Unexpected Gifts: (The Steamy Version) (A Castle Mountain Lodge Romance Series Book 1) (3 page)

CHAPTER THREE

Andi twisted her napkin in her hand and looked up to where Colin was waiting for drinks at the bar. What was she thinking, staying in a strange man’s hotel room in the middle of the mountains? But that was the problem, wasn’t it? He wasn’t really a stranger. Andi sighed and rubbed her temples. She’d recognized him right away and had hoped he wouldn’t remember her. What were the odds that she’d run into someone who knew Blaine? Especially when she was trying to flee anything that reminded her of him? This really wasn’t her week.

Andi smiled, thinking of how shocked Eva would be to find out about her accommodations. She’d probably think it was a great idea for Andi to bust out of her typical groove. It’s not like she had a lot of choices, though, she told herself again. Besides, Colin had seemed normal enough when they’d met that one time in St. Lucia, and from what she could remember, Colin had been very friendly and not at all like Blaine’s usual stuck-up friends. He’d tried, without much success, to include her in the conversation but Blaine had seemed bent on telling Colin about his latest business acquisitions and how well he was doing. Andi remembered the fight they’d had later that night when she accused Blaine of behaving like a jerk. He didn’t get like that often, but every once in a while…

Andi’s thoughts drifted off when Colin turned from the bar holding a glass of wine and a bottle of beer. Colin looked like the total opposite of Blaine, which maybe had something to do with the animosity between them. Where Blaine was always well-groomed, wearing a shirt and tie, this man wore faded jeans and a worn t-shirt that hugged his chest. Overdue for a haircut, his shaggy hair persistently fell over one eye in a way Andi would normally find annoying. But there was something about the way Colin brushed it off his face that Andi found ridiculously sexy. In fact, he did seem to have the most unnerving way of making her stomach flutter every time he looked at her.

“I hope Shiraz is okay?” he asked, as he reached the table and put the glass in front of her. “You didn’t tell me your preference, so I guessed.”

“Shiraz is great.” She took a sip of her drink in an effort to squash the sudden and completely ridiculous urge to reach out and touch the scruff on his chin. What was wrong with her?

Colin reclined in the chair across from her and took a long pull on his beer. When he put the bottle down, his green eyes locked on hers and they looked so familiar that for a moment, Andi forgot that she barely knew anything about him.

“So, Andi,” he said, and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “It just occurred to me that I offered you a room in my villa and all I really know about you is that you like red wine, you don’t plan ahead by confirming reservations, and you get a really sour look on your face when I mention Blaine.”

She opened her mouth to object, but before she did, closed it again. There was nothing to protest. She really didn’t like the mention of Blaine’s name and even though it wasn’t her fault that the reservation wasn’t confirmed, it didn’t really matter. Of course, she should have known that Eva wouldn’t have checked. There was a reason Andi took care of the business side of Party Hearty.

Andi took another sip of her wine. She swirled it around in her mouth before swallowing and responding. “What do you want to know?”

“Well, I’m assuming that you don’t want to talk about Blaine.”

“You assume correctly.”

“Right. And since my relationship with him seems to depend solely on him telling me how great he is every few years, why don’t we just pretend that we don’t have that in common? That way you can’t hold it against me.”

Andi raised her glass. There was something endearing about him and his effort to make her feel more comfortable. “Deal,” she said.

They clinked glasses, and after taking a drink, Colin said, “I’ve already assured you that I’m not an ax murderer. How about a similar assurance?”

“I’ve been rehabilitated,” she said with a straight face.

“Good thing.” Colin laughed. “I suppose I should have asked if you had an ax in your bag.”

She raised her eyebrows and laughed along with him.

“Now that we have the important details cleared up,” he said after a moment, “there’s something I have to know. Is Andi your full name or is it short for something?”

Andi took another sip of her wine and fiddled with the napkin. “Really? That’s what you
have
to know?”

“What? We’re trying to get to know each other, aren’t we?” he asked in mock defense. “It’s a fair question.”

