The Barrington Brothers. New York’s most irresistible bachelors.

After finally dumping her controlling fiancé, Chey Rodgers is ready to live life on her own terms. Moving to New York to complete her undergrad degree is step one—but getting snowed in with a sensual stranger isn’t part of the plan! Now Chey can’t stop fantasizing about the incredible lover she never expects to see again. Until her new professor walks into the classroom...

Successful corporate attorney Hunter Barrington has one semester to prove himself at his alma mater. He’s put to the test when the sultry beauty who shared his bed at a Utah ski resort reappears in his life. A secret romance with his student could cost Hunter his academic future—especially when a scheming colleague sets her sights on the eligible lawyer. Will Hunter and Chey be able to avoid scandal and attain their dreams without sacrificing their passion?

“Is this how you imagined your liberating solo vacation would turn out?”

“Not at all.”

“Me neither.” Hunter sniffed out a chuckle. “This is actually better than I thought it would be.”

Chey craned her neck, tossing Hunter a baffled look.

“I never thought I’d end up with a beautiful woman in my arms as we sat in front of a fireplace with a view of mountains beckoning at my side.”

Chey’s cheeks burned. She turned back toward the fire and let her head settle in the center of Hunter’s chest. No words were necessary. Hunter was right. Despite all that had gone wrong, she could have never called this and was grateful that she didn’t have to endure this alone. What would she have done had Hunter made his flight home on the first day?

“You smell amazing.” Hunter’s voice had reduced to a husky whisper.

“Thank you.” Chey smiled but didn’t turn around. “It’s one of my creations.” If Hunter kept it up, they would no longer need the fireplace for heat.

“You made that?”

“Yep.”

“That’s some talent.” She felt Hunter nod.

“You don’t smell so bad yourself,” Chey teased.

“Thanks!” Silence. Then laughter.

As the laughter subsided, Chey noticed how Hunter instinctively rubbed her arm. His touch alone was enough to keep her warm.

Dear Reader,

I’m so very excited to share with you the second novel in the Barrington Brothers series, His Love Lesson. On this journey you will meet Chey Rodgers, a woman who is ready to take life on in a brand-new way. But the last thing she ever expected was for her plans to be intercepted by Hunter, the oldest of the Barrington brothers.

Chey Rodgers has put the past behind her and looks forward to a much brighter future—one where she finally puts her desires first. Her mind is on her career, not a relationship—until she crosses paths with Hunter. Chey may not think she’s ready to let another man into her life, but for some reason, she can’t keep her mind off Hunter. When they finally connect it’s explosive, but then people and circumstances force them apart. Will they be able find their way back to each other? Together they will learn a valuable lesson in love.

Find out how Hunter finds his way back to Chey. I truly hope you enjoy their journey.

Happy reading!

Nicki Night

His Love Lesson
Nicki Night

www.millsandboon.co.uk

NICKI NIGHT is an edgy hopeless romantic who enjoys creating stories of love and new possibilities. Nicki has a penchant for adventure and is currently working on penning her next romantic escapade. Nicki resides in the city dreams are made of, but occasionally travels to her treasured seaside hideaway to write in seclusion. She enjoys hearing from readers and can be contacted on Facebook, through her website at nickinight.com, or via email at NickiNightwrites@gmail.com.

This book is dedicated to Benny Daniel, my hero and the man who taught me how to go after what I want without fear! Enjoy heaven, Dad!

Acknowledgments

Well, here I am again. First and foremost, I must thank God for the doors that He’s opened. He gets all the glory for everything I’ve ever accomplished.

I’m excited to deliver my second romance novel to the world, which wouldn’t have been possible without many great, wonderful and brilliant people! To all the readers of Her Chance at Love, thank you for giving me a chance. To my editor and the entire team at Mills & Boon. Glenda Howard and Shannon Criss, thanks for all you do. To my literary sisters, Zuri Day, Donna Hill, Brenda Jackson, Beverly Jenkins, Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley, thanks for your ears, advice, time and friendship.

To the best support system in the world, the love of my life, Les, the Daniels Clan and my entire family, thank you for always being there for me. To my girls, for keeping me inspired, laughing and for buying every book, I love you all dearly.

#DreamEnormously darlings!

Ciao,

Nicki

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Copyright

Chapter 1

“Is this the runaway bride?”

“Runaway fiancée! Get it right. We weren’t married yet,” Chey Rodgers said, snickering at her witty response to her sister’s greeting. Deanna was obviously amused. Chey cut into her fit of giggles. “How’s Mom and Dad, silly?” she said as she folded her legs under her bottom on the loveseat in her tiny living room.

“Dad is Dad. Mom is...Mom. Same snarky old woman!” Deanna laughed but stopped abruptly. “Don’t tell her I said that.” She laughed again. Chey shook her head and smiled. Her sister always managed to lighten her mood.

“I called her, but she didn’t answer.” Sometimes it was a relief when her mother didn’t answer. They were still at odds about Chey’s move.

“She’s probably out with the church ladies.”

Chey looked at the date on her laptop screen next to her on the loveseat. “You’re right. It’s Thursday. I’ll call her in the morning.”

“You know she’s still upset about everything that happened. She can’t seem to understand why you broke off the engagement and ran off to New York so quickly, or ‘that big ole city,’ as she puts it.”

“Deanna, I’ve tried to explain that to her so many times. You guys don’t know the Todd that I know. I couldn’t attach myself to him till death did us part.” Chey twisted her lips, mocking the twisted way people chose to see her big move. “I’ve been planning to go back to school for so long. I know this whole thing seems scary to Mom, but this was my chance and New York is where I need to be for what I want to do.”

“So...” Deanna paused. “How’s the big city treating you?” she said.

“New York has been great so far.”

“Have you heard from him yet?” Deanna asked cautiously.

“No.” Thank God.

“I’m surprised. You left months ago.” She seemed disappointed.

“Our relationship was over way before it was officially over. He’s so self-absorbed. He probably thinks he’s punishing me by staying away.” Chey rolled her eyes as she thought about her manipulative ex-fiancé. She hadn’t called to talk about Todd Coleman. He had finally been relocated to his rightful place in her life—the past. “I cut my hair.” She changed the subject and instinctively ran her fingers through her short crop.

“Really!” Deanna squealed. “I can’t believe it. How much did you cut?”

“All of it.”

“Uh! Excuse me?”

“I got one of those pixie cuts.”

“Oh my goodness, Chey! I have to see it. Send me a picture.”

“I will. Oh! And I can’t wait to start school.” Chey scrunched her shoulders in excitement.

“When do your classes begin?”

“End of January. I’m taking a little vacation to celebrate before I start.”

“Wow. I can’t imagine going back to writing papers and attending classes again. You’ve wanted to do this for so long.”

“I know, but what could I do? We simply ran out of money and since the shop wasn’t doing well, Mom and Dad couldn’t help. It was almost depressing, seeing my classmates graduate without me. Once the shop started doing better, I could finally afford to save enough to go back.

“We have you to thank for that! It will all work out. You deserve this. Good luck! Where are you going for vacation?”

“Near Salt Lake City, Utah.”

Chey pulled the phone away from her ear when her sister screamed, “What the hell is in Utah?”

“I booked an amazing villa. I plan to ski, snowboard, drink hot chocolate in front of a cozy fire and work on that book that I’ve wanted to write forever.”

“I’m going to have to report this identity theft because you’re clearly not my sister.”

“This is just the beginning,” Chey declared.

“I love it! I may need to take a page from your book. I could use some excitement. Maybe I’ll come for a visit. You know how much New York City intrigues me.”

“Great idea! Let’s put it on the calendar.”

“It’s a plan!” Deanna gasped. “But I’ll wait until your spring break. That cold weather is unbearable. Anyway, I gotta run, sis! I just realized I’m late for a conference call. You know how it is dealing with coworkers on the West Coast. The time difference is a killer. Give me a call tomorrow. Okay? Love ya.” Deanna ended the call before Chey could say goodbye.

