Risking It All

by Jennifer Schmidt

She licked her lips as anticipation made her stomach flutter. Just when she thought they would never find their way out of the forest, the trees cleared, showing off the brightly lit resort.

  It was set in the middle of the clearing, the log buildings surrounded by the trees they had just driven through creating a perfect, secluded getaway.

  There was one large two-story lodge that looked as if were the main building, and then a dozen smaller cabins scattered over the grounds. To the left of them, farther away from the cabins, was what she assumed were stables if the fenced-in area was any indication.

  Kennedy turned her attention back to the cabins, and she felt her stomach drop and her heart practically stop when she pieced it together. The quiet seclusion. The intimate cabins.

  Spruce Falls.

  He had brought her to a romantic getaway for couples.

  Holy shit.

  Memphis parked in front of the main building and cut the engine.

  “What do you think?” His breath was soft and close to her ear.

  “About the grounds or the fact that you brought me to a place like this?” she asked with a gulp.

  “A place like this?”

  “Memphis, this is . . . this is . . .” She waved her hand, trying to find the right words, but she was too flustered at the idea of spending a week with Memphis in some cozy, lovers’ fairytale.

  “This is work, Kennedy,” he told her, and she stopped waving her hand like an idiot. “I brought you here because this is where I’m working, and you’ve always wanted to come.”

  Kennedy felt the blush of embarrassment burn her cheeks, and she was grateful he couldn’t see her in the dark cab of the truck. Her heart started slowly beating again, and the crazy butterflies that had just been in her stomach a few seconds before were dead. Their trip was nothing more than work for him, and she was just along for the ride.

  “Yes, it is a couples’ resort, but don’t freak out and read too much into it, okay?”

  Kennedy nodded dumbly, feeling as if she had just been scolded for letting her imagination run a little wild.

  “Why didn’t you tell me it was this kind of place, then?” she asked.

  She heard his sharp inhale and then a sigh as he grabbed the handle and opened the door, illuminating the cab with soft light.

  “Because I didn’t think you’d come.” He gave her a weak smile before jumping out of the truck.

  Kennedy slowly opened the passenger door, feeling like a royal fucking idiot for thinking Memphis could have wanted her there for something other than work. She wrapped her arms around herself as she watched him unload their luggage and quickly grabbed her suitcase from him before he had a chance to carry it in for her.

  She avoided his eyes as she followed him into the building, instead focusing on the sound of the hard-packed snow crunching beneath her shoes. She was glad she had bought winter boots because her feet were already freezing from just the few minutes she’d been outside.

  Memphis opened the door for her, and she hurried in. She shook the snow from her hair and caught Memphis’s eye as he glanced at her. She could tell he was confused by the way she was acting, so Kennedy forced a smile, trying to forget how big of a fool she felt.

  She glanced around the room, noticing they were in the lounge; a fireplace warmed the area, its flames creating a soothing, crackling sound as the wood burned. The ambiance was complete with a large deer head mounted over the mantel—hunting was a sport Kennedy didn’t enjoy—and a Christmas tree already decorated and glowing with thousands of white lights. Wrapped presents even rested below it—fake presents, she was sure. She smiled, suddenly struck with the urge to drink hot chocolate and sing Christmas carols.

  “Welcome to Spruce Falls. Can I help you?”

  Kennedy’s attention was drawn to a woman dressed in a blue blazer standing behind a desk. Her blond hair flowed around her face, and she eyed Memphis as he walked toward the front desk, giving her head a little shake so her hair flung behind her shoulders in a flirty way.

  Kennedy barely restrained the urge to strangle the twit.

  “Memphis Adams.” He introduced himself, pulled a business card from his wallet, and handed it to Blondie. “I’m here on business for Mr. Bradley.”

  Blondie smiled sweetly at Memphis as she took the card from him, making sure their fingers brushed, Kennedy noticed. She glanced at it and then down at her computer, tapping on the keys before she nodded and looked up at him again.

