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“I haven’t seen you move this fast since you thought you saw your ex in that restaurant with another man the last time we were in Atlanta,” Eric said, doubled over in laughter.
“Didn’t you just tell me not to worry—just take another day?” Hunter mocked, then tossed him a skeptical look.
“I can’t get stuck here. Let’s get to this airport now!” Sam was at the door with his bags within seconds.
Each body moved with a heightened sense of urgency. Within minutes, all of their bags were at the door. “What are you going to do, man?” Dave asked. “Are you coming with us to the airport?”
“Let me call the airlines. Up until now, I’ve just been receiving email and text alerts. I need to speak to someone.”
Eric looked at his watch. “Get on the horn, man. We can all ride together. I’d hate to leave you here stranded.”
“We should all call our airlines to confirm whether or not our flights have been changed or canceled.”
They all called their respective airlines, and moments later Eric, Sam and Dave were able to confirm that although there were slight delays, their flights were still scheduled to depart. Hunter, unfortunately, had been told that his flight was canceled and if he was lucky, he might be able to get it rescheduled for some time the next day.
“Aw, man. That sucks,” Dave said.
“Hey. It’s better to be safe,” Eric added.
“You’ve got another day to chill. Find a way to enjoy yourself,” Sam said.
A moment later Eric’s phone rang. Their car service had arrived. The men grabbed their bags and headed out of the villa. The cold greeted them with fierce whipping winds as they made their way toward the waiting car. Hunter squinted and turned his head away from the fast-falling snow. A small old man with weathered hands hopped out of the minivan and popped open the back.
With a head nod and a raspy hello, he greeted them one by one as he tried to take their bags to put them in the car. All three of them smiled politely and laid their own bags inside the cargo area.
“What do you think, I’m an old man? I could have done that for you guys,” their driver teased.
“We should be driving you around, my man,” Eric responded. They all laughed.
When the car was all stocked with their luggage and gear, they turned to Hunter.
“Are you going to be all right by yourself?” Sam asked.
“I’ll be fine. I’m going to reception and ask if I can extend my reservation for one more day.”
“Don’t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation,” the driver interjected. The guys looked at one another and smiled. “But did I hear you say you were going to stay one more day?”
“Yes, sir.”
He shook his head hard enough for a wisp of gray hair to fall along his brow. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, son. These roads are getting kind of bad. Pretty soon they’re gonna close them off. It’s dangerous trying to get up and down the mountain when the weather gets really rough.”
“But my flight was canceled. I have no choice.”
The old man took a deep breath. “Well, just try to make the best of it. They’ll probably have room since after a while people won’t be able to get up the mountain to get to their lodging. Be safe.” Tipping his imaginary hat, he bid Hunter farewell.
Saying their final goodbyes, Hunter tapped the car as they pulled off. Back inside, he called his brothers and parents to update them on the changes in his travel plans. As expected, his mother, Joyce, was worried about him staying overnight in the mountains without a way out.
Hunter headed to the reception area nestled in the center of the villas. He needed to secure accommodations for one more night. When he reached the main cabin, which housed the registration desk, a small café, a full restaurant and a souvenir shop, he realized for the first time that he wasn’t the only one on the mountain who had been stranded. The space was filled with frustrated energy. Several people walked circles in the wood floors with cell phones pressed against their ears. Exasperated mothers tried to calm screaming babies, and desk clerks desperately tried to hang on to their dwindling patience as they tried to help riled vacationers.
Hunter spent nearly an hour in line waiting to speak to a clerk, just to find out what he already knew—there was no more room at the inn. However, the clerk agreed to help him as best she could, but he’d have to wait until the arriving guests were placed in rooms. She couldn’t guarantee that all of the guests they were expecting would actually make it, but they had to hold their rooms until the evening just in case. Eventually, the road had been shut down, as the old man had predicted, but several guests had indeed made it up the mountain in time. Once the clerks waded through the mayhem, they would have a better idea of whether or not they would have vacancies.
Hunter braved the blistering cold and increasing snowfall as he trudged his way back to the villa to get his bags. He still had his room key. The others had been turned in by his frat brothers. When he got inside, he noticed that housekeeping had already cleaned the room. Instead of rushing back into the cold and waiting around the crowded lobby filled with angry people, he decided to stay in the room. If he was lucky, the person renting his villa might be one of those who hadn’t made it up the mountain in time.
After leaving his bags by the door, Hunter flopped on the couch and turned on the TV. The news became graver and after a while all Hunter heard was the droning on of the newscasters as images of maps and heavy snow punctuated their rumblings. Bored, he started flipping through his social media profiles on his phone. When he tired of that, he called and spoke to his brothers again.
