Page 24 of Dating the Boss
She chuckled and pulled her robe closer around her. “I’m Claire.”
I didn’t know why she was being so friendly. Usually people at other hotels just ignored everyone else during their stay. But maybe the comfortable environment of the bed-and-breakfast affected that.
“Daniel Sawyer,” I said, shaking her hand.
“Well, don’t let me keep you, Daniel. I was just going down to the kitchen for something to drink.”
The door opened again, and a shirtless man with messy red hair and lovesick eyes leaned out. Scratch marks covered his back. “Can you see if there are any snacks too? I’m starving.” He looked at me. “Oh. Hey.”
“Hello,” I said, fighting a smile. Newlyweds, probably. “Have a good night.”
I continued down the hall and descended the stairs to the first floor. Neither Ian or Cole were at the front desk, so I ventured farther through the manor. I found the two men in a large parlor, sitting in front of a blazing fire as they sipped wine and laughed to themselves, Cole resting against Ian’s arm.
“Sorry to interrupt,” I said.
“Is everything okay?” Ian asked, gently shifting out from under Cole and standing.
“Yes, everything’s fine. Well, almost. There’s only one bed in our room, so I was wondering if there was a cot we could have for the night.”
“Of course,” Ian responded, setting his glass of wine on the side table and walking across the room toward me. “I’m sorry. That didn’t occur to me.” He led me down a corridor and to what looked like a storage closet. He opened the door and stepped inside, coming back a moment later rolling a cot. Sheets and a pillow were tucked under his arm. “I’ll help you take it to your room.”
“How long have you run this place?” I asked, grabbing the sheets and pillow from him.
“Five years,” he answered as we made our way back to the entryway toward the stairs. “The manor was run-down and falling apart when my husband and I bought it. But we fixed it up and not only made it our forever home, but it’s a place anyone can visit when they need a touch of home for the holidays. What brings you to the area?”
“A business trip,” I said as we walked up the stairs. “I had a meeting in Greenville, and the storm hit hard on our way back, blocking our route home.”
“What do you do for business?”
“I work for an advertising agency.” I tossed him a smile. “If you ever need help with your business, let me know.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Ian returned my smile. “So, the man with you is your business partner?’
“My assistant,” I corrected. “Which is why you see my issue with sharing a bed.”
My cock, however, had no issue sharing a bed with Reed. Which was the main reason why I couldn’t.
“Thank you for your help,” I said when we reached my room. “This is really a great place you have here.”
“I appreciate that.” Ian rolled the cot toward the door and let go of it. “Cole and I have worked hard to make this a home away from home. Please don’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything else you need.”
“Thanks. Goodnight.”
“Night.”
Placing my hand on the door, I took a deep breath before pushing it open.
The glow from the lamp shone on the far wall as I walked inside, carrying the cot, sheets, and pillow. Reed hopped up from the armchair in the corner, and my cock twitched when seeing the flash of pale skin of his stomach from where his shirt rode up. He’d taken off his button-up shirt and tight pants and now wore silky boxers and a red T-shirt.
He opened the cot and smoothed his hand over the mattress.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Getting my bed ready?” Reed cocked his head at me.
“Your bed is already ready,” I said, nodding to the queen bed behind him. “I’m sleeping on the cot.”
“You?” He looked even more confused. “No, I can’t let you do that. Do you see the size of this thing?” He patted the cot. “You are way too big for it. Your feet would hang over the end.”
