Chapter 11 #2
He placed his satchel down on the entryway console and went looking for her. Jeffrey said she was back, but she could have gone up to the rooftop deck or down to the gym, or she could even be taking a nap.
Just the thought of that amused him. He couldn’t imagine her napping. She had too much energy for that.
“Nora?”
And suddenly, there she was, wearing his silk robe. One shoulder was bare because the garment was too big, her hair was tousled, her lips were glossy, and she was his every temptation.
“Hey,” she said, her voice like a husky whisper. “How was your day?”
It felt domesticated and sexy at the same time.
“It was good,” he replied easily. “And yours?”
“Very good.” Holding out her hand to him, she led him back toward his bedroom. The blinds were drawn, candles were lit, and music was playing softly.
It was only four in the afternoon, so his first thought was that this was a little weird, but he knew she was going for a seductive atmosphere.
And he was there for it.
But she didn’t stop there; she led him back to the en suite where there were more candles, a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a mountain of bubbles.
“We haven’t had our sexy bath yet,” she told him with an impish grin. “And there was no way I was going home without us having one.”
Milo was already kicking off his shoes.
“Sweetheart, that sounds like the perfect plan,” he told her as he unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off. She was watching him, her eyes darkening, and he loved when she looked at him like that.
She made him feel like he was more than he really was.
His pants and socks came off next, and when he was down to just his briefs, Nora untied the sash of her robe and let the garment fall to the floor.
“So fucking beautiful,” he murmured as he tugged her to him, and kissed her with a savagery he didn’t think he possessed.
She wrapped herself around him, kissing him back with equal abandon, and all he could think was that he never wanted this to end.
This was what he wanted—a home, a life with her.
Always her.
When they broke apart breathlessly, she smiled. “Ready to get dirty?”
But he shook his head. “Not me. You. Are you ready to get dirty?”
He swore she blushed, and it looked good on her. Nora bit her lip and stepped over to the tub before gingerly climbing in.
“Now I’m ready.”
She was killing him, but what a way to go.
Reality was her least favorite thing at the moment.
They were back at the resort and everything was fine, but it was a stark contrast to the life they had been living for those five days in Seattle.
That had been a taste of what life could be like if she wasn’t doing the whole adventure guide thing.
And if she and Milo became…you know…permanent.
He hadn’t said a word about his feelings or the future, or what was going to happen once they came back here. All she knew was that he was working hard on the amphitheater project and it wasn’t going to keep him here for much longer.
She wanted to ask him about all of it so many times, but everything was so wonderful that she was afraid to ruin it.
And there was a part of her that was also afraid of his answers.
What if he realized that she didn’t fit in his world? He lived in penthouses; she lived in tents.
“Okay, get over the tent thing. That was one summer,” she reminded herself.
“Who are you talking to?”
The scream was out before she could stop it, and when she turned and found Axel standing in the doorway of the shed office, she was beyond embarrassed.
“Oh, hey, Axel,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Sorry. You caught me talking to myself.”
“No biggie. I do it all the time,” he said with a grin. “Is Slater around?”
“He’s on an intermediate hike but should be back within the hour. Then he’s got an air tour at three. Is there anything I can help you with?”
Shaking his head, he said, “Nah. I was just curious if he had any time to fly Maisie up to Boston this week.”
She studied him hard for a moment and realized they had more in common than she thought.
“You okay?” he asked. “You’re kind of looking at me funny.”
This was the perfect time to talk because no one was around, but maybe it was too personal.
“Nora?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure!”
“It’s kind of personal.”
He shrugged.
“So, um…you know how I went to Seattle with Milo, right?”
He nodded.
“Well…like…I knew Milo was rich, but I didn’t realize just…
how rich he was.” She sighed. “He flew us first class, had a chauffeur pick us up and drive us everywhere, his penthouse is like something out of some architectural or design magazine, and…that is all so not me,” she said miserably. “I feel like…like…”
“Like, what are the two of you doing together?”
“Exactly.”
