Page 197 of Monsters in Love

STALKING TAMARA

NOVA BLAKE

Tamara

Welcome to The Nest, your home for the next week. Enclosed, you'll find your room key and a map to your personal cabin. Inside your suite is a private bathroom and small kitchen amenities for snacks and drink making. All meals will be held in the main building or in the courtyard, weather dependent.

Iread the words printed on thick card stock, and a thrill ran through me. We hadn’t even gotten off the bus yet, and my expectations had already been surpassed. When the company said we were going on a team building retreat, I'd pictured a rickety set of cabins, draughty toilet blocks, and basic meals, but as I glanced out the window, I could see lush grounds and sleek buildings, all surrounded by gorgeous evergreen trees. This was as close to corporate as we'd ever afford, and even then, I had no idea who was footing the bill for this; it was next level.

I tucked the card and envelope into my pocket and waited patiently for my workmates to file off the bus. Gemma held the queue up, though, giving me her boss vibes stare. I stood up and shouldered my tote as I stepped into line ahead of her.

“This is going to be so good,” Gemma whispered. “Just you wait. It’ll be the holiday we’ve never got around to taking.”

“Just, with all our co-workers,” I muttered. “And my boss. That Gemma chick is something else.” I fake eye rolled. She chuckled at my droll tone and smacked my ass to hurry me up. It worked.

Once we were off the bus, I let the others waste their time waiting for the luggage to be unpacked while I took in the location. There was a wide, white stoned path that led from the parking lot to the main retreat building. The huge glass windows and doors looked like they were double glazed, reflecting the blue and green of the natural environment. The walls were a combination of wood and white, the melding of nature and construction blending to create a literal piece of art.

Some serious funds had gone into creating this place, which made me wonder why we hadn’t heard of it before – why it wasn’t the most talked about spot in the state.

Gemma drew my attention back to the thinning crowd. I located my luggage and gripped the handle, grateful that it had wheels and that this place had good pathways crisscrossing the grounds.

The bus was still puttering behind us, no doubt ready to make the return trip as soon as

they offloaded all the baggage. I ignored the chatter around me and tried to bask in the beauty of this place.

Tall trees rose all around us. Among the trees, I could make out colored ropes and ladders for a rope course. Now that I was out of the bus, I could see a cliff face peeking from between the trees, no doubt with a zipline. The main building’s roof rippled with greenery that moved in the slight wind, linking it with the grounds it sat on. Dotted throughout the landscape were the cabins, each unique in design.

“Holy shit,” someone whispered beside me. I glanced over to see Gemma, eyes wide in awe.

“It's something, isn’t it?” I replied, inhaling the crisp air and appreciating the beauty of the spot.

“What?” She glanced at me, and then her cheeks flushed. “I, ah, wasn’t talking about The Nest,” she said in a hushed voice. “That guy over there though, is drop dead gorgeous. If he asks me to jump from the top of a tree with nothing but a bungee cord, I am totally going to do it.” She inclined her head to the left, where I saw the man she’d been captured by.

He was handsome enough, but looked far too refined for me. Everything about his appearance screamed executive hippy, as though he’d found the perfect way to pair the latest technology with the natural world.

I didn’t trust anyone who looked like him. And for some reason, he was coming our way. His blond locks fell in waves to his shoulders, and I could swear he had it trimmed every three to four weeks just as the hairdresser prescribed to keep it so even and free of split ends.

“Welcome to The Nest! Do you need any help finding your rooms?” he asked, his voice smooth and even, his lines practiced. “We’ve allocated some time for you to settle in, and then there will be an early dinner in the main hall to welcome you to the retreat.”

“Um, I could do with some help,” Gemma said, stepping forward. She tossed a gleeful look over her shoulder as she shoved her little map into the guy’s hand. I bit back my laugh and moved away from the two of them so as not to cramp her style.

She was welcome to him. I preferred my men... Well, not him. I still wasn’t exactly sure what my type was, but definitely someone a little less put together, a little grittier than that guy, who more than likely had pedicures and manicures more often than I did.

I picked a path that looked like it was in the approximate direction of my cabin, and once I’d put some space between myself and the potential love birds, I reached into the envelope to pull my map out. Within a few minutes, I found myself in front of a cute wooden bungalow set amongst the trees. I wheeled my suitcase up the paved path and the ramp to my accommodation.

I flashed the key card at the door, and it beeped before sliding open soundlessly.

“Wow,” I whispered. “Did not see that coming.” The level of tech in this place was way beyond what I’d imagined. I stepped inside, letting the door close behind me, then let my bag slide from my shoulder as I took in the room.

It was cute as heck. The entrance was tiled in white faux marble and held a small kitchen to the left, complete with a fresh bouquet of wildflowers. To the right was carpeted in thick white, and there was a small area with a double seater sofa, a cushy footrest, and a screen that I knew was connected to the WiFi.

A printed fabric screen separated the living areas, and I peered behind it to find a queen bed perfectly tucked into a nook with a large window on the other side. My jaw dropped when I saw the view; it looked right over a cliff that fell away to the sea. I even thought I could hear the crashing of waves against the rocks far below.

Or maybe that was my imagination.

It didn’t really matter. It was a stunning sight, and I could just imagine that sunsets would look sensational from here. Or sunrises? The road had been so windy that I literally had no idea which direction I was facing right now. Either way, it was going to be gorgeous, and I could not believe my luck that I was going to wake up here, nestled in this bed with a view like that.

I stashed my toiletries in the bathroom and unpacked a few things so that the place felt as much like home as it could, then kicked off my shoes and flopped onto the bed with a book.

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