Turning on music doesn't help.
Driving faster doesn't help.
Nothing is going to help until I can see Hartley.
I calm down slightly, but then I pass her car, still wedged between two rocks, and remember I almost lost her yesterday.
Mine. Mine. Mine.
It's not until I pull into the front entrance ofThe Palmerand notice the tents set up along the far side of the resort that I remember what today is. A large banner boasts,The Firelight Games. Hartley has been working her sexy butt off formonths to make this day amazing. Which means I cannot, in good conscience, sling her over my shoulder and escape up the mountain. At least, not yet.
Channeling the way I treated Hartley until yesterday, I square my shoulders and prepare to pretend she barely exists. Except now I've been inside her. Felt her shudder around my fingers as she called out my name. Her lips wrapped around my hard cock and swallowed my seed like something straight out of an erotic fantasy. It can never be the way it was before yesterday. I don't want it to be.
But does she?
I shake my head. It doesn't matter. Today is not about me. It's about Hartley's event, and I'll do everything in my power not to add stress, even though every fiber of my being is begging me to claim her as mine.
Swallowing my pride, I head through the entrance to the back field of the resort and stop short. "Holy shit."
I look around, marveling at the scene before me.
The grass landscape has been transformed into a fall fantasy. Deep greens and purples mix with yellow, orange, and red. Pops of gold sparkle among the decor, which is at once over-the-top yet tasteful. Plain white tents are elevated with elegant drapery and twinkle lights. Traditional carnival games meet a high-end casino as women in thousand-dollar coats toss small rings onto bottles of champagne. Vendors from local shops sell high-end goods and mouthwatering treats. In addition to more specialized fare from renowned local chefs, I notice a create-your-own funnel cake station with a long line of customers, as well as a snow cone truck. It's incredible.
As I take everything in, my gaze lands on Blaze, the plumbing supervisor for the new employee tiny houses going up on the back property. He's chatting with a tall, muscular man over bythe dipped apple stand. Blaze sees me and heads over, bringing the younger man with him.
"Mr. Maloney," Blaze says, shaking my hand in greeting. "This is Archer Jackson, one of the temporary contractors we hired to get us through the fall projects."
Archer appears to be about my age. He holds out his hand, an easy smile breaking across his handsome face. I make a mental note to keep Hartley as far away from this pretty boy as possible.
"Please call me Bradford," I remind Blaze.
He shakes his head. "No, sir. I'm afraid Susan might be nearby, and I wouldn't dare call you by your first name around her." His gruff voice holds a note of amusement.
"Thank you for the opportunity, Bradford," Archer says, grinning.
I nod stiffly.It'sMr. Maloney to you, Casanova.
"We've almost finished what you hired me for, so I'm headed out in about a week. Blaze convinced me to check out the festivities tonight, and I'm glad I did. The team did an amazing job." Archer looks around appreciatively.
I can't help but feel a sense of pride in Hartley. "Yes, they did," I agree. "Thank you for your work here. I'm sure Blaze will write you a letter of recommendation for future employment."
"No need," Archer says with a grin. Now that I know he's leaving and won't be anywhere near my woman, I don't mind his incessant smiling as much as I did a few minutes ago. "I'm headed to Duhring Park. Got hired on with a new construction crew there, and I start next week." He eyes the funnel cake stand. "I’m going to get in line for one of those because I've never seen a funnel cake like that." He saunters away, winking at a couple of young women who hold on to each other and swoon after he's out of sight.
"Do they only hire models around here?" a woman asks as she walks by.
"Jesus H. Crackers. It's like he walked straight off a runway," her friend responds, and both women laugh.
"Ah, to be young again." Blaze grins.
He celebrated his fortieth birthday last year here at the resort—a party organized by his niece, Celeste Blazewood,The Palmer'sassistant manager. It was like a medium-sized wedding. The Blazewood family is extensive, with many members employed by the resort in one way or another.
"Forty is hardly old, Blaze." I eye him curiously. He's not married and doesn't have any kids as far as I know. His dark hair hints at a few gray strands at the temples, but he's strong, built like a linebacker. Can't imagine why he hasn't settled down yet.
"Maybe not," Blaze admits. "It's hard to imagine finding someone at this age, given my family's history. My parents were high school sweethearts. Got married right after they graduated high school. Just two months before my oldest brother entered this world. They're coming up on sixty years together. I'm the youngest of five, and I was the bonus baby. I'm also the only one still single. My two older brothers married their high school sweethearts, and my two sisters each got married before they turned twenty-one."
I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "That's a lot of pressure."
Blaze chuckles. "You're telling me. My dad said when he met my mom, he just knew. Both my brothers? The same thing." He shrugs. "I haven't met the girl who takes my breath away yet."
