Page 36 of Night and Day

I hid my smile. “You’ve got time, kiddo, and now, you’ll get to do something that Ambrose Langston doesn’t.” I pulled pancake mix out of my pantry and set it on the island. “Make pancakes for your brother and sister.”

Leo groaned.

“I need to get to work.” I caught Caleb for a quick, wriggly hug, then kissed the top of Haley’s head. Simba gave me an evil stare, and I glared back. Then I ran a hand over Leo’s hair. I knew it was all the teenager would allow. “Lock up when you guys leave.”

“Bye, Tessa,” Haley yelled.

Caleb waved and Leo lifted a hand.

There was no time to stop at Mountain Brew today. I rushed out the door and saw the rumpled form of my oldest cousin ambling up the path to my front door.

Josh smiled. “Hi, Tessa.”

“It’s a miracle. He rises before lunchtime.”

His smile widened, and I took a second to wonder where my cute little cousin went and how this handsome young man had appeared in his stead. Josh was still growing into his body, but he was going to be a heartbreaker.

“Are the terrors at your place?” he asked.

“They are and itching for pancakes.”

He slid his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. “I’ll sort them out and make sure no one burns down your house.”

I kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

Powerwalking, I headed straight for the hotel. My brain didn’t listen to reason and thought about Ro while I walked. I sensed he and his father really didn’t get on. One thing I’d heard yesterday kept reverberating in my head.

Since he’d taken over, Langston Hotels had increased training opportunities and a range of benefits for employees at all the hotels across the globe. I’d done a little digging last night. I realized now that Ro was behind that.

He really wasn’t what I expected.

As I entered the lobby, I waved at Enzo. I checked my watch. Excellent, I was early.

In my office, I dumped my stuff on my desk. There was no sign of Jazz yet. Right, time to start the tour and show Ro the best parts of the hotel. Setting my shoulders back, I headed back into the lobby. Today, I was going to dazzle Ro with all the wonderful things the Windward Resort had to offer. I paused and pulled in a breath of floral-scented air. There were some guests headed to the restaurant for an early breakfast, no doubt adventurers who were keen to get in an early hike or bike ride. The rest of the guests would appear over the next few hours, filling the space with a hubbub of conversation.

Coral was at the reception desk, and I felt zero guilt about using a potted plant to avoid catching her attention. I hurried to the private elevator leading to the penthouse level and held my card against the reader. We had two penthouses. I’d given Ro one, while Piper and Caden were in smaller suites, one floor below.

In the elevator, I glanced at my reflection in the mirrored walls. I straightened my dress and tucked a loose strand of hair away.

Quit fussing. It doesn’t matter what you look like.But the thought of seeing him again left butterflies in my belly.

They’d die down eventually. “It’s going to be fine. Just focus on the hotel. You’ll show him the resort, and he’ll realize that knocking the place down makes no sense.”

The doors opened. I strode toward the double doors to Ro’s suite and knocked. I buffed the brass nameplate that said Penthouse while I waited.

The doors opened.

I smiled. “Good morning…”Oh. My brain sort of fuzzed. He’d clearly just gotten out of the shower. He wore dark suit pants, and his snowy white shirt was open. It displayed a lean, muscular chest with a light smattering of dark hair that I couldn’t seem to drag my gaze off.

I hadn’t seen much of his body that night at the masquerade. There were so many intriguing muscles and bronze skin. I highly doubted Ro sunbathed by a pool regularly, so it had to be the natural color of his skin.

“Good morning, Tessa.”

Say something.I looked up, my tongue feeling twice its usual size. “Morning.”

Okay, it came out as a slightly embarrassing squeak, but I’d managed to drag my gaze off the best chest I’d ever seen.

How did a man who wore a suit every day and did business from dawn to dusk have a body like that?