“It is.” Turning, he continued to look around.
The bed dominated the room—reclaimed timber dressed in layers of crisp white sheets, a chunky knit throw, and pillows in shades of sand and rust. A leather bench gleamed faintly at its foot, equal parts rugged and inviting. It looked like something out of a magazine. He’d never been in such a luxurious space before.
Moving around slowly, his boots muffled against the woven rug. He smoothed his hand across the dresser, tracing the iron pulls before glancing back at her.
“This is incredible, Maisie. It makes me feel like… I should stay awhile.”
Her smile was dazzling. “That’s the goal. Rustic chic. Comfortable, but still… worth remembering.”
Axel drifted toward the bed, his fingertips brushing over the knit blanket, testing its softness. He looked at her again, and this time his gaze lingered a second too long. “You really did all this? Like…you saw it all in your mind and then put it all together in here?”
She let out a soft breath, nodding. “Every swatch, every late-night sketch. And a few dramatic arguments with the procurement team. And a few healthy discussions with Walker. After I did the initial research on the resort, I just had a vision. I can’t explain it. I saw the space and I just knew what I wanted it to look like.” She laughed quietly. “I could have done without so much arguing, but…”
He chuckled low too. “It was worth it.” Straightening a bit, he closed the distance between them. He didn’t touch her, not yet—but the warmth of her felt closer than it should. “It doesn’t just look good, Maisie. It feels… like you.”
Inwardly, he groaned because that just sounded dorky.
“I mean…it all looks exactly like those sketches you showed me the day we met. You brought it all to life. I thought it looked perfect on paper, but you took it and somehow made it even better.” Pausing, he glanced around again. “If I could have put into words what I wanted the rooms to look like, this is it.”
For a moment, the room was quiet, save for the low hum of the air coming through the ceiling vent. Maisie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and he could tell she was a little nervous. Licking her lips, she looked up at him. “Then I guess it’s ready.”
Her smile was small and private, the kind that made his chest tighten.
“Maybe. But I’m not sure I want to leave just yet,” he gruffly murmured.
Ducking her head slightly, she whispered his name. And when she looked up at him, he couldn’t answer, not with words. He stepped into her space, close enough now that he could see the flecks of gold in her eyes and feel the faint brush of her breath against his lips. He hesitated—just for a heartbeat, giving her the chance to pull away.
She didn’t.
Maisie tilted her chin up, and that’s all it took. His mouth found hers in a kiss that started tentatively, almost questioning, before deepening with a certainty that nearly brought him to his knees.
The room, the bed, the glow of the lights—all of it blurred around him. All he could do was feel: the warmth of her body, her curves, the way her nipples hardened against his chest. They were alone in a room with a bed. The door had a lock. What the hell was he waiting for?
She was clutching the front of his shirt and pressing impossibly close. Axel tore his lips from hers so he could kiss along her jaw, her throat, and down into her cleavage.
A favorite spot.
When Maisie’s hands smoothed up over his shoulders and into his hair, he knew they were on the same page. He just needed to get her to where she was just as crazed as he was, if not more.
“Axel…” she panted, lightly tugging at his hair. “Axel…we can’t…we need to stop.”
Say what now?
Instead, he lifted his head and pressed his lips to hers again for a searing kiss, and he was fairly certain they were back on track, until she lightly pressed against his chest.
As much as he didn’t want to stop, he did. Slowly. Reluctantly. And when he lifted his head, she smiled at him, completely breathless.
And looking more than a little dazed.
“I want you,” he murmured, caressing her cheek. “So damn much that I’m ready to lock that door and take you right here on this pristine bed.”
The way she blushed was more of a turn-on than it should have been. “We can’t, Axel. Although, I’m not gonna lie…it’s tempting.” She nibbled on her lip before glancing over her shoulder at the door.
He thought for a moment that she was going to change her mind, and he was ready to kick off his boots. But then her shoulders sagged as she faced him.
It wasn’t happening.
“If there weren’t dozens of people running around the lodge,” she began, smoothing her hand over his chest. “And if I wasn’t sure that people were going to come looking for me, it would be a no-brainer.”