  “Very good, Mr. Adams. I have you and your—” she glanced at Kennedy quickly before turning her attention back to Memphis, “associate down for a week on his behalf.”

  Kennedy glared at the woman, but kept quiet. Really, what was she going to do? Stomp her foot and tell her she wasn’t an associate.

  “She’s not my associate,” Memphis told her as he accepted the paperwork from her.

  Kennedy bit her lip to keep from grinning as she watched Memphis read over the papers, pausing at something that made him look at her and then at Blondie.

  “There’s been a mistake here,” he said, pointing to the paper. “We were supposed to have a cabin with two bedrooms.”

  Huh?

  Kennedy’s ears perked up at that, and she took a step closer to the desk.

  Blondie, whose name tag she could finally read said Piper, took the paper from Memphis and quickly checked with her computer.

  “Oh, dear.” She glanced from Kennedy to Memphis and gave an apologetic smile. “It seems as if there’s been a mix-up. You see, we only have two cabins on site that are double rooms, and they’ve both been booked.”

  “Booked by whom?” Kennedy asked, earning her an annoyed look from Blondie for daring to speak. “I thought the resort wasn’t open to the public yet.”

  “Mr. Bradley has other people staying here for the week also.” Her tone was brusque.

  Kennedy glanced at Memphis and remembered what he said about trial guests. He looked at her like it wasn’t a big deal.

  “Do you have a problem with one bedroom?”

  Kennedy almost swallowed her tongue. Did she have a problem with it? As in having a problem with sharing a bed with him for a week?

  Um, yes.

  Despite the party her hormones were about to throw at the news, she had a very big problem with that. She couldn’t share a room with Memphis, for crying out loud. For one, she was sure Brooks wouldn’t be too happy about it and two . . .

  Kennedy bristled. There had to be a two, right? Shouldn’t she have objections to sharing a bed with her best friend? Brooks couldn’t be the only reason she was hesitant to do it, right?

  Right?

  It made her extremely confused, and slightly uncomfortable, to know that Brooks really was the only reason why she wanted to say no. But that was enough, wasn’t it? Wasn’t thinking of her boyfriend’s reaction the best reason for not sharing a room with Memphis? That was doing the right thing, wasn’t it?

  She tried to ignore her subconscious pointing out that she actually really wanted to share that room with Memphis. Despite how close they were, sharing a bed—even platonically—had never been something that had happened during all their years as friends. They had never been put in a situation where they had to share a bed before. And now that they were in that situation, she definitely wanted to.

  “Kennedy?” Memphis said, breaking into her thoughts. “If it bothers you, I can sleep on the couch.” He spoke quietly so Blondie wouldn’t overhear.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “Whatever you can get is fine.” Her hormones slipped into their sexy underwear with a grin.

  So much for doing the right thing.

  Memphis eyed her for a moment before signing the papers and handing them back to Blondie who activated two key cards and handed them to Memphis.

  “You’re in cabin D,” she told him. She picked up the phone and muttered instructions to someone on the other end.

  Cabin D. D for daring. Dark. Dangerous. Doable.

 
Kennedy coughed, covering up her snort at the last thought as all the doable things Memphis could do to her ran through her mind.

  “Someone will come and collect your bags for you if you’d like me to give you a tour.”

  Memphis glanced at his watch.

  “It won’t take long.” Blondie’s smile was saccharin sweet.

  Memphis glanced at Kennedy and she nodded.

  “I’d like a tour,” she said, even though she was dying for a comfy bed.

  “Okay.”

  They followed Blondie out of the lounge, passing a bar on their way to the dining room. Tables draped in white tablecloths filled the room, each with centerpieces that looked like miniature wreaths with thick candles in the middle. The focal point of the room was a long buffet island made of stone with a marble countertop. Clean stacks of plates and silverware were at one end, waiting for the breakfast crowd in the morning.

