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noches.”
    “Buenas noches,” Marley repeated with a smile. She turned once more to the blond man behind her. “Fifteen, huh? If he’d been older, you’d have been in serious trou—”
    Her gaze landed on Jake, still standing near the potted ficus, and the words died on her lips.
    “Oh my God,” she muttered, shock filling her light-blue eyes. “You followed me?”

“ You’re right, I followed you.” Jerked out of his trance by Marley’s words, Jake stepped out from behind the potted plant and leveled her with a hard look. “You stole my damn jet.”
    “I—” Marley’s mouth snapped closed. “I didn’t steal anything. I borrowed . But I have to say, I’m honestly surprised you even noticed.”
    She’d been drinking. Those pretty blue eyes of hers were slightly glossy, and her cheeks were flushed a soft shade of pink. He didn’t like the idea of her getting drunk down here with some guy she’d just picked up in a sleazy bar. Didn’t like the idea of her here, period.
    She turned for the stairs, but Jake stepped in her path, preventing her from escaping to her room. “What exactly does that mean?”
    She drew to an abrupt stop and swayed just a touch, confirming—oh yeah—she was tipsy if not already drunk. “It means nothing. Take your plane and leave. I don’t need it anymore.”
    She tried to step around him, but he moved into her path once more. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on.”
    Her eyes widened. “News flash, Ryder. This isn’t the office. I don’t have to tell you anything. If you want to fire me for borrowing your dumb plane, then do it. I don’t care. I’m on vacation.”
    One thing registered. That she was still mad. But he couldn’t tell if it was because he’d changed that op or if there was more going on.
    She shoved her shoulder hard against his to get by. Twisting after her, Jake caught her by the wrist and tugged her back. “Marley, wait a min—”
    “Whoa. Dude.” The big blond guy who’d followed her into the lobby stepped between them and placed a large hand against Jake’s chest. “Time for you to take a breather and back off, buddy.”
    Jake shifted his gaze from Marley to the oaf she’d picked up. His face was vaguely familiar, but Jake couldn’t figure out how he knew the guy. And right now he was too frustrated to try to remember. “And you need to take your hand off me right this second before you lose it.”
    The blond guy’s piercing blue eyes narrowed, but he didn’t drop his hand. Several tense seconds passed, and without even looking, Jake knew the hotel manager was standing in the doorway to the back room, all but quaking in his boots.
    “Oh for God’s sake, Jake.” Marley yanked her hand from his grip. “Stop being a bully.” She looked toward the blond. “Ronan, I’m tired. Take me up to the room?”
    She stepped back, swaying again with the movement. Jake tensed to catch her if she fell, but the blond—Ronan—reached his free hand out and captured Marley by the arm before she went down, never once looking her way. And as Jake watched the guy’s big hand slide along her bare arm and the way she leaned into his touch, another wave of utter disbelief rushed through him.
    She was drunk and upset, and she was going upstairs with this guy. Right in front of him, as if that too were no big deal.
    Marley moved away from Ronan and weaved her way toward the stairs. Ronan dropped his hand from Jake’s chest, but he didn’t immediately step back. Instead his eyes hardened, and a muscle in his jaw ticked. That familiarity flashed in Jake’s mind again. He knew this guy. Not personally, but he knew that face. And the name—Ronan—there was something about it . . .
    The guy finally stepped back. “Way to piss her off. Thanks, man.”
    He turned and followed Marley. And completely dumbfounded, all Jake could do was look after them and say, “Marley, what the hell?”
    With one hand on the banister, she