Stella stared at all the food and the special bottle she’d had brought up just for Dane. Was she a complete and utter fool? How could she feel so strongly for a man when she’d only just met him a few days before?
Yet he’d proved time and time again that he was selfless—both in the bedroom and out. He’d jumped at the chance to help her and pitch in around the resort since some employees couldn’t make their shifts. He’d helped work in areas she hadn’t even asked, putting in hard labor during what was supposed to be his vacation.
Was that why it was nearly quarter after eight and he still hadn’t made it to her penthouse? Perhaps he’d fallen into bed like all the other workers she’d put on sleep rotation.
There had been some serious shuffling of cots and blow-up mattresses in order to fit in the staff members who would be resting while others filled in.
She’d already made a mental note to give each employee a bonus for all their hard work. She hadn’t heard one complaint and anything she’d asked, they’d gotten right to handling.
Yet now she stood with her thoughts and her concerns. Not over Mirage or the raging storm. Those two were easy to manage. But Dane proved to be a much more unpredictable beast.
Stella padded through her penthouse and went to the fire. There was nothing like coming back here at the end of a long day and staring at the flickering red and gold flames. A glass of wine in her hand never hurt, either, but she was waiting on Dane.
“Stupid,” she muttered to herself and turned away from the fire. Even that wasn’t calming her nerves.
Dane was likely just as worn down as she was. Maybe he’d even had enough of her. Why was he busting his ass so much anyway? What was he getting out of all of this? Nothing here was his responsibility, his future didn’t hinge on how well this resort ran if the power went out and the road didn’t open for several days.
Jerking the rubber band from her wrist, Stella pulled her hair atop her head and twisted it into a knot. She should eat something since she’d brought leftovers from the kitchen up to her room. She hadn’t had much time for eating earlier, between bustling from common rooms to suites to fantasy rooms and thinking about her night with Dane.
Just as she popped a cube of smoked gouda into her mouth, the buzzer on her private elevator echoed through the penthouse. Nerves curled together in her belly, which was so silly. Dane was just a man and he was a temporary man at that. Their time would likely draw to a close as soon as the road opened and he was on his way. He had already overstayed his time here and his reservation was technically up. Not that she cared or would kick him out at first chance.
Was she an even bigger fool because she felt a little sliver of emptiness at the thought of him leaving?
Honestly, she didn’t care that she was getting in over her head. Dane had shown her so much compassion and support during these past couple of days. And the things that man could do in the bedroom? Her body tingled just thinking about his talents. Even if she got to keep him for only a short time, it would be worth it. That man would certainly fuel fantasies for years to come.
The elevator door slid aside and there he was. A man in a bespoke suit couldn’t have looked more powerful, more confident and in control. He had that whole rugged rancher look down to a perfectly imperfect manner. The plaid shirt, the worn jeans, the scuffed cowboy boots.
And those eyes. Dark as midnight surrounded by inky lashes any woman would envy.
Dane came toward her, but his eyes scanned the room before landing back on her.
“You worked all day and came back here to set up dinner?” he asked, obviously shocked.
Stella shrugged, not sure how to take his tone. Was he surprised in a good way or a bad way?
“I may not be able to escape to that remote location I dream of, but this is close enough.”
She took a step toward him, closing the gap. Stella reached up, flicking his top button until it slid through the hole. She glanced from her fingertips on his shirt up to his coal-like gaze.
“And if you’re here, I don’t really care where I am,” she added. “Maybe for tonight, we can pretend we’re just like any other guest and...”
His hand covered hers. “And what?”
Stella laughed and shook her head. “I’m being silly. You are a normal guest.”
Dane tipped her head up, framing her face with those rough, firm hands. “I’m a guest, but nothing about this stay has been normal.”
“No, I guess not.” Stella sighed and took a step back. “I probably shouldn’t throw myself at a man who just came off an engagement.”
The corner of his mouth tipped up. “No, maybe not, but I never asked you to stop.”
“You didn’t,” she agreed. “But before you rip my clothes off—”
“I believe that was you working on my clothes when I’d barely taken a few steps in.”
“Details.” Stella waved her hand in the air. “Anyway. I have something for you, something other than leftovers from the kitchen.”
She turned toward the bar area separating the living room and kitchen. Tucked perfectly on the other side of the domed lids, she pulled out the white bag and presented it to Dane.
He eyed the gift she clutched in her hand, but he didn’t take a step to get it.
“You found time to get me something?” he asked. “In the midst of a raging snowstorm and running a resort full of anxious guests with cabin fever?”
“You’re not the only one with pull,” she stated.
Dane quirked one thick, dark brow and reached for the bag. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”
“I didn’t do it because of the lotions you got me,” she told him. “I did it because I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done. You didn’t have to be so amazing.”
“It’s a character trait I can’t shake.”
Stella couldn’t help but laugh at his dry humor as he reached into the bag and pulled out the bottle she had procured from a secret stash that only certain employees knew about.
“Stella.” He turned the bottle around and stared at it for a long moment before turning his attention back to her. “This is... I’ve never had anyone give me a gift like this.”
Seriously? He’d been engaged, he had a brother, and a bottle of rare bourbon had him struggling to find words? Even her selfish father gave her gifts—granted, the gifts were given only on birthdays and Christmas and always delivered by his assistant or, in the early years, the nanny. But still...
“It’s just bourbon,” she muttered, suddenly wondering if she’d gone too far. They were just casually involved and she’d had no clue this would be so emotional for him. “I knew we had a couple bottles of important liquor hidden for special guests or clients who had requests.”
He continued clutching the bottle. “I didn’t request it.”
“It’s a gift.”
Dane stared down at the bottle, the muscle in his jaw ticked as he remained silent. She’d definitely done something wrong because she’d thought he’d be a bit happier.
