I’d fucked her hard and given us both the best night either of us had had in a long time, but I still hadn’t told her why I was here.
That serene figure was going to wake up thinking I was just an ex passing through the resort on my way to something else, and that last night was a one-time thing.
Part of me wanted to throw tell the plans to fuck off and make up an excuse to actually move on to Aspen to keep her living in that fantasy.
That was stupid as shit, but maybe there was something I could do for her.
I looked back at her sleeping form, and my half-stiff cock grew hard again. I ran my hand through my hair and shook my head, making my way to the coffee maker and turning it on before heading to the bathroom.
The hot water quickly filled the room with steam as I stepped in. As soon as the shower ran scalding water over my body and started to relax my muscles. I couldn’t stop thinking about last night.
My mind flashed with the taste of her pussy, the feeling of her lips on my cock, the way she came while my cock was buried inside her. Fuck that woman was insatiable. I knew in that moment that I’d have to have her again, one way or another. There was truly nothing like her.
I quickly rinsed off. I stepped out of the shower and toweled off just as the smell of fresh coffee reached my nose.
I walked out with nothing but a towel around my waist to see her still sleeping peacefully under the sheets.
I poured a cup of coffee and opened my laptop. I had time to pull on my boxers and pants when I realized that there was an email from my attorney in my inbox.
I sat down and read over the email. My brow furrowed.
My attorney had sent more details about the portfolio purchase.. It was a damn good deal. One of the best deals the company had ever seen by a long shot. The paperwork was already in the works, and agreements had already been made, but there was something in the attorney’s details I hadn’t seen before.
There was a clause. A fucking clause that I couldn’t get out of. I had to buy all twelve properties or none at all. I couldn’t just tell me attorney to cut Peppertree from the portfolio. Damn it.
The bank needed their scattered properties off their hands. It was non-negotiable.
If Peppertree was owned by literally anyone else in the world, that would be fine with me. I had more than enough resources and expertise to flip this failing place into something anyone would be proud of.
But this wasn’t just anyone’s resort. This was Haley’s. This was her family’s.
After last night, this was a betrayal. She wouldn’t see it any other way. When I took her up to my bedroom, I never expected I would feel like this about her, but revisiting those old emotions did more to me than I thought they could.
There had to be some way to back out.
I pulled up some of the papers I’d already signed, but my heart sank even more when I realized the fine print in all these things just reiterated everything my attorney told me. This deal was already in the works, and pulling out now would be a major threat to my company. It would be the kind of rookie mistake that would have shareholders pulling out left and right and putting a lot more jobs at risk.
If it was just my ass on the line, I might have considered it, but going through with this deal had a lot of employees on the line.
I took a drink of my coffee as I scoured the contracts for any sign of a loophole. I was no attorney, but I knew what to look for. My attorney tended to assume that I didn’t read these things thoroughly, but I always made a point to, and I learned more with each one.
But the deal was ironclad. I almost felt guilty trying to find a weakness in the contract, because it was the deal of a lifetime by all other standards. Financially, this was going to take something great and make it legendary. Flipping these resorts into working order would mean that I would have a legacy to outshine anyone else in my family. They were resorts from all over the world, too.
The Hawthorne name would be famous.
And all it was going to cost me was stabbing the most incredible woman in the world right in the back.
I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair. Briefly, I considered taking negotiations into my own hands, but if the bank sensed weakness like that, they’d get cold feet faster than Peppertree was crashing on its own.
I cast a glance around the room. Of course, I could always just let Haley be the manager of this resort, but that would be adding insult to injury. I knew her better. It would only piss her off.
As if on cue, I heard a soft moan behind me that made my heart beat faster. She was awake. Shit. It could be a perfect morning. A morning of fucking into oblivion until we had to go to work.
All I had to do was find a solution to an impossible problem.
Chapter Ten
Haley
I woke up slowly, my body too exhausted and spent to want to move at all. I was warm and comfortable, snuggled up under soft sheets and a downy comforter. Before I even opened my eyes, I could smell that I was in a room other than my own. My suite smelled like lavender and chai tea, as a result of the combined scents of my favorite soap and hot morning beverage of choice. But this place was different. There was a pleasantly musky, manly scent in the air. Not just in the air, but in the bedding itself. Still clinging to the comfort of sleep, I refused to open my eyes at first as I rolled over onto my stomach and hugged the pillow. I inhaled deeply. Yes, that lovely masculine smell was all over the bed. Cologne mingled with the raw, adrenaline-fueled scent of a man. I smiled to myself as the events of last night came floating back to me.
Chase. Me. Naked and kissing, touching each other, orgasming and crying out each other’s names. Lying tangled up in the bed afterward, quiet and content as we drifted off to sleep. What a fantastic surprise of a night. If anyone had told me yesterday morning when I woke up that I would run into my hot ex-boyfriend from college and have mind-blowing sex with him, I would have scoffed. Maybe even laughed. It was just too absurdly romantic to be something that could happen to me.
