Chapter 30
CHAPTER 30
ARLAND
I woke up with Mariam in my arms, the sweet scent of her hair in my nostrils and the soft heat of her body pressed against my side. As consciousness came seeping in and my eyes opened, I let out a quiet groan. Waking up to her was fast becoming an addiction for me, and honestly, it rivaled the pleasure of even sex. I held her just a little bit tighter, waiting for the spike of adrenaline caused by having her naked body so close to subside.
The morning was still and dark outside, with no obvious signs of movement just yet. It had stopped snowing at some point and soon the early birds would be out to enjoy the fresh powder on the slopes.
The last thing I wanted to do right now was get up and leave, but I had to. No one had gotten suspicious last night when we’d stuck together, but they sure as hell would if someone saw us coming out of the same lodge this morning.
Frustration tightened my insides. This whole sneaking-around thing was becoming more and more bothersome with every passing day, but after the opening, we could decide what to do about it.
For now, I had to get moving and sneak out of my own damn lodge like a child who had missed curfew. Yet, spending the night here with Mariam had absolutely been worth every ounce of frustration this morning. It would be worth having to sneak around with her for the rest of my life if that was what she wanted.
Just two more minutes, then I’ll go.
I settled back in beside her, relishing every moment her body was cradled against my own. Tightening my grip on her waist, I closed my eyes and breathed her in, letting the still peacefulness of an early morning with her ease the tension brewing deep within.
The next couple days were going to be a whirlwind. With the official opening today and the sporting event tomorrow, I didn’t think I was going to have another moment of peace until after the weekend was over.
Mariam’s head stirred on my chest and I opened my eyes, hoping that my brooding hadn’t woken her up, but it looked like she was still fast asleep. She’d rolled a tiny bit though, allowing me to see the profile of her beautiful face from this angle.
My heart tripped over itself at the sight, squeezing and then kickstarting into a gallop as I stared at the gentle contours of her features, softened by the warm, ambient light filtering in from outside. The girl was a miracle to me and I desperately wanted to tell her how I felt, but being impulsive right now wasn’t going to help either of us.
We had to get through this weekend, do what needed to be done, and then we could sit down and have a conversation about us. On that note though, if I don’t get moving, I am going to start acting on certain other impulses.
As it was, my cock finally seemed to have noticed that her pussy was pressed against my thigh and her breasts against my side. The curve of her hip to her waist was under my hand and her calf was resting on mine.
My breathing hitched, my lips parting. I wondered if there was time, and there was, but not if I didn’t want to risk being seen leaving the lodge. It was all hands on deck around here today and many of our staff members would be getting an early start.
We were also providing breakfast for the guests who had stayed over last night and service would be starting soon. Inhaling deeply, I extricated myself from her as gently as I could, ignoring my throbbing cock and the protests of my body as I rolled away from her.
I strode toward the shower, needing to get away from her before I decided to throw caution to the wind. I set the faucet to lukewarm, which was as close to a cold shower as I could stand to face this morning, and then I got in, immediately stepping under the spray.
I’d had a few of the basics delivered to the lodge for both of us to be able to get ready here this morning, and my suit for the day was hanging behind the door. I grabbed the shampoo in the shower, quickly lathering up, washing, and rinsing before I switched off the water and reached for a towel.
After shaving, brushing my teeth, and changing, I scribbled a quick note to Mariam on the brand new, Everwood stationery, leaving it on the nightstand right underneath her phone.
See you at the opening, gorgeous. Didn’t want anyone spotting me on the way out.
All my love,
? A
As I stepped away from the nightstand, I took just one more minute to drink her in, her dark blonde hair now fanned out on the white pillow underneath her head and her features so smooth and angelic while she slept. My heart thudded against my ribs. I suddenly had the almost overwhelming urge to wake her up and tell her that when I’d written all my love , I’d meant it, but I turned around and quietly left instead.
As I opened the door, frigid air hit me in the face, so cold that it stung a little when I breathed it in, but it instantly cleared my head too. I hated sneaking away from her, but it was the right thing to do. Shutting the door behind me before more of the lodge’s heat could be lost, I strode into the frosty morning, headed directly for the coffee station in the break room.
Without so much as a breeze in the air, the sky finally started turning light. Even the sound of the snow crunching under my boots as I walked seemed too loud. I buried my hands in my pockets and kept my head down, setting a brisk pace but also keeping an eye out for any people.
Thankfully, I had beaten almost everyone to the punch this morning. There were a few of our groundskeepers out and about, clearing snow from the exposed walkways and patios, but none of them took much notice of me.
