something like it.”
“Well, we’ve all got a past…right? There’s no other way to get to the present.” She crossed her legs in front of her and turned to look in his eyes. His heart raced as if it would burst.
“Yeah we do, and mine has a lot to do with this place.”
“You don’t have to tell me. I don’t want to know about your past flings. We’ve all had them.”
He laughed inside. She was so off track. He decided to tell her about everything—the business tonight, his ex-wife tomorrow. “My father was Donovan Phillips.”
Sharon stared at him for a moment, and he couldn’t read her initial reaction.
“Donovan Phillips.” Her voice was flat, unaffected. She moved from the bed and stepped away, chewing on the inside of her lip. It was adorable the way she did that when she was nervous or unsure. She leaned against the door. “You’re messing with me.”
Kyle shook his head. She was so hard to read. “I’m serious.”
“ The Donovan Phillips? The one who owns Donovan Properties.”
“The one and only.”
“You know that’s the third biggest hotel chain in the world…right?” She moved from the door to sit on the edge of the bed. “I only know because I just watched a Travel Channel documentary about that. And you were in it, I mean a photo of you and your father was on the screen. I didn’t recognize you…because I didn’t know you then…I watched it last week.” She turned and looked at him. “Why do you live in Pineville?”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted. “And I’m sorry…about your father.”
“Thanks, he passed a couple of years ago. They filmed that documentary right after. And I moved to Pineville to get away from the corporate world. It’s not my thing.”
“What is your thing?”
“You.”
She rolled her eyes. “Be serious.”
But he was serious. He shrugged. “Okay, I guess my land…the horses…the cattle.”
“Don’t you own all of Donovan Properties now?”
“Fifty-one percent.” He was getting anxious. Talking about the business was not a favorite topic of his. The only reason he agreed to keeping his ownership was because he knew his father worked long and hard to create a legacy for himself, and making sure every hotel lived up to his standards was the only way he knew how to let Donovan Phillip’s name live on.
“Doesn’t it keep you busy?”
“I show up for board meetings once a month. It’s not bad. I have a good team working for me.”
“Huh.” She scooted up the bed, resting her back on the headboard.
“What?”
“I never would’ve guessed.”
Sharon patted the space beside her and he filled it, laying his head in her lap. “It’s not something I talk about often.”
“Are you worried people won’t like you because you have money?” The tip of her index finger lightly traced his hairline.
“No.” He took a deep breath and released it. “I’m concerned they’ll like me because I do.”
* * * *
Sharon rolled over and opened her eyes. Even sleeping, Kyle was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen. She smiled. Waking up beside him every day would take no time getting used to, and for the first time in her life, someone made her feel like she deserved it. The way he looked at her, the way he touched her, and she could see it in his eyes…the way he craved her. With the back of her fingers, she lightly stroked his jaw line.
His lids fluttered before opening. He licked his lips, his bright blues taking her in. “This is perfect, you know…waking up with you.”
Half surprised at what he’d said, her hand froze, but she nodded in agreement.
Kyle sat up on his elbow and pulled her closer. “Lay flat on your back.”
And she did, chills running through her. His morning voice was low and more rugged than usual. She liked it.
He tossed back the blanket. His eyes ran over her naked body. “Do you know how beautiful you are?”
She didn’t say anything, she couldn’t. Her heart was
“Well, we’ve all got a past…right? There’s no other way to get to the present.” She crossed her legs in front of her and turned to look in his eyes. His heart raced as if it would burst.
“Yeah we do, and mine has a lot to do with this place.”
“You don’t have to tell me. I don’t want to know about your past flings. We’ve all had them.”
He laughed inside. She was so off track. He decided to tell her about everything—the business tonight, his ex-wife tomorrow. “My father was Donovan Phillips.”
Sharon stared at him for a moment, and he couldn’t read her initial reaction.
“Donovan Phillips.” Her voice was flat, unaffected. She moved from the bed and stepped away, chewing on the inside of her lip. It was adorable the way she did that when she was nervous or unsure. She leaned against the door. “You’re messing with me.”
Kyle shook his head. She was so hard to read. “I’m serious.”
“ The Donovan Phillips? The one who owns Donovan Properties.”
“The one and only.”
“You know that’s the third biggest hotel chain in the world…right?” She moved from the door to sit on the edge of the bed. “I only know because I just watched a Travel Channel documentary about that. And you were in it, I mean a photo of you and your father was on the screen. I didn’t recognize you…because I didn’t know you then…I watched it last week.” She turned and looked at him. “Why do you live in Pineville?”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted. “And I’m sorry…about your father.”
“Thanks, he passed a couple of years ago. They filmed that documentary right after. And I moved to Pineville to get away from the corporate world. It’s not my thing.”
“What is your thing?”
“You.”
She rolled her eyes. “Be serious.”
But he was serious. He shrugged. “Okay, I guess my land…the horses…the cattle.”
“Don’t you own all of Donovan Properties now?”
“Fifty-one percent.” He was getting anxious. Talking about the business was not a favorite topic of his. The only reason he agreed to keeping his ownership was because he knew his father worked long and hard to create a legacy for himself, and making sure every hotel lived up to his standards was the only way he knew how to let Donovan Phillip’s name live on.
“Doesn’t it keep you busy?”
“I show up for board meetings once a month. It’s not bad. I have a good team working for me.”
“Huh.” She scooted up the bed, resting her back on the headboard.
“What?”
“I never would’ve guessed.”
Sharon patted the space beside her and he filled it, laying his head in her lap. “It’s not something I talk about often.”
“Are you worried people won’t like you because you have money?” The tip of her index finger lightly traced his hairline.
“No.” He took a deep breath and released it. “I’m concerned they’ll like me because I do.”
* * * *
Sharon rolled over and opened her eyes. Even sleeping, Kyle was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen. She smiled. Waking up beside him every day would take no time getting used to, and for the first time in her life, someone made her feel like she deserved it. The way he looked at her, the way he touched her, and she could see it in his eyes…the way he craved her. With the back of her fingers, she lightly stroked his jaw line.
His lids fluttered before opening. He licked his lips, his bright blues taking her in. “This is perfect, you know…waking up with you.”
Half surprised at what he’d said, her hand froze, but she nodded in agreement.
Kyle sat up on his elbow and pulled her closer. “Lay flat on your back.”
And she did, chills running through her. His morning voice was low and more rugged than usual. She liked it.
He tossed back the blanket. His eyes ran over her naked body. “Do you know how beautiful you are?”
She didn’t say anything, she couldn’t. Her heart was
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