by Ali Parker
“Like multiple orgasms?” he teased.
“I’m serious. I know we are good in bed together. I’m not denying it. We have always had good chemistry. It’s the other stuff that got messy. I don’t want the messy.”
He looked a little disappointed. “I understand. I’m just happy to be considered a friend. I know I should be grateful for that little olive branch. I’ll take it. Do I need to sign my name in blood that says I agree to your terms?”
I laughed, relieved he was taking it so well. It could have been a very awkward conversation. “No blood needed, but I appreciate you being cool with it.”
“If it keeps me getting to be with you, I would probably agree to just about anything.”
I burst into laughter. “Okay, I need to get dressed. Parker is going to send out a search party and this is not the way I want to be found.”
He grinned, kissing the tip of my nose. “This is the way I hope to find you all the time. In fact, I have little fantasies about it. I want you just like this every day.”
“Well, I appreciate that, but this is not a look I tend to make a part of my daily routine.”
“Naked and sweaty while draped on leather is a very good look on you.”
I peeled myself away from him and the sticky leather sofa and got to my feet. I found my panties and pulled them on before putting the dress back on. Chase pulled on his clothes, leaving his dress shirt off. I looked at the jewelry sitting on the table. I couldn’t accept it. I was hoping I could just leave the necklace and earrings where they were.
He bent down and picked them up. “These are yours.”
“Chase, I feel guilty taking them.”
“They are for you. I want you to have them. They are perfect for you.”
“Thank you,” I told him, which felt completely inadequate. “I don’t know what else to say.”
“That’s all you need to say. I like them on you.”
I leaned up and kissed him. “I’m going to go.”
He grabbed my hand, tugging me back into his arms. “Not so fast,” he whispered before kissing me again. “Now, I will walk you back to your room.”
I giggled, appreciating his silliness. “Only because it’s next door to your own.”
“Are you suggesting I’m not a gentleman?”
“No, not at all.”
We walked outside and the cold felt much more intense than it had when we walked to the office. He noticed my shudder and immediately took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. I was warmed by the jacket and his sweet offering. I could smell him on the jacket and leaned my nose down to inhale.
He walked me to my door, giving me a chaste kiss before walking to his door. I offered a wave before going inside. I went into my room, glad Parker was already in bed for the night. I was certain I looked like I’d had sex. I didn’t want to explain it to her. I was still not sure how I felt about the situation.
I stripped off my dress and decided to take a quick shower. I found the box the necklace and earrings had been in. I carefully put the jewelry back in the box, staring down at the beautiful gems. They were expensive. I knew he could afford it, but it still felt wrong to accept such an extravagant gift.
I ran my fingertip over the smooth emerald. Was I making a horrible mistake? It was easy to love Chase. It was easy to fall back into old habits. He was sweet and charming and knew just what to say and do to woo me. He always had. He knew me too well. It was the way it always had been.
I was treading on some pretty dangerous ground. I couldn’t let myself fall for him. I couldn’t let him hurt me again. I was going to be much more careful this time around. It was just sex. Nothing more.
We had great sex. It was normal for two healthy adults who were attracted to each other to participate in a casual, sexual relationship. My friends did it all the time. Why couldn’t I?
After my shower, I crawled into bed. I was exhausted. The night had been long, and we had danced for a good hour. Then there was the sex to help lull me into complete contentment. I closed my eyes and thought of him. I thought of his smile and those devastatingly gorgeous blue eyes. I loved staring at him.
As I thought about him, something uncomfortable crept forward. I couldn’t quite figure out what it was. Then it hit me. I was leaving in a few short weeks. I would never see him again. I couldn’t see him once I left. I needed to make a clean break.
The man was my kryptonite. He would strip me of all my defenses and leave me broken. I would give myself this one little Christmas present and cherish every moment of it until it was time to say goodbye.
And I would say goodbye. I had to.
If I stayed on, it would be too hard to walk away. I needed to protect myself. Chase was great right then, but eventually, he would grow tired of me. A young, pretty, wealthy socialite would show up at the resort and his interest in me would be gone. And I would be crushed.
Again.
Chapter 37
Chase
I walked into the dining room and scanned the room until I saw the brunette I was supposed to be meeting. This was not my favorite thing to do, but Cori insisted I had to do it. I walked to the table and took my seat. She looked up from the notepad she had been writing on and smiled.
“I was beginning to think you stood me up,” she said with a laugh.
“Sorry, I got caught up with something,” I lied.
“No worries. I’m here all day.”
“Have you ordered?”
“I’m sticking with club soda,” she said.
“If you don’t mind, I’m getting a scotch.”
“Go right ahead. I’d like you to be relaxed.”
