Devious Intentions (Carson Cove Sandals Book 3) Read online

  Copyright © 2019 by Kelli Callahan

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Epilogue

  Once Upon A Daddy

  Join My Mailing List

  Kelli’s Voracious Vixens

  About the Author

  Also by Kelli Callahan

  Chapter One

  Leigh

  “Where are my shoes?” My mother stumbled around the living room on her tiptoes in a frenzied panic. “Help me look!”

  “Mom, you left them in the laundry room.” I pointed in the direction she should aim her next tiptoed bounce.

  “Why are they in there?” She was no ballerina, so it was rather comical to watch—but I hid my grin behind my laptop as she got more distressed with every toe-step. “Ugh!”

  “You left them in there…” I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

  I don’t even want to know why your clothes had to go straight in the washer when you got home…

  “Okay!” She walked back into the living room with her shoes on her feet where they belonged. “I’m ready.”

  “You look great.” I didn’t even give her a glance—it wouldn’t have mattered—she just wanted the compliment.

  “Don’t wait up, sweetheart.” She walked over and gave me a peck on the top of my head. “The guy I’m going out with is wealthy.

  “I never do…” I gave her a side-eyed glance as she grabbed her purse and hurried towards the door.

  Life put a lot of bitter pills in my mother’s hand, but the hardest one to swallow was the realization that she was literally nobody. I swallowed that pill before I graduated from high school, but she still hadn’t managed to do it. She dreamed of Prince Charming on a white horse with money in his pockets and credit cards that didn’t have a limit. Every date she went on was the one—the guy that was going to make her dreams come true and rescue her from the harsh realities of the only life she had ever known. I wasn’t that foolish. There were no fairy tales in Carson Cove—and the only dreams that came true were nightmares.

  Maybe she’ll realize that one day…

  In the absence of Prince Charming, the only other option I had was to make something of myself. I was trying—in secret. My mother thought high school was a waste of time, and college was a money pit. She encouraged me to find a job as soon as I turned sixteen and get an engagement ring on my left hand before I turned eighteen—she even offered to sign the paperwork if I wanted to get married before I was legally able to do it on my own—provided that the guy I wanted to marry wasn’t poor.

  I wasn’t interested in romance, especially marrying someone just because they were rich, but I did get a job as soon as I was old enough to do so. I worked at a few places before I finally found one that I stuck with after I graduated from high school, but it was mostly just a cover for what I was really doing with my time. My main focus was the degree that I was going to get from Carson Cove University. My mother had no idea that I was even a student there, and that was for the best. She might have noticed if I was actually going to campus, but they offered all of the classes I needed to take online, so I was able to keep it a secret. It was easier to keep that a secret from my mother than having her drone on constantly about how much valuable husband-finding time I was wasting.

  In two more years, I’ll have a Computer Science degree, a job in the city, and I can leave Carson Cove in the rear-view mirror.

  “Mom, it’s time to get up. It’s almost noon…” I walked to her bedroom door and gave it a nudge. “Mom?”

  She didn’t even come home last night? Damn…

  It was clear that her bed hadn’t been slept in because the outfits she didn’t wear on her date were still strewn across the sheets. It wasn’t the first time she had stayed out all night, but it was unusual for her not to do the walk of shame before noon. I shrugged it off and finished getting ready for work.

  My evenings and weekends were normally spent at the front desk of the Carson City Inn, and it was usually pretty dead, so I could get some of my assignments done in the process—the worst thing I had to deal with there was a few crazy unreasonable guests, but they weren’t that bad. Sometimes it was better to be there than at home.

  When I was younger, I constantly worried about my mother, especially after I realized what she was doing when she stayed out late, but over the years—I had simply gotten numb to it.

  I can’t live her life and mine at the same time…

  Post Malone provided the soundtrack for my drive to Carson City Inn. My car was a hand-me-down like most of the other stuff I owned. It was driven off the lot twenty years before I got behind the wheel, and my grandfather put two hundred thousand miles on it before he handed me the keys on my sixteenth birthday. My grandparents always stepped in when my mother couldn’t provide for me. They weren’t wealthy by any means, but they were content with what they had. I always got the impression that they weren’t exactly proud of the daughter they raised—they would never admit it, even if they did try to steer me down a different path. I didn’t need much coaxing. I already had an example of who I never wanted to become sleeping in the bedroom next to me—when she came home.

  “Leigh! I need you to clean room 32!” My boss met me at the front door of the lobby and motioned to the cleaning cart. “That one is a priority—then I need you to take care of the rest of them.”

  “I thought I was working at the front desk tonight…” I blinked in surprise.

  “Rosa called in sick. You’re cleaning rooms.” He pointed at the cart with a little more emphasis.

