The Natural [Answers 3] by Christelle Mirin

Chapter One
     
    Dawn Holiday strode through the front door of Answers Spa, her heels clicking loudly like a staccato back beat to the sound of the wheels of her overnight case rolling on the terra-cotta-toned tile floor of the entry hall.
    She slid her sunglasses from her face and tucked them into her large Coach purse, which was slung over her left shoulder. She jerked her head slightly, slinging her blonde tresses back over her shoulder, and held her chin high. Like a woman on a mission, Dawn was hell-bent on getting this weekend retreat started. “Hello?” she called, passing a sitting room on her left and continuing down the hall. “Is anyone here?” She was early, but that was no matter. In her mind, being early was being on time. If she was on time, she was late. That philosophy had served her well in landing the job of executive secretary for one of the moguls on the Strip, even though she was only twenty-five and had little experience. Just because she had inherited more money than she could ever need didn’t mean she didn’t want to have a career. That was why she worked, and she was good at what she did. Dawn was a determined girl, and she was here now at Answers to get some experience in another realm. A sensual one.
    A door opened on her right, and a nice-looking, Latino man stepped into the hall. “Can I help you?” he asked, looking up at her.
    Dawn stopped and gave him a half-smile. At five foot nine, wearing three-inch heels, she towered over him. “I’m Dawn Holiday, and I’ve got a reservation for this weekend. And you are?”
    He wasn’t really short by any means, maybe five foot six or so, but still he had to tilt his head back a bit to meet her eyes. “Welcome, Miss Holiday. I’m Billy Deleon. I’m sorry our regular head of operations isn’t here at the moment, but Adam has the weekend off.” He reached for her hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing it lightly. “I’m very happy to meet you, and I can lead you where you need to go. If you’ll follow me, we’ll get you settled right in for your weekend retreat. Here, let me take your case.” He reached for the handle of her overnight bag and drew it toward him.
    She tilted her head slightly. “Will you be one of my counselors, Mister Deleon?” He wasn’t really her type, but he was interesting. Dark hair and dark eyes, his skin was the color of creamy coffee. He would be a delightful difference if she spent any quality time with him.
    His dark eyes glittered. “I’m afraid not, Miss Holiday. I’m not scheduled for your sessions, but I assure you, the counselors who are assigned to you will be very knowledgeable. Come, we will get you started.” He turned and walked down the hall, beckoning to her while he looked over his shoulder.
    Dawn ran a hand down her powder-blue skirt then shifted her purse on her shoulder and followed him deeper into the building. “How large is this complex?” she asked when they turned left and entered another hallway. She thought she saw at least six doors that would open off this hall.
    Billy Deleon turned right, leading her into yet another hall. “It is quite large. We’ve recently added on to the complex due to the increase in clientele. We can accommodate twelve clients at any one time, and we have multiple areas for counseling sessions. Here we are,” he said, stopping in front of a set of double doors on her left.
    When he opened the doors and stepped inside, Dawn smiled. She entered the suite, glad she had booked one of the more expensive ones. It was beautiful and would suit her perfectly. “Very good,” she said, walking into the suite with long strides. She dropped her purse on the table that sat against the back of a long, pure white couch. She moved toward the floor-to-ceiling windows directly across from the couch and looked out at the barren desert beyond. “You said you could accommodate up to twelve clients, but I didn’t see anyone else when I arrived or while you were