I put up my hand to get the attention of the waiter. He gave me a nod. I didn’t want to think about what it meant that the bartender knew what I wanted. My drink was delivered, and I immediately took a long pull from it, steeling my nerves to be interrogated.
“Hit me,” I said, putting the glass down.
She laughed. “Relax. This won’t be painful.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
She smiled again. “Let’s start with the basics. You inherited the company from your father?”
I bobbed my head back and forth between my shoulders. “Yes and no. He is still technically the owner but more of a silent partner.”
“Do you plan to take over as the owner?”
“No. I like the arrangement we have. We aren’t the kind of family that’s trying to oust one another. We’re all happy with the setup. Everyone is paid fairly, and no one is hurting for money.”
Another smile. “I believe it. Cori told me you jumped right into the business after high school. Actually, she said you flew to New York the day you graduated.”
It wasn’t exactly a good memory. “I did. I was eager to start learning.”
“When did you start to really make changes?” she asked. “I did my homework and discovered the hotel chain was on the brink of ruin before you stepped in.”
It was true, but I didn’t want that in print. It would be an insult to my father. “The hotel business was going through some changes. Customers wanted more than a comfortable bed in a sterile room. They wanted an experience. They wanted to be pampered. My father and I discussed the different things we could do to impress our guests. As finances allowed, we started making those changes.”
“You’re being modest.”
“Not at all. I certainly didn’t do this on my own. It was my father and the hotel managers and the rest of our talented staff.”
She bobbed her head up and down as she wrote. “I see. What was your vision for the brand? Again, I did my homework, and the changes were subtle, but looking at this place and looking at the hotels ten years ago, there is an obvious difference.”
“My vision was to provide our guests with a little pampering. I wanted them to be comfortable. I wanted them to seek out our hotels. We offer a lot of perks that other chains don’t.”
“Is this resort a flags
hip?”
I shrugged. “Yes and no. I’m not going to retrofit all of our existing hotels, but as we grow, I do believe this spa/resort combo will be a part of our future.”
She put the pad and pen down and leaned back. “Your answers are all very good, very practiced, with no meat. These are the same answers you would give any other reporter. I’m writing a more personal piece. We want people to know the man behind the vision.”
I held up my arms. “This is the man. It’s not just my vision. I hire talented people to help create the vision. I’m just the guy that gets to take the credit.”
“Talented people,” she said with a smile. “What does that mean to you?”
It seemed like an odd question. “It means I like people that can take direction while giving me feedback. I don’t want all of this to be my vision alone. I think the best way to run a business is to bounce ideas around until something great comes out.”
“You have a good relationship with your staff.”
“I’d like to think I do.”
“I saw you and Harper Lincoln dancing last night,” she said with a coy smile.
I shrugged. “We’re old friends. Last night was a nice way for us both to unwind and enjoy the fruits of our labor.”
She nodded, her eyes flashing with mischief. “Old friends. You guys certainly seemed very close.”
I forced my voice to remain casual. “Like I said, we go way back.”
She cleared her throat. “I stopped by your office last night. I wanted to drop off a list of questions that I had prepared, to give you a chance to review them.”
The world tilted just a touch. “Oh?”
She nodded. “I didn’t knock. When I got to the door, it was clear you were entertaining someone. I decided to leave. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
I didn’t say anything. She was fishing for information and I wasn’t going to give it to her. “Thanks.”
“I needed to use the restroom and dashed inside. When I pulled open the door, I saw you with your guest. I saw the kiss between you and said guest.”
I leaned forward, narrowing my gaze at her. “What’s your point? Is that the kind of story you’re looking for?”
“No, but would you like to change your statement about your relationship with Harper?”
“Nope. I wouldn’t. Do you have anything more to ask me about the hotel business?”
“Why are you defensive?”
“I don’t feel I owe you an answer to that. Nor do I feel the need to explain my personal life. Your article is about the resort and the family business. My personal life is not part of the family business.”
“Technically, it is now. You broke the cardinal rule.”
“I did?”
“You mixed business with pleasure,” she said with a smile.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Look, I’m not trying to criticize you. I think the two of you make a great couple. The chemistry between the two of you is amazing.”
“I’m not talking about this with you.”
“I write these reviews at least once a month. They give the hotel a nice boost, but they are just as easily forgotten. They are quaint and trite. The people that read them are either sitting on the toilet or in an airplane. The articles are nicely written but they are boring.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I’m doing this as a favor to Cori and because I think your resort is worth writing about,” she answered.
“Then write about it.”
“I could make this article worth reading with a little extra spice. People want to read about something exciting. I need a hook.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Hear me out. Don’t shut me down until you hear it, okay?”
I shrugged, knowing I was going to hate it. I was more than ready to get back to my office. I lifted my hand to order another scotch. I had a feeling I was going to need it. “What?” I said in an unfriendly tone.
