“Hi, Carly. This is Damon Landry from L&R Securities. Is Winston available?”
“Yes, one moment, please.”
Winston is the owner of an upscale boutique hotel and spa on the ritzy outskirts of Boston. His delightful British accent always makes me enjoy speaking with him, even if his personality is a little blunt. His property boasts two hundred acres that include the main hotel and spa, guest cottages, and a lake large enough for paddleboats, kayaks, and canoes. He also has a horse barn and offers trail rides and…
My brain takes a sharp left turn down Debauchery Avenue.
Liam in a cowboy hat on horseback would be so fucking hot. The way his hips would rock back and forth with the horse’s strides in a pair of tight jeans. I swallow my groan right as a voice comes on the other end of the line.
“Mr. Landry, I hope everything is alright? I can’t say I feel terribly warm and fuzzy knowing you’re on my phone.”
Always direct and to the point.
“Winston, yes, everything is just fine. No suspicious activity on your website or payroll software. I’m actually calling because I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor, you say?”
I smile, thinking about the refined man, pulling his glasses to the end of his nose as though he’s going to read something while smoking his cigar.
“Yes, sir. You see, I have a…” I trail off, not knowing how to classify Liam. Would Winston accept the termboyfriend? Is that even what Li is? We certainly haven’t discussed it, but that’s what he told the girl in the gym. My skin grows warm. Fuck, I need to pick something, so I settle on ‘friend’ and get my head back in the game. This conversation is important. “He’s in the hospitality industry already, but has shown interest in getting into the lodging side of things instead of charters and excursions, which is what he does now. I strongly believe he’d like to open his own bed-and-breakfast one day, but he could really benefit from experience in an immaculate place like yours that’s well run and has an excellent business model.” I rant for far too long, but I’ve found in business, it often helps to grease wheels before asking for favors.
However, Winston cuts me off.
“Damon, ask your question. I’m a busy man.”
“Sorry, sir,” I say quickly. “Do you think you could find a place for my friend and possibly teach him the invaluable lessons you’ve learned since opening the doors of Bluewater?”
“I’m afraid we’re not terribly busy at the moment as it’s our off-season,” he starts, but I refuse to acceptnoas an answer.
“If you’ll agree to take him on, I’ll pay his hourly wage, but you have to promise not to tell him.”
So much for not keeping secrets.
“Now why would you do…ah,” he says a moment later. “This gentleman is more than a friend to you, isn’t he?” the old bastard says, hitting the rusty fucking nail on the head.
“Yes.” No point in denying it. All it would take for him to learn the truth is to be in the same room as Liam and me.
A soft chuckle hits my ears. “Your secret’s safe with me. I’ll work with him for two months at your expense. If he’s worth as much as you seem to think he is, I’ll move him to my payroll when my season picks up in May.”
“Thank you so much, Winston. You won’t regret it. I plan to tell him the good news by the end of the week, and I’ll have him reach out for the details next Monday,” I say excitedly.
“Very well,” he says before the line goes dead.
I sink back into the couch.
It feels good to provide Liam with an opportunity, but I have a sick feeling in my stomach because it will keep him in Boston, and I want him to come home more than anything in the world.
God, am I really doing this?
Chapter 24
Liam
It’s cold out today, but not unbearable. The high is probably in the upper twenties, and I’m comfortably warm, thanks to my heated morning with Damon. My skin is still warm with the hum of desire flowing through my veins.
The higher I go on the mountain, the fewer people there are, and I’m getting kind of nervous that I won’t have anyone to go down with when a familiar face greets me in line for the lift.
Mountains out west can be overwhelming to navigate, but I’m actually having fun choosing where to go and figuring out how to get there. You have to ski to one section in order to get over to a certain lift that will take you to mid mountain, then you have to ride another one to be able to access the slope that has the lift youreallyneed at the bottom of it. It can take half an hour just to get to the terrain you want to ski, even if there are no lift lines.
