Page 22 of Dating the Boss
“Wow,” I said, leaning forward to look at it. “You think it’s haunted?”
“Just because it’s a Victorian house doesn’t mean it’s haunted.” He parked beside a black SUV.
“Do you believe in ghosts?” I unfastened my seat belt.
“No.”
“Then you have no say in this matter.”
He snorted and opened his door.
I decided to go in with him instead of waiting in the car. I was sure the place was beautiful during the day, but at night, all I could think about were all the trees around us and how it felt way too much like the setup for every horror movie I’d ever seen. And with how shitty my luck was that day, a psycho in a hockey mask would probably run out from the woods and slice my head off.
I walked faster and reached Daniel’s side.
My unease was put to rest once we walked inside. The place was freaking stunning. A chandelier hung in the foyer, and a grand staircase curved up and to the second floor. Though fancy, it felt welcoming. Comfortable. The way a home should be.
“Good evening,” a guy said, walking out of a room to the left. His brown hair curled slightly, and when he brushed his bangs out of the way, I saw a faint scar at the top of his forehead that disappeared into his hairline. “I’m Cole Hensley, one of the owners. How can I help you?”
“We’re looking for a room,” Daniel said, approaching him. “We’ve been all over this town, and every motel and hotel are full.”
Cole scrunched up his face, and I knew what he was going to say before he said it.
“I’m afraid we’re full too.”
Daniel’s shoulders stiffened, and I could tell he was doing his best to keep a brave face, probably for my sake.
Just then, a gorgeous man with slicked-back blond hair came around the corner. He went over to Cole and kissed his cheek before looking at us. “Hello.”
“Hi,” I squeaked.
Daniel arched a brow at me.
“They need a room,” Cole said with a frown. “But we’re full. Is there anything we can do? I don’t want to send them back out into the cold with nowhere to go.”
“Let me see,” the blond bombshell said, clicking something on the computer. A strand of his hair slipped from its hold and curled near his eye. Cole softly smiled and brushed it aside. That’s when I noticed their wedding rings.
My heart melted. I might’ve been a feisty bitch who bedhopped my way through life, but what I wanted more than anything was an epic romance, a soul-moving love that I felt to my very core. The kind of love Quinn and Monty shared.
“We’re full, but there’s one room you can have,” the blond said, smiling at me before moving his stare to Daniel. “We have it closed off at the moment because it has trouble heating this time of year and we need to fix it. But if you don’t mind sharing, it’s yours. Discounted of course.”
“That would be excellent,” Daniel responded, pulling out his wallet. “Better than sleeping in the car. We’ll take it.” He paid with a card and signed for the room before Cole handed him a key. “Thank you.”
“I’m Ian Hensley,” the blond said, shaking Daniel’s hand. “If there’s anything you need during your stay, please don’t hesitate to let us know. Breakfast is at six and goes until nine.”
Daniel thanked him before looking at me. “I’m going to grab my laptop from the car if you want to go to the room.”
“Nah, I need to grab something too.”
“Very well.”
We walked back out into the cold night, and I unlocked my car. While he scrounged around in the back seat for his laptop and briefcase, I popped the trunk and grabbed the overnight bag I kept stashed there.
“Mighty presumptuous of you to assume we’d be spending the night,” Daniel said, eyeing my bag.
“Oh, I didn’t. I always carry a bag with me,” I explained as we walked up the sidewalk toward the porch. “Don’t think badly of me or anything, but I can be kind of a party animal on the weekends. I never know where I’ll end up or with who, so I keep a change of clothes and some toiletry items in my car just in case.”
“Impressive.”
