Chapter 8

The weekend was amazing.

On Saturday, she and Tanner had taken their lunch to the park and had a picnic. Then, they’d simply walked some of the many paths and thought of activities to do with their classes with all the different colored leaves. It was so nice to have something like this in common! It made her realize just how much of a struggle it had been dating someone like Evan, who she had nothing in common with.

Lunch had turned into dinner and a movie—which they missed most of because they were more interested in kissing on his sofa. Then on Sunday, they worked on their weekly lesson plan together at her place before ordering a pizza and letting it get cold because they were more interested in kissing some more.

Chloe could honestly say she’d never been happier. And for all her worrying about what it would be like at work if they got involved, it was awesome! They shared their lunch break together and ate in either his classroom or hers, and they’d talk about how their days were going. He was really settling in to teaching and she was very proud of him. They’d worked on several joint projects this week with their classes, and it was the most fun she’d had teaching since she started. Every day was just so enjoyable and gave her so much more to look forward to!

She particularly loved the secret little flirty smiles they shared whenever they saw each other, and just how much fun it was to sit and talk with him about lesson planning—which was possibly the least sexy thing in the world, and yet with Tanner, it stimulated her in a way that sex never had.

Ugh…what is wrong with me?

Nothing, she reminded herself. There was something very satisfying about connecting with someone on a physical level, but she was finding that having the intellectual connection was just so much more.

Maybe some people would think it was weird that she found the intellectual connection…well…sexy, but she didn’t care. Tanner Westyn was turning out to be the total package, and she never even saw it coming.

But for all the fun she was having, it made her feel a little guilty. Every day after school, she went to spend time with her mother. They had moved her to the rehab facility on Wednesday, and it just broke her heart to see her there. Her bruises were healing, but for a woman who took great pride in her appearance, Chloe could tell how self-conscious her mother was about how she looked. Their conversations had been a bit stilted, and she didn’t want to mention her relationship with Tanner because she felt like it would sound like she was bragging. Still, she was thankful for the progress her mom was making and couldn’t wait until she could come home. Every night when she left, she would cry all the way home. Most of the time she’d call Ashlynn, who would calm her down, but it was like being on an emotional rollercoaster.

Now it was Friday, and her last student had just been picked up. The plan was to go home and relax for a bit, and then she and Tanner were going up to Summit Ridge for dinner. She knew he was excited to show her a bit about his life outside of teaching and she was looking forward to learning about it.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said as he strolled into her room. Pausing, he looked around. “Everyone picked up?”

She nodded. “Madison and her mom just left.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Tanner had her in his arms and was kissing her. When they broke apart, she smiled up at him. “I really like ending the school day like that.”

He grinned. “Me too.” Taking a step back, he looked a little uncertain.

“Is everything okay?”

He hesitated for a moment. “I wanted to throw something out there, and if I’m being too presumptuous, please let me know.”

“O-kay…”

“We have dinner reservations tonight at seven up at Summit Ridge, but…I was wondering if you might…I mean…I just thought…”

“Tanner?”

“Hmm?”

“Just say what you want to say.”

After letting out a long breath, he looked at her, his expression serious. “I thought maybe we could…reserve a suite for the night,” he said gruffly. “Maybe it’s too soon, and the last thing I want to do is pressure you, but…”

“Let’s do it!” she blurted out. “I mean…the room. Let’s reserve a room. I think that would be a wonderful thing to do! Can we check in before our dinner reservation? Would that be enough time? Ooh…do you think we could order room service in the morning?” Pausing, she laughed softly. “Sorry, but I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Moving in close, Tanner rested his hands on her hips. “Beautiful girl, we can order room service for dinner if you’d like and then again for breakfast.”

Her eyes went wide and her heart raced because this sounded like the best thing ever.

And not really because of the room service, but because it meant a whole lot of time alone with Tanner, where neither of them had to leave at the end of the night.

“I’m going to go home and pack right now,” she said before giving him a quick kiss. “Wait…what if they don’t have any rooms available? What if…?”

