Page 81 of Just One Chance

I needed to stay focused on my business. I couldn't get caught up in a man again. He had the power to distract me from what was important, and I couldn't afford that.

With each pass, he ground against my clit, driving me higher. He leaned forward, changing the angle slightly, and this time, I went over the edge, trembling and shaking and calling his name.

He thrust one more time and let go. His forehead rested on mine. I felt so close to him in that moment.

He kissed me and then pulled out. He went to the bathroom, running water over a washcloth before returning to gently clean me. Each time he did that, my heart beat harder for him.

He gathered me to him, and neither of us talked about the fact that I'd be leaving soon. There was something heavy in the air between us.

I forced myself to close my eyes, to try and go to sleep. I couldn't change our reality, the one where we didn't work long-term. This was fun while it lasted, and it would have to be enough.

* * *

I met with the Harts in a conference room at the inn. Today, the entire family was present to hear my final presentation.

I was nervous but confident in my decisions. It was cost-effective to buy furniture for most of the rooms, but if they wanted something custom, it would make the most sense on the top floor. I couldn't say that I didn't let Boone influence my decision, because he had. I was enthralled with his abilities as a craftsman, and I wanted his work showcased at the inn in some capacity. But for him to build all the furniture would take too much time. Ultimately, Judy and Raymond wanted the renovation to be completed as quickly as possible to minimize disruption to their reservations and guests.

I stood at the front of the room with my presentation on the projector while everyone filed in. Judy and Raymond sat to my right, and Malcolm and Callum to my left. The other brothers and Clara sat around the rest of the table.

Boone came in last and stood leaning against the door with his arms crossed over his chest. What was he thinking? Was he going to be upset about my final decision?

When I left his bed this morning, he'd kissed me and wished me good luck. But he hadn't said anything about the outcome. He was the one who came up with this solution, so I hoped he was okay with it.

I took a deep breath and said, "Thank you for coming in this morning to hear what I have to say. I'm very grateful that you took me into your inn and showed me around your businesses. I loved getting to know you and the surrounding area."

"We've loved having you here as well," Clara said warmly.

I smiled. "We already decided to create the snow room, and it's coming along nicely. I'm hearing quite a bit of buzz around it. I'm expecting that you'll get inquiries about features in magazines and newspapers when it's finished."

Raymond leaned in. "You're saying that a magazine will feature the snow room?"

I nodded. "They prefer to wait until it's close to completion before reaching out. In the meantime, we'll showcase the progress on your social media pages."

"I hadn't even considered that we'd be featured in a magazine," Raymond said.

"I'd be prepared for that happening. Wynter provided samples of the photography for the walls."

I lifted the frames so that they leaned against the white board. Each one was a different building or scene on the property.

"These are so nice," Judy murmured.

"If there's anything you'd like to see, just let me know, or you can work with Wynter directly. She's excited to showcase exactly what you want," I said.

"I love the idea of using real scenery for the pictures," Rowan said.

"When I was researching, I found a local artist who paints scenery as well. You could hang her work in the lobby and sell it if you wanted. Or you could use it solely for decor." I put two of her paintings on the table so everyone could see them.

"I don't believe I've met this artist," Judy said.

"She was adamant that I not share her name unless you decided to go with her." I couldn't understand why unless she had history with one of the Harts." I clicked to the next slide that showed mock-ups of the room with the colors we'd chosen and the traditional-looking furniture. "I thought I'd show you what I was thinking for the rooms themselves." It's what people would expect at an inn like this and would fit nicely with the pieces I was hoping Boone would make. "This is for the regular rooms on the lower floors. The colors complement the outdoors with the greens, grays, browns, and cream. The furniture is more traditional, which will match nicely with what I have planned for the rest of the inn."

"And what's that?" Raymond prodded me.

I clicked to the next slide, which featured a few of Boone's sketches. "I'd like Boone to design statement pieces for the hallways, the lobby, and the rooms on the top floor. This way, his beautiful work is showcased in the best areas, and it's not too much that we won't be able to finish the renovation on time."

The room was quiet as I looked away from the slide.

Clara smiled. "I think that's a great idea."