“Guess your place isn’t the hub for ragers.”
“Hardly.” She snorted. “They made it clear from day one that no boys are allowed.”
“What about men?” Carter puffed out his chest.
“Good luck trying to make it to the door.”
“Not even for a nice dinner?”
“Definitely not.”
“Lunch?” Hailey shook her head with a smile. “Have you tried to smuggle someone to your apartment yet?”
“No.” She laughed. “I’ve only been back in Maine for a couple months.”
“Tell me about life away from here. You’re a famous photographer. I’ve Googled you. What brought you back to Maine?”
He turned on to Route One and headed north. They’d hit Bar Harbor in an hour and a half, and then take the ferry out to the island. Once they got to the resort, he wasn’t sure how much time they’d have together besides talking shop and sleeping together. And sleep was all they’d do. The drive was his chance to get to know her better.
“I got lucky in my early twenties. A couple of my photos went viral, and before I knew it, I’d been invited to shoot pageants, road races, and obstacle runs. I got to travel all over the states. A few times to Canada too.”
“Did you miss being home? Seeing your friends and family.”
Hailey turned and stared out the window. “I missed my parents and brother, sure.”
“You still keep in touch with friends around here?”
“No. The person I was in high school isn’t the person I am today.”
“I’m sure most could say the same.”
“Really?” She kicked up a foot and tucked it under her leg and then swung around so she faced him. “What were you like in high school?”
Redirecting toward him. That was fine. He didn’t mind talking about himself as long as she opened up about herself as well.
“What you see is what you get.”
“So you haven’t changed?”
“Some. I wasn’t exactly the role model my brother was. Partying and avoiding responsibility and commitment were more my style.”
“Me too.”
“Really? I wouldn’t have pegged you as the party animal.”
“Drugs, alcohol, ditching school.”
“Wow.”
“I thought it was the only way to get friends. I liked the attention.”
“Do you still...”
“No. I’m clean. Have been for a few years.”
He’d been an ass asking her if she wanted a drink, and having a beer in front of her. “I’m sure it was hard, and I haven’t made it easy on you by offering you drinks.”
“I don’t expect the world to live in a bubble. The drug habit was harder to kick. I only tried the hard stuff a few times. It wasn’t for me. Mostly I smoked weed, a lot, like all the time, before it was legal. I was high more than I wasn’t. I wouldn’t call myself an alcoholic, but I didn’t like what alcohol did to me, so I decided to cut it out of my life. I don’t crave either anymore.”
“You’re a strong woman, Hailey.”
“I needed to make healthy changes in my life, and so those two had to get nixed.”
“And look at you now.”
“I still have a long way to go.”
Without overthinking it, he reached across the center console and laced his fingers with hers. When she didn’t pull away, he changed to a lighter topic.
“I take it you looked up the Freemans and the resort website. Thoughts on what to expect?”
“Yoga, crystals, and incense.”
“My thoughts exactly.” He squeezed her hand. “You into any of that?”
“Yoga and sugar cookie candles.”
He had a new appreciation for sweet, sugary scents as well. “Yoga, huh?” He gave her the side-eye and grinned. “That’s something I’d like to see.”
“If I’m doing yoga, you’re doing it with me.”
“I prefer to watch.”
“Not gonna happen. You’re in front. I want the view.”
“You think I have a nice ass?” He gave her a toothy smile.
“Please. Like you don’t know it already.”
Carter’s ass had been on the receiving end of a few squeezes and lovely compliments; still, it was nice to hear it from Hailey.
“Hmm, you seem to have an unfair advantage. You wear a lot of long shirts which cover your backside. I’d like to return the compliment, but you’ve been hiding from me.”
“I’m not showing you my ass.” She tried to pull her hand away, but he held on tight.
“It’s only fair.”
Hailey’s laughter made its way to his core, and he squirmed in his seat in an effort not to show how much he enjoyed listening to her voice.
“Next thing you’ll say is that I have to prance around in a wet T-shirt since I’ve seen you in one.”
“I forgot about that. Good memory. We’ll be on an island. I’m sure we can find some water to splash you with.”
“Don’t even think about it.”
“Too late. I’m thinking. Real hard.”
They teased each other and laughed—a lot—the rest of the ride to Bar Harbor. Before getting on the ferry, they had a late lunch. Carter was happy to see Hailey comfortable enough to eat in front of him, even if it was a simple grilled chicken salad.
Paul Freeman was at the ferry dock waiting for them when they arrived on the island. He looked like the grainy photo on the website. On the short side with wispy gray hair, an untucked white linen shirt, khakis, and Birkenstocks. He wore a leather braided bracelet around his wrist. A crystal hung from a matching leather braid around his neck.
“Welcome.” He shook both their hands. “Hop on. It’s a short ride to the resort.”
Carter put Hailey’s small suitcase in the back seat of the golf cart. “You can sit up front,” he told her, squeezing himself in the back and setting his backpack on his lap while she kept her camera bag with her.