Nodding, he stepped inside and sat down. “Yeah. I’ve been there, so I totally understand how you feel. It’s a little weird, right?”
“Yup. And it’s not like Milo said anything, and I doubt he even noticed that I was a little uncomfortable, but…I was.”
“The first time Maisie took me to her place in Manhattan, I almost bolted. I knew she came from a wealthy family, but it’s one thing to know it here…
” He pointed to his head. “And another to actually see it in person. I’d never been inside a place like that, and then she took me to her parents’ house, and it was like a mansion. I was totally out of my element.”
“How…how do you deal with it?”
“You mean how do I deal with knowing she has more money than me or…”
“I don’t know if it’s that or just feeling…
worthy,” she murmured. “I bring nothing to the table. And I know that’s not what a relationship is about, but…
I work here at the resort. I rent a tiny apartment in town, and you guys let me stay in the cabin this summer rent-free.
I don’t own anything. He took me to so many fancy restaurants and treated me to more things than I ever imagined. What can I possibly do for him?”
For a moment, Axel didn’t say anything. He just studied her.
“You accept him for who he is,” he finally said. “That’s all Milo’s ever wanted. People look at him first like he’s a weirdo because he’s so freaking smart, then they treat him like their personal ATM when they find out he has money.”
“Hey, I didn’t ask him to spend all that money on me. I would have been happy having pizza or…”
Leaning forward, he held up a hand to stop her.
“I wasn’t accusing you of anything, Nora.
I was simply stating a fact. I’ve known Milo for most of my life and I’ve seen it firsthand.
And he’s a trusting guy, so he doesn’t even realize people are taking advantage of him until it’s too late.
But I don’t think that’s why you’re with him.
Personally, I think Milo needs someone like you, someone who will make him leave his comfort zone once in a while, and not make him feel bad when he doesn’t. ”
“He’s such a good person and he deserves someone who can give him everything,” she said, hating the sting of tears in her eyes.
“I don’t feel like I’m enough. I don’t know if he can be happy with me because…
well…I’m me. I’m never going to be happy just sitting around waiting for him to come home because he works twelve hours a day, or never going on another adventure because that’s not his thing. ”
“Balance. That’s really all I can say. Maisie loves spending time in Manhattan.
That’s where she grew up. That’s where she’s comfortable.
I would rather stab myself in the eye with something pointy than willingly do that.
I’ve never liked city life. But every once in a while, I go with her.
She knows how I feel, and she doesn’t push.
I love to ride the mountain roads on my motorcycle.
She hates it. Like, she screams in complete terror every time I’ve tried taking her with me.
So now I ride alone.” He shrugged. “It’s different for me because…
as a man…people look at me and know where I came from and think I’m only with Maisie for the money.
Like they think I can’t possibly love her just because she’s her. ”
“Sadly, it’s not really different, Axel. When a woman who comes from a middle-class background gets involved with a millionaire, she’s labeled a gold digger.”
“Huh. I guess I didn’t really think of it like that.” He chuckled. “So we’re both kind of screwed in the eyes of public opinion.”
That made her laugh. “I guess so.”
“Look, I was there the day you saved Milo. I saw the concern there and I know it was genuine. Just like I know what your relationship was like before that day. You didn’t chase after him; you didn’t set your eyes on landing the millionaire tech guy.
I don’t know a lot about your past, but I can tell you’re a cautious person, and that’s how you approached things with Milo.
And Milo?” He laughed again. “Milo moves at a snail’s pace because he considers everything from every possible angle.
So if he’s with you, trust me, he’s thought everything through. ”
She wasn’t sure if that helped her or not.
If anything, it left her with more questions. Specifically, why hadn’t he brought up where he wanted their relationship to go?
Although…
“Can I ask you something else?”
“Go for it.”
“What do you think is going to happen when he has to go back to Seattle full-time?”
Axel let out a long breath. “That I don’t know. That’s like…major long-distance. We’ve all tried to get Milo to work a little less and live a little more. You could be the reason that finally happens. I guess the question is, what do you want to happen?”
