Read Online Rockies Retreat: Destination: Desire, Book 5 by Crystal Jordan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Crystal Jordan
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likely story.” Her look was exaggeratedly suspicious. “No mirrors mounted over your bed?”
“Well, not in the cabin, but back home…”
She swatted his arm. “Oh, please.”
“Finish your soup.” He winked and tidied up his tray. As much fun as the sexual banter was, it occurred to him he needed to take care of some parental stuff before he indulged in more personal pleasures.
Doing as he bid, she spooned up the last of her lunch and sat back. “So, what are you up to next, Mr. Deadlines? More script drafting?”
“Eventually.” He tapped his fingers over the tabletop. “I have a feeling I should meet the chef if her granddaughter and my daughter are going to spend the summer as BFFs. It’s good to know what other parents’ or guardians’ ground rules are, see if you’d be okay with your kid around their family. Stuff like that.”
She blinked. “I don’t have any children, so I hadn’t even thought of that. You’re right, of course, but parenthood requires a whole different way of thinking.”
Truer words had never been spoken. “The world is a much scarier place when you have kids, because you see all the dangers to them.”
“I imagine those dangers look even crazier when you’re an expert in horror.” She dabbed a napkin over her mouth, and he suspected she hid a grin.
“I do my best not to be too paranoid.” He poked her side, making her squeak and jerk away. If they weren’t in public, he’d have taken advantage of the physical closeness tickling a woman allowed. He had no doubt where it would lead.
Soon. Very soon.
Chapter Four
Laurel grinned as she stared at the computer screen. Her brother had sent a new family photo. It took almost five minutes for the picture to download over the slow internet connection, but the wait was worth it. Her nephew was making such a classic grumpy toddler face that she couldn’t hold back a laugh. God, she adored that kid. She didn’t get to see him often enough. Then again, who did she have to blame for that? No one was keeping her away except herself.
Maybe that was part of the malcontent she’d been feeling before she’d arrived in Colorado. The carefree, rootless lifestyle might be starting to wear on her. Sure, she kept an apartment in San Francisco, and the city wasn’t terribly far from her brother, but she had to be in her apartment for the short distance to matter. But she was as likely to be in Paris, Sydney, Cape Town, New York, Tokyo, or some other city anywhere in the world. At first, it had been a way to avoid her parents nagging her to pursue a real job or marry the kind of man who could keep her in paints for the rest of her life. But then it became her habit. She’d been flitting here and there for so long she’d forgotten what it was like have a home.
What she could or should do to change that, she didn’t know.
“Hey. You.”
Laurel startled at the sound of Gloria’s voice behind her. She swiveled in her seat to look at the older woman. “Yes?”
“That boy forgot his hoodie,” Gloria groused from where she stood in the business center’s doorway. “I don’t have time to track people down when they leave things in my dining room.”
Since there had been several men of various ages in the dining room today, Laurel had no clue who she was talking about. “Which boy?”
“The one you’re hoping to sleep with,” Gloria retorted, shoving Neil’s offending garment in Laurel’s direction. “Why else would I bother telling you about it? Take him the sweatshirt.”
Batting her eyelashes, Laurel took the hoodie. “You’re a nice lady, Gloria. Trying to help me get laid is really going above and beyond the call of duty.”
Gloria snorted, her lips twitching in the glimmer of a smile. “You need Jesus. Get out of here.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Quickly logging out of her email, Laurel did as she was told. She whispered as she passed the older woman, “I’ll see you in a couple of days for my lunch shift.
“Well, not in the cabin, but back home…”
She swatted his arm. “Oh, please.”
“Finish your soup.” He winked and tidied up his tray. As much fun as the sexual banter was, it occurred to him he needed to take care of some parental stuff before he indulged in more personal pleasures.
Doing as he bid, she spooned up the last of her lunch and sat back. “So, what are you up to next, Mr. Deadlines? More script drafting?”
“Eventually.” He tapped his fingers over the tabletop. “I have a feeling I should meet the chef if her granddaughter and my daughter are going to spend the summer as BFFs. It’s good to know what other parents’ or guardians’ ground rules are, see if you’d be okay with your kid around their family. Stuff like that.”
She blinked. “I don’t have any children, so I hadn’t even thought of that. You’re right, of course, but parenthood requires a whole different way of thinking.”
Truer words had never been spoken. “The world is a much scarier place when you have kids, because you see all the dangers to them.”
“I imagine those dangers look even crazier when you’re an expert in horror.” She dabbed a napkin over her mouth, and he suspected she hid a grin.
“I do my best not to be too paranoid.” He poked her side, making her squeak and jerk away. If they weren’t in public, he’d have taken advantage of the physical closeness tickling a woman allowed. He had no doubt where it would lead.
Soon. Very soon.
Chapter Four
Laurel grinned as she stared at the computer screen. Her brother had sent a new family photo. It took almost five minutes for the picture to download over the slow internet connection, but the wait was worth it. Her nephew was making such a classic grumpy toddler face that she couldn’t hold back a laugh. God, she adored that kid. She didn’t get to see him often enough. Then again, who did she have to blame for that? No one was keeping her away except herself.
Maybe that was part of the malcontent she’d been feeling before she’d arrived in Colorado. The carefree, rootless lifestyle might be starting to wear on her. Sure, she kept an apartment in San Francisco, and the city wasn’t terribly far from her brother, but she had to be in her apartment for the short distance to matter. But she was as likely to be in Paris, Sydney, Cape Town, New York, Tokyo, or some other city anywhere in the world. At first, it had been a way to avoid her parents nagging her to pursue a real job or marry the kind of man who could keep her in paints for the rest of her life. But then it became her habit. She’d been flitting here and there for so long she’d forgotten what it was like have a home.
What she could or should do to change that, she didn’t know.
“Hey. You.”
Laurel startled at the sound of Gloria’s voice behind her. She swiveled in her seat to look at the older woman. “Yes?”
“That boy forgot his hoodie,” Gloria groused from where she stood in the business center’s doorway. “I don’t have time to track people down when they leave things in my dining room.”
Since there had been several men of various ages in the dining room today, Laurel had no clue who she was talking about. “Which boy?”
“The one you’re hoping to sleep with,” Gloria retorted, shoving Neil’s offending garment in Laurel’s direction. “Why else would I bother telling you about it? Take him the sweatshirt.”
Batting her eyelashes, Laurel took the hoodie. “You’re a nice lady, Gloria. Trying to help me get laid is really going above and beyond the call of duty.”
Gloria snorted, her lips twitching in the glimmer of a smile. “You need Jesus. Get out of here.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Quickly logging out of her email, Laurel did as she was told. She whispered as she passed the older woman, “I’ll see you in a couple of days for my lunch shift.
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