The view was stunning. Paul drove down a narrow road, the Atlantic on their right, quaint shops and small homes dotting the land to their left. He listened as Paul rambled about the islanders. Only a hundred lived there year-round; the rest were summer people and some tourists. It wasn’t a popular tourist destination, with only a handful of small inns and a couple restaurants.
The Acadia Falls Resort took up a quarter of the island and was the largest employer. From groundskeepers, to cooks, to chambermaids, to construction workers, nearly every family that lived year-round on the island was employed by the Freemans.
Paul pulled up to a tall gate. The words Acadia Falls Resort spelled out in iron rested on top. He opened it with a key and drove down a dirt road, the ocean at their backs and woods surrounded them on either side. “We like our privacy out here. Our guests appreciate it as well.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Couldn’t have picked a better week to visit. Bright blue skies and low seventies in the forecast for this week; not that I take much stock in what those weather forecasters say. Can feel it in my bones, though. The Goddess of Nature will be good to us this week.”
The narrow lane and surrounding trees opened up to a sprawling resort overlooking the ocean. “Wow. Nice place.”
“My grandfather bought it with an inheritance he and my grandmother received. Used to be a convent. We’d put in small upgrades over the years. Mostly just enough to keep it up to code and make the suites pleasant for our guests. Lenora’s crystals spoke to her a few years ago, though, and showed her what could happen if we didn’t keep with the times.”
“Like a crystal ball?”
Paul craned his neck over his shoulder and scowled at Carter. “We don’t do magic, Mr. Marshall. We read the signs that the land, sky, and water send to us.”
“Got it.” He climbed out of the golf cart and strapped his backpack on, then picked up Hailey’s suitcase.
“It has one of those retractable handles on it so you can wheel it.”
“I got it.” He curled the suitcase to his chest deliberately flexing his bicep.
Hailey shook her head at him. “Mature.”
“It’s why you fell in love with me.” He winked at her and nodded to Paul who was only a step in front of them.
Again, Hailey shook her head at him, this time adding an eye roll. They’d talked about their fake engagement during the ride and how much to play it up. Already he’d broken the rule and gone overboard. Their focus was supposed to be on the resort and marketing it to show its best qualities, not on building a history to their fake relationship.
Hailey crouched and set her bag on the ground, then unzipped the front pocket, taking out her camera. “It’s beautiful up here.” She held the camera to her eye and slowly spun around in a circle, taking in the view from every angle.
“Let’s get you two settled first and then you can go exploring.”
“Exploring sounds fun. Come on, honey.” He held out his free hand for Hailey and threaded his fingers through hers.
They followed Paul through the heavy wooden doors and into the resort. It was nothing like Carter had expected. Instead of a high-end hotel lobby entrance, they were greeted with a soft cascading water feature, a koi pond, and a seating room that had more of a lodge feel than a fancy resort.
“Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. ... oh,” Mrs. Freeman, he presumed, dropped her hand as if reminding herself of her guests’ fiancé status. She wore a loose, flowing tie-dye dress, and her long salt and pepper hair was braided, falling to her waist. “Mr. Marshall, Miss Webster.”
“Carter and Hailey are fine. We’re pretty informal.” He shifted the bag on his shoulder and draped his arm around Hailey’s waist.
“Our couples are typically married. We’re not used to having engaged couples here, so you’ll have to forgive me when addressing you in our sessions.”
Sessions?
“He’ll have to get used to it anyway. Might as well be sooner than later, right, honey?” Hailey fluttered her lashes at him, and his stomach churned in an unusual way. Different. Not bad, just different.
“Our marriage can’t come soon enough,” he fed back to her.
“When is the big day?” Lenora asked.
“Well, we’re still working on that. My big, strong fiancé here won’t settle on a date and keeps pushing it back. I’m beginning to wonder if he’s afraid of commitment.” Hailey pinched his sides, and he did all he could to not yelp.
“That’s not entirely true.” No way was he letting her make him out to be the one with cold feet in the relationship. “I had to propose to you three times before you said yes.”
Hailey moved away from him and hefted her bag, her mouth turned in a frustrated scowl. “I—”
He hid his grin even as his hand dropped from her waist. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You came to your senses and realized you couldn’t live without me. I can’t live without you either.”
“Some days you make me wonder,” she muttered.
“Oh, Paul. It’s like the stars were aligned when we were given Mr. Marshall’s name to call. It looks like they need our help as much as we need theirs.”
Panic etched in Hailey’s countenance. Maybe they’d pushed their teasing too far.
“Most couples have similar disagreements when they check in to the resort, but we have a one hundred percent guarantee that when you leave here, your marriage will be on much more solid ground.”
“Or in your case,” Paul added, “the beginning of your marriage.”
“If you can decide on a date,” Lenora added.
“We’ll make that one of your goals.” Paul took out a notebook and jotted something down.
“Goals?” Carter didn’t like the direction this was heading.
“Usually the couple sets goals before arriving, but in your case, we’re doing things much differently. Are there other areas of your relationship you’d like to work on?”
“Our sex life,” Hailey blurted out.
Carter whipped his head around and glared at her. A knowing smile curved at her lips.
