That night, I had a date with Traci. She liked to call herself my girlfriend despite how many times I told her she wasn’t. I was nowhere near ready to settle down yet or anything. But Traci was fun to hang out with. She liked to party, just like me, and she was down to fuck as often as I wanted to. Which was a lot.
I met her at Blue Haven’s local watering hole for a few beers. For some reason, though, I couldn’t get my mind off the wedding planner, ignoring some of what Traci was telling me.
“You wanna play some pool?” Traci asked me, a touch of irritation in her voice.
My mind was elsewhere. On Oakley Padin, to be exact.
“Earth to Dax.” Traci waved her hand in front of my face.
“Oh, sorry, what?” I asked, blinking back into the present.
“A game of pool?” she repeated, annoyed with me.
I kind of just stared at her. Not on purpose. I didn’t know what was wrong with me.
“Where is your mind tonight, Dax?” Traci asked me, frowning. Then her face lit up. “I know what you need. A shot of tequila!” She put up her arm to get the bartender’s attention.
“No. To tell you the truth, I’m not feeling too good tonight,” I lied. “I’m gonna hit the road. I’ll give you a call and we can do this another night.”
In reality, I just wanted to get the hell out of there and go look up Oakley Padin’s social media profiles. I was wondering who she was outside of her wedding planning business. Did she let her hair down? How long was it? In my mind, I saw her in a tight-fitting party dress, her copper-toned hair falling over her exposed cleavage. My dick hardened instantly.
Traci’s frown grew as she watched my face. I hoped she didn’t notice my boner and grimaced. She raised an eyebrow at me but cooed, “Oookaay. I’ll take a rain check.” She caressed my bicep. “I know you’ll make it up to me.” She gave me her sexiest look.
“Sure,” I said and put on my jacket. “See you later.”
Traci leaned in for a kiss, but I pretended not to notice and turned and walked out of the bar. Once outside, I hurried to my truck, hoping Traci wouldn’t follow me to the parking lot. I was sure she was pissed off. I was not being my usual self.
All I wanted to do was get home and find out if Oakley Padin was single. What the hell had gotten into me?
Oakley
Today’s the day. I’d been nervous all week about this event. It was, for sure, the biggest wedding of my career. If it went well, my career would be written in stone. If it didn’t, let’s just say that the negative publicity would destroy all the years of my success in just one day.
No, don’t think like that, I thought, taking another look at my checklist. I had everything I needed. I’d asked again and again for the family’s wants and desires. I’d double checked with the bride and groom. Then I triple checked.
I had this.
I glanced out the window, looking for Hailey’s car. She was picking me up and we were heading to the airport. When I saw her white Honda pulling to the curb in the front of my house, I picked up my suitcase and travel bag and headed out to meet her.
She was grinning from ear to ear. Her long, dark-brown hair shined in the early day sunlight. Lovely green eyes beamed up at me.
“Morning sweets,” I greeted her.
“Morning, yourself,” she answered, waiting for me to throw in my bags and put on my seatbelt. Then we were off to the airport.
“You look nervous,” Hailey observed, smiling over at me.
“I am,” I admitted.
“You have no reason to be nervous,” she said soothingly. “This might be the biggest wedding of your career, but you’ve handled some pretty epic ones already, you know?”
“I do. I’ve planned weddings three times as big as this one. But you know I’m a Nervous Nelly. I’ll be okay once we get there and get the ball rolling.”
“Yep,” Hailey nodded in agreement. “And I got your back, Oakley. You have nothing to worry about,” she insisted.
“I know. Thanks, Hailey. I’m so glad we work together,” I said, taking deep breaths to calm my nerves.
The plane left as scheduled; so far, so good. I still had some worries and it showed because I looked over and caught Hailey watching me.
She smiled. “What is it?”
“I was just thinking about the family who runs the resort. A lot of times, family-run businesses are stuck in their ways. They’ve hosted lots of weddings that they’ve set up and maybe even planned themselves. What if they’re difficult to work with or won’t listen to me?”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that,” Hailey replied, pulling out her laptop. “Have you checked out the resort’s social media pages and blog recently?”
