Mad for you in Madrid (Building Love Book 3) Page 4

  “Great,” Lori said, forcing her voice to sound enthusiastic. I’ll never get time off from work.

  “Interestingly,” Ty said, “the job is not for my company. I gave your firm’s name to one of my business partners. His new construction project will be finished in a matter of weeks. He wants to get publicity started right away.”

  “Should I contact your office to get his information?”

  “No need. Daniel Vega is around here somewhere.”

  Lori’s stomach tightened. Daniel Vega? The gorgeous guy I left at the cashier’s station? She glanced at Cat’s elegant wristwatch. Upon seeing the time, Lori’s throat clenched tighter than her stomach. Good lord, I left him there for over half an hour!

  “Daniel is easy to spot,” Cat offered. “He’s tall, blond, and probably has a crowd of women hanging off his elbow.”

  Lori’s eyes widened.

  Cat laughed. “He’s the bachelor du jour from what I hear.” Her laughter blended with her husband’s. “If you can’t find him in this crowd, call me. I’ll get you in touch.”

  “I’ll see if I can get a hold of him,” Lori said, her voice wobbly.

  “Good. If you’re successful,” Cat continued, “go play at the gaming tables. Luck is with you.” She gave Lori a playful wink.

  Lori smiled wanly, gave Cat a gentle hug, and politely took her leave. She hurried back toward the cashier, knowing in her heart Daniel was no longer there. When she reached her destination, she knew for sure. “Excuse me,” she said to a cashier, “do you remember the tall blond man you were cashing out? The one with thirty-thousand dollars’ worth of chips?”

  The woman in a red uniform nodded. “Yes.”

  Lori exhaled in relief. “He’s waiting for me. Do you know where he went?”

  “Sorry, I have no idea. Although I did see him hang around for quite a while.” The cashier glanced at her watch. “He left a few minutes ago.”

  Lori’s face flushed. “How did he, um, look?”

  “Pissed.”

  “Um, thanks,” Lori replied, slinking away. Great.

  How was this possible? She had managed to piss off her mother, a belligerent drunk guy, and Daniel, all within thirty minutes. Worse, she and Daniel might be working together. Real soon. I think I just crapped out.

  Chapter 6

  Daniel stormed out of Orland’s event with his fingernails embedded in his palms. He had waited for Lori for almost half an hour, only to be stood up. Why had she left? What was her problem, anyway? Her unexpected exit was mind blowing. He had been a perfect gentleman all night. Well, I did hit on her. A little. It’s only natural. I am a man, after all. What had she expected, a monk? Did monks typically attend black tie affairs? If so, did they then seek out women in tight-fitting strapless dresses?

  The minute he’d spotted Lori he’d been interested. Dark hair, attractively piled on top of her head, framed a pretty face. Big brown eyes, the color rich and deep, drew him in like never before. As did her expression. A combination of wonderment and shyness. The shyness had attracted him the most. It had brought about an unknown desire to protect.

  Lori had watched the craps game with obvious excitement. Equally obvious was the fact she was too timid to play. Very different from the women who pursued him as if they were toreadors, and he a bull to be conquered. Women were always charging after him. In fact, a bevy of women offered themselves up to him nightly. A blonde he’d slept with a month ago texted him an hour before the Foundation’s event. Actually, the blonde had sexted him. The picture he’d received from her was outrageous. The photo a clear shot of her practically naked butt, red lace thong pulled almost all the way down. Sure, the image managed to stir his pants. What he wanted, however, was a woman who could stir his brain.

  The affair with the blonde had ended the moment the sun came up. At least in his opinion. He wasn’t the one sending photos of his ass. For all he cared, she could forward those photos to her next conquest, whoever that may be. He had already moved on. As he always did with the women he slept with.

