Chapter One
Chloe
“IT’S READY.” The hotel clerk taps her impeccably manicured red nails on the keyboard of her computer.
Girl, you can do this. I sign my name into the registry with a shaky hand and a heart that’s slamming against my ribs while imagining my best friend giving me a pep talk. Dalilah Knight. Sweat beads on my forehead. I’m Dalilah Knight.
Okay, I’m not Dalilah Knight. My best friend used her credit card to book the hotel for me, so all I need to do is sign in and not look suspicious.
“Ms. Knight?”
My parents will snap if they find out I called in sick to work, left New York, and flew over two thousand miles across the country. Any one of these things will earn me a stern lecture. All of them at once? Look out. They can never find out.
I continue to stare at the black screen and fight the anxiety crawling up my spine. Me and shady don’t get along.
“Ms. Knight?”
Shit. I’m Ms. Knight. I jerk my attention to the clerk and paste a bright ass smile on my face. “That’s me.”
Heat rises across my chest and creeps up my neck. Way to go. In ten seconds, the sirens are going to start blasting, and my parents are going to get the shock of their lives.
The red-haired clerk pins me in place with an arched eyebrow and a smirk. “Welcome to Lake Tahoe. Enjoy your stay.” She reaches out and hands me an envelope. “Inside, you will find two passkeys, and on the outside is the Wi-Fi password.”
Her flowery perfume wafts across the counter and tickles my nose. Don’t sneeze. I wiggle my face and fight against the irritation. “Thank you.” I snatch the papers out of her hand, glance at the room number, and hitch up my carryon bag. Get out of here before something goes wrong.
Without looking up, I run into the large mass of a man. He’s wearing black, cap-toe dress shoes and dark pants.
“You should watch where you’re going.”
The deep rumble of his voice skates down my back, leaving a trail of goosebumps. Shit. I’m on edge. The warmth that began when I fraudulently checked into the five-star resort zaps across my cheeks and to the roots of my hair.
“I’m sorry.” I fight the urge to run out of the lobby and straight to my rental, but I manage to control my impulse. I was raised to be polite, and just because I’m away from home doesn’t mean I can forget my manners.
The man’s expansive chest is covered in a white dress shirt with two buttons open, exposing a sprinkling of hairs. His eyes are as dark as my father’s, and he has high cheekbones, brown hair, and a rough five o’clock shadow.
Holy hell, he’s hot. I sniff. He smells like cedarwood and citrus. When did I get a thing for guys twice my age? I haven’t. But damn, he makes Randy look like a baby.
“No worries.” A slow smile spreads across his face, causing two dimples to pop and his eyes to dance with laughter. “It was my pleasure.”
My nipples tighten at his rugged charm. Down, girl. You’re here to forget about your asshole of a boyfriend, not get under some new guy. Ex-boyfriend. I shake my head. “No, it was my fault. I should have been watching where I was going.”
An overweight man with a bald head standing behind the hottie in front of me, grunts and cocks his eyebrow. “Can I draw you two a picture? I need to get signed in, and you’re holding up the line.”
Oh, my Gawd. How embarrassing. “I’m so sorry.” I wave an open hand toward the man who’s wearing jeans and a t-shirt with suitcases resting by his feet. Way to go. Just what I need. More attention to me.
Mr. Five O’clock Shadow gives the other gentleman a curt nod. “I’ll be done in a second.” He turns back to me like he’s officially dismissing the man and arches an eyebrow. “Have a nice evening.”
“Nice to meet you.” I shove out my hand. “I’m…” Chloe Morgan. The words get caught in my throat. “Dalilah Knight.”
“Nice to meet you, Dalilah.” He envelops my hand into his firm grasp. His fingers feel like steel over mine. “My name is Damon Macklin.”
The other gentleman loudly shuffles from foot to foot and sighs.
“Bye.” I pull my hand back, and his fingers slide along my flesh. The roughness of his fingertips feels like stroking my naked body with velvet.
Stopping a tiny shudder before it envelops my entire body, I rush through the lobby. When I get to the exit, I frown. What’s wrong with me?
Oh, let me count the ways. I caught my cousin giving my boyfriend a blowjob. If that isn’t enough, the asshole had the balls to get mad at me for showing up unannounced. I’ve flown across the country without telling my dad or mom where I’m going – and, I’m scared spitless they’re going to find out and ground me for life.
Damn it. I’m almost twenty-two years old. It’s not the end of the world that I went to Lake Tahoe for spring break. Fuck. I’m not at Daytona for Bike Week or flashing my tits in Corpus Christi.
I drag my cellphone out of the back pocket of my jeans and swipe the screen open. Clicking on Dalilah’s smiling face, I wait for her to answer.
“Hello?”
“It’s me. I made it.” I push the side door open, step into the bright sunshine, and let the warm air surround me. The temperatures are only in the upper forties. However, after the long New York winter I’ve endured, any chance to see blue skies and white floating clouds is a relief.
“Did you get checked in?” My best friend’s voice holds a hint of anxiety. Not that she isn’t the more likely of the two of us to get caught doing something crazy. I’m the good girl. She’s the adventurous one.
“Yes. Everything went fine.” I sigh and rest my back on the resort’s stucco wall. The building is enormous. “The flight landed on time. I picked up the rental and went straight to the hotel.” Dalilah also paid for the vehicle. Just another layer to my subterfuge. “You didn’t tell me the place was so nice.”
“It’s Tahoe.” Dalilah snorted. “Everything is nice there. The water is beautiful. You can see the sky for miles, and the view from the mountains is phenomenal.”
“I think I’ll skip going up into the mountains.” I shiver. “I’m not in the mood for more snow.”
“I hear you.” Dalilah clears her throat. “He came looking for you this morning.”
My entire body freezes as if I’m a rabbit in the middle of a snowy ravine praying a coyote doesn’t notice any movement. “What did he want?”
“You know what he wants. He wants you to beg him for forgiveness.”
“What?” I shove off the wall and pace down the sidewalk. My sandals slap on the pavement, and a cool breeze floats over my toes. Maybe it’s a little early in the year for bare feet, but I hate wearing socks and shoes.
“You know Randy. He’s going to convince you it’s all your fault. If you weren’t so busy studying for a test, you would have been there to drop your pants and let him relieve his stress. You know his job as an investment banker is stressful.” The disdain in Dalilah’s voice is as clear as the lake water I saw on the drive from the airport.
I wrinkle my nose and continue walking. The crisp air I suck in causes my chest to tighten, and then, I let it out in a loud whoosh. To hear Dalilah’s analysis of my relationship with Randy makes me feel weak and used. “It wasn’t like that.” Was it? Son of a bitch. I wasn’t raised to be a pansy.