wouldn’t give him a moment’s peace. Every time he so much as caught the scent of her peach vanilla shampoo and her skin, he wanted to pounce on her and make her his. Everything in his body was clenched, poised. Shit, even his teeth hurt. He was no better than the randy waiters.
“That’s how it is with our people. I fought it with Lia too. But when I was with her, everything seemed right. And when I stopped fighting, everything made sense.”
Soren shook his head. “I never wanted this.”
Ryland chuckled softly. “No. But maybe you needed it.”
He glared at his brother. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you? You could try to love my agony a little less.”
Ry leaned back in his chair, hands folded behind his head, smiling from ear to ear. “Not a chance.”
“Fuck this. I’m outta here.” Soren stood just as the office door opened. When he saw the woman who walked in, he had to pretend he had something in his eye so it wasn’t so obvious they were bugging out of his head.
“Mr. Snow, I’ve brought you those customer service survey results you asked for.”
Ryland took a pile of papers from the woman. “Thanks, Marci.”
Marci? No way . “Marci who used to be the front desk clerk?” Soren asked, his voice rising on each syllable. He stared at the vision. The last time he’d seen Marci, only a few short weeks ago, she’d been a meek, mousey creature with braces and the worst lisp in the world. What had happened?
Several amazing things from what he could see. The braces had come off, leaving her with a gleaming set of straight teeth. She’d shot up a couple of inches too, and her body was somehow more feminine, with curves in all the right places. Her formerly mousey hair was cut in a new style that swung around her face and showed off flattering highlights. Her skin had cleared up, a perfect complement to expertly applied makeup. Quite the stunning, young woman, indeed.
She eyed Soren through half-closed lids and licked her rouged lips. “I finally shifted for the first time a few weeks ago. All these changes started happening in my body.” She caressed her hip with the tawdry sex appeal of a pole dancer. “I guess shifting agrees with me.”
Hell, he suspected warring nations would agree with her she was so hot now. He scratched his head. “Uh, congrats on your promotion, Marci.”
While Ryland looked over the papers, oblivious to the come-hither look in his employee’s eyes, she stepped closer to Soren. “It’s because of you, Soren. When you were here last, you asked me what I might do to ensure your satisfaction as a customer. I began to think about it. I realized I would do a lot to make you a happy customer.”
Soren stared. Did the mouse just make a play for him? Of course, the last time he’d been at the lodge, he’d sort of made a play for her. He looked at Ry to see if he had a witness to Marci’s new lascivious personality, but his brother was obsessing over the damn surveys. He turned back to Marci. She ran her hand along his arm, stroking him with one determined finger. Her tongue tickled the corner of her mouth.
She leaned in and whispered, “I’m in room 214. My door’s always open.”
Sucking in a terrified breath, Soren extricated himself from her grasp. Ryland finally looked up. “You going?”
“Yeah,” Soren replied, refusing to acknowledge Marci as she licked her lips some more. “I promised Gunnar a lesson.”
“Have fun, Soren,” Marci said, purring like a predatory cat. “See you soon.”
He raced out of the office, his heart pounding. And then Soren realized the most astounding thing. His heart wasn’t racing because a beautiful woman had so obviously propositioned him.
It was because the woman wasn’t Gioia. And it just felt wrong.
* * * *
He came upon them in the conference room. Gioia’s pulse sped up as soon as Soren opened the door and walked in, making her feel like a hormonal teenager. He wasn’t wearing designer clothes
“That’s how it is with our people. I fought it with Lia too. But when I was with her, everything seemed right. And when I stopped fighting, everything made sense.”
Soren shook his head. “I never wanted this.”
Ryland chuckled softly. “No. But maybe you needed it.”
He glared at his brother. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you? You could try to love my agony a little less.”
Ry leaned back in his chair, hands folded behind his head, smiling from ear to ear. “Not a chance.”
“Fuck this. I’m outta here.” Soren stood just as the office door opened. When he saw the woman who walked in, he had to pretend he had something in his eye so it wasn’t so obvious they were bugging out of his head.
“Mr. Snow, I’ve brought you those customer service survey results you asked for.”
Ryland took a pile of papers from the woman. “Thanks, Marci.”
Marci? No way . “Marci who used to be the front desk clerk?” Soren asked, his voice rising on each syllable. He stared at the vision. The last time he’d seen Marci, only a few short weeks ago, she’d been a meek, mousey creature with braces and the worst lisp in the world. What had happened?
Several amazing things from what he could see. The braces had come off, leaving her with a gleaming set of straight teeth. She’d shot up a couple of inches too, and her body was somehow more feminine, with curves in all the right places. Her formerly mousey hair was cut in a new style that swung around her face and showed off flattering highlights. Her skin had cleared up, a perfect complement to expertly applied makeup. Quite the stunning, young woman, indeed.
She eyed Soren through half-closed lids and licked her rouged lips. “I finally shifted for the first time a few weeks ago. All these changes started happening in my body.” She caressed her hip with the tawdry sex appeal of a pole dancer. “I guess shifting agrees with me.”
Hell, he suspected warring nations would agree with her she was so hot now. He scratched his head. “Uh, congrats on your promotion, Marci.”
While Ryland looked over the papers, oblivious to the come-hither look in his employee’s eyes, she stepped closer to Soren. “It’s because of you, Soren. When you were here last, you asked me what I might do to ensure your satisfaction as a customer. I began to think about it. I realized I would do a lot to make you a happy customer.”
Soren stared. Did the mouse just make a play for him? Of course, the last time he’d been at the lodge, he’d sort of made a play for her. He looked at Ry to see if he had a witness to Marci’s new lascivious personality, but his brother was obsessing over the damn surveys. He turned back to Marci. She ran her hand along his arm, stroking him with one determined finger. Her tongue tickled the corner of her mouth.
She leaned in and whispered, “I’m in room 214. My door’s always open.”
Sucking in a terrified breath, Soren extricated himself from her grasp. Ryland finally looked up. “You going?”
“Yeah,” Soren replied, refusing to acknowledge Marci as she licked her lips some more. “I promised Gunnar a lesson.”
“Have fun, Soren,” Marci said, purring like a predatory cat. “See you soon.”
He raced out of the office, his heart pounding. And then Soren realized the most astounding thing. His heart wasn’t racing because a beautiful woman had so obviously propositioned him.
It was because the woman wasn’t Gioia. And it just felt wrong.
* * * *
He came upon them in the conference room. Gioia’s pulse sped up as soon as Soren opened the door and walked in, making her feel like a hormonal teenager. He wasn’t wearing designer clothes
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