Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
ADAM
“I hope a queen room is acceptable.” Zack’s dad paused his task of setting up the key cards and looked up at me over the check-in desk.
Speechless, I stared at him, trying to understand what the alternative would be. I’d been here enough growing up to know all the different room layouts. There were three as far as I knew—king suites, queen suites, and double queen rooms.
“I really hoped I could get you two into one of our king suites,” he continued, “but they’re all booked for the next week.” His lips lifted into a smirk. “But I think you’ll be happy with the queen suite. It has a jacuzzi tub and fireplace.”
“Suite?” I swallowed.
“Yeah. When Zack explained the situation with you and your girlfriend, he asked if I could get you two into one of the king suites. Unfortunately, I couldn’t, but I promised him I’d get you into the queen.”
I held back my eye roll. But honestly, I didn’t know if I wanted to strangle my best friend or thank him.
I glanced over at where Lyla and Zack’s mom sat chatting.
Based on Lyla’s smile, you would never guess anything was amiss.
But I knew she was stressed and exhausted over this whole situation.
Hopefully being at the lodge—somewhere detached from the current chaos—would allow her to relax and get some rest.
Returning my attention to the desk, I warred with telling Don that his son had lied, and I would need two queen beds.
But deep down, I didn’t think it would be a lie for long.
And I didn’t believe we would really need two beds.
After being so close to her in the bunk at the station, even if we took things slow sexually, I still liked the idea of falling asleep with her in my arms. But would she feel the same?
“We’re just happy you had a place for us,” I assured him with the most grateful smile I could muster.
He gave me a tight-lipped smile, nodded, and handed me the key cards. “Room 205.”
I blinked, hesitating before finally making my mind up and taking the cards from him. “I really appreciate you helping us out.”
“It’s what we do for family.”
I smiled. Technically, we weren't family. Not blood relatives, anyway. But my mom had worked there in her teens and through her twenties. It was how she met my father. The company he’d worked for had stayed there for a retreat. After a whirlwind romance, she’d followed him back to his hometown.
When a car accident claimed his life before I hit my first birthday, my mom moved back home, living with my grandparents again and got back her job at the lodge.
The Stoers had convinced my mom to bring me to work with her, and their nanny had helped take care of both Zack and me.
We became inseparable as toddlers, causing chaos and starting our lifelong friendship.
When I was almost five, my mom started dating Clive—my sister’s father.
But within the year after Janet was born, they parted ways and my sister only lived with us half the time.
My mom liked to say she and Clive were better as friends.
I think she still believes my father was her one and only love.
At the start of my third-grade year, she left the lodge and became a secretary at my elementary school, where she still worked. But my friendship with Zach was solid at that point, our families forever joined by a mutual need to care for each other, no matter the circumstances.
After finishing up with Zack’s dad, I turned and headed toward Lyla. She looked up at me with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. One that held a hint of uncertainty.
“Ready?” I asked her.
Zack’s mom stood, offering me a hug. “Just let us know if you need anything.”
“I will. Thank you, guys. Again.”
“Anytime.”
Once in the elevator, I turned toward Lyla with my best don’t freak out smile. “So…”
She sighed. “I have a feeling I don’t want to know whatever you’re about to tell me.”
I chuckled. “The room only has one queen bed.”
Her brows rose high on her head. “That was awfully presumptuous of them.”
I shifted my weight and fought a smirk. Should I throw Zack under the bus?
Absofreakinglutely.
“Not when their son told them you were my girlfriend.”
Her hands landed on her hips and her eyes narrowed. “And why would Zack tell them that?”
“Because he’s a jackass who likes to meddle.”
“I’ll make sure to thank him next time I see him.”
I cringed. Hopefully that would be sincere by the time she saw Zack again.
The doors to the second floor opened, and she followed me down the short hallway. I swiped the key card and held the door open, letting her step into the large open room.
I almost knocked her over as I walked in behind her.
She barely made it in the door before she stopped suddenly.
Her breath caught as her eyes scanned the room.
I forgot how romantic the suites were, with the cozy sitting area in front of the fireplace and the large jacuzzi tub that sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows with a gorgeous view of the mountainside.
“This is…” she whispered, turning to look at me. “Beautiful.”
I stared at her, fighting the urge to tell her I thought she was beautiful.
Her cheeks turned pink as I continued to hold her gaze. I didn’t want to push her or rush her to embrace us, but I also didn’t feel the need to hold back my feelings anymore.
I dropped our bags and reached out, tucking a curl that glinted red in the lights above her behind her ear. Her eyes drifted shut, and a shiver tore through her as I trailed my fingers down her neck.
“You’re beautiful,” I murmured, leaning forward and pressing my lips to her forehead.
The tension she’d been holding onto all day seemed to melt as her body relaxed under my touch. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and pulled her into me, tucking her head under my chin.
Happiness enveloped me as I held her, breathing in her intoxicating vanilla scent.
She stiffened ever so slightly in my arms, and I smirked.
Typically, I would have released her and stepped back by now, knowing holding her was causing a very physical reaction.
But I was done hiding the way she affected me.
She squirmed, causing a groan to slip through my lips. I couldn’t stop myself from imagining what it would feel like to claim her mouth again. To pick her up, guide her legs around my waist, and press her against the wall.
As I scanned the room, ten more things I’d like to do zipped through my mind. I cleared my throat and released her as I felt her start to pull away.
“Want to go downstairs and grab dinner?” I rushed out, suddenly needing to get out of this room. It was late and neither of us had eaten since breakfast at the station. By the time we got back into my apartment, packed bags and made it up here, it was well past dinner time.
“Sure. And then I need a shower. I feel gross.”
She certainly didn’t smell gross. In fact, she smelled fucking amazing.
Damn. Now I was imagining her standing under the spray of the shower, completely naked behind what I knew was a see-through glass door, water cascading down the curves of her body.
I swallowed a groan and grabbed her hand. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Food. Maybe after eating something, I could think more clearly. Or less clearly, depending on how I wanted to look at it.