Billionaire's Love Suite by Catherine Lanigan Read Free Book Online

gesturing toward one of
the club chairs. Justin waited for Shana to seat herself before taking a seat
himself.
    It was an infinitesimal mannerly gesture, but Shana noticed it. Such
things spoke volumes to her. It was the kind of thing she tried to teach to
all her hotel staffs, but it was difficult. Manners and kindness were bred
throughout childhood. It was Shana’s guess that Justin didn’t learn these
bits of politeness from Peter Yates.
    Justin looked over the letter, gave Shana a brief smile and then tore
up the letter into half a dozen pieces and threw them in the waste basket.
“That’s out of the way,” he said flatly.
    Shana’s eyes flew wide open. “I’ll only write another one.”
    Holding his palms upward in the air, Justin said, “Shana. Let’s put the
past behind us. Pretend that last night didn’t happen.”
    Shana winced. How could she do that? She hadn’t been able to think of
anything but Justin and his riveting kiss ever since. Deep down, she knew
that the real reason she must leave her job is because he’d bewitched her.
He’d put her under some kind of spell and she needed to break free. “You
lied to me. You pretended to be someone you were not. I can’t work for
someone so untrustworthy,” she said clasping her hands tightly in her lap
and keeping her eyes focused on his.
    He cocked his head to the left and returned her firm gaze. “I am not
untrustworthy in any aspect of my business or personal life. It was a joke,
Shana. Let’s let bygones be bygones.”
    “Oh, now I was a joke?”
    “Not you. It. It was a joke,” he chuckled.
    Justin watched as her ire shot across her eyes. Uh oh. He realized he’d
botched the conversation already. He needed to think fast. “Look, Shana, I
didn’t intend to kiss you. That was wrong of me. I apologize.”
    “Then why did you?” Shana asked too quickly. The minute the words
had raced out of her mouth, she bit her tongue. Oh God. Now I’ve done it.
He knows that it meant something to me .
    Twice Justin opened his mouth to reply, but instead all he could do was
stare at her luscious mouth. “Because you were irresistible,” he replied in
that same velvety tone she remembered from the steam room.
    Shana knew he was thinking about their kiss just as she was and the very
idea gave her confidence. Perhaps she would win this battle after all.
    Justin’s eyes moved up from her lips to her eyes. “Again. I was wrong.
It won’t happen again. I swear. We have a business relationship and that’s
all.”
    Can I do that? Shana thought. Even here and now, all I want to do is kiss
him again. Just to make sure that he felt like what I remember. I need to be
sure that it’s not all my imagination. Since I’m leaving anyway, I could just
walk over to him, grab his face and kiss him again. Then when it’s flat and
emotionless and turns out to be just like any other kiss I’ve ever received,
I’ll just walk away. Case closed. Finito .
    “I’ve given the matter my complete attention, Shana. It’s imperative
that right now as we are undergoing so many transitions in our administrative
procedures and the physical and design changes to the hotel, that we
maintain calm and trust among the staff first and our shareholders. If you
were to leave now that your designs and your proven programs are in place,
it would create consternation for our investors.”
    “I think you would get along without me.”
    “Not as well as we would if you stay. Shana,” Justin said with the
slightest tinge of pleading in his voice, “think of your sense of commitment.”
Justin reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a manila file with Shana’s name on it. He held it up as he spoke. “Your contract with us states
that you will remain with us for a minimum of six months. If both parties
are satisfied with the relationship, then you committed here on paper that
you would remain until the job is done. That means not just this