I turn to Sasha, who’s shaking with laughter. It’s probably killing her that the ice-queen routine’s just been blown to smithereens. She wipes a stray tear from the corner of her eye.
‘Sorry about that.’ Her lips twitch as she continues to battle control them.
I sit once again. ‘You’ve got your work cut out there.’
She rolls her eyes and I see where Victoria gets it from. ‘Oh, you have no idea.’
She’s right, I had no idea she was here alone, raising her sister, running an estate. None of it can be easy. The woman’s a fucking warrior.
She shakes her head and stands, running her palms over that skirt again, stoking a smouldering fire in my boxers.
Her eyes meet mine again, all trace of laughter replaced with a heat that sears my skin. ‘Right, I’ll get on top of it.’
Oh, I wish, Sasha. I fucking wish.
Still, the ice has thawed, marginally at least.
CHAPTERNINE
SASHA
24th November
‘Unsurprisingly, the bookings have gone through the roof.’ Megan reports in my office, handing over a double espresso. ‘And that’s with a fifty per cent price increase on all room rates. I know you hate overcharging but inflation is crazy right now. You’re running a business, not a charity.’
‘What about the restaurant bookings? We might have to hire more staff.’
‘We will, but they’re going to have to be security vetted if our rockstar guest is staying for the foreseeable future.’ She winks at me and licks her lips saucily.
‘Is that make-up you’re wearing – again? Come on, Sasha, spill the fucking beans. You don’t think I came down here to talk about work, did you?’
‘Well, it is your job! Youarethe hotel manager!’
‘And I’m also your oldest and wisest friend, which also makes it my job to make sure you’re ok.’ She perches on the edge of my desk, peering down at me.
‘I’m fine. Everything’s fine.’
‘Course it is.’ Megan shrugs, sarcasm heavy in her tone. ‘The rockstar you’ve spent the last ten years hating and pining over in equal measure has just returned to your family home. He’s walking round like a smoking-hot pile of sex on a stick, and you’re absolutely fine.’
‘I have a job to do, an estate to run, and a child to raise, in case you’ve forgotten. I don’t have oodles of time to squander thinking about him.’
‘Ah ha! But, if the whispers are true, the estate may be going on the market in the new year, and the child you’ve been hiding behind raising is only months away from turning eighteen. Edinburgh, isn’t it? The college Victoria’s looking at?’ She shoots me a knowing look.
It was foolish to think she had no idea about the extent of our financial difficulties. She’s as much a part of this place as I am. She wouldn’t be much of a manager if she wasn’t.
‘What are you going to do then? Sasha Sexton, twenty-eight years old, with no responsibilities, footloose and fancy free. God forbid, you might have to put yourself first, because, girl, you wouldn’t know where to start! It seems like a bit too much of a coincidence that Ryan-Runaway-Cooper returns when you might just be free enough to run after him this time.’
A less than ladylike snort bursts from my mouth. ‘I’m not running anywhere, and I’ll NEVER run after him!’
‘Pah! Word it however you like, runwithhim. Whatever.’
‘Even if I wanted to, which I don’t – I can’t actually stand the man – who’s to say he’d want me to?’ I flick my hair from my face, looking anywhere but directly at my best friend.
Megan shakes her head and grins. ‘You don’t hate him. You love him. You never stopped.’
‘Bullshit,’ I snort again.
‘You have no idea, do you? And the feeling is obviously mutual. Apart from the fact that Louise has told every single person in the building that Ryan Cooper was all over you like a bad rash, and, by all accounts, the smouldering looks you were giving each other almost set the estate on fire, if you actually listen to any of his albums, it doesn’t take a genius to work out who his muse is!’
