Chapter 10
Chapter
Ten
Rylan
“We’re insane for agreeing to this,” I told Roxie as we drove toward the resort. Music was blasting, and she turned it down just to look at me.
“Which part? Agreeing to go to this resort, quitting your job, or letting Kota buy us an entire summer wardrobe?”
I groaned and let my head fall back against the seat. “Did you see how happy he was, though?” It was honestly adorable. Which was the only reason I didn’t fight him too hard in the end.
“You’re softening to him, aren’t you?” she demanded.
I nodded. The truth was, I had been from the start.
He was too charming for his own good, the kind of charming that was so disarming you didn’t even know it was coming.
Not to mention he blew me away with his ability to look at our size, our clothes, and effectively choose things that looked incredible and fit our personalities.
“And now we’re about to spend four days with him. Tell me there’s not going to be ice-breakers we have to suffer through.”
“I don’t know what to expect,” Roxie admitted.
“In a quarter mile, take the next exit,” the GPS interrupted before we could discuss it further.
She turned the music back up and rolled her window down a little farther, the sun shining on her face, hair whipping in the wind, sending small bursts of her scent straight to me.
I’d never get enough of it. The coconut, orchid, and amber created such a sexy, enticing scent. It was warm and inviting, the kind I could breathe in for the rest of my life.
Roxie always came across as confident in herself, now she practically glowed with it. That was all Kota’s doing.
“Oh shit, there it is,” she said, leaning down slightly so she could see the entire building.
This resort was bigger than my university’s library, and honestly, that was saying something.
“They were able to rent out this whole place?” I asked.
“You underestimate the depth of Kingsford’s pockets.” Understatement. This was insane.
The parking lot was fairly empty except for the team bus and a scattering of vehicles farther in the lot that I assumed belonged to staff.
The resort itself was a giant, white building with more windows than I could count. Everything screamed money, from the perfect flowerbeds to the lawn cut in perfect lines, to the staff lining up outside ready to greet us in pressed uniforms.
We’d barely managed to park the car before Kota was bounding down the front stairs. There was another man with him, a redheaded delta who looked young, like Kota. Likely one of the new rookies if I had to guess.
“That’s Lachlan Evans. I think he and Kota are good friends,” Roxie said, gesturing to the man waiting by our delta.
Our delta.
It was the first time I’ve put that into words.
The staff paused as Kota moved forward, opening my door for me before going around to Roxie’s side to open hers.
“I’m glad you guys made it,” he said, looking genuinely pleased to see us. My chest warmed. It was kind of nice to have someone who wants to be around you like this. Craves it.
“That’s a bit too much enthusiasm for me,” Lachlan laughed, looking uncomfortable.
“Just wait until you find your omega,” Kota challenged, completely unrepentant.
“Did we miss anything?” Roxie asked as she walked around, navigating the conversation to easier territory.
“You just missed the reading of the rules, although I guess our rules don’t apply to you,” Kota said, catching us up as he took our bags.
Of course, the staff was right there taking them seconds later.
“What rules are they giving you guys?” I questioned, curiosity getting the better of me.
“The typical. We can’t hide in our rooms. We have to be available for the team,” he said. “The usual stuff.”
“Doesn’t sound too bad,” Roxie said. “The whole point is for you guys to get used to each other, isn’t it?”
“That it is,” Lachlan said. “I’m glad you guys are here for some sort of buffer, and at least Kota will be forced to shut up about you once in a while.”
He gave his friend that cocky grin only friends could give, one that said he knew exactly what he was saying. Anyone else would have been embarrassed by it.
Leave it to Kota to be completely unfazed.
“So, we have four days of this torture?” I didn’t even bother to whisper it.
“Yup,” Kota agreed. “I get my omegas to myself for four whole days.”
“Yourself and the rest of the team,” Lachlan pointed out.
“Semantics,” Kota said, waving it off, completely unfazed.
“If you’d like to head this way,” one of the workers said quickly as we approached, “I can get you all checked into your suite.”
“We get a suite?” Roxie gasped, pulling me inside the lobby. Her excitement had my own amping up. This was the perfect way to deal with the stress of quitting my job on a whim.
The interior was a sea of gleaming white and marble, everything pristine. It smelled like a hotel, with that faint scent of bleach, but underneath was something tropical. Potted palm trees were tucked away in the corners. They were really selling the resort vibes.
Since it wasn’t a regular open-to-the-public weekend the check-in process only took a few minutes. Then we were heading up to our room.
Our suite was gorgeous. There were two bedrooms, a bed in each. Though I hoped that she’d be in my bed instead of her own.
The staff and the others left us while Roxie and I got settled. I was thankful to be alone for a moment, but Roxie almost looked upset.
“What’s the matter?” I asked as I walked over to join her. She’d already changed but looked like she was dreading leaving the room.
