Siena’s dark eyebrows dipped down, her focus still on me. She grabbed my arm, walking me out to the dining room.
“You know the snowboarding championships are happening right up the hill, right?” she whispered with excitement, her eyes flashing with hunger.
“No. I didn’t.” I touched my head, a flash of sweat peppering my forehead. Naturally, my parents would happen to leave that out of conversation. They were probably afraid I would hop straight in the car and drive back to California.
“They’re here the whole month. It’s the primaries for the Olympics. I’ve already slept with the guy from Utah. Nice, but the guy from Colorado is much more my type. Damn, he’s hot. Hear he fucks like a stallion and is the same size too. A total player, but...” She shrugged with a smile. “Who am I to judge? I am too.”
Siena had always been boy crazy. I was not at all surprised nothing had changed. Boys had come second to me, my passion coming first, except for one—the first boy I loved. The guys I dated after him didn’t seem to notice or care they weren’t my first priority, and I had no interest to be in a relationship. My last relationship happened more because of Matt’s persistence than me. He was the first to step into my face, call me out, and want more. Try to anchor me to earth.
He failed.
I did not blame him for finally walking away. He had tried so hard to fix what was broken inside me. Unfortunately, I think he hoped when he left I’d run after him, realize my mistake. I didn’t.
Between him moving out of my crappy studio apartment, failing out of school, my grandma passing, and discovering myself void of feeling anything about most of it, I found myself in my beat-up car for three days driving here.
Many times I thought about taking another exit, heading somewhere else far away, but something kept me pointed north. Toward home.
“Siena!” Neil appeared so suddenly behind us, I jumped. “Don’t be the reason I contemplate quitting again. I need you in top form.”
Siena rolled her eyes, squeezing my hand.
“It’s good to have you back. We have so much to catch up on.” She backed toward the bussers’ station. “Tonight, after work, let’s grab a drink, okay?”
“Sure.” I nodded. “Sounds fun.”
She grinned, her whole face lighting up.
“Oh, and I go by Hannah now.”
“Right, sometimes I forget it’s your actual name.” She turned back around, skipping away.
“Hannah? Caleb?” Neil motioned us to follow him. I straightened my white shirt and brushed at my black pants, wanting to present my best on my first night. No one here knew my dad was the chef. To them I was simply another new hire.
Caleb lumbered over. He was a tall, lean strip of a guy, around eighteen with shaggy blond hair, a long nose, large mouth, and lean face. He came up beside me, nodding hello.
“We already have fifteen room service deliveries.” Neil fanned out the tickets on a busser table. “Caleb, you will take floors two and three and the private cabins. Hannah, you take floors four through six and help bring out orders for the big parties down here.” He handed each of us a stack. “The phone is already ringing for more, so get to it.” He took off for the hostess stand.
“Good thing I know my way around.” I snorted. Neil wasn’t one for directions. I left before I was old enough to wait tables, but I knew everyone’s job here inside out, even after this long.
Some things didn’t really change.
“Neil can be a jerk,” Caleb mumbled, brushing his shaggy hair off his face, his eyes streaked with red. The guy was high as shit. “But if you do your job and don’t get complaints, he will give you the better sections.”
“And what do you consider room deliveries?”
“Cake.” Caleb smirked, pulling a blunt just far enough out of his pocket to show me. “This is the way most of the snowboarders tip me. Fucking awesome.”
I got my slips together and moved to the kitchen, some of the orders already on the counter. I got my rolling cart with white linen and loaded it with cutlery, napkins, and condiments. Oscar hated the carts rolling up and down the hallways, but my father would not have one of his meals served in a to-go container.
“You expect it to walk itself upstairs?” Freddie pushed at a dish, yelling at me. “Get it the hell off my counter!”
“When you talk to me so sweetly, how can I refuse?” Not even remotely fazed, I smiled at him, grabbing the dish. “Such a charmer.”
He smiled, shaking his head. “We’ve missed you around here, Sprout.”