Pulling his phone out, Tanner scrolled a bit and then put the phone to his ear. “Yes, good afternoon,” he said smoothly. “I was curious if you have any suites available tonight?” He paused and smiled at her. “You do? Fantastic!” Another pause. “Westyn. Tanner Westyn.” Then he hummed happily. “That’s me! I used to compete.” And yet another pause. “Well, thank you! That would be incredibly generous of you!” He gave Chloe a thumbs up. “Oh, one night or two?”

He looked at her for an answer and she decided to be bold. “Two,” she whispered.

“Two nights, Micah. Thank you so much and we’ll see you soon.” After another minute of conversation, he hung up. “Well, Miss Donovan, you and I will be staying in one of Summit Ridge’s VIP suites this weekend. Pack your bathing suit because our suite comes with a hot tub.” Then he wrapped his arms around her. “Or maybe don’t. Because it’s super private and we don’t have to wear anything at all.”

Don’t look nervous…don’t look nervous…

But clearly, she looked nervous, because Tanner completely backtracked.

“I mean…again, no pressure. Sorry. That was just…ugh…I got carried away. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. No worries,” he assured her.

Reaching up, Chloe cupped his jaw. “Let’s just see where the weekend takes us, okay?” Then, with another quick kiss, she stepped out of his embrace and began collecting her things. “How much time do I have before you want to pick me up?”

“Will an hour be enough? It’s already almost 4:30, and by the time we get home and pack and I come pick you up, it will be almost 5:45. Our dinner reservation is at seven, so…”

“An hour is perfect,” she told him. “Come on! This is going to be a great weekend!”

That’s what she kept telling herself as they walked out of the school and she got in her car.

Then she panicked and immediately called Ash.

“Hey! Any chance you have time to come to the salon? I just had a cancelation and you’re due for a trim.”

“There is literally no time for that!” she said in a near hysterical tone. “I’m going away for the weekend with Tanner and it all sounded like a good idea, but…I’ve never gone on a sexy getaway before! Every time Evan suggested one, I chickened out!”

“Wait, so you’re going on a sexy getaway? When did this happen?”

“Just now! Jeez, Ash, come on! Pay attention!” she huffed with annoyance. “We had dinner reservations up at the lodge and then Tanner suggested that maybe we get a suite for tonight. Then he called and because everyone there seems to know his name, they got us one of the VIP suites with a hot tub for the weekend! I don’t even have sexy underwear! What am I supposed to do?”

“Well, first you have to breathe. Second, I’ll meet you at your house in thirty minutes and…”

“Tanner’s picking me up in an hour! There’s no time!” And yeah, she was on the verge of hyperventilating.

“Okay, I’m already in my car. Just go home and start packing and stop freaking out. I’ll be there as fast as I can!” Then the line went dead and Chloe knew her sister was right. She needed to stop freaking out and go home and get herself ready.

“Still doesn’t make sexy underwear magically appear in my drawers,” she mumbled, but drove home with a little more calmness than she had a few minutes ago.

Once at her house, she ran inside and took the world’s fastest—and yet extremely thorough—shower. Then, with her hair in a towel and in nothing but her robe, she began rummaging through her closet for what she was going to pack. She’d already picked out the dress she was going to wear to dinner and it was hanging on the closet door; now, she just needed at least two casual outfits, another dress for dinner tomorrow night, and something to wear to bed.

Or do I?

“I’m here! I’m here!” Ashlynn called out as she slammed the front door. They always had keys to each other’s places, and Chloe was glad to have her barging in right now. Running into the bedroom with an armload of stuff, she breathlessly dumped it all on the bed. “I bought stuff to quickly do your hair, and I had just ordered a bunch of sexy lingerie that I haven’t worn and they still have the tags on them, but you can pick out whatever you like! Whew…” Bending over slightly, she nodded. “It’s okay to call me a hero. Because I am.”

“Good grief, Ash! Again, there’s no time!” But as she moved closer to the bed, she began rummaging through the clothes. “Go plug in whatever hair stuff you need to while I see if there’s anything here I’d be brave enough to wear.”

