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“Becca, this is really nice,” I said in awe, eying the apartment complex in front of me. It looked like a ski lodge on the end of Main Street. At four stories tall, it looked so cosy nestled into the surrounding forest.
“Yeah, it’s even nicer than Brandon described it.”
We both stood there in awe of my new home for a moment before I turned to Becca and asked her, “You know what’s even more awesome?”
Becca inclined her head to let me know she was listening.
“I’m not only within walking distance to the florist, but also the bakery where I saw your favorite carrot cake sandwich!”
“Really?” Becca’s head whipped around so fast that I burst out laughing. Her face softened. “It’s so nice to hear you laughing, Jill.”
I hooked my arm through Becca’s and pulled her into the lobby. A big, open fireplace sat in the middle of the room, sofas and chairs surrounding it. The rental office was to the left, and an older woman with curly white hair, librarian glasses, and a sweet smile was staring back at me.
“Hi, I’m Becca, and this is Jill,” Becca announced to the woman. “Brandon McCullough said he had a room for Jill here.”
“Yes, I’ve been waiting for you,” she said, a warm smile spreading across her face as she looked at me. I didn’t know why, but it felt like I had come home. Before I could dive deeper into the feeling, the old lady continued, “My name is Miti, and I’ll be showing you to your room. It has a fantastic view; you’ll love it. Come with me.”
She grabbed the keys on the table in front of her, and we followed her to the elevators and up to the fourth floor. The doors opened into a dark hallway. The carpet was a deep red with a well-worn path down the middle, and the walls were black. Mini chandeliers hung from the ceiling, lighting up the hallway and providing an elegant ambiance. The doors on each unit were solid wood, with black knobs and knockers.
The decor was the exact opposite of Rich’s unit, where everything looked white and shiny and pristine—as if nothing bad could ever happen there. I smiled at the refreshing change and took in a deep breath. Becca squeezed my hands, as if aware I was starting to let go of my old life.
The old lady beckoned us to follow. “It’s at the end of the hallway,” she said over her shoulder. “There are staircases next to your unit, but the only elevator is the one we just came up in.”
“I heard howling last night from our hotel,” Becca said. “Does that happen often? Are there wolves here?”
“Becca, I’m sure everything’s fine.” I didn’t want to hear about any concerns. Brandon was doing me a solid by letting me stay in his family’s apartment for a discounted rate. I could afford to live here and still save money. Plus, the floral shop was only a ten-minute walk away.
“Yes, there are wolves here,” the old lady said. “But I wouldn’t worry about them. I’ve lived here for thirty years and never had any problems. Safe as can be. As for the howling, earplugs work wonders; I sleep with them in every night, and I don’t hear a thing.”
The old lady kept rattling on about the good traits of the building and town, both of which sounded safe enough. Besides, nothing could be worse than what I had been living through. I was already sold.
We heard the elevator ding behind us and turned to see three burly men walk out. My heart rate spiked, and I felt Becca grab my arm to steady me. Her grip was so hard that I knew she was as affected by the men as I was. Handsome didn’t begin to describe them, but the similarity in their build was just like Rich’s, and I could feel my knees buckling underneath me.
Strong arms steadied me and drew me back up into a standing position. I looked up, thinking Becca had come around to stand in front of me, only to see a set of dark brown eyes boring into mine. My first reaction was to bolt and hide behind Becca, but the attraction I had for this man was so strong that I couldn’t look away.Where were these feelings coming from? I’d never had such strong feelings for Rich, and I didn’t even know this man!
Regardless of my confusion, my body stayed rooted to the spot, as if intuitively knowing I was safe with him. His smell was intoxicating, nothing like Rich’s gluttony of perfumes. This man smelt like the forest air, clean and simple. It was all I could do to not lean in and actively inhale his scent. Add in his strong, bulky shoulders and steel-cut arms, and I could feel a ripple of fire arrowing to my core.
“Are you okay?” he asked me.
It was a true baritone voice, one that sent my insides squirming. I could only stare back at him. Vaguely, I heard Becca echo his question. My head slowly turned to Becca, and her worried face snapped me out of my daze.
“I’m okay!” I shot back. “I’m fine. Really, I am. I don’t know what came over me.” I shrugged off the man’s hands and backed up, clenching Becca’s arm instead.
His eyebrows were still furrowed, and I wanted to reach up and smooth them out. No one that handsome should have worry lines, especially about me.
“If you say so,” was all he said before turning to the old lady.
“Miti, is there anything we can help you with?” he asked her.
“This young lady came to see Unit 423.”
His eyebrows shot up. “What about the other—?”
Miti cut him off with a stern look. “Brandon was adamant that a room with a calming view was necessary. I believe she’ll like it. We’ll soon have the place filled.”
Shock crossed the man’s features for a split second, but he quickly covered it up with a neutral expression, leaving me curious as to what he was thinking. “Well, we won’t keep you from seeing your room,” he replied, turning back to face me. “I’m Luc, and this is Damon and Brent. We live down the hall, so just let us know if you ever need any help.”
