12. Ian
12
IAN
I walked beside Maddie as we headed toward the spot where her car was parked, the early afternoon sun casting a soft glow over the leafy trees above. I’d already stowed my bags in the back of my Bugatti, so when we reached her sedan, I moved ahead, grabbing the bags from her trunk.
“Oh, thank you,” she said, as if surprised that I’d assist her.
“No problem,” I said before leading her to the garage where my car was waiting.
I’d considered having Alex, my driver, take us so I could get some work done during the drive. But after days of prepping for this summit, I needed the quiet hum of the road to calm my fried brain, so I told Alex to get the Bugatti ready for me to drive instead.
Besides, being in the car with her, just the two of us, felt…better. (For reasons I wasn’t allowing myself to analyze, of course.)
The click of the trunk opening echoed as I placed her bags inside beside the luggage I’d put in there earlier.
“You all set?” I asked, closing the trunk.
“Yep, ready,” she replied, her voice soft but steady. She slid into the passenger seat, and I couldn't help but glance at her again as I started the engine. She still wore the same white blouse and red skirt she’d been wearing at the office earlier.
I’d been slammed with work over the past week so we hadn’t had any more moments like the one we’d shared in Sloan’s kitchen. But even if I had been all work and no pleasure lately, I had definitely noticed that her red skirt hugged her curves very nicely.
“So,” I said, pushing my thoughts away as I eased the car out of the garage, “I’m not sure how much you looked into the hotel we’ll be staying at. But it has a cool and artsy vibe, not to mention a great location—lots of restaurants within walking distance. Which is nice, because I hate driving in big cities.” I flashed her a grin. “Must be the small-town boy in me.”
From the corner of my eye, I caught a smirk forming on her lips, and it did something to me—something I couldn’t quite explain. But since I was curious about that smirk, I asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Looking at you like what?” she asked, all innocent.
“Like you’re silently mocking me,” I said, winking so she’d know I was being playful.
“It’s just…” She chuckled softly. “When I think of you, ‘small-town boy’ isn’t exactly what comes to mind.”
“Okay, fair enough. I do travel a lot.” I laughed, feeling some of the tension drain from my shoulders. “But I stayed in Eden Falls for a reason.”
“How long have you lived in your house?” Her gaze turned to me, her expression soft. “Is it just you there?”
“I had it built recently,” I said, glancing at her with a slight smile. “Before that, I was living with Owen—two grown men crashing in my parents' pool house after college. Real adult stuff.”
She laughed. “I’m staying with Sloan right now, so no judgment here. Plus, I bet your parents' pool house is a little fancier than most.”
“It was,” I admitted with a grin. “Anyway, about two years ago, one of my friends got engaged, and seeing him buy a house and get ready to take that step made me realize that I should probably grow up a bit more, too. So I started thinking about building my own place. My dad sold me a piece of land, and after a long process, the house was finally ready this spring.”
“So did you just move in?” she asked, her eyebrows lifting.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “The basement’s not fully done yet, but I moved in the first part of May.”
“Well, from what I saw, it looks like you’ve got it pretty well set up.”
“Thanks to the design firm I hired,” I said, shaking my head slightly. “I tried to be involved in the beginning, but by the time we got to picking furniture and finishes last September, I realized I had no idea what I was doing. So I told Cara—the designer—to make it look like the kind of house someone could raise a family in.”
She gave me a look, the kind that said she wasn’t expecting to hear that. “So you’re thinking about having a family, then?”
“Yeah…” I swallowed, feeling bashful for some reason. “I’m sure I don’t seem the type, but I’m getting close to thirty now, and I guess I’ve had some things happen that made me realize dating a different woman every week isn’t actually all that it’s cracked up to be.”
“A different kind of lonely,” she said, seeming to understand.
“Yeah…” And when I met her eyes, I got the feeling that she might have experience with that as well. Being with other people—a romantic partner—but not really feeling seen.
“So are you saying you don’t just let random women come up and kiss you at the club every weekend?” She raised her eyebrows, a playful smirk on her lips.
“Actually…” I chuckled, feeling a bit of heat rise in my chest. “Believe it or not, that first night we met was actually the first time I’d done something like that in almost a year.”
“Really?” She blinked, visibly surprised by my admission.
“I know you probably saw all kinds of stories about me out there,” I said, knowing my dating life had been plastered across the internet—gossip headlines loved to exaggerate. “But I’ve actually been trying to be better.”
Trying to be the kind of man who could deserve the kind of woman that I wanted.
“Well, good for you,” she said, her voice sincere.
We were quiet for a bit, the hum of the car and the occasional blur of trees outside the window marking the time.
But then Maddie turned to me again and asked, “Do you have a timeline for when you’re going to get that family to go with the house? Or are you more focused on your career right now?”
I thought about it for a moment, leaning back in my seat. “I’ve been really focused on work this year—trying to clean up my image with the board since I was definitely too far on the other end of the spectrum for a while. But once I get this new content creation project off the ground, I’d like to start thinking about settling down.”
“So for now you live in that huge house all by yourself?” she asked, her voice quiet, as if she somehow sensed the loneliness I’d been feeling more lately.
