She looked puzzled. “No. I’m here. I have my car,” she pointed out. “By the way, thank you again for fixing the wires the squirrels chewed.”
I chuckled. “No problem. Turned out not as bad as it could’ve been.”
“So anyway, I don’t need a ride,” she added.
For a beat, I was confused, but then remembered I’d asked her a question. Fuck me. This woman had my brain scrambled.
“I hope I can ride into town with Chloe or Elsa, but just because I don’t want to show up on my own. Do you guys have your own card night?”
I chuckled. “We do. Sometimes.”
I almost asked her—again—if she planned to eat dinner here at the resort. This conversation was starting to feel repetitive, and I realized the issue. I wanted to linger. I was usually a little more socially skilled than this.
Adele blinked up at me, and it was all I could do not to just kiss her. There was nothing about this moment that called for a kiss. Except we were alone, and even when I wasn’t alone with Adele…I wanted her. But this way I felt with her was so foreign. I felt like I was tiptoeing through a brand-new land, one whereI didn’t have a map, and it was filled with curious, unknown details.
Specifically—I didn’t know how to flirt anymore. Not with Adele. Not when we were alone.
I cleared my throat and tipped my head to the side and startled the hell out of myself when I said, “I want to kiss you.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Huh?”
Chapter Thirteen
ADELE
Just a flirt
I want to kiss you.
Cole’s loaded statement followed with my brilliant reply of “huh” and my rushing into the resort without a backward glance played on repeat in my thoughts.
“Oh my God.” I splashed cold water on my face in the bathroom over at the main resort. “What was I thinking?” I murmured to myself, shaking my head.
Well, I suppose that was the issue. Iwasn’tthinking.
Cole had this unique ability to simply stroll into my space and instantly, all rational thought vanished. Poof. Gone. Fled the building laughing, probably with an empty wineglass and a teasing grin.
I didn’t know what to do about my reaction to Cole. I was starting to think maybe I had made a huge mistake taking this job here. Epic, probably.
My panicky train of thought was interrupted by a light knock on the door.
“Shit,” I whispered to myself. I snatched the hand towel beside the sink, dabbing the water off my face. “Coming,” I said as I quickly opened the door.
One of the guests was waiting in the hallway. She smiled apologetically. “Sorry to rush you.”
“Oh, no worry. It’s a public bathroom,” I said, as if I needed to explain myself. “I was using the bathroom.” Good grief, I was officially the queen of obvious.
“Ready?” Chloe’s voice reached me as I began walking down the hallway.
I glanced over my shoulder to see her hurrying to catch up. “Yes. That’s why I came over. I wasn’t sure about the ride thing. We need to exchange numbers, or I’d have texted you to check.”
“Ask and you shall receive.” She grinned as she slipped her phone out of her purse.
In a second, I felt my phone vibrate. “You have my number?”
“Well, when I entered all your data for HR, I put your number on my phone. Not to be weird, but, you know, I knew I’d be needing to text you about something. I’m not being creepy.”
I chuckled. “I didn’t think you were being creepy, Chloe.”
