"Good morning, 'wela!"

It took some effort for Alexa to let herself in her apartment, as she was carrying three large brown paper bags. After shutting the door, she looked around cautiously. Was her grandmother still asleep? It was unlikely, but if she were ...

"Good morning, Alejandra," said a cheerful voice from the kitchen. "Are you hungry? I'm making breakfast."

She sighed. Her grandmother was awake. There was no way she was getting out of this now.

"No." She lugged her bags to the kitchen. "I brought the groceries I picked up before my shift last night. And I dropped by the pharmacy on my way here. I got enough of your meds for a couple of weeks."

"Thank you. Oh my, did that not cost too much, mi niña?" Constancia Diaz said. She was standing over the stove, frying something. "We need to pay rent next week."

"I have enough for rent, don't worry about it." Alexa set the bags on the table. "Mmmm, is that mallorca?"

"Fried in butter, just the way you like it," Constancia said. She slid two buns onto a plate. "You can unpack the groceries later. Let's have breakfast while the buns are still hot." She set the plate on the table.

"Yes, 'wela." Alexa set the grocery bags aside, and washed her hands. She usually went home right after her shift ended at four a.m. Her grandmother hadn't said a word about her being out all night. Was it possible she didn't notice?.

She ate the soft buttery pastry with her fingers, moaning softly as she chewed her first bite. First she gets an extra thousand dollars in cash, and now she was having her favorite pastry for breakfast. This was turning out to be a really great weekend.

Her grandmother poured coffee in two mugs. "So," she said, setting one mug in front of Alexa. "You did not mention you had a date last night."

Alexa froze, her mouth full of pastry.

The elderly woman leaned over, her arms on the table, and smiled. "How was it?" she whispered.

Alexa swallowed, shaking her head. "It wasn't a date. I had to do overtime last night."

"Really?" Constancia's lightly greying eyebrows furrowed. "Why do you have that look about you then?"

"What look? I don't have a look." Alexa took a sip of the hot coffee, trying to avoid her grandmother's eyes.

"Yes you do." Constancia shook her head. "You have a look that says you have been with a man all night."

It was at that moment that Alexa found out that when you choke on hot liquid, the spasm of coughing that follows is not very pleasant.

"Ay dios mio, are you all right, Alejandra?" Alarmed, Constancia stood up and went around the table to rub her granddaughter's back.

"I'm okay," Alexa said, covering her mouth with a paper napkin. "I just ..." She cleared her throat, trying to dislodge the last of the coffee stuck in her windpipe. "I just swallowed too quickly, that's all." She turned and pulled her grandmother's hands from her shoulders. "Please stop asking about my—" She paused. "Abuela, your hands are hot. Do you have a fever?"

Constancia pulled her hands from Alexa's. "No, I'm okay. I took an aspirin earlier. I'm fine now."

"No, 'wela. We need to check your temperature." Alexa stood up. "Don't be stubborn. You know we have to call the doctor if there are any unusual changes in your temperature."

"Who's stubborn? You are just trying to change the subject."

Alexa shook her head. If only it were just that. "Sit down and wait here. I'll get the thermometer."

***

Kellan woke up to the sound of the doorbell ringing. Again. Groaning, he pulled a pillow off his chest. Was anyone ever going to give him any peace and quiet this morning?

It took him a few moments to finally get on his feet. He was still wearing the shirt he put on earlier, but he was still only in his boxers. He thought of putting on a pair of jeans, but opted to slip into a hotel bathrobe instead.

Who was it this time? Paige? Kimmy? He wasn't aware anyone else knew he was spending the weekend at the Crofton. Either way, someone at the front desk should have called ahead to let him know he had a visitor.

He didn't bother to check the peephole and pulled the door open to see the last person he expected.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he said.

"Good morning to you, too, bro," said Cian Butler, his hands tucked in the pockets of his jacket, completely unruffled by his older brother's bad mood. "Can I come in?"

"This is not a good time, Cian."

"No, it's not."

His brother had this look Kellan knew very well. Sighing, he let go of the doorknob and gestured for Cian to come in.

He should have known. If anyone could find out which suite he was staying at, and then show up without the front desk informing him, it would be someone who owned the damned hotel. Or in this case, a son of the man who owned the damned hotel.

"Is she here?" the younger man said, looking around.

"Nobody's here." Kellan plopped down on the sofa. "So just tell me what is it that was important enough to drag me out of bed at nine am on a Sunday."

Cian took the chair across him. "What are you doing?" he said.

"You'll have to be more specific."

"You were on a date last night."

"It was just dinner. I had dinner with a friend."

"Really?" The younger man crossed his arms. "Did she stay the night?"

"No, of course not." Technically, it was that other girl who stayed the night, but he wasn't going to bring that up. What was her name again? Lexy? Lexa? "Is that all?" he added, standing up. He had been awake all day and night on Friday, and he had a lot of sleep to catch up on.

Cian didn't budge. "So you're not cheating on Paige?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"No. Why do you care so much, anyway?"

"This deal between Crofton and the Lhanbryde chain is going down in a few months. I don't want ... complications."

"And there won't be any," Kellan said, looking his brother in the eye. "No complications whatsoever."

***

"Kellan Butler, it's been a while," said Everton Blake. The soon-to-be twelfth Duke of Leicester, Brandon and Ashbury smiled broadly and he shook Kellan's hand. "Pleased you could meet us for lunch."

"Not at all, Everton. How do you do?" Kellan's tone was cordial, but not entirely friendly. No use encouraging the man.

"I'm having the most splendid time in California, as a matter of fact. Brilliant weather you have here in Los Angeles." He pulled out a chair for Paige, who smiled at Kellan as she sat down. "You don't come to London much, I suppose?"

Kellan chose to ignore whatever insult Everton had implied with that gesture of chivalry. The man was outwardly polite, and it was best for everyone if they were, at the very least, civil with each other.

"I was there for three months last year, actually."

"Odd. Paige never mentioned it. Did you, my dear?"

"No. Kellan here doesn't like being disturbed when he's working," Paige said. "He can get very ... focused."

"We have that in common, I guess," Kellan said.

"Where's your friend? Is she coming?" Paige's tone sounded casual.

"No. She had to attend to a family matter, I'm afraid." He'd rehearsed that excuse earlier. If there was one thing Paige didn't do it was pry into personal matters.

"I hope you don't mind that I asked for an outdoor table," Everton said, opening his menu. "Marvelous sunshine you have here. Brilliant."

"Not at all," Kellan said, looking over his own menu. "Will you two be in L.A. long?"

"I'm flying out to New York next week, actually," Paige said. "Everton, you'll be staying on, yes?" She called for a waiter.

"Looks like it." He looked up at Kellan. "That is, if you have something for me in this mobile app business of yours, eh, chap?"

The man sound like a bad version of a P.G. Wodehouse story, but Kellan was inwardly wincing not at that, but at the idea of having to spend any more time with him. "Let's hope so," he said noncommittally.

"When I heard about that billion-dollar acquisition of your company," Everton droned on, "I thought to myself— I say, hello there!"

The change in his tone made Kellan look up. Everton stared past him, a goofy smile plastered on his face.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

Kellan turned to see the woman who had spent the night in his bed standing behind him. The hotel attendant's uniform was gone — she was wearing a light green sundress, her hair in loose waves around her shoulders.

"Not at all, Alexa dear," Paige said, glancing pointedly at Kellan for a second before smiling back at her. "So nice of you to join us."