“No roommates, no pets.” I tried to keep my tone light, but the truth of it tugged at me more than I cared to admit. “I’ve thought about getting a dog or maybe a cat, but I travel too much. It wouldn’t be fair to leave them alone.”
“That makes sense.” She nodded, her expression understanding. “Pets are a big responsibility.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, though my thoughts drifted to her. I imagined the weight of raising a child on her own, the responsibility she carried every day. “But not as much as raising a kid. I can’t even imagine balancing all that. You make it look easy.”
She laughed softly, shaking her head. “Well, I’m glad it at least looks easy.”
I glanced over, catching the faint blush on her cheeks. There was something undeniably captivating about her in that moment—the strength she had, the way she carried herself despite everything life had thrown at her.
“You figured it out, though,” I said quietly, my voice dipping lower. “And while I haven’t met your son, I have no doubt he’s a pretty great kid. His mom certainly is.”
Her eyes softened, and she turned away for a moment, looking out the window as if trying to compose herself. When she looked back at me, there was a vulnerability there that tugged at something deep inside me. “Thank you for saying that,” she whispered. “I do my best.”
“That’s all any of us can do, right? Our best at any given time.” I paused, glancing at her again. “Some days it feels like we’re barely keeping our heads above water, but at least we’re still fighting.”
She nodded, and her eyes lingered on me for a heartbeat too long. And I felt it again—that pull, the quiet gravity between us that seemed to grow stronger the more time we spent together.
We pulled up to the hotel a while later, its sleek, modern exterior standing out against the bustle of the Boston streets. I handed the valet the keys, and as we stepped inside, Maddie’s gaze swept over the murals and sculptures that decorated the lobby.
“This place is beautiful,” she murmured, her awe evident.
“It’s a good spot,” I replied. “Close to everything you need. Which is important when you hate driving in big cities.”
She smirked, glancing at me sideways. “You’re really trying to lean into that small-town-boy charm, aren’t you?”
“I might be trying to change that first impression you got of me just a bit.” I chuckled.
“I don’t know why,” she said. “It was a pretty great first impression. On my end, at least.”
“That it was,” I said. And when our eyes caught for a charged moment, I wondered what might have happened if we’d been able to build on that first impression. If she hadn’t been a new employee and I’d been able to meet her again at Sloan’s party without the boss/assistant dynamic being an issue.
I’d probably have asked for her number, and not being able to play it cool, asked her out the next day.
Then who knows, maybe instead of talking about settling down in the next couple of years, I’d have already been on my way to getting that family I wanted.
And now you’re just being delusional, Ian, I told myself before I could get too far in that daydream.
Those kinds of love stories only happened in the movies.
“How may I help you?” the hotel clerk asked when Maddie and I stepped up a moment later.
“We’re here to check in,” I told her. “There should be two rooms under the name Ian Hastings.”
“Of course, Mr. Hastings,” the woman said, typing something on her keyboard. “May I see your license?”
I handed her my license.
“Okay,” the woman said, looking at her screen once she’d pulled my information up. “It looks like I have you down for one of our luxury suites as well as a king-sized room. Is that correct?”
A sudden wash of guilt passed over me at the idea of my getting a luxury suite when Maddie would be in a regular room. So making a split-second decision, I cleared my throat and asked, “Actually, do you have any other luxury suites available?”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Maddie whispered beside me. “I don’t need anything fancy. A regular room is more than enough.”
But I shook my head. “You’ll be working long hours; you should have a nice place to relax in at the end of the day.”
“I’m really fine with a regular room,” she said.
But I turned back to the hotel clerk and asked again, “Do you have another luxury suite available?” And then, since I had the sudden desire to keep Maddie close, I added, “Preferably one next to mine.”
The girl went back to her screen. After a moment, she said, “We do have a suite next door to yours. But it will be an additional charge, and I see your current rooms are being covered by the conference…”
“That’s fine. You can just charge me for the upgrade.”
“Oh, no, Ian.” Maddie gasped. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“It’s really no problem,” I said, glancing sideways and taking in the shock in her blue eyes. “I want to do this for you.”
“Okay…” She sighed, relenting, but still seemed uncomfortable with the idea of being pampered. Which made sense since from what she’d told me about her past, it sounded like she hadn’t really had anyone take care of her in a long time.
The clerk finished making the room adjustments and then handed me our keys, giving us instructions on how to get to our rooms.
The hallway was quiet, the dim lighting casting a soft glow over the walls as we reached our doors.
“This is you,” I said, stopping in front of Maddie’s door and handing her the key. “If you need anything before dinner, you know where to find me.” I nodded to the door just left of hers.
She nodded, our fingers brushing as she took the card. And even though it was just a simple touch, it sent a jolt through me.
Her eyes met mine, and for a second, I wondered if she felt it, too—the electricity humming between us.
“Thanks, Ian,” she said, sounding almost breathless. “For doing this for me. It’s way too generous.”
“It’s the least I could do.” I nodded. “I’ll see you in an hour for dinner.”
“See you,” she replied, offering a small smile before slipping into her room.
I stood outside Maddie’s door for a moment longer, my pulse quickening from that brief touch of her hand. As I headed into my own room, I realized I wasn’t just looking forward to dinner because of the deal I was about to close—Maddie was quickly becoming the reason. And for the first time in a long time, I found myself wanting more.