Page 35 of That Time I Kissed My Beachfront Boss

Hudson’s dying to share something with me? This seems like personal territory.

I swallow hard. “Umm. I?—”

“Please.” He waves me toward him. “I promise to be quick, and I’ll feed you afterward.”

I shake my head, frowning. “You don’t have to feed me.”

“I insist. In honor of your new job.”

“It’s my fourth day here. I don’t think celebrating day four is a thing.”

“We’re making it a thing now. And the official mascot of day four is sesame seed buns.”

“Well, that’s an offer I can’t refuse.” I rise from my chair, surprised how stiff my body is. I really have been stuck to this desk for days.

“Follow me,” Hudson says.

We cross the lobby, and I realize I haven’t had a full tour of this place since the renovation. I’ve only seen the outside of the property, the lobby, and the office. But now he’s leading me down a hallway that connects the main building to one of the new guest wings. We’re a quarter of the way down when he stops us just outside a set of restrooms.

“I hope you’re not planning to show me the men’s room,” I say, “because I think I’ll pass.” A snort squeaks out of me. “I’m not excited by urinals, even if they’ve never been used.”

“No, that’s not it.” He chuckles. “Although the new bathrooms are impressive.”

He moves past the bathrooms to an unlabeled door. I try to picture the original floorplan of the building, but I have a terrible sense of direction, and no idea where we are. When he opens the door, we step into a spacious, unfurnished room that smells of fresh paint.

Large windows let in natural light, and the walls are a creamy white. Two of them are lined with empty shelves. There’s a sliding ladder attached to the wall with the highest shelves, and a couple of step stools are set in front of the other.

“Wow. It’s so lovely. Like a little sanctuary.” I spin around, taking in the peace of it all. “What is this place?”

“Used to be the Johnsons’ private study and office,” he says. “But I felt like a room this size could be put to better use.”

“Like what?”

“That’s what I’m trying to decide,” he says. “But I have an idea.” He strides over to the sliding ladder and pushes it a few feet. “We’ve already got the pub for things like trivia night and karaoke. And the beach and the docks with access to the lake. So I was thinking …” He pauses to run a hand along one of the empty shelves. “This room could be a library.”

“A library?” I draw in a breath, remembering how every square inch of Luxe was devoted to spending and consumerism. Besides the bar and restaurants, we had gift shops. Clothing and jewelry boutiques. An entire day spa.

Not a single book.

Hudson nods, turning to face me. “We could turn this into a real sanctuary for guests who want to get away from the bustle of the lake and read.”

We.

My insides warm. He’s including me in his plan.

“That would be incredible,” I say on the exhale. I’m a bit breathless with the idea, really.

“Good.” A dimple presses into his cheek. “I was also thinking we don’t have to make this place exclusive to the inn. We could make our little library open to the public.”

“Hmm.” I nod, slowly, contemplating the pros and cons. “Then it won’t be a perk of staying here.”

“Right,” he says, lifting a brow. “But I don’t expect we’ll attract big crowds. Maybe a book club or two. And we’ll gain the loyalty and support of the few people who do stop by.” He shrugs. “I don’t know. I kind of like the thought of locals discovering our little library tucked away at The Beachfront.”

Our little library. Sounds nice.

Ours.

“Well, listen to you.” I tip my chin. “This is a marketing idea, you know.”

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