She found herself smiling again, and answered, “You can call me Andi.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Colin said. “Is that what I should call you, or is that your actual name?”

“Believe it or not, it is my actual name,” she said, and looked down at her napkin. “I wish I could say it was short for something, but really my dad was convinced I would be a boy and when I wasn’t, he decided the next best thing to having a son would be to pretend I was one.”

“Wow,” he said. The light atmosphere between them shifted, and when she looked up, there was a look of concern on his face. “So I assume the two of you aren’t close?”

Andi shrugged. “We were actually, but now he really does have those sons he wanted so bad, along with a new wife. So he’s pretty busy with them.”

“And your mom?”

Andi took another sip of her wine before answering. With any other guy, she would have balked at such intimate questions, but there was something about Colin and she couldn’t remember the last time she felt so relaxed with a man. He was incredibly easy to talk to and he genuinely seemed interested. Heck, she’d even told him the story behind her name and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d ever done that. With anyone.

“My mom and I are close.”

“Then why are you here?” He asked the question gently. “Holidays are supposed to be for friends and family. Why are you here alone?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“Touché.” He picked up his beer bottle and raised it to her, diffusing the tension in the air.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Andi pretended not to notice the way he studied her. She focused instead on the picture windows framing the winter wonderland scene outside. The snow was falling even heavier than when she’d arrived and was forming a thick blanket over the courtyard. It was beautiful, but it would also mean the drive back down the mountains to the city would be treacherous. She was used to winter driving, but winter driving in the unpredictable mountains was a different story.

“The highways are going to be a mess,” Colin said, reading her mind. “I barely got here and I have four-wheel drive.”

She nodded and raised her glass to her mouth.

“Don’t worry about staying,” he said. “I already promised you I’m a nice guy. And besides, it’s not good to be alone on the holidays.”

She flipped in her chair so she was staring at him head-on. “Who said I was going to be alone?”

“Who said I was talking about you?”

He didn’t think she would agree to it. It was a spur-of-the-moment offer to share his villa with her, but she was stranded, and kind of an old friend, and besides, he was alone. Colin was determined to make this Christmas the best he’d had in years. With his recent history, it wasn’t going to be hard to top the past, but having Andi around, even temporarily, would definitely make things more interesting.

Colin swiped the card in the key lock and held the door open for Andi.

“Thank you.” She swept past him, her arm brushing his chest. “Sorry,” she said, turning around to look at him. The slight touch—despite the barriers of thick coats—had sparked something, and he could tell by the look in her eyes that she’d felt it too.

He shrugged and Andi turned to enter the villa.

Colin assumed since she’d received a promo invitation from her company, that she’d been on the receiving end of many such offers, and had probably seen her fair share of elegant accommodations. Even so, how could she not be impressed with the room? He had to make a dedicated effort to keep his own mouth from hanging open in shock as he entered behind her, followed by the bellboy with a trolley of her luggage.

A smaller scale of the lobby in the main building, this room was two stories of vaulted, wood beam ceilings. A fire had been laid in the rock work fireplace and there was even a Christmas tree, fully decorated, in the center of the window. With the snow still falling outside, the room looked like it belonged on a greeting card.

“What do you think?” he asked Andi. “Have you been here before?”

She turned to face him but he couldn’t read the expression on her face.

“I’ve stayed at the Lodge before, but never in a villa. This is…” She stopped and spun slowly, encompassing the room with her arms. “Amazing,” she finished. When she stopped moving, she stood in front of him, and he was rewarded with a smile on her face that made her eyes sparkle. He realized he hadn’t seen such an honest smile from her yet. It was gorgeous. “I could do without all the decorations, though,” she added.

“I must admit,” he said. “I didn’t expect anything like this either. But I like it.” He watched for her reaction, and added, “And I think the Christmas decorations are a nice touch.”

“Sir,” the bellboy said, interrupting them. “Which room shall I put the bags in?”

Colin turned. He’d forgotten the bellboy was still there. “Oh.” He glanced at Andi, who was now standing at the window, staring outside. “You can put them all in the master suite,” he said to the boy, “except the duffle bag. Choose another room for that one.”

