Page 16 of Seducing Serena

“You got it.”

It only took a few minutes before Serena was stepping out of the café with her hands full. Once back in the lobby, she looked around, trying to decide whether to read inside or step out onto the porch.

Going to the door she pushed it open just far enough for cold air to rush in. It might be May in Montana, but the weather was far different than what she was used to. Closing the door, she retreated to the lobby and chose an oversized club chair situated by itself near the fireplace.

After setting her drink and donut on the small table beside it, she grabbed a crocheted throw out of a basket and curled up in the chair with a contented sigh. Turning on her tablet, she settled in for a few minutes of relaxation.

CHAPTER10

A phone ringing pulled Noah from sleep with a sigh. He rolled over and reached out, but there was no one in bed with him. Frowning, he rolled toward the noise, only opening his eyes when he reached the edge of the bed unhindered.

Looking around, he located the room phone and grabbed it. “Damien.”

“Good morning. Are you missing something?” an amused male voice asked.

Noah blinked and looked around the room. He was alone.

Where were Ford and Serena?

“I’m not sure. Why? Who is this?”

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he sat up and stretched out his back. This bed was amazing, but he was spending way too much time lying in it and his back wasn’t happy with him.

“I have a submissive in my office who had an altercation with a staff member because she was wandering around unattended. I suggest you come and rescue her.”

Before Noah could respond, the phone line went dead.

He was still trying to wake up and process the phone call when the patio door slid open and Ford stepped into the room. From the swim trunks he was wearing, and the oversized striped towel he was using to dry off with, Noah deduced he had been swimming. Which was normal. Ford had to have been a merman in a previous life. Anytime they stayed at a hotel with a pool, Ford could be found in the water whenever he had a free minute.

“Where’s Serena?” Noah asked as he pushed to his feet and hurried to the bathroom.

Ford followed him, standing in the doorway while he did his morning business. "She left a note saying she needed to be alone and was going out for a while. Why?”

Noah brushed past him into the bedroom. Grabbing the jeans he’d worn the day before off the floor, he pulled them on. Then he jerked on a clean t-shirt from his suitcase. He didn’t bother with socks, just shoved his feet into his sneakers.

“I believe it was Derek who just called and woke me up. He said she was in his office after having some kind of altercation with a staff member.”

“Fuck,” Ford said as he finished pulling on clothes.

“Yeah,” Noah said.

“Is she all right?”

“He didn’t say, but knowing Serena if someone hurt her, she hurt them back twice as bad.”

“Double fuck,” Ford breathed.

“Yeah,” Noah said as he opened the hall door and began to jog toward the lobby. He could hear Ford’s quiet steps just behind him. Fear driving him, he picked up his pace and was full out running as they burst into the lobby.

The clerk at the reception desk looked startled but Noah didn’t bother to assure her everything was fine. Instead, he continued running across the lobby to the door that led from the lobby into Derek Hawkin’s office. Only then did he stop. Looking at Ford, he took several deep breaths to settle his heart and push down the near panic that the call had brought up in him.

He took one last deep breath and released it in a whoosh before nodding at Ford. His partner knocked three times on the door.

“Come in, gentlemen,” Derek called.

Noah followed Ford into the office. Derek remained seated behind the huge ornate mahogany desk with his hands folded on the empty surface. Looking around, Noah saw that Serena was standing in the corner, her hands clasped together behind her back. At least she was fully clothed.

He wanted to check on Serena, but first needed to deal with the Ranch’s owner who wore an expression of concern rather than anger. He also appeared to be wearing a cartoon superheroes pajama top under his denim jacket.

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