Wife (Betrothed 1)

I looked up at him in surprise, finding no comfort in the warm look he gave me. He was a tall man, taller than my father had been, and his dark skin showed his exotic origins. He wore eyeglasses on the bridge of his nose. In conversation, he was a polite and restrained man, but when his eyes lit up with warmth, he was a whole new person. “I’m not interested in the concierge position. I was hoping to shadow you, to look at the bookkeeping, and take on whatever other managerial positions I can assist with.”

His smile never faded. “I realize that, but—”

“Don’t listen to my mother. I know how she feels about this, but this is my legacy, and I intend to hold on to it.” I wouldn’t get married just to have another man control my company. I didn’t need anyone’s assistance but my own.

His smile slowly faded. “This is her hotel, Sofia. I don’t have a lot of say in the matter.”

“You obviously do if you’re running it.” I stood my ground and refused to back down. I would only get what I wanted in life if I fought for it. It didn’t make sense that my mother’s second husband got to manage what belonged to our family. It should either be my mother or me.

He sighed as he lowered his gaze. “I was under the impression you needed money.”

“Yes. I’ve got to move out as quickly as possible.”

He chuckled. “I can imagine. But I can’t offer you a position as a manager or anything of that nature. You had excellent marks at university, but experience is more important in an occupation like this. You’ll have to start at the bottom.”

“I never said I had a problem with that.” I didn’t expect to be given everything just because of my last name, but I did expect the chance to prove my worthiness. “I’ll take the concierge position if you teach me everything about running this hotel. I can work with you in the morning and take the concierge position in the evenings.”

“You mean business, don’t you?”

“Always.” I placed one hand on my hip, looking up at my stepfather without budging an inch. I refused to let this go without at least fighting for it. Maybe the concierge job would pay enough to cover my rent, and with enough time, I would prove to my stepfather and mother that I was capable of taking over when the time was right.

Gustavo was the man in the relationship, but he possessed much more compassion than she ever did. He didn’t seem to harbor the same sexist viewpoint she did. “Alright. Let’s keep this between us—for now.”

I moved into his chest and hugged him. “Thank you, Gustavo. It means so much to me.”

Gustavo had an office and a conference room off to the side of the hotel. There were several other offices belonging to personnel involved with the daily operations of the hotel. One office was empty, and a nameplate wasn’t attached to the door.

I worked with Gustavo for the day, shadowing his movements and understanding the duties of a manager of the hotel. Technically, he had a general manager who oversaw the employees, but he was responsible for the financial aspect. I got to study the balance sheets, seeing how much money the hotel earned on a daily basis. It was impressive—especially during the off-season.

The hours passed quickly, and I couldn’t help but assume my mother was an idiot. Man or woman, it didn’t matter. Anyone could run this hotel if they were passionate about it. I wanted to tell my mother to return to ancient times, because the present didn’t suit her well.

Gustavo printed off a few spreadsheets then laid them across the desk. “I have a meeting in just a few minutes. How about you focus on this until I’m finished?”

“What’s the meeting about?”

“Money,” he said, half joking. “Everything is always about money.” He was just about to step outside when a man appeared in the doorway. Tall, muscular, and wearing a suit like a second skin, he wasn’t the kind of guest I expected…because he was so young.

I was sitting at the desk, my eyes taking in the man in the gray suit. With brown eyes that seemed both dangerous and warm, he had a familiar face. He had high cheekbones and a masculine tightness to his features, and his appearance immediately ran a bell. It’d been so many years since I’d last seen him that I almost didn’t recognize him.

He’d been a man the last time I saw him. But now…he was a bigger man.

With broad shoulders and tight forearms, his manly physique was noticeable through his clothes. A shiny watch was on his wrist, an Omega, probably worth tens of thousands of euros. His thumb casually brushed over his bottom lip as he entered, his chin covered with a thick shadow that hadn’t been shaved in days. The cords in his neck were distinct, especially since his skin was tanned and tight. He had full lips, perfect for a hot kiss in the darkness of a cold bedroom. Those eyes were so powerful, they could make a woman spread her knees in just seconds.