Brynn
It has been a crazy week. Who knew planning a wedding in two weeks was so much work? Thank God for Jasper’s mom. She’s a master planner and great with details. Plus, she knows everyone in town, and who does what. She’d ask a question, Lin would answer, and she’s had someone in Seaview on it, before you could blink.
The town has been excited to help. Well, almost the whole town, as a few people aren’t fans. Like Jessica. I think she’s still mad Kade didn’t want her, when she made an open pass at him in front of Lin. Then, during their breakup, she confronted Lin in the Sunrise Lobby and caused a scene, and now, has been banned from the property.
Lin and Kade invited the entire town. Any local who wants to come is welcome, and they’re opening the wedding and reception up to the guests staying at both Inns, since all but two rooms are yearly regulars.
I’m walking The Inn, like I do every night before bed, and notice a room that’s supposed to be empty due to a cancellation, but it has someone in it. So, I head back to the desk and pull up the reservation list, and sure enough, it’s still empty.
I peek my head into Rich’s office, since he’s still here.
“Rich, did you rent out room four to anyone?” I ask.
“No, it’s empty, since the cancellation. Why?” He asks.
“Well, I was just down there, and there’s someone inside,” I say.
“Employees messing around, maybe?” He says.
“Wouldn’t be the first time. I’ll go clear them out. Will you add that room to the housecleaning rotation, so we can try to rent it out again?”
“Sure thing. Want me to come with you?” He asks.
“Nah, I’ll be fine. I’ll have security wait in the hall.” I tell him.
He nods and gets back to the bookwork. Normally, a front desk manager would work days, but this season with him and Ken being serious, he took an evening shift, so he can work, when Ken does, and he says he likes it, because most everyone is checked in, and he can do the bookkeeping. I really like having here at night, too.
After filling the lobby security guy in, I grab him and have him wait at the end of the hall for me. Taking my master key, I open the door.
Sure enough, someone is here, and there are clothes strewn on the bed. Looks like someone from the kitchen staff. The shower is on, so I know calling out is useless. I march right in and whip back the shower curtain, stunned to find Jasper, standing there naked as the day he was born. Water is running down his tan skin, and my eyes follow without my permission. His cock twitches and is semi hard.
His chuckle causes me to snap my eyes back to his, and he smirks. “Care to join me?”
“What the… get out and cover up, so we can talk.” I say and storm out of the bathroom, because there’s no way I can concentrate with his chiseled abs on full display. Much less, with the V that points right to his cock.
While I sit on the bed, the shower turns off, and a minute later Jasper steps out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel around his waist. Drops of water run down his six-pack, and I have to remind myself why I’m angry at him.
“How did you get in here?” He asks.
“I own the place, and I have a master key,” I tell him. “Why are you here? This room is supposed to be empty.”
“Yeah, I know, and it’s why I’m came in. With the wedding next week, I need to stay late, if I’m going to keep up on bookwork, get everything ordered, and do a test run, before the wedding. So, after my shift, I came in here to shower, because the dishwasher boy was trying to help and spilled a whole bucket of dirty mop water on me. It smelled great, as you can imagine. And I don’t have time to run home.”
“Well, you could have told me. I’d have let you shower in my room, so we didn’t have to clean this one again.” I sigh.
“Noted for next time I get dirty mop water spilled on me.” Jasper says, walking over to a set of clean clothes on the dresser.
“Where did you get the clean ones from?” I ask.
“I learned a long time ago to always keep a few sets of spare clothes at work. Kitchen accidents happy daily. Not to this extent, but I had a whole pot of cold soup spilled on me once at the start of my shift. After having to work twelve hours in those clothes, I always had extras on hand.”
Then, without so much as a flinch, he drops the towel, and his toned ass is on full display.
I gasp. “Jasper!”
“I’m getting dressed to get out of here, but you’re welcome to watch.” He turns and winks at me, once he has his boxers on.
I want to watch him. No, I want to do more than watch. I want to lick the drops of water, running down his chest.
The danger alarm goes off in my head, and I shoot up and run out of the room.
“Brynn!” He calls out, as I bolt right to my room and fall face first onto my bed.
What the hell is wrong with me? This man broke my heart once. I need to stop giving him the ability to do it again, because he will. My body doesn’t seem to care though, and it wants me to ride Jasper and take all its anger and hurt out on him.