“No,” I admitted. “I’ve been focused on making sure I got down what the family wants. I mean, I did look up their website the first night to check them and their place out. But not since then. They have a blog?”
“Yes, a very well-written blog. And social media pages with lots of followers. They’re very active with it,” Hailey stated. She pulled up their blog page and I read it. I was relieved to read only positive comments about the upcoming event. They even mentioned me in a positive light. All of my credentials were listed as well, making me look extremely professional.
One statement read, “Oakley Padin, a popular, up-and-coming wedding planner who specializes in outdoor weddings, events, and activities is sure to make this one of our most successful weddings to date.”
I smiled.
“See?” Hailey asked.
“Yeah, I’m so relieved. Who wrote it, I wonder?”
“It says all of the posts are written and posted by Dax Hunter. He’s the resort’s Social Media and Advertising Manager.”
“Dax Hunter, eh?” I repeated, surprised to hear his name.
“Yeah, why? You know who I’m talking about?” Hailey asked.
“I remember looking up his bio. Well, I looked up all their bios. Haven’t you?” I asked her.
I’d be surprised if she said no.
“Yes, I did. And what did you think of the Hunter brothers?” she asked me, grinning.
“They’re hot. Sexy mountain man hot. That’s why I didn’t go back to the webpage. And, the crazy thing is, I thought Dax Hunter was the sexiest man that I’ve ever seen.” Might as well get it off of my chest.
Hailey chuckled. “Ever? Oh, boy. We’re in for a ride.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Too bad, it has to be all work and no play.”
Hailey raised an eyebrow at me. She turned her face to the window, but I saw her smiling to herself.
* * *
We arrived at the Colorado airport as scheduled. After retrieving our bags, we headed for the exit to look for our ride. As promised, a man was standing there holding up a sign which read Padin.
“There’s our ride,” I informed Hailey, pointing at the man.
“Oh, yeah. And look who it is.”
I hadn’t noticed at first glance; I was too worried about finding our sign. But when I looked at the man’s face, I instantly recognized him as Dax Hunter. I gasped. Oh no. I wasn’t prepared to meet him like this. Hailey beamed at me before she strode in his direction. I took a deep breath and followed.
Just act normal, Oakley, I told myself. All work and no play, I reminded my tingling naughty parts.
We reached Dax, who put out his hand in a greeting, and Hailey shook his hand, then me. His grasp was warm and sturdy, soft to the touch. His ocean blue eyes were as clear as crystals and I couldn’t look away. Our hands remained clasped for longer than a normal handshake, but neither of us noticed as we gazed into each other’s eyes.
“Hi, I’m Dax Hunter,” he introduced himself to me. “Nice to meet you.”
“Oakley Padin. Likewise,” I answered.
He released his strong grip and offered to take our bags, his eyes still on mine. We agreed, and I forced myself to look away to head toward the door. He led us to his car parked in the airport’s front parki
ng area. He fumbled with the keys as if he wasn’t sure which button unlocked the doors.
Beep, Beep.
“There we go,” he murmured. “Sorry ladies, I borrowed my sister-in-law’s car to pick you up. My truck is too uncomfortable.”
Hailey and I politely smiled and waited as Dax put our suitcases and bags into the trunk of the car as we climbed in. Once we were situated, we began the scenic drive back to the resort. I sat in the front seat beside Dax and couldn’t help but glance over at him. He was much more handsome in person. And those biceps! Even though he had on a jacket, his huge arms were almost bulging through the fabric.
If his biceps were that toned, I tried to imagine what the rest of his body looked like. Rock hard, I was certain. He turned his head in my direction to make a turn, and I quickly looked away. I didn’t want him to catch me checking him out. When I looked back, his eye caught mine and he grinned at me. When he smiled, his entire face lit up, and his sexy blue eyes seemed to look right into my soul.