“Our sex life is pretty boring. Maybe you could help Carter spice it up a bit. Despite his pretty-boy looks, he’s not very confident in the bedroom.”
He lowered his head and glared at her. Oh, she’d pay for that one.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Mr. Marshall.” Lenora placed a calming hand on his wrist. “You’d be surprised how many couples come to us for sex therapy. I think you’ll like tomorrow morning’s session. What else can we help you two with?”
“A map of the compound would be great so Hailey can start taking pictures. If you have an updated list of the different sessions you offer, I’d like to take a look at those.”
“Here’s your schedule for the next two days.” Paul handed him a folder. “As part of our money-back guarantee, you’re expected to attend every session and meal. There’s plenty of down time for you as a couple. We ask that you respect those times, and the privacy of others here.”
“This is nice,” Carter said, flipping through the folder, “but we’re here to work, remember?”
“And what better way to tell the story of our resort than by experiencing it yourself, yes?”
Lenora had a point. Hailey thumbed through the pages of her folder and then tucked it under her arm. “Looks great, Paul and Lenora. If you don’t mind, I’d love to see our suite so I can take pictures of it before Mr. Sloppy Pants tosses his dirty laundry all over the place.”
Okay, Carter might not be the neatest person on the planet, but he wasn’t a slob.
“And before you hang your underwear from the shower rod.”
“I didn’t pack any underwear.” She lifted her chin and followed Paul up the stairs to their suite.
God help him. This was going to be a long three days.
CHAPTER TEN
Embarrassing Carter might be the highlight of the week. And he was such a good sport. Granted, putting him on the spot in front of the Freemans didn’t give him much of a chance to refute what she’d said.
“Well played down there,” he said once he closed and locked the door to their suite.
“Thank you.” She took her suitcase from him and plopped it on the bed. She’d expected something bigger, more luxurious. The bed wasn’t even a queen. A full at best. If she and Carter were going to share it, there wouldn’t be much room to sleep without touching.
Ah, that must be part of the Freeman’s plan. With a king-size bed two people could sprawl and not touch. In something like this, they had no choice but to cuddle. Interesting strategy.
She unzipped her suitcase and took out a pair of jeans and two pair of black pants, refolding them and putting them in the dresser drawer. “I only need two drawers. You can have the left side.”
“What if I want the right side?” He dropped his backpack on the bed and hopped up. He stretched out his legs and folded his hands behind his head, resting his back against the headboard.
“I can’t believe you fit all your clothes in that thing.”
“What exactly did you pack in that thing. We’re only here for three days, and today’s half over.”
“I brought a change of clothes for dinner and some workout gear,” she said softly.
“Yoga pants?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
It was the only thing she worked out in. She wasn’t confident enough to strut around a gym in shorts. Not yet.
Ignoring his questions, she refolded her yoga pants, sports bras, and T-shirts and put them in the second drawer, followed by her underwear and backup bra. Finding three hangers in the closet, she hung up her tops and stored her sneakers under the chair by the window.
“It’s a beautiful view.” She opened the slider and stepped out onto their private deck overlooking the ocean. Islands dotted the horizon, and when she looked to the right, she could see the mainland. “I can only imagine what their property taxes run.”
“It’s why a three-day retreat will set you back three gra
nd.”
“Three thousand dollars?” She stepped back into the room.
“Midweek. Five grand for a three-day weekend, and higher rates midsummer.”
“Holy crap.” Hailey took out her camera and returned to the deck, capturing the view. “Sunrises must be amazing from here.”
“Paul said we’ll be one of the first in the US to catch the sunrise. Second to those on top Cadillac Mountain.”
“I’ll set my alarm.”
“No need. My internal alarm will always be set to a farmer’s schedule.”
“Well, my internal alarm is set to wake well after the sun has risen. I’m more of a night owl.”
“Perfect. You can help keep me up at night, and I can help wake you up in the morning.”
“I’m a grouch in the morning. You’ll want to stay far away.”
“Can’t wait for the adventure.” He laughed on his way to the bathroom.
While he was in there, she moved his bag and her suitcase and snapped a few pictures of the interior of the room. Not exciting shots, but guests were always interested in what the rooms looked like. She’d clean up his mess from the bathroom and take a few pics later.
She went through the images on her camera and deleted a handful that were out of focus or didn’t capture the beauty of the island as well. She looked around the room again. It was spacious with lots of room to walk around. A small bed with a gorgeous sleigh headboard and footboard, two nightstands, a matching dresser in the same dark cherry wood, and a table with two wingback chairs by the slider.
No couch. No place for Carter to sleep except the bed. This was what she wanted. Not the romance but the sex. It would be good. Fabulous. And when they left the resort, they could go back to business associates, or whatever they considered themselves.
They were two consenting adults. She loved sex; granted, her experiences had been less than stellar. She didn’t blame it on sex in general but her terrible choice in partners. By the way Carter talked, he was quite fond of sex himself which meant he was pretty good at it. At least, that was what Hailey chose to believe. However, in her experience, the hotter the guy the more selfish lover he was.
All of You (A Well Paired Novel Book 7) Page 10
