Page 46 of Pulled Away

A smile tips my lips. “Ah, this is Carter I know. Hit me with it.”

“I don’t know my ass from my elbow in a kitchen.”

“Ass from your elbow? What the hell does that mean?”

“It’s something this British girl I hooked up with said. Although she called it ‘arse.’ Thought it was quite cool. Basically, it means I’m completely useless in a kitchen. Unlike the bedroom,” he smirks. “I had no complaints there. I want you to take care of the groceries and cook for me.”

“So essentially, you’re looking for a housekeeper?”

“No, I have one of those. She comes in twice a week. I’m just looking for a home-cooked meal now and then. Restaurant food and takeaways get tiresome when that’s all you eat.

“Also, I tend to…entertain quite a bit,” he smirks, “and if you don’t have a problem with that, we’ll be golden.”

A strange sensation flutters in my stomach. It tastes like a little bit of hope where before there was none. Like maybe, just maybe, my head will breach the water, allowing me to take a breath.

“So, shopping, cooking, and turning a blind eye to your revolving door of women in exchange for a room?”

“A home, Aspen. For as long as you need it. No strings attached.”

My heart thuds in my chest, and it takes everything I have not to bawl. Sometimes, when one door closes, another one opens. My door got slammed so hard that my soul is still reeling from it. But Carter—awesome, amazing, Carter—has just opened another for me.

Chapter seventeen

Ryan

“What do you mean, there was a mixup?” I ask the front desk clerk through clenched teeth. We’ve been traveling for more than a day and I’m exhausted.

“Only one room was booked,” he says, staring at the computer screen.

“That can’t be right. I clearly remember booking two rooms,” Hadley says.

I cut off the clerk when he opens his mouth to argue. “Please, just give us an extra room.” I don’t know how this happened, and I don’t care. All I want to do is check in, get in a shower to wash off the grime from the trip, and call Aspen. I called her during our layover in New York, and then again a couple of times while we waited in Amsterdam. She hasn’t answered once or returned any of my texts. I have this uneasy feeling churning in my gut. She was upset about this trip, but I thought we sorted it out and she understood why I had to do it.

“I’m sorry, we have no rooms available,” he says, giving me an apologetic look.

“What do you mean, there are no rooms available?” I say, looking at him blankly. Surely that can’t be. This resort is huge. “There has to be something.”

“I’m sorry, sir. It’s our peak season and we’re fully booked.”

I detect a hint of impatience in his voice and I glance behind me at the people waiting to be checked in. We’re holding up the queue, but I don’t care. Sharing a room with Hadley is taking things a step too far.

“Not even a single room?”

“I’m afraid not. Sir, our Deluxe Room can easily accommodate two people.” He glances at Hadley and I realize she’s standing pressed up against me. Taking a step to the side, I look at him pointedly.

“The size of the room is not the issue. We need two rooms.”

“I’m sorry, sir.” He shrugs helplessly.

I turn to Hadley when she tugs on my arm. “Ryan, it’s no big deal. We’ve shared a bed before.”

“This is different.” I turn back to the clerk. “What is the soonest you can get me a room?”

I wait impatiently while he clicks away at his computer. “We have a family checking out in three days.”

“I’ll take it,” I say, handing him my card.

“Sir, it’s a suite with two rooms, so it’s more expensive than your current room.”

---