Jack peered through the glass window to the nearly empty gym. There was no better way to alleviate stress and strain than to work up a good sweat, and no better means of obtaining information than to make conversation with hotel employees. Both would hopefully take his thoughts and desires off Mallory and center them on work where they belonged.
He signed in and grabbed a white towel from the stack behind the registration desk.
“Can I help you?” A dark-haired woman with muscles he’d be proud to possess walked over.
He hung the towel around his neck. “I just thought I’d give the treadmill a run.”
She nodded. “No problem. Let me familiarize you with the equipment and you can get started. I’m Eva.” She extended her hand. “I’m the manager.”
He shook her iron grip. “Jack Latham.”
Her eyes widened with recognition. “Nice to meet you. Paul…I mean, Mr. Lederman mentioned you were one of his special guests.”
Jack didn’t miss the familiarity in her tone when she spoke of Paul Lederman, but he let it slide. He laughed and brushed off her words with a sweep of his hand. “That’s Paul for you. But I’m not looking for any special treatment.”
She shook her head and her ponytail swished against one shoulder. “Are you trying to cost me my job?” she asked, laughter in her eyes.
“I can’t imagine Paul firing you.”
“Me neither.” She met his gaze with what he could only call a certain yet knowing stare. She was an attractive young woman with curves in all the right places and by her posture and confidence, she obviously knew it.
Silence stretched for a moment in which Jack questioned her relationship with his potential client, then reprimanded himself for looking for fires where there were none. “You always do what the boss says?” he asked.
She glanced away without meeting his gaze. “He pays the bills.”
And Jack wondered if he’d hit paydirt. “I’ll bet he wishes all his employees were as loyal as you.”
“He’s a man that inspires loyalty, but being that special guest of his I’m sure you know that. Now let’s get you started on that workout.” She gestured toward the treadmill.
Jack doubted Paul would have an affair with a woman who worked in the same place his wife lived. Lederman was arrogant to the extreme but he wasn’t careless. Not where his empire was at stake. His disappearances were more telling than a young girl’s infatua
tion and if there was a mistress to be found, she wasn’t on the premises.
But Jack had a hunch Paul had done nothing to discourage this employee’s interest. Her husband’s flirting, if that was what had happened, couldn’t please Mrs. Lederman. And careless trifling with female employees could be evidence of the man’s willingness to take greater risks.
Jack smiled at the pretty manager. “This is one impressive setup you’ve got here.”
“It certainly is. I’m lucky to work in a place like this, but as you probably know there’s a story behind it.”
Jack didn’t know but he sure as hell wanted to find out. “You can say that again. But I didn’t realize Paul had begun working out.”
Eva nodded. “He starts on the treadmill, too.”
“I bet I could benefit from his routine.”
She looked him over approvingly. “Oh, it looks like you do just fine on your own.”
He hung his towel over a chair and climbed onto the exercise machine. He pressed in the buttons on the computerized equipment and started an easy run.
She watched him, hands on her hips. “Seems like you know your way around these machines. Unlike Paul. You should hear about the first session I ever gave him.”
Jack laughed. He’d be more than happy to hear about any session between his potential client and this obviously sensual woman. “I’m not going anywhere so go right ahead.”
MALLORY MADE her way from the beach. Sand clung to the soles of her feet and she rinsed them off beneath a minishower before slipping back into her sensible shoes and lifting her sensible jacket off the railing. She sighed, wondering when the trappings of conventionality had become so obvious and constraining.
It was this trip, she thought, feeling every bit of remaining grit rubbing against her feet as she walked. And it was Jack. Around Jack she wanted to be a sexy, desirable woman so she could watch arousal flare in his dark eyes and know the heat was meant for her alone.
Instead she found herself dressed in garments that were supposed to make her feel an equal in the business world and she’d never felt less womanly or desirable in her life. In fact she felt trapped between the two Mallorys and like Jack, she didn’t know which one was real and which one was the impostor.