I sat up, reaching for him. “Landon?—”
“I’m okay,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “This was for you.” He hesitated. “Because you were there for me. And because I wanted to.”
I rested my head on his shoulder, my heart so full it almost hurt. I’d been wanting this—wanting him—from the start. Even when I’d told the guys that I didn’t want feelings to get involved, I’d known it might not be possible with Landon. I’d already been starting to have feelings for him.
But then he’d said he wasn’t going to participate in the lessons, and I’d thought that was that.
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 wasin 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 theguests 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.
