Free Natural Blond Instincts by Jill Shalvis Page A

while doing his damnedest to avoid Kenna.
    A few days ago that avoidance would have been directly tied into his aggravation at having to share his damn job, the one he’d wanted all for himself.
    Now, he had to admit that it wasn’t all about the job. He needed some space to get over the pool incident, where he’d learned a couple of things. One, Kenna had a body full of lush curves meant to bring a grown man to his knees.
    He was a grown man.
    And his knees were willing to take his weight.
    And yet it was the second thing he’d learned that really stuck with him. For all her tough-girl, bring-it-on attitude, Kenna had a softer side, and he had to say, for just a moment there, when he’d had her in his arms, helping her out of the pool, it’d brought out the Tarzan in him.
    Luckily he’d come to his senses and regrouped.
    He planned on regrouping for a while longer, and was happily at it when Mr. Mallory called him.
    â€œI hear the union meeting went well the other day. What’s up for this week?”
    Wes flipped open the calendar his assistant had left for him and talked business for a while before the question that he had hoped to avoid like the plague came.
    â€œHow’s she doing?”
    No one had to tell Wes which she. “She’s…doing.”
    â€œGood. I had no doubt that once I convinced her to give up her wild ways, she could be a good Mallory.”
    For the first time Wes wondered at the pressures of being a “good” Mallory, and how that pressure would feel on the shoulders of someone like Kenna, who was clearly her own woman, with her own thoughts and ways.
    As opposed to his own family, who had no expectations for him other than to be happy. And to have enough to eat.
    â€œNo problems, then?” Mr. Mallory asked.
    Short of Kenna burning the place down, Wes had no intentions of being the man to complain to his boss about his daughter. “Did you expect problems?”
    The older man sighed. “Look, I’ll be honest. I wanted to give Kenna this chance, I needed to give her this chance. But…well, I know what I’m asking of you. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in her, but I know she has some odd ideas, and can be a bit…shall we say strong-willed?”
    Wes thought of Kenna and her concerns about the locals not getting good rates, being bothered that the restaurants didn’t have specials, irritated as hell over the employee contract negotiations… Then he thought about her dripping wet, hair in her face, makeup in her eyes, sheer, lacy clothes shrink-wrapped to every inch of her incredible body.
    No, Wes doubted Mallory knew what he was asking. “Everything is fine.”
    â€œWell…that’s good. Carry on, then, Roth.”
    Carry on.
    Sure. No problem. No problem at all.
    Â 
    T WO DAYS LATER , Wes still hadn’t had to deal with Kenna other than on occasional business issues. They’d divided things up and only ran into eachother at meetings, where she seemed to be managing just fine.
    As for himself, he was swamped. Between the ongoing renovation issues, keeping everything under control while having guests in the hotel at the same time, the accounting quarterlies and the myriad other problems associated with running a new hotel, he felt challenged enough.
    When his brother Josh stormed into his office, Wes took one look at his expression and groaned. “Don’t tell me I have computer problems.”
    â€œIt’s not the system.” Josh, their computer wizard, was affectionately known as the resident “computer geek.” He was tall and lean like a runner, and tended to walk with his shoulders slumped as if he carried the weight of the world. He plopped in a chair and sprawled out his long arms and legs. “It’s not your computer, it’s your employees. One in particular.”
    There was only one employee “in particular” who bothered Josh, and that was