Page 4 of Hot Water: A BBW Small Town Romance (Lovers Lake)

4

Lexi

The champagne works its magic to relax me and I start to think this might not be a bad place to spend the next few months. The sun casts long shadows over us as it sets over the water, creating a magical atmosphere. Despite my intense feelings about Ethan and my hesitation to stay, the longer I sit here, the better I feel. In fact, I feel more relaxed than I have in a long time. This place holds some magic. Maybe I can get myself together enough to make a contribution. Maybe my brother’s right.

I love listening to the men banter. They are so easy going in each other’s company. They have plenty to talk about and I don’t say much. I realize I’ve drunk the lion’s share of the bottle and it’s probably best if I stay quiet. Baxter has to drive to Chicago soon and Ethan’s struggling to finish his second glass.

My brother notices me slumped in the chair and says, “It’s been a long day sis. How about I walk you to your room and say goodbye?”

“I don’t want you to go, but I could use a freshen up. My bags are in the trunk, I’ll go fetch them.”

“I’ll do that, honey. You go with Ethan, and I’ll meet you in the lobby.” Oh dear. I sway slightly when I stand, and Ethan takes a step closer but doesn’t say anything. How embarrassing. I better pull myself together or he won’t be able to trust me and now that I’ve made up my mind, I’m determined to do a good job.

Ethan grabs a set of keys from a hook behind the desk. It has a keyring shaped like a pinecone attached to it and it’s adorable. I’m glad he doesn’t use electronic key cards, it’s a nice touch and a nod to the hotel’s history.

“I’ve got the perfect room for you, Lexi. It’s a corner suite and has an amazing view of both the sunrise and sunset. I think you’ll be comfortable.”

“Where’s your room?” He looks taken aback and I wonder if he read too much into my question. I don’t want to be too close and I want to know if he’s sleeping right next to me.

“I’m on the level below you, in one of the cheap rooms.” I cast a sidelong glance in his direction wondering what kind of man gives himself the servants quarters to live in. I guess he’s used to pared back lodgings, but the truth is, he’s done me a kindness by putting me in a fancy room and I know it. I don’t imagine his friend who was pushing the wheelbarrow sleeps on my floor either.

Baxter brings my suitcase, and we take the elevator to my level. Ethan shows me to my room, and I kiss my brother goodbye for now. I really want a shower, but as the door closes, I hear Baxter’s voice and there’s something about his tone that makes me cup my hand around my ear and lean against the door to listen. The door is made of thick wood, their voices are barely audible. They’re arguing about something, and I hear my name but then it goes quiet. Crap. I let out the breath I’ve been holding in and head to the bathroom to run the shower.

While I wait for the water to warm up, I grab clean clothes out of my suitcase and test out the bed. It’s super comfy and the comforter has a beautiful thick cream cotton cover on it. I’m tempted to lay down and sleep, but I know I’ll feel better after a shower. I leave the bathroom door ajar while I step into the shower.

I hear a noise and figure it’s just water in the pipes, so I take off my towel and step under the water. As the freezing cold water hits my back, I shriek with shock. The sound of my voice bounces off the tiled walls and I scramble for a towel, cursing under my breath. I’m sure as hell sober now!

There’s a pounding at my door and I swear it’s Ethan yelling ‘sorry’ and something about the water? Goddamn! Showered or not, I am so done for the day. I’ve had enough. I don’t care about being slightly damp when I crawl under the covers, snuggle in, and drift off to sleep.

The next morning, I explore the hotel. I walk around the grounds to familiarize myself with my surroundings. A few strangers come and go, but I don’t see Ethan anywhere. His friend Cooper introduces himself, answers a few of my questions and leaves me to work things out on my own.

Frustrated, I call Ethan’s cell but can’t get hold of him. With no clear directions to follow, I figure I may as well show some initiative. There’s a makeshift office in hotel reception with binders holding order forms. We don’t have a computer system in place yet, so I need to get on that.

You don’t need a master’s degree in business management to see the things that need doing. Ethan’s got the construction and renovation under control, and I wouldn’t know where to start with any of that anyway. But the fact there isn’t even an office chair to sit on is something I can do. I hotspot off my phone to download templates from my training course onto my laptop. I download order forms from the stockists I need to buy the most urgent things from and get started. I sort through all the relevant paperwork available and start drafting lists of tasks that need doing.

Reception has a white board, and I draw up an order schedule and a delivery schedule from the most urgent item to the least. Making a separate spreadsheet, I create a system for budget tracking and a coding system for all the line items that need to be managed.

