Page 119 of The Rebel

“I want that.” She put her mitten-covered hand on my cheek. “It’s been far too many nights since you last stayed at my house. Rhett arrives tomorrow. Let’s soak in every second we have left.” She lowered her voice as she added, “Alone.”

“You read my fucking mind.” I leaned toward the front seat. “You can take us back to the hotel. Thank you.”

As the driver pulled away from the restaurant, Rowan rested her head on my shoulder. “So, interesting tidbit: I’ve never been ice-skating.”

“Really?”

“Sounds funny now that I say it out loud. It’s something I probably should have done by now.”

I kissed the top of her head. “You hate the cold. If you loved it, then, yes, it would sound funny that you hadn’t gone.”

She glanced up at me. “I’m guessing you’ve been? And you’re probably really good?”

“I played a little hockey back in the day.” I smiled.

“You did?”

“All throughout high school. I wasn’t looking to play at a college level, so I stopped after my senior year, and I’ve only been on skates a few times since.”

She straightened her head, shifting in her seat to turn toward me. “Why didn’t you want to continue playing?”

I sighed. “My father asked me that same question on fucking repeat.”

“I’m sorry?—”

“Nah, I don’t mean it that way. I mean, he just didn’t understand my reasoning. He pushed hard and was disappointed when I turned down the offers that came in.” I stole a quick glance out the window. “Being a college athlete is a ton of work. I knew that because I was friends with several guys a few years older than me in high school who accepted scholarships, and when they came home on break, they’d tell me all about it.” I rubbed my hand over my pants to warm it up before I slid those fingers around her neck. “Back then, I didn’t want that level of commitment, not when I’d worked all through high school at Spade Hotels. I just needed a break. I was looking to have fun and enjoy every last second of freedom until I graduated and went to work full-time for the company.”

“I get it.” She nodded. “So, did you have as much fun as you’d hoped?”

“Yesss,” I hissed with a laugh. “I probably took it to the extreme.” Four years I wasn’t going to get into because I didn’t think she’d want to hear about the women and the parties and the fucking mayhem. “Did you play any sports, growing up?”

“I didn’t. I’m really not much of an athlete. If a ball comes flying at me, I duck. I make no effort to catch it because, one, I won’t be able to, and, two, I’ll end up hurting myself in some way.”

I spread my fingers across her neck, rubbing the base of her jaw. “I’ll make sure not to plan anything sports-related for us.”

“Unless it’s skiing, please don’t, thankyouuu.” She giggled. “But I totally get why you didn’t want to play at a college level, and I disagree with your dad. Kids need to be kids at that age, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting that.” She paused. “My dad was just as much of a hard-ass if it makes you feel any better.”

“I had a feeling we grew up similarly.”

“You know, he always treated me the same as the boys, but I felt like—even now—he expected more from me than them. My brothers wanted to be part of the company from day one. It wasn’t that I didn’t, I worried what it would be like to work for my father. If the expectations would tarnish the pedestal that I’d put Cole International on.”

“But you finally caved.”

“Not before I could prove to myself that I could be a success without my father’s help. I needed that first.” I could feel her take a deep breath. “Without that achievement, I wouldn’t have ever joined, I don’t think.”

“Do you miss what was yours?”

“Ohhh, good question.” She took a moment to continue. “I miss the ladies who worked for me and the customers. I miss traveling to Europe to meet with the designers and then styling the different pieces I bought there, which I only did for a handful of my regulars.”

“It fulfilled you.” My voice was quiet.

“It absolutely did.”

“Are you getting that same feeling from the hotel business?”

“It’s funny, when I joined Cole International, the first project I was going to spearhead myself was Lake Louise. That was going to be my baby. I hadn’t been that excited about work in a long time. And my father was giving me all the control, so I could do things any way I wanted as long as I maintained the Cole branding.” She glanced down. “I know you thought the same would be true for you, that Walter was giving you the build-out and that hotel was going to be yours. I’m sorry we’re in this situation. I know it’s not what either of us wanted.”

I lifted her face until it was pointed at me. “Do you feel like I took the hotel away from you?”

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