From Ex to Eternity (Newlywed Games 1)

“I’ll be back later,” Cara said and ducked back out into the rain, where she thoroughly squashed the little voice inside that was asking what in the hell she thought she was doing running off and leaving both her family and her responsibilities. And for what? To help Keith work?

Keith flashed a smile when he caught sight of her walking toward him in the lobby. Her borrowed flip-flops squeaked on the marble tile, but he didn’t even glance down. He kept his attention squarely on her face, and that killer smile lit up her insides. She sighed. Maybe her impulsive offer was a veiled attempt to hang out in Keith’s presence in hopes he’d give her a little more insight into his thoughts. There wasn’t a law against it.

She’d almost married him but hardly understood his basic motivations. It was far past time to change that.

He handed her an electronic tablet.

“What’s this?” She glanced at it. Holy cow, the screen displayed a fifty-item-long checklist.

“Each room has to pass with at least forty-eight of these, but none of the problems can be in the top ten.” Keith tapped the screen. “Only 100 percent in the top ten will do. As you inspect a room, enter the room number at the top and then use the stylus to hit the check box for each item.”

“This is very...involved.” It would take an hour to inspect one room. Maybe instead of running herself ragged doing a job she really didn’t have time for, she should just admit she wanted to get to know the Keith Mitchell from last night. Who he’d been. Who he was now. What he hoped for the future.

“Regent hired me to turn this resort around. Rooms were rated the lowest for the last five years on customer surveys.”

“You should have at least ten people doing this job if you plan to finish today.”

“That’s probably true. But I don’t trust anyone else to meet my high standards.”

Yet he trusted her. Her insides exploded with warmth and she was pathetically grateful to have signed up for this exhausting task. “Where should we start?”

He pointed upward, eyes on his own tablet as he tapped a few times. “This tower. We’ll go to the top floor and work our way down, you on one side of the hall, me on the other.”

Though she didn’t have a very clear picture of what she’d intended this morning’s activities to look like, that sounded like the exact opposite of it. “You mean we’re inspecting separately? I thought we’d do it together.”

The taps stopped abruptly and Keith’s gaze swung up to meet hers, the caramel in his eyes wickedly decadent. “You do realize we’re inspecting hotel rooms. Empty rooms. With beds. Right?”

Answering heat rose up in her middle, flushing outward. “Of course I realize that. Are you worried I’ll take advantage of you, sugar? I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

She so shouldn’t be flirting with him. It was dangerous and would give him the wrong idea. Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure any longer what idea was the right one.

He chuckled and it rolled through her. “We’ll get this task completed much faster if you’re in a totally separate room, trust me.”

They worked on their respective rooms for an hour or two until Cara thought she could do the whole process in her sleep. Art on the walls. Check. Shower curtain present and accounted for. Check. Air conditioner operational. Check.

That one hurt. Every room so far had a functional air conditioner. By the twentieth room, she had a bone to pick with the man in charge around here. Plus, doing all of this alone was boring.

“What’s the deal, Mitchell?” she demanded as she poked her head into the last room she’d seen him disappear into. Not that she’d paid attention or anything.

Keith exited the bathroom, tablet in hand, and good gravy—the man exuded something she couldn’t tear her gaze from. He’d shed his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves on his button-down shirt, letting sinewy forearms speak to what the rest of his body looked like.

“The deal about what?” he asked.

Her mood veered into dangerous territory. Keith was not part of the plan. Wanting him was not part of the plan. Of course, the biggest problem was she had no plan. And confusion was not something she did well.

“All of these rooms have air conditioners. How come I’m staying in the one room on the whole property where it’s broken?”

“If I recall, you told me not to use that as an excuse to get you into my bed.” He crossed his arms, tucking the tablet under one. “I didn’t.”