“Already thought of it, and I think everything here will meet with your approval. Check out the teal blue bra and panties. The color is amazing and would look great on you.” She walked into the bathroom. “Ugh, you have no real counter space in here! It’s going to be a little hard to work my magic…”

She let her sister ramble on while she picked out a hot pink silk nightie, the teal set, a black matching set, and…

“You know what, Ash? I’m taking it all! I can’t decide!”

“I know! That’s only a portion of what I bought for myself. There’s enough variety there to fit whatever you’re feeling and Tanner’s going to love it no matter what.” She popped her head back into the room. “Now come in here and let’s get your hair dried and styled.”

Running in, she sat down and let her sister do her thing. “Am I crazy for agreeing to this? It’s kind of soon, isn’t it? Like…should I have said no or waited another week?”

“Do you want to wait another week?”

“No, but…”

“Then it’s not too soon. You need to stop thinking so much and enjoy yourself. You seem to really be into this guy and you’re not the impulsive one in the family. So if you said yes to him, then I’d have to say that it’s something you really want.”

And the thing is, she really wanted Tanner—probably more than she had ever wanted a man before, but…

“But…he’s like…he’s not the type of guy I thought I’d fall for. We have so much in common and I love just sitting and talking to him, but…he’s kind of famous. He’s lived a very different life than me, and he’s probably been with, like…dozens of women. What if he loses interest because I’m not like one of those…you know…ski bunnies?”

Ashlynn snickered. “Sometimes the things that come out of your mouth are completely adorable. But you’re wrong about this. It doesn’t matter how many women he’s been with before—and I’ll bet you it’s not nearly as many as you’d think. Remember that he wants to be with you. You didn’t chase after him like a ski bunny, okay? He was the one who wanted to pursue you. So relax and don’t get stuck in your own head, okay?”

Chloe nodded, but she wasn’t there yet.

Still, Ash made her hair and her makeup look fabulous, and when they walked back into the bedroom, her sister even started putting her things in her weekender bag so she could get dressed.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Chloe told her as she grabbed the black bra and panties and shimmied into them. “I planned on wearing the black dress hanging on the door to dinner, but should I wear it now or wear something else and change when we get to the hotel?”

“Change when you get there, but let’s find you something fetching to wear now.” In the closet, Ashlynn pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans, a copper-colored chunky sweater, and black ankle boots. “This way, it all works with the black undies. You know, in case you skip dinner and get right to the good stuff when you get to the suite.” She pulled out a few more things and tossed them on the bed. “A hoodie, a flannel, I already packed you a couple of pairs of leggings, this hunter green wrap dress is perfect for another dinner…these shoes are perfect…” And five minutes later, she was completely packed.

“Damn, Ash. That was impressive.”

“I know, right?” her sister preened. “And just in time, because I think Tanner just pulled up.”

“Oh my God! Already? How do I look?” she rambled as she finished getting dressed.

Ashlynn walked over and quickly fixed Chloe’s hair. “Perfect. Now go and have fun. I’ll lock up.” She gave her a fierce hug. “Walk out there with confidence and rock his world tonight!”

“Oh God…”

“Or…simply cuddle with him and have a totally pleasant evening,” Ash said as she hooked the strap of the weekender over Chloe’s shoulder and ushered her out the door. “Take your purse and keys and have fun. I love you and you better call me when you get home on Sunday night! Or text me at some point this weekend!”

“I will, I will. Thank you for everything!” And then she was walking out the door and hoping she looked confident.

Because I certainly don’t feel it…

But when Tanner climbed out of his SUV and smiled with appreciation, she suddenly felt it.

Confident.

Beautiful.

Desired.

And it was a heady feeling.

“Your room is on the tenth floor, concierge level,” the desk clerk said as he handed over their key cards. “And on behalf of Summit Ridge, we hope you have a wonderful stay. Would you like help with your luggage?”

“Thank you,” Tanner replied, “we would.”

Someone was immediately at their side leading them to the bank of elevators. He took Chloe’s hand in his and this all felt a little surreal. They had made small talk on the drive over, and he could tell she was a little nervous, but he hoped she wasn’t regretting her decision.