I inhaled sharply and tried to recover by offering a smile. I was going to be in trouble if I was this flustered sitting next to him. I needed to keep in mind that I wasn’t here to socialize. Even with the hottest man on the planet giving me the eye.
I was relieved when we finally arrived at the resort. The only solution I could see was to keep my distance from Dax. I had to avoid him at all costs, or I was going to end up jumping his bones.
“Here you go,” Dax said, pulling the car up in front of a lovely rustic cabin. “This cabin is where you two will be staying. There are other guests here for the weekend, but starting next Wednesday, the Stones have this entire row of cabins rented for their family.”
“Okay, thanks. This is great,” I replied, looking around. The spot was beautiful.
Even though the cabin was situated along a road with another four cabins, each one was surrounded by thick pine trees and had their own small lot, making them each a secluded retreat.
“We have a dinner buffet every evening from four to seven in the main building we passed on the way here. It’s just a short walk, but if you want a ride, don’t hesitate to give me a call.” He alighted from the vehicle. “I’ll be your main contact this week. Whatever help you need, I’m your man,” he informed us, flashing his sexy grin.
Oh, for fuck’s sake. There went my plan of staying away from him all week. My face must have expressed my concern because Dax’s smile faded and was replaced with his own concerned look.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
I quickly recovered, embarrassed I’d shown any emotion at all. I was supposed to be a professional who could work with anyone. “Yes, I’m sorry. I was just thinking I might have forgotten something. Everything’s great,” I lied, forcing my best, most professional smile.
“Okay,” Dax said, wrinkling his brow. He reached into his pocket and handed me his business card. “This is my cell number. Call anytime, day or night.”
“Thank you,” I said on a positive note. “It’s a nice afternoon. I think we can walk over to dinner.”
“Nice to take in the scenery,” Dax added. “I’m not sure if you’ll have time for any recreation, but we have several nice hiking trails and skiing, of course.”
“Cool. Maybe we’ll have some time after we get all the arrangements taken care of,” I answered, glancing at Hailey. She nodded, smiling at me. “We need to get started in the morning, though. We have to order the flowers and plan the menu first thing.”
“Sure thing,” Dax agreed. “Give me a call in the morning and we’ll get started. There are several local flower shops we’ve used to order fresh flower arrangements for our other events. We’ve never been disappointed. And our Head Chef, Michael Monroe, is award-winning. Satisfaction guaranteed.” He lifted his hand, his thumb and forefinger together, three fingers up in the okay sign.
“Sounds great. And, yes, the Stones want to use your chef for all of the catering. He has so many raving reviews,” I said, relaxing.
Talking with Dax was easy enough, so that was a good thing. I could have ended up with some hard-headed old man. I figured Dax would work with me, not against me.
I can do this, I told myself. I just needed to stay focused. If I remembered the task at hand, there wouldn’t be any issues to worry about.
Dax helped Hailey and me carry our bags inside the cabin. Before leaving us, he turned and gave me a broad grin. I smiled and nodded back. When he closed the door behind him, I was twirling my hair like a sixteen-year-old with a crush.
Hailey blinked at me, then chuckled as she grabbed her bags and headed for her bedroom. Twirling my hair was not something I did often. I stopped immediately and turned to take my suitcase to the bedroom, not letting her see the small smile that had formed on my lips.
Dax
I was astonished by the sexy Oakley Padin. I mean, I already knew she was hot. But in person, she was a total babe. Model quality to the T.
When I’d first spotted her at the airport, I recognized her right away. She was taller than I had imagined. She’d strode toward me in her high heeled boots as if she was floating across the floor. And her classy cashmere coat that tied around her waist and ass-hugging, black dress pants shouted self-assurance. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
The girls I dated were usually good looking, but not like Oakley Padin. Oakley wasn’t only attractive; she was confident. And that was a huge turn on, even if she was out of my league.