The bellboy nodded and turned to carry out his duty, but not before Colin noticed the look on his face. No doubt the kid was likely thinking that if he had a woman as beautiful as Andi in his villa, there would not be separate rooms involved.

“Make yourself at home,” Colin said to Andi. “I really don’t want you to feel like a guest. Please just think of it as your space.”

She turned away from the window at the sound of his voice. He couldn’t be sure, but it looked like she was fighting back tears. “Thank you,” she said. “I mean it, Colin. You didn’t have to do this. But I really appreciate you letting me stay here. I don’t think I could—“

“Will there be anything else, sir?” the bellboy asked, appearing at Colin’s side. “Would you like me to show you the controls for the hot tub?”

“There’s a hot tub?” he asked.

“Of course, sir. On the deck. It’s quite simple to use.”

“I’m sure it is,” Colin said. “I think we’ll be fine. Thank you.”

He handed over a twenty-dollar bill and the boy disappeared.

Colin wanted to finish the conversation with Andi. He wanted to know more about why she was here, why she wasn’t with Blaine, and just more about her, period. But when he turned his attention back to her, she was in the small kitchen, searching through the cupboards.

He watched her for a minute before asking, “Looking for something?”

She looked up and smiled. “Did you know they stocked the fridge? You have quite the spread here.”

“You mean,
we
have. I told you, this is your place too.”

A look crossed over her face. “You know,” she said. “I just realized that I didn’t get a chance to ask you about your situation. Won’t your girlfriend be upset that I’m here?”

Colin crossed his arms. She was obviously fishing for information, and by the smirk on her pretty face, she already knew the answer to her question.

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said. “Women are nothing but trouble.” Her smile faltered a little at his gruffness and he immediately softened his tone. “I prefer to be single. Besides, there isn’t room for women in my life, at least not for anything long-term.”

“Well, I guess that’s good then,” she said. “I wouldn’t want some jealous woman chasing after me.” Her smile was back, teasing him, sparking something inside him.

There was no way that Blaine’s ex would be interested in a little festive fling. Would she? Colin pushed the thought from his mind. It didn’t matter how attracted to her he was. Some things were off-limits.

“Are you hungry?” he said, and pointed to the jar of almonds she’d pulled out of the cupboard. “We could go find one of the restaurants, or if there’s something to cook here…or, maybe you don’t want to spend all your time with me. I’m sure you have something you want to be doing. After all, you didn’t plan on spending your holidays with a stranger.” As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he realized how much he hoped she didn’t have any other plans. What was it about this woman? He’d never been so unsure of himself around the ladies.

Colin waited while Andi walked around the kitchen island, back into the living room. She looked like she wanted to say something, but instead, she stopped and said, “You know, you’re right. I should probably get my things unpacked.”

“Of course.” He pointed her towards the room the bellboy had put her bags in and watched her go down the hall. As soon as she was out of sight, Colin wished she were back. It had been a very long time since a woman had stirred such intense feelings in him and intrigued him so completely. The last time had been a very long time ago.

And remember how well that turned out? he reminded himself. No, he wouldn’t get involved. No matter how strong the pull towards her might be.

CHAPTER FOUR

It didn’t take long for Andi to unpack her bags and get organized. It was kind of strange taking the master bedroom, but when she’d gone back into the living room to ask Colin about it, he was gone. It was stupid but she was disappointed that he wasn’t there. She liked him. There was something about him that allowed her to relax and it was nice to spend time with a man without it feeling forced. She felt more comfortable around Colin, who was still a relative stranger, than with Blaine, at least at the end.

Eva would roll her eyes at that. She was always telling her that relationships shouldn’t be so hard. At the thought of her friend, Andi had to laugh. She would never believe where Andi was staying. She grabbed her cell phone and walked to the window to call her.

The phone went straight to voicemail. Of course Eva would be busy putting the finishing touches on the events this week. Andi had a flash of guilt. She should be there to help out. After all, it was her company, too.