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I shuffled into the elevator and slapped the button for the ground level.
Not my monkeys. Not my circus, I insisted. My reflection said otherwise. But I tried not to listen.They could end up like you.
And that was exactly how I had gotten involved. I saw those vampires descend upon the ranch like an army of ants swarming a freshly discovered sandwich. Those wolves would have been helpless if I hadn’t intervened. Their defenses were tiring of the constant assault and giving them my strength would keep them fighting another day.
It wasn’t personal.
It was just the fair way to do things.
The elevator doors parted, revealing a posh lobby bustling with life. I blinked rapidly to determine where the hell I had landed. This wasn’t the private hallway where Rose had initially taken me. I had taken a wrong step somewhere, got distracted, got turned around.
All because of her.
Cotton candy swirled under my nose, luring me from the elevator car without hesitation. It led me to a check-in counter that sat nestled between two hallways. Though the lobby was much like the one I had seen when I had first entered the inn, it was more subdued with muted shades of maroon and brown mixed with gold.
The woman standing behind the counter was none other than the woman who had submitted herself to me last night. Pink lips revealed a sunny smile while glorious hazel-golden eyes brimmed with sunlight. She held a phone between her shoulder and ear, a landline with one of those curly wires, and beamed excitedly at the people approaching the counter.
Including me.
Her eyes widened with recognition, but she never lost that customer-service grin, taking care of the people in the order which they had approached. A short woman with cherry highlights in her brown hair bobbed into view, features relaxed as she spoke to Rose. When she spotted me, she squinted suspiciously.
But all that suspicion died when an easy grin took her lips and she asked, “Can we help you with something, sir?”
A bite would have accompanied that inquiry if we were anywhere except the lobby of Sunrise Mill. This was a feisty wolf. I’d gathered that much with how she observed me.
I smiled at Rose. “Yeah, I came to check out.”
“Charlotte,” Rose said somewhat stiffly. “This is… Matéo. He’s the one I put in the Orchid Suite last night. He had the, uh…”
Charlotte practically glowed with excitement. “The sunbeam headlights! Those soundsoincredible. I thought about getting something like that myself, but I honestly didn’t think it was worth it.” She glanced at Rose and then at me. “So, was it worth it?”
My handsome grin took over. “Totally worth it.”
“Probably toasted them, huh?”
“Just about.”
She grinned and added, “Those burned jerks probably smelled better than whatever the heck Rose ordered at the diner, I bet.”
Rose transformed into a strawberry right before my eyes. If ever I saw a more succulent fruit, it couldn’t have possibly held a candle to the color that bloomed in her face.
“Well,” Rose said loudly. “I think it’s time for the lunch rush. Right, Lottie?”
Charlotte frowned. “All the prep is done and the tavern isn’t even—”
“I bet Christopher probably needs some help,” Rose insisted with a polite tone as she pushed Charlotte to a door just behind the desk. “He might be using your office for his little meetings with Grunt again.”
Charlotte gasped. “My desk!” and then disappeared.
It took a moment for the adorable little wolf behind the counter to return to her usual shade of pale peach. And when she did, she grinned at me and leaned against the counter. “Checking out?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Did you enjoy your stay, sir?” She clicked a few keys on the computer, but I had a feeling it was just for show.
I smirked. “More than enjoyed it.”
“Would you like to leave a review?”
