Fated Hearts

by Elliott, Kelly

  “Um, one in a billion?”

  “It’s like your hearts are fated.”

  I sighed. “What do I do?”

  “What do you mean, what do you do? It’s easy—pick up where you left off. Except now you know you’re having hot sex with a cowboy. Please tell me if he wears a cowboy hat.” My sister made some sort of growling sound before she started laughing again. “This could only happen to you!”

  I dropped down onto the sofa and closed my eyes. “He doesn’t want a relationship. He told me so the last night we were together. If Mrs. Montclair knows him, other people will know him too. What if I find out he’s an absolute asshole? Oh, my God, what if he’s married! Or has a girlfriend?”

  “He doesn’t have a girlfriend, and I doubt he’s married.”

  “But how do you know?” I asked as I stood and paced. “I can’t deal with this right now. I need to get to the hotel lobby so that I can meet the rest of the staff. I need to change.”

  “Wait, what about Roger?”

  Sighing, I replied, “I just…I just can’t with that right now. I’m here to start a new job, and that’s what I need to focus on.”

  “But—”

  “But nothing, Meg. I had a wonderful few days with Roger, and I’ll never forget how he made me feel, but it ended this morning. We agreed no strings attached, so this changes nothing. It changes nothing.”

  It was Meg’s turn to sigh. “Like I said, you’re a terrible liar.”

  Roger

  “YOU SEEM DISTRACTED.”

  I glanced over at my brother as he handed me a bottle of beer.

  “Nah, I’m good.”

  Truitt sat down and gave me that look that said he knew I was lying. “Want to talk about it?”

  “Just tired, I think. The rental car company was late picking the car up.”

  “Told you I could have picked you up from the airport—you’re the one who insisted on a rental.”

  My mind drifted back to earlier this afternoon when I saw Annalise standing at the rental car counter. I took a long drink from my beer and looked back at my brother. “Do you believe in fate, or do you think everything that happens is all a crazy coincidence?”

  He smiled and leaned back. “I’m a firm believer in fate. Why?”

  “Well, you’re not going to believe what happened to me today,” I said, rubbing at the ache in my neck.

  “Try me. Dad’s still on a call so he won’t be joining us for a few more minutes anyway.”

  I set my beer on the side table, then leaned forward and rested my forearms on my knees. “Annalise, the woman I was forced to bunk with in Chicago…”

  He laughed. “You regret not getting her number now, don’t you?”

  “I don’t need her number.”

  “You sure about that?”

  “I don’t need her number because she’s here.”

  Truitt’s eyes went wide. “She came home with you? I thought you said she was starting a new job.”

  “She is, but her new job is here. In Boerne. At The Montclair Hotel. She’s the new general manager. And to make it even more bizarre, she was at the rental car place trying to get a rental. I got the last one. I gave her a ride to the hotel.”

  Truitt’s mouth fell open. “You’re shitting me. What are the odds of that?”

  “I don’t know what to do, Truitt.”

  He frowned. “What do you mean? About what?”

  “Annalise. What do I do about Annalise living in Boerne?”

  “You said it was no-strings. It’s not like you haven’t slept with a woman before and nothing has come of it. Look at Lucy. Y’all have hooked up more than once, and there isn’t any problem there.”

  “I haven’t been with Lucy in at least a year and a half. Maybe even two.”

  “Really? I didn’t know that. Okay, well, what’s your heart telling you to do?”

  I let out a gruff laugh. “My heart? When in the hell have I ever followed my heart?”

  Truitt leaned forward and pierced me with a look. “You know it’s okay to want something more than sex.”

  Narrowing my eyes, I gave Truitt a hard stare. “I don’t want anything more. I have no desire whatsoever to settle down with anyone.”

  He scoffed. “Then why in the hell do you look so fucking miserable right now?”

