by Nicki Night
Chey groaned, put her fingers to her temple and tried to think. “Where are you, toothbrush?” she asked aloud as if it could answer. Closing her eyes, she concentrated and then realized that she’d left it beside her sink at home. She could see it clearly in her mind. The reception desk would have courtesy toothbrushes, even though she hated those. They didn’t feel anything like her electric brush and certainly didn’t clean her teeth as well. Maybe when the roads opened, she’d find her way into town and go to a convenience store.
Chey took her time in the shower and then slipped into a pair of comfortable jeans and pulled a knit sweater over her thermal undershirt. Teasing her short tresses, she nudged her curls into place and rubbed her lips with a balm that held a hint of color. Her stomach rumbled and she remembered that the last time she had eaten was before her flight. Grabbing her coat, she put some money into her pocket and headed to the café.
The lobby had cleared out considerably since she’d first arrived. A few people who were obviously still waiting for rooms remained. Some were stretched out in chairs and some lay on the floor with their bags propped up under them.
Chey went to the clerk to ask for the toothbrush and shoved the small courtesy package in her pocket. “Are all these people still waiting for rooms?”
The clerk sighed. “Unfortunately, most of them are stranded and we have no more vacancies. Some of their flights were canceled and others weren’t able to get down the mountain before the roads were closed. Some guests have offered to take a few of them in, but there are still several left who don’t have a place to stay until at least the morning. We’re doing everything we can to find them some kind of lodging. We’ve set some up in our other resort, but it’s pretty much the same situation over there.”
“Oh.” That was all Chey could say. She felt horrible for them and almost guilty for having so much space to herself. However, as a woman traveling alone, she had to be careful.
Chey thanked the clerk for the toothbrush and headed across the lobby to the café. On her way she spotted the handsome stranger who’d been in her room earlier. Trying to be discreet, she watched him from the corner of her eye as he lay with his head back in a large rocking chair with his feet up on an ottoman. Damn! she thought again. He was ridiculously handsome. Just as she crossed in front of him, he lifted his head and attempted to shift his body in the chair. He opened his eyes and Chey quickly turned away. In her peripheral vision, she could see him nestling in his newfound position. He still looked incredibly uncomfortable.
Chey went into the café and ordered a salad and sandwich with a hot cocoa. Her mind kept drifting back to the stranger the entire time she ate and she wondered if he would end up sleeping in that chair all night.
“Excuse me.”
It was that voice again. Chey swallowed hard before looking up to acknowledge the person.
“Hi. Can I help you?”
“I was wondering if you would mind if I joined you at your table.”
Chey looked around, wondering why he hadn’t pursued any other empty seat and quickly realized that there weren’t any. The café was full, probably with all the people who had no place to sleep.
Sheepishly, she drew into her shoulders, silently chiding herself for wanting to send him away. The truth was, she couldn’t trust herself to be around him without staring as if he were on display at a museum. She assessed him again—smooth brown skin, penetrating eyes, luscious lips framed sharply by a handsome goatee. Geesh!
He pleaded with his eyes and then his mouth. “I wouldn’t bother you, but there’s no place to sit and although I don’t know you, I know these other folks even less.” He chuckled and the beautiful sultry sound of his laughter made her think of a cool breeze blowing in a meadow at sundown. How corny!
Chey pulled her food closer to her side of the table, making room for him to place his food down. He sat directly in front of her and she rolled her eyes before she realized it. She hadn’t meant to be rude. She just didn’t want the pressure.
Chey allowed herself to look at him and managed a small smile. “Sorry if I seem a little...insolent... I’ve had such a long day.”
“Tell me about it. Whew!” Hunter took a spoonful of his soup and sipped.
Chey watched as his lips puckered to take in the hot liquid. Mmm!
“So...” Chey hesitated, not sure if she wanted to actually start a conversation with him. “Are you...stranded?” She braced herself for his answer as if that were a hard question. She felt bad already.
“Unfortunately, yes. I was supposed to go home earlier today, but my flight was delayed and then eventually canceled.
“Oh.” What was she supposed to do with that information? She couldn’t invite this strange man into her villa. Now she regretted asking him. Chey allowed silence to envelop them. She listened as he quietly sipped his soup.
Part of her wanted to offer him her second room and part of her wanted to stay as far away from him as possible. There was something about him, something that pulled at her, and with her new spontaneous nature, she wasn’t sure if that pull would overcome her sense of reason. Secretly she took in his thick silky brows, high cheekbones, bedroom eyes and the strong lines of his chin. This man was chiseled to perfection. She deduced that she probably wasn’t his type anyway. She’d noticed his designer luggage. He looked like the type who preferred high-end stilettos, long flowing hair that hit the tailbone, and backgrounds of a certain pedigree. He was probably a wealthy prick like Todd.
Chey found herself wondering if Hunter would find her passion for creating fragrances silly and then cast those thoughts from her mind. Why was she even thinking about such things? “Nice seeing you again...um...?” She pretended to forget his name.
“Hunter,” he interjected and held his hand out once again.
Chey shook it and that same feeling from before returned—a slight flutter in her belly.