I’d caught her checking me, but when I looked at her, she quickly looked away. I wasn’t sure what that meant. Did she find me attractive and was being shy about it? No. She wasn’t the shy type. Or was she just checking me out to see who she’d be stuck working with all week? I really couldn’t tell, and it bothered me. I’d never had trouble getting a girl I wanted. There was no guessing game involved. I could have any woman I wanted. But could I have Oakley?
The thought was driving me crazy. I went home and decided to look up Oakley’s social media posts again. Was this becoming an obsession? Maybe. But I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to find out as much as I could about her. Maybe I missed something important the other night? Maybe she was, in fact, in a relationship even though her profile read as single.
I studied each of her photos. Many of them were professional and portrayed her wedding planning business. This made sense as she had to maintain professionalism. But in a few where she was with friends and family, she’d let her hair down. And it appeared as if she could have some fun. Her hair was long and wavy with copper highlights blazing in the lighting. Her blue eyes were as bright as sapphires.
A buzzing sensation in my pocket pulled me back to reality. I’d been staring at Oakley’s photo and daydreaming of her. Maybe she was calling?
My expectations were smashed when I saw the number on the screen belonged to Traci.
I hit the silence button and shoved the phone back into my pocket. I returned my gaze to Oakley’s picture. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. And I wanted her. Now to find out if she wanted me too.
Oakley
I was up bright and early Friday morning. All night, I’d thought of Dax Hunter, which resulted in a night of tossing and turning, trying to convince myself to stop thinking of him. Which turned out to be impossible.
I wanted to kick myself for making this harder than it needed to be. I wasn’t acting like myself at all. I wasn’t the type to moon over a guy. Especially not a guy like Dax. He seemed too carefree, and I was organized and regimented. It would never work.
Since I was at an outdoor resort and everyone else would be dressed casually, I decided to take that approach myself. Jeans and a red flannel over a white tank top. I finished off the outfit with a pair of hiking boots. I intended to leave my hair down, but I couldn’t. When working, I always wore it up in a stylish bun, so I kept it as such.
Hailey and I decided to walk to breakfast before we got started for the day. The resort did, indeed, have delicious food, and I was imp
ressed. It was such a quaint and cozy place, smaller than the huge five-star resorts we were accustomed to frequenting for weddings.
I loved the charming atmosphere. It felt homey, and I’d noticed that the guests seemed to enjoy themselves here. I was happy the Stones had chosen this place for the ceremony and reception.
After breakfast, Hailey and I returned to the cabin. The plan was for her to manage the RSVPs on the laptop while I met with Dax to go over the floral and catering arrangements. I called the number on the card he’d given to me.
“Hiya. Good morning,” he greeted me.
“Good morning, Dax. Are you ready to get started with the floral order and catering menu?” I asked.
“Sure. My office with all my equipment is in my cabin. It’s located up the road that climbs behind the resort. Is it alright if I come and pick you up and we come up here to make the arrangements?”
I paused. He wanted me to come to his home? Part of me felt uncomfortable with the invitation. Was he trying to hit on me? Dax must have sensed my hesitation.
“If that’s not okay with you, we can meet in the dining room and I’ll bring my laptop,” he offered. “I can print out the menu when I get back home.”
I quickly thought it over. Because he was the Social Media and Advertisement Manager and lived on-site, it did make sense that he’d have a home office. I couldn’t imagine I wouldn’t be safe in his home. But my safety wasn’t actually what I was worried about. Being alone with Dax was the real problem. Which was just silly. I was a grown woman and could control my urges.
“No, meeting in your office is fine,” I answered. “I’m ready whenever you are.”
“Okay, I’ll be right down. Black GMC Sierra pickup.”
“I’ll watch for you. Thanks, Dax.”
“No problem. See you in a few.”
“So you’re going to his house, huh?” Hailey asked when she noticed I was off the phone.
“Yep. He has a home office,” I said offhandedly.
Take a Mountain Man Home for Christmas: A Mountain Man Romance Christmas Collection Page 38