For a split second, he thought about calling Tricia and decided against it. He needed to make a clean break when he got back home and didn’t want to do anything that could mislead her. He’d managed to avoid most of her calls through the week and when he did pick up, he’d kept his conversations cordial and brief. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her feelings.
Hunter went back to surfing his profiles until his eyelids grew heavy and he fell asleep.
“Hello!”
A woman’s voice broke through his slumber. At first he thought it was part of his dream.
“Excuse me!” The voice was laced with irritation.
Realizing the sound was outside his head, Hunter opened his eyes and beheld the caramel beauty in his blurred vision. With his forefinger, he rubbed his eyes and focused once again. She was still there. He was disoriented for a moment before remembering where he was—in a room that no longer belonged to him.
Hunter jumped up. The woman stepped back.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He looked around for his bags, blinked and finally got his bearings. “This is your room?”
“Uh...yes!” She held up her set of keys and then folded her arms across her torso.
“Then pardon me...” Hunter paused as his eyes traveled across her sweetheart lips and connected with her large brown eyes. His smile was involuntary. She looked skeptical and slightly confused. “I must have fallen asleep. I didn’t mean to alarm you. I’ll be out of your way in a moment.” He didn’t move.
Neither did she.
Their eyes remained connected. Finally, he tore his gaze away from hers and started walking toward his bags by the door. Halfway, he stopped, walked back up to her and held out his hand. “My apologies for being rude. My name is Hunter—Hunter Barrington.” At first she hesitated, but then she held out her hand to accept the greeting. Hunter could have sworn the temperature around them rose a few degrees when her hand touched his. He smiled again. “I guess I’ll be going now.”
Damn, she’s gorgeous! Hunter sauntered toward the door, grabbed his bags and walked out into the blanket of snow falling from the Utah evening sky. Only this time, he didn’t feel the cold.
Chapter 6 (#ulink_ab13e3f6-65c7-53e8-b0cb-9a085ea282bc)
Chey stood frozen in the middle of her floor. Not because of the cold. It was because of the encounter with that stunning stranger who had been sleeping in her villa when she arrived. She felt like Goldilocks even though she was the one who belonged there.
What had he been doing in her room? Who was he? She knew his name—Hunter...Hunter Barrington. She could almost hear him saying it again in that rich baritone timbre.
Despite the fact that his presence had practically scared her senseless, she’d hardly been able to tear her eyes away from his brown skin, dark eyes, inviting lips and tall, lean, muscular frame.
Finally, Chey unglued herself from the spot that she had been standing in since the stranger let himself out.
“Enough with him! I can’t believe I’m here!” Chey remembered how excited she was about this solo trip. Giggling, she flopped on the couch. “This feels amazing.” She reveled in her freedom. After a deep breath, Chey sank farther into the couch and smiled, but she didn’t stay long. After a few moments, she hopped up and went from room to room, checking out her lodging.
The villa resembled a cozy two-bedroom apartment with enough accommodations to sleep up to six people. The rustic Navajo-inspired decor created a warm and cozy vibe that made Chey smile and want to hug herself. On the back wall, there was a vivid view of snowcapped mountains through the large picture window, which looked like an enormous postcard. Chey imagined sitting in front of the stone fireplace, being serenaded by the crackling fire and mesmerized by the glowing embers. She decided right then that that would be her reading spot. The space was more beautiful than she had imagined, even though the hanging moose heads and the life-size bear in the corner proved a little creepy. The common area had an open floor plan, the kitchenette stretching into a great room with an area set aside for a large wood dining table. In front of the leather sofa bed there was a coffee table that looked like a chunk of wood someone had chopped out of a tree and propped on a smaller chunk of wood. Under it, there was a bearskin rug with talons still attached, as if whoever had caught the bear had forgotten to remove the claws. Still, this place was perfect.
Chey hadn’t expected the severe weather when she booked this vacation but didn’t let that deter her excitement. At some point, she’d get out and do all the adventurous activities she’d planned, but right now all she wanted to do was settle in and relax. Since this was her first time ever doing anything like this, she’d set up lessons for both skiing and snowboarding.
After her self-led tour, Chey called her sister and parents to let them know that she’d arrived safely. Then she went to take a shower. She removed her toiletry bag in search of her facial cleanser, body wash and toothbrush, finding everything except her toothbrush. Frantically, Chey dumped the entire bag on top of the vanity and rummaged through the contents. Then she looked in her purse and finally her suitcase.
Chey groaned, put her fingers to her temple and tried to think. “Where are you, toothbrush?” she asked aloud as if it could answer. Closing her eyes, she concentrated and then realized that she’d left it beside her sink at home. She could see it clearly in her mind. The reception desk would have courtesy toothbrushes, even though she hated those. They didn’t feel anything like her electric brush and certainly didn’t clean her teeth as well. Maybe when the roads opened, she’d find her way into town and go to a convenience store.