  “I’m not miserable. It’s just…Annalise was different. The moment I laid eyes on her, I wanted her in a way I’ve never wanted another woman. I also knew that if I slept with her, there would be an endpoint. We were forced to walk away from each other, so it was…”

  He frowned. “It was what?”

  I gave a half-shrug. “It was safe. I knew this morning when she left that was going to be it. I’d never see her again, so I wouldn’t have to deal with the weird-ass thoughts and feelings going on inside of me. And now she’s here, and I…”

  My voice trailed off again.

  Truitt slowly nodded. “Can see yourself wanting more with her.”

  I stood and went over to the window. My silence was clearly answer enough for my brother.

  “Roger, it’s okay to let someone in. It’s been a long time since Kerri.”

  With a shake of my head, I said, “I can’t, Truitt. I can’t.”

  I heard him give a long sigh. “Then you need to tell Annalise. If she likes you as much as you clearly like her, then you need to tell her you’re not interested in more.”

  “I already did. Earlier this morning. I knew her thoughts were mirroring mine, and I had a feeling she was going to want to keep in touch, so before she asked and I broke her heart, I told her I wasn’t into relationships. That I had no desire to settle down. I’d hoped it would keep her from asking, and it worked.”

  I faced Truitt. He was about to respond when our father walked into the room.

  “Roger, how was the extended trip?”

  I smiled as I reached for his hand. He pulled me into him and gave me a hard slap on the back. “It was cold.”

  My father let out a bark of laughter and then walked over and poured himself a scotch. “Well, you’re back home now, and that’s all that matters. Have you seen your mother yet?”

  “No,” I replied with a shake of my head. “She was gone when I got here.”

  Dad nodded. “She’ll be back in time for dinner. Let’s head to my office. I want to talk about the Martin place before Luke and Jean get here.”

  Three hours later, I was getting up from the table with Luke and Jean Martin after agreeing to purchase their family ranch outside of town. I had been so busy negotiating a fair sale price that I hadn’t thought about Annalise for a short while. It wasn’t until I was alone with my thoughts on the way back home that images of her flooded my mind. And when I found myself parked down the street from The Montclair, I wasn’t the least bit surprised.

  I walked into the lobby and quickly glanced around. It wasn’t a huge hotel by any means. It had that small-town feel to it, and I smiled at the idea of Annalise running this place. In some folks’ eyes, it would be a step down, but I was sure Annalise didn’t feel that way. She would do some amazing things here.

  “Roger, what a pleasant surprise seeing you here!”

  Patty Montclair made her way around the counter and pulled me into a hug before I could even say a word.

  “How are things going over here at The Montclair?” I asked as she pulled away. “How’s Jim?”

  Her eyes lit up like someone had just presented her with a diamond necklace. “Things are amazing now that we have our new general manager. Annalise is a godsend! I heard you two know each other.”

  How in the hell was I supposed to respond to that? How much had Annalise told Patty?

  “Annalise said you two met in Chicago when you were both stuck there, then ran into each other again in the rental car line! Is something wrong with your truck?”

  “No,” I said with a laugh. “And yes, we did meet in Chicago, but neither of us had any idea we were going to the same place.
It’s a small world.”

  The corner of Patty’s mouth twitched with a hidden smile. “That’s one way to describe it.”

  I had no idea what she meant by that comment, and I knew better than to ask. “Speaking of which, is Annalise around?”

  “She’s at the River City Grill. Michael invited her to dinner.”

  I felt an instant rush of anger sweep through me. Michael was Patty and Jim’s youngest son. He was also one of the biggest players in Boerne, and the fact that he was anywhere near Annalise boiled my blood.

  “She’s having dinner with Michael?” I repeated.

  “Yes, he happened to stop by to check on things over at the restaurant and invited Annalise to try the food with him. I told her I thought it was a good idea since folks will be asking her how the food is, and it would be best if she’s actually eaten some of it.”