Now it was her turn to let out a breath. “In a perfect world, we’d make it work by taking turns traveling back and forth to see each other. But…let’s be real, I can’t afford to do that and I don’t want him paying for me to do it.”
He smiled like he totally approved of her answer.
“I’d love for him to spend more time here, but there isn’t anything for him to do here, and his life—his job, his business—is in the Pacific Northwest. It’s not like he’s going to move it all here.”
“I’d like to say you never know, but…I don’t see that happening either.”
“Yup.”
They sat in companionable silence before she heard voices heading along the path. It was possible that Slater’s group was back, so maybe this was a good time to end their conversation.
“Thanks, Axel.”
“For what?”
“For talking to me and letting me say some of those things out loud. They were all just in my head for the last week, so…this was good. Thanks.”
“Anytime.” He stood up to leave and smiled at her. “I know it’s easy to say not to worry about it because Milo—or in my case, Maisie—isn’t thinking about it. But it’s there. And the fact that you’re worried about it means you’re in the relationship for the right reasons.”
“Exactly. Thanks again.”
“That’s what friends are for.”
They both turned when Slater came to the doorway. “Hey! What are you guys up to?”
“Just chatting while I was waiting for you to get back,” Axel said easily. “Come on, let’s grab some lunch. I want to talk to you about a flight…”
Nora laughed softly as they turned and walked away, but it occurred to her she had found something here that was rare.
Friends.
Genuine friends.
Not that she’d never made any at her other jobs, but it wasn’t like this. These people were the kind that would stay in your life even after you stopped working together.
But would they stay if things didn’t work out between her and Milo?
Ugh…that was depressing on so many levels.
Her phone vibrated on the desk, and she smiled when she saw a text from Milo.
Milo: Hey, beautiful. Hope your day is going well.
Milo: Walker and I were just talking about having a group dinner tomorrow night to talk about what the resort is going to look like for the winter, and I told him we’d be there.
Milo: Hope that’s okay.
Smiling, she loved that he was concerned enough to ask.
Nora: Hey! That’s totally okay. It’s something I’ve been curious about as well.
Nora: Can’t wait to hear what everyone’s thinking.
Milo: Well, you think about it too. We’d love your input as well.
“Seriously? Shouldn’t that be on the owners?” she wondered out loud but didn’t convey that to him.
Nora: Sure! I can do that. What time?
Milo: We’re going to meet up in the owner’s suite at five. Will you be done with your day by then?
Nora: I’ll be back from kayaking by four.
Milo: Kayaking? Just for fun or with a group?
Nora: A small group
Nora: We should totally do that one morning! Instead of a walk, we can kayak!
She knew that was pushing him a little out of his comfort zone, but it was out there before she thought too hard about it.
Milo: I’m in!
“Seriously?” she said with a laugh, but she loved how quick he was to agree.
Nora: We’ll talk about that tonight over dinner.
Milo: Sounds good. I was thinking maybe we could go into town and eat at the pub. What do you think? They make great burgers.
It was sweet that he was so adaptable and not a food snob. After experiencing all the fancy dining in Seattle, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to do the same.
Nora: That’s a great idea!
Nora: And when we get home, how about some sexy shower time? Wink, wink.
Milo: Um…the showers in our cabins are kind of tiny. There’s barely room for one person, let alone two and…
Milo: Oh. I get it now. Lol! And yes, please!
Nora: There you go. I knew you’d catch on.
Nora: I need to get ready for my next group hike. I’ll see you later!
Milo: Be careful, and I’ll come by your cabin around six.
Nora: Perfect!
Putting her phone down with a smile, she tried to envision how she could make the tiny bathroom something sexy. It was easy with his massive one back in the penthouse; it was basically as big as her cabin! If she put candles around in the tiny one, she’d likely burn the whole place down.
“Note to self: no candles.”
The timer on her phone went off, alerting her it was time to head up to the lodge to meet her families for today’s hike.
Sexy ideas would have to wait until later.