Chey took her time in the shower and then slipped into a pair of comfortable jeans and pulled a knit sweater over her thermal undershirt. Teasing her short tresses, she nudged her curls into place and rubbed her lips with a balm that held a hint of color. Her stomach rumbled and she remembered that the last time she had eaten was before her flight. Grabbing her coat, she put some money into her pocket and headed to the café.
The lobby had cleared out considerably since she’d first arrived. A few people who were obviously still waiting for rooms remained. Some were stretched out in chairs and some lay on the floor with their bags propped up under them.
Chey went to the clerk to ask for the toothbrush and shoved the small courtesy package in her pocket. “Are all these people still waiting for rooms?”
The clerk sighed. “Unfortunately, most of them are stranded and we have no more vacancies. Some of their flights were canceled and others weren’t able to get down the mountain before the roads were closed. Some guests have offered to take a few of them in, but there are still several left who don’t have a place to stay until at least the morning. We’re doing everything we can to find them some kind of lodging. We’ve set some up in our other resort, but it’s pretty much the same situation over there.”
“Oh.” That was all Chey could say. She felt horrible for them and almost guilty for having so much space to herself. However, as a woman traveling alone, she had to be careful.
Chey thanked the clerk for the toothbrush and headed across the lobby to the café. On her way she spotted the handsome stranger who’d been in her room earlier. Trying to be discreet, she watched him from the corner of her eye as he lay with his head back in a large rocking chair with his feet up on an ottoman. Damn! she thought again. He was ridiculously handsome. Just as she crossed in front of him, he lifted his head and attempted to shift his body in the chair. He opened his eyes and Chey quickly turned away. In her peripheral vision, she could see him nestling in his newfound position. He still looked incredibly uncomfortable.
Chey went into the café and ordered a salad and sandwich with a hot cocoa. Her mind kept drifting back to the stranger the entire time she ate and she wondered if he would end up sleeping in that chair all night.
“Excuse me.”
It was that voice again. Chey swallowed hard before looking up to acknowledge the person.
“Hi. Can I help you?”
“I was wondering if you would mind if I joined you at your table.”
Chey looked around, wondering why he hadn’t pursued any other empty seat and quickly realized that there weren’t any. The café was full, probably with all the people who had no place to sleep.
Sheepishly, she drew into her shoulders, silently chiding herself for wanting to send him away. The truth was, she couldn’t trust herself to be around him without staring as if he were on display at a museum. She assessed him again—smooth brown skin, penetrating eyes, luscious lips framed sharply by a handsome goatee. Geesh!
He pleaded with his eyes and then his mouth. “I wouldn’t bother you, but there’s no place to sit and although I don’t know you, I know these other folks even less.” He chuckled and the beautiful sultry sound of his laughter made her think of a cool breeze blowing in a meadow at sundown. How corny!
Chey pulled her food closer to her side of the table, making room for him to place his food down. He sat directly in front of her and she rolled her eyes before she realized it. She hadn’t meant to be rude. She just didn’t want the pressure.
Chey allowed herself to look at him and managed a small smile. “Sorry if I seem a little...insolent... I’ve had such a long day.”
“Tell me about it. Whew!” Hunter took a spoonful of his soup and sipped.
Chey watched as his lips puckered to take in the hot liquid. Mmm!
“So...” Chey hesitated, not sure if she wanted to actually start a conversation with him. “Are you...stranded?” She braced herself for his answer as if that were a hard question. She felt bad already.
“Unfortunately, yes. I was supposed to go home earlier today, but my flight was delayed and then eventually canceled.
“Oh.” What was she supposed to do with that information? She couldn’t invite this strange man into her villa. Now she regretted asking him. Chey allowed silence to envelop them. She listened as he quietly sipped his soup.
Part of her wanted to offer him her second room and part of her wanted to stay as far away from him as possible. There was something about him, something that pulled at her, and with her new spontaneous nature, she wasn’t sure if that pull would overcome her sense of reason. Secretly she took in his thick silky brows, high cheekbones, bedroom eyes and the strong lines of his chin. This man was chiseled to perfection. She deduced that she probably wasn’t his type anyway. She’d noticed his designer luggage. He looked like the type who preferred high-end stilettos, long flowing hair that hit the tailbone, and backgrounds of a certain pedigree. He was probably a wealthy prick like Todd.
Chey found herself wondering if Hunter would find her passion for creating fragrances silly and then cast those thoughts from her mind. Why was she even thinking about such things? “Nice seeing you again...um...?” She pretended to forget his name.
“Hunter,” he interjected and held his hand out once again.
