I could think of, including rainbow roses.
Jake set me on my feet, kissed my forehead, and gave me a little nudge before he withdrew and closed the door on his way out. None of them followed me into the rose-perfumed and bedecked room. I turned in a slow circle, some of my exhaustion fleeing. There was even a mini-Christmas tree with roses affixed to it. I searched each bouquet, pausing to sniff them. There were no cards, no notes, nothing, at least not on the ones on the dresser. But I moved slowly as I padded around the room. I’d stripped out of the snow gear before I slipped into the car.
Someone had stacked the fireplace, but it wasn’t lit and that was okay. The warmth in the room was more than sufficient for me to strip off the socks. The only note present was next to what had to be four dozen red and white roses on either side of the bed. It was a simple white card with silver thread along the edges.
We wanted to get them for you.
Right next to it was a new charm for my bracelet—a simple pair of skis and poles. Tears flooded my eyes, and I bit my lip as I swung my gaze over all the roses. They’d wanted to get them for me.
My heart thumped almost painfully. I snatched up my phone and did a quick video sweep of the roses, and then hesitated. It seemed almost too personal to send to Rachel. And at the same time…
You know what, I’d figure that out later. I dropped the phone on the bed, even as it began to vibrate with updates to the cloud account. The guys were uploading pictures, and some of them images danced over my screen and I grinned. I hadn’t even realized the guys had taken snaps of me on the ski lift. There was one of me and Archie with me grinning up at him like he was everything, and that thump in my heart double-timed.
As I stripped off my clothes to leave on a stack next to the chest at the end of the bed, it hit me. I didn’t bring a bathing suit, did I? I checked my suitcase, which had been emptied and put away into drawers. The staff had been busy while we were gone. Archie insisted they were going to be discreet, and he’d been right. I hadn’t seen them yet.
In the top drawer, I found a new strapless bikini in red waiting for me. The tags were still on it. I debated it, but I wasn’t sure I was brave enough yet to go down there naked. Not even if they’d all seen me naked and wrecked. Then again…
I chewed my lower lip as I held the scraps of cloth up and glanced at the mirror over the dresser. My cheeks were flushed, and my eyes shone. Was I nervous or excited?
Possibly both?
Well, I could always take them off. Not that they left much to the imagination once I had them on. The heat to my face had spread down my neck and to my chest. I darted into the bathroom to run a brush through my hair. I’d had it braided for most of the day, but it felt good to let my scalp relax, so I settled for piling it on my head into a messy bun.
It was stupid how much something like doing my own hair filled me with a measure of glee after weeks of having to rely on the guys to help me. Not that they’d ever minded or complained, but still…
I kind of wanted to put my charm bracelet on, but not in the water. Finally, after having delayed enough, I grabbed my robe and tugged it on before sweeping my gaze over the room again. The roses were amazing.
Flat. Fucking. Amazing.
I half-expected the guys to be waiting for me in the hall, but they weren’t. Taking the time on the walk downstairs and out to the deck to get my shit together, I tried not to focus on how giddy I was or how the muscles in my legs were caught in that in between state of sore and stiff, but also wobbly and overtired.
Downstairs, a fire burned merrily in the fireplace and the Christmas tree twinkled with all its assorted lights, and those were the only sources of illumination. A note with my name on it waited on the coffee table, and I