Conceited Concierge: A Hero Club Novel Read online

  “I’m just saying, now I have a chance.”

  “I don’t think so.” Rylee motioned with her finger between us. “I told you this was not happening again.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you’re a baby and I’m more than ten years older than you. You haven’t even lived life yet.”

  “How do you know I haven’t lived life?”

  “I highly doubt you know what you want for the rest of your life at twenty-five. You might think you do, but you don’t. Trust me.”

  “I’ve lived plenty. You don’t know anything about me, Ry. My father passed away when I was seven. I have a little brother who can’t seem to stay away from drugs. I have a mom who has done everything for me and my brother. She worked two full time jobs to make ends meet. I had to take care of my little brother. We were far from being wealthy. Now, she no longer has to provide for us, she’s been able to cut back on work, and I help her every chance I get. We owe her everything.”

  “I didn’t mean to assume. I’m sorry you went through all that.”

  “Nah. It’s fine. It made me who I am today. I was lucky enough to find a job, thanks to Chance for hooking me up with the right people. But I think it’s time to make my own way and my own career.”

  “That’s awesome. Are you dating anybody?”

  “Well, if I’m flirting with you, I’m not. We did sleep together last night.” I grinned and flashed a wink. I was not going to give up no matter how much Rylee said we couldn’t date. Granted, I barely knew her, but I felt this connection with her, even though there was an age difference. I knew full well she felt the attraction between us.

  “Once we go through town here, you won’t be far from Cotton House Hotel.”

  “Oh my god, this town is so cute. I must come back and explore when I get time.”

  “This is considered Old Town Temecula. It definitely has that old-time charm to it.”

  “Yes; you took the words right out of my mouth.”

  I’d like to do a lot of things to that mouth.

  “Another twenty minutes and we’ll be at the hotel. The beach is roughly thirty miles away, and San Diego is an hour away. “

  “There’s so many places I want to visit.”

  “I can take you,” I offered.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. When we have free time, I’d be glad to show you around.”

  “I’m actually getting anxious as we are getting closer,” she admitted.

  “The ground property is pretty awesome. And Sheryl and Bud are really good people.”

  “They seemed like it when I talked to them.”

  Chapter Four

  RYLEE

  Turning off the main road and onto Walford Lane, as Levi advised, I took in the grand beauty of the hotel. It was about three levels, the wine vineyard was off to the right, and a lake was off to the left. Why would the previous owners run such a beauty into the ground? It was beyond me. Clearly, they didn’t know how much of an advantage this place already had.

  “The pictures on the website didn’t do the place justice,” I said as parked out front.

  “It really is a slice of heaven.”

  Now under new ownership, I was brought in to supervise repairs, and get the word out about it. The only thing keeping it running was when they offered wine tasting off in a barn-like building.

  The grounds were beautiful. This hotel could bank on booking weddings. Ideas were already flooding my brain and I couldn’t wait to get started.

  Stepping out of the car, I couldn’t take my eyes off the exterior of the hotel. It had seen better.

  Sheryl and Bud were standing on the long porch, ready to greet us. “Hi. You must be Rylee.”

  Levi scattered past us to talk to some other people.

  “I am. You must be Sheryl and Bud. I’m so glad to meet you.”

  “Well, you came highly recommended. Should we go inside and get started?”

  I smiled. “Absolutely.”

  ***

  By the time our meeting was over, I had a clear picture of the design work that needed to be done. They approved all my ideas, and I added some additional ideas that they had. Being that I was a designer, I could work after the contractor completed each project. It was going to be a lengthy task, but a doable one. It was likely going to be a three-month or more project if everyone worked accordingly. Thankfully, they would be within budget.

  Levi jogged up to me. “Hey.”

  “Hey.”

  “I wanted to thank you for the ride in. I appreciate it.”

  “Sure, no problem.”

  “Are you getting settled in okay?”

  “I am. Finished my meeting with Sheryl and Bud, and I was just wandering around looking at everything.”

  “Okay. Well. I am in guest suite seven,” Levi told me.

  “Actually, I’m in guest suite ten.”

  “Ah, we’ll be close to one another. Maybe we can have a sleepover.”

  I rolled my eyes. “In your dreams, kid.”

  “See you later, Cupcake.”

  “See ya.”

  Tomorrow, construction would be underway. And I was ready to get started.

  After hauling my belongings inside, I showered and changed into a pair of shorts and a tank so I could venture outside.

  The sun was beginning to set and I knew once the hotel was in tip-top shape, it would be picture perfect. With my planner in hand, I took notes for more inspiration. Wandering over to the vineyards, I saw grapes growing and some being picked by the employees. I knew for now Sheryl and Bud were putting all their attention on getting the winery running, because tours and taste testing would be profitable.

  “You must be Rylee,” a blonde woman said in a cheery sing-song voice.

  I nodded and smiled back. “Hi.”

  “I’m Ashley Martinez.”

  “Good to meet you, Ashely. What do you do here?”

  “Oh, I’m in charge of the winery. Should be opening up for tours in about a month.”

  “That’s amazing.”

