Carson,” he said sheepishly. “You don’t understand. The storm has inconvenienced many of our guests and all of our rooms are taken. I’m afraid we’re fully booked. Though I would be happy to call another hotel for you and book another room. You are obviously a treasured guest of the Worth Hotel and we’d be happy to comp your stay.”
Kate turned and looked out the long bank of windows at the front of the hotel. Michigan Avenue was deserted, and only a couple of die hard taxis were running. The snow and ice were already so heavy she couldn’t see across to the other side of the street. The wind gusted in a confusion of swirls so the flakes seemed to come from all directions, and mounds of snow were beginning to form in front of the doors and windows. If she didn’t get transferred to another hotel soon, she’d be sleeping in the lobby.
“Thank you, Marco. I’ll go get my things ready for the bellman. I think the sooner I leave, the better.”
He heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Ms.—”
“That won’t be necessary, Marco,” a deep voice said from behind her. “I’ll take care of everything Ms. Carson needs.”
Chapter Two
Kate turned and looked at the face of one the sexiest men she’d ever seen. He was tall. Tall enough to where she still had to look up to meet his eyes, even though the heels she wore made her just shy of six feet. His hair was dark and curled slightly around his ears and over his collar, giving him a somewhat boyish look, but the heat in his eyes was all man. They were dark, like chocolate sin, and they took every inch of her in slowly. His face was shadowed with stubble and he was dressed casually—a cream colored cable knit sweater, jeans and boots—though she could tell the quality was very expensive.
“Very good, Mr. Worth,” Marco said. “Thank you.”
Kate arched her brow as she took in the relaxed appearance of one of the wealthiest men in the world. No one knew very much about Derek Worth. He was considered somewhat of a recluse and a renegade. There were very few photographs of him in circulation, he liked to do all of his business behind closed doors, and all his charitable contributions were anonymous. The man was an enigma, and it was no wonder she hadn’t recognized him. She also very seriously doubted he would be able to handle her transfer to another hotel with as much efficiency as Marco could. Mr. Worth hardly looked like the kind of man to see to such trivial tasks.
“That’s very kind of you, Mr. Worth, but I think it would be for the best if—”
Her words trailed off as he steered her away from the front desk and the ears that were only to happy to listen to their conversation.
“I very seriously doubt you want to get out in that storm when I have a perfectly reasonable solution to your problem,” he said, direct and to the point, like a man who was used to giving orders and having them obeyed.
He’d taken her to a secluded alcove away from the elevators and the other guests and backed her into the space so she had no choice but to be on the defensive.
“What I want is not an option, since I’m stuck here in Chicago instead of spending Christmas with my family. Your hotel is full, which I’d think from a financial standpoint would make you giddy with excitement.”
Kate pulled her arm from his grasp and took a step back, lifting her chin so he’d know she wasn’t intimidated by his high handed tactics. She worked with lawyers on a daily basis—some of them the very bottom of the feeding pool as far as humanity went—so she could certainly handle a reclusive playboy billionaire.
“I’m positively gleeful,” he said, quirking his lips so a hint of dimple showed in his cheek.
God, she loved dimples . It seemed utterly unfair that he’d have them on top of everything else he had going for him. She sighed and tried to move away from the wall, but he stepped with her so her path was blocked.
“Mr.
Kate turned and looked out the long bank of windows at the front of the hotel. Michigan Avenue was deserted, and only a couple of die hard taxis were running. The snow and ice were already so heavy she couldn’t see across to the other side of the street. The wind gusted in a confusion of swirls so the flakes seemed to come from all directions, and mounds of snow were beginning to form in front of the doors and windows. If she didn’t get transferred to another hotel soon, she’d be sleeping in the lobby.
“Thank you, Marco. I’ll go get my things ready for the bellman. I think the sooner I leave, the better.”
He heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Ms.—”
“That won’t be necessary, Marco,” a deep voice said from behind her. “I’ll take care of everything Ms. Carson needs.”
Chapter Two
Kate turned and looked at the face of one the sexiest men she’d ever seen. He was tall. Tall enough to where she still had to look up to meet his eyes, even though the heels she wore made her just shy of six feet. His hair was dark and curled slightly around his ears and over his collar, giving him a somewhat boyish look, but the heat in his eyes was all man. They were dark, like chocolate sin, and they took every inch of her in slowly. His face was shadowed with stubble and he was dressed casually—a cream colored cable knit sweater, jeans and boots—though she could tell the quality was very expensive.
“Very good, Mr. Worth,” Marco said. “Thank you.”
Kate arched her brow as she took in the relaxed appearance of one of the wealthiest men in the world. No one knew very much about Derek Worth. He was considered somewhat of a recluse and a renegade. There were very few photographs of him in circulation, he liked to do all of his business behind closed doors, and all his charitable contributions were anonymous. The man was an enigma, and it was no wonder she hadn’t recognized him. She also very seriously doubted he would be able to handle her transfer to another hotel with as much efficiency as Marco could. Mr. Worth hardly looked like the kind of man to see to such trivial tasks.
“That’s very kind of you, Mr. Worth, but I think it would be for the best if—”
Her words trailed off as he steered her away from the front desk and the ears that were only to happy to listen to their conversation.
“I very seriously doubt you want to get out in that storm when I have a perfectly reasonable solution to your problem,” he said, direct and to the point, like a man who was used to giving orders and having them obeyed.
He’d taken her to a secluded alcove away from the elevators and the other guests and backed her into the space so she had no choice but to be on the defensive.
“What I want is not an option, since I’m stuck here in Chicago instead of spending Christmas with my family. Your hotel is full, which I’d think from a financial standpoint would make you giddy with excitement.”
Kate pulled her arm from his grasp and took a step back, lifting her chin so he’d know she wasn’t intimidated by his high handed tactics. She worked with lawyers on a daily basis—some of them the very bottom of the feeding pool as far as humanity went—so she could certainly handle a reclusive playboy billionaire.
“I’m positively gleeful,” he said, quirking his lips so a hint of dimple showed in his cheek.
God, she loved dimples . It seemed utterly unfair that he’d have them on top of everything else he had going for him. She sighed and tried to move away from the wall, but he stepped with her so her path was blocked.
“Mr.
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