  For the life of him, he couldn’t remember the blonde’s name. Something starting with the letter ‘S.’ She was a reporter for an online gossip site he also couldn’t remember the name of. His brother, Elias, had introduced them at a bar before going after his own conquest. Usually, Daniel left all the lascivious activities to Elias. That night, however, Daniel had felt particularly vulnerable for companionship. His mother had attempted yet another berating. After shrieking at him to get married for the umpteenth time, Daniel had politely hung up. Having a one-night stand had been a much needed distraction from family drama. A passive-aggressive move against his mother’s wedding wishes. Typically, only Elias boarded the passive-aggressive train.

  Whether women were attracted to Daniel’s considerable wealth or his well-crafted dapper appearance, he didn’t know and didn’t care. Either way, a midnight rendezvous didn’t call for deep commitment. At least not from him. Female hangers-on were expendable, no matter how good they looked. He traveled the world for business. Who had time for commitments?

  Lori, however, had seemed different. Hardly the type to be sexting anyone. Which was both good and bad. He liked her class, of course. As a man, however, he would not have refused a sexual offer.

  Thoughts of her ass wandered through his mind involuntarily. The brunette beauty bending over, twisting her head around to smile at him as she tugged her thong lower . . .

  Had Lori thought about him in the same sexual way? Or in any personal way? Clearly she had no idea who he was, beyond their brief meeting. Her entry-level questions, and lack of gushing, had made that obvious. At first, her genuine interest was a boost to his ego—a sign that someone liked him for his personality. Not his power. Not his money. Or even his semi-celebrity status. That very same notion, however, was what had hurt him so much when she’d walked away. Without deigning to give him an honest dismissal. Lori’s stealth rejection had cut him to his core. For once, he had thought a woman had been attracted to him as a person, rather than Daniel Vega, multimillion-dollar hotel construction magnate. Even her name, Lori, was down-to-earth. No airs. No subterfuge. Man, was I wrong.

  It was easy to see why he was so pissed off when she walked away. Leaving him with nothing more than her lie. Tossing a flimsy excuse in his direction like a bone to a hungry dog. She must have thought he was pathetic. Willing to settle for any scrap.

  Daniel’s fingers curled tighter in his palms. Breathing deeply, he unclenched his fists. Drama. He hated it. If he wanted drama, he didn’t need Lori to indulge. His own family played up their soap-opera roles very nicely.

  Running his own business, being his own mental island, was the secret to both his commercial and emotional success. Even better, in commerce he could be outright aggressive. Free from worry about whether his opponent was going to cry and call him a bad son. Commerce didn’t bring guilt. It brought wealth. Wealth brought independence—the best goal of all. Life was about business, not people.

  The Grande Belle’s valet staff signaled to Daniel’s limo driver. Daniel climbed into the back seat the moment the car pulled up. He sat with windows rolled up, music off, and his smartphone silent. The famous sights and sounds of the Las Vegas Strip became nothing more than a blur as the vehicle sped away. Not even the limo’s display of alcoholic beverages enticed him.

  He tried to shake unwanted thoughts out of his mind. Self-torture was not his thing. He’d forget about this night as if it never happened. Besides, the irony was way too irritating. He couldn’t get rid of the women he didn’t want. He didn’t get the woman he did want.

  Never, in all his years, had a woman lost interest in him. Lori being the first time in his whole life it had happened. Hilarious it happened to him now. Ha ha. He’d make sure it wouldn’t happen again.

  He had driven away from the casin
o with a valuable cashier’s check and a bad attitude. His thirty-thousand-dollar win, thanks to Lori, was shallow consolation. He’d be writing a check for the same amount back to Orland Charitable Foundation anyway.

  Tomorrow, he would be on a plane to Madrid. Good. Distractions from women weren’t going to get his Spanish hotel project up and running any faster. The property his company was going to rehab was a complete dump. Maybe an entire gut-job needed to happen. A tough possibility to handle, given the need to preserve the building’s hundred-plus-year-old history. Historic restoration fused with modern improvements would take a whole lot of effort. More importantly, it would require a large amount of cash.

