“Nah. Leave that baby shit for your goofy-ass husband. I’m just gon’ fuck you good and send you back to that lame-ass nigga. Aye, get up and bend that ass over.” I tapped her thigh, and she obeyed, bending over the armrest.
I wasted no time grabbing her waist and sliding inside her drenched pussy, aiming straight for the spot I knew no other nigga could reach. Once I found it, I kept hitting it over andover while she cried out. I tuned her whining out and drilled her until I felt my nut creeping up. I pulled out and snatched the condom off. She already knew the drill, she turned around, got on her knees, and opened her mouth. I jacked my dick, pressure rising, then my nut shot out in heavy streams. Some landed in her mouth, the rest on her face. She swallowed everything, then used her fingers to scoop the rest and lick it clean.Damn, she was nasty. Too bad she ain’t my type.
I leaned over, reached in my slacks, and pulled out a wad of bills. “There. Now go on and see yourself out.”
She did what she always did, grabbed her purse and left without saying shit. I headed straight to the shower, letting the hot water beat down on me while I replayed the night. When I finally crashed onto the bed, still damp, I stared at the ceiling for a long minute. Fuck it, I made up my mind…I was taking that trip.
Chapter 3
Noelle
Trees lined both sides of the road, tall and bare at the top with patches of snow along the ground and dips of ice in the shade. The air outside the car looked colder than anything back home in Atlanta. I pulled my coat tighter around me and glanced at the navigation on the screen. The little blue dot inched closer to Winter Haven Resort.
“You ever been up here before?” the Uber driver asked. His name was Charles, an older Black man with a gray beard and a calm voice.
“No,” I said. “First time.”
“You picked a good spot,” he replied. “People come up here stressed and leave with their shoulders ten pounds lighter. You here for the holiday package?”
“Something like that,” I said.
He eyed me in the rearview mirror. “Family or solo?”
“Solo.”
He nodded. “Sometimes that’s the best way. Gives you room to hear yourself think.”
I stared out the window and let that sit. Hearing myself think was the problem and the solution. That was what scared me and what I knew I needed. Another curve in the road and the resortfinally came into view. Winter Haven sat on a rise, a large stone and wood structure with warm lights in every window. A wreath hung over the main entrance. The steps were cleared and salted. White breath hovered in the air as people walked in and out with suitcases and scarves wrapped around their necks.
Charles pulled up under the entry. “Here we are. Winter Haven Resort. You enjoy yourself, Miss Winters.”
It took me a second to catch the name. I glanced at the app and saw the alias Bree used when she booked everything. Right. Elise Winters. I had to remember to answer to it.
“Thank you,” I said, handing him a tip. “And it’s No—Elise. But I appreciate you.”
He smiled. “Take a break for once. You look like you earned it.”
As soon as I stepped out, the cold hit me like a slap in the face. The air stung my nose and it was nothing like Atlanta weather. A tall with brown skin bell man with dreads tucked under his cap and a neat beard approached me rolling a cart, He was wearing a hotel-branded coat zipped to his chin.
“Welcome to Winter Haven,” he said. “You Elise Winters?”
“That’s me,” I answered, adjusting the strap of my carry-on.
“I’m Jamal. I’ll get your bags and walk you to check-in.”
He loaded my luggage onto the cart with quick movements. I stepped through the front doors and warmth wrapped around me. The lobby was wide and open with a high ceiling, stone fireplace burning in the center, and clusters of people sitting on couches with mugs in their hands. A huge tree stood near one corner, decorated in warm whites and deep greens. The place smelled faintly of cinnamon and wood. For the first time in a very long time, I felt my shoulders drop a little without forcing it.
At the front desk, a woman in a navy blazer smiled at me. Her name tag read, PAIGE.
“Good afternoon. Welcome to Winter Haven. Name on the reservation?”
“Elise Winters,” I said, feeling strange and amused at the same time. I almost said Noelle Sterling out of habit. Bree had insisted on privacy when she booked it for me, claiming I needed space from work contacts and anyone who thought my vacation was an open invitation to reach out.
She typed on her keyboard and smiled. “Perfect. We have you in a king suite with a mountain view for six nights. The Winter Escape package includes breakfast, one spa service, and access to all activities. There’s a welcome mixer in the lounge tonight and a schedule of events in your room.”
“That sounds good,” I said. “I’m just here to unplug.”
“You came to the right place,” she replied. “If you need anything, dial zero from your room.”
