Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
She reached up to pull her hair into a messy bun, and my gaze traveled over her slowly—the graceful line of her arms, the delicate column of her throat, the way her breasts strained against the front of her suit.
Fuck. My erection ached behind my shorts.
Before I did something stupid like cross the room, pin her against the wall, and fuck her like an animal, I tore my gaze away and retreated to the bathroom to grab towels. I needed a moment—several moments, actually, so I didn’t walk out in public with a boner.
Jesus Christ. Get it together, Powers.
* * *
The hot tub room was empty when we arrived. Glass walls offered a panoramic view of the night sky, where stars scattered across the darkness like diamonds on velvet. A nearly full moon hung low on the horizon, casting silver light across the space. The lighting inside was dim and intimate, and the scent of eucalyptus hung in the warm, humid air.
Four hot tubs were set into the floor, each one bubbling gently, steam rising in lazy curls. The setting was undeniably romantic, the kind of place designed for couples to relax and reconnect.
Raina took a deep breath and released it slowly, some of the day’s tension melting from her frame. “This is beautiful. But I doubt it gets much use.”
“What do you mean?” I asked curiously.
She stepped to the edge of the nearest hot tub and dipped her toe in, testing the temperature. “Look around. This is the kind of thing couples enjoy together. It’s quiet, intimate, and an adult setting. But almost everyone we’ve seen today is part of a family with young kids.” She stepped down into the water, sighing as the warmth enveloped her. “I doubt most parents want to leave their children alone in a hotel room just to have a nice soak.”
I followed her in, settling onto the built-in bench beside her. The heat seeped into my muscles immediately, loosening knots I hadn’t realized I was carrying.
“So you think we should consider doing away with the hot tubs when we build the second resort?”
She chuckled, a low, warm sound that did dangerous things to my self-control. “You sound pretty confident Alexander’s going into business with you.”
I was confident. And it was largely because of her. Raina was effortlessly charming in a way I could never be—warm where I was reserved, approachable where I was distant. I’d watched her win over Alexander at the gala and again tonight, and by extension, she’d made me look better than I ever could on my own.
“I’m a confident guy,” I said with a shrug. “You don’t get far in business with self-doubt. So is that what you think? Should we do away with the hot tubs?”
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, and I had to force myself not to stare at her mouth. “You really want my opinion?”
“Of course. You’ve got a good mind for this.” It was true. I’d come to rely on her insights more than I’d ever expected. “I value your perspective.”
She leaned back against the side of the hot tub, looking thoughtful, her hands skimming idly over the surface of the water. “It’d be a shame to get rid of the hot tubs entirely. Maybe offering some kind of short-term childcare could work? Parents could book a couple hours of supervised activity for their kids and have time to enjoy the adult amenities. It would depend on the cost and whether it’s worth the investment, but…”
“A market analysis might help make that decision,” I said, liking the idea. “It’ll take time and a ton of research, though.”
Her grin was playful, her eyes sparkling in the low light. “Good thing you have such a dedicated assistant.”
I chuckled, relaxing more fully against the side of the hot tub. We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, both of us gazing out through the glass walls at the star-scattered sky. The heat of the water was doing wonders for my tension, and having Raina beside me felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
“You know,” she said, her eyes drifting closed, “I’ve always loved hot tubs. I even had one for a while.”
“But you don’t anymore?”
She shook her head, water droplets catching the light. “I lived with my boyfriend at the time. He already had the hot tub when I moved in.”
The words landed like a punch to the gut. Jealousy—immediate, vicious, completely irrational—coiled through me. “You lived with someone?”
She must have heard something in my voice, because her eyes opened and she turned to look at me. “For eleven months, yes. But then Eli got a job offer in Detroit about two years ago. We split up, and I got my own place.”
Eli. Even his name irritated me.
It was little comfort knowing he lived in another state. Had she loved him? Had they talked about marriage? What had she seen in him that made her willing to share her life, her space, her bed?