“This place is amazing,” she whispered as they got on the elevator. “I toured it when it opened over the summer, but we only got to see the common areas. I never saw any of the guest rooms. I can’t even imagine what the VIP suite is going to be like.”

He was going to say something blasé, but knew he’d end up sounding like he was bragging. “I’m sure it’s going to be great. And hopefully the view will be spectacular.” Then he realized it was dark out. “Something I guess we’ll find out in the morning, right?”

“Mm-hmm…”

When the doors opened on their floor, the bellman led them to a room at the end of the hall. “You have one of the best rooms we have,” he told them. “A corner suite with a view of the mountains and the lake.” He opened the door and put their bags down before turning on the lights. “The concierge lounge is open nightly until eleven and you can get breakfast there until ten-thirty every morning, snacks from eleven to four, and then appetizers from five to seven, and dessert from eight to eleven. If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask. Have a good night.”

Once he was gone, Tanner looked around the room and had to admit he was impressed. There was a king-size bed and floor to ceiling windows where he knew there’d be a magnificent view tomorrow. The bathroom was deluxe spa quality, and there was a fireplace that dominated one wall. There was a small sitting area, a kitchenette, and overall, it was the perfect room.

“What do you think?” he asked her.

“I think this is the fanciest room I’ve ever been in,” she said with a nervous laugh. “I almost feel like I don’t belong here.”

That’s when he went over and put her mind at ease as he kissed her. It was just meant to be a little slow and sweet and something to relax her, but the moment she pressed up against him, things escalated quickly. In the blink of an eye, they were both a little needier. The kiss went deeper, and they were moving across the room in a less than coordinated manner.

When they were standing beside the bed, Tanner tore his mouth from hers and whispered her name. Swallowing hard, he took in her flushed skin, her glossy lips, and slumberous eyes. “That was…”

“Not enough,” she told him, her hand smoothing over his chest. “I know we have dinner reservations in less than an hour, but…do you think they’d deliver it up here?”

“Sweetheart, if they don’t, we’ll find some other place that will.” And then he dove in for another kiss, this one deeper and wetter than the one before. His hand anchored in her hair, holding her to him, and all he wanted to do was get them onto that massive bed, peel her sweater up and over her head, and kiss every inch of her.

“I need you, Tanner,” she panted, her head slowly falling back as he rained kisses along her throat. “Please.”

It was all the encouragement he needed.

Carefully, he maneuvered them both to the bed, and when he looked down at Chloe, with her dark hair fanned out against the white comforter, she looked like an angel. He had really been looking forward to simply taking her out on a proper date tonight at a fancy restaurant where they could eat a fantastic dinner, maybe do a little dancing, and then come up to their room and do…well…exactly what they were doing right now.

And that’s when he realized that’s the night he wanted.

Even if it meant…stopping.

Reluctantly, he moved away from her and stood up.

“Tanner?” her voice was a little trembly as she pushed up on her elbows to look at him. “Is everything okay? Did…did I do something wrong?” Then she sat up, mumbling something about being afraid of this.

“Hey,” he said softly. “What does that mean?”

“What?”

“You just said you were afraid of this happening. Afraid of what?”

She got to her feet and walked over to the wall of windows, wrapping her arms around herself. “It’s nothing.”

He didn’t buy that for a second.

Walking up behind her, he said her name and then waited.

“Look, I get it,” she said, and he could see her reflection in the glass. She was staring out and not really seeing him. “With your celebrity status in the sporting world, you’ve been with a lot of women who were more…I don’t know…just…sexier and worldlier than me. I was mentally prepared for you to maybe be a little disappointed; I just didn’t think it would happen in the first three minutes.”

Grasping her shoulders, Tanner spun her around and didn’t let those big blue eyes sway him. “Are you out of your mind?” he said with part offense and part amusement. “I didn’t get up because I was disappointed in anything, Chloe. I got up because I felt like I was cheating us out of the night I really wanted us to have!”

Releasing her, he took several steps away and huffed out a breath.

“Believe it or not, I genuinely wanted to have dinner with you downstairs and then dance and maybe just walk around the lodge and then come up here. I hated the thought of you thinking that sex was the only reason I wanted us to come here!” Raking his hands through his hair, he let out a growl of frustration. “I would have been fine if we just came back here and talked all night!”

