Chapter 10
Releasing a deep breath, Drew forced his body to relax and ignore all the desire that was overwhelming him.
Since his company closed each year for the holidays, the three to four months preceding were usually spent hauling as much merchandise to stores as possible. In some situations, that meant all-hands-on-deck, including his.
Although he was the CEO, he tended to work beside his men, in every part of his business.
He was even known to operate a forklift, if the need arose.
But because of all the extra hours he’d been putting in for the past six months, his sex life had taken a backseat.
He had intended to hook up with his on-again, off-again lover, Ashley Jordan, before leaving Phoenix for California, but the timing was off.
She had left the day before to spend time with family in Toronto.
He and Ashley had met a couple of years ago in a bar.
She had just moved from Canada after divorcing an abusive husband.
They were not involved in an exclusive relationship and considered themselves nothing more than sex buddies.
He knew she had several of those, but then, so did he.
But maybe that missed opportunity was the reason that being around Eden was so hard.
It reminded him of how long it had been since he’d last gotten laid.
He’d never had to deal with unfulfilled sexual urges before because when one hit, there were usually women ready and willing to satisfy his wants. But not now. Was it poetic justice that he was stuck in close quarters with a woman he wanted but could not touch?
“Let’s take a look around, Drew,” Eden said, moving away from the window. Her words drew him out of his thoughts as he watched her move towards the first door. She was wearing an above-the-knee-length top over leggings and boots. Why did she have to look so damn good in them?
“This must be the bedroom,” she said, opening the door wide.
He moved away from the window to follow her.
Yes, it was the bedroom, and it was huge.
The bed was big! Maybe it was one of those Alaskan king-sized beds?
It was almost double the size of a standard king and was obviously designed for people who liked a lot of space.
He could just imagine rolling around with a woman between the sheets in that thing.
But why did the woman in his mind have to be Eden?
“Wow! I’ve never seen a bed that large before,” she said, moving closer to it, then sitting on top. “The mattress feels good.”
“You can sleep in here,” he said.
She stood. “It’s only fair that you take the bedroom since this was supposed to be your holiday retreat.”
“Nonsense. I’m sleeping on the sofa bed, Eden.”
“I feel bad that you have to do that.”
“It won’t be a problem, trust me,” he said. After all, even if he were in this bed, he would lie awake at night wishing she were in there with him.
“If you’re sure,” she said.
“I’m positive.”
“Well, if you change your mind, just let me know. I honestly don’t see why we can’t share it ─it’s plenty big enough. It would be easy for you to stay on your side and for me to remain on mine,” she said, moving away from the bed to check out the view from the bedroom window.
He was glad her back was to him, so she didn’t see the look of disbelief on his face.
He’d never shared a bed with a woman where he’d stayed on his side, and she, on hers.
In bed, there were no sides. He was a man, she was a woman, and in bed, they mated.
It was that simple. Anything else was a waste of bed sheets.
“This view is fantastic, Drew.”
He couldn’t help agreeing with her as he followed her gaze out the window.
“I can see waking up to this each morning,” she said.
He could see himself doing the same thing, but from the sofa bed, looking out the living room window. Same view but a different location.
“I wonder how the bathroom looks. I heard it’s big as well,” he said, deciding to get her moving away from that window. He had a feeling that the memory of her standing there would never fade from his mind.
She turned and smiled at him. “Let’s check it out.”
As soon as they looked inside, he wished they hadn’t. It was big, with a huge Jacuzzi tub in the middle of the floor. He could see at least four people fitting in it easily, but his thoughts swam with images of just the two of them ─him and her.
“Oh, my goodness! Look at the size of that tub. And the shower is huge, as well. This entire bathroom is off the chart.”
Drew noticed. He also took note of the ‘his and her’ vanities that Charlie had told him about, as well as a massage oil station with a portable table that Charlie definitely hadn’t mentioned.
This was a place for lovers ─something they were not.
He had a feeling he would have to keep reminding himself of that over the next few days.
“Let’s check out the other areas,” he suggested, needing to get them out of the bathroom.
There was too much temptation in there. They left through the door that exited into the small foyer between the living room and dining area.
