The Rent-A-Groom Read Online Free

innocent pawn in all this, or else there was some reasonable explanation for everything? She would feel terrible if she brought the authorities down on a hardworking cowboy who was only trying to make a living. Never mind that she would be doing him out of a job.
     
    Nothing about Race Bannister had appeared sinister. He’d looked her straight in the eyes and gone to great lengths to reassure her. He couldn’t be dangerous. Could he?
     
    And if she ran away now, she would never find out what was going on. That seemed a shame.
     
    The smile on the concierge’s face faded, to be replaced by a frown that mirrored her own. “What seems to be the problem, ma’am? Is it something here in the hotel? Is there any way I can fix it?”
     
    Gina gave him a rueful smile. “I don’t know; I can’t quite make up my mind. You—you haven’t had any reports of a strange man finding excuses to get into the rooms, have you?”
     
    “Good heavens, no!” The concierge’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you’ve had someone like that?”
     
    “That’s the problem; I’m not sure whether he’s legitimate or not. And I don’t know how to get him out again.”
     
    Her uncertainty was not like her; she was usually so sure of most things. For instance, she’d been positive she and Bradley were compatible.
     
    The two of them had liked the same food, music and cars; had the same ideas about work and leisure; shared many of the same political convictions. True, their senses of humor were totally opposite: Bradley roared at slapstick, and she thought it totally dumb. Their ideas about ethics had turned out to be different, too. The truth was, she had been wrong about Bradley, and now she was half afraid to trust her judgment.
     
    Tyrone watched her with doubt in his face. “Let me be sure I understand you, ma’am. There’s a strange man in your room, and you don’t know if he’s who he claims.”
     
    She gave a small shrug. “That’s about the size of it.”
     
    “And which room are you in?”
     
    “The honeymoon suite…” She trailed off as the saw how it was going to look. The abrupt lift of the concierge’s eyebrows was perfectly understandable, given the circumstances.
     
    Tyrone cleared his throat. With an air of great delicacy, he said, “I assume he isn’t the groom.”
     
    “Not exactly.” Gina could feel the heat of her swift flush.
     
    “I…see.” The man behind the desk took a breath that swelled his barrel chest. “If I might ask, how long has he been—uh, on the scene?”
     
    Gina glanced at her watch. “About fifteen minutes. Long enough for a shower and shave.”
     
    “Of course. A shower. And a shave. And you have reason to believe he will be there when you return?”
     
    She nodded without quite meeting the concierge’s gaze. “Unless he’s discovered I left.”
     
    “Hmm.” The concierge hesitated before he spoke again. “Just what was it you had in mind to do with him?”
     
    “I don’t know,” she answered with troubled frankness. “What do you suggest?”
     
    Tyrone tilted his head. “I suppose it all depends.”
     
    “Meaning?”
     
    “He didn’t force his way into your suite?”
     
    “Oh, no!”
     
    “He made no move to harm you?”
     
    She shook her head.
     
    “He made no threats, no demands?”
     
    “None at all.”
     
    Tyrone pursed his lips. “It doesn’t seem to be a matter for the police then.”
     
    “Of course not,” she said sharply then closed her eyes as she sighed. Since there seemed no other choice, she explained the situation as fully as she was able.
     
    “Well, I can certainly have someone from security speak to this gentleman,” Tyrone said when she had finished. “If he doesn’t leave quietly, we can call in a couple of security guys to take care of him.”
     
    “Oh, surely not! I mean, I don’t think any rough stuff is necessary.”
     
    The concierge studied her. “I pride myself on my ability to take charge of