Chapter 9 - Zoe
Once the shock wears off, the panic sets in. Has he told anyone? Will he tell anyone?
I’m supposed to be a professional. I’m supposed to have some distance, to be an impartial consultant and advisor. How could I ever do that if I’ve slept with one of the Park Rangers on the very first night I got here?
No, not just slept with a ranger. We tore at each other. We ravaged each other. There was very little sleeping involved.
I can still feel his hands on my body, and the feeling of his shaft buried deep inside me. Even the thought of it sends a shiver through my body. I can feel him watching me, and it’s making my whole body burn with desire.
I knew it was a mistake. I knew I wouldn’t be able to get away with a night of fun.
Sandy is looking at me over her black-rimmed glasses, which are perched precariously close to the end of her nose. One eyebrow is raised, and she has her hands on her hips. She towers above me and seems to be at least twice as wide.
I’d be lying if I said she wasn’t intimidating.
“So, Miss Randall, welcome to our little town.”
She’s still studying me, and I nod and clear my throat. “Call me Zoe, please,” I start. Out of the corner of my eye I see Ethan ducking out of the room, and the tension inside me eases ever so slightly. “It’s great to finally be here.”
“We’ve set up the conference room for you. We’ll have a short staff meeting to bring you up to speed with what we have done since the fire. You can assess the steps that have been taken over the past year to make sure this doesn’t happen again. I’m assuming you’ve gotten a full brief of the goings-on?”
“Well, yes. I know there was a fire, and I know it was deemed to be arson but no charges were brought. Were there any suspects?”
Sandy clears her throat and mercifully takes her gaze off my face. She shuffles some papers on her desk and motions towards the conference room.
“Please,” she says. I decide not to press her about the fire. Instead, I follow her into the conference room and wait for the other employees to join us.
The last to arrive is Ethan. He slides in the door and takes a seat on the opposite end of the table to me. He avoids eye contact, choosing instead to play with a pen and keep his eyes glued on the table that separates us. I watch him run his fingers along the wood grain, and the motion of his hand reminds me of the way he touched me. I’m burning for him. This is going to drive me crazy.
My throat tightens and I regret denying that I knew him. Even from the opposite end of the room, I can almost feel the way his body was next to mine. His uniform is dark green, and looks like it was made for him. Every muscle presses out against his uniform, stretching the fabric and reminding me what it felt like to have his arms wrapped around me.
His broad shoulders are slumped, and his hair is falling in ringlets over his temples. I desperately want to touch him. I want to brush his hair back and rub his shoulders. I want to undress him, button by button, until I can see his gorgeous, naked body again.
Sandy clears her throat and I jump. Have I been staring at him?
“Thank you all for coming in this morning. I’d like to introduce you to the newest member of our team: Zoe Randall. Miss Randall will be here for the next three months to consult on our safety and incident response procedures. We don’t want a repeat of the hotel fire.”
There’s a murmur in the room and I look around at the various faces. It’s an odd bunch. There’s Bryan, the young redhead who keeps stealing glances my way. He’s sitting next to Ethan and they seem to know each other quite well.
Then, there’s Eddie, the old man who has probably worked for the Parks for multiple decades. His uniform is so worn it looks almost beige now, instead of the pale grey and deep green that the others are wearing. He’s leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed over his protruding belly. One button has come undone near his navel, and I can see some long, wiry grey hairs poking out of his shirt.
There are two other women, Meghan and Lisa, about my age, and three other men who’s names I don’t catch. The conference room is full, and the temperature is rising by the minute in the small, stuffy room.
I look back to Sandy and try to focus on what she’s saying.
“We haven’t had any rain in three weeks, so we need to be really vigilant about fires. The state has just issued a total fire ban, so when you do your rounds, be on the lookout for campfires or evidence of them.”
She points her finger down the long table to Ethan.
“Clarke,” she says. He jumps a bit, and stands up straighter. He glances at me for a fraction of a second before nodding to Sandy.
“Yes, boss,” he says, waiting for her to continue.
“You’ll take Miss Randall out to the old hotel grounds. You know as well as any of us what happened that night.”
Bryan and Eddie snort, and I shoot a glance their way. Bryan looks at me and quickly averts his eyes, while Eddie ignores me completely. I glance down at the buttons of his shirt that look dangerously close to popping open and revealing more grey belly hair.
He slaps Ethan on the back. “Best man for the job,” he laughs as he stands up.
“Anything else, Sandy?”
“No, that’s it. Thanks.”
He waddles out the door, taking his stomach hairs with him. I stare at Ethan, who pointedly ignores my gaze. What did Eddie mean? Why would he be the best man for the job?
Has Ethan told them about us? Am I already the laughingstock of the entire office? He’s the best man to show me around since he already knows me so… intimately.
My cheeks are burning and my heart is thumping against my ribs. I keep my head down as the team files out of the room, leaving only Ethan, Sandy and me behind.
“So, Ethan, take Zoe up to the grounds and show her where the fire took place. She’ll need a full site walk and a full account of what we know.” Sandy pauses, and I glance up at her. She’s got her mouth open, as if she’s going to speak, but then shakes her head.
“And I’ll need the campsite maintenance report for Campsites A through G by tomorrow evening.”
“No problem,” Ethan says, nodding to Sandy. She gathers her things and the meeting is over.
Ethan and I sit still for a few moments, and finally I clear my throat.
“Have you got time to show me the site this morning?”
He swings his eyes towards me and my breath catches in my throat. We hold each other’s gaze for a few never-ending seconds. I could cut the air in the room with a knife. If the temperature was rising when the room was full, it’s absolutely sweltering in here now. I shift in my seat until he finally nods.
“Let’s go,” he finally replies. “Ready whenever you are.”