Santa Maybe (The Duchess Hotel #1)

Chapter 15

Fifteen

After finishing up her evening workout, Rosie sat with Drew at the gym’s smoothie bar. As always, he looked totally mouthwatering, wearing the red fleece hoodie she loved—the one that made her want to snuggle with him. At her urging, he told her about his meeting with Bones, then asked about her news. Still glowing with excitement, she explained how the Duke’s misfortunes had given them a surprise influx of new guests.

“How were they?” he asked. “Did you get a lot of complainers?”

“A few, but we did our best to win them over. Free drink coupons, cookies, and holiday goody bags. It was amazing what Charlie put together on such short notice.”

“What did your boss think?”

She sipped her strawberry banana smoothie, a tasty reward after an extra-grueling workout. “He played it cool, but I could tell he was secretly gloating.”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and the Duke will have another mishap. A burst pipe would do the job nicely.” Drew gave an evil laugh, worthy of a cartoon villain. “We should get a crew together and cause some mayhem.”

She laughed along with him. “As much as I love the idea, I don’t want to spend Christmas in jail.”

At the sight of Evelyn approaching them, her shoulders tightened. Over the past month, she’d run into Drew’s ex occasionally, but she’d kept their interactions as brief as possible. She reached over and took his hand.

He gave it a quick squeeze before smiling up at his ex. “Hey, Evelyn. How’s it going?”

Her gaze dipped down to their hands, a brief frown crossing her face before she replaced it with a neutral expression. “I’m stretched way too thin. Working here full-time and planning an extravagant wedding reception isn’t for the faint of heart.”

“Sorry to hear it, but I’m looking forward to your wedding,” Rosie said. The minute the words were out, she regretted her simpering tone.

“I’m glad you can make it,” Evelyn said. “Did Drew tell you the dress code is formal? I hope that won’t be too much for you, but my parents wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Did Evelyn expect her to be cowed by the idea of dressing up? “No problem. I already found a killer dress, and I can’t wait to wear it.” She wasn’t about to mention that she’d bought it on clearance.

“Glad to hear it. Good luck getting this one into a suit.” Evelyn gestured to Drew. “He’s only happy if he’s wearing workout gear.”

Rather than respond with a barb of his own, Drew tugged on Rosie’s hand. “We should get going if we want to hit Centennial Square tonight.”

Though she couldn’t remember if he’d mentioned this earlier, she was happy to play along. She finished her smoothie and stood up beside him. “You bet. Let’s do it.”

“See you later,” Drew said to Evelyn.

Only after they were outside did Rosie speak up again. “What was that about?”

He blew out a frustrated breath. “I’ve been doing my best to avoid Evelyn. Ever since you and I started dating, she’s ramped up the passive-aggressive comments.”

“She’s probably resentful that you’ve gotten over her. That’s a good thing, right?”

“It is, though I could do without the snark. I’ll be glad when she and Jared are gone.”

Rosie couldn’t imagine working with her ex, especially after the nasty way he’d treated her during their breakup. Thankfully, Erik was a real estate broker, so there was no chance of their worlds overlapping. “Sorry you have to deal with that. Anything I can do to help?”

“Just seeing you at the gym always boosts my mood.”

“I’ve enjoyed getting back into it. Not gonna lie, watching you flex all those muscles is a definite perk.”

The minute she said it, she wanted to clamp her hand over her mouth. Why had she admitted she’d been ogling him? Friends didn’t do that to each other.

But he responded with a grin. “Right back at you. And when you wear those bike shorts? The ones with the racing stripe down the side? Yes, please.”

A few times, she’d suspected he might be staring at her ass. Knowing it was true made a burst of desire flare up inside of her.

Fuck. How was she supposed to keep their boundaries in place?

She looked away, taking a moment to compose herself. “So… are we going to Centennial Square to see the lights?”

“If you want. Sorry I dragged you out of the gym before you could grab your coat.”

“It’s okay.” Though she wished she had her gloves and hat, her fleece pullover was plenty warm. And she didn’t protest when he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer.

But as they started walking, she was careful to keep her lustful thoughts to herself. Even if it killed her, she was not about to cross the line again. Which meant no bringing up Saturday’s kisses or hinting at the spicy dreams they’d inspired.

Unlike the past two nights, the sky was cloudless, giving them a clear view of the quarter moon. A slight breeze blew off the ocean, but otherwise, the temperature was warm for December. As they strolled along Government Street, past the tourist shops selling gifts and souvenirs, Rosie delighted in all the holiday displays. Like the store with the giant stuffed moose in front, now wearing a Santa hat. Or the bakery whose front window was adorned with a row of intricately decorated gingerbread houses.

Given the mild weather, Rosie wasn’t surprised at the abundance of couples and families gathered around Centennial Square, a large, open-air plaza located near Victoria’s Chinatown. At the front of the square, a giant archway was lit up with multicolored bulbs. Dozens of trees adorned with twinkling white lights were scattered around the area, and Christmas songs played through the speakers. The central fountain was lit up, the spray of water glowing purple and red.

“This is so beautiful,” she said. “Thanks for bringing me here.”

“You’ve seen it before, right? They do this every December.”

She gave a sad shake of her head. “I’ve always been too busy. I need to take time for more stuff like this.”

“You really do. Not out of obligation, but to relax and enjoy yourself.”

“Do you think I work too hard?” Even as she said it, she braced herself for the usual criticism, the kind she got from her family. That she was too driven, too single-minded, too obsessed with her career.

“That’s not for me to judge. Sure, you work a lot, but you love your job. Every time you solve a problem or deal with a crisis, you get all fired up. Like you can handle anything. It’s amazing.”

Blinking back tears, she turned to face him. “No one’s ever said that to me. Like my intensity is a good thing.”

“It’s awesome. You don’t have to change. But if you want a break, that’s okay, too. Just say the word, and I’ll gladly join you.”

He was so considerate. Such a good friend.

A friend . Something she should keep in mind rather than wishing they could continue where they’d left off on Saturday. That road would only lead to misunderstandings and hurt feelings.

But once she was back in her apartment, alone in bed, she couldn’t stop herself from indulging in a few wicked fantasies involving Drew. And, once again, she desperately wished he was there to share them with her.