The two of them spent the rest of the morning and a good chunk of the afternoon wandering the grounds of the resort, even going so far as to take a ski lift to the top of one of the smaller hills. They hiked down some trails set aside for snowshoeing and walking. Even the benches on the trails were top-notch and strung with fairy lights. On the way back, Anna tossed sparkling handfuls of snow at him, dusting his nose.
The mood shifted once they returned to their room. It had been one thing to collapse on the bed in the middle of the night, exhausted from the shopping and the flight. Now he stood awkwardly in the center of the living room. “I’m sorry there’s only one bed. If you want, I’ll sleep on the sofa from here on out.”
“That won’t be very realistic.” Anna’s body still hummed from the kiss they’d shared in the elevator. Some practice kiss—it was more like what she expected on her wedding day when the priest announced the happy couple as husband and wife. “It’s really okay. It doesn’t bother me at all.”
How he’d react if she admitted that she wanted him to sleep with her was another story.
Gabe nodded. “That’s good. Listen, I need to go talk to my brothers about our situation. Now that we’ve got a better storyline, I owe them a conversation. Will you be all right here for a bit?” His eyes searched hers. One minute he was acting like the Gabe he’d been when they worked together. The next, he was her fake fiancée, hesitating to leave her alone without company.
Anna snorted a laugh, and his eyebrows rose in response. The light dancing in his eyes made her want to say something witty. It was hard to come up with the words. “Will I be all right in this luxury suite in the fanciest ski lodge I’ve ever seen? I think I can handle it, Gabe. Don’t worry about me.”
A smile crinkled the corners of his eyes, and for a moment she thought he might take her in his arms. Kiss her again, even. But then he seemed to pull back, shifting toward the door. “I’ll be back soon.”
And then she really was alone in the luxury suite.
Anna felt like she did when she walked into a brand-new conference site, albeit the most delightful conference site she’d ever worked on. Her feet sank into plush carpets, and the floor-to-ceiling windows were spotless, offering a breathtaking view of the mountains. Skiers made their way down the slopes, helmets glinting in the sun, and it was warm. Oh, it was warm.
Despite the cold outside, the room was the perfect temperature. Little touches here and there reminded her that this was a high-end resort. The soft blanket on the back of the sofa arranged to perfection, the tray of lotions in the bathroom, the fully stocked fridge with every kind of drink she could imagine. Even the rumpled bed somehow managed to look upscale. The sheets made all the difference, she decided.
But she wasn’t going to sit there in the room doing nothing while Gabe met with his brother. Item one on the agenda—make herself at home. She lugged the suitcases up onto the bed and flipped them open, pulling out some of her new garments. She reached for her phone and dialed the one and only Elena, her best friend in the world.
“Hey,” Elena said sleepily. She worked as a chef in one of the upscale restaurants on the Strip and never started her days early because of how late she worked. “Are you calling me about Christmas plans?” Her friend yawned, not bothering to smother it.
“I’m calling to apologize about Christmas plans.” Anna took a brand-new ski outfit from the suitcase and hung it up in the closet. “I got swept away on a holiday vacation.”
“What?”
“Remember that guy I was working with? Gabe?”
Elena chuckled. “The hot billionaire?”
“Yes. The hot billionaire if that’s what you must call him. We were at dinner last night, and he asked me to spend the holidays with him.” A ringing silence took over the phone line. “Are you still there?” There was no use in getting into the whole engagement. It would be over before she knew it.
“And you went with this guy?”
“His family owns a luxury resort in Colorado. So, yeah, I came. We’ll be home after New Year’s.”
Elena let out a disappointed sigh. “How many times do we have to have this discussion? You cannot keep letting rich jerks take advantage of you like this. We were supposed to spend time on Christmas together, but it’s not really about that. This is a huge mistake.”
Anna stopped halfway between the bed and the closet, a little stunned. “Okay, well, he’s not a jerk, and I have my own plans.” Tension pulled itself tight across her chest. “He’s offered to help me with my business idea in exchange, and we’re going to talk about it while we’re here.”
“Okay.” Elena’s voice had become clipped and sharp. “I hope this doesn’t turn out to be another debacle.” Like the one with Freddie. That was the part she left out.
“It won’t.” Anna smiled. She was trying to project confidence over the phone, even if she didn’t feel it. “This will be great for my career.”
Her friend’s voice softened. “I hope it is.” The two women hung up, and Anna’s hands shook as she unpacked the rest of the clothes.
She hadn’t expected Elena to be thrilled that their Christmas plans were canceled, but then again, she hadn’t expected the reaction she’d gotten either. Maybe Elena was right about some aspects of this. Maybe Gabe was another billionaire she should keep at arm’s length, but it was too late to leave now. Anna wasn’t going to do that to him.
Her phone buzzed. She snatched it up off the bed, thinking it would be Elena calling to add one last bullet point. That would be so like Elena. She’d get in her parting shot, and then they’d both back down. They’d make new plans.
“Just say it, okay? I want to move past this with you,” Anna said in a rush, wanting to right things with her friend.
The phone line crackled. “Move past what?” Her breath fled, leaving her lungs worthless empty sacks. It was her father. “I’m calling to tell you I’m out of jail, but I guess you already heard.”
Anna wrenched one of the suitcases off the bed and pulled it over to the closet. “Hi, Dad. No, I hadn’t heard.” A pang of strange and ridiculous guilt tightened her throat. If he was calling because he wanted to spend Christmas with her, then she had bad news for him, too. Not that she wanted to spend any time with him. He had always been focused on his criminal activities. “What’s up? Besides the fact that you’re out of jail.”
Her dad cleared his throat. “Well, it’s been a bit of a rough time.” Anna braced herself. This was a familiar pattern. “I can’t go back to dealing since that’s what they took me in for in the first place. I’ve been staying at your brother’s.”
“How’s that going?”
“It’s all right since he’s back on the inside.”
Anna put a hand to her forehead and shoved the second suitcase into the closet. “For what?” Her brother couldn’t keep himself out of jail.
“Grand theft auto. But that’s not the point. I need a little money to get by. Can’t have this place getting any bad marks on it while I’m here. If you could send me five or six hundred, that would be enough to—”