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She’d uests, wondering what they’d be like, whether they’d return It was good to be getting back to business During Jauests and let their staff go It had been toofor Ja on her own
Erin ed what she had still to do before five o’clock Yep, despite her mini-breakdown over the uest was punctual, she’d have ti , playtime and bath As she made her way back downstairs, her feet cushioned by the ornate carpet runner that snaked fro happy for the first ti to look up after all
Saasped a little at the old fa as he had during the four-plus hour drive froly slow-to-heal body any favors He should have flown into Reno, but then he would have been stuck with a driver he neither knew nor trusted So Sa driven the whole distance He straightened, breathing through the pain and slowly stretching out his muscles
“You all right, sir?” his driver asked, co around the side of the car
“I’ll be fine, Ray, thanks I should have listened to you and let you stopthe way—for your sake if not for mine”
Ray cocked an eyebrow “Was that an admission of fault, sir?”
“You knoas, now shut up and helpfroh Even when Sam had been at his worst, and there’d been many days like that, Ray hadat hiether, Sam considered Ray a friend as rateful to have a friend with him at this particular moment as he braced himself for what he was about to do
Salish-style country house ahead of him Two-storied, the concrete stucco exterior hosted roas a little unkempt, as if it hadn’t been pruned in a while In fact, the whole property had the air of solect
He shook his head slightly It wasn’t the house that interested him, and he couldn’t care less about hoell it was enda
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you for a day or two, sir?” Ray asked as he handed Sa and laptop case
“I don’t need babysitting,” Sam responded, a little sharply He closed his eyes a hed “I’m sorry, Ray What I meant to say is, no, thank you I’ll be fine You head on off and go vacation at your daughter’s as you arranged I’ll call you when I need you Hopefully that won’t be for a while”
“Sure thing”
Ray gave hiuided the car around the circle of the drive and out onto the road Alone now in the driveway, Sa and started to walk toward the lodge just as a tall, slender woman with short dark hair opened the wide front door and stepped out onto the shaded portico
The private investigator he’d hired to track her down had failed toas
“Good afternoon,” she said, “Welcoe You must be Mr Thornton”
Saripped the handle of his carry bag so tightly itHe was not attracted to this woainst the hot thud of desire that beat through his veins, hard But his body, traitorous thing that it as on fire Flanored now for so long that he thought he’d grown nuly numb
“Mr Thornton?”
He was caught by the worried look in her eyes—eyes that were a chocolate-brown so deep a ave himself a swift mental shake He was not attracted to this woman Not on any level He would not allow it
“Yes, I’m Sam Thornton Please, call me Sam”