I loaded and covered more dishes he served up, then headed out for my first deliveries. I had waited tables in San Diego, but I forgot what it was like here. People put in reservations months in advance. Freddie and my dad had the kitchen running like a well-oiled machine. Neil seemed to have the front of the house working as fast and efficient. But it was still stressful, hectic, and nonstop.
My night was exhausting, but most of it went smoothly. There were always those people who made you want to dump their orders on their heads, but I simply smiled and retreated into my numbness.
Finally, when my feet ached and I felt like a sweaty mess, the kitchen shut down. The restaurant emptied out.
“One more, Hannah.” A white slip waved in front of my face. I peered up at Neil.
“Seriously?”
“Came in right before eleven.” He shrugged, still looking as fresh and polished as he did at the beginning of the shift. How is that fair? “It’s one of the special clientele. He’s one Oscar said we should do anything for.”
My nose wrinkled up. Ninety-eight percent of the time the “special guest” was a huge pain in the ass, demanding and obnoxious. I sighed but grabbed the slip and headed for the kitchen.
“Freddie, do you have my order?” I leaned against the counter, taking some of the weight off my throbbing feet.
“You mean the order which turned up after I closed my fucking station?” he yelled, chucking a cloth across the room. Most people were intimidated by the kitchen staff. Growing up with them had me immune. After hours they were the nicest guys, but during dinner rush? Holy shit. Back away swiftly if you came in with a complaint about a meal.
“Entitled pricks!” Freddie slammed down his knife, swearing under his breath. He grumbled the entire time but set down one seared salmon dinner and one Kobe burger with fries on the top, the plates styled to perfection.
“Thank you.” I covered them, grabbing a large tray instead of the cart, and walked out.
“Hey, my last table is leaving. Just need to do side work and close out, then we can grab a drink.” Siena bounced up to me, still full of energy.
“I’ll meet you at Big Horn’s Bar. I have to deliver this last order.” I brushed some loose hair from my ponytail off my face.
“Okay. See you in twenty.” She waved over her shoulder, going back to her last table.
All my life, Big Horn’s was the place the staff went to unwind. It was close enough you didn’t have to trudge far in the snow but still got you away from the hotel.
Because my family was so well known and frequented the bar, I could never sneak in as some others under age did. Most of us local kids ended up on the mountain, finding cheap beer or liquor to get drunk on. This would be the first time I could actually drink in the pub.
I hit the button for the room floor, my reflection in the metal serving lid showing frazzled hair. Caleb had disappeared after his last cabin delivery to join a group of snowboarders, which had a very large order of appetizers and desserts. What we called the “munchie order.” Didn’t take a genius to figure he was probably still there.
Stepping out of the lift, I peered down at the room number and came to a stop in front, my knuckles rapping on the wood. “Room service.”
A girl’s high-pitched giggle and shriek penetrated through the door followed by a man’s deep voice, making it clear what was happening on the other side of the door.
My head rolled back with annoyance
. This was the last thing I wanted to deal with.
More giggling and muffled voices filtered through.
I shifted my weight on my sore feet, irritation creeping up my spine. I wanted to deliver this and go get a drink. A very strong one.
“Room service!” I hit the door louder.
The girl squealed again, as though she was being tickled.
“For fuck’s sake.” I growled, lifting my hand again. Just as I was about to pound on the door, it swung open to reveal a gorgeous blonde in nothing but underwear and a man’s thin T-shirt. Her hair was mussed, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes held a dreamy gaze. She looked as if she had been thoroughly fucked.
“Yeah?” She played with her hair, trying to calm it down.
“Yeah, hi.” My tone was brisk. “You ordered room service.”
“Baaaaabe?” She drew out his pet name annoyingly long, turning toward the bathroom. “Did you order room service?”
“Yeah, I hadn’t eaten yet. Fucking starving.” A guy stepped out, wearing just boxer briefs, his ripped torso drawing my eye past the girl.
