Page 2 of Tempt Me Forever

My date was at seven o’clock. I still had two hours before heading upstairs. Hmm, what could I do? I knew Reese had already left. I could drop by my cousin Tate’s house, see if he and my two nieces were there. Though they weren't officially my nieces, my cousins were like the brothers I never had, and it just felt right to call them that. His wife gave birth to the most adorable baby last week, and I was finding reasons to drop by almost every day.

My grandparents built up the Maxwell chain of bookstores, which my Dad and my uncle and aunt ran for decades before selling it for a huge sum. Then each of us Maxwell heirs pursued their own career, determined to make our mark. Tate was running Maxwell Wineries. Tyler was one of the best hockey players in the country. Declan was a phenomenal lawyer. Luke had an architecture company, and Sam was a doctor. Reese and I decided to focus on hotels, with Travis.

All six of my cousins were happily married or engaged, but so far, only Travis and Tate had given me nieces. Funny thing with having all male cousins—none had had boys yet. Then again, four didn’t even have children yet.

Grabbing my phone, I called Tate right away.

"Hey, Kimberly," he answered.

"Hey, cousin. You home? Can I drop by just for an hour and see my favorite nieces?"

"We're not at home. The little one had a bit of a fever, so we're all at the doctor's."

I straightened up in my chair. "Oh my God.” She was tiny. How was that possible?

"I'm sorry, but you're welcome tomorrow anytime."

"Sure," I said, deflating a bit. "Can you please keep me updated with how things go?"

"Don't worry about anything, okay? The doctor said she'll be fine. They already prescribed something to lower the fever."

"Okay." My voice was small.

I hated the thought of that little nugget being sick. I wasn't an expert, but I knew a fever wasn't a small thing when it came to babies. I debated texting Sam to ask if he knew something about fevers. My youngest cousin was a doctor.

Oh, get a grip, Kimberly. I was completely overreacting. They'd assured me everything was going to be fine, and she was getting the best care possible.

To kill some time, I started to work on a couple of emails again, dreading my date. When seven o’clock approached, I went to the bathroom to look at myself in the mirror. My dark brown hair seemed permanently unruly, but I'd given up trying to tame it. The only thing that worked was putting it up in a ponytail or a braid, but it looked too pretentious. Not that I cared what others thought about me. I liked to mix and match clothes in peculiar combinations, such as cowboy boots and elegant dresses, or leather jackets with velvet blouses. I'd always had a different style, and I owned it.

But in winter, I only cared about being warm. Since January was cold as hell in Chicago, I wore many layers. It was necessary because the temperature was pleasant in the office and in the car, but I had to brace myself every time I went outside.

I was wearing tights and a red dress with a matching jacket over it, and I had a heavy coat that I would put on once I stepped outside. My favorite accessory was a huge wool scarf that I could also wrap over my head if necessary. I avoided beanies at all costs, as they messed up my hair.

I only refreshed my mascara and didn't bother with lipstick, since I was going to have drinks and snacks. Picking up all my wraps, including my coat, I carried them upstairs. I didn't take the elevator and instead went up the staircase that connected the office level to the bar. Our office was on the floor below the top one, where the bar was.

I smiled, dragging my hands up the railing. Travis had put so much love and care into every detail of his hotel. He’d worked with the best in design, and it showed. He’d chosen a mix of styles. The twenties were prominent in the dark furniture, gold accents, and silk walls, but the paintings were modern, as were the light fixtures.

I reached the top floor, exiting by a corner connected to the bar adjacent to a corridor that our team used as a coat check. I wiggled my way by everyone, hanging my own coat on one of the large racks. It wasn't easy because it was already full. Many locals were already using our bar as their go-to place to relax after a hard workday. In the beginning, we thought it would mostly be our guests who would use the bar, but it turned out that it was a smash hit in the bar scene in Chicago. I didn't like to sing my own praises, but that was mostly my own doing. I'd solicited input from a lot of influencers, and it paid off.

Stepping inside the bar, I took a deep breath, looking around. It was crawling with people. This was perfect.

Thomas winked at me from behind the bar. "I think your dude arrived."

"I can't believe Travis put you on our case."

He shrugged. "He told me to keep an eye on you. I told him I'll keep both." Using his fingers, he pointed to his eyes, then back at me, indicating he was watching me. What a goof.

"Thanks, Thomas."

I looked at my date, drawing in a deep breath. At least he wasn’t bad-looking. Still, I had no reaction. No sweaty palms, no butterflies.

Oh well, what the hell? I'll give it a try.

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