Chapter one
Kayla
The crisp Montana air bites at my cheeks as I take in all the Christmas decorations. I’ve heard Pleasure Ranch resort goes all out for the holidays, but seeing it for the first time, in person, with Montana’s snowy peaks as a backdrop, takes my breath away.
I’m a local girl, born and raised just down the mountain, outside of West Palamino. This place is like stepping into a forbidden fairy tale. My heart hammers in my chest. Who knows whether my plan will work?
Monica, my best friend since high school, works on staff as an event planner. She texted me earlier to let me know my ex-boyfriend Billy is playing Santa for a company holiday party tonight.
I clutch my overnight bag tighter, head inside and pass through the lobby, getting a whiff of pine, cookies and cinnamon. There’s even a roaring fire and complimentary wine in the small seating area adjacent to the reception counter.Under other circumstances, this would be an amazing place to stay.
Monica checked me in and is already waiting for me in a cozy room with a king-sized bed draped in flannel sheets, a Christmas tree in the corner and a view of the stables. She’s perched on the edge of the bed, in her crisp white blouse and black pants, giggling as if we were still teenagers as she runs to the door to give me a hug.
“Oh my God, Kayla, this is so exciting. I shouldn’t even be up here,” she whispers with her brown eyes filled with mischief. “I’m totally on the clock right now, technically goofing off on the job. But I’ll do anything to see you two get back together.”
I drop my bag and flop onto the mattress with my stomach in knots. “Is he really here? Are you sure it’s Billy?”
She nods, biting her lip to stifle another laugh. “One hundred percent, it’s Billy freaking Thompson, all six-foot-four, green eyes and light brown hair under that Santa hat. The man’s a walking panty-melter. He’s hard to miss. Now, the company’s party is being held in an exclusive ballroom. And get this, the management gave him a free room and even upgraded him to full-suite level.”
I sniff, feeling the tears well. Will I ever stop crying about him? We broke up three weeks ago over a total misunderstanding. “He could get into so much trouble in that suite.”
“Right. About that …” Monica frowns. “I hate to be the one to tell you, but I know for a fact, unfortunately, the situation is what we suspected. Billy has a privateriding lessonbooked after he clocks out as Santa.”
“Crap.”A riding lesson.I break into a sweat. Pleasure Ranch has a “secret” side everyone within fifty miles knows about.
There’s a discreet desk around the corner from the main check-in, run by a special concierge named Laramie. If guests are lonely, they can sign up for a riding lesson and she’ll matchthem with staff volunteers or other guests who are also looking for company. There’s no money involved, no pressure, just ... connection. But Laramie has a knack for matchmaking. A lot of her couples end up walking out of here in love, engaged, or at the very least, head over heels. The thought of Billy with someone else, riding off into the sunset literally, makes my heart ache.
“No way,” I say, rising to my feet, and yanking open my bag. “I guess I have to bring out the big guns.” I rummage through my clothes and pull out the semi-sheer red blouse with buttons. I’m petite and slim, not at all curvy, and don’t have more than a handful up top, but Billy loves my breasts, and gets pretty crazy when my nipples are hard. This top should do the trick. “What if I wear this? Will I look tempting enough?”
Monica’s eyes widen. “Kayla, honey, that’s not sexy. That’s a weapon on your body. Billy will forget his own name.”
I laugh nervously, sitting in defeat again. “God, I’m a wreck. What if he doesn’t even want to see me? It’s been almost a month.”
She scoots next to me and squeezes my arm. “Hey. You two were fire. This is just fate, with a little help from me, nudging you. He’ll ditch that riding lesson the second he lays eyes on you. Trust me, you’ll be back together by morning.”
I exhale shakily. “You really think so?”
“Know so.” She glances at her watch and hops up. “Okay, I have to go back to work before someone notices. But I’ll swing by around seven to escort you to where he is. The banquet hall’s tucked away, and it’s tricky to find on your own. Billy wraps up Santa duties at seven-thirty, so that’ll give us just enough time to get you on his lap.” She laughs with a wink and slips out the door.
I had just enough time to have a salad delivered, take a bubble bath, shave and slather myself in lotion. Now I’m standing in front of the full-length mirror in my blouse and the cute redvelvet skirt with white furry trim I found last week. The stilettos are a nice touch.
Monica knocks once and slips inside. “Whoa.” She gives me a once-over. “Jesus, Kayla. Turn around.” I do, and she whistles. “That skirt is probably illegal in several states. And you can clearly see the outline of your nipples when the light hits the front of that blouse. He’s probably so used to seeing you training horses, wearing jeans, flannel and boots, I bet he’ll swallow his tongue.”
“Thanks.” The word comes out shaky, and I force myself to take a deep breath.
“Come on, let’s go.” She loops her arm through mine and we head out. The resort’s busy and a maze of hallways with Christmas trees tucked in every corner, fairy lights strung along the rafters, and holiday music playing in the background.
She steers us left, then right, past a couple giggling their way toward the hot tubs. “So,” she says casually, “what made you guys break up, anyway?”
My stomach drops. “We were at the three-month mark, and things were starting to get serious. But before we ever slept together, before we were even exclusive and were still dating other people, my ex called.”
“Josh.”
I glance at her. “Yep. We were together for seven years, and he wanted us to give it another try. I thought I owed him that, and I needed final closure before I dove in headfirst with someone else. So I … I slept with him. One night. And it wasn’t good. Even though I’m not sure I’d even kissed Billy at that point, something was off. Josh felt it too. We were definitely over, and haven’t seen or talked to each other since.”
Monica stops dead in the hallway. “Wait. You told Billy you went to bed with Josh?”
“Yes. Three weeks ago.” My voice cracks. “I didn’t realize it would ruin everything. I thought he’d be relieved to know how honest I was, and that I wasn’t keeping secrets from him. But God, Mon, the look on his face …” My chin trembles, and warm tears roll down my cheeks. I sniff, but there’s no way I can hold them back. “I made the worst mistake of my life. I hurt him so badly.”