There was a cute dinette set that seated four, an upright refrigerator, and a microwave set on a counter.
“Oh my gosh, I am so happy to see this!” Eden said, rushing off to the laundry room that housed a washer and dryer. “Because I was limited with how much I could stuff in my backpack, I have a bag of laundry I need to take care of.”
If she hadn’t said anything, he would not have guessed it. He hadn’t seen her in the same outfit yet.
“Now I won’t have to sleep nude tonight.”
He almost swallowed his tongue. The last thing he needed to know was that she had been sleeping naked. Clearing his throat, he said, “I see two televisions ─one in the bedroom and one in the living room. That means you can watch what you like, and I can do the same.”
She shrugged. “I’m not into television much. But I do try to catch reruns of It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street every Christmas. What about you?”
“I’m not into any movies, but I do love football, so bowl games and playoffs are what I usually watch this time of year.
” He glanced around, needing to look at anything but her.
“We haven’t eaten since lunch, and I’m starving.
Charlie said there’s a menu around here somewhere.
We can order room service,” he said, leaving the too cozy laundry room.
“Who’s Charlie?”
“Charlie Bohannon is the guy at the front desk. His family owns the lodge.” Drew picked up the menu and handed it to her. “Why don’t you order us something to eat?”
“Okay, what would you like?”
He fought back saying, I’d like to have you. Instead, he said, “Anything. I eat it all. And I don’t have any allergies.”
She scrolled through the menu. “Their steaks sound delicious.”
“I’ll take one, medium rare, with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli if they have it.”
“They do. Do you want an appetizer?” she asked.
Again, he was tempted to say something inappropriate. “What kind of soups do they have? This is the weather for it.”
She read off the list, and he chose French Onion. “I don’t need anything to drink other than coffee. That coffee maker over there will work just fine.”
“Well, since I’ve run out of granola bars, I guess I will order myself something as well.”
He hid his grin, deciding not to remind her that she had begun to eat real food after hanging out with him. Those granola bars had been demoted to nothing more than snacks. “Yes, you do that. It’s cold in here, so I’ll light the fireplace.”
Before long, he had a blazing fire going. He figured it would have taken less time if his attention hadn’t been drawn to Eden. Each time she moved around the room, checking out the various paintings on the walls and the shelf of books next to a desk, his eyes were drawn to her.
“It should begin warming up in here soon. In the meantime, I’ll take a shower,” he said, getting to his feet.
“And I’ll call Sophie after ordering our dinner.”
“And you can call your agent as well,” he told her, grabbing his duffel bag from where he had placed it.
“I can’t do that, Drew. She’s in Paris. It’ll cost a fortune.”
“It doesn’t matter. It will all be on my company’s tab, so go for it.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.” He then walked across the room to the bathroom and closed the door.
Once inside, he leaned against it. Already, this place was beginning to smell like her. How was he going to survive the next ten days?
**
Eden placed an order for room service, then called Amélie.
“Bonjour.”
“Amélie, this is Eden.”
“Eden! Oh, mon Dieu! I became worried when I hadn’t heard from you. I was beginning to think your father’s people had found you.”
“They came close.”
“Where are you?”
Remembering what Drew had told her, she said, “I’d rather not say. Just know that I’m okay. I’ll be here until the day after New Year’s. Will you still have a ticket in my name at the airport?”
“Yes. Just tell me which one?”
“I’ll call you back in a few days to let you know.”
“D’accord. And are you sure you’re alright?”
If only you knew. “I couldn’t be better. I have to go now.”
“You’re going to love Paris, Eden. Word is out that you will be residing here, and several Frenchmen I know are already licking their chops. I wish you weren’t the innocent you are. I’ll have a lot to do just protecting you from them, cherie. Stay safe, and I hope to see you soon. Au revoir!”
“Au revoir,” she replied, hanging up the phone.
She thought about what Amélie said and wasn’t too keen on the prospect of her agent becoming her bodyguard.
She needed to learn how to handle her admirers on her own.
And not just handle them, but also make sure they didn’t overwhelm her.
Suddenly, an idea popped into her head, one that was worth seriously considering. But not right now.
Right now, she needed to call Sophie.