  After such a substantial output, a speedy occupation by paying guests would be critical. Which was why he had asked Ty Orland for the name of a reputable public relations company here in the United States. He needed someone who understood the American market, and Ty’s success meant he knew people who could get the job done. Planning for the future needed to start now. His hotel needed an impressive influx of American tourists. The sooner this happened, the better. The financial health of his company was on the line.

  A good public relations company would know how to do more than merely pitch his hotel. They would pitch Madrid itself. Portraying this location as a wonderful alternative to London, Paris, and Rome. Perfect for the American jet-setting crowd.

  His hotel project was going to work. He had nothing to worry about. All of his life he had been a success. This project would be a success, too. At thirty-two years of age, Daniel had run his own multi-million-dollar construction company long enough to operate it like a well-oiled machine. The publicity company Ty Orland recommended would see that this project would fare no differently.

  Daniel had worked many years in his family’s construction business, eventually moving up from high school summer intern to project manager. Despite being employed in the family business, he had quickly found out there were no free rides nor any fast track. His family had been harder on him than on any of their other employees. Whether his parents tried to deliberately complicate his professional life, as well as his personal life, was unknown. Only through great effort, patience, and raw determination, had Daniel ultimately gained the respect of everyone in his parents’ construction firm. His parents being the very last to be won over.

  Elias, Daniel’s only sibling, also spent his life trying to avoid the difficult dynamic of the family business. Since Elias was still employed there, escaping drama anytime soon was not probable. A twinge of guilt shot through Daniel. He quickly shook it off. No, I will not hire my brother. I am going to stick to my guns.

  Daniel’s wherewithal to leave his parents’ firm to start his own company was nothing to feel guilty about anyway. Why should he? His company had thrived almost immediately. An upward trajectory ever since. The challenge of work finally enjoyable—usually. Not so much when the bank asks about overdrafts.

  The limo driver pulled into the circular driveway of the fancy-pants Las Vegas hotel where he was staying. Daniel gave the driver a generous tip, hurried into the hotel lobby, and pressed the elevator button to the presidential suite with vigor. In less than a minute, the butler on loan from the hotel greeted him. Daniel gave the luxury accommodations a perfunctory once-over and immediately retired to a bedroom that had a floor-to-ceiling view of the Strip. He pushed the button to activate the curtains, shutting out the view, as well as his long day. He got ready for bed. His pajama bottoms, like the bedding, made of the finest Egyptian cotton.

  He had come to Las Vegas to get what he wanted. He had networked with those he needed to, forging business connections to keep his company thriving. He had even managed to speak to the head of the public relations firm he was set to hire, Cayne Corporate Communications, Inc. The woman running it seemed hell bent on getting the job done. An exemplary trait. People who didn’t follow through were... well, they were Lori. Timid and undependable. Thank God that Cayne Corporate knew how to be professional. They had all the traits necessary for success. Besides, Ty Orland could not be wrong.

  Success was everywhere around him. He always got what he wanted. So why did being stood up by one insignificant woman bother him so much?

  Chapter 7

  Lori undressed in the hotel room she shared with her mother. Cayne Corporate Communications, Inc., could have easily paid for two separate rooms, but Mom insisted on sharing. The line between boss and parent always blurred. Lori’s expectations of the trip were low before they checked into the hotel. She could not have guessed it could drop so much lower.

  The sooner they left Las Vegas, the better. Her tiny, barely-furnished, San Francisco studio apartment would be a luxury paradise because she’d be living solo. The moment she arrived home, she’d take a vacation. Regardless of whether or not her mother approved. Having her mother control her career was one thing. Having her control her life was another. Her mother’s heavy-handed ways, mixed with subtle guilt trips, was getting harder to bear every day.

  The thought of Daniel popped into her mind. He was standing next to the cashier’s window. Alone. The mental image left her feeling empty and depressed. The man had been sexy, alluring, and pushed her beyond her comfort zone in the best way. He had thrust her into the limelight at the craps table. Ironically, the free-fall experience gave her a sense of control. She had not felt that happily engaged with anyone—let alone a man—for the longest time.