Since Deanna was a data analyst who worked from home, she was always mindful of making sure her bosses knew that she was a diligent employee. Even though she often worked from their parents’ variety shop, she was sure to get her reports in and respond to emails or calls as quickly as possible so her bosses would never have to question her dedication or whereabouts. She needed this job, since the family business didn’t pay much at all.

Chey laid the phone on the side table closest to the loveseat and walked over to the mirror near the door. Twisting her head, she took in the sleek look of her new hairstyle and ran her fingers through it once again. She recalled how nervous she’d felt when she’d sat in the hairdresser’s chair with a picture of Halle Berry and told her she wanted to look like that.

When the stylist finished, she’d been shocked at how different she looked. At first she’d wondered if her sudden change had been too drastic. In the days following, Chey would absentmindedly attempt to run her fingers through her hair and be reminded that she had chopped all of it off. As the days passed, Chey had received loads of compliments at her part-time job and eventually became so pleased with the style that she wondered why she hadn’t cut it before. Her new look highlighted her high cheekbones and made her big brown eyes pop in a good way. Then she remembered. She’d kept it long because Todd preferred that length.

Feeling free and light was becoming addictive. Chey had taken other actions and made plans to do things she had wanted to do for years. Now that she was no longer tied to Todd, she did whatever she desired and it felt great!

Chey’s phone rang. She walked over to retrieve her cell from the side table. She didn’t recognize the number but did recognize the area code as being from her hometown in Virginia. It had to be someone she knew.

“Hello,” she said in the same courteous tone she used at work.

“Chey?” Todd’s greeting sounded more like a scolding.

Chey hadn’t heard from him since the day she left home three months before. She resisted the initial urge to hang up. There was no reason to hide from him.

“Hello, Todd.” She kept her tone professional.

“I’ve given you enough time to get over whatever little fit you’ve been having. It’s time for you to come home. I need you here.”

Chey found herself laughing at how ridiculous he sounded. “You can’t be serious.”

“You find this funny?” He was clearly annoyed.

“As a matter of fact, I do. It’s not that at all, is it? You don’t like the idea of me being independent. You can’t handle the fact that I walked away from you! This is a joke!”

“This has gone on long enough.”

Chey dropped her head into her free hand and shook it. “Todd. We’re done. I have a new life. I truly wish you the best with yours.”

“Tell me where you are.”

“Goodbye, Todd.” Chey ended the call, but not before hearing him declare that he would find her.

Chey walked to the refrigerator and pulled out the bottle of champagne she’d purchased to bring in the New Year. Suddenly she felt as if there was no need to wait the few days. She popped open the bottle and toasted to all the fresh starts of the past few months and the ones on the horizon.

Chapter 2

Hunter looked across the roomful of people at his brother Blake snuggled up against his fiancée, Cadence, on the couch and wondered if settling down was somewhere in his future. No one ever anticipated Blake finding a wife before his big brother, Hunter, who was more laid-back. Drew, forget about it! As the youngest, he was the rebel, completely commitment phobic and having way too much fun running through as many women in as many countries as he possibly could. Jade Donnelly, the only woman the family thought could have been “the one” for Drew, had run off with a chunk of his heart and was never to be seen again. Hunter believed that there was a slight possibility that Drew might have been holding out for her return.

“Hey, bro. You don’t hear me talking to you.” Drew pulled Hunter from his thoughts, bringing him back to the roomful of music and people attending his brother’s New Year’s Eve party.

“What’s up?” he asked, sipping the champagne in his hand.

“I said, look at Blake—he’s a sucker for love.” Drew’s infectious laugh roared, garnering the attention of nearby guests.

“Yeah! Rightfully so, though. Cadence is a great catch.”

“You’re right. I’m just teasing. She’s good people!” Drew took a long swig of his beer. “What about you? You think you’ll find someone that would make you want to quit the singles game?”

“I don’t know, li’l bro. I don’t know.” Hunter sipped again.

For a moment, Drew seemed caught in pensive thoughts. “I don’t know either.”

“What about Alana? The two of you went out before, right?”

For a quick second, Drew looked uncomfortable. “Hmm, Alana,” he said with a puzzled expression. Hunter gave him a look that told him he wasn’t buying his poor attempt at acting as though he didn’t know whom he was talking about. “Oh! Pfft!” He waved his hand dismissively. “She’s cool.”

“Ha!” Hunter shook his head at him and continued sipping.

“Hey, Hunter!” said some girl dressed in baby pink, looking like a happy Easter egg.

“Hey...” He hesitated, trying to figure out if he knew her name.

“Tricia,” she paused a moment, apparently waiting for some sign of recognition to spread across Hunter’s face. “I recently joined the New York Association of Attorneys.”

“Oh! Okay.” Hunter had no idea who this woman was. “Nice to see you, Tricia.” He held out his hand to shake hers. She was pretty enough not to forget. Hunter discreetly took in her curves. Obviously, he wasn’t inconspicuous enough. She smiled seductively and arched her back slightly, giving him an unobstructed view of her ample cleavage.

“I guess I’ll see you around,” she said, then turned slowly and swayed her hips, leaving an imprint on Hunter’s mind with her seductive gait.

“Who is that?” Drew reappeared by his side, ogling the woman as she walked away.

“Tricia!”

“Tricia?”

“Yeah...Tricia,” Hunter said, still eyeing her. Though she was beautiful, he already knew she wasn’t “the one” kind of material.

Hunter shook his head hard. Why was he even thinking like that? He hadn’t been assessing the women he met in order to determine if any of them might be “the one” material before. Maybe he was just caught up in all the love oozing from Blake and Cadence.

Hunter looked over at Drew, who was still taking Tricia in, and laughed. He was at a New Year’s Eve party. It was time to act like it. Old-school R & B floated through the hidden speakers. People were bunched in groups, chatting, laughing and sipping everything from hard liquor to bottles of water.

“Hey, Blake!” he yelled, snaking through the lively crowd with his empty flute leading the way. “It’s almost midnight! We need to get more champagne in here.”

Hunter’s announcement caused a stir of cheer. Excitement rose in the atmosphere.

Blake gave Cadence a quick peck, which brought a sweet smile to her face, and then jumped up. “Let’s get some more bottles from the cellar.”

“Turn on the TV!” Alana, Cadence’s best friend, shouted. “We have to watch the ball drop!”

Hunter and Drew accompanied Blake to his basement to retrieve more chilled bottles of champagne. When they returned, the crowd made a show of cheering them on as they carefully balanced several bottles in their arms on their way to the table reserved for beverages. Blake danced to the music as he opened a few of the bottles.

The party flowed on, getting louder as it drew closer to midnight. Hunter caught Tricia watching him from across the room. Nodding, he acknowledged her but kept his distance—surprising himself. Any other time, he would have had a pretty girl like that eating from his skillful hands, enjoying flirtatious chatter as he competently weakened her resolve—if in fact there was any resolve to weaken. Hunter simply smiled and raised his glass to her.

Despite the frenzy surrounding him, Hunter retreated into his own thoughts. He’d caught Tricia’s continued glances. Her seductive smile was stamped on his mind’s eye. Being a man who was keen on women’s behavior, he summed her up in seconds. Though she was beautiful, she seemed a little too eager. Like many men, Hunter loved the chase. He didn’t mind putting in a little work to earn a woman’s affection. The challenge was intoxicating.

“Thirty seconds!” With her champagne glass held high, Cadence yelled, “It’s almost time!”

