Natural Blond Instincts Read online

  THE NEXT MORNING Kenna had just arrived in her office—at eight o’clock sharp, amazingly enough—when Wes appeared in her doorway.

  “Next round?” she guessed.

  “I read your report on the renovations, regarding the progress we’ve made—or not, in this case—staying on budget.”

  It shouldn’t have given her a little thrill, that he’d read her work. “Did you?”

  “And the thing is, a lot of the plans changed in progress. Your father upped the amount of art he wanted purchased, for example, as well as increasing the number of antiques in each room. Those two things alone added considerable cost, and he didn’t seem to mind.”

  “It seems frivolous, given our other policies.”

  “Such as?”

  “Such as no price breaks for locals. No specials in the restaurants. No package deals—”

  “How does that relate to the art purchasing?”

  “I’m just saying, we’re overcharging our local residents simply because someone wanted an extra picture on the wall, a picture that cost more than a small fortune. It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “We’re not catering to the locals.”

  “That’s awfully snobbish.”

  “Kenna.” He laughed. Shook his head. “Have you looked at this place? By its very nature, it’s snobbish.”

  Before she could answer, a woman came to the door. Kenna recognized her as Carrie, one of the security managers.

  “Our new equipment has arrived,” she said.

  “New equipment?” Kenna asked.

  “We ordered all new security cameras, radios and such. The latest in hotel technology,” Wes explained. “It’s been back-ordered for months. The employees have all been to classes and training, and they can’t wait to dig in.”

  “Thought you’d want to look over the inventory first,” Carrie said. “Before I alert the rest of security.”

  “I do, thanks.”

  “I do, too.” Kenna smiled into Wes’s face, which had a priceless expression of bewilderment and vexation. He’d have liked to do this alone.

  Too bad. He moved to the door and so did Kenna, meaning there was a lot of full-body contact as they squeezed through the narrow opening.

  “Kenna—”

  “Wes—” Pretending that being plastered against him in the doorway had absolutely no effect on her, when oddly enough, it did, she set a hand on his arm and imitated his warning tone. Beneath her fingers, his muscles were smooth and hard, his skin warm. This close, he seemed even larger, and oddly, not so much intimating as…

  Yikes.

  Just a little…sexy.

  She pulled her hand back.

  His gaze remained on hers. “Are you coming with me to get out of reading all those reports on your desk?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Again his lips quirked. He was going to have to stop doing that, because watching them move like that made her wonder what else his lips did well.

  Oh boy. Time to go.

  “Fine,” he said. “We’ll go together.”

  “Fine.”

  “In the name of orientation.”

  Whatever he wanted to call it, as long as she got her way.

  WES NODDED to employees here and there, as he and Kenna made their way to security, but, despite all the distractions, he found himself watching Kenna walk.

  And it was quite a walk. Every step of the way, down the long hallway, then out into the reception area, down the elevator, over priceless carpets and past impressive paintings, through the huge glass doors into the early dazzling San Diego summer sun and onto the patio decking, he watched.

  While telling himself he shouldn’t.

  “Beautiful day,” she said when they went through a courtyard, beyond which came the scent of chlorine. The security rooms were just beyond the pool area. “I’d still prefer the beach, though. Give me the hot sand and pounding surf any day over the scent of pool.”

  He lifted his eyes off her legs, which were revealed by the long slit in the skirt with every step she took. Did she know her hips swung to and fro in the most hypnotic way? That she was highly entertaining in a way he couldn’t explain, and he didn’t want to miss anything? He shook his head to clear it. “The beach. Yeah, I was there at the crack of dawn, and it was something.”

  “What were you doing? Running?”

  “Surfing.”

  She glanced at him over her shoulder. “You surf?”

  “Is that so strange?”

  She laughed. “I’m just trying to picture you without the tie.”

  “Who says I surf without it?”

  She stared at him, then laughed again. “You’re very different than I thought you’d be, Weston Roth.”

  And so was she. They moved close together to make their way through a narrow walkway. Strands of her long blond hair seemed to catch him, tug at him. Annoying as hell.

  Worse, she’d dressed like some movie star out of the 1930s. Who could have guessed a long-sleeved blouse and long, long skirt could be so sexy? It might have been the fact that the blouse was sheer, showing a peek-a-boo hint of something lacy beneath.

  They came to the pool. Because it was early yet, no one was in the water. Two little girls, wearing matching pink polka-dot bathing suits and inflatable arm rings stood near the edge, screeching at each other.

  “Mom said!”

  “No, she didn’t!” The left one added a shove to the screech.

  Her sister shoved back.

  Kenna stepped forward. “Hey, there’s no lifeguard on duty. Where’s your mother?”

  The girls paid her no attention. Wes watched them screeching and shoving, and wondered if all little children were devils incarnate. These two especially, as with each push, they brought each other closer to the edge of the pool.

  His fearless new partner stepped close, right on the very edge of the tile herself.

  He stepped close, too, and tried to warn her. “Uh…Kenna? Bad idea—”

  “Where are the pool employees? These girls can’t be out here alone.” Stepping between the kids, she bent down to their level. “Where’s your mom?” she repeated.

  “Mom said!” the one on the right said again at an incredible decibel level.

  “No, she didn’t!” The one on the left reached around Kenna and added another push.

  Wes winced. “Kenna—”

  With absolute irritation, she whirled on him. “I just need a minute, Wes. Can you give me that?”

  He looked down at the edge of the pool, almost directly beneath her feet, and then into her fierce eyes.

  Swallowing the dire warning he’d been about to offer, he stood back, calculated the splash level, and then stepped back another few feet. “You know what?” he said. “Take all the minutes you want.”

  “Thank you.” Kenna turned back to the children. “Now,” she said, with the patience of a harassed teacher on a Friday afternoon. “I want the two of you to— Hey!”

  One of the little girls stopped pushing her sister and pushed Kenna.

  “Stop that,” she said sternly.

  The other sister apparently liked this new target, too, and joined in the action, adding her weight to the pushing match.

  And that’s when it all went bad.

  Arms flailing, Kenna flew backward.

  Right into the pool.

  9

  SURFACING, Kenna blew her soggy hair out of her face. Furious, and more than a little embarrassed, she glared at her target. Not the two horrified children, but Weston Roth. “Don’t even think about laughing.”

  “I wouldn’t dare.”

  The two girls, crying now, ran for their mother, who’d just come onto the deck with an armful of towels.

  Nice of her to show up.

  Kenna’s teeth started to chatter, because the contrast between the air temperature and the water temperature was so great and she swam for the side of the pool. That’s when it hit her that Wes stood a good ten feet back.

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