by Parker, Ali
“Here?” I asked, looking around at the wide expanse of water surrounding us.
“Leia will show you how it’s done,” he said with a laugh.
He walked over to the swim deck, opened the little door, and pointed at the water. Out of nowhere, Leia burst through, leaping out and appearing to mimic a flying squirrel as she soared over the water before dropping like a stone.
I shrieked, jumping to my feet and racing to the rail to make sure she was okay. She had surfaced and was doggy paddling back to the boat before climbing aboard.
“Watch—” Trent warned about a second before Leia gave a full body shake, spraying all of us with water.
We all screamed, covering ourselves and turning away from her. When the shaking stopped, I looked back at Leia who was looking at us, obviously very pleased with herself.
“She showed you how it’s done,” Trent said with a laugh.
I watched with rapt attention as he pulled off his shirt and kicked off his shoes before taking a running dive off the edge of the boat. Me and the girls all screamed when he hit the water, a splash rising up, hitting us all. Khloe and Julia looked at me.
“Well?” Julia asked.
I shook my head. “No way. You go.”
“All right,” she said with a giggle before plugging her nose and jumping overboard. Her head popped up through the surface and she smiled. “Come on. How many times are you going to get the chance to go swimming off a yacht in Lake Tahoe?”
Khloe pulled off her sunglasses and dropped them on a lounge chair. “I’m coming.”
“I’ll be here, ready to toss in the floatie to save you,” I told her.
She took a few steps back and ran. I stood on the edge of the boat, watching them frolic in the water. It looked too good. They were having a blast, and I was sitting on the deck, missing out on what was obviously a good time because I was too self-conscious of my figure.
“Fuck it,” I muttered. I undid my shorts and stepped out of them before yanking off my shirt and jumping in without thinking twice about it.
When I resurfaced, Trent was there, staring at me again. This time, I knew what I was seeing. It was pure lust. I stared at him, offering him a coy smile.
He grinned and swam toward me. “Well?”
“Well, what?” I teased.
“Was it worth it?” he asked.
I laughed. “I’m not sure yet.”
He reached for me, and I dodged to the left, sparking a game of chase in the water. Khloe and Julia moved away, bobbing up and down in the water about ten feet away while Trent and I played our game of chase. Leia jumped in, swimming around us before Trent gave her a boost to climb back onto the deck.
We played in the water for a long while before we all made it back aboard. I left off my clothes, no longer ashamed to be seen in my swimsuit. I stretched out on a lounge chair, letting the sun warm my body.
“I didn’t realize how cold it was,” I commented.
I rolled my head to the side. Trent was stretched out beside me. Khloe and Julia had disappeared downstairs, leaving us alone once again.
“I have heard a lot of people say that.”
“It felt good though,” I said, trying to keep the conversation going.
“What brought you to Tahoe?” he asked.
I shrugged. “It was Julia’s idea. She was here a few years ago. It was close enough to be affordable. There were some good deals offered on flights. We booked the room forever ago.”
“Do you work?” he asked.
“I did. I worked at a coffee shop as much as I could.”
“What led you to medical science?”
I laughed. “I don’t know really. I mean, a lot of people have all these great stories about being inspired to be something. I liked science. I liked biology and chemistry and the idea of being a lab rat.”
“Are you really interest in curing cancer or something like that?”
I giggled, shaking my head. “While I would love to think I could do that, I’m not working in that field. I’ll be analyzing samples and maybe participating in some studies, but it isn’t quite as glamorous as what they suggest.”
He turned his head and looked at me. “I think it’s awesome. It certainly seems far more interesting than working in a boring office all day.”
I shrugged. “I’ll be in a boring lab all day.”
“I hope you don’t blow shit up,” he said with a laugh.
“Only when I want to,” I shot back. “So, what’s your long-term goal?”
“My long-term goal?” he asked with surprise.
“Yes, like do you want to own a chain of hotels, like be the next Hilton or something?”
He appeared thoughtful. “No. I do have my eye on another property, but I’m not interested in owning a chain. It’s hard enough with what I have.”
“You would hire staff,” I said. “I wouldn’t expect you to make all the day-to-day decisions.”
“Which is why I don’t want a big chain. I like being in the trenches. I just got my ass chewed out by a guest recently. I don’t think she realized who I was, but those experiences are important.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because when I’m down there and listening to the guests, I know what is really going on. I’ve been in hotels, like the Hilton or whatever. Those owners don’t have a clue what’s happening. I like being involved. That’s where I have the most control.”
I smiled, nodding. “Oh, the control. I get it. That’s the alpha male in you.”
“I am very alpha, and I am all male,” he replied, his voice husky.
I looked him up and down, studying his bare chest. Water droplets still clung to the chest hair. He was toned. I had known he would be, but it was hard not to look at him. In the water, he’d been partially covered, but having him half-naked and lying next to me was hard to ignore.
“You like to be in control,” I said.
“I do. Do you?”
“Sometimes I like to be dominated,” I teased, feeling completely out of my element. I had no real idea what I was talking about, but I was sure going to try to be a great flirt.
