Page 123 of In Spades

I stiffened and made a mental note to tell Elena to back the hell off. She was supposed to observe only. Then again, she’d never been the hands-off type. When Elena saw a void, she filled it. If left unchecked, she could wreak havoc from the inside out like the snake she was.

I should know. I was with her for nine years.

With that said, Hannah Jane was right. Elena was efficient at her job and whip smart. That was the only reason I didn’t ask her to find another job when we broke things off. Losing talent like that would’ve been a tremendous blow to the company.

Unfortunately, she was also a vindictive bitch.

With her lurking about, I was worried that she would find out that I was dating one of the housekeepers. I wasn’t ashamed of Kristin by any stretch of the imagination. I admired her work ethic and was incredibly proud to be with her. Unfortunately, Elena wouldn’t see her the same way I did.

She would see Kristin as prey.

“Tell me something,” I said, resting a hand on her thigh while I steered with the other. “What would you want to do if you ever left the inn?”

Kristin turned her head away from me and stared out the window. “I don’t know,” she said, quiet as a mouse. “I don’t have a lot of options. None that pay as well as the inn does.”

“Would you finish your business degree?”

She shrugged. “Maybe. But paying for classes and that would blow a massive hole in my budget. Besides, with as much as I have going on, I would never have time to study. It’d be a waste of money to pay for classes I can’t devote my time to.”

“Humor me,” I said gently. “In a perfect world, what would you do?”

Kristin considered for a moment. “I’d like to go back to school. Finish what I started. As stupid as it sounds, I really do love working at the inn. I just wish I could work on the administrative side of things. I’d rather set good policies and procedures rather than cleaning up messes caused by poor planning.”

“You should go for it,” I said.

“Yeah, okay,” she said, laughing under her breath. “I’ll go find a shooting star and wish. That’s about the only way all that could ever happen.”

28

KRISTIN

“You’ll have to help me find something to wear,” I said to Hannah Jane before downing the shot that Bridget slid my way. I didn’t even care what kind of liquor it was.

Will caught my eye from across the bar. He and Chase were playing pool, but he hadn’t taken his eyes off me. He paused and watched me take the shot in one gulp. I wiped the sheen whiskey off my lips with the back of my hand, then flashed him a grin.

He gave me a wink that said, good girl. A zing of excitement rushed from my nipples straight to my pussy.

I squirmed on top of the barstool.

Hannah Jane snorted. “Girl, with the way he looks at you? You don’t need my help. You need birth control.”

I slung back a second shot. “All covered there. I don’t take any chances in the baby department.”

“Okay,” Bridget said, hustling from the register to where Hannah Jane and I sat along the U-shaped wood bar. “What are we talking about?”

“Staff Christmas party at the inn,” Hannah said, sipping her old-fashioned. “I finally got management on board. They’re gonna let me throw a fancy-ass party instead of the usual Christmas cookies and non-alcoholic eggnog.”

I cut my eyes to Bridget. “Yeah, little Miss Miranda Priestly over here turned it into something I have to buy a dress for. Like, a fancy dress.”

“It’s black-tie! It’s going to be so much fun!” Hannah protested.

“Fun for you and only you,” I said. “Not all of us are prepared for red carpets at a moment’s notice.”

“I’ve never once walked a red carpet, thank you very much. That would be Maddie.”

“And who dresses her for those events?” I countered.

Hannah Jane rolled her eyes. “Please. I’m doing Luca a favor. If I didn’t dress her, she’d show up to the James Beard Awards in cutoffs and a tank top that has Brad Paisley lyrics on it.”

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