He was messing with me. “Stop looking at her.”

“Hmm, territorial, too.”

I rubbed my temple. “We met at the masquerade.”

“Ah. I figured you’d met someone when you came up here. When you got back to Denver, you were… different.”

“I slept with her, and I didn’t even know who she was. Now, we’ve come to an agreement while I’m here. I intend to get her out of my system, and while I do that, it will be mutually enjoyable.”

Caden cocked a brow. “This should be interesting.”

I waved a hand at him. “Have you got anything else for me?” I looked down at the paperwork on my desk. “I got a message to meet Tessa in the great room and need to go soon.”

He glanced at the paperwork. It listed all the potential upgrades to the Windward. “You’re planning to renovate?”

“Piper is still running the knockdown scenario, and you know I assess all options, but let’s just say that Tessa has been showing me the charm of the Windward Resort.”

“You sure you weren’t just charmed by the manager?”

“Maybe. But this situation between us is temporary. I’m not staying. Once things are in hand, I’ll move to the next acquisition. Probably the Maldives, if the deal doesn’t go south.” I shook my head. “Tessa is an employee and…the kind of woman that doesn’t do casual long-term.” I had the sudden thought of her with a clean-cut husband and a picket fence. My gut tightened.

Caden didn’t comment on that. “I’ve got a couple of my team coming in. Deem and his guards are just not experienced enough to keep you safe.” He frowned. “The concierge…”

I wracked my brain for a name. “Rossi? Enzo Rossi?”

“He’s not a concierge.”

I frowned.

“He’s had training, not military, but something.”

“You think he’s our saboteur?”

“No. He cares about the hotel and staff. I suspect if I read him in on this, he’d be an asset.”

“You just hate not knowing his background.” Caden loved having his finger on the pulse of everything, and knowing more than everyone in the room.

“Yes.” Caden crossed his arms. “There’s nothing in his background check. He’s as clean as a whistle. Too clean.”

“And you think we can trust him?”

“Hell no, but with the saboteur, yes.”

I rose and checked my watch. “Shit, I’m late to meet Tessa.”

He gave me a faint smile. “Go.”

It was quiet in the lobby. It was that time in the afternoon where it was well past checkout time, a little too early for most new guests to be checking in, and current guests were either resting or out doing activities. I saw the bar was doing a brisk business already. The restaurant was between lunch and dinner.