Chapter 1
HOLDEN
I’m doomed.
If one more thing goes wrong with my schedule, then I’m absolutely unlucky.
My eyes slide past my laptop on my desk and land on the photo of my two little devils—my kids.
They are such joyous creatures, causing chaos in my life.
Okay, I do love them. A lot, actually. I’ll always have a soft spot reserved for them.
Lori, my twelve-year-old, and Harry, my ten-year-old.
I want to believe they make me a better person. That’s fatherhood, right?
But holy fuck, they are challenging me in a game I’m not sure I know how to play. I’m good at games. I played professional hockey for twelve years. I win, always. Except with them… I don’t.
I huff out a deep exhale and decide to look out the window of my office to find some tranquility in the scene of Lake Spark on this spring day. The blue sky and the bright sun would be perfect, except Illinois in March can be unkind on the temperature front, and it’s a solid high 40s with a breeze.
The Dizzy Duck Inn is my post-pro-athlete life.
It was something different and fun. There are so many professional athletes in this town and people escaping Chicago for a weekend away.
It’s a prime business opportunity that I snatched up when the old owners wanted to retire, then I packed up and moved my family here a year ago.
I have two investors, but it’s me running the show.
Lake Spark is a calm little town with an excellent private school nearby that was an extra draw for parenting my kids.
After all, my ex-wife decided to exit the picture long ago, leaving me to do it all.
I can be Superman.
Just not lately.
I think I’m on nanny number six in the last year alone.
I sigh as I lean back in my chair and interlace my hands behind my head.
“To be fair, I ignored all their attempts to flirt,” I say to myself.
Well… that might be a tiny lie. There was one a few years ago who seemed like a good one-night kind of drunken Christmas party thing, my bad.
But I’ve been a perfect boss since then. My little angels? Not so much.
I shake my head, knowing that I need to focus on some numbers before the interior designer shows up to start the project of freshening up the look of this hotel.
It’s not that it’s in bad condition, I just want to rejuvenate the atmosphere.
With the spa and wedding venue here, I want to step it up to ensure guests have to book well in advance. We already have an award-winning chef.
My attention is drawn to the door when I see my friend and business partner Stone Madden peek in.
We’re from similar hockey circles, though we never played on the same team.
We just hit it off at some charity fundraiser way back and have been friends since.We have one other smaller investor, but he takes zero part in almost everything, as it’s purely the old owner’s wish that his son kept a stake.
“Hey, Holden, you alive?”
I chuckle. “Today, yes. What brings you by, considering you firmly said that you would invest in this place, but I quote, ‘don’t want to do one fucking single thing in regards to management, nor do I want to hear about it.’ End quote.”
He quickly holds his palm up. “I won’t deny that, but I also said I would invest so that one day if I needed to impress someone, then I could slide in this little fact to gain me points.”
My expression flattens. “And?”
“I’m using my part-ownership card. Harlow and I are taking a room for a week or two while the contractors redo our house.”
“This place is getting a makeover too.”
He shrugs. “Yeah, but this place has charm.”
“We do our best.” I grin cheekily.
“By the way, your old coach’s daughter, Lexi, starts today, right? Met her a few times at various sponsor gigs long ago.”
“Something like that.”
I have examined her portfolio, and it’s what I need.
Apparently, she had grandparents that lived around here when she was younger, and she has a best friend, Summer, that lives here in town who I see around.
Summer also recommended Lexi. I’ve met Lexi a few times.
After all, her dad was my coach up in Michigan.
Let’s just hope she’s changed since I saw her last, which was a few years ago after she graduated college.
I remember running into her once during her college years.
A true sorority girl who valued social life just as much as academia.
I’m hoping she’s a calm adult now, with baggy jeans and an oversized t-shirt.
It’s what I need to keep me concentrating on the task at hand. I can’t afford distractions.
Besides, once you leave hockey, the team rules still apply; stay away from the coach’s daughter.
“Good luck, or rather, keep it locked in. See ya, buddy.” He waves his fingers in the air.
I tip my nose up in acknowledgment, and the moment the door shuts, I’m back concentrating on my task. I must lose time though, because as I’m busy typing away and clicking my mouse, I hear a soft knock on my door.