Sometime after lunch Ethan shows up. He’s hauling sacks of potting mix from the back of his truck to the garden bed outside the dining room. The timing’s perfect because the question I need him to answer is related to the dining room. He drops a load of sacks and heads back to his truck, and I race to catch up so I can walk beside him. He’s hot and sweaty, and dirt marks his clothes and face.

“Hey, I’m sorry about the cold water, Lexi. I forgot to tell you it’s broken. I hoped to reach you in time. I knocked on your door, but I got there too late, didn’t I?”

“Don’t worry about it,” I answer, embarrassed that he heard me yelling. He grins good naturedly in a way that makes my skin heat and says, “You’ve got a mouth on you that would make a soldier blush, you know that?” I fuss with my hair to avoid answering and follow him as he walks to his truck.

“You’re hard to reach, you know that?” I ask haughtily, swiftly taking extra steps in order to keep up with his long legs.

He grins and says, “I’m right beside you, aren’t I?”

“Smart ass,” I sass, struggling to keep up with his pace and not lose my breath. Ooft. Too much time spent indoors eating soft pretzels has not increased my fitness. Damn.

He reaches into the back of the truck, bending over to pick up another two sacks of dirt. His jeans are well worn and soft and hug his strong thighs. It’s hard to look away. I’m glad he’s not facing me, because I’m struggling to keep my tongue from lolling on the ground.

“Ethan, I’ve drafted a schedule, but I need your input. There’s so much I don’t know yet and there’s no time to mess around and get things wrong.”

Ethan drags the twenty-pound sacks of dirt off the tray of the truck and slings them over one shoulder as though they weigh nothing but doesn’t answer. I figure I’ll keep talking while I have his attention.

“It’s hard for me to do my job if you’re going to disappear for hours at a time and switch your phone off. We need to be able to communicate.”

Ethan grunts from the effort of lifting the bags of dirt and asks, “How can I help?” He faces me but drops his gaze to the ground, then kicks at the dirt with the toe of his boot. His thigh muscle flexes under his jeans, making my tummy flip with desire. He’s an incredible looking man. When he glances at me, his brown eyes sparkle.

“You can help by answering my questions, but from what I’ve seen so far, you aren’t much of a talker.”

“I talk plenty when I have something to say.” His answer holds a double meaning, and his tone is more suggestive than I expected. What’s he playing at?

“Ethan, as much as I’d love to stand around flirting, I need to know when the dining room chairs will be delivered.” He pulls himself up to his full height, draws his shoulders back and his voice is as deep and rich as molasses when he answers.

“When I decide to flirt with you Lexi, I won’t be subtle.” His boldness is arousing, and I’m lost for words. He takes off towards the hotel at the same swift pace as he managed without the extra weight. I guess years of Army training can’t be undone in a few months. I stare at the muscles in his back strain as I push myself to catch up to him.

“Tuesday,” he says, when he sees me at his side.

“Perfect,” I respond confidently, as though I’m ticking the item off my list. “That’s what I had in my schedule.”

“Great,” he answers, bending forward to drop the bags onto the ground. He swipes the back of his hand across his forehead to wipe away the beads of sweat, leaving a trail of dirt in its place. “Is there anything else, Lexi?” I can’t take my eyes off his biceps and feel like I’m at an XXXL ladies’ night, ogling one of the pretend cowboy strippers.

My mouth is suddenly dry and my voice cracks when I ask, “Can I get you a cold drink?”

He rewards me with a million-watt smile and my heart flips in my chest. “Thank you, Lexi. That would be great.” Right at that moment, Cooper walks past pushing a wheelbarrow. He settles it at his feet and joins our conversation.

“Me too. Thanks, Lexi. It’s damn hot out here today.” He’s kind of killed the moment for me but I don’t mind getting him a drink. He’s right, it’s hot and both of them are working much harder than I am, and even I’m feeling the heat.

Ethan eyes Cooper and barks, “Go get your own drink. Lexi’s not a waitress.” Cooper tucks his chin down to his chest to conceal his grin before picking up the handles to the wheelbarrow and walking on. Ethan busies himself with the sack of dirt at his feet which is my perfect excuse to get the hell away and catch my breath. It’s best if I just keep my head down, do my job, and stay out of trouble.

I can’t get over how growly and protective he is, and I wonder if I’ve read the situation right. First, he’s flirty with me and then he went all alpha around Cooper. I wonder if he’s attracted to me like I am to him or if he’s only doing his duty to my brother?

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