Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 93942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
“Shame he’s so...” I trailed off, searching for the right word.
“Handsome?” Pam offered.
“I was going to say intense,” I said hastily, my cheeks reddening. Actually, I’d been tempted to call him something much worse than that before my professionalism kicked in.
Pam laughed. “Let’s split the difference and call him intensely handsome.”
I nodded, wanting the conversation to end. So I let myself enjoy the flavors without thinking about how someone so talented could also be such a jerk. Without thinking about Asher at all.
Mostly.
After dinner, I wandered toward the bar, not quite ready to go back to the hideaway. It was on the far side of the restaurant and had been empty when I came in. But now there were a few men in the barstools and behind the bar—I stopped short in surprise.
Why were there two ski instructors tending bar?
The one that I assumed was Kai was in the middle of shaking a cocktail, his movements showy and precise, while an older gentleman in a suit watched with amusement. Landon stood at the other end, pouring a neat whiskey for another guest, his demeanor calm and efficient.
I approached slowly. “What are you doing here?”
Kai looked up and flashed me a grin. “Bartending. What’s it look like?”
“You work here?”
“Not officially.” He set down the shaker and poured the drink into a glass, sliding it across to the guest. “We just do this for fun. Not much else to do in the evenings.”
Landon was still at the far end of the bar, but when he saw me, he gave a small wave.
“Want something?” Kai asked. His grin made it impossible to be mad at him. Sure, I was still irritated about what had happened in the gym, but I had bigger problems. Like the fact that both the head chef and my manager hated me. Which didn’t exactly bode well for a problem-free internship.
I hesitated, then slid onto one of the barstools. “Sure.”
Kai’s grin widened. “Let me make you something special. The Zoe Special.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
“Only if you want it to be.” He was already pulling out bottles, moving with the same easy confidence he had on the slopes. “Trust me.”
A retort sprang to my lips, but then I held it back. Trusting him, at least during the ski lesson, hadn’t led to any harm, or falling off a cliff, like I’d originally feared.
A few minutes later, he set a glass in front of me. It was layered—pale pink at the bottom, fading to white at the top, with a sprig of mint and a twist of lemon on the rim.
“It’s a mocktail,” he said. “You seem like the mocktail type. Grapefruit, ginger, a little honey. Nothing too sweet.”
I took a sip. It was bright and refreshing, with just enough bite to keep it interesting.
“Not bad,” I admitted.
“Not bad?” He put a hand over his heart. “I’m wounded.”
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help smiling. “You get enough compliments on your skiing, I’m sure. Do you really need some about your bartending?”
“Yes.” He said it solemnly, and for a moment, he looked like Landon. “And also about my good looks.” I almost snorted. He was back to acting like himself again.
On the other end of the bar, Landon was watching us with quiet amusement.
Before I could say anything else, a small, older man walked up, an exquisitely carved cane in his hand. He couldn’t have been more than an inch or two taller than me, with silver hair and a weathered face that lit up when he saw the twins.
“There they are!” he said, his voice warm and booming despite his size. “My favorite troublemakers.”
Kai straightened, his grin shifting into something more genuine. “Edward, my man. Good to see you.”
The elderly man reached a hand out, and Kai shook it. Then Edward nodded at Landon who’d wandered over. “Hey Landon. Still keeping your brother out of trouble?”
“Trying,” Landon said with a slight smile.
Edward’s gaze shifted to me, curious. “And who’s this?”
“This is Zoe,” Kai said. “She’s doing an internship here. Hospitality management.” My jaw dropped as I realized this man must be Edward Pierce, owner of The Fraser.
I stood and extended my hand. “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Pierce.”
He waved me off, though he shook my hand warmly. “Call me Edward. And the honor’s all mine. Anyone who can put up with these two deserves a medal.”
I’d done my research on Edward Pierce. At one point, he’d owned three of the top ten resorts in the nation. But The Fraser was his favorite—the only one he still owned. He’d built an empire, and even though he’d scaled back, his reputation was legendary.
He settled onto a barstool and launched into a story about Kai’s last championship win, his eyes gleaming with pride. It was clear he adored the twins, especially Kai. He asked about what they’d been up to in the last year, focusing more on Kai’s apparently wild personal life than his time on the slopes.