Hunter became aware of his surroundings once again, taking in the excited voices and the clamor of the guests gathering in front of Blake’s TV. On the large flat-screen, the camera panned across the thick crowd of people in Times Square before cutting to the crystal-encrusted ball. The ticker on the TV indicated that there were only twenty seconds left in the year. Blake made his way to Cadence’s side. The sight of Drew being so close to Alana wasn’t lost on Hunter. He felt Tricia’s eyes on him from across the room. Everyone joined the countdown for the last ten seconds. As they drew closer to the final moments left in the year, excitement crackled in the air like fireworks.

“Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!” they all shouted in unison.

Glasses lifted in the air before sips and swallows drained them dry. Blake had taken Cadence in his arms. They kissed as if no one else were in the room. When Drew hugged Alana, it lingered. Lovers became entranced in deep long lip-locks. Others shared hearty hugs and friendly pecks. Hunter gave his brothers, cousins and a few male friends high fives.

After pulling back from his cousin Lance Barrington, he noticed Tricia had slid across the room and was now standing at his side. Mischief sparkled in her eyes as she raised her glass and said “Happy New Year” before wrapping her pink-painted lips around the rim of her champagne glass. Hunter felt as though a match had been lit somewhere in his loins. Tilting his glass, he too took a sip, never breaking eye contact.

Hunter licked his lips and winked. A smile exploded across Tricia’s face.

“Don’t I get a hug?” she asked seductively.

“You can have more than that,” Hunter leaned forward to kiss Tricia on her cheek. Just before his lips landed, she turned, surprising him with her plump lips. Hunter wasn’t one to shy away from a challenge and in response gently parted his mouth. She received his tongue zealously.

Hunter knew right then that she would end up in his bed, but he also knew that she definitely wasn’t “the one.”

Chapter 3

The week had gone by in a flash and despite Hunter’s attempt to be prepared for his annual trip with his frat brothers, he found himself doing a lot of last-minute running around before hitting the road.

“Mom! Dad!” he called out as he entered his parents’ home in Long Island through the garage entrance.

“I’m in here, baby!” Joyce, his mother, called out from their laundry room.

Hunter followed the sound of her voice. “Hey, Ma!”

“Hey, honey!” Joyce reached up on her toes to give her eldest son a hug and kiss. “Are you all ready for your trip?” Joyce turned back to the clothes she’d just washed. “I don’t see why you need to go all the way to Utah when we’ve got enough snow right here in New York,” she said, snapping the towel she’d just pulled from the dryer.

Hunter laughed. “You know we try to go to different resorts every year. This will be our first time in Utah. Everyone is pretty excited about it.”

“Well, I guess that’s good, then. Your dad hasn’t gotten back from the gym yet.”

“Why didn’t you go with him?”

Joyce stopped what she was doing and looked at Hunter with twisted lips. “Your daddy bugs me when we go to the gym together. I have to do things at my pace. At my age, I’m not trying to be Serena Williams. Daddy doesn’t understand that, so we go to the gym separately.”

“Ha! Dad is still pretty competitive.”

“Yes, he is! Now, what time are you leaving?”

“Six in the morning. I have a few more errands to do, but I wanted to see you and Dad before I left.”

“Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

“Just a cup of coffee.”

Joyce folded the last towel and set it neatly on top of the others. “If you have time, let me make you a quick breakfast and he should be here by the time you finish eating.”

Hunter couldn’t say no to spending time with his mother. “Can you make me an egg sandwich?”

“That’s all you want?”

“Ma! You make the best egg sandwiches.” Hunter’s smile nearly split his face in half. “Nobody prepares them like you.”

Joyce shook her head and carried the laundry basket with her to the kitchen with Hunter on her heels. She washed her hands and then somehow guided the conversation in the direction of Hunter still being single.

“How are you going to let Blake get married before you? Do you even want to get married? I don’t know about you young people these days. Everyone wants to stay single. What kind of life is that? You need someone to rock on the porch with when you get old.” Joyce propped her hands on her hips.

“I didn’t say I don’t want to get married. I just haven’t found the right woman.”

“Are you even looking?” Joyce frowned, then turned her attention to the frying pan on the stove.

Hunter cleared his throat and then heard the churn of the garage door. He was saved! Jumping up, he headed for the door leading to the garage to greet his father as he pulled in.

“Hey, Dad!”

“Hey, boy! What brings you by?”

“I leave for my trip tomorrow. I just came by to see you guys before I left.”

“Oh, yeah! Tell the fellows I said hello.”

“Will do!”

Floyd stepped in carefully and walked over to Joyce in their sizable kitchen with a limp. Joyce inclined her head toward her tall husband. Floyd kissed her forehead. Something that all the towering Barrington men did with her.

“What happened to you?” She looked down at his leg.

“I think I pulled a muscle at the gym.”

She looked at Hunter with a look that said, See what I mean? Hunter chuckled.

“Go on and get your shower. I’ll fix you something to eat.”

“Thanks, babe!”

Hunter assumed that the interruption of his father’s entrance was enough to shift the conversation. To his dismay, Joyce went right back to the same subject.

“Well? Are you looking?”

“No, Ma. I haven’t exactly been looking, but I do think I’ll know when the right one comes along.”

Joyce placed Hunter’s plate in front of him and poured a glass of orange juice for each of them. She took a sip and eyed Hunter. When he noticed how intently she was watching him, he stopped chewing and looked back at her curiously.

“Humph. I hope she comes along sometime soon. I’d love to have a few grandchildren before I leave this world. I need granddaughters to leave my jewelry to.”

Hunter chuckled and began eating again.

“So, the woman you left Blake’s house with on New Year’s Eve apparently wasn’t the right one?”

Hunter almost choked on the chunk of egg sandwich he’d just bitten. For a quick moment, he wondered how his mother knew, but he was sure it had to be Drew who’d opened his huge mouth. He was the youngest and had been the tattletale since they were kids. Only he told everyone’s business except his own.

“Let me guess! You spoke to Drew?”

“Humph.” Joyce didn’t confirm or deny anything. “You’re thirty-two now, honey. It’s time to do what men do. Find a nice woman, have a family and take care of them just like your dad did. Trust me. You don’t want to grow old alone.”

Hunter quickly finished his sandwich so he could make a clean exit. He thanked his mother and ran upstairs to chat with his father before leaving. As he walked out the door, Joyce called out to him.

“Don’t forget. You’re a Barrington, son. Don’t waste too much time with women who aren’t well intentioned enough to bear your last name. The Barringtons worked some of the biggest, most important cases in our African-American history. You know they wanted your dad to run for office, but he refused—said he didn’t do politics.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Hunter stood erect and saluted his mother. He’d heard the stories all of his life. Of course he was proud of his family’s legacy.

Joyce tossed the cloth she was using to clean the counter at him. He caught it, carried it back to her and pulled her into a tight hug.

“See you when I get back, lady,” he said and bent over to kiss her on her forehead.

Hunter jumped into his SUV, revved the engine and pulled out of his parents’ wide driveway. Down the road his phone rang. He answered the call through the car’s Bluetooth system.

“Hey there, cutie.” Tricia’s seductive voice warmed the inside of the vehicle.

“Hey, yourself.”

“Are you ready for your trip?”

“Almost. I still have a few errands to run.”

“Want me to come over tonight and help you finish packing? I’ll make it worth your while.”

Joyce’s words came crashing into his thoughts. Don’t waste too much time with women who aren’t well intentioned enough to bear your last name. He couldn’t say he didn’t enjoy Tricia’s company. Any man with the senses he’d been born with would enjoy a woman like her. Yet Hunter knew he wasn’t interested in her for the long term and in that moment decided that he’d cut this thing short as soon as he got back from his trip. As for now, he’d try to find a way to politely let her down. Maybe.

“That would be nice, but with all that I have to do, I wouldn’t even have the time to enjoy your company. My flight leaves at six in the morning, which means I have to get up and out of the house by no later than four fifteen, four thirty at the latest.”

“I could stay the night.”