  “Yes sir.” I nodded and felt my shoulders slump as I walked over to make sure I had all the cleaning supplies I needed.

  Carson City Inn was one of those places where you just did what you were told, even if it wasn’t in your job description. I didn’t apply for a position as one of the maids, but that responsibility had been thrust on me a few times when someone called in sick, or we were trying to hire a replacement. Rosa had only been working there for a few months, so she would probably get fired when she returned, even if she called in because she was knocking on death’s door. Mr. Pruitt wasn’t the kind of boss that cared about the health of his employees. If they weren’t at work, they were lazy—regardless of what kept them from being able to clock-in that day. My fate would have been the same if I ever dared to miss one of my shifts.

  If I’m cleaning rooms tonight, I won’t be able to get any of my schoolwork done. I really needed a night of peace and quiet…

  I hated cleaning up after other people, but I wasn’t one to complain if I was asked to help out. The first time I did it, I learned that human beings were absolutely filthy—especially when they weren’t the ones that had to clean up after themselves. The only plus side to doing it w
as that a few people did leave tips for the maids. I got a five-dollar tip for digging cigarette butts out of a drain in one of the bathrooms, a ten dollar tip for picking up used condoms that missed the trash can, and a pile of loose change for stripping sheets that were still saturated with the stains of passion off one of the beds. Thankfully, that was the worst part of my evening, and after one of the other maids showed up, I got to sit behind the desk where I was supposed to be.

  It’s sad when this is what I look forward to, but at least I can do some schoolwork now…

  “I’m going out again tonight, Leigh. Do you have to work?” My mother walked into the doorway of my bedroom and pushed an earring into her ear as she spoke.

  “Yeah, but I’m sure I’ll make it home before you do—again.” I looked up from my laptop.

  It’s been that way for nearly a week now…

  “I’ll be home when I can.” She moved her hands to the other ear.

  “Are those new?” I leaned forward and narrowed my eyes when I realized that she was wearing a pair of diamond earrings I had never seen before.

  “Yes.” She smiled and nodded. “They were a gift from Edgar.”

  “Wow…” I blinked in surprise.

  “You should find a man to spoil you while you’re still young.” She let her hands fall to her waist. “It gets much harder once you’re my age…”

  My mother didn’t wait for a reply before she hurried back to her bedroom so she could finish getting ready for her date—with Edgar. It was the first time she had mentioned the name of the guy she was spending so much time with. She usually didn’t tell me their names unless she planned to introduce us at some point. I really wasn’t ready to meet the next guy that was going to break her heart when he moved on, but the countdown clock was ticking in that direction if she was telling me his name. At least I was old enough for my interaction to be limited to an introduction. I wasn’t some kid he had to impress because he was dating my mother. With any luck, their relationship would go up in flames before I found out more than his name.

  I’ll be the one that must console her regardless…

  “Rosa?” I looked up from my laptop and saw the maid, who had officially been fired after missing the last shift she was scheduled for.

  “Hey there Leigh.” She gave me a wave and a friendly smile spread across her lips. “I’m just here to pick up my last check from Mr. Pruitt.”

  “You don’t seem very upset that you lost your job.” I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

  “I landed on my feet.” She shrugged. “Once I got over the flu, I got a job at the Pembroke Hotel—it’s so much nicer than this place.”

  “Ah…” I nodded in understanding. “Yeah that place is pretty fancy.”

  “You should apply for a job there.” She leaned against the counter. “One of the clerks that works at the front desk quit yesterday. You’ve got experience…”

  “I don’t know.” I sighed and looked down at my laptop. “Mr. Pruitt lets me work on my school stuff when I don’t have any customers to take care of—and it’s rarely busy here.”

  “You would make more working part-time at the Pembroke Hotel than you make working full-time here.” She leaned a little closer. “You also wouldn’t have Mr. Pruitt staring at your ass every time you walked by.”

  “He…” My head snapped back.

  “You haven’t noticed?” Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

  “No!” I shook my head back and forth.

  “It’s only a matter of time before he does more than stare—trust me.” She exhaled sharply. “That’s why I don’t work here anymore. It’s also why his door is going to stay open when I collect my last paycheck.”

  I never considered myself oblivious to my surroundings, but I didn’t really pay attention to Mr. Pruitt when he wasn’t barking orders at me. There had been a few comments that I considered rather inappropriate, but I just brushed them off. Rosa collected her check from Mr. Pruitt and left Carson City Inn for what I assumed was the last time. I couldn’t ignore what she told me, and for the rest of the night, I actually paid attention when Mr. Pruitt was in my general area. Rosa wasn’t lying—his eyes wandered, and a couple of times, I felt like he was literally trying to undress me with a gaze. It was so revolting that I was sick to my stomach by the time my shift was over—Mr. Pruitt wasn’t my type, and to make it worse—he was married.

