Chapter Eight
Zane
With or without snow, ski season was officially underway.
We hadn’t seen a single flake of the white stuff yet, but the temperature had stayed low enough for the resort to churn out some machine-groomed powder.
Only one run was open so far, and it was rough as hell, but it was enough to bring out the locals and keep the tourists happy.
That meant business at The Summit was ramping up too. It was still early evening, but the steady swell of voices, clink of glasses, and packed tables told me we were heading for a busy night.
Nate wandered in, scanned the room with his usual sharp-eyed efficiency, then tipped his head at me in silent question before crossing the floor. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, his shoulders looked tight, and his jaw clenched as he dropped onto the stool beside me and leaned against the bar.
“Hey. You doing all right?” I asked. Nate was usually the picture of health and control, but right now, he looked worn down.
“I’m good.” He angled toward me, scanning my face. “What are you doing on this side of the bar?”
“It’s my night off. Colin, Larissa, and Caleb are handling things tonight.”
The line between his brows deepened. “Okay, then I revise my question. Why are you here at all?”
Why was I here?
Because sitting alone in my house had started to feel like solitary confinement. Because every time I looked at my phone, Melina’s picture stared back at me, and if I had to see it one more time without hearing her voice or touching her, I was going to lose my fucking mind.
Not that I needed the photo.
Fuck, I didn’t even need to close my eyes to picture her. The image was seared into my brain. The fan of her dark hair against the twisted sheets, the slip of her bare shoulder from under her sweater, and the look of pure, drunken lust in her eyes.
The whole thing was so innocent yet combined with the memory of her throaty moan, turned me on like nothing else. My own personal brand of pornography.
“Just bored I guess.” Shit, that lie sounded about as unconvincing as the ones I’d been telling myself all week.
“He’s moping,” Colin called from his spot behind the bar.
Nate shifted beside me, and this time I caught the wince he tried to hide.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“One hundred percent,” he said in that calm, authoritative tone he used when he wanted the conversation over. “Now, tell me why you’re sitting here feeling sorry for yourself.”
“Fucking hell.” I shook my head, throwing a scowl Colin’s way. “Can’t I just hang out and have a little fun? Coming in for a beer on my day off is not a cry for help.”
“Sure,” Colin agreed. “But you’re the least fun thing in here, and you’ve been staring at that beer like it’s the last one you’ll ever have.”
“Is this about Melina?” Nate asked.
Colin barked out a laugh. “Never thought I’d see the day Zane was hard up for a woman.”
“I’m not hard up.” But the sting of truth cut deep. “I only asked her out because you jackasses dared me. You knew I wouldn’t back out on a bet.”
Even I didn’t buy that one anymore.
“Hey, Colin,” Becky called from over my shoulder, the exaggerated lilt of her voice making me cringe. Her chest brushed against my arm as she pushed up to the bar beside me, leaning in to flirt with my friend. “Are you partying tonight?”
“I’m working,” he replied, not taking the bait.
“What about after work?” She angled her head, drawing attention to the long line of her neck and the low cut of her top. “This place is dead. Don’t you want to let loose once you’re done?”
He towered over her, feigning interest. “Why? You looking to get a bit wild?”
“Sure, why not? It could be fun.” She giggled.
“But haven’t you heard?” he deadpanned, his gaze darting to me in a way that made my stomach tense. “Zane’s on strike. We’re all out of fun.”
“Go home, Becky.” Fuck, I was sick of this shit. The games, taunts, and feeling like a loser. All of it. But most of all Becky, especially after the way she’d treated Melina. “No one’s partying tonight.”
Her head snapped toward me, outrage flashing across her face. “Whatever. Your parties have been boring lately anyway.”
A lock of red hair smacked the side of my face as she flipped it over her shoulder and stalked away.
“Talk about hard up,” Colin cackled. “That girl’s got it bad for you, Zane.”
“What?” My stomach was already a firm knot, but the thought of Becky causing more trouble added a painful twist.
“Just sayin’.” He shrugged before moving down the bar to serve our neglected customers.
Nate leaned in, as though confessing a secret. “You should be careful around her. She’s got a vindictive streak.” Coming from the head of resort security, that meant something. But even without his keen observation skills, I knew he was right.
I should’ve known my party-boy reputation would someday bite me in the ass.
Until this thing with Melina—this obsession I couldn’t seem to drop—the consequences of my lifestyle hadn’t mattered.
None of it had seemed important enough to regret.
Or maybe I just hadn’t been able to envision a time when I’d care about impressing a woman for more than one night.
“I asked Melina out again,” I admitted, watching the condensation roll down the side of my glass. “And Becky kind of witnessed it.”
“Ah man, and Melina turned you down again? I’m sorry, that sucks.”