“I think you play naïve and quiet,” he said, studying me closely. “But you are watching, observing, learning.”
“I am quiet, and I am shy, but I do like to watch,” I said with a grin. “I guess that’s the scientific part of me. I’ve been trained to simply watch for so long, it’s habit. You learn a lot about people when you’re not busy flapping your jaws.”
He chuckled. “I bet when you’re with your girlfriends, you’re a real Chatty Kathy.”
“Sometimes. I don’t need to watch and observe them. I know them inside and out.”
He looked at me. “And me? Are you observing me, trying to figure out what makes me tick? Are you watching me?”
“Like a hawk,” I replied, proud of my comeback.
Chapter 11
Trent
I was running late. Not technically late, but later than my usual time to get to the office. I smiled and nodded at Ashley, who told me I had a call on hold. From the lawyer. That got a fire burning under me. I rushed inside, dropped my briefcase, and reached for my phone before even sitting down.
“Trent here,” I answered, a little out of breath.
“Trent, good news,” Lance announced.
I was afraid to breathe. “What?”
“It’s done. I’ve got some paperwork for you to sign, but other than that, it’s a done deal. He went for the offer, and it’s yours!”
“No shit?” I breathed out.
He chuckled. “No shit. I’ll get the paperwork together. You can come by later today or tomorrow, and we’ll take care of the details.”
“Thank you, Lance,” I said, beyond excited. “Seriously, thank you. This is amazing.”
We ended the call, and the first thing I did was go in search of Richie. I knew he was going to be excited. It was a huge deal for us. It was really going to put us on the map in the c
ity. I was truly going to have my hand in all of the pots. I knew it was going to be a lot of work, and it would mean I would have to let go of some of my responsibilities here to focus on the new hotel, but I was confident I had a solid team of people.
I walked out of my office, grinning like a fool. Ashley gave me a funny look but didn’t say anything. I made my way to Richie’s office, knocked once, and walked in. He was staring at the screen of his laptop. He looked up at me, scowled, and closed the screen. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong,” I said. “Everything is great. We did it. We got it!”
“What did we get?” he asked hesitantly.
“The hotel! Come on! You know I’ve been working on this deal for weeks!”
He grinned. “I knew you would get it. You get anything you set your mind to. Congratulations. We should celebrate.”
“I agree. What do you have in mind?”
“A pool party, here, at the hotel,” he said, nodding. “We’ll have champagne, food, music, the whole thing.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “If you can get it arranged, go for it.”
He gave me a look. “You know I can. It will be ready, and it’s going to be great. I hope you’re ready for a late night.”
I chuckled. “I don’t have to stay here the entire time. That’s the perk of being the boss. I can slink away once the alcohol starts flowing.”
“All right, I’ve got work to do,” he said, shooing me out of his office. “Go find another way to make us millions.”
I laughed, walking out of his office, and headed back to my own. It was a good day. I could feel it. There was only one person I wanted to share my excitement with. I closed my office door behind me and pulled out my phone to call Sade.
I had hated sending her back to the hotel last night after our day out on the boat. We’d had a lot of fun, and for the first time in a long time, I had felt carefree. I hadn’t felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders.
Life didn’t feel so damn serious when I was out there, swimming and actually playing. Hell, I couldn’t remember actually playing in a very long time. My time in the service had been serious business. We’d had down time, but things were still always in a heightened state of awareness. Not yesterday.
Yesterday had been me enjoying the hard work of my brothers and sisters in uniform, completely enjoying the freedom to do nothing but relax.
“Good morning,” I greeted when she answered her phone.
“Good morning,” she answered, her voice a little huskier than usual.
“Sleep good?” I asked.
She giggled softly. “I did. These beds are seriously amazing.”
I wished like hell I could see her sleepy and cozy in bed. “Good. What are your plans for the day?”
She let out a sigh. “I’m not sure. I think the girls were talking about doing a little sightseeing. I don’t think anything can top the boat, though.”
“I’m glad you guys enjoyed yourselves.”
“We did,” she said. “It was really nice. Thank you for doing that. I know you probably had a million other things to do. It made us feel very important.”
“You are important.”
“Thank you,” she said. “What about you? What are you doing today?”
I smiled, appreciating her willingness to have a conversation. I waffled between feeling like I was coming on too strong and crossing into creepy territory, and wishing I could just come right out and tell her I wanted her.
“I’m doing a little paperwork, but most importantly, I’m celebrating,” I said, unable to stop the smile from spreading over my face.
“Celebrating? What are you celebrating?”
“I just bought another hotel.”
She was quiet for several seconds. “Really?”
I laughed. “Yes, really.”
“So, you are becoming a chain?”
“No, it’s a smaller, boutique hotel,” I said. “It gives me a chance to cater to guests from every walk of life, no matter their budget.”
“And how are you celebrating?” she asked.
“We’re having a little party tonight. I was hoping you would agree to come as my special guest.” I closed my eyes and hoped like hell she would agree to it.
“Tonight? At your place?”
