Chapter 4
KENNEDY
"My parents were going through a hard time financially and didn't want to sell any land.
They decided to rent out the rooms in the main house since it was so large.
At first, they lived in one of the rooms on the third floor, which is why the one suite has a kitchen.
When reservations increased, they built a house nearby and moved into it," Raymond said.
"I can't imagine living in this house. It's so beautiful," I murmured, very much aware that Boone was sitting next to me.
His stance was deceptively relaxed, but I could feel the tension radiating off him. He wasn't happy I was here, and he was even more pissed that we'd slept together.
Despite his sweet note, there was no way he'd want to continue what we'd started last night. I was fairly sure he wanted me to leave as soon as possible.
"They didn't want to sell anything or lose the property entirely, and this was what they came up with. They created a business that will sustain our family for generations. Or at least, that's the hope," Raymond said.
I smiled. "That's an impressive story."
"You probably don't care about the history. Most hotel chains aren't family owned." Boone said.
"That's not true. A lot of the hotel chains are owned by families." They might not be run by the families anymore, but they reaped the benefits.
He snorted. "Wealthy families. They're nothing like us."
"Boone, behave," Judy chided him, and I almost laughed.
The dynamic between Boone and his parents was interesting, given how he'd acted last night. Like a man who was confident and sure of himself. Who'd never let anyone tell him what to do.
It was obvious that Boone wanted to design the furniture and saw me as a threat to that dream.
The Harts hadn't mentioned that before I agreed to work with them.
If they had, I would have reconsidered. This was a family situation that could cause a lot of strife, and I wanted no part of it.
Especially after being with him last night.
That added a whole new dynamic. I'd never slept with a client before, and I felt horrible about it. I never would have gotten involved with him had I known he was a Hart.
Why hadn't he mentioned that he owned the hotel last night or, at the very least, that his family did?
But he was my client now, and I would act professionally. I wouldn't do anything that would ruin my reputation. I'd worked too hard to screw things up.
"I'll show Ms. Barnes around the inn and the property," Boone said.
I noticed that he'd attempted to create distance between us by calling me by my last name. It wouldn't work because we'd been as intimate as two people could be last night.
There was no shoving it into a box. There was no rewinding and pretending it didn't happen. I didn't want to forget it; I just wanted to move on. To not feel anything toward him. But there was a part of me that was disappointed.
I'd never experienced anything like it before, and I wanted a repeat. I shouldn't have let my guard down. I was feeling lonely, and there was something about Boone that called to me.
Now look where I was, sitting at a table with my one-night stand and his parents. And they were my new clients. Could this be any worse?
Jodi was going to laugh about this when she heard. Mainly because she didn't have to live through it.
I'd never screwed up this badly before. If he told anyone that I slept with a client, my reputation would be ruined. Men could get away with it but not women.
I needed Boone to stay quiet about what had happened. He was so angry that I wasn't sure what he was going to do.
"I don't need a tour guide," I said, desperate to create distance between us. I didn't need to see Boone again, and he clearly didn't want anything to do with me.
Boone considered me, and then a smile spread over his face. "I'll do it."
Did he have an ulterior motive? Had he sensed that I didn't want to see him again, even in a professional capacity, and was determined to irritate me? I couldn't argue with him in front of his parents.
"I'm so relieved that Kennedy will be in good hands," Judy said.
That made me think of how Boone had handled me last night. How he'd touched and licked and drew several orgasms out of me.
The server brought our plates, and I dug into my eggs. When a long, thick thigh pressed against mine, I paused with my fork halfway to my mouth.
My cheeks flamed. Was he messing with me? Trying to embarrass me in front of his parents? Or was he just reminding me of last night?
We couldn't do it again.
I glared at him, but he carefully avoided my gaze. I could have moved away from him, but I liked him touching me.
It reminded me of how nice last night was. How he took care of me and made sure I ate. Then the sweet note this morning? He could have walked out without a word. We hadn't made any promises. It would have been perfectly acceptable.
Now it was hard not to think about all the things that he did to me last night. How he'd ensured I orgasmed multiple times. How he'd spread my legs in the hot tub and devoured me.
But I shouldn't be thinking about sex with him when his parents were sitting across from us. This was so inappropriate. This is why I didn't sleep with clients.
Not that I could have anticipated that this would be my morning after. What a disaster.
I tried to eat and swallow, but the constant press of his thigh kept everything from last night simmering on the surface. No matter who he was or how he could destroy my career, I still wanted him.
After the food was eaten and our dishes cleared, Raymond said, "I'm confident you two can work together to come up with a solution that is best for everyone. We want to make the inn current while keeping with our branding."
"I'm excited to see everything. The room was gorgeous, and I enjoyed the view from my balcony."
"I bet you did," Boone said under his breath, and my cheeks flamed hot.
Judy beamed. "I'm so glad you enjoyed your room. That is one of my favorites. You know, the top floor is unique. Each room is designed differently."
"You can tell that a lot of love went into this place."
"The inn came first, and it ran on its own for many years. Then my eldest son, Malcolm, opened the restaurant. Now it seems like it was always here. I don't know how we managed without it," Raymond said.
