AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ll get us some dinner, unless you want help packing?”
“Food,” Roo answers. “Lots of food gets my vote.”
Her smile reminds me of the one on her ID card. Playful. Happy. Seductive. “I’m on it,” she answers, heading down the hill and whipping out her cell. “And if anyone stops me, I can say it’s for my new bosses!”
Reuben
Thankfuck Winter returns with the equivalent of hotel junk food. Between us, we demolish three varieties of gourmet pizza, succulent ribs, the fattest burgers, and mountains of fries. Afterwards, I have to collapse on the sofa from my food coma. The others join me, Winter declaring it a sport-free evening and selectingMaid in Manhattanas tonight’s entertainment.
“I assume we’re staying, Luca.”
Luca checks his watch, then each of us in case we’re going to insist on a long drive back to Aspen at this late hour. Tuckered out from the game, I’m happy to stay put another night.
Sighing, Luca confirms, “How about we get away at 6AM?”
That suits me just fine, but I can’t resist a playful dig. “Now what kind of idiot decides to book in a meeting at half eight the day after his holiday?”
“The CEO of a billion-dollar company, that’s who,” Luca informs me. Like I haven’t heardthatbefore.
Winter turns her attention from the TV to Luca, the Christmas tree lights making her hair look especially golden. Almost angelic. As a big fan of irony, I love the image that pops into my head of dirty fucking a sweet little angel. Especially one that’s sexually depraved under that beautiful exterior, letting me do whatever the hell I like to her.
“It’s been a work-focused vacation,” she points out. “When was the last time you took a week off and left the laptop behind? The cell too.”
I scoff, mentally racking my memory in case I can come up with an answer.
Nope. Not sure I can.
Contemplating, Luca scrolls through his phone, presumably his calendar. “July fourth weekend. I did nothing for three days.”
“Ooh, three days,” Winter teases, brushing aside her hair. “I hope I get more than three days vacation.”
“Four okay?” Luca offers, his eyes lifting endearingly towards her.
“Sold. I like to keep busy. And besides,” she adds quietly. “I’ve got no one to share my vacation with anyway.”
Winter’s family situation is one I can’t imagine. My parents have been a constant presence in my life, and at times pressure. But I wouldn’t be the determined, relentless person I am today if they hadn’t encouraged me at every turn. I mean, they moved to the U.S so that I could realize my dreams. If they were snatched away from me all in one go, I’d be entirely lost. And even though Balthazar’s appearance in my life fourteen years ago has added to my success, I can’t imagine existing without him either.
“Good thing you only have four days to find someone who’ll hang out with you then,” I offer wryly. “I’ve no idea who’d be willing to jet off somewhere exotic with you, where, I dunno, maybe there’s a beach, and a secluded, palm-roofed hut with half-naked men serving you drinks out of coconuts.”
Winter’s face brightens. “Yeah? Are the half-naked men you three?”
Brecken chuckles, walking to the wood burner and throwing in a couple of small logs.
“In that private beach hut? You bet.”
“Sounds like a perfect four days,” she muses. “Worth sacrificing all other vacations for.”
On-screen, at the insistence of her colleague, Jennifer Lopez is trying on her guest’s designer clothes.
“You ever been to Cancun?” Brecken asks.
Winter shakes her head.
“Caribbean? Hawaii?”
More head shaking.
“The Mediterranean?”
