“Enjoy your stay Mr Lowry and do not hesitate to let me know personally if there is anything I can do for you.”

I winked at the woman behind the desk and grabbed my bags, thinking that I might take her up on her offer. After all, I was on vacation.

After explaining that the porter was missing in action, the receptionist pointed the way and I followed her directions to the elevator. After a long plane ride, I was finally here, in the beautiful Colorado Rockies for some rest and relaxation.

The room couldn’t have been more perfect, but I didn’t look around that much, making a beeline for the bar instead. My flight had been delayed more than two hours, leaving me stranded in the damn airport, a place I wasn’t too fond of to begin with.

But hey, I wasn’t paying for any of it so why did I care?

Selecting a fine bottle of Scottish whisky, I poured a generous glass in an elegant crystal tumbler and took a sip, feeling the fiery liquid slide down my throat and into my gut, warming me from the inside out. I still couldn't believe it when I won the trip. Even when I'd given the same answer as the other contestant at the same time, the station had been forced to double-up on the prizes. And I was awarded the same trip as the other winner. Looking around the luxurious room, I had to hand it to them, they'd honoured their word and hadn't skimped on the prize. I half expected them to shunt me into some flea-pit motel and give me vouchers to the facilities instead.

But now, I had five days to tear up the slopes and burn off some energy and five nights to get myself into trouble and find other ways to drain myself, at least that was what I was hoping. It was after all the week for it; Valentine’s was merely a couple of days away. There had to be some single snow-bunnies around here somewhere. And if not, the receptionist sure looked keen to be bent over her desk.

Downing the rest of the scotch, I stared out at the slopes, thinking of how good the timing was of this trip. After a year of working my ass off, I had finally gotten my security business off the ground and now top-tier clients were starting to roll in. With my two brothers as partners, we had put our damn lives on hold to make it successful.

I was supposedly the lucky one, not having any attachments or nagging wives and nothing had gotten in the way of our dream. But it did mean I had to do most of the work due to not having those types of commitments. I didn’t regret it one bit though, having served three tours for my country, there was nothing I wanted more was to continue to protect people on the home front.

Pouring another glass, I looked around the suite. It was a damn beautiful place to decompress. My eyes landed on a small bundle behind the sofa. I took a step to take a closer look. But before I could investigate what looked to be a forgotten piece of luggage the previous occupants of the room perhaps had left behind, a door creaked opened to my left. A woman shrieked and I nearly dropped my glass.

“Get out!”

Turning, I saw the owner of the screeching, the ends of her dark brown hair wet. She was wrapped in a thick, fluffy white towel and stood the doorway. She began to reach for the decorative items on a nearby table.

“What the hell? Who are you?” I said back, equally surprised.

“Get out!” she shouted again, throwing a fake plant in my direction. I ducked as it hit the wall behind me, and held up my hands.

“Wait! Wait a damn minute. Stop throwing stuff at me!”

She threw a pillow at me next. But as she let it go her towel went flying with it. I caught the decorative pillow by the tassels, ready to throw it back at her but was too preoccupied. My eyes feasted on her body. Her soft hourglass figure stunned me to silence. Her generous tits bounced as she tried to cover herself, her hands screening her dusky and hardening nipples. But she forgot about lower down. Didn't have enough hands to hide herself completely. And the thick nest of glistening curls I spied had my mouth watering. I licked my lips.

"Stop staring! Turn around!" she screamed and hunted for something, anything to cover herself back up. Finally, she decided upon the towel that had landed a few feet away and wrapped it around her gorgeous body. Maybe I had found my little snow-bunny after all.

“Awl, don’t be like that,” I said with a grin, pilling on the charm, “Don’t go hiding yourself on my account. That body was meant to be seen. It would be a shame to—”

“Not by you! I said get out!” This time her hand clasped the letter opener on the desk and she cocked her arm back.

“Shit lady just hold on a minute!” I yelled and ducked behind the pillow, a poor attempt at shielding myself. I did not want to be skewered today… my plan was to be the one doing the skewering.

Thankfully she halted, and I looked at her over the pillow. She was breathing hard, clutching at the towel as if her life depended on it.

"I think there's been a mix-up, relax."