“Actually, she didn’t turn me down. Not exactly. She said yes, but that was a week ago, and she’s ignored me ever since. But yeah, it still sucks.”
After following through on my end of our bargain, I’d expected her to do the same. But getting one date with her was harder than climbing to the top of Green Mountain in flip-flops. And once again, I was at a loss as to where I’d gone wrong.
Nate clamped a hand over my shoulder and squeezed. “Do you really think she’s ignoring you? Or is it possible she’s hiding from you?”
“Hiding from me?”
“Yeah, hiding.” He squeezed my shoulder again before letting go, but the pressure didn’t fade. Instead, it expanded, wrapping around my chest. “You’re not the only one who’s afraid of commitment, you know.”
His words sank deep, and I rolled my damp napkin between my fingers, wondering if he was right.
Except, Melina didn’t seem the type to hide, and knowing how dedicated she was to her job and family made me question if commitment was really her issue. “I don’t know, Nate. If anything, I’d bet a committed relationship is something she expects.” Something she needs.
“Well, what did she say when you asked her out? Did she seem like she was into it?”
My gut swirled. “I might’ve coerced her a little. Because she did seem into it. Into me. Only, she insisted she was too busy, so I promised to help her out with something if she’d go out with me on one date.”
Nate’s stony exterior didn’t change, but something in his gaze softened. “So, you think she’s relationship material—the kind of woman who wants one—and you’re offering her a bribe in return for one night.”
Fuck. I wasn’t just an asshole… “I’m a complete fucking idiot, aren’t I?”
He huffed a laugh under his breath. “You said it, not me.”
“What the fuck am I supposed to do now?”
“Well, I’ve noticed she’s been working a lot of late hours.” He reached for my untouched beer. “In fact, I bet she’s still in her office.”
A beat of silence passed before I pushed away from the bar. “Screw it.”
I was done giving in to unwarranted fear. I couldn’t keep sitting in this limbo, waiting for her to make the next move and torturing myself with what-ifs.
“Good luck.” Nate smiled into his stolen beer.
“Where’s he going?” Colin asked as I stalked away, but I didn’t wait for Nate’s answer.
The door to Melina’s office was closed, and I raised my hand to knock but hesitated when I heard the murmur of her voice from the other side. She was on the phone, and it didn’t sound like a friendly conversation.
“Fine,” I heard her growl. “You can take the payment off my credit card, but don’t you dare call and harass my family again.”
Fuck, she’s fierce.
But my timing clearly sucked. I hovered outside like a creep, staring at the polished guest services plaque on the door and debating whether to walk away. Instead, I tapped my knuckles lightly against the wood before turning the knob and walking in.
Her head lifted, a glint of determination still flashing in her eyes.
“Hey, firecracker,” I said, aiming for casual. “You busy?”
“I was just finishing up some work.” She focused on the papers in front of her. “What about you? Aren’t you working?”
“Nope.”
“Lucky.” She shuffled another stack of papers. “I bet you’ve got some great plans for the night.”
I moved farther into the room, trying to snag her attention. “Yeah, that’s actually why I’m here.”
“What?” Her eyes finally met mine again.
“I do have a great plan.” Were my palms sweating? Fuck, why was this so difficult? “And it involves you.”
A tiny crease formed between her brows.
“I’m taking you out tonight,” I said. “Thought I’d show you a good time.”
“That’s a little presumptive, don’t you think?”
“Probably.” I smiled. “But to be honest, I’m making this plan up as I go.”
The tension dropped from her shoulders, and she laughed, the sound sparking a fire in my chest. “Okay then, I guess if we’re being honest, I could really use a night out. It’s been a long week.”
“Yeah?” I smiled.
“Yeah,” she agreed, stacking her papers together again before stuffing them away in a file folder. “Why not?”
“Do you have a warm coat and comfortable shoes?”
She swiveled in her chair, sticking her feet out from under the desk, and my eyes followed along the curve of her body, down the trail of her legs, until they landed on her tall leather boots. Even covered neck to toes, she was the sexiest fucking thing I’d ever seen.
“Those should do.” I moved my gaze back to hers before she knew where my thoughts were straying. “What about a coat?”
She pointed to the rack in the corner where her long wool coat hung. “Good enough?” she asked, standing from her chair with a stretch.
Her back arched, shoulders rolled, and her sweater pulled tight across her breasts. Every tiny movement fed the hunger already clawing through me after a solid week of obsessing over her picture like some lovesick psycho.
When I’d promised to show her a good time, I hadn’t meant it as an innuendo. But right now, all I could think about was bending her over the desk. Or pinning her against the wall. Or fuck, at this point, I was willing to pull her down on top of me on the cold floor.
“Zane?”
“Yeah?” I pushed a hand through my hair, fighting off the lust.
“Where are we going?”
Slowly insane.
“It’s a surprise.” I just hoped I could make it a good one.