“I’d hate to wake you that early and you have to go to work.”

“I wouldn’t mind. I doubt we’d be doing much sleeping anyway. I’ll just down a five-hour energy drink to get me through the next day. I’ve done it before.”

Hunter fell silent. When she said that she’d done it before, he wasn’t sure if she was referring to downing the energy drink or staying up half the night with another man. He preferred not to ask.

“That didn’t sound right, did it?” She laughed. He didn’t laugh. “In any case. I’ll be home early. Call me if you want me to come by. I’ll be waiting,” she crooned.

“Okay...” Hunter paused there, refusing to finish with the words at the edge of his tongue, I will. That was because he knew he wouldn’t. “I’ll call you when I get back so we can have dinner. How’s that?”

“Bummer! I wanted to see you before you left.” She groaned. “Enjoy your trip. I’ll see you when you get back.”

Hunter thought it impolite to end their rendezvous in any other way than in person and tonight he truly didn’t have the time to deal with that. Besides, waiting until next week would give him time to come up with a mannerly way to let her know that despite the fun they had during the past week, he wasn’t interested in pursuing a relationship with her. Those conversations never went well, and he didn’t expect this one to be any better.

Chapter 4

With just a few days left before her trip, Chey could barely concentrate. There was so much to do, including going to her new school to pay the small remainder of tuition that was left after her partial scholarship, and getting her schedule. She couldn’t remember a more exciting time in her life. She hadn’t been this eager while planning the wedding that had never happened. Deep down, she knew that accepting Todd’s ring had been a mistake. The last draw had been when he’d ordered her to stop wasting time “tinkering with those silly perfumes” that she used to make in her kitchen. Little did he know they were bestsellers at her parents’ store and had saved them from having to close the shop’s doors. Not only had the perfume sales pulled the shop’s finances out of the red, but they’d allowed her to save enough money to move up north and finish her last semester so that she could finally obtain her bachelor’s degree. Patrons had come into the shop all the time pining for her latest creations, loving the aromatic essence of her skin-care products and perfumes—and still did. Before leaving Virginia, she’d made a huge batch of the few varieties the customers liked the most so that her parents wouldn’t run out of stock while she was in New York.

New York—the city where dreams came true! Chey twirled in her tiny one-bedroom apartment with her hands outstretched. She was looking forward to fulfilling her dream of finally getting her degree as a chemist and launching her career as a perfumer. This city was the perfect place for her profession. She fantasized about working for companies like Estelle London, designing fragrances and creating skin-care products, or even opening up her own cosmetics company.

Chey flopped down on her bed and lay back, thinking of all of the possibilities until her phone rang, interrupting her musings. Sitting up, she reached for the phone and when she recognized Todd’s number, she sent it to voice mail and tossed the phone aside. Unfortunately, she couldn’t get back to that pleasant state of mind, because Todd’s call had taken her off course.

Chey got up to finish packing when she swore she heard someone calling her name. At first she ignored it. In the three months that she’d been in the city, she hadn’t befriended many people. She folded a few thermal shirts to wear under her sweaters and placed them in her suitcase when she heard her name again. This time she was sure of it. What puzzled her most was that the voice sounded much like Todd’s.

Chey ran to the window, looked down onto the street and balked. Moving back, she hoped he hadn’t seen her. Todd called her again. How had he found her?

“I saw you, Chey. Now please, open the door.”

Chey couldn’t believe this was happening. Containing a sudden urge to scream, she balled up her fists and traipsed four flights down to the entrance. She wanted to leave him there but figured that ignoring him would cause a scene.

Chey swung the door open. Todd stood there looking foolish to her with a bouquet of flowers that had been purchased from the corner store at the end of her block. It was an obvious afterthought.

Holding the flowers out to her, he asked, “Can I come in already? It’s freezing out here.”

Chey rolled her eyes, snatched the flowers from his hand and turned around. Todd followed her up to her apartment. Once inside, Chey turned around and faced him with her arms across her chest.

“How did you find me?”

“It was easy.” Todd scrunched his face, dismissing her question. “Your mother eventually told my mother. She was concerned.” He clapped his hands. “Now let’s talk about you coming on home.” He spoke to her, but his eyes took in the small neat space around them. “This is where you’re living?” he asked with an expression that resembled disgust.

“Yes, this is where I’m living, and no, I’m not coming home.” Chey took a breath. She was going to have to speak to her mother—again! She’d asked her not to tell Todd that she’d moved to New York. No matter how many times she said it, she couldn’t convince Mrs. Rodgers that Todd wasn’t the right man for her. She had been concerned only with the fact that he would have been a great provider. Coming from humble means, Chey understood but wasn’t willing to let her dreams die under Todd’s misogynistic thumb.

Exasperated, Todd grunted. “Okay, what’s this really about?” Chey couldn’t believe his attitude. “I’ve given you time. You should be back in Virginia planning our wedding.”

“Todd! There won’t be a wedding!”

“What’s gotten into you?” He looked genuinely confused.

“Sense! That’s what!”

His face changed; his new look bordered anger. “You’re saying being with me didn’t make sense. I’m a prominent attorney. Need I remind you that I’m being promoted to partner? I come from a wealthy family. Certainly it makes more sense for you to be with me than any other man. Who else could offer the life I’m capable of providing for you?” His expression changed again as if he’d just put the pieces of a puzzle together. “That’s it! There’s another man.” Todd stepped past her as if he would find him in the apartment. “Where is he?”

“Todd!” Chey dropped her head and groaned. “There’s no other man!”

“So why did you run away?”

“Ugh! I don’t want to marry you?”

“Why on earth not?” Todd was baffled.

“Because you don’t respect me?”

Todd gave a dismissive wave. “Of course I do.”

“No, you don’t. I have no interest in being the kind of wife you’re looking for.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Todd remained clearly confused.

“I want to work, make my own living. I have a dream to become a perfumer.” Todd cut his eyes toward the ceiling. “See what I mean? That’s my passion and I can’t be with a man who wants to control every facet of my life and would never support my dreams.”

“Your dream is silly! I mean, really. Who makes a living creating concoctions in the kitchen sink? My wife doesn’t need to work. Your job would be to raise our kids. Wouldn’t that be enough?”

Chey couldn’t stand there another moment. How could someone young have such a dated outlook on life? “Get out, Todd!”

He stared at her, not believing she had ordered him to leave.

“Playtime is over!” he bellowed. “This is becoming embarrassing. I’m tired of my family’s questions about your whereabouts. This stops here.” Todd looked around and walked toward the suitcase that Chey was packing for her trip. “You’re going somewhere?”

“Yes!”

“Where?” He closed in on her, demanding an answer with his words and presence.

“That’s none of your business.” Chey crossed her arms, refusing to back down.

“You are my business!” He stomped. Chey stepped back and looked at him incredulously. Todd huffed. “See how angry you make me? Let’s go. Now!”

“Todd! For the last time. I’m. Not. Leaving. Here!”

Todd looked as though he hadn’t understood a word she’d said.

“Let me make this clear. We’re through. I’m never going to marry you. I have legitimate desires and dreams. I’m going to finish school and become a professional perfumer whether you think it’s a ridiculous idea or not. I don’t care how much money your family has, I don’t want to be a housewife. I have a life of my own—goals of my own. I will no longer be controlled or manipulated by you or anyone else. Get it!”

Todd glared at her through angry slits for eyes. “You don’t mean any of that!”

“I mean every word.”

“Where will you find another man like me? Huh? Someone who is willing to give you everything? You’re unappreciative—always have been. The women at home are clamoring for a man like me and you want to throw me away like spoiled meat.”

