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I’m jealous of the way his deep rumbling voice goes soft whenever he speaks to her, of how much emotion shines in his eyes. For once I want a man to speak to me that way… look at me like I’m the most important person in the world.
Pushing thirty-six, I’m beginning to think it’s a little too late. My last, and only, serious relationship ended over ten years ago. We dated for almost the same amount of time and never once did he treat me that way.
His name was Roger and we were high school sweethearts. After we graduated, our relationship just kept going out of convenience until we both finally decided to call it quits. He’s married now with children while I’m alone.
I continue to watch as Bear slips between the swinging doors splitting the large oak desk and helps Tacie straighten things back up. When I was first hired as manager, I tried to put a stop to that but nobody keeps Bear away from his babygirl. How she doesn’t realize he’s crazy for her is beyond comprehension.
Georgie stomps over to her brother, hands on her hips. “I’m not doing anything to your ‘babygirl’. And why don’t you have a nickname for the rest of us?” she smirks, fully aware as is the rest of Coldwater why he doesn’t.
“I do. It’s ‘Tease’.” He smirks back, which sets Georgie off.
Tacie joins in for the fun of it and now I have half of the McClain siblings bickering at my front desk. I let it go on for a minute, enjoying their back and forth. The lobby is clear so there really isn’t any harm. I can’t be a taskmaster all the time. Managing is all about balance.
My sister, Irina, and I have our fair share of arguments but nothing like them. I’m eleven years older than her so we have more of a mother-daughter relationship. I boss her around and she ignores me, doing what she pleases.
Thinking of her puts me in an even lower mood. She’s in a small mountain town in Montana called Black Timber Peak with a fiancé and a baby on the way. Another sign that I’m way behind in life.
A gust of wind hits the desk, blowing papers across it, and draws my eyes to the front door. A guest has arrived which means it’s time to break up the party.
“Guest,” I loudly hiss.
The trio pulls apart and turns toward the door.
Satisfied, I go back to making the schedules for the rest of the month. December is always the hardest with Christmas and then New Year's Eve right after.
Suddenly, I hear Tacie mutter, “Good gravy,” and Bear growls.
I glance at them and spot Georgie patting Bear on his shoulders. “Don’t worry, big guy. I got this one.” She pushes out her already ample chest and saunters to her computer.
Whoever headed our way must be good-looking. Better than average if he made Tacie notice. I get back to work not interested in some temporary resident, no matter how handsome.
Georgie coos, “Welcome to Coldwater Cabin Resort, handsome. It’ll be my pleasure to check you out… I mean in today.”
I roll my eyes. Tease is the right word for Georgie. With her curvy body, long brunette hair, and come-hither eyes, men are always throwing themselves at her. And she’s always willing to catch them. But what few people don’t know about her is that she’s a virgin. She might flirt like a pro but that’s as far as it goes. She’s left many men literally holding their dicks.
To my surprise, my body tightens in my lower region, which I thought was dead, clenches when a husky sex-filled voice responds.
“Why hello, beautiful. I would love to be checked out by you. But only if I can do the same.”
I look up to see the man the voice belongs to. The one that has my body in such an unusual state.
Good gravy is right. The man standing in front of Georgie is a snack and a half. He’s a beast of a man, tall with broad shoulders. The sweater he’s wearing is tight, showing off his muscular chest. My eyes travel up to his smooth face and intentionally messily styled short dirty blonde hair. I drop back down to his hazel eyes filled with promises of a night you’ll never forget. God help me I want to take him up on that promise but it isn’t me he’s looking at. And why would he?
I’m curvy like Georgie but nowhere near as attractive. Plus, I look every bit my age while she sports the same twenty-something appearance as him.
Not to be outdone, Georgie giggles and then shoots him with, “You, sir, just earned yourself an upgrade. You just let me know what you need and I’ll be sure you get it.” She tosses in a wink for extra measure.
His full lips part, probably ready to come back with something as equally provocative when his eyes catch mine, freezing him in place. His whole demeanor changes as he takes a step to the side, placing me in full view.
I’m powerless to move, trapped in his sight as his eyes travel my face. Gone are the playful twinkle and lustful gaze. It’s all been replaced with sheer determination then fire. This is the look of a man who’s seen what he wants and refuses to allow anyone or anything to stop him.
Confused and more than a little turned on, I drop my head under his intense stare. That look can’t be directed to me, can it? No. I’m too old for a young stud like him. Besides, he has ‘just for fun only’ written all over him and I’m not in the market for a fling. Or anything for that matter. I have goals to reach before I turn forty and a man would only get in the way of them. At least that’s what I tell myself to justify my loneliness.
“Sir?” Georgie asks, hoping to regain the mystery man’s attention. “Would you like to check in now?”
From the top of my eyelashes, I see him slowly turn to her then frown. “You said you’ll get me whatever I need, right?”
“I did,” Georgie carefully says. She, along with everyone else present, can tell that the winds have shifted. Bear and Tacie are glancing at me in amusement.