Holy hell. The guy’s body was insane. Tall, large broad shoulders, abs you only saw in magazines, muscular legs, round ass, and…
My eyes darted away, understanding why the girl looked so happy.
“Leave it here. Thanks.” The guy grabbed for a T-shirt off the floor, motioning to the coffee table, his husky voice pulled my attention up to his face.
Everything stopped. My lungs halted in my chest, my feet sticking to the floor.
Oh. God. No.
Sweat dampened the base of my neck, my heart thumping in my chest. I had to be dreaming. He wasn’t who I thought he was. There was no way.
“Is there something wrong?” The girl folded her arms, her glare burning into me as I continued staring at her boyfriend.
He pulled his head through his shirt, his black eyes meeting mine. Fuck. Those eyes.
“You okay?” He lifted an eyebrow. “Just put it down here.” He nodded again at the coffee table.
Move, Hannah! I yelled at myself. Swallowing the bile itching my throat, I jerked my head toward the floor and set the tray on the table.
“Add the bill and your tip to my room.” His raspy voice crawled up my spine, pawing the exposed skin at the base of my neck.
I nodded, locking my view on the carpet, trying to keep my pulse under control, while my mind screamed for me to run.
“Did you want an autograph or something?” His voice took on a little flirty tone, yanking my gaze up to his.
“Wh-what?” Meeting his dark eyes felt like a knife through my chest.
“Are you a fan?” A cocky smirk lifted the side of his mouth. “Did you want an autograph?”
I blinked several times before his words sank in. “Oh. Um. No.” Get out. Get out now. “Have a good night.” I whipped around, set on getting out the door as fast as I could.
“Hey?” His voice hit me between my shoulder blades. “Wait.”
Crap.
I seized onto the doorknob, ignoring him. He brushed past his girlfriend and grabbed my arm, turning me back around. His eyes roamed over my face.
“Do I know you?”
“No.” The word barely fit through my clenched throat.
He pressed his lips together, and his eyes drifted down to my name tag, brows furrowing. “Hannah.” He uttered my name so quietly I scarcely heard it pass over his tongue.
“Sorry.” He shook his head, taking a step back. “Thought you reminded me of someone.”
I yanked out of his grip and slipped out of the door before he could say anything else. My legs scarcely took me five steps before I fell against the wall, my lungs sucking in gulps of air, fear pulsing through my veins.
“What the hell was that?” The girl’s voice followed me from inside the room. “Have you slept with her?”
“What? No, Carrie. Fuck,” he exclaimed. “It’s not your business anyway.”
“Not my business? I’m your girlfriend.”
“Ex. Ex-girlfriend. You seem to forget that part.”
“So…I am merely another fuck to you? Is that all this was?”
“I knew this was a mistake,” he growled. “We’ve been here a thousand times. Round and round. Last time I meant it. We’re over. You know it. And you knew that coming up here.”
There was a beat of silence, anger building from the room, clogging the hallway.
“Fuck you, Rhys,” she screamed. “You’re right. We are done. Don’t ever call me again.”
Rhys. Hearing his name shredded the last bit of hope it wasn’t him. Not that any doubt existed after I saw his eyes and mop of black hair. But desperation makes you hold on to the slightest chance.
The door handle jiggled, foretelling her exit. I turned and ran, going for the stairs instead of the elevator. The security door shut behind me, and I collapsed on the first step, my arms wrapping around my stomach.
I had been numb for years, unable to feel truly happy or sad. Emotions I had buried under the façade for years now climbed up my back, wrapped around my chest and throat. I squeezed my eyes together, clamping a hand over my mouth.
Of all people for me to run into. Fate was shoving itself in my face, taunting me. I had come here in search of something. But instead of feeling as though I had found it, I sensed the walls of my world peeling away. Everything I had worked at for nine years was going to crumble into dust.
My gut told me if I didn’t run, Rhys Axton was going to crush the last slivers of me.