“Well...” she cleared her throat “...have a good night. I guess I’ll see you around.”
“I’m sure. Probably right here in the same spot.” He chuckled.
“Oh. Sorry,” Chey said for lack of anything better. “Good night,” she said again.
Chey didn’t stop walking until she reached her villa. She pushed the door open, then quickly closed it behind her and leaned her back against it. Why was her heart beating so fast? Why was she flustered? Chey had carefully planned out her day and now that she’d had another encounter with the stranger—Hunter—she was mentally off balance.
Shaking off the feeling that had attached itself to her from the moment he touched her hand again, Chey headed to the first bedroom and pulled out her laptop. She decided to work on her novel. She booted up her computer and started reading through the last chapter she’d written. Every time she read the male character’s lines, she imagined Hunter’s voice, until finally she put the laptop aside and burst out laughing.
Chey lay back on the comfortable bed and savored the firmness of the mattress as it seemed to mold itself to her body. A vision of Hunter sleeping uneasily in that chair in the lobby popped into her mind. Chey closed her eyes tight in an attempt to rid herself of thoughts of him. She worked at this for some time before rising from the bed, bundling up and heading back to the main reception area to find Hunter, who was now “resting” in a new chair.
“You can have the second room in my villa on one condition.”
Chapter 7
It almost didn’t matter what condition this brown beauty was about to give Hunter. He was all in. The chair he had been sleeping in had given him a literal pain in his neck and back.
Between uncomfortable naps, he had checked in with the airlines religiously for updates. The flight that he was supposed to go out on in the morning had now been pushed back to sometime in the afternoon. The fact that all of his frat brothers had reached their warmer desti
nations made Hunter even more miserable. Chey’s condition would give him hope if nothing else.
He watched her pretty glossed lips as she spoke.
“I’m working on a very important project and I really need to be able to concentrate. If you can keep distractions to a minimum, then you can have that extra room.”
Hunter was ready to follow her to the cozy villa and already anticipated a decent night’s sleep. It wouldn’t have mattered if she had told him that the condition meant he’d have to sleep hanging from the rafters upside down like a bat; it had to be better than the lobby, which now resembled a New York train station filled with homeless people seeking shelter in the dead of the winter.
Hunter noticed her hesitation even as she offered him the invitation and completely understood.
“I appreciate this very much and will be sure to respect your space. I’ll stay out of your way as much as possible. I have to get to the airport early anyway, so hopefully, I won’t be too much of a bother.” He said what he hoped. If his flight got pushed back any further, he could be looking at another day in the mountains. He’d hate to have to impose on her any further, but after sleeping on the memory foam mattress in the room, he couldn’t possibly go back to the hard chair with the worn cushions.
“Agreed?” Chey asked after he was done.
“Huh? Oh. Yes. Agreed!” Hunter took Chey’s outstretched hand and shook it vigorously even though he had heard only part of what she’d said. The prospect of sleep took over his mind and senses, but he didn’t miss the spark that he felt when he touched her hand again. “I’ll keep my noise to a minimum. I’m not a serial killer or a nutcase, so I’ll do my best not to creep you out, and I certainly don’t mind taking the smaller room.” He summed up her statements and tried to reassure her with a little humor at the same time. He also chose to blatantly ignore the electric current that circulated in his gut. He wondered if she’d felt it. Was it real or a figment of his weary mind?
Chey drew in a deep breath and sighed. “Okay. So...let’s go.”
Chey turned on her boot heel and headed out of the reception area with Hunter and his bags happily in tow.
With Chey walking in front of him, Hunter had a full view of her backside, which curved perfectly. Having no intention of making a move on this considerate woman, despite the fact that she was quite beautiful, Hunter shook his head, shaking away inappropriate thoughts. Tricia came to mind briefly and Hunter was reminded of the fact that he’d just recently written off futile encounters. Not that he was looking to get married, but he no longer wanted to waste time on relationships that he knew wouldn’t blossom into something meaningful. Watching his younger brother Blake’s and Cadence’s relationship bloom made Hunter desire substance over trysts.
Raising a brow, he wondered why the concept of a relationship had even come up with this woman. Focus. This is just one night.
“Here we are,” Chey said as she opened the villa door. “I was going to have some tea. I can make a cup for you if you’d like.”
“I’m fine, thanks. I’ll just head to the room and get settled. You will hardly know I’m here,” Hunter said. He put his bags in the corner and removed his shoes before returning to the living room. Chey looked down at his sock-covered feet.
“Make yourself comfortable, why don’t ya?” She chuckled.
Hunter looked down and laughed. Truthfully, he was quite comfortable since he had just spent the week in that same room. “I guess I already did.” The laugh they shared eased some of the tension that engulfed the atmosphere. “Mind if I watch the news? I’ll keep the volume low.”
Chey shrugged. “Sure. Go ahead. I’ll be in my room.”
“Thanks!” Hunter grabbed the remote and the TV came to life. It was on the same news channel that he and his frat brothers had watched earlier. The snow wasn’t letting up and they were now reporting power outages in the area. The chances of his getting home the next afternoon looked grimmer.