“Hopefully, I won’t ever find another man like you. And now that I’m gone, tell Cynthia she can have you!” Shock registered in every muscle across Todd’s face. “Yes, I know all about Cynthia. Now she can upgrade her status from cheating sidekick to a real girlfriend for once in her life.” Chey felt horrible saying those things, dredging up hurtful memories, but convinced herself that they needed to be said. She still had more to say. Todd closed his gaping mouth. He didn’t need to respond; his reaction confirmed everything Chey needed to know. “I won’t be like your mother. Sitting around bored out of her mind while your father traipses around the country doing as he pleases with whomever he pleases.”

“You...you don’t mean that.” Todd’s mouth twisted in anger. “Take that back!” he stabbed his finger in her direction.

“I won’t!”

Todd whirled around and headed for the door. With his hand on the knob, he turned back to scowl at Chey one last time. “When this silly—” he waved his hand around the room “—plan of yours fails, you’ll be back. You’d just better hope it’s not too late. Maybe I’ll have some pity for you and consider still taking you as my wife.”

“Don’t worry about that, Todd. I could never marry a man I didn’t love.”

With that, Todd stormed out the door and slammed it hard behind him. Chey could hear him clomping down the steps. She sighed with relief. She didn’t have to hide anymore. She was now completely free to live her life as she pleased. No more Todd. No more controlling men, period! Possibly no more well-off men either, since the ones she encountered all seemed to possess the need to control the women in their lives.

She was pressing the restart button, but first she needed to get her mother on the phone to let her know how upset she felt. She couldn’t believe Mrs. Rodgers had told Todd where she lived.

Chapter 5

“Ugh!” Hunter wiped his hands down his face in frustration. His grunt rumbled through the villa.

“Let me guess...another delay,” Eric, Hunter’s frat brother, said as he rolled his suitcase toward the door.

Dave, another of Hunter’s frat brothers, scrunched his face, not wanting to add any speculation to the already bad situation. Hunter and Dave, along with Eric and Sam, had just spent the entire week enjoying extreme winter sports on Powder Mountain in Salt Lake City, Utah. Since college, they’d made some kind of adventurous voyage every year, from riding ATVs along the beaches and mountainsides of Costa Rica to Jet Skiing and girl watching off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.

“Yep!” Hunter paced the floor in front of the TV perched over the fireplace, flanked by two mounted moose heads. His hands were positioned at his hips as he tried to think of other ways to get back home to New York City.

Sam, the coolest one of the bunch, sat on the sofa and propped his feet up against the rustic coffee table. “Listen, if you can’t get out of here today—” he turned his attention from the TV to Hunter “—just chill for another day or so and head home when the weather calms down a little. You’re the boss. Who’s going to scold you for not going to work on Monday? Your dad?” His shoulders shook when he laughed.

Sam’s casual demeanor was starting to get on Hunter’s nerves. “I need to get home ASAP. You wouldn’t be saying that if your flight was delayed.”

“That’s why I moved to sunny Atlanta. We don’t have those problems. The weather is hot and the women are, too.”

All four men laughed at Sam’s last comment. Eric, who lived in Miami, simply shrugged his shoulders as if to say Sam’s point was completely valid.

Dave was the only one who offered any kind of sympathy. “Maybe you should just come to the airport and see if you can possibly get another flight. Maybe they could reroute you.”

“I don’t think it will make a difference. This storm is quickly moving from the Midwest to the East Coast. It’s pretty bad. We would be flying right into it. If it weren’t for the fact that you were heading to LA before going home to Chicago, you’d be dealing with the same delays.”

“Wait! Turn that up?” Sam put his feet down and sat straight up as he pointed to the TV.

Hunter tossed Sam the remote. He didn’t want to be the one cranking up the volume on his own misfortune.

“What did he just say?” Sam inclined his ear toward the television.

The four of them abruptly turned their attention to the reporter delivering the breaking news as Sam raised the volume even more. The talking head delivering local news told them that several flights out of Salt Lake City were being canceled.

“Time to go!” Sam jumped to his feet. “I’ve got some honeys waiting for me back home. I can’t be stuck in this place for another day.”

“I haven’t seen you move this fast since you thought you saw your ex in that restaurant with another man the last time we were in Atlanta,” Eric said, doubled over in laughter.

“Didn’t you just tell me not to worry—just take another day?” Hunter mocked, then tossed him a skeptical look.

“I can’t get stuck here. Let’s get to this airport now!” Sam was at the door with his bags within seconds.

Each body moved with a heightened sense of urgency. Within minutes, all of their bags were at the door. “What are you going to do, man?” Dave asked. “Are you coming with us to the airport?”

“Let me call the airlines. Up until now, I’ve just been receiving email and text alerts. I need to speak to someone.”

Eric looked at his watch. “Get on the horn, man. We can all ride together. I’d hate to leave you here stranded.”

“We should all call our airlines to confirm whether or not our flights have been changed or canceled.”

They all called their respective airlines, and moments later Eric, Sam and Dave were able to confirm that although there were slight delays, their flights were still scheduled to depart. Hunter, unfortunately, had been told that his flight was canceled and if he was lucky, he might be able to get it rescheduled for some time the next day.

“Aw, man. That sucks,” Dave said.

“Hey. It’s better to be safe,” Eric added.

“You’ve got another day to chill. Find a way to enjoy yourself,” Sam said.

A moment later Eric’s phone rang. Their car service had arrived. The men grabbed their bags and headed out of the villa. The cold greeted them with fierce whipping winds as they made their way toward the waiting car. Hunter squinted and turned his head away from the fast-falling snow. A small old man with weathered hands hopped out of the minivan and popped open the back.

With a head nod and a raspy hello, he greeted them one by one as he tried to take their bags to put them in the car. All three of them smiled politely and laid their own bags inside the cargo area.

“What do you think, I’m an old man? I could have done that for you guys,” their driver teased.

“We should be driving you around, my man,” Eric responded. They all laughed.

When the car was all stocked with their luggage and gear, they turned to Hunter.

“Are you going to be all right by yourself?” Sam asked.

“I’ll be fine. I’m going to reception and ask if I can extend my reservation for one more day.”

“Don’t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation,” the driver interjected. The guys looked at one another and smiled. “But did I hear you say you were going to stay one more day?”

“Yes, sir.”

He shook his head hard enough for a wisp of gray hair to fall along his brow. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, son. These roads are getting kind of bad. Pretty soon they’re gonna close them off. It’s dangerous trying to get up and down the mountain when the weather gets really rough.”

“But my flight was canceled. I have no choice.”

The old man took a deep breath. “Well, just try to make the best of it. They’ll probably have room since after a while people won’t be able to get up the mountain to get to their lodging. Be safe.” Tipping his imaginary hat, he bid Hunter farewell.

Saying their final goodbyes, Hunter tapped the car as they pulled off. Back inside, he called his brothers and parents to update them on the changes in his travel plans. As expected, his mother, Joyce, was worried about him staying overnight in the mountains without a way out.

Hunter headed to the reception area nestled in the center of the villas. He needed to secure accommodations for one more night. When he reached the main cabin, which housed the registration desk, a small café, a full restaurant and a souvenir shop, he realized for the first time that he wasn’t the only one on the mountain who had been stranded. The space was filled with frustrated energy. Several people walked circles in the wood floors with cell phones pressed against their ears. Exasperated mothers tried to calm screaming babies, and desk clerks desperately tried to hang on to their dwindling patience as they tried to help riled vacationers.

Hunter spent nearly an hour in line waiting to speak to a clerk, just to find out what he already knew—there was no more room at the inn. However, the clerk agreed to help him as best she could, but he’d have to wait until the arriving guests were placed in rooms. She couldn’t guarantee that all of the guests they were expecting would actually make it, but they had to hold their rooms until the evening just in case. Eventually, the road had been shut down, as the old man had predicted, but several guests had indeed made it up the mountain in time. Once the clerks waded through the mayhem, they would have a better idea of whether or not they would have vacancies.