“No. Here at the hotel. My partner is putting it together. He tends to get carried away with party planning, so it is sure to be wild.” I could already imagine the bill I would be presented with.
“I’m sure they’ll want to check it out,” she said. “They’re always up for a good party.”
“And you?” I asked in a low voice. “Are you up for a party?”
She laughed. “I like a party—from a distance.”
“I can understand that. I’m guessing he’ll have the party starting around seven or so. I’ll meet you around then if that works?”
“Sure. I’d like that. Where?”
“How about seven at the main elevators?” I asked, firming up the plan.
“I’ll be there,” she whispered.
I hung up the phone, feeling pretty damn good about the day and everything else. There had been some dark days in my past. Days when I had been convinced I would never be truly happy. I had seen my brothers in arms suffering and struggling. I had thought that was my future. It had been a series of hard choices, but I pulled through. That wasn’t to say I didn’t wake up in the middle of the night in the grips of a horrible nightmare on occasion.
With my plans for the evening set, I turned my focus to the acquisition. There was a lot of updating that would need to be done to bring the hotel up to the high standards I had a reputation for. At least, I was trying to have a reputation for high standards.
I would have to close it down, which would be great for the other local hotels, but I needed to gut it and transform it, and that was best done without curious guests poking their heads into construction zones.
I worked through the day, not leaving my office for more than a few minutes to grab something to eat. I was eager to get started on the new project. I loved transforming something rough into something beautiful. At five, I called Bentley and had him run me home for a quick change of clothes and a little Leia love before going back to the hotel to meet Sade.
I was really looking forward to spending the evening with her and, hopefully, stealing the first kiss. I was desperate to taste her lips.
I was waiting by the elevators at six forty-five. I didn’t want to miss her. I had been out to the pool area already to check on things, and as expected, Richie had outdone himself. There was a DJ with turntables, the booth, and a whole lot of flashing lights set up on one end. He had a dancefloor brought in, complete with LED lights. It looked like a nightclub. I only hoped the noise wasn’t too much for the few families we had staying at the hotel. Hopefully, with their rooms near the top floors, they wouldn’t hear the noise from the pool area.
I heard her before I saw her. Her melodic voice, so much softer than her friends’ voices, wafted down the wide hall. I turned and looked in the direction of the dining room and saw them walking toward me. I felt the hit to my gut, amazed at just how attracted I was to her. I had heard the phrase before, but I truly felt it was love at first sight.
“Hi,” she said, her face lighting up.
I took that as a very good sign. “Hi. You ladies look very lovely tonight.” I spoke to all of them, but I only had eyes for Sade.
They were all wearing pretty sundresses, but it was Sade who looked like a vision in pale yellow. She’d gotten quite tanned yesterday on the boat. She looked like a ray of sunshine. Her eyes were bright, and she was wearing a little more makeup than she had since I had first met her. This was her ready for a night out. I liked it.
“We’ll leave you two alone,” Julia said with a wink and sailed past me with Khloe by her side.
I turned to look at Sade, looking for the usual nervous expression she had whenever she was near me. It wasn’t there.
I could tell she felt more confident and more comfortable with me. That was a damn good sign.
“Shall we go in?” I asked.
“Sure.”
I grabbed her hand, not giving her a chance to pull away, and began walking toward the pool area. Instead of pulling away, she squeezed my hand. I felt like the luckiest man in the world just then, walking in with the most beautiful woman in the world gripping my hand.
“I’ll grab us a couple of drinks,” I told her, leaving her standing near one of the massive potted plants that was near the pool.
The open bar was busy, as expected. I tried not to think of the money being spent and tried to focus on the fun and excitement buzzing around me. With two of the bartender’s specialty drinks, whiskey sours, I made my way back to Sade.
“Thank you,” she said. “This is crazy. I can’t believe you did all of this in just a few hours.”
I shook my head. “Not me. My friend and partner in all this, Richie Gardens. He wanted to have a celebration party, and I figured, what the hell? It isn’t every day you make the deal of a lifetime.”
She giggled softly. “I suppose not. Thanks for inviting us.”
“I wouldn’t want to be here if you weren’t,” I replied easily.
“You have to be here. It’s your party.”
I shook my head. “I don’t have to be anywhere I don’t want to be, and right now, I want to be right here with you. You look gorgeous tonight. You have a sun-kissed glow about you.”
She smiled, her doe eyes looking at me. “Thank you. You look very casual as well. I like it.”
I looked down at the khaki shorts and polo I was wearing. “Thanks. It’s nice to dress down once in a while.”
“You don’t like the suits?”
I shrugged. “They aren’t terrible, but they aren’t really me.”
She nodded. “I can see that. You seem more of a combat boots and cargo pants kind of guy.”
I laughed. “It’s like you know me already.”
Chapter 12
Sade
I felt brave, like I was finally in the right place at the right time. I wasn’t shy. Well, I was shy, but not my normal shy. I could talk to him and be flirty with him and not feel like a complete dork. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was me trusting what Julia and Khloe had been saying—he was into me.