Chapter Twenty-Five
Melina
Heavy, wet snow was falling rapidly, making the drive up the tree-lined road to the resort a bit dicey, but my Honda was running better than the day I bought it, so I still had a smile on my face. Even with the big event looming, I’d never felt more at ease.
Of course, I still had a lot of hard work ahead of me to secure the promotion. But for the first time in a long time, I actually believed everything would turn out the way I’d planned.
And it was all because of Zane.
Not because he’d been there to help with the catering staff at the exact moment I’d needed, or because he’d made sure I was here on time for the past two weeks. Hell, it wasn’t even because fixing my car was a gift I could probably never repay, no matter what favor he claimed was owed.
No. It was his unwavering belief in me that did it. The boost of confidence he’d given me was one I didn’t even know I’d needed. He made me feel like I could accomplish anything. Like nothing could stop me.
He made me feel more like myself than I had in months. Maybe years.
To him I wasn’t just a keeper of rules and lover of organization.
He didn’t think I was cold or uptight. My frosty exterior was my protection, and he understood it because he’d looked beyond it—past the try-hard, dutiful person I’d become.
He found the smoldering ashes of my heart and turned them into a bright burning flame.
Zane light-my-heart-on-fire Alexander.
I just hoped I made him feel a bit of the same.
I pulled my car into a parking spot, and despite the snow-covered, mushy tarmac, it glided to a stop with ease. There was no way it took new tires and brakes to fix a car that wouldn’t start, but damn him, I knew that’s exactly what he’d done. And I was sure that probably wasn’t all.
As I entered the lobby, I was still thinking up ways to thank him—a blow job didn’t seem like nearly enough, but it might be a good start.
“Good morning, Melina,” Becky called from behind the front desk, where she stood with Cassandra.
Her fake chipper voice killed the mood instantly, but I shoved down my bitterness toward her. It wouldn’t help me today.
“Good morning,” I greeted them both. “Are you on desk duty?”
“Oh no,” Becky replied. “I’m just helping Cassandra learn some things about how we handle our large events and corporate clients. She’s working during the Winter Festival Dance.”
“That’s terrific,” I said, smiling at Cassandra, but still not convinced Becky wasn’t full of shit. The girl had some serious issues. “I’ve got a busy day but let me know if there’s something I can do to help.”
“Thank you,” Cassandra called as I left them and headed toward the guest services office.
Maybe I was wrong about Becky. Then again, maybe I wasn’t. At that moment, I couldn’t be bothered to care. The phone was already ringing when I entered the office, and my mind shifted into professional gear.
The day flew by as I focused on one task at a time, marking each item off my list as I went. By the time dinner rolled around, I realized I hadn’t taken a single break. And damn, I was tired.
Stretching my back, I leaned forward over the desk, resting my head for just a moment. My eyes closed. If I stayed too long, I’d fall asleep.
I was just standing to stretch some more, and maybe find something to eat, when Becky entered the room.
“Hey,” she said, clasping her hands around her middle. “I’m just about to leave for the day, but do you have a quick minute?”
Not for you. “Sure. What do you need?”
“I just wanted to apologize for the other day. It wasn’t very professional of me. I’m sorry I took it that far.”
She was sorry. Sorry.
And it didn’t bother me in the least.
My lungs filled with air, and my mind wandered to the tasks left for the day. Nothing she had to say could derail me right now. Or maybe ever again. Not even that one word I used to dread.
“No problem,” I said with a shrug. “We probably both took it a bit too far.”
Her smile was a thin, tight line, but at least it was a smile.
“And, hey, thanks for helping Cassandra,” I offered, wanting to make peace and be done. “I think she’s going to be great.”
“Can I ask you one more thing before I go?”
It was hard not to sigh out loud, but I nodded. “Sure.”
She swept a lock of hair off her forehead. “Are you two actually together now?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, even though I understood her question perfectly.
What the hell was I supposed to say? There was no way I trusted her. Not even with the contrite look on her face. I couldn’t risk my job, my reputation, or my budding relationship with Zane. Not for Becky.
“You and Zane. I’ve seen you together a lot lately, and I guess I just wanted to know if you’re an actual couple. I’d hate to think I’d interfered if what you’ve got with him is something serious.”