Hunter braved the blistering cold and increasing snowfall as he trudged his way back to the villa to get his bags. He still had his room key. The others had been turned in by his frat brothers. When he got inside, he noticed that housekeeping had already cleaned the room. Instead of rushing back into the cold and waiting around the crowded lobby filled with angry people, he decided to stay in the room. If he was lucky, the person renting his villa might be one of those who hadn’t made it up the mountain in time.

After leaving his bags by the door, Hunter flopped on the couch and turned on the TV. The news became graver and after a while all Hunter heard was the droning on of the newscasters as images of maps and heavy snow punctuated their rumblings. Bored, he started flipping through his social media profiles on his phone. When he tired of that, he called and spoke to his brothers again.

For a split second, he thought about calling Tricia and decided against it. He needed to make a clean break when he got back home and didn’t want to do anything that could mislead her. He’d managed to avoid most of her calls through the week and when he did pick up, he’d kept his conversations cordial and brief. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her feelings.

Hunter went back to surfing his profiles until his eyelids grew heavy and he fell asleep.

“Hello!”

A woman’s voice broke through his slumber. At first he thought it was part of his dream.

“Excuse me!” The voice was laced with irritation.

Realizing the sound was outside his head, Hunter opened his eyes and beheld the caramel beauty in his blurred vision. With his forefinger, he rubbed his eyes and focused once again. She was still there. He was disoriented for a moment before remembering where he was—in a room that no longer belonged to him.

Hunter jumped up. The woman stepped back.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He looked around for his bags, blinked and finally got his bearings. “This is your room?”

“Uh...yes!” She held up her set of keys and then folded her arms across her torso.

“Then pardon me...” Hunter paused as his eyes traveled across her sweetheart lips and connected with her large brown eyes. His smile was involuntary. She looked skeptical and slightly confused. “I must have fallen asleep. I didn’t mean to alarm you. I’ll be out of your way in a moment.” He didn’t move.

Neither did she.

Their eyes remained connected. Finally, he tore his gaze away from hers and started walking toward his bags by the door. Halfway, he stopped, walked back up to her and held out his hand. “My apologies for being rude. My name is Hunter—Hunter Barrington.” At first she hesitated, but then she held out her hand to accept the greeting. Hunter could have sworn the temperature around them rose a few degrees when her hand touched his. He smiled again. “I guess I’ll be going now.”

Damn, she’s gorgeous! Hunter sauntered toward the door, grabbed his bags and walked out into the blanket of snow falling from the Utah evening sky. Only this time, he didn’t feel the cold.

Chapter 6

Chey stood frozen in the middle of her floor. Not because of the cold. It was because of the encounter with that stunning stranger who had been sleeping in her villa when she arrived. She felt like Goldilocks even though she was the one who belonged there.

What had he been doing in her room? Who was he? She knew his name—Hunter...Hunter Barrington. She could almost hear him saying it again in that rich baritone timbre.

Despite the fact that his presence had practically scared her senseless, she’d hardly been able to tear her eyes away from his brown skin, dark eyes, inviting lips and tall, lean, muscular frame.

Finally, Chey unglued herself from the spot that she had been standing in since the stranger let himself out.

“Enough with him! I can’t believe I’m here!” Chey remembered how excited she was about this solo trip. Giggling, she flopped on the couch. “This feels amazing.” She reveled in her freedom. After a deep breath, Chey sank farther into the couch and smiled, but she didn’t stay long. After a few moments, she hopped up and went from room to room, checking out her lodging.

The villa resembled a cozy two-bedroom apartment with enough accommodations to sleep up to six people. The rustic Navajo-inspired decor created a warm and cozy vibe that made Chey smile and want to hug herself. On the back wall, there was a vivid view of snowcapped mountains through the large picture window, which looked like an enormous postcard. Chey imagined sitting in front of the stone fireplace, being serenaded by the crackling fire and mesmerized by the glowing embers. She decided right then that that would be her reading spot. The space was more beautiful than she had imagined, even though the hanging moose heads and the life-size bear in the corner proved a little creepy. The common area had an open floor plan, the kitchenette stretching into a great room with an area set aside for a large wood dining table. In front of the leather sofa bed there was a coffee table that looked like a chunk of wood someone had chopped out of a tree and propped on a smaller chunk of wood. Under it, there was a bearskin rug with talons still attached, as if whoever had caught the bear had forgotten to remove the claws. Still, this place was perfect.

Chey hadn’t expected the severe weather when she booked this vacation but didn’t let that deter her excitement. At some point, she’d get out and do all the adventurous activities she’d planned, but right now all she wanted to do was settle in and relax. Since this was her first time ever doing anything like this, she’d set up lessons for both skiing and snowboarding.

After her self-led tour, Chey called her sister and parents to let them know that she’d arrived safely. Then she went to take a shower. She removed her toiletry bag in search of her facial cleanser, body wash and toothbrush, finding everything except her toothbrush. Frantically, Chey dumped the entire bag on top of the vanity and rummaged through the contents. Then she looked in her purse and finally her suitcase.

Chey groaned, put her fingers to her temple and tried to think. “Where are you, toothbrush?” she asked aloud as if it could answer. Closing her eyes, she concentrated and then realized that she’d left it beside her sink at home. She could see it clearly in her mind. The reception desk would have courtesy toothbrushes, even though she hated those. They didn’t feel anything like her electric brush and certainly didn’t clean her teeth as well. Maybe when the roads opened, she’d find her way into town and go to a convenience store.

Chey took her time in the shower and then slipped into a pair of comfortable jeans and pulled a knit sweater over her thermal undershirt. Teasing her short tresses, she nudged her curls into place and rubbed her lips with a balm that held a hint of color. Her stomach rumbled and she remembered that the last time she had eaten was before her flight. Grabbing her coat, she put some money into her pocket and headed to the café.

The lobby had cleared out considerably since she’d first arrived. A few people who were obviously still waiting for rooms remained. Some were stretched out in chairs and some lay on the floor with their bags propped up under them.

Chey went to the clerk to ask for the toothbrush and shoved the small courtesy package in her pocket. “Are all these people still waiting for rooms?”

The clerk sighed. “Unfortunately, most of them are stranded and we have no more vacancies. Some of their flights were canceled and others weren’t able to get down the mountain before the roads were closed. Some guests have offered to take a few of them in, but there are still several left who don’t have a place to stay until at least the morning. We’re doing everything we can to find them some kind of lodging. We’ve set some up in our other resort, but it’s pretty much the same situation over there.”

“Oh.” That was all Chey could say. She felt horrible for them and almost guilty for having so much space to herself. However, as a woman traveling alone, she had to be careful.

Chey thanked the clerk for the toothbrush and headed across the lobby to the café. On her way she spotted the handsome stranger who’d been in her room earlier. Trying to be discreet, she watched him from the corner of her eye as he lay with his head back in a large rocking chair with his feet up on an ottoman. Damn! she thought again. He was ridiculously handsome. Just as she crossed in front of him, he lifted his head and attempted to shift his body in the chair. He opened his eyes and Chey quickly turned away. In her peripheral vision, she could see him nestling in his newfound position. He still looked incredibly uncomfortable.

Chey went into the café and ordered a salad and sandwich with a hot cocoa. Her mind kept drifting back to the stranger the entire time she ate and she wondered if he would end up sleeping in that chair all night.

“Excuse me.”

It was that voice again. Chey swallowed hard before looking up to acknowledge the person.

“Hi. Can I help you?”

“I was wondering if you would mind if I joined you at your table.”

Chey looked around, wondering why he hadn’t pursued any other empty seat and quickly realized that there weren’t any. The café was full, probably with all the people who had no place to sleep.

Sheepishly, she drew into her shoulders, silently chiding herself for wanting to send him away. The truth was, she couldn’t trust herself to be around him without staring as if he were on display at a museum. She assessed him again—smooth brown skin, penetrating eyes, luscious lips framed sharply by a handsome goatee. Geesh!

