Suite Embrace. Anita Bunkley

he planned to live permanently, and he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted to settle down with a grounded African-American woman who was not afraid to work hard and whose world did not revolve around money, society events and outrageous status symbols. He wanted to start a family with an intelligent, beautiful woman who would appreciate him for who he was now, not for who he used to be. He wondered if Skylar Webster might be the woman he was looking for. There was only one way to find out—put her to the test.

      Chapter 8

      The best features of Skylar’s new office, a cozy space only a few steps from the registration desk, were the two tall windows that faced an inner courtyard where a huge fire pit, a hot tub with an outdoor movie projector and a deck provided the guests an unparalleled view of Aspen Mountain.

      Cupping her mug of hot chocolate with both hands, Skylar leaned over her desk and rounded her shoulders, stretching out her back. She had made it through her first full day of work without any major incidents, mishaps or encounters with dissatisfied guests, and her mountain sickness had eased. Between fielding calls for general information and making spa and massage reservations, she had provided directions to the various activity areas of the resort and chartered a limousine to take Goldie Lamar and her companions to the Silver Hills Theater.

      At least her job kept her busy and kept her mind off of Lewis, except when she saw couples in love sitting by the fire or having fun on the ice or the slopes. The sight made her feel empty and sad, and she sometimes wondered if perhaps she’d broken off too quickly with Lewis. Should she have tried harder to work things out? Would it have been possible? The turmoil of that failed relationship still simmered in her heart.

      Did Lewis cheat on me before the accident? Did he leave me for another woman because I can’t have children? Had he really expected to benefit from my financial windfall? Did he ever really love me? The unanswered questions went round and round in her mind whenever she allowed herself to drift back in time.

      The good thing was that she was definitely feeling much better than when she arrived back at her room last night, nauseous, half-frozen and irritated as hell at Mark Jorgen. Thank God she had not seen or spoken to him all day.

      “I’m getting rave reviews from my guests,” Deena remarked as she entered her sister’s office and settled into the chair across from Skylar. “I think you passed the first hurdle when you managed to get Goldie Lamar’s mother-in-law those tickets to Silver Hills Theater for tonight.”

      “If all of my requests should be so easy,” Skylar replied, grinning over at her sister. “Your decision to buy a full page ad in the theater’s next promotional booklet sealed the deal. Thanks.”

      “Glad we could work it out and it’ll be good publicity for us, too,” Deena replied.

      “Hey, have you heard from Jerome? How’s his dad doing?” Skylar wanted to know, hoping things were not too rough for her brother-in-law, whom she liked very much, even though they were not particularly close. With Skylar living in Tampa and Jerome and Deena in Colorado, the three simply hadn’t made the effort to visit over the years, and now it was too bad that Jerome had to be away during Skylar’s first extended stay in the mountains.

      The cheerful expression that had been on Deena’s face when she entered shifted into one of concern. The worry in her eyes told Skylar that things were not going well. “I just spoke to Jerome,” Deena said. “His dad is not bouncing back as he and the doctors had hoped. Seems the cancer was much more advanced than the doctors had thought and the surgery took its toll. He’ll be in the hospital quite a while longer than the two days he had been told he’d have to spend there, and he’ll need at least a month at home recuperating while undergoing chemotherapy.”

      “Gee, I’m really sorry to hear that. Think you need to be with Jerome?”

      “No, not right now…maybe later…after the reunion is over. Not much I can do now but wait, and I can do that right here. Jerome seems to be holding up okay.”

      “Well, you know best.”

      Deena nodded, and then said, changing the subject, “Kathy told me you drove all the way over to Crested Village last night by yourself to get the liquor for Mark. I would have gone with you, Skylar. Why didn’t you ask?”

      Skylar shrugged. “Guess I wanted to prove to myself that I really can do this job. However, I have to admit it was a pretty scary trip. Started snowing. Got dark on me. And when I finally got to Mark’s cabin, he acted all smug, as if what I’d done was no biggie. What’s up with him anyway? Where is he from? He has some kind of a funny accent.”

      “Mark is biracial,” Deena replied. “His father is black and his mother, Virina Dagrun, is a well-known Norwegian model.”

      “Was Mark born in Norway?”

      “No, California, but when his parents divorced, his mother took him back to Norway to live.”

      “So, that’s the reason for his accent,” Skylar murmured. “Well, he’s probably upset with me.”

      “Why?”

      “After I arrived with his delivery, I kind of fainted…passed out for a few seconds on his doorstep. Overwhelmed by the altitude, I guess. Anyway, I broke a bottle of schnapps and soaked my jeans. He took me inside and then had the nerve to try to tell me what my job was…and that was after he had flirted like crazy with me.”

      Struggling to suppress a chuckle, Deena pressed her lips together, one hand to her mouth. “He flirted with you, and you’re upset?”

      “Yeah, put me on his couch and was leaning over me, putting his lips real close to mine. Even felt my legs. Got all in my face and everything. It was really rude.”

      Now, Deena laughed aloud. “Please! He was probably just making sure you were all right.”

      “Hump. Working his Afro-European charm on me, you mean, as I’m sure he loves to do with all of your female guests.”

      “He does generate a lot of attention,” Deena admitted.

      “Well, I’m not one of his starstruck students like Goldie Lamar. I swear that woman has a major crush on Mark. When I called her to tell her I had the theater tickets for her party, all she wanted to do was rattle on and on about her fabulous ski lesson with Mark this morning and how gentle he had been with her.”

      “Mark’s quite the star around here,” Deena said.

      “He’s an employee, just like me, and he ought to remember that.”

      “Lighten up, Skylar. You have to admit, he’s a hunk. Real easy to look at and a nice guy, too.”

      “Rather exotic, I’d say,” Skylar said grudgingly.

      “So what if he creates a stir among the guests. Nothing wrong with that. You may not know it but he has an international reputation as a very eligible bachelor, so you shouldn’t complain that he flirted with you. Wouldn’t it have been much worse if he had paid you no attention at all? Really, Skylar. You’re smart, attractive, single. Stop being so damn sensitive. Mark Jorgen could be quite a catch.”

      “A catch? What makes you think I’m in the market for a man?”

      “Oh? You’re not?”

      “No!”

      “Maybe you should be, ’cause I hope like hell you’re not holding out for a second chance with Lewis Monroe,” Deena said.

      “Hell would freeze over before I’d give Lewis a second chance. But I’m not gonna lie. I loved Lewis and I know he hurt me, but it’s not that easy to forget and move on. I trusted him,” Skylar said in a small voice.

      “He cheated on you.”

      “I know…but you think I can just forget about our good times together and take up with a new man, like buying a new pair of shoes or a dress? I need time to get over Lewis, and an affair with a playboy ski instructor is not the way I plan