Chapter Sixteen
Rush smiled through clenched teeth at the woman across the bar. She’d been coming on to him and every other male member of staff since she sat down. He’d cut off her liquor an hour ago and she hadn’t taken the hint that perhaps she needed to go to her room.
He hated doing it, but he’d sent a text to Cam two minutes ago.
Normally he’d handle this type of thing himself. Hell, in the past, he may have taken her up on her blatant offer of sex in those first few minutes of acquaintance. Although he’d never messed with women who had tan lines on their wedding fingers and while this woman’s was faint, it was there. Plus, it had only taken two glasses of wine for her claws to come out.
He didn’t need to be this woman’s scratching post.
“Good evening, Mrs. Delacourt.” Cam slid onto the stool beside their inebriated guest.
“Mr. Newell.” The vulture—and yes, that’s what she reminded Rush of, a bird ready to pick a guy’s bones clean—eyed his friend with the same lecherous intent she’d used on every other male within sight. “Let me buy you a drink.”
Clicking her fingers at Rush, her previous cajoling tone turned commanding.
“Get this man a shot of the best scotch you have.”
Rush raised an eyebrow at Cam.
“That’s a lovely gesture, Mrs. Delacourt, but—”
“Call me Veronica,” she interrupted while attempting to lean in and reveal her obviously surgically enhanced cleavage to Cam. Unfortunately, she’d really had too much to drink, and she toppled forward, almost landing right in his lap.
“Jesus,” Cam muttered, his hands going to her shoulders to keep her out of his crotch. “Time to get you to bed.”
“Yes.” The woman smiled up at Cam. “Take me to bed.”
Cam glanced over at Rush. “This is not happening.”
Rush grinned. “Oh, yes it is, and you, my friend, are the one who has to deal with it.”
“Chicken.”
Rush laughed. “Yep. Yellow as they come.”
Cam got to his feet and hauled Mrs. Delacourt with him, pinning her to his side to keep her upright. Rush might have cut her off an hour ago but the damage had been done. The woman was pickled.
“I’ll be back,” Cam said. “And I’ll want that scotch.”
“Yes, boss.” He saluted him.
Cam rolled his eyes, turned away and stumbled a little before finding his balance. “Make that two,” he called as he all but dragged his practically passed-out burden from the bar.
Rush scanned the room. It was a slow night. One guy sat in the corner nursing the same bourbon he’d held three hours ago. A couple made out in the other corner, the champagne they’d consumed in celebration of their engagement long gone. Then there was the group of four women out to forget all about husbands, children, housework. They were regulars and Rush knew them all by name.
By his calculation, Cam would be back in fifteen minutes, enough time for Rush to restock the refrigerators before he poured his boss that drink.
He made a quick mental note of what he needed and headed into the storeroom. He hoisted a case of Blue Moon and grabbed two bottles of champagne—to replace the ones the newly engaged had consumed—and headed back out.
He didn’t notice the woman at the end of the bar, didn’t look that way until she spoke—and everything inside him stilled.
Sucking air into lungs that had turned into vacuums, Rush placed the two bottles of champagne on the bar and lowered the case to the floor at his feet. Only then did he turn to see if perhaps he’d finally lost his mind.
“Sabreena.”
She gave him a finger wave and a wobbly smile.
“Reena?” He took a step toward her. “I…”
“Hi.” Her smile fell a little. “Um, so, I—”
He vaulted the bar so fast his head spun. Then again, that could be the woman in front of him.
“Reena.” She was in his arms, pressed against his chest so tight he was certain she couldn’t breathe, but he couldn’t let her go. Not yet.
“Rush.” Pushing against him, she managed to put some space between them. Laughing, she looked up at him. “I guess that means you are happy to see me. That stunned mullet face had me worried for a moment.”
“What are you doing here? Not that I’m complaining, but you aren’t supposed to be coming up here until next weekend.” Fuck. She was in his arms. He’d missed holding her so much he wasn’t sure he’d be able to let go anytime soon.
“There’s been a change of plans.” She studied him closely. “How would you feel about seeing me more often than every other week?”
