hits us with a sexual harassment suit, I want it known that I came into this conversation late and was not a party to it.”
She patted his arm. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you out of it.”
“Excellent.” He waved a hand. “This Wicker guy. If he’s scamming us, he’s got ice in his veins.”
“I agree,” Kate said, “but something is up with him. I’ll go frame by frame on the video if I have to.”
Ross held up a room key. “Got you a suite. Unless you want someone to take you home.”
As tired as she was, the idea of another car ride to Vegas, only to have to turn around and come back in the morning, made her head pound. Total exhaustion. “It’s late and I have my overnight bag. If it’s not a problem, I’ll stay here tonight and start fresh tomorrow. After that, I’ll access the system from home in the evenings.”
Ross grabbed her overnight bag from where she’d set it by the door earlier. As if she couldn’t wheel her own bag. “I can take that.”
“I know you can.”
Which didn’t stop him from opening the door for her and waving her through.
“Ah, shit,” Don said.
The door shut before she could question the remark and she turned to Ross. “What’s that about?”
“What?”
She laughed. “Oh, my God. Please. You know what.”
He shrugged. “He’s concerned.”
“About?”
“Me walking you to your room.”
Oh, these two. How they underestimated her. “He thinks I’ll fall victim to your limitless charm?”
“It’s been known to happen.”
“And you’re proud of that?”
“Nope. Stating fact. Denying it to a woman who’s done her research will only make me look like an ass.”
Kate stopped at the elevator and faced him. Maybe he hadn’t underestimated her after all. She wagged a finger. “Now you’ve done it. Stunned me to the point where I don’t know what to say.”
“Hey, I’m just walking you to your door, where I will say goodnight and then go crash in my office.”
“My guess is the hotel could give you a room.”
“They could, but I don’t like doing that. For other people it’s not a problem. For me? No. That’s abusing my power and I’m not going there.”
Now that was something. A lot of men in his position would abuse the power just so his employees knew he could. Simply to feed his ego and let the minions know who was in charge.
Ross Cooper, ego or not, apparently didn’t need such tactics.
They rode the elevator to her floor and Ross pointed left. At her door, he handed over the key. “This is your stop.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Just so you know, Don is probably zoomed in on us from the surveillance room. My phone will ring any time now.”
Kate scanned the ceiling but didn’t see any cameras.
“They’re hidden. But they’re there.”
“You two are funny. I’m going to sleep. And you can tell Don you didn’t come on to me.”
“Sadly, yes.”
“Poor baby.”
“I know. It’s awful.” On cue, his phone rang. “Ha!” A hint of smug laced his grin and he handed her his phone. “You answer it.”
Always one for some wicked fun, she clicked the speaker button. “He’s not hitting on me.”
“Kate?”
“Yes. He’s not hitting on me. Go back to work. Better yet, go home. Get some rest. Maybe a life. Goodnight.”
Laughing, she clicked off and handed the phone back to Ross. “As annoying as he is, he makes me laugh.”
“Honey, you have no idea.”
No, she didn’t. And once again, she felt a pang of envy for the camaraderie, the friendship, between Ross and Don and Marcia.
Someday, she’d find a work environment like that. One that felt right and long-term. Working for nutty Dev Branson probably wouldn’t be it for her, but she’d known that since day one. He was too demanding, too…rough around the edges. And then there were those middle of the night calls she’d like to throttle him for.
He knew people though. And respected her skills. Up until now she’d been satisfied
She patted his arm. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you out of it.”
“Excellent.” He waved a hand. “This Wicker guy. If he’s scamming us, he’s got ice in his veins.”
“I agree,” Kate said, “but something is up with him. I’ll go frame by frame on the video if I have to.”
Ross held up a room key. “Got you a suite. Unless you want someone to take you home.”
As tired as she was, the idea of another car ride to Vegas, only to have to turn around and come back in the morning, made her head pound. Total exhaustion. “It’s late and I have my overnight bag. If it’s not a problem, I’ll stay here tonight and start fresh tomorrow. After that, I’ll access the system from home in the evenings.”
Ross grabbed her overnight bag from where she’d set it by the door earlier. As if she couldn’t wheel her own bag. “I can take that.”
“I know you can.”
Which didn’t stop him from opening the door for her and waving her through.
“Ah, shit,” Don said.
The door shut before she could question the remark and she turned to Ross. “What’s that about?”
“What?”
She laughed. “Oh, my God. Please. You know what.”
He shrugged. “He’s concerned.”
“About?”
“Me walking you to your room.”
Oh, these two. How they underestimated her. “He thinks I’ll fall victim to your limitless charm?”
“It’s been known to happen.”
“And you’re proud of that?”
“Nope. Stating fact. Denying it to a woman who’s done her research will only make me look like an ass.”
Kate stopped at the elevator and faced him. Maybe he hadn’t underestimated her after all. She wagged a finger. “Now you’ve done it. Stunned me to the point where I don’t know what to say.”
“Hey, I’m just walking you to your door, where I will say goodnight and then go crash in my office.”
“My guess is the hotel could give you a room.”
“They could, but I don’t like doing that. For other people it’s not a problem. For me? No. That’s abusing my power and I’m not going there.”
Now that was something. A lot of men in his position would abuse the power just so his employees knew he could. Simply to feed his ego and let the minions know who was in charge.
Ross Cooper, ego or not, apparently didn’t need such tactics.
They rode the elevator to her floor and Ross pointed left. At her door, he handed over the key. “This is your stop.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Just so you know, Don is probably zoomed in on us from the surveillance room. My phone will ring any time now.”
Kate scanned the ceiling but didn’t see any cameras.
“They’re hidden. But they’re there.”
“You two are funny. I’m going to sleep. And you can tell Don you didn’t come on to me.”
“Sadly, yes.”
“Poor baby.”
“I know. It’s awful.” On cue, his phone rang. “Ha!” A hint of smug laced his grin and he handed her his phone. “You answer it.”
Always one for some wicked fun, she clicked the speaker button. “He’s not hitting on me.”
“Kate?”
“Yes. He’s not hitting on me. Go back to work. Better yet, go home. Get some rest. Maybe a life. Goodnight.”
Laughing, she clicked off and handed the phone back to Ross. “As annoying as he is, he makes me laugh.”
“Honey, you have no idea.”
No, she didn’t. And once again, she felt a pang of envy for the camaraderie, the friendship, between Ross and Don and Marcia.
Someday, she’d find a work environment like that. One that felt right and long-term. Working for nutty Dev Branson probably wouldn’t be it for her, but she’d known that since day one. He was too demanding, too…rough around the edges. And then there were those middle of the night calls she’d like to throttle him for.
He knew people though. And respected her skills. Up until now she’d been satisfied
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