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Ethan
“Ethan Lovelock,” I huff into the phone, wishing I could switch it off and get back to work. Damn thing won’t stop ringing and it’s connected to the hotel switchboard; I’m obligated to answer it as it’s my hotel now. I inherited a sixty-room lakeside resort from my grandfather, and it’s need of restoration. It was popular in its heyday, but the doors closed years ago.
“Ethan, it’s Baxter! Traffic wasn’t too bad. We’re almost at the turn off to the motorway.” I swallow hard, wondering how much more I can get done before he arrives. I didn’t plan on him being here for another two hours. I don’t have time to make the place any more presentable. He’s just going to have to take it as he finds it; a total ramshackle mess of a building site. Raking my free hand across my chin, I’m grateful that I shaved this morning. At least that’s one thing I got right.
“Great, yep, see you soon. Is Lexi with you?” I haven’t seen Baxter’s younger sister since she wore her hair in pigtails and rode a pink Malvern Star.
Lexi shouts, “Hi Ethan!” over the music blaring in the car, and her melodic sweet voice sends a shiver through me. There’s something in her tone that kicks up my heart rate.
“Lexi can’t wait to see the place. She’s really excited about her new job helping you out,” Baxter teases. Hiring Baxter’s sister to work at my hotel was his idea, not mine. He assures me she’s qualified in hospitality and hotel management, but the truth is she’s in some kind of strife and needs support.
I don’t know the whole story yet, but he has me over a barrel. I need an investor to help get my business up and running and Baxter has deep pockets. He grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, but the man has the Midas touch. He went on to make a shit heap of money himself as a sports agent to the stars. Boom. We’re a perfect match. I don’t want to babysit his sister, especially if she looks like trouble. But I don’t really have a choice and that’s not a feeling I particularly enjoy. I’m used to my freedom, and I don’t like being told what to do.
I ring off, thinking about the shit ton of work I have to get through. Less than two minutes later, the phone rings again.
“Ethan Lovelock,” I answer gruffly, trying to hide the irritation in my voice but failing. Again. Customer service is not my strong suit. I wonder, and not for the first time, whether I’ve made a mistake moving into the hospitality industry. I’m a soldier. I’m not made for sweet talk or small talk.
“Hey bud, we’ve got a problem with the hot water.”
“Yeah? What kind of problem, Cooper?” My old Army buddy wouldn’t bother me with a problem he could solve himself. He knows how much pressure I’m under. I hired him to help me restore the old hotel to working order and if he’s calling with a problem, we have a problem.
“We don’t have any.”
“Fuck. No hot water? Did you check the thermostat on the cylinder?” I ask, regretting the question as soon as it’s out of my mouth. Cooper was a bomb technician and we served in the same regiment.
“I’ll ignore the insult, Ethan, but if you think it will make you feel better, you go hit it with a wrench and see for yourself. I tried it, but it didn’t help me. Look bud, I know you’ve got other things on your mind, but you better call for a repairman asap.” I can’t do much without hot water, and if I call the repairman now, I might just get a hot shower before bed. I locate a phone number from the emergency contact list taped to the refrigerator. Rick’s number is listed as ‘handyman allrounder.’ When Rick answers my call, I introduce myself and my problem, making sure I limit it to the hot water cylinder for now.
“I’m sorry Ethan, but I’ll tell you the same thing I told your thrifty grandad Pete,” sighs Rick, once I’ve explained what’s going on. His tone implies he’s been through this more than once.
“I’ve repaired the hot water cylinder as many times as I can, but they don’t last forever, you know. You need to get a new one.”
“Thanks Rick, I can see that,” I groan, wondering how long it will be before my next hot shower. “When can you get here with a new one?” I ask, but he laughs like he just heard the world’s funniest joke.
“Ethan, I don’t sell them, I only fix them. You need to order it direct from the manufacturer; but even if you call now, you won’t get a replacement right away and you’ll need an electrician to install it.”
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath, hoping he doesn’t hear me. I don’t want to piss off the repair guy when I have a mountain of work for him to do. I wind up the call and get back to work.
The moment I step foot on the porch, Baxter’s black Mercedes pulls up in the driveway. It’s the latest model, top of the line, twin turbo engine with low-profile tires. No wonder the bastard is early, that thing looks like it can travel at warp speed.
He honks the car horn to announce his arrival and I wonder if he’s expecting a VIP welcome. Other than myself and Cooper, the only creatures within miles are the flock of ducks floating lazily on the lake. They honk in return, splashing water as they fly into the afternoon sun.
Baxter slams the car door shut and steps forward to meet me. He wears an ear-to-ear grin, looking tanned and relaxed in the way only wealthy people can.
“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” I say, slapping him on the shoulder, as I notice Lexi waiting in the car.
He looks me over before hugging me briefly. “Looking good old man!” he jokes, clearly unimpressed by my appearance.
“Good work, joker! Look at you in your handmade Italian suit, and me in my – ” I look down at myself, dressed in khakis and faded old t-shirt, holding a wrench in one hand. “We’re just not on the same level, are we?” Baxter laughs and calls to Lexi. I leave the tool on a chair and prepare to greet her.