The laugh I let out was real—as if I’d tell her a thing—but every word I uttered after it was a bald-faced lie.
“Do you really think Zane would know the first thing about a serious relationship? I was only with him because I needed to lighten up, and he’s a lot of fun in bed. We’re not a real couple.”
Her eyes glinted with something devious, and my stomach seized.
“Melina.” Wyatt’s voice came from the doorway, and my stomach dropped. “Do you have a moment?”
The color washed out of Becky’s face, making her red hair and lips look garish against her pale skin. “Sorry,” she muttered, but the word wasn’t directed at me.
Wyatt tipped his head to her. “We’ll discuss this later,” he warned. “Please go home and think of how you can come back tomorrow with a better attitude about work.”
“Yes, sir.” She scurried out of the room as fast as her heels could carry her.
My chest burned and stomach lurched. This was it. He’d heard everything. My career was over.
Wyatt closed the door behind Becky and turned to face me. He didn’t sit. Didn’t lean against the doorframe. Just stood there with his hands clasped behind his back and an expression I’d never seen on him before.
Not anger. This was something far worse. Disappointment.
“Melina, I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me.”
My hands gripped the edge of my desk. “Of course.”
“Are you in a relationship with Zane Alexander?”
Every prepared denial, every carefully constructed excuse, died on my tongue. Because he’d just heard me say Zane was fun in bed. There was no walking that back.
“It’s…it’s not what you think.”
“What I think,” he said carefully, “is that Zane Alexander came to see me about your promotion. And now I’m learning that you two are personally involved.” He paused, letting the silence do its work. “You can see how that looks.”
The floor tilted under me.
Zane had gone to Wyatt. About my promotion. Behind my back.
“An Alexander family member involving himself in his girlfriend’s promotion is a conflict of interest, Melina. Whether you intended it or not.”
His girlfriend. The word should have made me warm. Instead, it made me nauseous.
“I came here to tell you we were putting the promotion in writing. But now I need to think about this.” He exhaled sharply. “Because if this gets out—if anyone connects the dots—it undermines everything. Your credibility. The department’s credibility. Mine.”
“I understand,” I managed, my voice barely holding.
“I need you to understand what’s at stake. Never mind the fraternization policy. If the perception is that your promotion came through the Alexander family rather than your own merit, I can’t move forward with it. And that’s not something either of us wants.”
He gave me a brief, professional nod. “Think about it. We’ll talk again after the event.”
Then he left.
The office was silent.
I lowered myself into my chair because my legs wouldn’t hold me anymore. My hands gripped the armrests, knuckles white, and I replayed every word until the full weight of it crushed me.
I replayed my morning with Zane and his reaction when I’d told him how the promotion had been offered but wasn’t yet official. The way his fingers had clenched in my hair. The flash of something dangerous in his eyes.
I’d thought it was a protective instinct. That he was simply angry on my behalf. Now it felt like a setup.
All the confidence he’d instilled in me—the encouragement and talk about perseverance—soured in my stomach. He’d told me he believed in me, supported me, and would never interfere.
But he had. He’d gone to my boss and used his name to push my promotion through. And now my entire career was in jeopardy because of it.
The same man I’d spent a year telling myself I couldn’t afford to be associated with.
And I’d been right.
Damn him.
The flame he’d ignited in me flickered, sputtered, and went dark. And what replaced it was a hollow, aching burn that had nothing to do with love and everything to do with the pain he’d inflicted. The wreckage he’d left behind.
And maybe that was the worst part.
Not the anger. Not even the betrayal. But the grief of losing something I’d barely allowed myself to believe in. The future I’d started to imagine evaporated. And in its place was the same cold, familiar loneliness I’d been carrying since the night my mother died.
I’d let him in. I’d trusted him. And for what?
Confused and miserable, I forced my lips to form a smile and gathered my things. I had a dance to run tomorrow, and falling apart tonight wasn’t an option.
So I wouldn’t. I’d lock this away the same way I locked away everything else behind the frosty exterior everyone expected from the ice queen. And I’d deal with it later.
Or never. Never worked, too.