Should’ve Known It’s You (Not You Again #7)

Chapter 72

CHAPTER 72

KENNEDY

A fter a long morning working at the hotel, breakfast had been served, our new long-term guests were settled in, the vacated rooms had been tidied, the kitchen and tables had been cleaned, and I was just making a cup of coffee when the front door opened.

I glanced at it from the coffee counter beside the reception desk, preparing to welcome some more patrons until two familiar faces appeared—and they definitely weren’t here for a room.

“Austin?” I frowned. “Mindy?”

Surprise trickled through me, but as they walked in, I smiled, moving around the desk to go greet them. “What’s up? What are you two doing here on a Monday at noon? Aren’t you supposed to be at the office?”

Austin stepped forward and took my hands, his eyes on mine as he tugged me into a warm embrace. “We’re here because we both work here now.”

“What?” I let go of him, so freaking confused that I thought he was making a joke. “You might work here unofficially, but Mindy still works for the firm.”

“Not anymore,” his assistant offered, her eyes just a little too wide as she looked at me. Then her gaze darted around the foyer. “You know, I didn’t get an opportunity to take a good look around at the grand opening. I think I’ll go do that now. Give you two a minute to talk.”

Austin kept me in the circle of his arms but chuckled as he shook his head at her. “Let me get you settled first.” He turned back to me. “We needed someone to work the front desk and help you with managing the place, and I offered Mindy the job. I know I should’ve run it by you first, but there were some extenuating circumstances, and besides, we’re lucky to have her.”

I blinked hard, my brow puckering. I definitely would’ve preferred if he’d spoken to me about it first, but ultimately, it wasn’t her fault that he hadn’t and she looked like she was in a touch of shock.

This wasn’t the time to get into it with him in front of her. In a few minutes, I would get to the bottom of it, but for now, the important thing was setting her mind at ease. I stepped away from him and swept my hand out toward our reception desk.

“Honestly? This is wonderful news. Austin has only ever sung your praises and I desperately need the help. You can make yourself at home over there, put down your things if you’d like and grab some coffee. There’s also some leftovers from breakfast in the kitchen if you’re hungry.”

Mindy stared back at me silently for a beat, those wide eyes still darting this way and that before she finally cleared her throat. “Yes, thank you. I’ll do that.”

Sensing that she needed some TLC and perhaps a bit of reassurance, I smiled. This was a surprising twist in my day but not an unpleasant one. Going over, I gave her hands a quick squeeze and did my best to make her feel welcome.

“I’m so happy that you’re part of the team now,” I said sincerely. “I’ve been drowning on my own and Austin is always going on about how your organizational skills are second to none. I’m not sure what you two have discussed about when you’ll be starting, but if you could start right now, that’d be great. If you’d prefer to start tomorrow, that’s fine too, and if you need the week to breathe, then you’re also welcome to start on Monday. Once you get going though, you’ll find we’ve got plenty to keep you busy.”

“I’d prefer to just start now.”

“Excellent.” I grinned, relief spiraling through me.

Evidently, I needed to have a private conversation with my fiancé, and I couldn’t do that if I also had to answer the phones, serve the customers, and take care of our guests. I released Mindy’s hands and took a step back.

“For now, our phone lines are just regular phones. Nothing fancy or tricky about them. Freshen up and grab something to eat and drink. Sally in the kitchen can help you with all that. I just need to have a quick word with Austin.”

She nodded, finally managing a smile. “I think you were right, Austin. I’m going to love it here. I’ll go get settled. You two go talk. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ve got this.”

She spun around and strode confidently to the reception desk. I was still wondering just how this had happened when Austin chuckled softly, drawing my attention back to him.

“She’s going to rock this job,” he said, flashing me a smug grin as he reached out to take my hand. “I told you we’d find someone amazing for the role. Behold my handiwork and weep.”

I rolled my eyes at him, sliding my fingers between his and turning to face him. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on here? Why did Mindy quit? Are you going to be okay at the firm without her? Who will be your assis?—”

“Mindy quit because I got fired,” he said, looking right into my eyes and seeming completely calm. “Well, no. Technically, I quit, but then I got fired. I’m not really sure, but either way, I won’t need her at the firm because I’m not working there anymore either. She refused to stay if I wasn’t there, so I told her to come with me and here we are.”

I felt a flutter of panic. My eyelids started malfunctioning, blinking way too much, and I was unable to say a word. Austin tugged me closer, smiling as he stroked his fingers through my hair.

“My boss didn’t want me spending my time here and he didn’t think I could split responsibilities between the hotel and the office, so he made me choose. From where I was standing, it was a no-brainer.”