He pleaded with his eyes and then his mouth. “I wouldn’t bother you, but there’s no place to sit and although I don’t know you, I know these other folks even less.” He chuckled and the beautiful sultry sound of his laughter made her think of a cool breeze blowing in a meadow at sundown. How corny!

Chey pulled her food closer to her side of the table, making room for him to place his food down. He sat directly in front of her and she rolled her eyes before she realized it. She hadn’t meant to be rude. She just didn’t want the pressure.

Chey allowed herself to look at him and managed a small smile. “Sorry if I seem a little...insolent... I’ve had such a long day.”

“Tell me about it. Whew!” Hunter took a spoonful of his soup and sipped.

Chey watched as his lips puckered to take in the hot liquid. Mmm!

“So...” Chey hesitated, not sure if she wanted to actually start a conversation with him. “Are you...stranded?” She braced herself for his answer as if that were a hard question. She felt bad already.

“Unfortunately, yes. I was supposed to go home earlier today, but my flight was delayed and then eventually canceled.

“Oh.” What was she supposed to do with that information? She couldn’t invite this strange man into her villa. Now she regretted asking him. Chey allowed silence to envelop them. She listened as he quietly sipped his soup.

Part of her wanted to offer him her second room and part of her wanted to stay as far away from him as possible. There was something about him, something that pulled at her, and with her new spontaneous nature, she wasn’t sure if that pull would overcome her sense of reason. Secretly she took in his thick silky brows, high cheekbones, bedroom eyes and the strong lines of his chin. This man was chiseled to perfection. She deduced that she probably wasn’t his type anyway. She’d noticed his designer luggage. He looked like the type who preferred high-end stilettos, long flowing hair that hit the tailbone, and backgrounds of a certain pedigree. He was probably a wealthy prick like Todd.

Chey found herself wondering if Hunter would find her passion for creating fragrances silly and then cast those thoughts from her mind. Why was she even thinking about such things? “Nice seeing you again...um...?” She pretended to forget his name.

“Hunter,” he interjected and held his hand out once again.

Chey shook it and that same feeling from before returned—a slight flutter in her belly.

“Well...” she cleared her throat “...have a good night. I guess I’ll see you around.”

“I’m sure. Probably right here in the same spot.” He chuckled.

“Oh. Sorry,” Chey said for lack of anything better. “Good night,” she said again.

Chey didn’t stop walking until she reached her villa. She pushed the door open, then quickly closed it behind her and leaned her back against it. Why was her heart beating so fast? Why was she flustered? Chey had carefully planned out her day and now that she’d had another encounter with the stranger—Hunter—she was mentally off balance.

Shaking off the feeling that had attached itself to her from the moment he touched her hand again, Chey headed to the first bedroom and pulled out her laptop. She decided to work on her novel. She booted up her computer and started reading through the last chapter she’d written. Every time she read the male character’s lines, she imagined Hunter’s voice, until finally she put the laptop aside and burst out laughing.

Chey lay back on the comfortable bed and savored the firmness of the mattress as it seemed to mold itself to her body. A vision of Hunter sleeping uneasily in that chair in the lobby popped into her mind. Chey closed her eyes tight in an attempt to rid herself of thoughts of him. She worked at this for some time before rising from the bed, bundling up and heading back to the main reception area to find Hunter, who was now “resting” in a new chair.

“You can have the second room in my villa on one condition.”

Chapter 7

It almost didn’t matter what condition this brown beauty was about to give Hunter. He was all in. The chair he had been sleeping in had given him a literal pain in his neck and back.

Between uncomfortable naps, he had checked in with the airlines religiously for updates. The flight that he was supposed to go out on in the morning had now been pushed back to sometime in the afternoon. The fact that all of his frat brothers had reached their warmer destinations made Hunter even more miserable. Chey’s condition would give him hope if nothing else.

He watched her pretty glossed lips as she spoke.

“I’m working on a very important project and I really need to be able to concentrate. If you can keep distractions to a minimum, then you can have that extra room.”

Hunter was ready to follow her to the cozy villa and already anticipated a decent night’s sleep. It wouldn’t have mattered if she had told him that the condition meant he’d have to sleep hanging from the rafters upside down like a bat; it had to be better than the lobby, which now resembled a New York train station filled with homeless people seeking shelter in the dead of the winter.

Hunter noticed her hesitation even as she offered him the invitation and completely understood.

“I appreciate this very much and will be sure to respect your space. I’ll stay out of your way as much as possible. I have to get to the airport early anyway, so hopefully, I won’t be too much of a bother.” He said what he hoped. If his flight got pushed back any further, he could be looking at another day in the mountains. He’d hate to have to impose on her any further, but after sleeping on the memory foam mattress in the room, he couldn’t possibly go back to the hard chair with the worn cushions.

“Agreed?” Chey asked after he was done.

“Huh? Oh. Yes. Agreed!” Hunter took Chey’s outstretched hand and shook it vigorously even though he had heard only part of what she’d said. The prospect of sleep took over his mind and senses, but he didn’t miss the spark that he felt when he touched her hand again. “I’ll keep my noise to a minimum. I’m not a serial killer or a nutcase, so I’ll do my best not to creep you out, and I certainly don’t mind taking the smaller room.” He summed up her statements and tried to reassure her with a little humor at the same time. He also chose to blatantly ignore the electric current that circulated in his gut. He wondered if she’d felt it. Was it real or a figment of his weary mind?

Chey drew in a deep breath and sighed. “Okay. So...let’s go.”

Chey turned on her boot heel and headed out of the reception area with Hunter and his bags happily in tow.

With Chey walking in front of him, Hunter had a full view of her backside, which curved perfectly. Having no intention of making a move on this considerate woman, despite the fact that she was quite beautiful, Hunter shook his head, shaking away inappropriate thoughts. Tricia came to mind briefly and Hunter was reminded of the fact that he’d just recently written off futile encounters. Not that he was looking to get married, but he no longer wanted to waste time on relationships that he knew wouldn’t blossom into something meaningful. Watching his younger brother Blake’s and Cadence’s relationship bloom made Hunter desire substance over trysts.

Raising a brow, he wondered why the concept of a relationship had even come up with this woman. Focus. This is just one night.

“Here we are,” Chey said as she opened the villa door. “I was going to have some tea. I can make a cup for you if you’d like.”

“I’m fine, thanks. I’ll just head to the room and get settled. You will hardly know I’m here,” Hunter said. He put his bags in the corner and removed his shoes before returning to the living room. Chey looked down at his sock-covered feet.

“Make yourself comfortable, why don’t ya?” She chuckled.

Hunter looked down and laughed. Truthfully, he was quite comfortable since he had just spent the week in that same room. “I guess I already did.” The laugh they shared eased some of the tension that engulfed the atmosphere. “Mind if I watch the news? I’ll keep the volume low.”

Chey shrugged. “Sure. Go ahead. I’ll be in my room.”

“Thanks!” Hunter grabbed the remote and the TV came to life. It was on the same news channel that he and his frat brothers had watched earlier. The snow wasn’t letting up and they were now reporting power outages in the area. The chances of his getting home the next afternoon looked grimmer.

Hunter flopped back on the couch and groaned. With no laptop, books to read or any real entertainment, he felt caged. Letting the TV stay on for background noise, Hunter flipped through his phone, swiping through social media profiles until he got bored. Getting up from the couch, he walked over to examine the bookshelf, sparsely stocked with complimentary reads. After skimming the few titles that were there and not finding anything of interest, he headed to the kitchen to reheat the leftover water that Chey had used to make her tea.

He went back to the couch and flipped through several channels. Nothing on TV grabbed his attention, so he put the remote down once again. Chey hadn’t come out of the room. Hunter wondered what she was doing in there. He flipped back to the news.

