Chapter 2

TWO

Emily entered the bar a few minutes before seven that evening. She’d wanted to arrive first so she could settle and order a drink before she saw Diana, and when she swept her gaze around the space, it seemed like she’d achieved her goal. She wasn’t sure why she’d felt like she needed to get here first. Maybe because she felt vaguely intimidated by what Diana might be like on her own turf, and this gave her a measure of control.

The bar area of the Beaumont Hotel was a lot more understated than she’d expected after seeing the porter in white gloves who’d held the door open for her and the elaborate chandelier in the lobby. The placard out front boasted that the hotel had been around since 1846, and that history was evident in the ornate touches on the woodwork around her.

The bar was a sleek black surface that ran along the back wall, staffed by a man in a crisp white button-down shirt. Soft jazz music played, and the lighting was low enough to be soothing, but not so low that it felt too intimate to meet someone here when she wasn’t quite sure if this was a date. Was Diana even queer?

There were a dozen or so other people in the room, mostly couples except for a lone man sitting at the end of the bar. Not wanting to give him the wrong impression by sitting nearby, Emily ordered a glass of merlot and brought it to an empty table for two by the window.

She pulled out her phone, unsurprised to find a string of new messages in the Adventurers group chat. Emily had texted them earlier about her unexpected rescue on the mountain, and now they were blowing up her phone in their excitement. They knew as well as anyone how long it had been since she’d dated and were fully in favor of her living it up tonight.

ALEXIS BELL

Have a drink for me!

TOM BELLAMY

Have more than a drink, my dear. I want you to have a wild time – do absolutely everything I would do

TALIA MICHAUD

Be true to YOU, Em (but also have funnnnnn)

ALEXIS BELL

If you couldn’t tell, we’re all living vicariously through you tonight…

Emily found herself laughing under her breath as she read the messages from her friends. Before he met Maddie, Tom had been quite the player. If he had rescued Diana back then, he’d undoubtedly have taken her back to her room and made good on his words. Or the bartender. He was Tom’s type too. But Emily? She wasn’t known for one- night stands. She wasn’t known for anything particularly adventurous, despite being part of this group.

Maybe that would change tonight. Emily had joined the Adventurers to push herself out of her comfort zone, but after meeting Diana today, she realized she hadn’t really done that yet. So maybe, if the opportunity presented itself tonight…maybe she’d find the courage to be adventurous for once.

“Is this seat taken?”

She looked up to find the man who’d been sitting alone at the bar now standing at her table. Irritation bubbled up. Seriously? She’d obviously chosen this table because she wanted to be left alone. “Yes, it is.”

“It is now ,” he quipped, setting his beer on her table. “Are you from around here?”

Emily sighed. Men like him were exhausting. “Born and raised, and that seat really is taken, so if you don’t mind…”

“Aww, come on. I’m just trying to get to know you.” His dark hair was a little too greasy to attribute the look to gel. She cringed internally. “Can’t I keep you company until your boyfriend arrives?”

Of course he assumed she was waiting for a man. Emily sighed again. She’d been clear that she wasn’t interested, but she wasn’t really the kind of person to be pointedly rude.

“I’m Matt.”

Emily’s gaze shifted behind Matt. Diana was striding across the room in tailored black slacks and a sleeveless off-white top, her strawberry-blonde hair loose so that the tips just brushed her shoulders, and good God . Emily had had a vague idea when she met her earlier that Diana would clean up nicely, but as she crossed the bar, radiating a kind of poise Emily could only dream of, Emily almost swallowed her tongue.

Diana Devlin might be the most gorgeous person she’d ever seen.

Her eyes were locked on Emily’s, sharp as diamonds and even more intense now that they were highlighted by impeccably done makeup. Emily wanted to shove greasy Matt away from her before Diana got the wrong idea about his presence, but before she could think of a way to get rid of him, Diana had reached the table.

She walked straight to Emily without even glancing at Matt, sliding an arm around Emily’s waist as she leaned in to press a kiss against Emily’s cheek. “There you are, darling. Sorry I’m late.”

God, she smelled as good as she looked, some kind of lush floral perfume, and what was happening right now? Emily could only blink at her out of lust-drunk eyes, her brain having apparently combusted at the touch of Diana’s lips to her cheek.

Matt swore under his breath before picking up his beer and heading back to the bar.

“Mission accomplished,” Diana said, watching him go. Her arm was still around Emily’s waist, their bodies so close together that Emily’s side brushed against Diana’s breast every time she inhaled.

That wasn’t doing anything to clear the haze from Emily’s brain, but she was starting to catch up anyway. “Did you just?—”

“It was effective, wasn’t it?” Diana turned her head to meet Emily’s gaze. “I wouldn’t have if you hadn’t been so clear about your sexuality earlier. I would never out anyone, even as part of a ruse to get rid of an unwanted man.”

