Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 93942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
And now I’d finally been with him. Finally felt his hands on me, his mouth on me.
But even as I held him, I thought about Asher teaching Emma to make eggs. About Kai showing up to help his brother. About the way they’d both touched me, made me feel things I’d never felt before.
Was I starting to develop feelings for them too?
I pushed the thought away. You couldn’t have feelings for more than one man. That wasn’t how it worked.
“Thank you for sharing that with me,” I whispered against Landon’s shoulder.
He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Thank you for being here. For not giving up on me.”
And in that moment, wrapped in his arms, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
25
ZOE
I was in one hell of a mood after my encounter with Landon. It made me more cheerful and upbeat, even as the resort got busier leading up to Christmas.
Two days before Christmas, I went to Mrs. Greer’s office with a notebook full of ideas. And by some kind of early Christmas miracle, I actually got her to listen—at least for two minutes.
Literally two minutes. She checked the thin watch on her wrist and said, “Begin.”
“Since some of the older guests are away from their grandchildren, we could set up a video call station,” I said, speaking as quickly as I could. “We could organize games. What’s that trivia game that generation likes? The one where you gather those little wedges? Or maybe even a dance with music from the forties and fifties for the guests who’d enjoy that.”
She didn’t even let me go for the full two minutes.
“Stop.” She held up one hand. “These are rich, powerful people. They don’t need a cruise director.”
The words stung. “I just thought—”
“That’s the problem. You think too much and accomplish too little.”
I tried to keep my voice level. “Am I doing anything right here? Because it certainly doesn’t seem like it.”
“No, nothing.” She leaned back in her chair, looking at me over the rim of her glasses. “And I didn’t need you here in the first place.”
I tried to soften my tone. “Okay, of course you didn’t need me. But I’m here now. I’m going to be here for another ten days. Couldn’t we work together?”
“No.”
“Isn’t there anything you like about me?” The words came out smaller than I’d intended. More vulnerable.
She smiled. It wasn’t a kind smile. “One thing.”
For a moment, I had hope.
“I’m really looking forward to filling out your internship report.”
My heart sank. I could just tell she was going to tear me apart in that report. Everything I’d done here—all the work, all the effort—would be for nothing.
I left her office feeling hollowed out.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Even some of the guests noticed something was wrong. Mr. Hartley came up to me at one point, asking about my past, whether a ‘pretty girl’ like me had a boyfriend. I barely paid attention, just gave him one-word answers until he finally left me alone.
By mid-afternoon, I couldn’t take it anymore. I went back to the hideaway, even though it was the middle of the day.
I was walking down the hallway when I almost ran into Asher. Just like that first night when we’d barely known each other and everything had been so awkward and tense.
But this time felt different.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, trying to move past him.
“What are you doing back here?” he asked.
“I just—” My voice broke, and I felt tears threatening. “I needed to get something.”
“I came back for my phone charger,” he said, but his eyes were on my face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
I said it roughly because I didn’t want to cry. Not in front of him. There had been too many different emotions these past few days. I couldn’t handle any more.
“You’re upset. Tell me.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“I’ll go get Landon for you,” he said, turning.
“I’m okay,” I said.
But a tear rolled down my face, betraying me.
Then he just stepped forward and took me into his arms.
He held me. Ran his thumb back and forth across my back in slow, soothing strokes. I buried my head against his shoulder and cried. Not loud, ugly sobs—just quiet tears that I couldn’t hold back anymore.
He didn’t ask questions. Didn’t tell me it would be okay. He just held me for a long time, solid and warm and steady.
Finally, I started to step back. He let go immediately, giving me space.
I looked up at him, embarrassed to have shown weakness in front of a man who’d felt like a rival until just recently.
“Please don’t tell anyone,” I said.
I didn’t want this getting back to Kai or Landon. Didn’t want this to cast a shadow over what little time I had left with them.
He looked at me for a moment. Then he said simply, “Tell anyone what?”