Something roared outside the villa. Chey came running into the living room. Hunter stood to his feet.

“Oh my goodness! Was that an animal?” Chey shrieked.

“Actually, I think it was the wind,” Hunter replied as he took cautious steps toward the window. The cover of night had made a stormy sky even darker. Hunter couldn’t see a thing. When he stepped back from the window, he bumped into Chey, who had been leaning over behind him as he peered through the wood blinds.”

“Oopsie.” Chey flashed a sheepish grin.

Hunter knew the sound had rattled her. “Maybe I should take a look outside.” Chey’s evident fear put Hunter in protector mode.

Guardedly, he opened the villa door. The cold wind whirled aggressively as if to push its way inside. Hunter drew back away from the frigid air. He stepped aside, closing the door, and once again bumped into Chey peering over his shoulder. He couldn’t help his laugh.

Chey rolled her eyes as if she was embarrassed by her behavior. “Sorry.”

“No problem. Let me grab my coat and boots.” Hunter stepped around her and retrieved his hat, gloves and coat from the bedroom. “Stay inside,” he instructed as he pulled his gloves on before going out into the piercing cold. Taking a quick look around the outside, Hunter didn’t see anything threatening. The wind whirled again with a loud rumble, rustling the trees and tossing snow into Hunter’s face. Large cold flakes stung his cheeks and filled his eyes so he could hardly see. He felt his way back, and the door opened as soon as he got to it.

Chey stood on the inside. She wiped his face with her hands, helping to clear the snow from his eyes. He felt that spark again. This time he couldn’t write it off as part of his imagination. It was definitely real. Again he wondered if Chey felt it, too.

Chey helped him out of his coat, which had been covered in snow in the short amount of time that he’d been outside. Hunter stomped the snow from his feet as Chey shook the wetness from his coat.

“Looks like it’s getting worse,” she said.

“Yeah!” Hunter blew hot air into his hands and rubbed them together.

“I just hope it passes by in the morning so I can get home.”

“Yeah.” That was Chey’s only response.

For a few moments, they remained close, moving about in an uncomfortable silence.

“Um...here’s your coat.” Chey held it out toward him.

“Yeah,” Hunter said. They danced a few awkward steps around each other as Chey moved one way and then the other trying to get out of Hunter’s path to the coatrack.

“I guess I’ll get back to work,” she finally said.

“Okay.” Hunter walked back toward the couch. He really didn’t want to go back to being bored, but he also didn’t want to bother Chey. “I was going to heat up more water. Would you like more tea?” he asked before she disappeared into the room. It was all he could come up with to make some conversation. The lack of communication was killing him and he was tired of swiping through his timeline on Facebook. He wished he had brought his laptop with him, but he’d insisted on enjoying his vacation and leaving work behind.

“Oh, sure. Let me get my cup.” Chey dipped into the room and reappeared quickly.

Hunter walked over to the island where the cooktop was positioned in the center. “It didn’t whistle yet, but I’m sure it’s hot enough. I’m gonna have hot chocolate. You still want tea?” he said, making a subtle suggestion.

“Hot chocolate sounds good.”

Hunter poured two cups and handed the first to Chey.

“Hmm.” Chey gripped the mug in both hands, sipped and rolled her head back as she took in the savory sweetness.

“It’s good, right?” Hunter said, taking in the lines of her neck.

“Perfect. It’s been my favorite since I was a kid,” she said with her eyes still closed.

“Yes, it is perfect.” Hunter agreed, but he wasn’t just referring to the cocoa. Tearing his gaze away from her, Hunter walked over to the couch, sat and started flipping channels again. “Let me know if you’d like another cup. I’ll bring it in to you.”

“I think I’m done for the night.” Chey sat on the arm of the sofa at the opposite end from where Hunter was parked. “What are you watching?”

“Just torturing myself with all the weather reports.”

“Oh.” She slid down onto the couch. “I can imagine. Bad for you, but I guess it’s good for me since I’m scheduled for a ski lesson in the morning.”

“You’ve never skied before?”

Chey sipped her steaming cocoa and shook her head. “First time.”

“It’s a workout. Look forward to being sore. You’ll definitely want to take a nice soak in that supersize tub they have in the bathroom.”

“Really! I didn’t anticipate that.”

“How long are you staying?” Hunter asked, keeping the conversation going. He wanted her to take her time with the cocoa. Not only was her presence fulfilling, but also, he was enjoying the floral scent that wafted from her body and the way her lips puckered and her eyes closed euphorically as she sipped her hot chocolate.

“A week.”

“Are your friends joining you tomorrow?”

“No. I’m here...alone.”

Hunter noticed her hesitation, assuming that she didn’t really want to share that she was vacationing solo—especially with a strange man she’d just met and invited to spend the night in her villa.

“Cool. Brave, but cool.” Hunter turned his attention to the TV to keep from staring at her lips. “But why?”

“That’s how I planned it. I needed the downtime.”

“Hey. Sometimes rolling solo is the only way to do it.”

“Yeah.” Chey’s response hung in the air.

Hunter wanted to know if she was traveling alone because she was single, but he didn’t ask.

“Want to watch a movie?” Chey asked, changing the subject and shifting the atmosphere with her cheery tone.

“Sure. I’m not keeping you from getting any work done, am I?”

“No! Pfft.” Chey waved away his concern. “I planned to catch up on a few movies while I was here anyway. I brought a bunch with me—plus, I have Netflix.”

Hunter put his mug down and stood. “Cool. There’s a DVD player here and cables to connect devices. What would you like to watch?”

“Be right back.” Chey put her mug down and ran to the room to retrieve her movies and iPad. “Okay,” she said as she was heading back. “I have The Best Man Holiday, which you probably don’t want to watch, and I have Avengers: Age of Ultron.”

“Seriously!” Hunter chuckled. “You like the Avengers?”

“Absolutely.” Chey looked at Hunter as if he’d asked a ridiculous question.

“Whichever you want to watch, I’m fine with. It’s your call, since you’re supplying the entertainment.”

Chey sat on the opposite end of the couch and folded her legs. “Let’s start with Best Man and if you can hang, then we will watch Avengers. Deal?”

“That sounds like a challenge and I like challenges.” Hunter wondered if Chey picked up on his innuendo.

Chey laughed, and for some reason, it was the sweetest sound Hunter remembered hearing in his thirty-two years. He reached for the DVDs that Chey held in her hand and did the honors of setting up the first movie. Chey went to her room and grabbed two bags of popcorn and placed them in the microwave.

For the next few hours, they laughed at the antics of the characters from both movies. When Chey got teary eyed from the sad scenes in The Best Man Holiday, Hunter fought the urge to pull her into his arms and wipe away her tears. By the time the movies were done, Hunter fought sleep just to continue spending time in Chey’s presence. As she grew more comfortable around him, conversation flowed more easily and she sat closer to him on the couch. There was something about this woman that Hunter liked.

When they finally retreated to their respective rooms, Hunter checked his phone and found that he had missed a few calls from Tricia. He was glad he had left his phone in the bedroom. Then he wondered if Chey had anyone calling her and assumed that she probably didn’t, since she was here vacationing alone. In the morning, he’d try to find out more about the mysterious Chey.

Chapter 8

Chey woke with a start, looked around the room and remembered that she wasn’t at home. Memories of watching movies with Hunter brought a smile to her face. She pulled back the covers, got out of the bed and headed to the adjoining bathroom. As she showered, she wondered if Hunter was awake.

After dressing again in layers with jeans and a thick sweater, Chey walked quietly to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. To her surprise—and delight—Hunter had already prepared a pot of coffee and laid out several selections for breakfast on the table.

“Good morning!” he said and smiled. She could have sworn she saw his perfect teeth sparkle.

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