13. Misely
thirteen
Misely
W yoming had never been on my bucket list of destinations for travel, but what I'd seen of Elk Mountain so far had me tempted to return under better circumstances. The Lodge was, by far, the best thing that had come of this trip. The hotel was old and large and beautifully kept. And it smelled like candy canes and brownies coming from every single room we passed.
The guests that we saw were all smiling, cheeks pink from the warmth coming from gorgeous Victorian fireplaces, and laughter clung to the air. I was going to assume they’d all checked in on time. Susie led us down a long hall with floral pinstriped wallpaper and sepia photographs hung in ornate frames, until we reached the end, in front of a door with the number 4 hung on it.
Opening it, she stepped to the side to let us enter, holding out an arm. “This is the Lapis Suite. You’ll find that you have a private bathroom, terrace, and a queen size bed. There are fresh linens in the closet, but if you should need anything, there’s a pulley beside the door that will ring for a housekeeper. I’ll let the two of you get settled.” She took a step out of the room and then halted, twisting in to face us. “Oh! Have you had dinner yet?”
As if answering for itself, my stomach growled loudly, making my face flame.
“Why don't you get settled and I'll be back in twenty to escort you to the dining room?” Her smile was knowing as she pulled the door shut behind her.
I turned around slowly, taking in the space around me. Painted a gorgeous light blue, the bedding several tones darker. Everything I’d seen since we’d entered The Lodge was true to its origins, perfectly maintained in a way that was awe inspiring, and this room was no exception. I felt as though I’d just stepped through the pages of time and right into the early 1900s.
The queen bed called to me, tempting me with ideas of a long overdue nap. I was tired to my very bones, still rigid from the chill of the air outside but everything about this room was warm and inviting. The man that stood beside me grunted though, dropping his bag and the two of mine to the floor. Images of my wrist handcuffed to the gold painted metal headboard, fighting to get comfortable for hours into the night, ruined any illusion I had of a peaceful slumber.
Frustration renewed, I stomped to the bathroom and shut the door with more force than was probably necessary. Digging my hands through my hair, I squeezed my eyes shut tightly. I was so overwhelmed, the feeling threatening to become all-consuming if I couldn't force it back. Several deep breaths later, I slowly opened my eyes again, a sharp squeal of glee slipping past my lips at what I saw when I did.
I was barely halfway across the bathroom when the door flung open and Talon barged in, fully on alert. “What? What is it?” His head swiveled around, searching for the cause of my perceived alarm.
Ignoring the weird way I found pleasure in the hard set of his face, I lurched forward to pick up two small rubber ducks that had been perched along the edge of the tub. “Look at how cute they are! And they’re blue too! Ugh, it’s my favorite color. Do you think Susie will let me keep them?” My feet did an enlivened little tippity-tap on the tile floor.
When I looked back to Talon, his face had gone slacken for half a second before one of his brows shot up, his lips clearly holding back a bemused smirk. He took his time sizing me up, from my feet all the way to my face which was beginning to lose some of the small joy I’d found in the ducks.
“What?” I finally snapped, feeling heat reach my cheeks. He was still just staring at me with silent surprise, one of his arms going up above his head to lean into the door jam. That should be illegal. He’d removed his jacket, strong toned biceps flexing and causing black ink to ripple, making Talon look entirely out of place in this tiny bathroom. But oh , what a sight he was.
Until he opened his mouth to start talking again.
“Just didn’t take you for a blue gal, with all that pink you wear.”
“ Ugh ! You are so dense. For your information,” I stomped forward, shoving a pointed finger into his chest with each word, “someone can wear one color often without it being their favorite. Pink just so happens to be a very complimentary color on me. You might not have any taste, but—”
His hand shot out to grab my wrist before I could jab him again. I’d avoided looking at his face during my rant, and now, meeting his gaze, I wish I’d kept mine down. His eyes were on fire, all traces of lingering humor long gone. With one yank, I was brought so close to his chest that we were nearly pressed together. My breath felt thin when I let out a startled gasp, tripping over my own feet just enough to send me tumbling further into his body.
“Oh, I have taste. For the record, I have a certain appreciation for pink on you,” Talon’s husky voice growled in my ear, sending goosebumps over my arms. “Especially the way you wear it right here every time I catch you staring too long.” His thumb trailed over my flushed cheeks, pausing at the corner of my lips. It was impossible to get air into my lungs. Talon’s body radiated heat around my own, the smell of cinnamon gum wafting off his breath.
He was so close. We were so close to each other, our bodies nearly flush together and our lips just a centimeter apart. With every rapid beat of my hammering heart, my mind spun faster. It would be so easy to close the distance—there was so little of it after all. And what would it hurt? Nobody would ever have to know. And a girl has needs after all, especially under such a heavy burden of stress. He was right here and he was so damn hot. Nobody would blame me if I just tipped my head up a little bit more and…
It was in that moment that Birdie’s face flashed into my conscience and brought me back into my right mind. She would blame me. As our lips dared to just barely brush, I flattened my palms against the broad expanse of his chest and shoved, screwing my face up into a scowl that would hopefully cover the unfortunate presence of arousal.
“Would you just get out? What kind of person barges into an occupied bathroom without even knocking? What are you, some kind of pervert?”
“Wouldn’t you like to find out?” The smirk on Talon’s face was undeniable, his words just barely reaching me when the door slammed in his face.