The middle of the day is always slow since everyone is out. Rarely are guests in here during the day with so much to experience.
The front door of the lodge opens andwow. Sam strides in, long legs eating up the distance. Spinning on my heel, I take a deep, centering breath.
And unbutton another button on my denim shirt. Because if this man won’t notice me, I’m not going to make it easy on him. I made sure to wear the nicer of our uniform shirts—paired with a pair of my sexiest heels—today just for this moment.
Sunglasses cover his eyes, and his usual cowboy hat rests on top of his head. The black T-shirt, with The Lost Spur logo, stretches across his chest.
Sam takes off his sunglasses and tucks them into his shirt collar.
“Where’s Reenie?” he asks.
I clasp my hands and lean across the desk, giving him my best flirty look. “She had to run some towels up.”
The vein in his jaw tics. I like getting a reaction out of him.
“Can I get the list of reservations for the afternoon? I want to be sure we’re ready.”
“I think I can rustle them up for you.”
Turning to the desk, I put a slight sway in my hips. Whether he notices or not, I don’t know.But ever since Sam kissed me, I can’t stop thinking about him.
All I want is to feel those lips on me again. To feel them trail warm paths along my body and make me come.He’s doing a great job of pretending like it didn’t happen.
As I turn back around, I notice there’s a fire in his eyes.
“Can I talk to you?” he growls.
“About what?” I play dumb.
“The guest list.” He snatches the papers from my hands.
“I—”
“Can you watch the desk, Reenie?” Sam asks, not letting me get a word in as Reenie walks back into the lobby.
“Umm, sure.”
She looks confused but shrugs a shoulder as I follow Sam to one of the back offices. As I shuffle behind him, he pulls me inside and kicks the door shut behind me.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
His thick arms are crossed over his chest. Resting my ass on the desk, I prop one ankle over the other, playing coy. “What do you mean?”
Sam takes a beat. His eyes are focused on mine. Before I know it, he’s crowding against me, his hand on my neck. “You’re a smart girl, Joey. You know what you’re doing.”
I wrap my fingers around his wrist. Not to push him away, but to keep him there. This close, I can see the gray peppering his stubble. The wrinkles around his eyes. How soft and plush his lips look.
I steel my spine. A man like Sam doesn’t beat around the bush. He doesn’t want games. And while my plan might have gotten him in here, I need to tell him what I want.
“What, like ignoring me?”
“You know why I’m doing it.”
“Tell me.”
I have a feeling I know the reason, but I want to hear him say it. To tell me that he wants me, but can’t because of our situation.
“Your dad.”