  I think I was better off not knowing…

  My mother’s bed was empty the next morning, and I had some time to kill before I needed to get ready for work—except I really didn’t want to go. My thoughts were on what Rosa told me—what I finally saw with my own eyes—and I decided that I was going to the Pembroke Hotel. If they were looking for a new front desk clerk, then I certainly had experience. I had no idea if the pay was as good as Rosa said, but more money wouldn’t hurt. I would miss being able to do my schoolwork while I was getting paid to sit behind a desk if the job worked out, but I could manage. I needed to save some money anyway if I was going to move away from Carson Cove once I graduated from college.

  “Good morning.” I gave the man at the front desk a friendly nod as I approached. “Is the manager around by any chance?”

  “The manager?” The man tensed up. “Was there a problem with your stay? I would be happy to assist you with any concerns you may have…”

  “Oh no.” I held up my hands. “I’m not a guest here. I just wanted to apply for a job…”

  “Okay, good.” He let out a sigh of relief and smiled. “You’ll have to go to the website and submit your resume. It’s jobs.pembroke.com.”

  “Awesome, thank you so much!” I waved and walked back towards the door.

  So much for that…

  I should have known the Pembroke Hotel wasn’t the kind of place you could just walk into and ask the manager for a job. I pulled out my phone once I was in the parking lot and went to the website. It didn’t look very complicated, so I flipped the button that would turn my phone into an Internet hotspot and sat down in the driver’s seat of my car. I had a resume saved on my laptop that I had been tinkering with since I was forced to put one together for a class at Carson Cove University. I only had to make a couple of quick updates before I uploaded it along with the completed application. I had no idea if I would even hear back from the Pembroke Hotel, but I hoped the fact I had experience would give me an edge.

  I’ll have to look at some other options if this doesn’t work out because I believe my time at Carson City Inn is going to be over soon.

  It was impossible to close my eyes or thoughts to Mr. Pruitt’s wandering gaze once I became aware of it. There was a part of me that wanted to call him out on it—and another part of me that was curious to know what it was about me that he thought was so damn interesting. I wasn’t very attractive—which was partially my fault. I didn’t wear clothes that accentuated any of the features I did have, and they never seemed to impress anyone in high school when I hoped one of the guys I liked would notice me—I certainly didn’t think I had an ass worth staring at. I barely wore makeup, and I hadn’t let a hairdresser touch the mop on my head since prom. A ponytail was all I felt like I ever needed, and that didn’t take much effort.

  Hmm. I don’t recognize this number…

  “Mr. Pruitt, I’m going to take a quick break.” I knew he was behind me, but he had no idea I was aware of it, so he just mumbled a response and made a dash for his office.

  I said a silent prayer before I slid my finger across the screen and nearly jumped for joy when the woman on the other end introduced herself as the manager of the Pembroke Hotel. She was impressed by my resume and wanted to interview me. I quickly agreed to the time she suggested, which was early enough that I could still make it to the Carson City Inn before my shift—unless she offered me the job on the spot. It seemed like a long shot, but I spent the rest of my shift, hoping it would happen.

  Maybe I’ll tell Mr. Pruitt exactly what I think of him on the way out—then again; I
’ve never been one for confrontation…

  My interview with the manager of the Pembroke Hotel was incredibly professional—it was almost like I was applying for a real job, which was a stark contrast to all of the other interviews I had up until that point. I don’t know if I impressed her or if she just really needed someone at the front desk, but the interview ended with a job offer—but it was conditional—I had to start the very next day.

  If Rose hadn’t made me aware of Mr. Pruitt’s wandering gaze, I would have felt incredibly guilty for quitting without giving him a notice, but I was just happy to have that option once I became aware of it. He was upset when I told him—then he tried to give me a goodbye hug, which I immediately declined. It just seemed too creepy at that point. The next day, I reported to work at the Pembroke Hotel, in a brand-new uniform that I was going to have to wear every day from that point forward.

  “You’re the new girl I’m supposed to be training?” The guy I had previously seen at the front desk walked up to me while I was clocking in for my first shift.

  “Yep! It’s my first day.” I turned to him and smiled.

  “I’m Hank.” He tapped his name tag, then looked where mine should be.

  “Oh, I’m Leigh. I don’t have a name tag yet…” I shrugged. “Ms. Valerie said they have to order it.”

  “Right…” He nodded. “Okay, follow me. I’ll have you running the front desk on your own before it’s time for my first break today.”