  The best aspect of Daniel, though, was his knowing she needed the gentle push. That he magically knew who she truly was, and just what she needed. The perfect companion to coax her out of her shell.

  How a man like that would be interested in her, she had no idea. Could it be that he also felt an invisible force? Until, of course, she severed the connection. Damn. She rubbed her scalp with her fingertips. A colossal headache was rushing in with the strength of a hurricane.

  Her short time with Daniel had been an intoxicating experience. Like an addict, she craved more. Unfortunately, her second “hit” would never come, and withdrawal was going to be a bitch.

  Despite Mom’s costly interference, Lori didn’t want her mother penalized. Yet a heavy penalty was a real possibility. Lori knew she had inadvertently set into motion a Domino effect by meeting Daniel. There was little doubt Daniel would ultimately learn that Lori worked for Cayne Corporate Communications, Inc. When he did, would he be angry enough to fire her mother’s firm? Or bad-mouth the company?

  Hopefully, Daniel was classy, thick-skinned, and mature enough to not bad-mouth Cayne in the industry. If he decided to fire the firm, however, Lori could hardly blame him. He would surely wonder how good a public relations company could be if the owner’s daughter disappeared without any communication at all.

  Maybe she should track him down? Find him via the Internet? If she did, would he view her as not only rude, but a crazy stalker? She hoped not to scare him, especially after inadvertently insulting him. Apologizing was the least she could do. Unless, of course, further communication would only anger him.

  Besides the professional sting that would come from alienating a client, the personal sting was a sharp as a hornet’s. Missing a chance to get to know Daniel as a man felt like tossing out a winning lottery ticket. A missed opportunity that may never come again.

  Her mom’s throwing a monkey wrench into her personal life had to stop. Boundaries had to be drawn. Her mother needed to give her space. Preferably, wide berth. Good luck with that. Lori hung her head in her hands. First, Dad walked out on Mom. Now, I’d be walking out on Mom. I can’t trample my mother like that. I just can’t.

  The hotel room door opened and Mom walked in, a genuine smile on her face.

  Lori’s anger subsided long enough for curiosity to seep in. “What?”

  “I had an excellent night. I met our next big client,” her mother sang happily.

  “You did?”
Lori automatically answered, only half-listening. News about work was the last thing she wanted to hear.

  “Yes. I met him while you were saying hello to the Orlands. The client’s name is Daniel Vega, of Vega International Resorts, Inc.”

  Shit! So fast?

  “It was fate to bump into him,” her mother continued. “I finished playing roulette with two potential clients and went to cash in some chips. At the cashier’s window, I saw Daniel Vega standing right in front of me. It was almost as if he had been standing around waiting for me to come. Kismet, right?”

  The name was a punch in the gut from the universe. It was one thing to contact Daniel to apologize. Another thing to have him know about this crazy employment connection. Especially this quickly, without having a game plan formed. Lori bit back a groan.

  “Anyway,” her mother continued, “he looks exactly like his picture in Business Weekly. Swap out the expensive suit for a high-priced tuxedo, and bam, there you have it. What a good-looking man. If I were thirty years younger . . .”

  The thought of her mother lusting after Daniel too brought bile up to Lori’s throat. “Daniel was featured in Business Weekly?” she croaked. “Why?”

  Her mother tsked. “Lori, if you don’t read about the business world, how are you ever going to participate in it? The man is a multi-millionaire. He is constantly in the papers. The Business Week article discussed the hotels he’s building internationally. Apparently, he’s targeting smaller locations oversees, micro-hotels like the Orlands. He’s even got a new project in Madrid. The article showed a picture of a historic hotel building he’s going to rehabilitate.”

  Her mother grinned, her teeth blindingly white. “The Madrid hotel is the project you and I will be working on. It’s our job to get American tourists there.”