12 Stocking Stuffers by Beverly Barton

Author:Beverly Barton [Barton, Beverly]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2007-06-15T05:00:00+00:00

7

ERIC FELT LIKE A TEENAGER picking up his date for the prom. He had to acknowledge, however, that his anxiety about developing an attraction to Cindy Warren had increased tenfold since the tree incident in the lobby. The woman moved him…it was an unsettling sensation.

During the afternoon, he’d stumbled onto more disturbing aspects of the hotel operation. On the two floors with the most conference-room space, there were three bathrooms marked Men, Women and Other. Scary. And instead of the conference rooms bearing regal names, they were dubbed the “Phenomenon Room” and the “Dimension Chamber.”

A quick look at the balance sheet had revealed the chandelier was booked at a legitimate-sounding twenty-eight thousand dollars. So why had he penned on the postcard to his father: Dad, wondering if you can help me dig up information about the chandelier in this photo—possibly French, nineteen-twenties? I’ll call you soon. And why did he feel as if every minute spent with Cindy Warren would suck him deeper into a quagmire of right and wrong?

The door opened and his anxiety turned to puzzlement. Manny, not Cindy, stood in the doorway. “Hello,” he ventured.

The blond man smiled tightly. “Cindy will be ready in a couple of minutes. Come on in.”

Bemused, Eric followed him down a short hallway to a surprisingly spacious sitting room tastefully decorated in a celestial motif of blues and golds.

“Have a seat,” Manny invited, making no move to sit himself.

“Thanks, I’ll stand,” Eric replied, once again wondering if the concierge was smitten with his boss. Closer scrutiny revealed a red lipstick mark on the man’s cheek, eliciting an unreasonable stab of jealousy in Eric. Did Cindy have romantic feelings for her employee? It didn’t seem likely considering the way she’d responded to his kiss last night, but what if she was just trying to butter him up after all? Questions chewed at Eric, renewing his resolve to resist her charms, especially in light of the troubling revelations about how business was conducted at the Chandelier House.

Manny glanced over Eric’s tux and pursed his lips. “Nice threads.”

“Thanks,” Eric said with a nod. “Yours, too.” The subject of clothing reminded Eric of the bizarre incident he’d been meaning to report, but he hadn’t wanted to bother Cindy. He lowered his voice. “Listen, Mr. Oliver—”

“I’m ready.”

Cindy floated down the hallway toward them, her beauty taking Eric’s breath away. The black dress covered her gleaming shoulders and neckline modestly, but hugged her curves, confirming his earlier suspicions of what lay beneath the plain green and navy uniform she wore—a shapely bust, trim waist, flaring hips. A mid-thigh slit revealed a long, lean leg encased in shimmering black stockings. Eric’s body hardened, reminding him again of a high-school date.

Their gazes locked and his tongue grew thicker. Translucent, faceted earrings hung from her small ears like huge raindrops. With her hair skimmed back from her face, her lovely features were brought into relief. Her green-gray eyes shone luminously, set off by thick dark lashes. She winked, surprising him, and he smiled in return.

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