Authors: Ember Casey
Her Wicked Heart
Her Wicked Heart
by Ember Casey
Her Wicked Heart
(
Her Wicked Heart #1
)
Description
Once, Louisa “Lou” Cunningham had everything. Now, she has nothing to lose.
Her father’s dead. Her family’s fortune is gone. She’s drifting, and she’d rather lose herself in the arms of her program director (or anyone, really) than deal with the turmoil inside of her.
But even the wildest spirit can’t run forever. Lou knows that in order to move on with her life, she has to go back. And that means returning to the estate she once called home—even if that estate is now a luxury tourist attraction called Huntington Manor.
At Huntington Manor, she’s no longer Lou Cunningham. She’s Addison Thomas, assistant to the hotel’s General Manager. Infiltrating her old home might be one of her crazier schemes, but she’s ready for the challenge. What she’s
not
ready for is Ward, the sexy Casanova of a handyman who keeps stumbling across her path. As much as she’d love to forget about her issues in the depths of his azure blue eyes, she’s here to heal, not fall back into bad habits. Even if he has the most delicious set of biceps she’s ever seen. Even if he might be the only one who understands what she really needs…
It never should have happened.
He was my project manager, and I was the daughter of Wentworth Cunningham, the man who gave him the job. We both should have known better, but me most of all.
The truth is, I was selfish. Before my life went haywire, he was just Ian: hardworking and generous, sweet and serious. I used to tease him about his hair—which was dark and curly like mine—just to try and make him smile. I’d remind him that we were working for the greater good, but he would only see the work we hadn’t done yet: the orphanage we had yet to renovate, the resources we had yet to allocate. He was the kindest and most selfless of all of us working at the Chiang Mai division of Cunningham Cares International.
After my father’s death, Ian became my crutch.
I shouldn’t have rushed back to Thailand after the funeral. I see that now. My brother pushed me into it, sure, but it’s not like he had a gun to my head. Frankly, I thought it would be good for me. Put my suffering in perspective.
Instead, I found myself looking at Ian.
Ian’s attractive. There’s no denying that. He’s lean and muscled from long days spent sweating under the sun. His skin is always tan, and no matter how often he shaves, there’s a perpetual dusting of stubble on his chin. He has these soft gray eyes that seem to look right into the very core of your being. The day I returned to work in Chiang Mai, those eyes were so full of concern for me that the hollowness I’d been nursing deep in my stomach seemed to dissipate, just for a second.
That night, after everyone else was asleep, I went to his room. And Ian—sweet, responsible, serious Ian—didn’t turn me away.
Afterward, he touched my face in the dark and said, “This can’t happen again.” But a month later, when I broke under the hollowness and crept to his room a second time, he took me into his arms once more and helped me forget.
It happened the same every time: I’d go to him, we’d lose ourselves in each other, and then he’d tell me, “Never again.” But he’d hold me close as he said it, whisper it against my hair, and we both knew it was a lie.
I don’t remember when it became every night. I spent months drowning in the haze of his tenderness, losing myself in the comforts of his touch, the sweetness of his lips, the soft encouragement of his voice. He loved me, and I needed that love. I needed his warmth on those dark nights. I needed his gentle looks during those long days.
I didn’t care what he needed.
And when it came to a head, when he finally voiced the words that lay between us, I did what every heartless coward does when she’s cornered.
I ran.
TODAY
I’m a bitch.
Mr. Charles Haymore, (whose brass name tag has been polished to a flawless shine) has been prattling on about my new job responsibilities for the last ten minutes, but the only thing I can focus on is the giant chocolate crumb dangling from his mustache. It’s huge. I’m surprised he can’t feel it brushing against his lip. But I suppose it takes a very special kind of crumb to defy the laws of gravity and cling to salt-and-pepper-whiskers for half an hour or more—especially when the owner of said whiskers can’t seem to shut up—so maybe that’s part of its magic.
I fold my hands in my lap and nod politely, trying to hold his gaze. It’s hard enough to keep from looking at the crumb, but I’m also fighting the urge to glance around the room.
We’re sitting in the room that used to be my father’s study. I thought it was over the top even then—all dark bookcases and gloomy paintings—but now it’s friggin’ ridiculous. Whatever designer redid this place apparently decided that my family lived in another century or something. I’m almost surprised they decided to keep the working electricity.
“Any questions, Ms. Thomas?”
It takes a minute for Mr. Haymore’s words to register. I’m still not used to hearing that name.
“No. No questions.” I give him my best smile.
Show those teeth
, my father used to say.
A bit of charm and a smile go a long way.
He gives a single nod. “Your responsibilities will shift from day to day depending on my needs. One day I might have you running errands, and the next you might be responding to emails. I carry responsibility for many of the daily functions of this facility, and as such, you too will be responsible for tasks of great importance. I trust that’s acceptable?”
