excerpted from

Room Service

by Kate Carlisle

 

 

“Hold me like you mean it, Mr. Goobner.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, sweetie.”

“I won’t break.” Daisy Kendall felt the spry octogenarian’s weathered hands grip her a bit more securely, then he winked at her.

“I’m the luckiest man in the room,” he said, grinning broadly. He still had all his teeth.

“I’m pretty lucky myself,” Daisy said. “Now let’s show them how it’s done, shall we?”

Mr. Goobner threw back his head and shouted, “Tango!”

She laughed and signaled to her friend Simone, who started the music.

“Here we go, everybody,” Daisy shouted. “And one-two-three-four--”

The eager senior citizens began to move to the sultry beat, and Daisy had to smile. She blessed the day she’d been given this extra gig. The seniors were appreciative and enthusiastic about the dance lessons she gave. They loved the classic styles and she always had fun teaching them.

Her cell phone suddenly trilled out the first digital notes to “Red-Neck Woman” and Mr. Goobner’s enthusiasm visibly deflated.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, quickly leading him to the side of the room where some of the others sat watching. “It must be important. I told my sister to call if—”

“Go on, sweetie, go on,” Mr. Goobner insisted, but his voice was sorrowful as he waved her away. “You kids and your cell phones.”

Daisy glanced around. “Oh, Mrs. Sweeney, will you dance with Mr. Goobner, please?”

“If I must,” she said, demurely patting her helmet of dyed red hair.

“You know you want it, Edith.” He held out his arms. “Come to me, my wild Irish rose.”

Daisy grabbed the phone she’d clipped to the side slit of her slinky beaded gown and walked briskly across the dance floor into the small office. “Hello?”

“Daisy. Thank God I found you.”

“Mac?”

Daisy closed the door and slumped against the full length mirror in Simone’s cramped office. Why had Mac Harrison tracked her down? Her boss was supposed to be out of town all week at the opening of his new resort. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken the chance of moonlighting at the dance studio.

“I really need you, Daisy,” Mac said, his masculine voice deep and intimate.

Oh, if she had a nickel for every time she’d heard him utter those words, she’d be able to buy a beach house in the Bahamas. She paced to the cluttered desk and back, knowing he was merely referring to some office emergency only she could resolve. But that didn’t stop the shivers from racing up her spine at the sound of his amazingly sexy voice. Daisy resolved to be firm despite a suddenly dry throat. “I’m on vacation, remember, Mac?”

“Of course I remember. Why do you think I need you so badly?”

She wished he wouldn’t keep using the word need. The shivers turned electric as tingles of sensation skittered through her entire system. “Mac, you promised.”

“I know, and I wouldn’t bother you, but your incompetent replacement has completely screwed up the closing documents and I don’t know who else to call.”

Daisy groaned inwardly. “Not the Lake Serena closing documents.”

“Exactly.”

“Hmm.” Daisy tapped her fingers on Simone’s desk. “You’ll recall I wanted Mrs. Thompson to take my place, but you insisted Heather could handle everything.”

“You were right. Heather’s an idiot and I’ll fire her as soon as I get back to the office.”

“That’s music to my ears, truly, but--”

“You’re my only hope, Daisy.”

Daisy held a hand over her pounding heart but didn’t respond. There had to be a way she could handle this without giving up her vacation. The dance academy was paying her a tidy sum to give this hearty group of seniors a week of dance lessons, and she needed the extra money. But she couldn’t exactly tell her boss that.

“I’ve put off Barton and Farrell for the last few hours,” Mac continued. “But they’re chomping at the bit to sign off on this deal. Plus, they’re freaking out because it’s not snowing, for God’s sake. And not that you care, but my date backed out. Believe me, I’m kicking myself for not insisting that you handle the whole event. So what’ll it take for you to bail me out?”

His date backed out? No way. What kind of moronic twit gave up an all-expenses paid week at the most prestigious new ski and gambling resort in the country? With a gorgeous hunk like Mac Harrison? Impossible. Daisy would’ve given any number of prominent body parts for a date with him, but that wasn’t an option. Never would be, either.

“I can swing by the office tomorrow,” she offered. “I’ll send another set of documents to you by courier.”

“Honey, I need them now. I’ll pay any price if you’ll bring them tonight.”

“Any price?” she repeated, frowning at the phone. If only he were serious.

“Absolutely,” he said easily. “Where are you? I’ll send the limo.”

She fiddled with a loose crystal bead on her gown. “Mac, I can’t—”

“Hey, is that tango music?”

“Four thousand dollars,” she said abruptly. That would cover the tuition for her sister Lily’s surgical symposium, with just enough left over to buy much-needed tires for Daisy’s car. Not that Mac would ever agree to such an outlandish amount.

The silence dragged on as Mac said nothing. Nice going, Daisy thought. He’d probably have her arrested for extortion. She sank down on the wobbly office chair and let out a mournful sigh. “Look, Mac, I was just kidding about—”

“Make it five,” he said, his voice coolly determined. “Now where the hell are you?”

 

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