Page 31 of Made for You
I hadn't expected him to stay. That wasn’t what we did. The first time, we'd accidentally fallen asleep, but when I woke justbefore dawn, he was gone. The next time, he’d stalked out the door before I’d even pulled my dress back into place.
And last night? It was supposed to be a booty call—nothing more.
This thing between us was purely physical. Temporary.
That was what I told myself, anyway.
But now, as I lay here listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing, the lies I’d wrapped myself in began to unravel, thread by thread.
His eyelashes fluttered against my shoulder blade. He shifted, his stubble scraping gently against my skin. “If I stay any longer—” The words vibrated through my back, his voice sandpaper-rough, as his fingers tightened slightly at my hip. “—I’m not sure I'll be able to leave.”
I turned beneath his arm, the sheets rustling as I shifted to meet his gaze. My fingertips found the sleep-warm hollow of his collarbone. “Who said you have to?”
He smiled—that crooked, devastating thing that always made my pulse trip—and rolled on top of me, bracing himself on his forearms. “In that case…” he murmured.
The kiss that followed wasn’t rough or hurried like our kisses last night. It was slow. Deep. A claiming of a different kind.
And when he moved inside me, it was with a tenderness that undid me completely. This time, he wasn’t just taking; he was giving.
When I came apart beneath him, it wasn’t with fire but with something quieter. Something dangerous.
Later, when the sun was higher in the sky and he was gone, I couldn’t stop replaying it all—the way we’d come together last night with desperate hunger, then lain in the dark afterward, trading stories about this place and what it meant to each of us.
I’d told him the truth: that I wasn’t here to change Bridger Falls, but to honor it. That the resort was my love letter to thevalley, not a threat to it. I wanted people to leave this place feeling like they’d left a piece of their heart behind. I wanted to protect everything I loved about this valley—the same way he did.
And he’d confessed his fears, too. That people like me, with money and vision, had a way of loving places to death. But somehow, between the words and the silences, we’d found common ground—a bridge between his roots and my dreams. For the first time since he’d discovered who I was, he’d looked at me without that wall of betrayal in his eyes.
And then this morning, he’d made love to me with such tenderness that I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d been wrong all along about what this was.
About us.
By the time I made it into work, my body felt pleasantly sore, every ache a reminder of him—this infuriating, impossibly good-hearted cowboy—and how easily he’d taken up space beneath my skin.
I dropped my bag next to my desk and started up my laptop, adjusting the collar of my cream silk blouse as the Bellrose Hospitality logo flickered to life on the screen. A notification pinged, reminding me of my standing video call with my father.
When his face appeared, he looked every inch a high-powered CEO—immaculate black suit, perfectly knotted tie—but the moment he smiled, I sawDadinstead.
“Siena, sweetheart,” he said warmly. “I heard the contractors wrapped up the final punch list late last night.”
“They did.” I couldn’t help but smile. “The Alderwood will be ready to open the day after Thanksgiving, just as planned.”
The words left my mouth on a small breath of disbelief, because somehow, against all odds, it was true. Every sleepless night, every fight with the contractors, and every time I’d second-guessed taking on such a large project had all led tothis. There’d been moments I’d sat in this very office long after everyone else had gone home, staring at schematics or budget breakdowns and wondering if I’d taken on more than I could chew. My speciality within the Bellrose brand was small, luxury boutique properties built from scratch. Not sprawling, five-star resorts where every whim can be catered to. But seeing it all come together had been worth every headache. Every doubt.
Dad’s brows lifted slightly, a quick flicker that told me he hadn’t entirely expected me to pull it off. But then his expression softened into something close to admiration. “Impressive.”
I didn’t need him to say it to know it was true. What I’d done herewasimpressive.
I’d taken a run-down, forgotten property and turned it into something extraordinary. I’d earned the respect of a skeptical crew, charmed local vendors into taking a chance on us, and managed to win over even the most stubborn of critics—including a certain cowboy I’d never imagined would come around.
“Honestly…” I exhaled, my voice softening. “I’ve never loved a project the way I love this one.”
Dad leaned back, the corners of his mouth softening. “That’s good to hear.”
“Obviously, I fall a little bit in love with every hotel I open,” I admitted. “But this one, it’s different. This place came from my heart. It wasn’t just a project; it’s been my passion.”
The look he gave me made my throat tighten. “When the board asks for my recommendation about succession, I intend to tell them you’re the one to take over when I retire.”
A small laugh bubbled out of me. “That’s going to go over phenomenally well with Bryce and Connor.”