  “Breakfast and lunch are served buffet style,” Blondie told him. “There’s always a wide assortment of food, but there is a scheduled time for each. Breakfast is from seven to nine-thirty. Lunch is out from twelve until one-thirty. The dining room opens for dinner at five and stays open until eight, and you have your choice of two four-course meals. As you can see, we do have a patio, although it’s closed during the winter months.”

  She turned and Kennedy looked at Memphis, sticking her nose in the air to imitate the snooty tone in her voice. Memphis chuckled and pulled her to his side, wrapping an arm around her waist as they followed Blondie out of the dining room.

  “Where is the kitchen?” he asked.

  “The kitchen is just off the dining room,” she told him. “But guests are not allowed back there.” She paused and turned to face them, raising her eyebrows at their embrace before looking at Memphis. “You’ll have special permission, of course, to go back there for your work.”

  “Is Mr. Bradley here?”

  “Not at the moment. He doesn’t stay onsite, but he will be back tomorrow.”

  “What’s upstairs?” Kennedy looked around for a stairwell but saw none.

  “The employees’ quarters are upstairs; many stay right here at the resort so they don’t have to travel,” she said. “You’ll have to ask Mr. Bradley about photographing upstairs, Mr. Adams.”

  She quickly showed them the game room and library before ending their tour back at the lounge.

  “There are also outdoor activities you can participate in,” she said, going to the coffee table and picking up two brochures. “We have horseback riding and sleigh rides; we also have snowmobiles you can take out on our trails, as well as cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. You can fish if that’s your kind of thing, and we have natural hot springs. You won’t find a better view of the Northern Lights than up here, either.”

  “A natural hot spring?” Memphis winked at Kennedy. “Put us down for that tour, huh, beautiful?”

  “Isn’t it a little dangerous with the wildlife around?” Kennedy looked at the brochure and ignored his comment.

  “All our trails are marked, and we encourage guests to stay on them, but yes, there is still wildlife out there that you have to be aware of,” Blondie answered. She turned her attention back to Memphis. “I’m sure you’ll find your cabin to be more than accommodating.”

  “I hope so.” Memphis gave her a tight smile and looked at Kennedy. “Ready?”

  Kennedy nodded, her stomach once again alive with those blasted butterflies at the thought of going to the one-bedroom cabin with him.

  “Thanks for the tour,” he told Blondie. “If you could inform Mr. Bradley I arrived and would like to speak to him, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Of course. I hope you enjoy your stay, Mr. Adams.” She gave Kennedy a curt nod and returned to her desk.

  Memphis kept his arm around her as they quickly made their way to the truck. It had grown colder while they had been inside and Kennedy shivered while Memphis started the engine and slowly drove to their space in front of cabin D.

  “Are you sure you’re okay with this arrangement?” Memphis asked as he unlocked the cabin door.

  “Right now I’m cold and so tired that I’d sleep with anyone,” she said with a teasing grin.

  Memphis laughed and ushered her inside, slamming the door on the cold air. Kennedy rubbed her hands up and down her arms as she looked around the cabin. There was a small kitchenette and an even smaller island in the middle with two barstools, and a sitting room set up like the lounge back at the main building. Someone had started a fire, presumably the person who had brought their bags in for them.

  Kennedy kicked off her shoes and wandered into the living room, squatting down by the fireplace to warm her hands. She heard Memphis in the kitchen opening cupboard doors and checking out the fridge.

  “They’ve stocked us pretty good in here,” he told her.

  She straightened up and turned to where he stood, his head buried in the fridge, and laughed.

  “I would be grateful since that means we’re not going to starve tonight with having missed dinner and the kitchen closed, but I’m too tired to eat.” She tilted her head in the direction of the bedroom. “Wanna check out our room?”

  He grinned at her and closed the fridge as she went down the hallway. She opened the only door, ran her hand along the wall until her fingers brushed the light switch, and flicked it on.

  A king-size, four-poster bed filled the space along with a closet and small dresser. There was a fireplace as well as a sitting area. Kennedy almost felt disappointed by the normalcy of the room.