“Reena,” he lowered his brow to hers, “I’d be happy to see you every second of my life, but—”
“Okay.” She grinned at him. “But I’m not sure your boss would be happy if I came to work with you.”
“What?”
“Also, do you think it would be all right if I stayed with you, or should I book a room until I find somewhere else?”
“Find somewhere…” He let her go, but only so he could grab her face in his hands. “What are you talking about?”
“I need somewhere to stay.”
“You’ll stay with me until you go home.”
“Ah, well, about that…” She shrugged. “I discovered something when you left last week. Something I’d never realized—and something that changed everything.”
“Okay.” She wasn’t making sense, and Rush wanted to let her get to whatever it was she was trying to say, he did, he just couldn’t wait another minute to get his mouth on hers. So when she opened her mouth to speak, he took full advantage and kissed her.
Her hands slid up his chest and around his neck, her fingers toying with his hair. He removed his hands from her face and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off her feet. Turning, he planted her ass on the bar and nudged her knees apart to make room for him to move in close.
“Well. I’m not sure what’s worse. Being fondled by a drunken guest in an elevator, or finding my bar manager groping a guest on top of said bar.”
Rush tore his mouth from Reena’s. Breathing hard, he stared into her heavy-lidded eyes and smiled. “You’re here.”
“I’m here.”
He ignored Cam, who’d taken a seat a few stools away. “You’re here early, and you need somewhere to stay. Plus, you aren’t sure you can give me every second of my life because my boss,” he tipped his head in Cam’s direction, “wouldn’t be happy if I brought you to work with me.”
Reena nodded.
“Fuck. What did you do?”
She opened her mouth and he placed a hand over it.
“Wait. Give me a second. Jesus. Shit. Okay. Okay.” He sucked in a breath then took his hand away. “Go.”
“After you’d gone, I discovered that home isn’t a place. Not a house, or a city, or anywhere on earth except here.” She pressed her hand to her chest. “Home is where the heart is—and my heart is with you, Rush Whelan. I love you.”
Dear god. His knees shook and he had to lock them to remain upright. “Sabreena.” He cupped her cheek and she leaned into his touch, turned and kissed his palm. “Baby.”
“So anyway,” she said as she straightened. “I quit my job, packed up my house and put it on the market, and came to where my home is.”
“Fuck.” His knees gave out. “I need to sit.”
Reena laughed when his ass hit the stool hard. “Nice to know I can sweep you off your feet the way you did me.”
He rested his forehead on her thigh. “Cam.”
“Yeah.”
“I need someone to cover the rest of my shift.”
“Done.” His friend got up and walked around the bar. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’ll be bringing an assistant.” Rush lifted his head and smiled at Reena. “I happen to know she’s great at taking orders and serving drinks, so I’ll be sure to put her to good use.”
“Really? Does she want a job?”
Reena’s lips curled up. “Are you offering?”
“Yes. I’ll have paperwork ready for you when you get here tomorrow.”
Rush stood and lifted Reena off the bar. “You want to work at the lodge?”
She slipped her hand into his and pressed against him. “If it means you get to see me every second of your life, yes.”
“You have to stop agreeing to everything I want.”
“Why? It’s worked out really well for me so far.”
She was right, it had. And if she was going to keep doing it… “I want you to live with me.”
“I don’t think we can live in your room here. It’s too small.”
He shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out his keys. “How about a house?”
“A house?”
“I bought a house. For us.”
“You bought a house?”
“Yes.”
“Here? Near the lodge?”
“No, it’s in a little town around the lake, straight across the lake from here, actually, but you have to drive around. On a clear day, you can see the lodge from our deck.”
“When did you do this?”
“Today.”
“Rush, it takes weeks to buy a house. I should know. I’ve spent the last week organizing selling mine, and the agent said even if I got an offer straight away, it would be weeks before the new owners took possession.”
“Yeah, well, the place hasn’t been lived in for a while and you’d be amazed at what you can do with a little bit of money. I told you I had some put away.” He inwardly winced at how much he had. He’d have to tell her about that, but not now. Now he wanted to take her to the place where their hearts were going to build a home. “Come on. Let me show you.”