But it did. And yes, maybe I should have felt a little guilty or ashamed of it, but I sure as hell did not. I was actually pretty pleased with myself. Chase had stoked a fire inside me that I had thought long since burned out. My sleeping libido had been awoken and well-satisfied, thanks to him. And I had been so incredibly stressed out lately. I needed this.
Finally, I stretched and sat up in bed, realizing I was still naked when the cool air made goosebumps prickle up along my exposed flesh. I looked around the room, blinking sleepily. Out the massive bay window I could see the snow still gently falling. The sky was an impossibly smooth baby blue, with only a few perfectly puffy, white cotton-ball clouds. It was a beautiful winter’s day. I shivered, looking around for my clothes or a robe or something. I smiled when my eyes landed on a fluffy purple robe draped over the end of the bed, right over my own feet. Chase had set it out for me when he got up, apparently. For some reason, this small act of thoughtfulness made my heart surge with affection. It made me blush knowing that he would think of a detail like that.
I slinked out of bed and hurriedly put on the soft robe, tying it tightly around myself. I sat on the end of the bed, my toes curling from the cold. It was strange, being in this suite again. Although it was the suite adjacent to my own, I almost never even looked inside it these days. Of course, the maids came in to clean and launder the room, regardless of whether anyone stayed there or not. But as for me, I tended to shy away from my parents’ old quarters. It ignited too many vivid memories. Nowadays I was so busy and overwhelmed with work and trying to keep everything afloat that the last thing I needed was to be thrown off-kilter by a rush of painful emotions. I kept my schedule jam-packed so I wouldn’t have time to reminisce too much. It was hard enough living and working in the resort where I grew up, where my father dreamed and schemed. Sometimes, I still half-expected to hear him whistling or laughing in a hallway, chatting up a guest, making connections and networking like he always did. After my mom moved out and got her o
wn place, the Peppertree felt even more lonely. Of course, I totally understood why she had to leave. As hard as it was for me to live in the shadow of my father and his untimely death, it had to have been even more difficult for her, since my father was the love of her life. And since I couldn’t avoid the entire place, I just did my best to avoid their old rooms.
Until now. I expected it to feel perverse or gross, having slept with Chase in the room where my mom and dad used to live. But instead, I just felt revitalized. Renewed. Ready to face whatever the day had in store for me.
Another smell wafted through the air toward me: freshly-brewed coffee. Almost as though in a trance, I got up and walked out of the bedroom into the living space. It was a gorgeous room with high ceilings, impressive art hanging on the walls, vintage furniture, and a chandelier. I walked through the living room to the kitchen and dining area. It had a fully-stocked kitchenette, complete with appliances like a blender, food processor, waffle-maker, and much more. My mother had been one hell of a cook, and my dad was one hell of an eater. So their suite was still decked out with all the accoutrements of an at-home chef, even though guests normally just ate at the lodge restaurant or somewhere else in town.
Chase was standing in the kitchen, and his face lit up a little bit when he saw me. Again, that little surge in my heart. Come on, Haley, get yourself together, I thought to myself. It was a one-time thing. A little fling to tuck away in my memories and reflect on when I was lonely.
“Coffee?” he asked. He held out a mug for me. I gladly took it and blew on the steaming coffee. I gave him a grateful smile.
“Thank you,” I replied. I could hear the crackling of a fire in the den, and I was drawn to it instantly. “Ooh, that fire sounds inviting,” I added.
I quickly hurried out of the kitchen and into the den, sitting down on the ottoman with my feet only about six inches away from the cozy fire. I could feel my toes starting to thaw out and regain their feeling, and I made a mental note to start wearing double pairs of socks again. It was that time of year.
Chase followed me into the den and sat down in the armchair to sip his coffee. It was such a peaceful moment, and I realized that for the first time in, well, I couldn’t even remember how long, I felt genuinely content. I wasn’t rushing to get dressed and put out a fire somewhere or scramble to appease some disgruntled guest. My thoughts weren’t spilling all over the place like a jar of dropped marbles. My mind was quiet, my heart was full.
And I knew it had everything to do with the strong, powerful, comforting presence of Chase sitting behind me. He made me feel like everything might just work out, like things might just be okay in the end. But I knew better than to rely on that comfort too much. Because like all wonderful things, there was no way this little tryst could last.
“So, I imagine you’ve got to get going soon, huh?” I asked.
I hoped he would reveal a little bit about his business being here in town. I wanted more information on why he had turned up here out of the blue. I was certain it had to be just a lovely coincidence, but I needed to know. Just to be sure. And besides, I wanted to know how long he would be staying.
Chase was quiet, and for a second I thought maybe he didn’t hear my question. I wriggled around to turn and face him. He was gazing into the fire with a faraway look in his green eyes.
“Chase?” I prompted, tilting my head to one side. “What’s up?”
He seemed to inwardly shake himself, then gave me a reassuring smile, though that hint of sadness remained in his eyes. “I apologize. I guess I’m not quite awake yet,” he explained.
“No worries. That’s what the coffee’s for,” I remarked, sipping my own coffee.
“I’m here on business. It shouldn’t take me too long,” he began slowly. It was as though he was choosing every single word carefully, afraid to say the wrong thing.
“It’s okay,” I assured him. “I figured you were just passing through.”
