So I just ... craved. To be desirable. To be the chasee, not just the chaser.
And until that day came—if it ever did—to protect myself, I learned to keep my crushes light, my feelings lighter, no strings pulling at my heart. That felt good. That felt safe.
By the time the night wound down, we did a big group hug. Outside, we said our goodnights one by one—hugging, laughing, congratulating each other for pulling off a great event.
Sebastian hugged me last. It wasn’t long or dramatic, just a solid squeeze that made me feel warm and grounded.
“You give an excellent teddy bear hug,” I said, smiling up at him.
And yeah, teddy bear hugs felt good. They felt safe. They felt ... kind of incredible, actually.
6
Sebastian
I GOT TO THE INN Afew minutes before nine, just in time for the site walk with the contractor and the structural engineer he brought in. I’d spent the night at my parents’ place, and my mother made enough coffee to last a much longer drive, but traffic turned out to be sane that morning.
Ruby was already outside, planner and phone in hand, dressed in full inn-manager mode—white sleeveless top, black skirt that reached mid-calf, black sandals with just enough heel to make her legs look even longer than they were.
Her blonde curls were loose, her blue eyes sharp. She was in charge. In her element. In fullRubymode.
It hit me. Always did.
There was something about her, that perfect mix of a damn good businesswoman, capable and courageous, level-headed—and a warm, witty, sensitive, and loyal woman.
Yes, loyal. To her friends, her family, her staff. And to her belief that all we could ever be was friends who fuck.
She gave me a quick nod through the windshield while I parked just outside the main entrance, then the flicker of a smile. I had to stop myself from reaching for her the moment I got out of the car.
This is a place of business, I could already hear her say in my head.
We spent an hour walking the grounds, checking the damage, tossing around options. The engineer and I drifted into a back-and-forth about cross-laminated timber versus steel supports, getting deeper than we needed to. Ruby let us have our moment before cutting in with, “Save the pillow talk for later, boys.”
“He’s a better option,” I said under my breath as we trailed behind the contractor and the engineer. “Assuming he”—I nodded in Dave’s direction—“lets the guy do his job properly. Contractors aren’t always ... engineer-friendly.”
Ruby’s lips curved. “Look at you, still recruiting for The Dork Side.”
“The Force Alliance, you mean.” I grinned.
“Sure,” she replied teasingly, her eyes glinting.
It was simple, familiar banter. We’d always traded jokes about orbital mechanics versus ice machine malfunctions, but this—working side by side—this was new. And it lit up something inside me that I couldn’t ignore.
They negotiated and signed the paperwork, and the crew promised to start the next day. After we escorted them outside, we returned to Ruby’s office in the main building.
“I’ve got a staff meeting in two hours,” she said as we stood outside the door. “I have to break it to eight people that we might not have enough work to keep everyone. I’llneed to let the temp staff go earlier than usual. God, I’m nervous.” She bit the side of her lower lip.
Terrible timing for my cock to twitch at the sight.
“You were amazing negotiating just now. Seriously. Amazing. You’ll be okay,” I said. “You still have to reach out to the guests who already booked. They might stay loyal.”
“We’ve got three regulars on the calendar. I really hope they don’t cancel. They’ve been coming here every year.”
“I have a feeling they’ll stay,” I said.
She didn’t answer. Just exhaled and glanced toward her office door.
“Come on,” I said quietly, brushing my hand against hers. “Ten minutes.”