I text Rich and let him know what happened, and he tells me housekeeping will take care of cleaning it.
I groan again just as there’s a knock on my door. I take my time opening it, because I’m pretty sure I know who is on the other side.
Sure enough, it’s Jasper. Thankfully, he’s all dressed this time.
“You know, you could have stayed. I’m happy to put on a show for you.” He winks. “Maybe next time, it will be me taking my clothes off.”
“Jasper, don’t.” I tell him.
His face goes serious. “Okay, I’m sorry. Just bill me for the room. I didn’t mean to cause more work for you.”
He turns and starts to walk away.
“Jasper?” I call after him.
“Yeah?” He stops and turns back towards me.
“You can use my office, when you stay late. It has a better view than an empty kitchen,” I tell him.
He smiles, “Yeah?”
I nod.
“I’ll take you up on that. Get some sleep, Firefly.” He says softly, using the nickname I haven’t heard in a year.
I smile and close the door. Then, I slowly count to two hundred and sneak over to The Sunrise and down to Lin’s room.
I knock on the door.
“Lin, it’s me. I have a best friend emergency that trumps your wedding stuff!” I call through the door.
I hear some giggles, and the bathroom door shut, before she opens the door.
Her cheeks are flushed, and her hair is slightly a mess.
“Sorry to interrupt,” I call out loud enough for Kade to hear me.
“It’s okay, but you’ll owe us!” Kade calls back.
I smile and collapse on the couch.
“What happened?” Lin says.
“Jasper kissed me,” I tell her, starting from the top, because we haven’t had time to talk.
“What, again?” She says.
“What do you mean again?” I say.
“Kade told me he kissed you on the beach last week.” She says.
“How did Kade know?” I ask.
“Jasper told him.” She shrugs.
“He’s a bigger gossip than you and me. Okay, no, not again, but I did just see him naked.” I say just as Kade walks out.
“Do I need to leave for this, cause if it’s sex talk, I’m leaving,” Kade says.
“No sex talk,” I tell him.
“Okay explain, and then start from the top.” She says.
So, I tell her about the canceled reservation, finding someone in the room, about busting in and finding Jasper in the shower, our talk, him dropping the towel, me bolting, and him coming after me.
Lin tries to hold back a smile, but Kade full on laughs so hard that I throw a couch pillow at him, which makes him laugh harder.
“It’s a guy’s natural reaction to the girl we like, walking in on us naked. We want to show off. Of course, he’s going to flirt, and why not? Plus, it’s not like you haven’t seen it before.” Kade shrugs.
“That was years ago. He’s changed a lot and gotten some ink.” I say, remembering the tattoo, I didn’t have time to focus on before.
“Well, I guess the next question is, are you going to give him another chance or not?” Lin says bluntly.
“What?”
She sighs, “Brynn, why do you think he sabotages all the chef interviews? Why is he still here? Why did he kiss you? Why did he flirt, when you saw him naked? Why is he busting his ass to help with my wedding? Why was he protective of you with the mayor? Hell, why do you think he volunteered himself for the job in the first place?”
Honestly, I hadn’t wanted to let my head go there just in case I was wrong.
“Do you think?” I ask her.
“We know,” Kade says.
I think back to the last few weeks, and it felt right having him in the kitchen. Despite everything, I trusted him there, and if he said we needed to do something, I did it. It felt like he belonged, and it was comforting. That’s probably why I didn’t fight him too hard on the interviews.
“I can try to be a bit nicer, but I make no promises. Well, I can make you one. Next time, it will be a softer fruit I launch at his head. Because this is Jasper, and you know there will be a next time without a shadow of a doubt.” I tell them.
Lin nods, “I can live with that.”
I groan. “Stupid me agreed to let him use my office, and I’m pretty sure my porch door is locked. No way I can sneak back to my room.”
“Oh, I have your porch door key.” Lin jumps up and rummages through her nightstand.
“Here.” She says, handing me a key. “Just make sure I get it back, because I see many more nights like this in your future.”
We hug, and then, I head out from her back door onto the beach. The dark night and the moon reflecting on the water should be calming to most people, and it used to be to me. Now, it just gives me the creeps. So, I run straight to my room, thankful to see the blinds in my office closed, but the light is on, so I know he’s there.
I make it to my room safely this time. I don’t think the next time that I will be so lucky.