Judy smiled. "We hope the addition of the brewery will only make the property more attractive."
"I'm looking forward to seeing everything there is to offer," I said, wishing that the meal was over and I could escape to my room. I needed to regroup and figure out what I was going to do about Boone Hart.
Raymond raised his brow. "Why don't you two start your tour now? We'll probably stick around and enjoy our coffee for a bit longer."
I wanted to leave, but I didn't want to be with Boone. "I'm sure I can—"
Boone stood. "I'd be happy to take you around."
Judy smiled at Boone. "I really appreciate you doing this."
He winked at her. "Of course."
So this was charming Boone. I had a feeling it only came out around his mother and during sex. And I couldn't believe I just paired those two ideas in the same sentence.
I stood, and Boone pushed my chair in.
Judy and Raymond stood.
"It was so nice to meet you in person," I said to them.
"We're looking forward to working with you," Raymond said congenially.
Normally I'd be excited about a project like this. It was a challenge and one more thing to add to my repertoire, but Boone complicated things.
I had a feeling he was going to continue doing that. He was angry that I was the designer. Now he was pretending to go along with the tour-guide role. What was his goal? To push me out and convince me to run home?
I didn't want to give him that satisfaction.
Or was his goal to seduce me, so that he could convince me that his idea was best?
He placed a hand on my lower back, and I felt the heat of it through the layers of material.
My nipples pebbled under my bra, and my cheeks heated.
Would I ever forget about last night or how my body reacted to him?
He guided me through the maze of tables and servers to the lobby of the inn. "I was going to work today so you can see my workshop first."
I turned to face him, crossing my arms over my chest. "Why would you give me a tour of your workshop? I'm here to see the inn and the brewery."
He raised a brow. "You interrupted my day, so the least you can do is come to my shop so I can get some work done."
I shook my head. "I'm not going to sit in your shop while you work all day. I'm here to do a job."
He rolled his eyes. "I have to meet a client to give him the table he ordered. Then I'll give you the tour you want."
My shoulders lowered. "Oh. Okay."
He placed an arm on my shoulder and gently turned me so that we could continue walking toward the doors. "Are you always this difficult?"
"You didn't think so last night," I shot back.
He raised a brow. "Interesting that you'd bring that up in public."
I huffed out a breath, not sure how to respond to that. "I'm not difficult."
He chuckled. "Sure, you're not."
"I'm not." I wasn't sure why I was acting like a petulant teenager, but he brought it out in me. At least when he wasn't naked.
Outside, the wind whipped across my cheeks. I thought it would be nice to be in a cold climate, but now I wasn't so sure. I was a Florida girl, used to the humidity and sand.
When we reached a truck with lettering on the side that read Hart Inn, he stopped. "Obviously last night was a mistake. I didn't know who you were, and if I had, I never would have gone into your room."
Something about him calling what we'd done together a mistake didn't sit right with me. "You didn't think it was a mistake this morning when you wrote that note."
He sighed and looked away. "Things change. Now we have to work together, and we can't be falling into bed again.”
"I agree." Why was I so annoyed about his proposal? This is what I wanted.
"I'm glad we can agree on something." He opened the door, and I got in.
He closed the door behind me and walked around the hood. When he got into the cab, he seemed to take up all the breathing space. His scent, wood shavings and a faint smell of beer, permeated the small space. "I'm sure you want to do this job and get back to wherever you came from."
"I'm from Miami."
He snorted. "Of course you are."
I shifted so I could see him. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"You couldn't be more different. Miami is a city with parties and a bustling nightlife. Colorado is all about nature: the mountains, the streams, and snow."
"Have you been to Miami before?" I asked, curious about him.
"Once. When I was young and stupid."
I turned fully to face him. "You liked it, didn't you?"
"When I was young and stupid. My brain wasn't even fully developed."
"Huh." I wasn't sure why I found that so amusing.
One hand was resting on the steering wheel and the other on the consul between us. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He was effortlessly sexy without even trying. Did he know that a mountain man was every girl's dream? Or maybe it was just mine. "You went to Miami, and you liked it. You're just giving me a hard time because you want to dictate what happens at the inn."
He shook his head. "My furniture will look great at the inn."
"If that's the case, why did your parents hire a consultant?"
He looked away, his jaw tight. "I don't know."
"I'm here for a reason, so you might as well get used to it."
"I don't have to like it." He turned the truck down a lane that took us farther into the woods. "Did you do any research about the property?"
"I did."
"Did you look beyond the glossy pictures and the reviews? Because the property is more than a mansion or a brewery. We're immersed in the outdoors here."
"You're right about one thing—I've never taken a job like this. I thought it would be a challenge. One more thing to include on my profile."
"Hart Inn is a stepping stone for you?"
"That's right." Why did he make it sound like a bad thing?
"It's not something that we're just putting in a few weeks of work on and then moving on. It's something our family built so that our kids will have an amazing place to grow up that supports them. We're creating a legacy that's meaningful."
"I can see that."
"I don't think you do."
I didn't like that he was so dismissive and seemed to have preconceived notions about me. I just had to get through the next few weeks. Then I'd be gone.