The door cracks open. “Hi, Holden.” Lexi’s voice sounds chipper, or excited at least. I’m sure she wants to do an excellent job on this massive project ahead.
“Hey, Lexi,” I say as I glance up from my laptop while I press save on my screen. But the moment my eyes hit the image at the door, I instantly do a double-take.
Oh no.
No. No. Nope. Fuck no.
I’m cursing to myself inside my head as I attempt to keep my face neutral.
Well, wish one is a massive failure. Lexi’s in jeans, except they’re tight, which isn’t ideal.
Wish two, a total miss too. She’s in a sweater, even a turtleneck, but unfortunately for my dick that suddenly twitched, it’s not a baggy shirt.
Instead, it highlights her tits and taut body.
I didn’t even predict her long dark blonde locks that frame her face. Confidence oozes all around her.
She is what I recall, yet with less makeup, which makes her hotter… and now she’s older, too.
Bad. This is bad.
She’s supposed to be that college kid that I remember when I was in the height of my career and way past the early-twenties stage. It seems that she’s turned into a woman that turns heads even when dressed perfectly respectably.
I swallow and throw on a polite smile. “Good to see you again.”
“Yeah, I guess it’s been a while. I ran into Stone in the lobby. It’s like déjà vu seeing everyone from the hockey world again.” She doesn’t even wait for me to invite her in. Lexi strides straight in with poise and heads to the chair in front of my desk to sit down.
Oh yeah, we’re supposed to have a meeting. Not me staring at her and studying the shade of gloss on her lips. Professional Holden. Yep, that’s who I am now.
“Figured it was safe to hire you without an interview since you’re not a stranger to most of us.” I attempt to lighten the mood, and it causes her to give me a grin, with her lips that look welcoming for my co—
“I guess being the coach’s daughter has its advantages,” she replies, breaking my thought.
Sure, think that, sweetheart. Screw the team rule of not going near her for life. It can go out the window. I’m a grown man anyhow. Wait, why am I even thinking all this?
I can’t sit in front of her face to face, because her brown eyes seem as though they will turn me into the smug man I know I can be when I find prey. Standing, I walk to my window to divert my attention to other thoughts. “Everything good in your life?”
“Can’t complain. I’m sitting in front of you for a project that’s any designer’s fantasy.”
Her tone, I can’t pinpoint it, but it causes me to snap my sight to her and find that she has a smirk, which confirms to me that she might have grown into a little spitfire.
And her mind seems to be not as straightlaced as I hoped. That’s a relief, sort of. Looks like we might have a few shared interests.
Taking the high road, I keep my wry smile fixed. “And non-work life?”
She folds her hands on top of her thigh thrown over her opposite knee. “Different to last time you saw me. I’m no longer in a sorority, and I keep my weekends busy with sophisticated wine drinking and attempting to find the latest dinner hotspot.”
I lean against the window. “Except you’ve never been here with your boyfriend. I should be offended that the Dizzy Duck Inn didn’t make it to your hotspot list.”
Lexi’s head tips slightly to the side as she purses her lips. “It did. It was before you became owner. No boyfriend. I went with my father.” New fact on availability. Noted.
My jaw ticks as her eyes are somehow possessive and cause me to feel slightly uncomfortable. “Of course you did,” I mutter.
Her mouth gapes open, and she fakes shock. “Implying I’m a daddy’s girl? That’s not cool. Back when he was your coach, and even to this day, his team takes priority, and you know that.”
I take a few steps back to my desk and hover over it by placing my fingertips on the hard oak, which could potentially be as hard as my cock might be soon. “I’m happy you’re doing well.” I’m sincere about that.
This time it’s Lexi who stands and strolls over to the window to steal a look at the spring scenery outside. “How are you? Lori and Harry?”
I forgot that I brought them to a team holiday party when they were much younger.
“Let’s see…” I pop my lips and debate the best answer.
“Since I last saw you, that messy divorce was finalized from the ex-wife from hell who decided motherhood wasn’t for her, and my two great kids cause so much mischief that I’m beginning to wonder if I have Satan as an ancestor. But hey, gotta love them.”
My light tone causes her to laugh. “Sounds like you have your hands full and not the way you prefer.” Her smirk is sultry. I’ve been around enough women to know the differences of mouth positions.
And damn, she’s at it again.