My head spun. Austin’s career was part of his long-term life plan, just like the hotel was mine. He loved his job and he had the drive, ambition, and intelligence to be really good at it. Losing it couldn’t have been as easy as he was making it seem right then.

My heart started pounding. I understood that his instinct had been to choose the hotel, to protect me and to do whatever it took to stand by my side as we got this venture off the ground, but as I looked into his eyes, I wondered what was really going on behind them.

How could he have given it up so easily? What if he resents me for it because the hotel forced his hand? What if, in a few weeks, he realizes he needs more than just this little hospitality business?

Austin had left Firefly Grove, his home, his family, and his legacy of taking over Merrick Meadows all because he’d wanted more. He’d needed it, often referring to his time growing up on the farm as feeling trapped.

What if the next thing he feels trapped by is me? The hotel? What happens then?

“I can see the wheels turning in your head,” he said softly, tightening his grip on my hand and leading me up to one of the vacant staterooms.

As we walked in, he grabbed the do not disturb sign and hung it on the handle outside. Then he closed the door and turned to face me. “Take a breath and relax, Kenny. I’m fine. I promise. This was my choice, and it was an easy one.”

“How?” I asked, my concerns suddenly starting to bubble out of me in a constant stream. “You told me once that you were only just at the beginning of your career and that there was plenty more money to be made, and that was why you weren’t worried about putting so much of it into the hotel.”

I stumbled back a few steps, catching myself on the dresser and gripping the edge so hard, my fingers started aching. “You also said that the urgency and the drive was a part of who you are, and that neither of those things were going anywhere.”

I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath that had been meant to stop the rambling, but it turned out I was just getting started. “This is as big as the hotel is ever going to get, Austin. We’re not starting a franchise or building an empire. This is it. What happens when you get bored? What happens if this becomes your next prison, just like the farm used to be? I mean, these grounds are a lot smaller and?—”

Dark eyes locked on mine, he strode forward, closing the distance between us quickly before he caught my cheeks in his palms and silenced me with a kiss. His lips were hot, hungry, and determined as he lowered his hands to my hips. Gripping them hard, he walked us backward to the bed.

He didn’t stop kissing me for longer than a moment as he pushed me down on the mattress, slid a knee between my own as he climbed up with me, and lowered his mouth to mine once more. My thoughts were still racing, but his kisses were demanding, the heat and weight of his body on mine strangely calming.

I focused on that. On the size of his big body pressing me into the mattress and heat of him warming me despite the layers between us. Slowly but surely, as I kissed him back and focused on the sensations he was eliciting, the soft stroke of his tongue against mine and firm grip of his hand on my hip, I felt the panic recede.

Despite the bomb he’d just dropped, Austin was here and he was safe. He’d made a conscious choice that he didn’t seem stressed about at all, and while there were some very real consequences both immediately and in the long run, we didn’t need to hammer it all out right then.

As he coaxed me out of the spiral I’d been in one kiss at a time, I pushed my fingers into his hair and wrapped my legs around his hips. He and I would be alright. I knew Austin well enough to know that while his boss might have surprised him by springing this choice on him, he wouldn’t have made it if he hadn’t thought it through.

There was no way he would have quit or let himself get fired if he didn’t already have a plan or if he was uncertain about where we would go from there. Austin Merrick was always two steps ahead, and I doubted this was any different.

Relaxing underneath him, I ran my hands along the lean muscle in his back until I reached his shoulders. Then I pushed his jacket off and heard his shoes fall to the floor with dull thuds. He moaned into my mouth as I writhed under him, suddenly all too aware of the rock-hard bulge grinding between my legs.

My nipples hardened and my body finally took the wheel from my brain. There were so many things we needed to talk about and figure out. And yet, all those things would still be there after.

Right then, he seemed intent on letting his body do the talking and I was always going to be okay with that. It was a way of connecting with him when words had been failing me, pouring out in a gush of information that he already had.

Frantically reaching for his belt, I undid it and worked on his fly. He pushed my sundress up between us. Hooking his thumbs into my panties, he peeled them away while I clawed at his shirt, both of us almost frenzied as we tugged at clothes to get them out of our way. Finally, I felt his tip press against my entrance.

Breaking the kiss, I pulled back for just a moment to look into his eyes. He thrust into me, and just like it always did, the world around us faded away. My worries were replaced with pleasure, my entire existence reduced to it.

His gaze held mine. When we were together like this, sharing such raw, vulnerable intimacy, I could never remember anything other than how much I loved him. The ring on my finger was a testament to that, and even though the world had thrown us another curveball today, I knew in that moment that no matter what, we would always be okay.