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I do my best to stifle my yawn. I thought I’d put the jet lag behind me a few days ago, but I didn’t sleep well last night.
“Of course,” Ms. Bartlet, the interior designer Katja hired agrees. “And if you decide none of these carpet samples are quite right, just let me know and I can bring some other options over.”
As soon as I’ve seen her out of our makeshift pre-opening office, I kick my high heels off and slump back in my chair. I make a mental note to add a ‘comfortable office chair’ to my growing purchase list as this old straight-backed banquet chair has seen better days. Like the rest of the two-hundred-year-old building, it has old-world charm that’s already causing challenges for our new-world building codes.
There is so much work to be done. For the tenth time today, I push down my insecurities about how in over my head I am and instead focus on how freaking exciting this amazing opportunity is for me. I’d rather face dealing with the Lucianos again before letting Katja and Dex down. No matter how many times they tell me they’re just a phone call away, I’m still nervous that I’m going to miss something important. I’ve only been here a week and I already have a list a mile long to go through with Dex when he arrives tonight. I’m going to hold them both to their promise to make frequent visits until I feel more confident.
“You aren’t seriously thinking about going with that burgundy color for the carpets, are you?”
All signs of fatigue fly away in an instant and my heart is in my throat. I’d hoped that maybe one day he would visit with Dex… but hearing Z’s voice standing a few feet behind me rocks my world. A flood of emotions converge and I honestly don’t know if I want to turn around and slap him or kiss him.
I settle on keeping my back to him and answering truthfully. “I was kinda thinking it would hide blood stains well, don’t you think?”
“If a cleaner does his job well, there should be no stains to hide.”
I don’t want to talk about carpets and blood. I want to scream at him for hurting me… deserting me as soon as he’d finished his job of protecting me. But as the seconds tick by, the need to have him hold me again takes over, but I push the desire away. I still have no idea what he’s doing here and I’m not going to open myself up to getting run over again until I know more.
Without turning around, I inform him, “I was expecting Dex.”
“He couldn’t make it. He’ll be coming later.”
My pulse is racing. Pushing to my bare feet, I turn and freeze, in absolute shock. I’m sure I look like an idiot, my mouth agape with surprise at the man standing before me.
“I’m a cleaner,” Z says, a mischievous smile lighting up his entire face. “I decided it was time to clean myself up a bit.”
Cleaning up was not the description I would have for the sexy-as-hell man standing before me in a designer suit. His tie and shoes are on-point, the hair I love to run my fingers through is styled, and his sexy beard perfectly trimmed. If it weren’t for the tattoos peeking out at his wrists, swirling to the back of his hands, I’d swear he was a different man. He looks like he’s on his way to a GQ cover shoot.
When I stand frozen, Z takes a few steps closer, stopping just out of arm’s reach.
I finally find my voice. “You look good like this, but…” I can’t stop from grinning before finishing. “But I’ve always had a thing for bad boys. I sure hope you haven’t killed off the Z I know.”
His return smile makes my knees weak.
“Don’t worry. He’s still in here,” he says, tapping his heart. “I just decided to put a new wrapper on the outside.”
I love how he’s looking at me—hungry. It reminds me of our time back in the cabin. But we have a few things to sort out before I get my hopes up.
“So… exactly when is Dex coming then?” There is no hiding how much I hope I know the answer to his question.
“Later…”
“How much later?”
He pauses long enough I’m worried I might have guessed wrong. “He promised to be here for our grand opening in a few months. He and Katja will be anxious to see what we’ve done with the hotel.”
My pulse is flying. Dare I hope?
“Our grand opening?”
Z closes the final few feet between us, leaning down so close that I can feel his warm breath on my cheek when he says, “If you’ll have me.”
His lips are on mine the next instant and I swear that despite being thousands of miles away from New York, it feels like I’m finally home. This… him… us… the anxiety of the unknown slips away and I let myself finally believe that the nightmare of the last few weeks just might really be over.