“If you’d rather another brand, I know we have several bottles of—”
His eyes snapped to hers. “No. This is... This is more than thanks enough. I’m just surprised since these bottles are hard to come by.”
Stella smiled. “Not so difficult.”
He raked that dark gaze over her and she knew full well he knew just how powerful that visual caress was.
“I don’t need to be paid, or to get lavish gifts,” he told her as he set the bottle on the table and closed the distance between them. “I already told you I’m a simple man.”
“The way you’re looking at me proves how simple you are.”
Dane snaked an arm around her waist and hauled her flush against him. Stella flattened her palms against his chest and tipped her head back to meet his hungry gaze.
“You deserve better,” he murmured against her lips. “But I can’t pull myself away.”
Stella threaded her fingers through his coarse hair. “I never asked you to go and I’ll decide what I deserve. Right now, I deserve for you to make this ache go away.”
Dane’s hands slid down the curve of her body, those talented fingers slid beneath the hem of her skirt and teased along the edge of her lacy panties. So close. So, so close. She wanted him, she didn’t care about anything else right now. She didn’t care about what was happening between them, because she was positive there was more going on here than sex. Though at that moment, sex was all she wanted.
As for the long term, she had her goals and Dane...well, she assumed his were substantial since he’d been so tight-lipped about them.
“I feel a little guilty.” She arched into his touch, barely suppressing a moan. “Doing this while everyone is trapped here.”
Dane’s low chuckle vibrated against her chest. “I assure you, nobody is complaining they’re stuck at a couples’ resort with fantasy rooms. And they’re doing the same thing we are.”
“Does that mean I can take a minute off?”
Dane eased back, drew his brows in and gripped her backside. “I assure you, this will take more than a minute.”
Stella sure hoped so because she wanted as much of Dane as she could get. She’d never felt more alive, more powerful than when she was with Dane.
The way he held her, looked at her, worshipped her, were all so new, so exhilarating. There was no reason not to just take what she wanted.
Being stranded with a sexy stranger wasn’t something that happened every day, right?
Before she could continue her justifications, Dane palmed her backside and lifted her up as he carried her toward the balcony.
“My bedroom is the other way.”
Lips trailed down her throat. “I want you out in the open, where I can see everything.”
He stepped out onto the glass-enclosed patio. The one-way windows allowed them to see down to the valley below, but nobody could see in. Still, the idea of being exposed was erotic and thrilling. She knew her guests took full advantage of the various hot tubs positioned on the glass balconies, but she’d had no reason to come out here for anything like this before.
Dane eased her to her feet and made quick work of stripping her of her clothes. When she reached for him, she fully expected him to push her away.
And he did, but he grasped her hands in his. Dark eyes held hers and something other than passion looked back at her. There was that heaviness of pain once again. She’d seen that emotion in his eyes before, but never when they’d been on the brink of driving each other out of their minds with want and need.
“I need to tell you something.”
His words were coated with a raw, emotional tone she’d never heard from him. Stella turned her hands over beneath his. She might be standing before him completely stripped, but Dane was much more exposed, much more vulnerable.
“I...I have secrets.” The muscle in his jaw clenched as he glanced down to their joined hands, then back up to her face. “Before this goes further, you need to know that I never expected this.”
“I never expected finding a sexy stranger, either,” she countered with a slight smile, hoping to put him at ease. “You don’t have to tell me your deepest, darkest secrets. We have no strings.”
“I know, but...”
Dane released her hands and stepped back. Stella wished she’d left something on now that she stood there without him so near. But she realized he wasn’t staring at her, he was reaching behind his back and gripping his shirt. With a quick jerk, he had it off and then fisted the material in his hands.
“When I was in the army, I lost some buddies.” He stared down as he continued to twist his shirt. “There was an accident. Details aren’t necessary here, but the scars are—”
“Stop.” Stella reached for him and pulled the shirt away. She dropped it to the floor and raked her eyes over his chest. “I don’t care about scars and you don’t owe me any type of explanation.”
The dark hair covering his chest and abdomen, the tattoo curving over his right shoulder...none of that seemed to hide any imperfections that she could see. She ran her hands over him, up his arms to his chest, down toward the top of his jeans.
“You feel fine,” she murmured. “You look fine.”
Without a word, she moved around to his back. Stella’s breath caught in her throat, instant tears burning her eyes. She slid her fingertips over the puckered scars and obvious burns.
“You don’t have to—”
“You look and feel fine here, too,” she affirmed, not wanting him to offer her an out. She didn’t need an out. She needed to make him feel that he was worthy of her, that she appreciated the fact he trusted her enough to tell her, show her.
Dane’s entire body remained rigid beneath her touch. Ignoring his obvious discomfort, Stella stepped into him, resting her cheek against his back and wrapping her arms around his waist.
“Did you think this would turn me off?” she asked.
“I’ve never shown anyone,” he murmured. “It’s not exactly a time I want to talk about.”
Stella pressed her lips to his back, then moved on and placed another kiss, then another. “I wasn’t in the mood to talk anyway, cowboy.”
Her lips traveled all over until she moved to the front and placed them on that ink over his chest and shoulder. Taking his face between her hands, Stella forced him to meet her gaze.
“You’re still wearing too many clothes.”
He kept that dark, pained gaze locked on her. “You don’t deserve this.”
Stella threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled his lips to hers. “I know what I want, Dane. Now stop talking.”
Dane surprised her by nipping at her lips, then easing back to slide his fingertip down the valley between her breasts. “Have your way with me.”
The low, rumbling words filled the space between them and Stella wasted no time in removing those jeans that hugged his lean hips so deliciously.
Dane may be imperfect in his mind, but to her...well, he was the most perfect, stable, comforting aspect of her entire life.
Now she had to figure out what to do when he chose to leave.