who I was?”
“No. Just a vague comment that you aren’t who she thinks and that she should be careful around you.”
“Why the hell did you do that?” Rex practically growled.
“Because I like Rebecca and I don’t want to see her hurt. And once you’re done here and gone, I’d don’t want to see her left with a broken heart. She’s suffered enough loss recently.”
Rex scowled and turned on his heel, determined to do damage control.
But as he strode out of the office, he mentally added Benjamin Miller to the top of his
valued
people
list.
Who is Rex Keene?
The question had plagued Rebecca all weekend, and it was all-consuming as she walked into her office Monday morning. She’d speculated about all kinds of things over the weekend, especially after doing Internet searches to see if she could learn anything about a renowned chef named Rex Keene and finding nothing. Her best guess was that he was a security expert hired by the new owners to check into the goings-on behind the scenes at the hotel.
She set her things on her desk and took off her coat.
“Where the hell have you been?”
Chapter 13
Rebecca glanced around to see Rex’s tall, broad-shouldered frame standing in her doorway, his face set in a scowl.
“I just got here,” she answered.
He moved toward her. “I told you I wanted to talk on Friday, and then you disappeared for two days.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “I work Monday to Friday. Did you want me to just hang around all weekend to be at your beck and call?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I wanted.”
The heat emanating from him as he closed in on her sent her stomach fluttering. Then his arms went around her and his lips captured hers in a consuming kiss. She tried to stay firm, but the feel of his persuasive lips … the warmth of his solid body against hers … drained her of the will to resist.
She responded to his kiss, murmuring softly as his tongue swept inside her mouth, his hand gliding down her spine, then pressing on the small of her back, pulling her closer to him.
But the feel of his masculine reaction to her shocked her back to reality. She pressed her hand flat against his chest.
He released her lips.
“I have work to do.” Her words came out a little too deep and throaty.
“So do I, but this is more important.” He stroked her hair behind her ear. “I told you we had to talk, and I intend for us to do that right now. But first, I want you to tell me what Benjamin Miller told you about me on Friday.”
She frowned. “Why do you think he told me anything about you?”
“Because I confronted him. He wouldn’t tell me anything except that he cautioned you against seeing me.”
“Then why are you asking me?” She tried to move away, but he grasped her arms.
“Because I want to know what you think. I don’t want you to be afraid to be involved with me.”
She shook her head, wanting to tell him that she didn’t want to be afraid either. That she wanted to fall in love with him—well, she’d already done that—and wanted to know they had a future together, but that so many things told her she would only be hurt if she followed that path.
“But I am afraid. I’m afraid because you’re keeping secrets from me. And secrets are never good. If you have to hide who you are, then …” She shook her head. “Look, I’m sure you have your reasons, but I just can’t …” Tears welled in her eyes and she blinked them back. The thought of losing what she had with him, even now, was painful. If she allowed herself to get more involved with him … when he left … which she was sure he would do, given that he was simply here on a temporary assignment … it would be devastating.
He tightened his grip on her arms. “But I don’t want there to be secrets between us. I want to tell you—”
“Oh, excuse me.”
Rebecca’s gaze jerked to the door to see Gretchen standing there. She drew away from Rex’s grip and put a few feet of
“No. Just a vague comment that you aren’t who she thinks and that she should be careful around you.”
“Why the hell did you do that?” Rex practically growled.
“Because I like Rebecca and I don’t want to see her hurt. And once you’re done here and gone, I’d don’t want to see her left with a broken heart. She’s suffered enough loss recently.”
Rex scowled and turned on his heel, determined to do damage control.
But as he strode out of the office, he mentally added Benjamin Miller to the top of his
valued
people
list.
Who is Rex Keene?
The question had plagued Rebecca all weekend, and it was all-consuming as she walked into her office Monday morning. She’d speculated about all kinds of things over the weekend, especially after doing Internet searches to see if she could learn anything about a renowned chef named Rex Keene and finding nothing. Her best guess was that he was a security expert hired by the new owners to check into the goings-on behind the scenes at the hotel.
She set her things on her desk and took off her coat.
“Where the hell have you been?”
Chapter 13
Rebecca glanced around to see Rex’s tall, broad-shouldered frame standing in her doorway, his face set in a scowl.
“I just got here,” she answered.
He moved toward her. “I told you I wanted to talk on Friday, and then you disappeared for two days.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “I work Monday to Friday. Did you want me to just hang around all weekend to be at your beck and call?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I wanted.”
The heat emanating from him as he closed in on her sent her stomach fluttering. Then his arms went around her and his lips captured hers in a consuming kiss. She tried to stay firm, but the feel of his persuasive lips … the warmth of his solid body against hers … drained her of the will to resist.
She responded to his kiss, murmuring softly as his tongue swept inside her mouth, his hand gliding down her spine, then pressing on the small of her back, pulling her closer to him.
But the feel of his masculine reaction to her shocked her back to reality. She pressed her hand flat against his chest.
He released her lips.
“I have work to do.” Her words came out a little too deep and throaty.
“So do I, but this is more important.” He stroked her hair behind her ear. “I told you we had to talk, and I intend for us to do that right now. But first, I want you to tell me what Benjamin Miller told you about me on Friday.”
She frowned. “Why do you think he told me anything about you?”
“Because I confronted him. He wouldn’t tell me anything except that he cautioned you against seeing me.”
“Then why are you asking me?” She tried to move away, but he grasped her arms.
“Because I want to know what you think. I don’t want you to be afraid to be involved with me.”
She shook her head, wanting to tell him that she didn’t want to be afraid either. That she wanted to fall in love with him—well, she’d already done that—and wanted to know they had a future together, but that so many things told her she would only be hurt if she followed that path.
“But I am afraid. I’m afraid because you’re keeping secrets from me. And secrets are never good. If you have to hide who you are, then …” She shook her head. “Look, I’m sure you have your reasons, but I just can’t …” Tears welled in her eyes and she blinked them back. The thought of losing what she had with him, even now, was painful. If she allowed herself to get more involved with him … when he left … which she was sure he would do, given that he was simply here on a temporary assignment … it would be devastating.
He tightened his grip on her arms. “But I don’t want there to be secrets between us. I want to tell you—”
“Oh, excuse me.”
Rebecca’s gaze jerked to the door to see Gretchen standing there. She drew away from Rex’s grip and put a few feet of
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