His jaw tightened and I could tell he was holding something back. “It’s not that,” he started, but then my phone chirped with an email notification from the kitchen. Instinctively, I hopped up and went to collect it. I checked it as I walked back to the den, and when I read the message, my heart sank.
“Oh my God,” I murmured. I felt sick.
“What’s wrong?” Chase asked. He stood up, concerned.
“I-I have to go,” I gasped. “I’m sorry.”
I all but ran to put my clothes back on. Chase watched me with confusion. “What’s going on, Haley? Is everything okay?” he inquired. “Is there something I can do?”
I shook my head, trying not to cry. “It’s the bank. They just informed me I have a meeting in an hour with the asshole who’s buying Peppertree. Damn it! Why are they doing this to me? I thought if I could hold off a little while longer, they wouldn’t sell it.” I quickly tugged on my shoes and scraped my hair back into a messy ponytail.
“Haley, wait—”
“I’m sorry, I have to leave. I have to hurry,” I told him apologetically. I rushed out the door, my heart hammering away in my chest. How could this be happening to me?
Chapter Eleven
Chase
The conference room was empty except for the one bleary-eyed assistant who had let me in. I always made a point to be as close to the first person present as possible so I could watch each and every person make their entrance. It gave me the advantage of being able to watch their body language and read how they carried themselves when they were caught off-guard.
Today, though, I knew that none of that was going to matter. This meeting might as well have been a formality, but for the one woman who would be in attendance who was in for a surprise. Haley.
There was no avoiding it. Today was going to be the day that she knew who was really behind the purchase of Peppertree.
If Haley had just waited long enough, I could have at least braced her for what she’d be walking into. I wouldn’t want to be in her position for anything, and she was getting less than nothing.
But now I had to deal with the fallout of not only what had to happen here, but the shock and betrayal that Haley was going to be hit with. Nothing I did to brace myself would soften that blow to both of us.
The conference room was sleek and modern, befitting the caliber of bank that was handling the transaction. A large, black conference table sat in the middle of the room with cups of piping-hot coffee or tea already set at everyone’s designated place, and the massive window on the south side of the room offered a breathtaking view of the mountains.
Whenever I was in Colorado in the winter, I always found myself gazing out onto the sweeping, pristine blankets of snow and feeling at peace. Unlike the bothersome snow in the city, it was simple out here. Beautiful. Serene.
Even that couldn’t settle me this morning.
I placed my second cup of coffee of the day down and crossed my arms. Behind me, I heard the conference room door open, and the bankers began to spill in, some of them already talking amongst themselves, a few of them casting surprised glances at me that I could see in the reflection of the window.
I didn’t bother turning around. I already knew how everything in this meeting was going to go.
My attorney was one of the men who entered with them, the only one not surprised to see me. He just gave my reflection a curt nod as he took a seat beside the one I always took at conferences.
“A pleasure to see you again, Mr. Hawthorne,” one of the bankers greeted me. Others chimed in with similar vacant greetings.
“Looking forward to getting this settled smoothly, it’s always a pleasure doing such efficient business with Hawthorne.”
“Well,” my attorney answered for me. “Once Ms. Simmons arrives, we can get started and be out of here before lunchtime.”
“She’s halfway across the parking lot,” I spoke. I usually kept my speaking to a minimum at these meetings.
As expected, my sudden interjection made everyone pause and look my way
briefly before exchanging nods with each other.
It was true, Haley was making her way across the parking lot, looking flustered and hurried. I frowned. This wasn’t right. I could tell she was doing everything she could to handle her business well--she was no amateur, but it would take a seasoned veteran to be able to handle the mess that her father had left Peppertree in, and no matter how brilliant and charismatic she was, her inexperience and lack of resources worked against her.
I took a few slow, deliberate steps over to my chair and stood behind it. It would be a minute at most before she made her entrance. I took a few deep breaths and glanced among a few of the withered old men before turning to my attorney.
“Most of this deal is already settled, so can I assume we can keep negotiations over the details to a quick minimum?”
“If all goes well, yes, sir.”
“Good.”
No sooner had I finished speaking than the door swung open. Haley entered. She was wearing a crisp, professional outfit in black and gray that clung to her figure. Under any other circumstances, my first impulse would be to think about getting her to the office bathroom and ripping it off her before pinning her against the wall, impaled on my cock.
But for now, I only had a split second to appreciate the way she looked in her professional look and demeanor before she turned, and we locked eyes.
Her face was already sullen, given the nature of this meeting. But when she recognized me, saw me standing over my chair at the end of my table and realized what that meant I was doing here, those gorgeous cheeks went ashen.
I might as well have been driving the knife into her back with my own hands.
She was a businesswoman, though, and she was experienced with the basics of how to carry one’s self in a meeting like this. The emotions flitted over her face so fast that I never would have noticed them unless I knew what to look for.
There was shock written all over her, and it quickly melted away to utterly crushing disappointment, a kind of sadness I wished I’d never have to look in the eye. I knew that wouldn’t last long, though. Her jaw set and her brow leveled just enough to see the intense anger that was blossoming in her.
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