Hush

“What?”

“The smell?”

“That’s a mix of eucalyptus and chamomile. For relaxation.” She breathed deep, putting the scent to the test as she turned back to face him.

“Ah.” He faced the wall of cascading water that made up the right side of the reception area.

“The water recycles,” she said. “It’s tested daily for any impurities. You could drink it with no ill effects.”

“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

Caroline King walked into the room. She smiled at Piper, but when her gaze shifted to Trace, the smile changed. Piper had seen that reaction before. Trace was a very handsome man, but more than that, he had the kind of charisma that seemed to affect women in a very fundamental way. Fundamental, that was cute. The truth was, most women who saw Trace wanted to jump his bones.

Maybe there was a vaccine for that. She’d be first in line with her sleeve rolled up. Fact: the chemistry between them was undeniable. Now, how could she use it to her advantage?

“Piper has an appointment this evening,” Caroline said, after she’d introduced herself to Trace. “Why don’t you let me make one for you at the same time?”

“I’m sure Mr. Winslow has better things to do,” Piper said.

Trace turned away from the reception desk and gave her a smile that made her teeth clench. “I understand there are couples’ massages?”

“Oh,” Caroline said, tearing her gaze from Trace to look at her boss. “Of course.”

“That’s true,” Piper said, not at all ready to play this game. She needed time to think. To strategize. “They’re for couples.”

His smug smile said too much. “What other massages do you have?”

Caroline handed him the brochure they’d gotten from the printer only three days ago. While he looked at it, Caroline gave her a questioning look.

Piper answered with a small shake of the head. She wasn’t about to go into her history with Trace with any of the staff, no matter how much she liked them. Only one person knew about Trace and that was Lisa. But even Lisa didn’t know the whole truth.

“How about this sports massage?”

“It’s wonderful,” Caroline said. “If you have any specific areas that are giving you trouble, just tell your masseuse.”

“Six o’clock?”

Caroline smiled. “We’ll be ready for you.”

Trace nodded, then turned back to Piper. “That should give us enough time to finish the tour and with the CPA.”

“Thank you, Caroline. See you later.” Looking at Trace, she said, “You can go through the rest of the spa when it’s time for your appointment. I’ve got bartenders to interview before we can go over the accounting.”

He nodded, walking with her into the hall. “What was all that about the couples’ massage?”

“What?”

“Are we talking about breaking laws here? Is that why you didn’t want to take one with me?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s for lovers, okay? Not people you can barely tolerate.”

“Dost thou protest too much?”

“You wish, you perv.”

“Excuse me? Pot. Kettle?”

“Nothing in this hotel is illegal. Not at the pool, not in the gym and not in the spa.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because I’m not a madam.”

“Then what’s the problem if there’s no line-crossing?”

She moved close to him, hating that she had to look up to meet his eyes. “Well, this explains a lot.”

He raised his brow.

“Lovers, Trace, are two people who care about each other more than they care for themselves. You can look it up if you don’t believe me.”

He took a step closer to her, invading her space. But she’d be damned if she’d back away.

“And you’d know about that, how?” he said dryly. “Oh, that’s right. Your latest rock-and-roll boy. I hear he has a really big…microphone.”

Piper trembled as she clamped her hands to her sides. “Have all the massages you want. Do it with a poodle for all I care. Do whatever you want, I don’t give a damn.”

“You’d miss me if I were gone.”

“Let’s try it and find out, shall we?”

He laughed. “God, you are a piece of work. You can take the woman out of the tabloids, but you can’t take the tabloids out of the woman.”

“You really don’t know the first thing about me, do you?” she asked. And then she turned on her heel and walked to the elevator. It was still open, and she pressed the button before he could join her. When the doors closed, she slumped against the wall. She wasn’t going to survive it. Not for a week.

He was her poison, her worst nightmare, and he knew more about making her insane than anyone, including her father.

TRACE DIDN’T CALL the elevator back. He ran his hand through his hair, annoyed that he’d baited Piper like that. She drove him completely insane. Who did she think she was trying to kid?

He’d known her for too long to buy into this game she was playing. She might be able to fool the media, but there was no way Trace was buying into her act.

The hotel was a game, pure and simple. A way to stick it to Daddy. Just like the musician boyfriends, the drugs and the parties, the ridiculous spectacle she made of herself. He’d seen the pictures, seen her in front of the paparazzi. She could have been so much more. But she preferred the attention, the notoriety. She had the makings of an incredible woman, but she just couldn’t break free from her image.

What he didn’t understand was why he cared. Why he still felt compelled to needle her, to make her squirm. Shit. Bad imagery. Damn.

THE INTERVIEW for the new bartender had gone well, and once they checked out Shandi’s references, she’d be a welcome addition. Just before four, Piper was in her office, going over the material the CPA would need for his meeting with Trace. She had no intention of staying.

Thankfully, her assistant, Angela, was so well informed that Piper wouldn’t be missed. She could tell Angela was confused about her skipping the meeting, but it didn’t matter. Piper had to get out, get away. There were a million things she could have done, but she wanted nothing to do with any of them. The second she could, she grabbed her bag and went down to the garage. She wasn’t sure where she was going, just anywhere but here. Anywhere Trace wasn’t.