Chapter Four
Rhys
“Rhys, what the hell is wrong with you?” Shaun rubbed fiercely at his head. I was probably the source of his baldness. “Your knee is swollen, you look like crap, and your runs have been dismal. You have one shot left to get enough points to qualify for the next level.”
I understood better than him I was a fucking mess, but I couldn’t seem to get my head on straight. I’d tossed and turned all night over a girl. You’d think it would have been over my ex-girlfriend, but in honesty I hadn’t thought about her since the moment she stomped out of my room.
The reason for the lack of sleep? That waitress, Hannah.
She had nibbled at my brain the entire night, and I couldn’t figure out why. Granted, she was fucking hot. Petite women similar to her often came across as cute, but she was stunning. Long dark hair made her huge blue eyes burn right through me, tugging something in my soul. But it wasn’t because I thought she was pretty. Hell, I had models and actresses propositioning me. It was more than that. I couldn’t put my finger on it or decipher why she kept me up all night.
I also didn’t understand the strange anger she kindled beneath these feelings. I wanted to push her against the wall. I mean, I was sometimes into rough sex, but this was nothing like that. I’d felt something close to hate, which was not my normal response to a pretty girl I didn’t know. Of course, it simply made me more drawn to her.
Lack of sleep, irritation, and a swollen knee had put me in a foul mood. My scores on the last pipe showed my lack of focus. I sighed, put my elbows on my knees, and dug my knuckles into my eye sockets. Get it together. You’ve worked too hard to let this slip through your fingers.
For years I had driven myself relentlessly toward my goal, given up being a normal teenager, and separated from my family, to pursue the medal. All to step away and lose everything? I would not do that again. This was probably my last shot. I would not get the support or endorsements if I tried to make another comeback. As much as I despised the reason for the interest in me, it was what helped get me back here.
“Rhys?” Shaun’s hand clapped down on my shoulder. “What’s going on with you? Don’t tell me instead of going back to your room you went partying the night before a competition?”
“No.” I leaned back against the fabric wall, condensation billowing out of my mouth. We were in the huge snowboarders’ “prep tent” next to the course, waiting for my final run. “Carrie happened.�
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Shaun’s lids closed, his hand crunching down on my muscles. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”
“Unfortunately not.”
Shaun was not a fan of Carrie. Never had been. He was able to see in her what I hadn’t for so long. He tried to “ban” her after the fifth time we broke up, but it only made me run back to her faster. Somewhere along the way I wised up, but clearly I still had moments of idiocy.
“Rhys, I can’t help you if you are determined to throw all your hard work away.”
“It won’t happen again. I promise.”
“You’ve said that before.”
“This time I really mean it.”
“I’ve heard that before too.” He rubbed the back of his neck, frustration wrinkling his forehead.
A speaker crackled, causing my head to pop up.
“And now Rhys Axton.” The commentator’s voice boomed from the loudspeaker. “His final run for the night is next.”
Standing, I fastened in and wiggled the snowboard to the start gate. Taking a deep breath, I pulled my goggles back over my eyes and stared down the pipe.
“You can do this.” Shaun sidled up next to me. “You’re fuckin’ talented. You got the drive and the skills. You simply need to focus. Forget everything else except what is in front of you.”
Forgetting was what I had loved most about this sport. I could forget the world, all the pain and heartache. On the slope, it was just the board and me, flying up in the air or sailing down the snow. It was a high, sharpening my senses to the point I was part of everything. I could see beyond the bullshit of life, where nothing in the world existed besides the snow and me. Pure. Real. Where others might crave drugs, I only needed to be flipping through the air and cutting my way through the powder.
The buzzer for me to go sounded, and my sight drilled down to a point where all voices and commotion blurred into background noise. I tipped my board forward over the hump, and gravity tugged me down. A rush of adrenaline charged through my system as I flew down the hill, the sound of ice slushing as the brisk air beat at my mouth.
My body moved and twisted in a dance, knowing exactly what to do. I had to get out of my own way and let it.
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