend. All of it was so unnecessary, but I cannot thank you enough for your enormous consideration.” She was rambling a bit. Adorably.
“Oh, it was my pleasure, Mickey. Now, you can thank me with a dance.” He winked at her.
How could she not say yes now?Mickey blushed and nodded. Stephan smiled and held out his hand with a wave toward the dance floor. She slid her palm into his as he led her back to the dance floor, one hand expertly on the small of her back. He led her across the floor. A tingle of electricity jolted through their fingertips. They danced for a few moments, and as the song came to an end, Stephan smiled at her.
“Would you join me for dinner now that you know who I am, Mickey?” he asked her softly. Mickey smiled and gave a light nod.
Mickey glanced up at Stephan anxiously. God, but he was tall, and made her feel small and fragile just standing beside her. “Thank you for the dance. And for walking me to my room.”
He swept a hand in dismissal. “My resort is safe. That doesn’t mean a beautiful woman should walk back to her hotel room alone.” She blushed as he gave her one of those cocky smirks he was so good at. “So, do you have plans again for dinner tomorrow night?”
Mickey hesitated and bit her lip, not sure what to say. “You know as well as I do there’s a lot of work to do for this wedding.”
He raised a brow at her, a knowing look in his eye. It was strange, no one ever looked at her like that. It was as if he could see right through her, straight to the heart of the matter. The truth was, she was terrified. She was busy, making a success out of a business and advancing her career. Men didn’t often like career women, and she couldn’t even guarantee she had enough time to bother with dating, much less a relationship.
But he shook his head. “I’ve seen your work. I’ve been around, watching the preparations. Everything is on schedule. Besides, you have my entire staff at your disposal. Delegate anything you need done immediately. It would be a shame to if you worked yourself into an early grave. You’re much too beautiful for that.”
Mickey’s cheeks heated to scorching. She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation at all, but he was such a gentleman that she didn’t know if she could turn him down. He’d proven himself kind and considerate, and really, she was in this beautiful place for such a short time.
Did she really want to work every waking minute? Wouldn’t it be fun to throw caution to the wind for one night?
“Alright, dinner sounds nice,” she finally managed.
He beamed at her, a smile that nearly had her melting into a puddle on the floor. He had too many good qualities at his disposal. “Wonderful. There’s a great place about an hour from here. This restaurant might be the only place around with a better view than ours. Be ready at six so we can be there for a reservation at seven.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“Goodnight, Mickey. Sleep well.” He left her as she slid into her room and closed the door, leaning back against it as she sighed.
She couldn’t think of another time she’d come this close to swooning over a man. Maybe it was just that she hadn’t been at full capacity, still ailing a little from her illness. But he inspired stars in her eyes and her heart to skip a beat, just with one glance in her direction.
It was late, and if she was going to get her work done and be able to get ready and go out, she needed her rest. But as she washed her face and changed into her pajamas, she couldn’t get Stephan out of her head. His touch on her waist as they danced had made her insides boil and her stomach turn over, imagining what it would be like if she was truly wrapped in his arms. And his smile was to die for.
She brushed her hair and teeth and laid down on the plush bed, luxuriating in the fine linens of the hotel and wondering if Stephan had picked out the fineries himself or if he had a team of people who did that sort of thing for him. She always enjoyed making the décor decisions herself, but she could see where having an entire chain of luxury hotels would prohibit the ability to take the time to be personally involved.
Still, she had a feeling that his taste came into play with all the décor, and she reveled in the fact that he had good taste, the golds and muted earth tones creating a peaceful atmosphere while remaining elegant. It helped her calm and fall into a deep, restful, dreamless sleep.