“Yes, sir,” I say a little too enthusiastically.
He shoots me a stern look and slides the last piece of my employment paperwork across his desk. “My last assistant didn’t find herself up to the task.”
“I assure you, sir, that I’m up for anything you throw at me.”
He looks at me for a long moment, then nods again, apparently satisfied with his assessment. “All employees are required to meet certain standards of behavior for the duration of their contract. You are to wear your name tag at all times while on duty. You are not to smoke or partake in alcohol while on the premises, and any evidence of intoxication is grounds for disciplinary action. Any subsequent slip will result in an immediate dismissal. Am I understood?”
I nod. “You are.”
It’s actually a bit of a pity that he’s such a drab old bore. If he were a little younger, a little narrower, a little less stuffy, I might try to soften his unpleasantness. Help him unleash the wild nature he’s hidden beneath that perfectly pressed suit. I’ve never been with a hotel’s General Manager before. Or anyone in the hospitality industry, really. Do they leave mints on your pillow after sex?
Unfortunately for Mr. Haymore, even I have standards.
And you’re supposed to be staying away from men for a while
, I remind myself. And I’m off to a roaring start—I’m not even two months into my self-imposed celibacy and I’m so desperate I’m looking at
this
guy.
As if he can see into my brain, Mr. Haymore says, “It goes without saying that fraternization with guests is strictly prohibited. And any…
relations
with fellow employees will be done with discretion or not at all. Is that clear?”
“Crystal.”
That should make it a little bit easier for me, at least.
“Not that I imagine you’ll have much time for such activities,” he continues. “The press event starts on the twenty-first. That’s less than two weeks from now, and we open our doors the week after that. The next couple of months are crucial, and you will be expected to respond to my requests at a moment’s notice.”
I nod, though I’m beginning to regret jumping on the “room & board” option in my contract. When I saw that the resort offered housing to certain employees, it felt like the perfect opportunity. I mean, it’s not like I have many other housing options these days. But the more I talk to Mr. Haymore, the less I’m liking the idea of being “on call” at all hours.
I still smile, of course. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”
He nods again, finally dislodging that mustache crumb, then passes me a pen. “Welcome to the Huntington Manor family, Ms. Thomas.”
Huntington Manor.
It sounds like something out of a Jane Austen novel, and I kind of want to vomit. I mean, I’m insanely relieved that my brother Calder made sure they couldn’t attach our family name to this monstrosity of a tourist trap, but surely they could have come up with something better than
Huntington Manor.
My great-great-grandfather is probably rolling in his grave right now.
I take a deep breath and look down at my contract. No point in dragging this out. I knew what I was getting into when I walked through the doors this morning. I pull the paper closer and scribble down the signature I practiced a hundred times last night:
Addison Thomas.
Addison Thomas is twenty-four and, according to her resume, has a degree in Hospitality and Tourist Management. She’s spent the last two years working at a resort down on the coast (where she received the Gold Customer Service Award last year) and has special training in “Customer Loyalty Administration” and “Trip Planning Assistance.”
Or, you know, Addison Thomas is the brilliant creation of yours truly, the one and only Louisa Cunningham. I was going for something that might get me a position in the Guest Services department of this place, but apparently Mr. Haymore lost his assistant a few days ago and my resume was at the top of the pile. And I charmed him enough in the first interview that he only called one of my carefully-prepped “references.”
I pass the contract back to Mr. Haymore. He doesn’t give the signature a second glance.
“I expect you to report to me tomorrow at 8 AM sharp. In the meantime, you can get settled in your room. I’ve put you in Room 253 in the East Wing.” He reaches into his desk and pulls out a key and fat manila envelope. “This is very important. It contains your employee handbook and an extensive map of the estate. I suggest you familiarize yourself with them as soon as possible.”
A map.
Ha.
I could find my way around this place with my eyes closed. Backwards.
“I’ll study it tonight,” I tell him.
“Very good.” He stands and runs a hand down the front of his pristine charcoal gray sport coat. “I would show you to your room, but I’m very busy.”
“I’m sure I’ll find my way, Mr. Haymore.” I reach out to clasp his hand. “A pleasure to be working for you.”
He gives a little
harrumph
before sinking back down into his seat again.
Oh, yes. This will be about as pleasurable as trying to bathe a warthog.
I grab my suitcase and escape out the door before I overload on his charm. It’s not until I’m halfway down the hall that the rush hits.
I’m doing this. I’m honest-to-God doing this.
Instinctively, I reach up with my free hand and clutch the end of my ponytail, but I cringe as soon as my fingers touch the strands. They’re too long, too smooth. But I knew I couldn’t just show up here looking like my normal self—after all, my face has made a few appearances in the tabloids over the past year—so I dyed and straightened my hair. Instead of the dark curls I was always known for, I now have a head of sleek, honey-colored locks. I’m also sporting more makeup than I’ve ever worn in my life. It’s not much of a disguise, as far as they go, but I’ve definitely got the “celebrities without makeup” effect going on here. People are used to seeing me looking a certain way against a certain backdrop. No one expects “Lou” Cunningham, daughter of the late, disgraced Wentworth Cunningham, to show up and take an assistant position at her family’s former estate, the property her father lost through extreme financial carelessness. I’ll just have to make sure to touch up my roots every few weeks or so.