Lexi steps out of the car and my heartrate ratchets up to a thousand beats per minute. I’m lost for words at the sight of the bombshell stepping out of the car. My knees loosen and my mouth dries up. Holy shit. Dressed in jeans and a pale pink t-shirt, she’s all curves, swirls, and sensual lines. Her raven dark shoulder-length hair shines in the light, softly framing her heart shaped face. Her bright blue eyes dart curiously over her surroundings, taking everything in as she cautiously walks forward. She’s like a newborn colt, moving unsteadily on fresh legs. She’s clearly nervous as hell.
Baxter had told me his sister was a hot mess. What he hadn’t told me was that she is hot as sin; but then why would he? He wouldn’t see her the way I see her. Lexi walks over to us and smiles at me shyly, hiding her gaze by lowering her eyes to the ground. She leans in towards her brother and mock whispers behind her hand, “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
Baxter’s eyes widen in surprise, and he slaps his forehead. He puts his arm around her waist and nudges her forward.
“Sorry, I forgot you two haven’t seen each other for, wow, how many years has it been?” he asks, genuinely surprised. The fact that she and I are practically strangers was lost with him. If I’d seen her on the street there is no way I’d recognize her.
“Too long,” I answer, following the tip of her tongue as she runs it along her lower lip. Her pink gloss highlights the shape of her full, kissable lips. Lexi glances nervously in my direction before quickly looking away.
“I haven’t seen Lexi since she used to follow us around on her bike trying to catch us,” I tease. Her eyes light up and her smile brightens. She’s unlike any woman I’ve ever seen before. She’s sweet as anything and sexy as hell.
“You were so mean, teasing me and never letting me join you. You’d ditch me at every opportunity, I used to get so mad!”
“I didn’t mind if you hung out with us.” I remember how eager she was to hang out with us and how Baxter used to tease her. “Blame your brother for any bad memories. It’s all his fault,” I wink good naturedly and she perks up.
“We let you hang around with us plenty, but when you’re seventeen, you don’t want to hang around your nine-year-old baby sister. I only ditched you when I went out with girls. Didn’t want you cramping my style, you know?”
“Oh really? Like the time mom gave you money to take me to the movies, huh? Remember that? You sent me to the video arcade with a handful of loose change and an ice cream while you took Lisa-what’s-her-face to see Star Wars. Yeah, I can see how I cramped your style,” she laughs at the memory. “You’re lucky Ethan found me and kept me company. I never forgot your kindness Ethan. You were always nicer to me than my own brother.” I’d forgotten that day until she mentioned it, but now I remember how bummed and lonely she was. It wasn’t a hardship to hang out with her and cheer her up.
“Don’t try to play favorites. Ethan and I are like this,” Baxter says, twining his first two fingers together, making us all laugh. “I was young and stupid, but you know I’d do anything for you.” He kisses her on the cheek, and she softens. Childhood jokes aside, its true there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her. He and I stayed in touch over the years I was deployed, always talking deeply and openly about our lives. He always spoke fondly about her; it’s just how their relationship is.
I have a bad feeling about what is coming next. I’m drawn to her like a magnet. I ache to reach out and stroke her hair or thread my own arm around her waist and draw her tenderly towards me. Fuck. I’m stepping into dangerous territory. I can’t show interest in her if I want to see my hotel restored and make a living here. Problem is, I don’t have a poker face.
Lexi’s only dressed in a t-shirt and rubs her arms briskly to warm herself up. Her nipples stiffen under the thin cotton and my eyes linger a beat too long for comfort. Thankfully, the sound of tires crunching under gravel distracts her from catching me.
Cooper walks towards us waving hello, pushing a wheelbarrow full of logs in front of him. He’s a tall, imposing guy and neither of them know who he is. Lexi takes a step closer to Baxter, hiding herself as she draws her shoulders forward and crosses her arms at her chest. I make no move to welcome him, and he eyes our group, then Baxter’s car, before diverting the wheelbarrow to take a path that leads away from our group. Good man.
I lean closer to Lexi and say, “Cooper’s an Army buddy of mine. He’s helping me out. I’ll introduce you all later. Lexi, it’s cool in the mountains, do you have a jacket in the car?” Baxter’s wearing a fancy suit jacket but makes no move to give it to her. He’s oblivious, of course. I mean why would he be looking at her tits the way I am?
“In my luggage, but I’m okay,” she answers, as she watches my fingers fuss with the buttons of my shirt. I remove it and hand it to her. “Here, put this on for now.” I’m still dressed in a thin cotton wife-beater, but I tend to run hot. I’ll be fine.
She takes the shirt from my hand but startles when our fingers graze and she feels the sparks of static electricity. Her eyes graze over my chest and she licks her lips without realizing what it’s doing to me. To be so close to her, to touch her, to give her the shirt off my back makes me hard for her. Fuck, I’m skating on thin ice. I need to rein it in before I get myself in trouble.
Baxter and I may have a deep friendship, but he’s got fixed ideas about family, wealth, and social status. I don’t fit his ideal as far as a suitor for his sister. Can he see me as a business partner? Absolutely. Brother-in-law? No way in hell.
I’m fucked.
I have to figure out another way to fund the hotel restoration because there is no way I can work closely with Lexi and not mess things up with Baxter. I can’t trust myself to be around her and not fall madly, crazily in love with her. And that cannot happen. No way, no how. Not Ever.
