Glancing over to the lounge, I saw Giles and Johnny still working. They had hung up everything to my specifications and were now unpacking boxes of old glassware from the original restaurant behind the bar. Normally I would have joined them, but Bev and I had a steady stream of guests coming to the front desk all morning.
“Phew. Finally, a lull. I need a solitaire break,” Bev announced as she pulled up the game on the computer and started clicking away.
I forced a small chuckle and snuck another glance at Giles. He just took off his sweatshirt and was wearing a black T-shirt that hugged his lean muscular arms. Those same arms that had me pinned to my bed yesterday…
Nope. Stop that right now.
But memories of last night kept flooding my mind, and I hated how little self-control I had. If Giles had asked me to meet him in the basement, I would have let him take me right there on the worn sofa.
My face was getting hot, so I fanned myself with one of our brochures.
“You, okay?” Bev asked.
“I’m fine. Totally fine,” I mumbled.
Just then, Johnny walked out of the lounge and down the hallway, probably to get something from the basement. Seeing Giles alone had me springing from my seated position.
“I’m going to see if Giles needs any help,” I said.
Bev didn’t look up from her game as I walked over to him. I didn’t want to give him a chance to escape.
“Hey, can I help?” Before he responded, I grabbed two glasses from the box he was holding and unwrapped them.
“I think I’ve got it under control,” he teased.
“So…” My voice trailed off.
“So?” He raised his eyebrows, not helping me out with this awkward encounter at all.
“Are we going to talk about last night?” I whispered.
He looked from side to side to make sure no one was in earshot before lowering his gaze back down to me.
“What’s there to talk about?”
“Um, just…” His nonchalance caught me off guard. “What now?” I asked.
He sighed and grabbed my elbow, steering me away from the bar and to a more secluded corner.
“Look, Mattie.” Usually, I loved when he said my name, but this tone had me nervous. “I had a great time last night. Really great. But I told you yesterday I just don’t think the two of us starting anything is a good idea.”
“You said we couldn’t go anywhere. Why can’t we just have fun right now?” His words stung and I felt pathetic for wanting him as much as I did. “I like you.”
Dragging his hand over his face, he glanced from the floor back to me. “I like you too. Which is even more of a reason not to go there again.”
“But—”
“I had a moment of weakness yesterday. And can you blame me? I mean, look at you. And you’re so fucking nice and a good listener. It’s been hard to pretend like there’s nothing here.”
“Then why do we have to pretend?” I whispered.
“It’s easier this way. If we start something it’ll just get messy. Let’s just focus on the lodge and working together, okay?”
My face fell, and I didn’t bother to hide my disappointment.
“I’m sorry, okay? This isn’t because I don’t like you or because last night wasn’t amazing…” he trailed off as Bev and Johnny walked into the lounge.
Bev looked back and forth between the two of us. “Why are you two huddled in a corner?”
