23. Taylor
Taylor
“Is he still avoiding you?”
Shifting my gaze from the computer screen, I glance over at Jude.
He’s wiping down a luggage cart. Silver Sage Retreat is finally open for business, with the first set of guests arriving today.
It’s not a large group, but it’s enough to take my mind off things for now.
The last two days have been intense. “Yep,” I reply.
Jude grimaces. “Me, too.”
Which earns him a raised eyebrow. I understand why Roman has gone out of his way to avoid being in the same room with me, but Jude is a different story. They’ve had sex multiple times before. “That’s weird.”
“It’s not.” He lightly sprays disinfectant along the metal bar. “He blames me for what happened.”
I don’t recall Jude putting a gun to Roman’s head the other night.
What I remember is the agony on his face. The passion in his eyes. I remember his fingers digging into my flesh, the dirty words leaving his mouth, and how he fucked me as if he wanted to mark my soul. Those weren’t the actions of someone who was forced into anything. He did that all on his own.
“Well, he won’t blame you forever,” I murmur. “In two months, I’ll be out of here.”
Jude’s jaw clenches. He tosses the bottle into a nearby bucket. “Yeah.”
The front door opens. A short, balding man steps inside, brushing snow off his shoulders.
Jude relieves him of two large suitcases and stacks them onto the luggage cart.
With a pleasant smile, I greet him, and it takes me no time to find his reservation, since he booked two days ago.
I hand over his room key and rattle off the information about our menu and the amenities without missing a beat.
Which I’m quite proud of, actually, since Roman assigned me to the front desk without warning this morning.
Via text message, no less. He’s determined not to have physical contact with me.
I wonder how long it’s going to last.
“You’re great at that,” Jude remarks as the guest, Mr. Wilson, goes back to his rental.
At my inquisitive stare, Jude clarifies, “Handling the front desk.”
“As if I had a choice.” Roman still hasn’t found a receptionist who suits him. He’s nitpicking. No surprises there.
Jude comes up to the desk. A sparkle of excitement brightens his eyes, but I also notice the dark circles around them. “You could do this job better than anyone Roman would hire.”
I flash him a grin. “Yep, I know. I’m great at everything.”
“Seriously. You should stay.”
My pleasantness fades. “Stay?”
“Yeah.” He spreads his arms, gesturing around the small lobby. “Help us rebuild the ranch.”
“I can’t.” For a moment, I consider telling him about Noel, but I’m not sure I want to talk before the investigation ends. “I have a life waiting for me back home.”
“Does your life have to be in San Francisco?”
I snort at him with slight amusement. “Is that a trick question? I’m going to law school next year, remember?”
“There is a law school somewhere in this state,” he fires back. “Come on...”
I stare at him for a hot minute, wondering if he’s messing with me. A chuckle escapes, echoing throughout the empty lobby. “You’re something else.”
“I won’t even try to understand what that means.”
“For someone who said they don’t intend to settle down, you’re trying a little too hard to convince me to stay.”
And it’s almost as if I just punched him in the gut.