Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55087 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55087 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Rocco stepped out of the SUV he’d rented, grabbed his duffle from the back seat, and turned to stare up at the front of the Danger Bluff Mountain Resort. The structure was old and in some disrepair, but that didn’t surprise him.
Rocco had done quite a bit of research about this place since receiving the certified letter summoning him last week. The letter had the same gold-swirled emblem on both the outside and the inside. It was the first time he’d seen the resemblance since its likeness had been placed in his palm two years ago.
The letter had instructed him to be at this resort in New Zealand at noon today. Considering the mysterious benefactor who’d saved his life two years ago had indeed kept Rocco’s ticker ticking, Rocco had felt compelled to comply with the request. Or perhaps he’d simply been curious. Besides, he’d told himself, what else do I have going on?
What Rocco knew was that this resort had shut down about a year ago. The owners had run out of funds to keep it operating. It consisted of this main building and a dozen cabins in the surrounding hills. It wasn’t currently open for business while it underwent repairs and renovations.
Taking a deep breath, Rocco shrugged his duffle higher on his shoulder and climbed the stairs leading up to the wrap-around porch. For a moment, he considered knocking, but that seemed ridiculous. It wasn’t a residence. So, he opened the front door and stepped inside.
The large entryway was empty and kind of dusty. The only piece of furniture—if you could call it that—was a huge wooden reception desk. Behind it was an old-fashioned hotel room key board. It looked like all the keys were still on it.
Rocco found himself shuffling in that direction. Were those keys still useful? Surely not. Hell, he didn’t even know if this resort was still a resort. He had no idea why he was here or who he might be meeting. Even though he’d read that the resort closed last year, he’d seen no indication someone had purchased it. It was not, however, listed as an available real estate property.
A movement to the left of the hanging keys caught his eye, and he shifted his attention in that direction as a woman pushed through a swinging door, emerging behind the reception desk.
“Oh,” she exclaimed, “you must be Rocco.” She smiled at him and then blew a lock of hair off her forehead before reaching up with both hands to tug her ponytail holder free, gather her long messy brown hair together, and reposition the band.
The act mesmerized him. Something about her stirred his nurturing side—a side he hadn’t indulged in for far too long. How long had it been since he’d even entertained the idea of Daddying a Little girl?
As he watched this petite woman mess with her hair, he found himself wanting to round the counter, brush her hands aside, and fix it himself. He wanted to run his fingers through the length over and over until he had it all gathered on top of her head.
As she finished fussing with it, she lifted her brows. “You are Rocco, right?”
Oh shit. He hadn’t answered her. “Yes.”
“I’m Sadie.”
“Are you the one who summoned me?”
She giggled, the noise heading straight for his heart. Or maybe it was his groin. Both. “Heavens no. I’m the new reception manager. I was just instructed to show all of you to the conference room.”
Rocco lifted a brow. “All of who?”
She shrugged as she rounded the counter. “The other five men. You’re the last to arrive.”
Other five men… Interesting.
“Who are we meeting with?”
She shrugged again. “I have no idea.”
He frowned. This was weird. Like The Twilight Zone weird. He half expected this place to be haunted. Which was absurd.
“Do those keys work?” he asked, pointing at the hanging display. For some reason, that felt like an important question.
“I don’t think so. I think the previous owners just left them there to create an ambiance of days gone by. There are coded keycards in the back room for the cabins and the rooms in this main building.”
“Ahh.” That told Rocco a lot about the resort. It maintained an old-world look but had modern conveniences. Good to know. “So, I guess the cabins have running water and electricity,” he teased.
She giggled again. “Yes.” Her ponytail hung over one shoulder, and she twirled it around a finger. Now that she’d emerged from behind the counter, he could take in the rest of her.
She was about five-five and thirty years old, he guessed, nice figure, shapely. She wore a navy sundress with a full skirt that hung almost to her knees and gold sandals. It was a warm day.
Rocco found himself oddly drawn to this woman, and the attraction was growing by the moment. Her dimples were adorable, and every time she licked her full lips, he wanted to taste them, too.