  Ashley was a petite blonde and she was probably in her late twenties or early thirties.

  “It’ll be nice to have another female around. We should grab coffee one morning and chat.”

  “I would love that.”

  “Great. Well, I better get back to work. It was nice meeting you.”

  “You, too.”

  I continued my venture past the vines, over to the barn that was done and ready to use for the tastings, and back over to the other side of the hotel where there was a small lake and another area that would be perfect for weddings.

  I spotted Levi tossing a ball to a dog.

  “Who do we have here?” I asked.

  “This is Silver. He’s a resident dog.”

  “Hi, Silver. You’re such a cutie.” I ran my hand over his smooth black hair as he continuously wagged his tail, happily accepting my affection on him.

  “How about me? Am I a cutie?” Levi asked.

  I refused to answer that question and shook my head at him as I walked away. It was getting dark out so I headed back to my room to unpack my things.

  Once everything had a place, I took my phone to text Aubrey. Can we facetime? I asked.

  Yes.

  We connected through facetime and I was laying on my stomach on my new bed. “Hey girl.”

  “Hi.”

  “How’s it going?”

  “It’s going good. I’m all settled in ready to start tomorrow.”

  “That’s great. How do you like Levi?”

  “He’s something else.”

  “Hi, Rylee,” Chance popped into our video chat.

  “Hey, Chance. Treating my girl good?”

  “Always.”

  I watched as he took Pixy, their pet goat, outside for a walk. “By the way, I had a one-night-stand with Levi before I knew who he was.”

  Aubrey choked on a drink and then laughed her ass off. “Are you serious?”


  “Yes. When I stopped in Las Vegas, we met at a bar. We didn’t exchange names or numbers or anything. It was supposed to be a one-time thing. But then I ran into him at the convenience store the next morning.”

  “That would be your luck, Ry.”

  “I know, right.”

  “We should have you and Levi over for dinner one night since you’re settled in and everything.”

  “Yeah, that would be great. Text me when. He and I can ride together.”

  Aubrey smirked and wiggled her eyebrows.

  “He’s hot but I’m practically twelve years older than him. Isn’t that weird?”

  “No. I say go for it.” She looked over her shoulder to make sure Chance wasn’t within earshot. “Listen, he’s younger and he’d be able to keep up with you, you know what I’m saying. He can take care of you. He really is sweet.”

  “I think I’d have to keep up with him.”

  We both laughed.

  “Maybe. I think it would be fun to have a younger guy. Although I would never trade Chance for anything. But it might help you get back in the field.”

  Her body movements were cracking me up. She was grinding her hips and making kiss faces.

  “In all seriousness, we are both in the same state now, so we need to hang out more.”

  “Absolutely. I’m so glad I know people here.”

  “I’ll text you later to plan a dinner.”

  “Okay. I’ll bring the wine.”

  “Talk to you later.”

  “Later, girl.”

  I really liked Aubrey and Chance. Those two were ‘couple goals’. I laid back in my bed, looking up to the ceiling, thinking about my day ahead.

  “So, you do like me.” Levi stood in the doorway and must have heard everything since I had my room door open.

  “Levi!” I threw my pillow at him.

  This guy was gonna be the death of me.

  In retaliation, he threw the pillow and it landed right on my head before he ran off.

  Moving off the bed, I shut my door and got ready to get a good night’s rest.

  Chapter Five

  RYLEE

  Today was the start of my first project. I was tackling the lobby. My hair was up in a messy bun, and I had on cutoff shorts and a purple tee shirt. A shipment of the stuff I ordered had arrived. And anything else I could go into town to shop for it if it was not already there. I made some orders before I even traveled here so stuff would be here by the time I arrived.

  I commissioned four paintings from a local kid. This particular technique was called Pour Painting. It’s a gorgeous painting technique. And I thought it would be perfect for the area. I knew I’d probably get some more work from him later. He was thrilled when I told him what it was for. He was sixteen years old and had been painting for a few years already.

  “Good morning, Cupcake.”

  I couldn’t quite be mad at him for calling me cupcake because he was handing me a coffee first thing in the morning.

  I took a sip. “How do you know how I like it?” I eyed him suspiciously.

  “Lucky guess. Have a good day.”

  “You, too.”

  Once I knew he was gone, I smiled wide. He was definitely a man after my heart. How did he know how I liked my coffee, though? I love it with a couple sugars and a splash of cream. It was the perfect caramel color that I went for.

  After finishing my coffee, I fixed up the seating area with some furniture and throw pillows, hung up a few more pictures and paintings throughout the area, added some accent tables, and painted a wall red while the other walls remained cream colored. It was nearing six in the evening when I finally stopped for the day. Now when guests came in to the hotel, it would be inviting. I was very happy with how it turned out.

  “This looks amazing,” Sheryl said when I was finishing up.

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  “I can’t wait to see your other projects. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  I headed to my room to get cleaned and changed into a knee length sundress and put half my hair up with a clip. Slipping my sandals on, I headed downstairs. My stomach was growling and I knew the bar was up and running. Hopefully they served food.