“Oh.” Emily couldn’t stop staring into Diana’s blue eyes. “You didn’t say anything earlier when I told you I was queer.”

“It wasn’t relevant then.” Diana shrugged, dropping her arm, and Emily missed the warmth of her touch immediately. Diana stepped around the table and sat in the chair opposite her. “I suppose it is now.”

“Feels pretty relevant.” Emily hoped she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt. Her fingers were touching the spot where Diana had kissed her. When had she raised her hand like that? She drew in a cleansing breath as she lowered her hand to grip her wineglass.

“Then we’re on the same page.” Diana’s soft smile made her eyes sparkle in the bar’s low lighting.

“Yes. Do you want a drink?”

Diana raised a hand, catching the bartender’s eye in a move much smoother than anything Emily was capable of, and he nodded, then ducked out from behind the bar and approached their table.

“What can I get for you, ma’am?”

“Whiskey, neat. Something Irish, please.”

“Coming right up.”

Diana thanked him, then leaned forward to rest her elbows on the table as she fixed her gaze on Emily again. “I looked up your website. Your artwork is impressive.”

“Oh, thank you.” Emily swallowed, her skin flushing with warmth. Diana was radiating so much sapphic energy right now, Emily had no idea how she’d missed it earlier. Maybe she’d been afraid to notice, or maybe Diana was turning on the charm now in a way she hadn’t while they were on the mountain. Either way, Emily had fallen completely under her spell.

“Do you only paint landscapes?”

“Mostly, yeah. Sometimes I’ll digitize individual flowers to go on stickers and things like that. Nature is my muse, I guess.”

“You’re talented.”

Emily’s cheeks grew even warmer. “Thank you.”

The bartender arrived with Diana’s drink, and as Emily sipped her wine, she wished she’d gotten something stronger. Diana’s whiskey looked so sophisticated…like Diana herself. Emily knew why she was here tonight. She was wholly intrigued by Diana and increasingly attracted, but what did someone like Diana see in Emily?

“That’s a very intense look,” Diana observed, sipping her whiskey. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“I just…” How to verbalize it without putting herself down? “I can’t help feeling like you and I never would have ended up having a drink together if I hadn’t rescued you today.”

Diana’s eyebrows went up, and she stared at Emily for a moment of loaded silence. “Isn’t that true of any two people? That you might not have met if not for whatever random circumstance brought you together. I think what you’re really asking, though, is would I have approached you if I met you in this bar instead of on that mountain?”

Emily blushed and shrugged. Busted.

Diana’s gaze never wavered. “The answer is twofold. Would I have been intrigued if I first spotted you across the bar here tonight? Yes, definitely. It’s easy to see that you’re intelligent and interesting and someone I’d like to get to know. However, generally when I approach a woman in a bar, my interest doesn’t extend past a single night, and you don’t necessarily strike me as the ‘one night’ type.”

“Oh.” Emily took another sip of her wine as a weight settled in her stomach. That was a lot more honest than she’d been expecting. Diana saw Emily as most people did: someone who played it safe. But she didn’t want to play it safe tonight.

“In this case, I’m only in town for the night, so even if I wanted more than a night with you, it’s not in the cards.” Diana lifted her whiskey for another sip. “But I meant it when I said you’re someone I’d like to get to know. I didn’t invite you here for a hookup. I’m happy to spend my evening with you, even if we go our separate ways in the lobby.”

Emily’s next sip was more of a gulp. “And if I don’t want to part ways in the lobby?”

Diana’s eyes blazed with undisguised heat. “Then I’d be very lucky indeed.”

Halfway through her second whiskey, Diana was pleasantly buzzed. Relaxed enough not to notice the sore muscles from her ill-advised hike, and more than a little bit intrigued by the woman sitting across from her.

Emily had on a knee-length dress colored like the sunset: a vibrant mixture of red, orange, and purple. Her chestnut-brown hair framed her face and hung in loose waves down her back. Somehow she managed to look as sweet as the flowers she painted while simultaneously being one of the sexiest women Diana had ever seen.

It was a good thing Diana lived almost two hundred miles away, or she might be in trouble. Emily was captivating, and not just because of her beauty. Diana didn’t often date. She was too focused on her career to have time for a love life. Instead, she satisfied herself with the occasional one-night stand or meaningless fling.

But Emily was different, someone who took time to enjoy the beautiful things in life that Diana tended to march straight past. Emily reminded her that if she met the right woman, Diana was capable of wanting more. She’d always assumed she’d get married at some point, but here she was, forty and far more preoccupied with her next promotion than finding a woman to settle down with.

“It’s so hard to meet new people living in a small town when you’re queer,” Emily was saying. “I feel like I’ve already dated every queer woman in the area.”

“Even the ones in your adventure group?” Diana asked.

Emily scrunched her nose. “Well, no, but dating friends gets messy, and some of them feel almost like family at this point, you know? A few of us have known each other since we were kids. I’m bi, so that opens up my possibilities, but honestly, there aren’t many men I connect with for more than a night or two, and as you pointed out…that’s not exactly my style.”

