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CHASE
The first thing I do when I step into the cabin is head to my room. I’m happy to see it still looks the same but not surprised by the fact. Gloria, the owner of the cleaning company we use, has been setting up our cabins the same way for years, even down to the old quilt on the bed.
Three black bears in rocking chairs and bright clothing smile up at me. The large quilt tops a rustic canopy bed made of dark cedar logs, the room complete with matching end tables and a tall cedar dresser. We like to be consistent for our returning guests, which we tend to have a lot of. Once you find this little slice of heaven, it’s hard to stay away.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I fish it out with a sigh, knowing it’s the email I’ve been waiting for all morning. I open it and quickly scan my father’s words to get to the good stuff. A growl comes out of me as I find the number I need to finalize the proposal Drake and I are presenting in two days.
While most of our presentation is done, Dad has dragged his feet coming up with a final cost for the expansion of the ski resort we’re hoping to win a bid on, and now I know why. I would have tried to talk some sense into him.
The investors are sure to laugh in my face when I come at them with this number, and then what? Not only will we lose this resort, but word will spread fast that we’re throwing out shit numbers while our competitors are acting more rationally.
I mull over my words carefully before diving in with a solid reply. I finally hit send at the same time the front screen door slams shut, and I toss my phone down on the bed.
“Damn, dude, what crawled up your ass?” Drake calls out, sounding like he’s making his way through the living room. He travels the length quickly, then stops in my doorway. “Is that any way to greet two beautiful ladies?”
I shoot him a glare meant to shut him up and send him on his way. The past forty-eight hours have been shit, and the last thing I need is the third degree. He laughs and shakes his head, continuing down to his room at the furthest end of the hallway and—thank fuck—out of my sight.
I take a deep breath and let it rush out of me as I lower myself down to the bed. I feel like a damn teenager, a strange mix of anger and desire coursing through me. What the hell’s wrong with me?
I need to get laid. That’s what’s wrong with me.
It’s obviously been too long if just the sight of a woman in a simple tank top and shorts gets me this riled up. She was fucking gorgeous, though. I wasn’t trying to stare, but hell, I’m still a man. If you dangle a hot piece of ass in front of me, I’ll want to take a bite.
Now the sadness and anger I’ve been suffering with all day are amplified by my newfound horniness. I rub my hands over my face with a deep sigh.
This trip is supposed to be a quick business meeting sandwiched between a few days of relaxation—whatever the hell that means nowadays. Many years ago, it meant fishing, staying up late drinking beer around the fire, and indulging in the local food joints. Now, I’m just hoping to make it through the day without connecting my fist to a wall or giving in to the need to run back home.
It definitely isn’t supposed to involve a sexy distraction whose jiggling breasts and round ass keep circling around in my head, causing an almost painful reaction below the belt.
I groan, jumping up to grab my bag and heading into the attached bathroom. Fuck it. There’s only one thing that can get rid of my frustration, so it’s time to put all those thoughts of her tight little body to good use.
* * *
When I get out of the shower, I move to the bed to check my phone for any new calls or messages, but there are none. I decide that’s probably a good thing and open my bag to rifle through clothes to find my charger. While I’m there, I grab a fresh T-shirt and pull it on over my head, then head into the bathroom to put my jeans on from earlier this morning.
Back in my room, I get my phone plugged into an outlet, double-checking that the volume is up as loud as it goes. I pause. On second thought, I’ll just charge it in the kitchen. I grab the charger out of the socket and head out of the bedroom and into the open-concept dining/kitchen/living room space.
Drake eyes my phone in my hand and tilts his chin up in question. I just shake my head and plug it into the outlet strip under the kitchen cabinets.
“Wanna work?” I ask, and his eyes practically bug out of his head.
“Come on, man. Let’s save that shit for tomorrow. I’m exhausted.”
I shrug. “Tomorrow it is.”
He grins and opens the fridge, then pulls out a couple bottles of beer. He opens both with the fridge magnet bottle opener and then hands me one. We clink them together with a nod and each take a long pull. I grimace when I look over and see the neon red glare coming from the stainless-steel stove, telling me that it’s way too early to be drinking. But we’re here to relax—sort of—so might as well enjoy the peace and quiet.
“In typical Gloria fashion, she stocked a few things in the fridge,” Drake explains. “We could probably grill up some burgers if you want.” He leans over the counter and opens the window above the kitchen sink and then moves my phone from the other side of the room to the cabinets near the window.
“Yeah, that sounds good,” I say as I lead us out the sliding glass door and onto the back porch. It’s not very wide, but it stretches the entire length of the cabin. On one side is a hot tub and a couple of Adirondack chairs, and on the other is a large grill and a sitting area with a four-chair patio dining set. I settle into one of the chairs near the table and set my beer on the glass tabletop.
Drake does the same as he settles in opposite me. “Is it just me or has this place gotten even more beautiful and majestic the older we’ve become?”
I snort and pause my beer in midair. “Majestic? Really?”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “Shut up, man. You know what I mean.”
I look out over the deck, at the stretches of trees that still adorn this side of the mountain, and take a deep breath. “I definitely think we can appreciate it a lot more now than we did as kids.”