Chey shook it and that same feeling from before returned—a slight flutter in her belly.
“Well...” she cleared her throat “...have a good night. I guess I’ll see you around.”
“I’m sure. Probably right here in the same spot.” He chuckled.
“Oh. Sorry,” Chey said for lack of anything better. “Good night,” she said again.
Chey didn’t stop walking until she reached her villa. She pushed the door open, then quickly closed it behind her and leaned her back against it. Why was her heart beating so fast? Why was she flustered? Chey had carefully planned out her day and now that she’d had another encounter with the stranger—Hunter—she was mentally off balance.
Shaking off the feeling that had attached itself to her from the moment he touched her hand again, Chey headed to the first bedroom and pulled out her laptop. She decided to work on her novel. She booted up her computer and started reading through the last chapter she’d written. Every time she read the male character’s lines, she imagined Hunter’s voice, until finally she put the laptop aside and burst out laughing.
Chey lay back on the comfortable bed and savored the firmness of the mattress as it seemed to mold itself to her body. A vision of Hunter sleeping uneasily in that chair in the lobby popped into her mind. Chey closed her eyes tight in an attempt to rid herself of thoughts of him. She worked at this for some time before rising from the bed, bundling up and heading back to the main reception area to find Hunter, who was now “resting” in a new chair.
“You can have the second room in my villa on one condition.”
Chapter 7 (#ulink_9a7fe84f-78f5-5590-8a92-b3231ef999f1)
It almost didn’t matter what condition this brown beauty was about to give Hunter. He was all in. The chair he had been sleeping in had given him a literal pain in his neck and back.
Between uncomfortable naps, he had checked in with the airlines religiously for updates. The flight that he was supposed to go out on in the morning had now been pushed back to sometime in the afternoon. The fact that all of his frat brothers had reached their warmer destinations made Hunter even more miserable. Chey’s condition would give him hope if nothing else.
He watched her pretty glossed lips as she spoke.
“I’m working on a very important project and I really need to be able to concentrate. If you can keep distractions to a minimum, then you can have that extra room.”
Hunter was ready to follow her to the cozy villa and already anticipated a decent night’s sleep. It wouldn’t have mattered if she had told him that the condition meant he’d have to sleep hanging from the rafters upside down like a bat; it had to be better than the lobby, which now resembled a New York train station filled with homeless people seeking shelter in the dead of the winter.
Hunter noticed her hesitation even as she offered him the invitation and completely understood.
“I appreciate this very much and will be sure to respect your space. I’ll stay out of your way as much as possible. I have to get to the airport early anyway, so hopefully, I won’t be too much of a bother.” He said what he hoped. If his flight got pushed back any further, he could be looking at another day in the mountains. He’d hate to have to impose on her any further, but after sleeping on the memory foam mattress in the room, he couldn’t possibly go back to the hard chair with the worn cushions.
“Agreed?” Chey asked after he was done.
“Huh? Oh. Yes. Agreed!” Hunter took Chey’s outstretched hand and shook it vigorously even though he had heard only part of what she’d said. The prospect of sleep took over his mind and senses, but he didn’t miss the spark that he felt when he touched her hand again. “I’ll keep my noise to a minimum. I’m not a serial killer or a nutcase, so I’ll do my best not to creep you out, and I certainly don’t mind taking the smaller room.” He summed up her statements and tried to reassure her with a little humor at the same time. He also chose to blatantly ignore the electric current that circulated in his gut. He wondered if she’d felt it. Was it real or a figment of his weary mind?
Chey drew in a deep breath and sighed. “Okay. So...let’s go.”
Chey turned on her boot heel and headed out of the reception area with Hunter and his bags happily in tow.
With Chey walking in front of him, Hunter had a full view of her backside, which curved perfectly. Having no intention of making a move on this considerate woman, despite the fact that she was quite beautiful, Hunter shook his head, shaking away inappropriate thoughts. Tricia came to mind briefly and Hunter was reminded of the fact that he’d just recently written off futile encounters. Not that he was looking to get married, but he no longer wanted to waste time on relationships that he knew wouldn’t blossom into something meaningful. Watching his younger brother Blake’s and Cadence’s relationship bloom made Hunter desire substance over trysts.
Raising a brow, he wondered why the concept of a relationship had even come up with this woman. Focus. This is just one night.
“Here we are,” Chey said as she opened the villa door. “I was going to have some tea. I can make a cup for you if you’d like.”
“I’m fine, thanks. I’ll just head to the room and get settled. You will hardly know I’m here,” Hunter said. He put his bags in the corner and removed his shoes before returning to the living room. Chey looked down at his sock-covered feet.
“Make yourself comfortable, why don’t ya?” She chuckled.