She didn’t look fully convinced. “But…”

“And as for my celebrity status? Believe it or not, that had nothing to do with my personal or sexual life. Yes, I competed, and yes, there were a lot of women who chased after me, but that doesn’t mean I slept with all of them. Because I was going to school—high school and then college—and I was always either training or competing, I didn’t really get a lot of time to date. So whatever number of women you have in your head, you need to seriously lower it. Like…really, really, really lower it.”

“Oh.”

Slowly, he sauntered back over to her. “You, Chloe Donovan, never have to worry about being enough.” Reaching up, he cupped her face. “You’re everything.” And then he kissed her thoroughly before lifting his head. “But I would very much like to take you to dinner. What do you say?”

Her first response was a giggle, but she shook her head. “I’d like that very much. I would like to change, though.”

“Why don’t you take the bathroom to freshen up, and I’ll change out here?”

The smile she gave him was radiant. “That sounds perfect. Thank you.”

Fifteen minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom looking like the girl next door with a hint of vixen to her, and it hit him—not for the first time—how deceiving first impressions could be. How had he ever thought her to be plain?

Holding out his hand to her, he smiled. “Shall we?”

“Is it too early for our reservation?”

“If it is, maybe we’ll grab a drink at the bar or just stroll around and check out what else the lodge has to offer. What do you think?”

“I think that sounds lovely.” Placing her hand in his, they walked out the door and to the elevators. “That bathroom is amazing. I’m not usually in awe of stuff like that, but I feel like I’m going to go home and make angry faces at my bathroom after this.”

That made him laugh. “I have a feeling I’ll be doing the same thing.”

When they got down to the restaurant and checked in, they were told that their table was actually ready. Following the hostess, Tanner kept his hand on the small of Chloe’s back and marveled at the atmosphere—the dark paneling, the massive stone fireplace, the soft music. It was exactly what he was hoping for.

Holding out Chloe’s chair for her, he waited for her to sit before taking the seat beside her. “This is nice, isn’t it?”

She nodded. “Maybe I’m being dramatic, but I feel a little like Cinderella tonight. I’ve been to nice restaurants before, but…just everything about tonight just seems special.”

“And it’s only just begun,” he murmured before placing a kiss on her cheek.

After that, they looked at the menu, ordered a bottle of wine, and decided to share the chateaubriand for two. They talked about school—something they did a lot—and from there, the conversation flowed from one topic to another with seemingly no awkward pauses.

When they were done eating, Tanner led her across the room closer to the bar and held her close while they danced to the piano music. By the third song, Chloe grinned up at him, “I think I need to sit back down. It’s been a while since I’ve worn heels.”

“No worries.” Leading her back to the table, he asked, “What about dessert?”

“What if…we asked them to pack it to go and we ate it up in the room?” And there was that hint of vixen in her again. It was fascinating to see that side of her come out, and he couldn’t wait to see it more.

“That can definitely be arranged,” he told her, and within minutes, they placed their orders for a slice of chocolate mousse cheesecake and an order of the crème br?lée while acting like they weren’t anxious as hell to go upstairs.

Tanner paid the check; they accepted the bag with their desserts and thanked their server before he helped Chloe to her feet. Then, hand in hand, they casually strolled through the restaurant, commenting on the décor as they made their way toward the hotel lobby.

At the elevator, they each stared straight ahead. “Dinner was fabulous,” she told him. “And the wine was perfectly paired.”

He nodded and almost breathed a sigh of relief when the doors opened and no one was waiting to get in with them. As soon as the doors closed, he turned and pulled Chloe into his arms and kissed her. Neither said a word, but he could feel the tension building as they clung to each other—while keeping a precarious grasp on the dessert bag.

On the tenth floor, they broke apart and he took her hand and led her down to their room and cursed his impatience. They stumbled through the door with a laugh and he took a moment to carefully place the bag down before turning to Chloe and simply looking his fill. She kicked off her shoes and walked toward him.

“Thank you for a wonderful evening, Tanner. I’m glad we went down to dinner like we had originally planned.”