“Owner and his brand consultant are cooking up new ideas. Owner falls for his beautiful consultant after working hard to create a spectacular grand opening that would put the resort on the map.”
“No.”
“It’s a beautiful story,” she insisted. “Two people falling in love is always exciting. Especially pretty people.”
“I’m not exploiting her or me or our relationship.”
“It wouldn’t be an exploitation. I would make it a beautiful, tasteful romance. It’s the kind of story that will make the ladies swoon and the men will want to talk to you to find out how you did it.”
I shook my head, taking my new glass of scotch from the waiter. “I would prefer to keep things focused on the resort. There’s no reason to blast my personal life all over the place.”
“It wouldn’t be a blast. It would be a story. You could submit photographs. You would get to approve the article. It won’t be all about you and Harper, but just a nice little extra thread to keep readers interested. Think of it as a nice little story and not an exploitation.”
“And what you think you heard last night?”
She smiled. “This is a family publication. We’re focused on the romance, not what happens behind closed doors. It will be very classy.”
I knew the writeups she was talking about. They were as dry as cardboard. I couldn’t remember ever actually reading one through. “Tasteful?”
“Yes.”
“But you would use her name?”
She nodded. “Yes, I think I would need to.”
“Fine.”
Her face lit up. “Really?”
“Yes. I want to review it before it gets published.”
“I can do that.”
“I want the bulk of the article written about the business. That’s what I want promoted—not me.”
“I get it. I do.”
She asked me a few more questions before we wrapped up. I figured by the time the article was published, I would have already won Harper back. When she saw the article, she would be amused. I would tell her that was how confident I was we would get back together. She would laugh and kiss me, and it would be the official start of our relationship memorialized forever in a travel magazine.
It probably wasn’t really all that romantic, but for two people in our business, it would be perfect. We could show our kids one day. I would tell them how I knew we would be together.
I was smiling as I walked out of the dining room.
“Hey,” I heard Cori say.
I turned to see her carrying a stack of boxes. I immediately went to help her. “What’s all this?”
“Restocking. How was the interview? Please tell me you weren’t a total dick to her.”
“I wasn’t a dick.”
“Good. What’d you tell her?”
I wasn’t going to tell her about the hook Angela was planning. I hoped Angela kept it under wraps as well. If she let it out too soon, it would completely backfire on me. I didn’t think Harper would be happy to know Angela heard us last night. In fact, I remembered the terms of our current arrangement. I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone about it.
“Nothing much. She asked questions, I answered, and that was that.”
“That is never that when it comes to you. I know you. You are a stick in the mud and never give information. It’s like pulling teeth to get anything out of you.”
“It’s going to be fine.”
“Sales are crazy,” she said.
“Good. This has been a really good idea. I’m proud of you. Did you tell Mom and Dad?”
“Kind of. I’ve been too busy.”
“Tell them. You deserve to hear them tell you how proud they are of you.”
She winked. “They are always proud of me. It’s you that gives them gray hair.”
She was teasing. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve got to find Jake. Have you seen him?”
“I saw him chasing a little boy earlier.”
I looked at
her. “What?”
“The kid stole one of the light-up candy canes and was making a getaway. His parents were shouting at someone to stop the little delinquent. The last time I saw Jake, he was running out the front doors.”
“Holy shit,” I breathed. “Did they find the kid?”
She shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen any police.”
“How long ago was this?”
“I don’t know, maybe an hour.”
“And you haven’t seen Jake since then?”
“Nope.”
I groaned, wondering if there was a SWAT team roaming the grounds. I put down the boxes and headed for the front door in search of Jake, praying he hadn’t beat the hell out of the delinquent.
Chapter 38
Harper
Trying to work with Parker and Jake making eyes at each other was near impossible. They were so cute. It was even cuter they thought no one noticed the looks and the little touches. I hoped that wasn’t how it was going to be with me and Chase. We were going to have to do a good job keeping those heated looks to ourselves.
I wasn’t sure why they were both trying to deny what was pretty obvious. Not to mention, I had caught them with his tongue down her throat. But Parker claimed they were just friends.
I turned my attention back to the resume I was painstakingly putting together. I kept updating it, trying to make it look better.
“Stop it,” Parker said, giggling.
This was the downside to a wide-open office space. There was no privacy.
“I didn’t do anything,” Jake teased.
I had to look. I didn’t want to look but I did. I glanced over and saw his hand on her ass. I quickly looked away. I heard them whispering and tried my best not to hear what they were saying. It was impossible not to.
“Later,” Parker whispered.
“I want you now.”
“I’m working.”
“Five minutes in the bathroom,” he said.
I coughed, choked rather. Parker quickly moved away from him.
“I have that New Year’s party ad,” she said.
“I’d love to see it,” I said, unable to look her directly in the eye.
