Chapter 5 #2
Beth let out a slow exhale the second the guest was out of earshot.
Her shoulders sagged as though she’d been holding her breath the entire exchange.
She picked up her smoothie and took a long sip, letting the cool, sweet, tangy taste calm the racing of her nerves. She snuck another glance at Aaron.
He was watching her again, that infuriating, steady grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. Not the cocky kind he’d used on the guest, but one meant only for her. Her stomach responded like a traitor with a tumble of warmth and butterflies all at once.
“She was hurt that you wouldn’t flirt back with her,” she said, suddenly.
He chuckled. “I tend to steer very clear of woman like that.”
“What? Rich? Powerful?”
“Too much to handle.” He leaned against the desk again, forearms braced casually, as if he belonged there. “Besides, you handled the wicked witch of wine orders well enough.”
Beth huffed out a laugh, though her pulse still hadn’t slowed. “I’ll bet you a week’s salary she drank the bottle before coming over here.”
He nodded. “She had enough perfume on to mask the scent. It about knocked me out when she stepped foot in here.”
She leaned on the counter. “You could have flirted with her, you know, used your manly charms to get closer and find out?”
He laughed. “If you’ve got it, use it,” he joked as he shook his head. “I only use my power on those who are worthy.” His eyes locked with hers for a beat.
The way he said that, so calm and reassuring, utterly unfazed, unraveled something inside her.
Yet the way he’d handled the woman, without so much as saying a word, had her thinking.
She hated standing up to people. It had always been a battle for her, one she rarely won. Ian had seen to that, slicing her confidence down piece by piece until even harmless confrontations tied her stomach in knots.
“You make it seem effortless,” she admitted, her gaze drifting back to the spreadsheet open on her screen, though the numbers blurred, “dealing with people like her. With anyone, really. I’ve never been good at it. I just… freeze.”
Aaron’s voice softened. “That’s not true. I’ve seen you handle people plenty smoothly. And trust me, most people would’ve buckled under that woman’s glare.”
Beth bit the inside of her cheek. She wanted to believe him, wanted to let his faith in her soak in. But the old tapes of memories that played in her head, with Ian’s voice, played too loudly.
“She did get a free bottle of champagne out of it.”
She shook her head. “Not if there is any proof of the other bottle in her cabin. I’ve put a note in her account to charge her in that case.”
“Good.” Then Aaron tilted his head, studying her for a heartbeat. “You know, I worked with Ian.”
Her breath caught. Just hearing his name on Aaron’s lips made her chest tighten.
“I never understood,” Aaron went on, his voice low but steady, “how he fooled so many people. He wore a perfect-cop mask, all polished charm and straight answers. But there were cracks if you paid attention.” He paused, his jaw tightening slightly. “And I pay attention.”
Beth’s throat went dry. She forced herself to meet Aaron’s gaze. “Everyone thought he was good. Reliable. I fell for it, and then I thought…” Her voice cracked, and she shook her head. “I thought maybe it was all my fault. That I was just a weak person. That everything I did was wrong.”
Aaron leaned in slightly, close enough that she could see the light flecks in his eyes. “You are not weak. You were just surviving someone who made it his job to break other people down. That’s on him, not you.”
Her chest ached at the fierceness in his tone.
No one had ever said it like that before.
Not with such certainty. Not with such protective fire.
And standing there, with his presence crowding out the shadows, she realized that she wasn’t just distracted by him, she was drawn to him.
Every steady breath, every sharp edge of loyalty, every grin that softened just for her.
It terrified her. And it thrilled her.
She took another sip of her smoothie, more for something to do than for the taste, and managed a shaky smile. “You’re very sure of yourself, you know that?”
Aaron’s mouth curved. “Comes with the job.”
“Security guard?” she teased lightly, though her voice wobbled.
“Protector,” he corrected, his gaze holding hers with a weight that made her pulse stutter.
Beth looked away, her fingers tightening around the cup. She had no idea what to do with the way those words made her feel. Heat pooled in her chest, and she had to take a deep breath to remind herself that she still had work to do.
“All right,” she murmured, setting her smoothie down. “Back to it.” She flipped back to her spreadsheet and the accounting books stacked neatly beside her keyboard, forcing herself to focus on numbers instead of the broad shoulders and calm, blue-eyed stare a few feet away.
Aaron leaned casually against the desk for another moment, watching her settle. Then he straightened, picking up his own smoothie. “I should make my rounds. Check the grounds, make sure everything’s in order.”
“Don’t melt out there. It’s very muggy today.”
He smirked. “I’ll be back before I melt so I can walk you to your car.”
Her stomach tightened at the thought of him sitting outside of her place again that night. He looked tired still, and she knew that she still had two hours left in her workday.
“Fine, but do something for me,” she said, pausing her typing to look up at him. “When you’re done walking me to my car, promise me that you’ll go home and get some rest. Don’t sit outside of my place tonight, okay?”
Aaron’s expression softened, and a small, crooked smile appeared. “I promise. I’ll get some sleep. But… if you see anything or if you get spooked tonight, you call or text me right away, got it?”
Beth nodded, grateful and a little flustered. “I will.”
“Good.” He stepped back, giving her a reassuring nod. “Now, go tame those numbers. I’ll make sure no one is stealing the pool furniture again.” He winked at her, and she laughed when she remembered the couple that had tried to get a whole bench in their car last month.
She watched him leave and held her head high and purposeful until he was gone, then she let herself exhale slowly.
Damn, the man was powerful to just watch.
She tried to refocus on the spreadsheets, but her thoughts kept drifting back to him, the way he’d said protector, the weight of his gaze, the way he somehow made her feel both safe and… unsettled, but in a good way.
Almost ten minutes later, she shook her head clear and forced herself to focus back on her work.
She stayed busy with calls about check-ins and check-outs, confirming guests’ plans, and she navigated it all while sneaking the occasional glance around the lobby, half-expecting him to be lingering in the doorway. She missed his presence.
By the time the afternoon sun started to dip towards the pines, the spreadsheets were in order, guests had been assisted, and Beth was finally shutting down her work station. The thought of leaving the office made her stomach twist, knowing that she’d see Aaron again when he walked her to her car.
When she stepped outside into the warm late-afternoon air, there he was, waiting with that calm, reassuring posture. He looked good. Like, better than she remembered any other man ever looking.
His smile was genuine. His eyes kind. His tone had always been soft, calm, and sexy. Just a whiff of his cologne had her knees weakening.
“You ready to head out?” he asked as he tucked his hands casually into his pockets.
Beth took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “Yeah… but you’re going home tonight, right?”
He chuckled softly, a hint of teasing in his tone. “Yeah, unless I have a better offer.”
“Maybe champagne lady will corner you on the pathway?” she joked as her pulse spiked at the thought of inviting him back to her place for the night.
Aaron chuckled. “Not a chance. I found out that the staff saw her walking down the pathway and dropping the first bottle. Which is why she wanted another one.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, the staff had to clean up the glass from the pathway. Elle is handling it.”
“Good.” She fell into step beside him as they walked towards the parking lot together.
The hum of the camp surrounded them—laughing guests, the distant strum of a guitar, the rustle of the palms. She took it all in, enjoying every sound.
Everything felt safer with him at her side and, for once, she didn’t mind letting herself rely on someone else.
He had done that for her. He made her feel safe.
Later that night, when she was alone in her apartment and jumping at shadows, she’d curse the fact that when Aaron wasn’t around, that strong secure feeling disappeared.