“Me too,” he said gruffly, reaching up to caress her cheek. “Why don’t you get comfortable? I can go down to the lounge and grab us something to drink and…”

She silenced him with a kiss. “I don’t want you to go anywhere. I want to pick up where we left off earlier and then do all the things we were both thinking of.” Another kiss. “And then we’re going to be totally decadent and eat dessert in bed.” When she paused this time, she giggled. “And maybe order some room service for something to drink. But only if you think that’s okay.”

“Whatever you want, beautiful, I’ll make it happen.”

Her smile went from sweet to sexy in the blink of an eye. “Whatever I want?”

He nodded.

Turning her back to him, she asked, “Can you unzip my dress?”

Stepping in close, he placed a kiss on the side of her throat. “I can.” He inhaled the sweet, floral perfume she wore and could feel her tremble. Carefully, he pulled the zipper down and then watched as the dress dropped to the floor, pooling at her feet. She had on tiny scraps of black satin and lace, and when she turned around to face him, he almost forgot how to breathe.

Her name came out as a breathless plea, and as he led her over to the bed, he knew he’d never forget how she looked right now. She sat down and shimmied to the middle of the mattress before holding out her hand to him, and just like that, they were back where they were earlier.

Only this time, she was even more glorious.

Tanner’s hand shook slightly as he reached up and caressed her from her jaw to her throat, and down to her breasts. And when he looked up and met her gaze, she licked her lips and said, “Please.”

And just like that, his body covered hers, and what had already been a perfect night got even better.

“This cheesecake is amazing,” Chloe said sometime after midnight. “I’m not usually a cheesecake person, but I’m a sucker for chocolate mousse and figured I’d try it.” She hummed as she licked the spoon. “Now I’m really glad I did.”

“I have to agree. The crème br?lée was fine, but the cheesecake was the real winner in the dessert category.” Leaning over to the bedside table, he poured them each a glass of wine from the bottle that was just delivered from room service. “I also got a couple of bottles of water too. Just in case you wanted something other than wine.”

“Mmm…thank you.” Taking the glass from him, she took a sip. “It’s even good with cheesecake!”

Chuckling softly, Tanner took a moment before taking his own sip and had to agree. “Definitely.” She handed him the plate and then curled up beside him, mindful of the glass in her other hand. “Are you done with the dessert? Should I put the rest in the mini fridge?”

“That would mean you’d have to get out of the bed, and you already did that to get the wine.” Then she hugged him. “There’s really only a little bit left. I think we can let it go, don’t you?”

Placing a kiss on the top of her head, he nodded. “I do. Plus, there’s always tomorrow. We can get another slice.”

“I’m going to tell Billie about it. She doesn’t really do a lot of cheesecake recipes, but I think this one would be something she’d enjoy. Oops!”

“What? What’s the matter?”

“No family talk.”

“Chloe…”

“So, what are we going to do tomorrow? Obviously it’s too warm out for snow, but we can still do a lot. At the summer festival, there were so many great activities available.” She paused to think for a moment. “Um…there’s an Alpine slide, a mountain coaster, a rock-climbing wall, ziplining, scenic lift rides, and then there are ATV and hiking trails. Do any of them sound like fun?”

“Are you kidding? They all do! I guess I really didn’t think about what else a ski resort offers in the offseason. When I came up here last month, I was more interested in the winter activities.” He placed another kiss on her head. “What about you? What’s your favorite?”

“Hmm…the line was too long for the coaster when I was here this summer, but the slide was amazing! I would love to do that one again, and I’m sure we wouldn’t have any trouble getting on the coaster if it’s open.” She snuggled closer again. “The scenic lift could be fun too. I wonder if they do them at sunset because I bet that could be beautiful.” Then she yawned. “What do you think?”

Carefully, he took the wine from her hand and placed the glass on the bedside table. “I think we should see how we feel in the morning and then see what we’re in the mood for then.”

A soft giggle was her first reaction, and he had a feeling he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Because he already knew what he was going to be in the mood for.

More of her.

But if they got to experience more of the things the lodge provided, that might be fun too.