  I nodded and forced myself to give Patty a smile. Michael Montclair had lived in New York City for a number of years while he went to culinary school, and then worked in a few of the nice restaurants in Boerne. He’d always dreamed of opening his own restaurant and had finally launched the grill near the inn just six months ago.

  “I’m sure they have a lot in common since they both lived in New York,” Patty said as she smiled and took my arm. “I’ll walk with you next door.”

  A part of me wanted to turn and leave. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to see Annalise right now. But at the same time, I didn’t want her to think I was avoiding her. Then again, if she liked Michael in the least bit, maybe I was doing us both a favor.

  I growled internally. Michael wasn’t nearly good enough for her.

  Patty cleared her throat while she waited for me to start walking.

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  We headed out to the front porch and turned right toward River City Grill, which was located on the far west end of the hotel. The moment we stepped inside, I saw Annalise, and my breath was yanked right out of my chest. Could it be possible she was even more beautiful than the last time I’d seen her only hours before? She sat at the bar with Michael standing beside her—a little too close if you asked me.

  Annalise laughed and Michael winked at her. I wasn’t positive, but I thought I heard a growl come from the back of my own throat.

  “Seems Michael and Annalise are getting along.” Patty looked at me and then back to them.

  “So it does,” I stated dryly, making my way over to them. As I got closer, I could hear Michael talking.

  “You’ve got to let me take you. I have a feeling you’ll love it there.”

  Annalise gave him a polite smile. “That’s sweet of you, but I don’t think I’ll have any free time to start. I’ll be pretty busy with the hotel and all.”

  Michael leaned in closer and went to say something but stopped when I stepped up.

  “I see you’re already making friends, princess.”

  Annalise jumped while Michael took a step back.

  Her face went from confused that I was there, to pissed I had called her princess, to relief that she had an escape from Michael. “Roger, I…I…wasn’t expecting to see you.”

  “Tonight or ever?” I asked with a wicked smile.

  Before Annalise could respond, Michael faced me and extended his hand. “Roger, I haven’t seen you in some time.”

  I shook his hand. “It’s been a while, Michael. How’s the restaurant business treating you?”

  He looked around at the crowded establishment and smiled. “As you can see, pretty damn good. I’m excited to have a place right inside my folks’ hotel.”

  I nodded as I gave the bar and restaurant a quick once-over. “You’ve done a lot. I like it. Looks good.”

  Michael rocked on his expensive dress shoes and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Thanks, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.”

  Annalise cleared her throat, drawing our attention back to her.

  Motioning between us, she said, “You know each other, I see.”

  Michael grinned. “Ever since what, middle school?”

  I gave a half-shrug. “Something like that.”

  “Wait, how do you two know each other?” Michael asked.

  Oh, this was going to be fun. I gave a saucy grin and started my tale. “We met in Chicago. Both of our flights were delayed because of the snowstorm up there, and funnily enough, we were both—”

  Annalise slid off the barstool. “It’s been a long day. I think I’ll turn in. Thank you for the recommendations, Michael.” Turning to face me, she said, “Good seeing you again, Roger.”

  I touched her arm. “If you’ve got a few minutes, I was hoping we could talk.”

  I wasn’t sure what expression just crossed her face—it was gone as soon as it appeared.

  “Um, sure.” Annalise looked at Michael. “Have a good evening, Michael.”

  He gave her a resigned smile as he glanced between us. “Thank you, you as well.”

  I stepped to the side to allow Annalise by, then followed her out of the restaurant, across the front porch, into the lobby, and out into the back courtyard. It had been years since I’d stepped foot inside The Montclair. Never really had a reason to be here unless there was a meeting I was attending, or someone I knew from out of town was staying here and we planned on meeting at the bar in the restaurant.

  Annalise walked through the garden and up the small porch of the church that sat on the back of the property.

  “Are we going to confession or something?” I asked as I followed her.

  Glancing back over her shoulder, she smirked. “Ha-ha, this is my room.”