Diana grinned. “I knew I had you pegged.”

“Yeah.” Emily ducked her head. “You’re good at reading people.”

“I try to be, anyway.”

“And extremely modest,” Emily teased, catching Diana’s eye.

“Women in general are too modest, especially in business. You don’t see successful men downplaying their talents. They own their strengths, and so should we.”

“You’re right.” Emily looked thoughtful. “I hadn’t thought of it quite like that, but I know I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to conquering the hurdles in my life.”

“Like what?”

“Like…making it to the top of the damn mountain, like growing my business or putting myself back in the dating game. ”

“Did you get your heart broken?” Diana asked, ire rising at the idea of someone taking advantage of Emily’s generous nature.

“Once, yes, and it was awful, but that was years ago.” Emily sighed. “My last few relationships were just…disappointing. Underwhelming, really. So I haven’t put much effort into finding someone new.”

“Dating is hard,” Diana agreed. “The higher I climb on the corporate ladder, the more difficult it is to find time for a personal life. My ten-year plan involves running the entire company, so that’s been my priority. I haven’t paid much attention to my love life lately, I’m afraid.”

“Your ten-year plan is to run the whole company,” Emily repeated, looking somewhat dumbstruck.

“Yes. My father will be retiring, and I hope to become the next CEO of Devlin Hotels.”

Emily whistled softly. “Damn. You really dream big, and I’m so fucking impressed with you. I’m sitting here trying to convince myself to hike up the mountain, and you’re making plans to run a Fortune 500 company.”

“It’s always been my goal,” Diana told her. “As I mentioned earlier, I currently run the independent purchasing division. I scout boutique hotels to bring under our corporate umbrella, and I absolutely love it, but I’m hoping for a promotion to COO within the next year or two. That will be the final step to prepare for my role as CEO.”

“Wow.” Emily paused to thank the bartender as he brought her a fresh glass of wine. “Is it in the bag, then? Or do you have some competition to contend with?”

Diana pursed her lips. In her mind, it was a done deal, but she knew that wasn’t reality. “It’s down to two of us.”

“Do tell.” Emily leaned forward, a strand of brown hair brushing against the tabletop. Diana wanted to reach out and see if it was as soft as it looked. Maybe, if the night played out the way she hoped, she’d get to find out.

“It’s between me and my brother.” Diana knew her sigh revealed too much about her feelings on the subject, but she didn’t mind Emily knowing the truth. That was the freedom of sharing a few drinks with someone she wasn’t likely to see again.

“Wow, Devlin Hotels really keeps it in the family, huh? So your father has to pick between his kids? That sounds impossible.”

“The board will vote on whether or not to approve my father’s choice, so it’s not solely up to him, but regardless.” Diana pushed her shoulders back. “I’ve been laser focused on my career path since I was in college. My brother…hasn’t. And I don’t mean to speak ill of him. He’s a good businessman, but between the two of us, the decision—to me, at least—seems like an easy one.”

“And does your father agree? Do you know?”

“I think he would rather see Harrison in the position, but…I hope he’ll be reasonable when the time comes. I have an advanced degree in hotel management. I’ve brought millions of dollars of revenue into the company through these boutique hotels. I’m an excellent problem solver with strong leadership skills. My brother is more likely to be found on the golf course.”

“Well, you have my vote.” Emily had leaned in even more now, close enough for Diana to see that her eyes were the color of whiskey, a rich golden color that was darker around her pupils. “I knew the moment I laid eyes on you this morning that you’re a leader. You were lost and dehydrated and still came marching out of the woods like you owned the place.”

Diana chuckled. “I appreciate the vote of confidence. I was honestly starting to panic before I spotted you, and I don’t panic easily, I can assure you.”

“I believe it.” Emily stared pensively into her wine for a few seconds before raising those honeyed eyes to Diana. “I’d love to know what it’s like to have that kind of confidence. You seem so effortlessly in control and sure of yourself.”

“Want to know a secret?” Diana gave her a wry smile. “Sometimes I wish I could let someone else take control for a little while, but the business world doesn’t work that way, especially for a woman. Show them a moment of weakness, and they’ll eat you alive.”

“That sounds exhausting. I bet you look forward to these scouting trips.”

“I love them,” Diana told her honestly. “And this one in particular.” She let her leg bump into Emily’s beneath the table, the bare skin of their ankles brushing together.

Emily sucked her bottom lip between her teeth.

Diana was just buzzed enough that even that simple touch left her aching. It had been a while since she’d connected with someone the way she had with Emily, a connection that was equal parts sexual and intellectual. That intersection had always been Diana’s downfall.

“Hey, Diana?” Emily’s voice was lower now, almost as smoky as the whiskey in Diana’s glass.

“Yes?”

“I don’t want to part ways in the lobby.”