  Entering the bar, I spotted a familiar backside. It was unmistakable with his wide shoulders and those dark jeans that looked like they were made for him. He was on the phone and it sounded like a heated discussion, but I couldn’t make out the words. Once he spotted me, he ended his call.

  “Is this seat taken?” I asked, approaching the stool next to him.

  “Nope. I was saving it for you, Cupcake.”

  “I hope everything is okay. I didn’t mean to butt in on your call.”

  “No. It’s fine. Just tying up some loose ends. What are you drinking?”

  “You got the coffee this morning. Let me buy you a drink,” I insisted.

  “Okay.” He motioned for the bartender to make two. One for me and one for him. “How was your day?”

  “It was long but the front of the hotel is completed and Sheryl and Bud were very happy. And I love making my clients happy. How was yours?”

  “I got some training in and I had to watch a lot of videos as well.”

  “It’ll get better once you’re on your own.”

  “Yeah. But enough about work. I’m starved. Let’s get some cheeseburgers and fries.”

  “Now you’re talking.”

  He smirked as the bartender put in our order. A cheeseburger sounded so good even though I had one yesterday.

  “Cheers.” We clinked our glasses and sipped our drink while we waited on the food.

  Levi glanced at me and looked me over. “You look nice.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. So, I told you my life story. What’s yours?”

  “Well, my parents are still married. I wear hearing aids if you haven’t seen already.”

  He looked at my ear. “You can barely see them.”

  “I’ve always had hearing problems ever since I was kid. I had a few surgeries and had tubes put in. But my hearing worsened as I got older. So, if something happens when I don’t have them in, I probably won’t hear it, like thunder or whatever. And I have to take them out if I go to the beach or do anything like that. These bitches weren’t cheap so I gotta take care of them.”

  “Are they battery operated?”

  “Actually, these recharge. It beeps once it hits like ten percent, but they charge pretty fast.”

  “Fancy.”

  Our burgers and fries came up.

  “Yeah. I have a charging station by my bed, so they charge at night. Another?” I asked about his drink; my glass was empty as well.

  “Sure. Thanks.”

  With our new drinks, we clinked our glasses again. “Cheers.”

  “I’m such a light weight. I’ll have to have water after this.”

  He smirked. “Thanks for the tip.”

  “Shut up.” I playfully pushed on his arm, causing him to laugh.

  “Want to take a walk?” he asked after we finished our food.

  “Sure.”

  Why was I entertaining this idea? I didn’t want to give Levi the wrong impression. I wasn’t ready to rush into anything. But I was wondering what it would be like to jump in with both feet. Thanking the bartender, I paid for the drinks and we each paid for our own meals.

  “I know I told you already, but you look really pretty.”

  “Thanks. You look nice, too.”

  We walked a short distance through the lobby, and Levi halted and started to look around. “This looks great, Rylee.”

  “Thanks. Sheryl seemed pretty pleased with it.”

  “I really like the contemporary vibe, and the red wall is really cool.”

  I don’t know why I felt so embarrassed to hear him compliment my work. I didn’t know how to act, how to respond, except for saying, “Thanks.” I was used to this with my clients, but not from someone else. I did f
eel a sense of pride that he liked it so much.

  Walking out the front door, the muggy air hit me. It was probably really late and past my bedtime. But for some reason, I liked being in Levi’s company. I didn’t know if it was because he was playful and didn’t take himself seriously or if there truly were feelings there. He was sweet and cocky at the same time.

  “Question. Who is your hall pass?” he asked as the night air surrounded us.

  “Hall pass?”

  “Yeah. Like if you were given permission by your significant other to have a one-night-stand with someone. Who would it be? People usually say a celebrity.”

  “Odd question but I’ll entertain it. The lead singer of Sutured Souls.”

  “Tucker James? Wow. A buddy of mine, Elliott Voss, manages them.”

  “Really? Is he as nice as he portrays?”

  “He’s super nice. You’ll never meet a nicer guy.”

  “Good. If I were dating someone, I’d leave them in a heartbeat for Tucker James.”

  Levi stopped in his tracks, trying to gauge if I was joking or not. “You’re serious?”

  I laughed. “Why is that so hard to believe?”

  “You don’t seem like the type to go for guys like that.”

  “You mean the Rockstar type? That’s what makes him hotter. Plus, he has pretty eyes, a nice voice, nice hair…”

  Levi held his hands up. “Okay, I get it. I’ll have to make a mental note that you never meet him when we start dating.”

  “We will most certainly not be dating.”

  “We will eventually.”

  “Not gonna happen. You are so full of yourself. It’s almost like you believe what you’re saying.”

  “I don’t say anything I don’t mean.”

  “Conceited much?”

  We continued walking around the property. “Who’s your hall pass?”

  “Rylee Raegan.” He didn’t even hesitate to answer.

  “Come on. There has to be someone else. Someone famous.”

  “Fine. If I have to pick someone, I guess I would say Kate Hudson.”

  “You really do like older ladies, don’t you? She’s almost forty.”

  He shrugged. “What can I say? I’m an old soul.”

  I laughed.

  We walked a lap around the hotel and ended up back at the entrance. “I really should get some sleep.”