I reached the main lodge in record time. Shivering, I stepped into the heated air out of the cold. Damn, it’s cold today.
Finally withdrawing my hands from my pockets, I rubbed them together to restore some feeling and started pulling off my coat. I made a beeline for the coffee station. Just like outside, everything was still quiet and calm in here so early.
Pretty soon, it was going to be a bustling hive of activity, but I took advantage of the time alone by grabbing my coffee and then immediately getting into the preparations for the vendors and athletes.
The sporting event was going to be a huge hit. It had been a genius idea to host something like that the day after our opening, but it was also my baby, which meant I had to ensure it progressed as smoothly as it possibly could.
Not long after I’d double-checked all the athletes’ bookings and reviewed the schedule for the event, our staff members started arriving. Gabby and Elizabeth were among the first to pop in to say good morning, then Brian, and what felt like only minutes later, the morning was officially rolling.
Last night’s guests were in the restaurant having breakfast or getting ready for a day on the slopes. Tons of families from the area as well as from the city were checking in for the opening or had simply come to see the lodge.
With our doors officially open for the first time, it was amazing to see the steady flow of people coming and going. The restaurant already had its hands full and even the bar was soon packed with people enjoying their coffee there before they headed out to spend their day on our mountain.
I was leaning against the wall beside our reception desk around mid-morning, simply giving myself a minute to drink it all in. While I thought I was keeping a low profile, my partner spotted me as he walked out of the restaurant. He grinned as he waved a hand absently around the space.
“I’d say this is a massive success so far,” he murmured as he came to join me, obviously keeping his voice low so that we wouldn’t be overheard by the crowds.
Soft Christmas music flowed from the speakers and the general humdrum was loud enough to drown out our conversation as long as we kept it at this volume. I returned his grin and nodded, taking a pointed look around.
“We sure seem to have attracted a lot of attention,” I said. “Elizabeth deserves a raise for her marketing strategies. I’ve never seen a turnout quite like this only a few hours after opening.”
He chuckled. “Tell me about it. It’s better than I even dared to hope for. That’s for sure.”
I inclined my head at the reception desk where our pair of new receptionists were working at warp speed between the ringing phones and the guests. “Have you heard that we’re almost fully booked for the next few weeks? Angie was just taking a reservation for the earliest possible date we had available, and that was only in the middle of January.”
Near the time Mariam planned on leaving, but I couldn’t afford to let myself get caught up in her looming departure right now. Instead, I focused on my friend and her brother, the guy we were currently hiding our relationship from, and seriously considered telling him the truth right then and there.
“What?” he exclaimed, eyes widening as he grinned. “That’s awesome. At this rate, we’re going to be booked out for the rest of the season before the weekend is over.”
My head started shaking in disbelief as it sank in that there was a possibility that he was right. “I honestly had no clue so many people would want to stay here. I expected the slopes to be a hit and that the facilities would be getting plenty of feet, especially at this time of year, but the accommodation being booked up so fast is a surprise.”
“Should we expand?” he joked, gaze filled with amusement as he cocked his head at me. “We’ve got the space to build more rooms and we could always look into purchasing more land.”
I laughed. “Hold your horses, Bri. Let’s focus on one thing at a time, shall we?”
He sighed and turned to look around the bustling lobby, an incredulous chuckle escaping him. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Eventually though, it might be nice to grow from where we’re at right now.”
“We will,” I said confidently, sliding my hands into my pockets. I took in the scene unfolding around us. “This is insane. I can’t believe how busy it’s getting.”
I motioned at the large windows facing the parking area, seeing a steady stream of cars coming in, and a thrill shot through me at the sight. Not only were we exceptionally busy for a place that had only opened today, but our staff was also operating like a well-oiled machine. So far, I’d only had to give some guidance here and there, but most seemed to have been trained well enough to know exactly what to do.
As Brian and I stood there, simply taking some time to absorb the magnitude of the moment, I realized that I could now check off opening a ski resort on my personal bucket list. I’d achieved a boyhood dream and it seemed like it was going to be an astounding success.
The only thing that would’ve made it better was if Mariam had been beside me right now. I hadn’t seen her at all since I’d left the lodge this morning, but I knew she was overseeing operations outside for the sporting event. The athletes had been checking in all morning and they were all over the mountain, getting a lay of the land while Mariam ensured that they had everything they needed.
I missed her, though. Pushing away from the wall, I decided to get back to work before I ended up heading out to find her. I’d never been the clingy, needy type and I wouldn’t change now, no matter how badly I wanted to see my girl.
The anticipation would only make our reunion tonight that much sweeter, and that was what I focused on to get me through the rest of the day.