It wasn’t easy by any means, but Noel was what drove me, even if she didn’t know it.
Having Noah and Arianna Riley be the ones to invest, and with the full amount we needed to keep the integrity of the place we refuse to diminish, isn’t Noel reaching for the stars, it’s soaring beside them in the sweeping galaxy, where she can touch their tips.
I would bet all I have, Noel slipped away to shed a few tears after our conversation with the happy couple.
Her dream took on an entirely new meaning. This, this is beyond her wildest imagination, to have those most connected, most passionate, share in this journey.
It’s like I told her last night, I’m so fucking proud of her.
She’s strong and resilient, and mine.
She thinks I came home for a show for business reasons, that when the dust settles and the accounts are full, I’ll head back to ‘my side’ of the country that was never intended to be my home, but she’s wrong. She thinks I abandoned her, but she’s wrong about that too.
We were never supposed to be apart for so long, and if I have it my way, we never will be again.
CHAPTER 7
Noel
“Miss, you must come inside. There’s a blizzard rolling in from the north.”
My head snaps over my shoulder, confusion whirling in my mind as I blink back into the now, having zoned out for who knows how long.
The moment I do, my gloveless hands lift to my cheeks, and I realize they burn from the chill.
How long have I been out here?
“Miss…”
“Yeah, shit, sorry.” I pull my coat tighter around me and make my way to the double doors. It had taken a while for the patio to clear out, and the moment I found it free, I eagerly ate up the space. Guess I lost track of time, but the beauty in the quiet a night in the mountains provides will do that to you.
As I step into the building, a group of four men rush out onto the deck, quickly pulling the furniture inside and closing the heavy oak doors behind them.
Peeking at the clock, I find it’s almost midnight, and other than a young couple huddled in the corner together, the bar is empty, having likely returned to their rooms to settle before Christmas morning comes.
Thunder jumps outside in that exact moment, matching the echoed pain in my chest as I watch the clock tick another minute closer to December twenty-fifth.
I look to the windows, trying to catch a glimpse of the angry streaks in the skies, but it’s too dark to see anything outside my own reflection.
I stare at it a little longer, taking in my pinkened cheeks and the fluff ball my once sleek ponytail has become. My eyes are sloped at the edges, my body and mind weighted. Weary.
Wishing to go back in time…
“I can turn the lights back on,” one of the gentlemen offers.
I give as much of a smile as I’m capable of and shake my head. “No, that’s okay. I think I’ll float around in the lounge outside a while.”
“Have a good evening, miss, and… Merry Christmas.”
My muscles lock, the hint of pity in his gaze unmistakable, and I give a curt nod, unable to force the pleasantry from my lips.
The bartender tops off my glass on my exit, and with slow movement, I make my way around the corner, stopping short at the sight of Roman asleep in the barrel chair.
His arms are crossed over his chest, his chin pressed to it, a small frown marring his brows, even in slumber.
I’m frozen there, staring at the man as my thoughts ping pong, trying to decide whether I want to wake him or tiptoe past, in hopes I don’t. It’s frustrating how equally weighed both options seem to be. One day ago, I’d have deliberately woken him by clicking my heels as loud as possible and making a shitty comment, ruining his peacefulness simply out of spite.
How did twenty-four hours of no real conversation, fantastic sex, and tender yet fleeting comments change so much?
Because, deep down, nothing ever really changed for you.
I take a silent, slow step, and then my phone rings. Loudly.
I wince, my eyes flying to Roman, who’s staring right at me.
When my phone rings again, I realize I froze in my getaway position and drop my floating foot down, swiftly pulling my phone from my purse.
Who would be calling me this late?
My nerves prickle at the sight of Dina’s name, the opening having gone off without a hitch.
“Hey,” I answer, bracing for the inevitable bad news.
“I knew you were still up. Meet me at the front desk?”
Roman frowns in question, but I tear my gaze from his and start for the elevator.
“Tell me what happened.”
“Nothing happened. All our guests are good, and judging from how deserted it is down here, I’d say tucked in their rooms.”