My great-great-grandfather built this house. It was passed down through my family from generation to generation. My brother and I played in these halls as children. But when my father died last year, Calder and I inherited a huge financial mess—and we agreed to sell the property to help settle our family’s debts.
I’ll be honest: this was always too much house for me. The minute I was old enough to understand social responsibility, I realized how outrageous all of this was. I mean, who needs a rooftop pool or computerized closets when there are people out there without basic necessities like food and proper medical care? When Calder suggested we sell the estate, I agreed without hesitation. I told myself this place was just an ostentatious pile of rocks, a symbol of all the things I’d grown to resent about being born to privilege.
But I was wrong.
I look around me as I walk down the hall. Calder sold most of our furniture, so they’ve had to completely redecorate the house from scratch. And apparently they decided to go the Rococo route. It looks like a bunch of cherubs threw up on the walls. It’s very strange. A bit like walking through a dream I
know
I’ve had before—and yet not being able to recognize a thing.
Is this how they think my family lived?
I stop next to a window and press my fingers against the glass. From here, I can see out across the grounds behind the house. There are the small herb beds—which my grandmother designed after a medieval kitchen garden—and past that, the tall, dark wall of the hedge maze. From here, at least, it all looks exactly the way it did the last time I was home. I can almost pretend I never left.
This house isn’t just stones and walls. And it was never just a symbol of our wealth. It was my home. It holds a lifetime’s worth of memories. Of my childhood. Of my father. Of my family.
And now it’s going to be a megaresort. For just the low, low price of $457 a night (a lot more than I could ever afford at this point), anyone can pretend to be a Cunningham—and sit in their fancy eighteenth-century-style rooms and laugh at us for losing all of this.
It makes me sick. According to Mr. Haymore’s boasts, this place will be more than just an overpriced bed and breakfast. They’ll be offering tours of the house and grounds to day visitors. They’ve converted the twelve-car garage into a full spa center. They’ve torn down the orchards and put in a golf course. And my favorite? They’ve decided to build a small vineyard on the northwest corner of the property. One day, they’ll have their very own Huntington Manor wine, but in the meantime the tasting room will feature “exclusive selections from the Manor’s cellar.” I guess there wasn’t any reason Calder shouldn’t have included some of our father’s extensive wine collection in the sale of the house, but it really ticks me off to imagine some idiot getting drunk off of one of those vintages my family was saving for something special.
It’s worse than the media storm that erupted after my father’s death. Worse than all the things they said about him and my family when the rumors about our finances started swirling. I can still see the tabloids: “The Cunninghams Lose Everything!” and “SCANDAL: The Downfall of a Family!” and dozens of other sensationalist headlines emblazoned across their covers. I couldn’t escape it, even on the other side of the world.
But
this
… this feels more personal. They’re not just commercializing my family’s history, launching a money-making venture on top of our misfortune—they’re invading our home. It’s disgusting, and I feel like I’ve been gutted.
I push away from the window and continue down the hallway. It occurs to me that I should try and look a little lost—after all,
Addison Thomas
has no idea where she’s going—but I don’t have the patience for anything more than a quick glance down at my map. I’m assuming the East Wing hasn’t changed locations in the past year, and while my family never bothered to number the rooms, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find Room 253, my home for the duration of my contract.
I make my way to the small staircase off of my family’s old atrium. I try not to notice that they’ve built a small café in the atrium now, or that they’ve set up a sandwich board on the place where I once tried to start a small vegetable garden. And the stairway isn’t any better. They’ve ripped out the beautiful old burgundy-and-gold wallpaper we had in here and replaced it with cherub paintings. My family might have been extravagant, but at least we had taste. By the time I make it to the top step, I’m seriously beginning to question my decision to come back here.
It wasn’t my initial plan. I thought that maybe when I returned from Thailand, Calder and I might find a way to move on together, but when I saw my brother, it only took me a moment to realize that he’s already made it through the hardest part without me. He’s moved on. And not only that—he’s
happy.
Like disgustingly-in-love happy. He’s found someone with whom he can start a bright new life. And me? It’s been well more than a year and I’m still a mess. I couldn’t bear to step into that happy little picture he’s created and pull him down again.
When I heard that Huntington Manor was hiring—well, it seemed like fate. I needed a job. I needed a place to live. I needed some closure. It sounded like a sweet three-for-one deal. I’m not normally someone who believes in “destiny” and all that hooey, but this was too perfect of an opportunity to ignore.