“I need to go meet with Coach. I promised I’d check in with him once we were settled.”
“I can go with you and act as a buffer. You did that for me with Eliza.”
“That would honestly be great,” she said, deflating a bit and blowing out a breath.
She didn’t hesitate to drag me out of the room, a key card clutched in her hand.
When we stepped out of the elevator into the lobby, she checked her phone.
“It says he’s in a conference room greeting everyone. Because, of course, he is,” she let out a humorless laugh.
Honestly, this coach sounded insufferable from all the stories she’d told me.
It wasn’t hard to find the coach from the steady trail of hockey players walking away from the conference room.
“It looks like we came at a good time,” she mused, greeting the hockey players by name.
There was a scent in the hallway, something that smelled achingly familiar. For the first time in all these years, a slight sting echoed from my fading bite mark.
No.
There was no way.
It was just something similar triggering old, painful memories. Surely that spiced citrus and woodsy scent from my past wasn’t this one.
Oblivious to my inner freakout, Roxie continued to pull me along.
We entered the conference room to face off with the coach.
He was the last thing I expected. The alpha was older, with weathered lines on his face.
His hair was finger-combed back like he’d run his hands through it nervously quite a bit today.
The salt and pepper suited him. He was handsome, with a slight rugged edge.
He was wearing a leather jacket and dark jeans with a black T-shirt underneath. Definitely not the beer belly and polo I’d been picturing.
“Well, you certainly look different outside of your regular coaching gear,” Roxie said.
“Shocking, I know,” he said, “but I do have a life outside of coaching.”
“I heard you had a weekend coaching gig, so I thought it was coaching all around for you.”
A laugh burst out of him. “You’ve got me there. Leave it to the journalist to uncover the truth.”
There was something forced about the laugh. I could see the distrust, especially with the way he said ‘journalist.’
It had my hackles rising and my eyes narrowing as I stared him down.
Roxie gave me a look before plastering on a smile and gesturing to me.
“Oh, this is my roommate, Rylan. He’s a physical therapist, but, thankfully, he’s between jobs, so he was able to come with me.”
“Physical therapist between jobs?” He perked up, leaning forward and studying me. “What are the chances that you have a solid résumé?”
“Of course, I have an excellent résumé,” I said slowly, still not trusting this man.
“Well, we just so happen to have an opening for a physical therapist. If you’re interested then send me your résumé. I can pass it along to our hiring team. I’m supposed to sit in on the interviews, so if it all checks out, we could just have a chat while you’re here.”
“I have it on my phone,” I said, glancing at Roxie.
Her eyes were lighting up like this was the perfect opportunity, and honestly, as much as I appreciated her offer of finding me a place at her online magazine, I loved what I did.
Warning flags were going off in my head, blaring loudly enough that I winced. Yet, for some reason, I sat down in a seat, pulling open my documents before asking for his email.
The deep rumble of his voice was almost soothing. My omega wanted to trust him, but I couldn’t. Not when he treated Roxie like the enemy.
He glanced over the résumé, studying it in a way that felt like he was ripping through every shield or barrier I might have.
“Well, it certainly looks like you have the credentials,” he hedged. “Can you tell me why you quit your last job?”
“Unfortunately, my boss and I had a conflict of morals. I didn’t think she treated customers or staff with respect, and respect is something that I take seriously.” It was a pointed jab and he didn’t miss it.
“But you stayed…” He raised an eyebrow, glancing from me to the résumé on the screen of his phone and back again. “For this long?”
He tapped the phone lightly.
“North Crossing is not exactly a large town. There are very few jobs that require my credentials.”
“Are you a fan of hockey?” he asked.
“No,” I said bluntly, “but I don’t have to be one to work with injured players. I’d treat them with respect and dignity, and help them stay strong so they can heal from their injuries.”
Hayes chuckled, holding up his hands. “You’ve got me there.
Honestly, this was the perfect time for you to walk through my door.
I have an older player who needs a consistent physical therapist. We usually hire someone to come in a few times a month, but I’ve convinced upper management to hire a permanent one specifically for this player. ”
“That’s perfect,” I said. “I’d love to have the opportunity.”
“Let’s see how you interact with the team while I contact HR, but as far as I’m concerned, everything logistically looks good. Let’s call it a trial run.”
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate the opportunity.”
I held out my hand. The alpha wrapped his fingers around mine, giving it one firm shake, looking pleased with himself.
This close I should have been able to scent him. I was hoping it would clear my earlier panic. Unfortunately, it seemed he used some sort of scent-dampening spray.
The same kind that Roxie had doused herself with before we left the room.
She had reassured me that I didn’t need to do the same, but I was beginning to rethink that decision. If everyone around me was going to be lacking a scent, it would only make me stand out more.
Everything about this trip felt loaded now and I couldn’t wait for it to be over already.