All the tension seemed to ease as he reached up, cupped her face, and kissed her. Evie sank into the kiss, mimicking his pose and relishing the feel of his scratchy jaw. When they broke apart moments later, breathless and smiling, she knew what she wanted to do tonight.
“I don’t want to have dinner with everyone up at Axel and Maisie’s,” she said, still touching his face. “Any chance we can order in and just stay here like this?”
“That sounds like the best idea.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “How do you feel about naked dinner in bed?”
“Ooh…naked dinner, huh? Hmm…” She pretended to think about it. “As long as it doesn’t involve soup, I’m in.”
Slater laughed, loud and hearty, and if she wasn’t mistaken, he looked…happy.
Definitely happier than he was minutes ago.
Standing, Slater went and grabbed his phone before tapping out a text to someone. When he looked at her, he was still definitely relaxed and at ease.
“I just told Axel we weren’t joining them. What should we order from room service?”
“Oh, my goodness…what are you in the mood for?”
Grinning, he tossed his phone onto the couch before reaching out and pulling her to her feet. “You.”
And before she knew it, he scooped her up in his arms and strode to the bedroom.
Dinner could definitely wait.
Chapter Twelve
“Are you going to be okay?” Evie asked the next morning as she stood next to Milo’s car.
“I’m fine. I’ve got an intermediate hike that leaves in an hour and I’ll be gone for at least four hours. I’m just going to avoid the lodge and hope my father can take a hint and leave sooner rather than later.”
She snorted. “Please. That guy would need to be hit over the head with something heavy to take a hint.”
Chuckling, he pulled her in for a hug and then kissed her soundly. “I’ll see you later, and don’t worry about me.”
Being so much shorter than him, he kind of loved when she looked up at him with a smile that was somehow both sweet and sexy. “I can’t help it. I feel a little responsible.”
Slater caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Evie, you’re not responsible for anything.” Leaning in close, he added, “But I loved the way you distracted me all night.”
Her cheeks turned pink as she bit her lip and looked around to make sure no one had heard them. It looked like she was about to say something sexy, but Milo walked over and killed the moment.
“Good morning,” he said with very little fanfare. “Evie, we need to get going. I’ve got a call with Mr. Tanaka in fifteen minutes. With the time difference, it’s fourteen hours later in Japan. He’s making a special effort to talk to me, so…”
“No worries,” she said. “I’m ready.” Giving Slater one last kiss, she climbed into the car and instantly transformed into executive assistant Evie.
He stood back and watched them drive away before contemplating his morning. What he wanted to do was go up to his office and meet with Lexi so they could talk about next week’s schedule face to face. However, he wasn’t prepared for the possibility of running into his father.
Standing in the middle of the parking lot, he glared up at the lodge and then simply said, “Fuck it,” before heading toward it.
But he went in the back entrance that took him through the kitchen and then along a few employees-only hallways. Maybe it was cowardly, but he just wasn’t in the mood. Plus, he refused to completely change his life, his schedule, and his routine because his father decided to show up uninvited.
“I own the damn place,” he murmured. “I can go wherever I want.”
Strong words for a guy practically tiptoeing down a back hallway…
He just wanted to check in with Lexi. There was nothing wrong with that. It was simply something to do besides hide out down in his shed office waiting for his hiking group to arrive. Plus, he enjoyed bouncing ideas off Lexi and getting any feedback she got from the guests.
He heard the voice before he even reached the office door, and yet when he got there and saw it with his own eyes, he still stopped dead.
The great Cal Slater stood on the other side of Lexi’s desk, one hand braced casually against the edge, and his posture relaxed like he owned the place. A snort of disgust escaped before he could stop it because his father behaved as if he owned every place he walked into.