  She checked out the adjoining bathroom, swooning at the size of the tub and shower stall. The wall above the sinks was all mirrors, catching you at every angle whether you liked it or not. Big fluffy bathrobes in the same blue that Blondie had been wearing hung on the back of the door, and Kennedy couldn’t wait to pull one on after a warm bath.

  Memphis’s low whistle sounded behind her.

  “Nice.”

  “I’ll say,” she said. She ran her hand over the counter, enjoying the feel of the smooth marble beneath her fingers. “How much does it cost to stay here?”

  “You don’t want to know. And honestly, I’m not sure yet if it’s worth it.”

  Kennedy turned to look at him with surprise.

  “Why do you say that?”

  He pulled open one of the counter drawers, examined what was inside, and slid it closed again before answering.

  “Guess I’m just not impressed yet.”

  “Oh, I dunno,” Kennedy mused as she walked over to him. “You seemed pretty impressed with the idea of the hot springs.”

  “Mmm, I was.” He flicked her hair off her face. “We’ll definitely have to put that on our to-do list.”

  An image of Memphis wading around naked in hot water, surrounded by snow and trees filled Kennedy’s head with such lustful hunger she had to swallow back a moan.

  Hot springs were definitely not a good idea.

  She cleared her throat before asking, “What else is on that to-do list?”

  “Well, I’m going to need to get as many pictures as I can. So, that means doing everything they offer here, or finding someone who doesn’t mind me photographing them doing it.”

  “That just sounds like an excuse to get in the hot water.”

  Memphis grinned, not denying the accusation or her teasing.

  “Come,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the bathroom, “you should eat something.”

  “Really, Memphis, I’m not hungry.” Kennedy was insistent, eyeing the big bed as he pulled her past it. “I really just want to go to bed. It’s after midnight.”

  “All I’ve seen you eat since five o’clock is a crappy-looking muffin at the airport.” He tugged her to the kitchen. “Take a look at what they shoved in the cupboards,” he told her.

  Kennedy pouted like a baby, but pulled open the cupboard doors as requested. Her stomach immediately growled at the sight of food.

  “Okay,
now I’m hungry,” she said, making Memphis laugh. “Why stock the cabins with all of this if they have a dining room?”

  “For those who miss the strictly scheduled meal times, I guess. Even the fridge has everything you need. Including this.” Memphis grinned and pulled out his favorite beer.

  “Okay, that’s just weird.” She leaned against the cupboard door and looked at him suspiciously. “They ask you what you like, don’t they?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Kennedy pushed off the cupboard and yanked open the door again, pulling out her favorite box of cereal.

  “I’m sure they stock Lucky Charms in all the cabins, huh?”

  Memphis popped the tab on the beer and winked at her as he took a long pull from the can.

  “They seriously ask you what kind of food you like?” She looked from the box of cereal to him.

  “Yep. The questionnaire is sent with the package. It’s not like the place is stocked with real meals; they still want you to go to the lodge for that. But snack foods, beverages, and small things like cereals are all part of the deal.”

  “Unbelievable.”

  “And the best part?” Kennedy looked up at him and raised her eyebrows. “Whatever is left over you get to take home.”

  “Are you serious?” Kennedy was blown away at the sheer awesomeness, looking back at the full shelves.

  “What are they going to do with it? It’s catered to each individual’s taste, and obviously you’re paying for it in your stay, so it’s the least they can do.”

  “And you’re honestly not impressed by this?” She looked back at him and smirked. “Liar.”

  Memphis grabbed a bowl and thrust it at her.

  “Eat.”

  He was so demanding.

  Kennedy took the bowl from him, filling it to the top with Lucky Charms and pouring just enough milk to make the little bits of cereal wet. She sat down at the island, munching on her cereal as she watched Memphis read through the brochure.

  “Aren’t you going to eat, bossy man?” she asked.

  He held up his beer, and she snorted but didn’t comment further. She polished off her food and rinsed the bowl in the sink, yawning as she caught a glimpse of the time on the microwave.