Hunter flopped back on the couch and groaned. With no laptop, books to read or any real entertainment, he felt caged. Letting the TV stay on for background noise, Hunter flipped through his phone, swiping through social media profiles until he got bored. Getting up from the couch, he walked over to examine the bookshelf, sparsely stocked with complimentary reads. After skimming the few titles that were there and not finding anything of interest, he headed to the kitchen to reheat the leftover water that Chey had used to make her tea.
He went back to the couch and flipped through several channels. Nothing on TV grabbed his attention, so he put the remote down once again. Chey hadn’t come out of the room. Hunter wondered what she was doing in there. He flipped back to the news.
Something roared outside the villa. Chey came running into the living room. Hunter stood to his feet.
“Oh my goodness! Was that an animal?” Chey shrieked.
“Actually, I think it was the wind,” Hunter replied as he took cautious steps toward the window. The cover of night had made a stormy sky even darker. Hunter couldn’t see a thing. When he stepped back from the window, he bumped into Chey, who had been leaning over behind him as he peered through the wood blinds.”
“Oopsie.” Chey flashed a sheepish grin.
Hunter knew the sound had rattled her. “Maybe I should take a look outside.” Chey’s evident fear put Hunter in protector mode.
Guardedly, he opened the villa door. The cold wind whirled aggressively as if to push its way inside. Hunter drew back away from the frigid air. He stepped aside, closing the door, and once again bumped into Chey peering over his shoulder. He couldn’t help his laugh.
Chey rolled her eyes as if she was embarrassed by her behavior. “Sorry.”
“No problem. Let me grab my coat and boots.” Hunter stepped around her and retrieved his hat, gloves and coat from the bedroom. “Stay inside,” he instructed as he pulled his gloves on before going out into the piercing cold. Taking a quick look around the outside, Hunter didn’t see anything threatening. The wind whirled again with a loud rumble, rustling the trees and tossing snow into Hunter’s face. Large cold flakes stung his cheeks and filled his eyes so he could hardly see. He felt his way back, and the door opened as soon as he got to it.
Chey stood on the inside. She wiped his face with her hands, helping to clear the snow from his eyes. He felt that spark again. This time he couldn’t write it off as part of his imagination. It was definitely real. Again he wondered if Chey felt it, too.
Chey helped him out of his coat, which had been covered in snow in the short amount of time that he’d been outside. Hunter stomped the snow from his feet as Chey shook the wetness from his coat.
“Looks like it’s getting worse,” she said.
“Yeah!” Hunter blew hot air into his hands and rubbed them together.
“I just hope it passes by in the morning so I can get home.”
“Yeah.” That was Chey’s only response.
For a few moments, they remained close, moving about in an uncomfortable silence.
“Um...here’s your coat.” Chey held it out toward him.
“Yeah,” Hunter said. They danced a few awkward steps around each other as Chey moved one way and then the other trying to get out of Hunter’s path to the coatrack.
“I guess I’ll get back to work,” she finally said.
“Okay.” Hunter walked back toward the couch. He really didn’t want to go back to being bored, but he also didn’t want to bother Chey. “I was going to heat up more water. Would you like more tea?” he asked before she disappeared into the room. It was all he could come up with to make some conversation. The lack of communication was killing him and he was tired of swiping through his timeline on Facebook. He wished he had brought his laptop with him, but he’d insisted on enjoying his vacation and leaving work behind.
“Oh, sure. Let me get
my cup.” Chey dipped into the room and reappeared quickly.
Hunter walked over to the island where the cooktop was positioned in the center. “It didn’t whistle yet, but I’m sure it’s hot enough. I’m gonna have hot chocolate. You still want tea?” he said, making a subtle suggestion.
“Hot chocolate sounds good.”
Hunter poured two cups and handed the first to Chey.
“Hmm.” Chey gripped the mug in both hands, sipped and rolled her head back as she took in the savory sweetness.
“It’s good, right?” Hunter said, taking in the lines of her neck.
“Perfect. It’s been my favorite since I was a kid,” she said with her eyes still closed.
“Yes, it is perfect.” Hunter agreed, but he wasn’t just referring to the cocoa. Tearing his gaze away from her, Hunter walked over to the couch, sat and started flipping channels again. “Let me know if you’d like another cup. I’ll bring it in to you.”
“I think I’m done for the night.” Chey sat on the arm of the sofa at the opposite end from where Hunter was parked. “What are you watching?”
“Just torturing myself with all the weather reports.”
“Oh.” She slid down onto the couch. “I can imagine. Bad for you, but I guess it’s good for me since I’m scheduled for a ski lesson in the morning.”
“You’ve never skied before?”
Chey sipped her steaming cocoa and shook her head. “First time.”
“It’s a workout. Look forward to being sore. You’ll definitely want to take a nice soak in that supersize tub they have in the bathroom.”
“Really! I didn’t anticipate that.”
“How long are you staying?” Hunter asked, keeping the conversation going. He wanted her to take her time with the cocoa. Not only was her presence fulfilling, but also, he was enjoying the floral scent that wafted from her body and the way her lips puckered and her eyes closed euphorically as she sipped her hot chocolate.