“You’re damn right there has,” she stated, marching over to the phone and picking it up. “Hi yes, this is Angel Rose in room 321. There is a man in my room. I need security. Right now!”

“Now wait a minute,” I started angrily. “I’m in 321. You are in my room.”

“I was here first!” she shot back, the phone still against her ear. Well, I couldn’t argue with that. “What? What are you saying? Put me through to your manager!”

I paused, seeing the blood drain from her startled face and then snatched the phone out of her hand, ignoring her protests. She jumped once to try to claim the receiver back but I put it out of her reach.

“Careful you’ll lose your towel again and we wouldn’t want that now, would we?” I said and raised my eyebrows, backing it up with a devilish smile.

“Eugh!”

I turned my attention to the phone. “Hi, this is Nick Lowry, and I am supposed to be in this room. I have the key right here in my pocket.”

“Mr Lowry, I’m the manager and we’ve just checked our system and, well, we are very sorry but there’s been an unfortunate mix up. I don’t know how this could have happened.”

I cut the man on the other end off. “What kind of mix up? What are you saying? Spit it out.”

"I've already said that," the woman beside muttered. "If you hadn't taken the phone, I would have found out. But oh no, the big man has to take charge…"

“You were booked into the same room as my colleague told Miss Rose,” the manager explained.

“Oh no,” I laughed, wiping a hand over my face. “The radio station promised me that they had booked another room.”

“I’m sorry,” the man repeated. “They did not and somehow you have both been placed in 321.”

This wasn’t the end of the world, I thought quickly. Easily rectified. In my line of work you had to be quick on your feet and find an alternative solution.

“Fine, put me in another room. I’ll pay the difference and deal with the radio station later.”

“I’m afraid… Oh, dear. I’m sorry, sir, but that’s not possible,” the man continued. He sighed. “The lodge is booked solid. We do not have a single room available. It is Valentine’s week after all.”

“You can’t be serious?”

“I can only apologise. Maybe I could—”

“Shit,” I muttered, slamming the phone down before he could say anything else. This could not be happening. I stared at the women and her now tousled hair.

“Hello? What did he say?” she said waving a hand in front of my face. “Earth to stranger-boy!?”

I levelled my gaze to her eyes, to my new roommate, and ran a hand through my hair.

“Do you want the good news or the bad news?”

“The good news,” she said slowly.

I grinned. “The good news is you have a new roommate.”

“That’s the good news?” she yelled. “I dare to think what the bad news is.”

“I lied there is no bad news… Well unless you count being stuck together bad. I can think of worst things,” I said eyeing her up.

"No," she said, holding up her hand. "This can't be happening; you have to leave. Right now. I can't have you, whoever the hell you are, staying here with me… No, it's impossible. You have to go."

I laughed. “Why do I have to leave? I have every right to be here just as you do. We’re both booked in for this room.”

She bit her lip and I allowed myself to sneak another look at her, noting the steely blue of her eyes, her features gorgeous up close. Hell, she wasn’t even wearing makeup.

"I can't; we can't stay together."

“Why not? We’re both adults. I could be your valentine,” I said and waggled my eyebrows. She stared at me hard. “Ok, never mind… Fine. If you can behave and keep your hands off yours truly, I’m sure I can do the same.”

“Listen to yourself. Who do you think you are God’s gift?”

“I’ll be anything you want me to be, sweetness. You should be jumping for joy…five nights with me. Any woman would pay good money for that kinda chance!”

"What is wrong with you?" she spat, but I couldn't help but notice the way her eyes lingered over my body, pausing at the buckle on my belt. Yeah, lady, you take a good long look. I could feel myself hardening. She gasped, took a step back and turned away.

I blew out a breath and dimmed down my smile.

“Fine, listen. I’ll tone it down. But there’s nothing we can do about this and I’m not willing to leave. Are you?” She shook her head and peeked at me over her shoulder. I continued. “We can stay out of each other’s way and still enjoy this free ride for five days. I won’t bother you, I swear it on my pop’s grave. I can be a gentleman.”

“Yeah, right.” But she thought about it for a moment and then grinned. “Ok, but I get the bedroom!”

“Wait a minute,” I started but she had already bolted, slamming the bedroom door in my face. I heard the door lock and refrained from beating on it. “Oh come on, way to be mature about it… At least tell me your name?”