  The structure was one of the many stand-alone buildings that the hotel had, and it sat at the back of the courtyard. Other outbuildings—mostly old log cabins and a schoolhouse—surrounded the church, making it feel like the centerpiece on the back half of the hotel property. The courtyard separated the historical main structure from the free-standing ones.

  When I stepped into the building, I came to a stop. “Wow, this is amazing.”

  “I know,” Annalise said, taking off her sweater and laying it on the back of a chair. “It’s one of their grand suites, but Patty said I could stay here until I found a place.”

  “Are you going to rent first?” I asked.

  “Yes, at least until I get to know the area and decide on where to buy.”

  I nodded and walked deeper into the space. There was a dining table on one side of the room with a small refrigerator against the wall. On the opposite side sat a sofa and chair. A large piece of furniture held the TV, as well as some photos of areas around Boerne.

  Annalise cleared her throat, and I looked over at her. She had an expression on her face that indicated she felt just as lost as I did.

  “I’m not going to lie and say I’m not glad to see you, Anna. The moment you walked away from me at the airport, I wanted to go after you if only to get your number.”

  A soft smile spread over her beautiful face. “I still can’t believe this. I mean, Boerne, Texas! What are the chances I would get stuck in a hotel room with someone from the same town I was moving to?”

  I shrugged and let out a soft laugh. “It’s a crazy coincidence, no doubt about it.”

  Annalise motioned for both of us to sit down. “I’m not really sure where we go from here, Roger. You made things pretty clear back at the hotel.”

  I sat and stared at her. “Well, things have changed a bit. If you were to ask me now, I’d say the next thing we should do is exchange numbers because I honestly don’t want this to end, Anna.”

  Her brows pulled together as she studied me. “You yourself said you don’t do relationships, so what would this be? I can’t… I won’t be with you knowing that you’re going out with other women.”

  It was my turn to clear my throat. “I’m not sure where this is going, and by this, I mean you and me. But what I am sure of is the fact that when I saw you standing at that rental counter, something inside of me burst with happiness,
Annalise. All I know is that I desperately want to take you in my arms and kiss you, and only you.”

  Her cheeks turned the most beautiful shade of pink. She dug her teeth into her lower lip, clearly thinking about what I’d just said. When she finally spoke, I realized I had been holding my breath.

  “I want you to kiss me too,” she whispered softly.

  We both advanced at the same time until we were face to face, our bodies so close I could feel the heat from hers.

  “Fuck, what are you doing to me?” I asked before I captured her mouth with mine.

  Annalise wrapped her arms around my neck and moaned as she opened to me. My fingers sliced through her blonde hair, and I tugged her head back, giving me better access to that luscious mouth of hers.

  She pulled back, and her blue eyes meet mine. “Tell me this isn’t a dream. Tell me you’re really here.”

  With a lazy smile, I went in for another kiss. I tore my mouth from hers and swept her up into my arms. “How about if I show you instead?”

  Her smile practically lit up the entire room. “I like that plan.”

  The moment I set her down on the bed, she crawled to her knees and began to undo the button on my jeans. Before I could even get a word out, my dick was in her warm hand.

  “Christ, you drive me mad, Anna.”

  She lifted her eyes to meet mine. She slowly licked her lips, bent over, and took me into her mouth. My hips jerked, and I let out a moan as I laced my fingers in her hair.

  “God, that feels…so good.”

  Annalise moaned, and I had to force myself not to push farther into her mouth. If I let her keep that up, I’d come. And I really wanted to be inside of her when it happened.

  “Stop. Baby, I need you to stop, or this is gonna be over before we even start.”

  Slowly, she moved her mouth up, gave me one last suck, and then let my cock fall from her mouth.

  I reached behind me and pulled my shirt up and over my head while trying to kick off my boots at the same time. Annalise also quickly undressed, and by the time I finished, she was lying on the bed naked, her hair spread across the pillows. Her eyes were hooded with desire, and the way her chest rose and fell told me she was just as eager for this as I was.