Unfortunately, that proves harder than I’d have imagined. Even after close to an hour, I’m still at square one. Plus, I’ve already gone through the materials for the meeting with Keiv, even though that won’t be happening until I’m back in Miami. I spent all of yesterday doing that and I know everything by heart.
Maybe I can try calling Jenny again… But she’s a stubborn woman, I know she won’t budge. I eye my phone. I’m at the end of my rope, so surely, she will take pity on me.
Ten minutes later, it becomes clear that she won’t. She even threatens to resign if I don’t stop bugging her. I’d be lost without her, so I’m forced to agree.
I rub my temples and scan the lobby. I’m desperate. I’m going to die of boredom. I need something to do. A distraction to keep me from losing my mind.
A bark of laughter snatches my attention. It rings across the entire room, light and sexy, and my body sort of absorbsit, sending a pleasant thrill down my spine. It takes me only a moment to find the source of the titillating sound, and when I do, my stomach does a tiny flip.
Okay, count me vaguely intrigued.
Taking a sip from my shitty coffee, I settle more comfortably into the armchair and observe. Jake walks out of the restaurant, clad in his white uniform and black apron. He’s talking to someone animatedly, unconcerned with my borderline stalker behavior as I let my eyes feast on him. Hedoeslook good, even more so now that I can see all of him without the bar obstructing my view. And he is definitely fit; it wasn’t just my imagination.
Jake waves at the people he’s talking to and turns around. He looks my way as if he knows exactly where I am sitting. Or maybe he can feel my stare? Our gazes clash, my heart skipping a beat as the world slows down and I lose track of my surroundings. He crosses his arms and tilts his head, playfully raising one eyebrow as if in challenge. And then a sultry smile settles on his face as he heads right toward me.
Chapter 2
Jake
Ethan, the hot CEOof that bigshot security corporation looks at me like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. I can’t help the self-satisfied smile. But I mean, hewasogling me just now.
I don’t know how I sensed it, but I just did. It’s like there was this weight on my shoulders as little zaps danced across my skin. I just followed the feeling and there Ethan was, his gorgeous blue eyes like laser sights locked on their number one target.
I flash him my killer smile as I approach, unable to hold it in. I very much wouldn’t mind being his target. Especially in one specific meaning of the word.
“Hey, Mr. VIP,” I say, propping my hip against the side of the leather couch across from him. No one is sitting on it, which gives us a trace of privacy. “Are you here for the ice-sculpting activity?” I check the time on my phone. It shows quarter to four. “It’s a bit early for that. It doesn’t start until five.”
He slants his eyebrows, playing up the broody frown that seems to permanently rest on his face. It makes him lookadorably confused, like he’s walked into a sushi restaurant even though he doesn’t like sushi. Not that I know whether he likes sushi. I’ll ask him later.
“Ice-sculpting?” he echoes back in his pleasantly low tenor, placing his cup on the low oak end table. Judging by the smell, his coffee is the instant kind that the hospitality staff leaves in every guest room.
I hum to myself and study him as his confusion deepens. He’s wearing the light gray form-hugging suit from earlier, though he’s left out the black tie. The top buttons of the white dress shirt under his vest are undone, offering a teasing view of his prominent collarbone.
“Yes.” I tilt my chin at the massive floor-to-ceiling window to our left. A sliding door leads to the outside patio with the awning. It’s where the hotel sets up the performance stage in the summer, while in the winter it’s used for the outdoor activities.
Ethan twists his head, glaring at the window. A lock of his dark brown hair slips in front of his eyes and he uses his hand to tuck it away. But it persists, so after another failed try to subdue it, he lets it be. “Oh. No. I’m not here for the ice-sculpting.” He gives me an evaluative look, his gaze lingering on my arms and my rolled-up sleeves. “Are you?”
I swear I see a momentary spark of heat in his dark blue depths, but it’s gone so quickly I can’t be sure I didn’t just imagine it. I guess it doesn’t matter too much since we are simply enjoying a conversation between a hotel employee and a guest. Yep, that’s what I’m calling this. I’m being professional and fulfilling my duty to be nice and hospitable, that’s all.
Shifting my weight, I ride out a wave of excitement. He seems a little on edge as he waits for my reply and the silence stretches between us. I don’t know why, but I get a pleasantly queasy knot in my stomach. It’s like I enjoy his nervousness. Ormaybe it’s the fact thatIam the one making this impeccable, stoic, no-nonsense CEO nervous…
I stare at his beautiful face until he meets my gaze again. Time slows down and my surroundings turn muffled. I poke my tongue out and wet my lips. His eyes zero in on my mouth. I like them there. There is some apprehension in them now, and he seems ready to bolt or scold me for being a nuisance and interrupting his idyllic brooding time. It makes me want to tease him more, to play with fire and see when I will get burned.
“I am not,” I say finally, smiling.
He scowls. Scrunches his face as if he is trying to remember what we were even talking about. A few frown lines appear at the corners of his eyes, confirming he does it a lot. I don’t blame him—I bet being the CEO of a multibillion-dollar company is hella stressful.
“I just got off my shift, so I’m headed out,” I add when his very intense staring begins to get to me. I can’t tell if he’s trying to undress me with his eyes or wants to murder me for butting my nose where it doesn’t belong.
Ethan scrunches his nose, huffing out a silent breath. His piercing blues stray from me, locking on the window. “It’s snowing.”
I take in the pristine scenery past the glass. Beyond the patio, I can see the hills stretching behind the hotel. They are covered with evergreen forests beyond which the snowy rock peaks begin.
“It is.”
He blinks. “You are going out inthisweather?”
For a moment, I focus my attention on the snow. It’s lazily falling from the sky as if it has no care in the world. If I want to grab the few things on my list, now is the best time to do so. The forecast projects heavier snowfall once it gets dark.
