Stepbrother Bad Boy's Baby Boxed Set(59)

Kim turned to me and smiled. "Okay, you can keep him. By the way, it's time for dessert."





Chapter 26





Julian





The site of the Forrester Kennebunkport Resort was still very raw when Krystal and I got out of her car. The outer walls of the building were up, but I could still see many of the windows were bare, and the outside had three different scaffolds on it. "Wow, when Dwayne said be prepared for it to be a bit bare boned, he wasn't kidding," I said. "I hope that our quarters will at least have a roof."

Next to me, Krystal chuckled. "You know we're both going to be going around so much over the next few months that it's not exactly going to be moving in."

I pulled her close, kissing her on the temple. "I know, but still. It's our new home, at least temporarily."

"It is," she agreed. "Should we go inside? Yuki's been here for three days already."

"I'm looking forward to seeing her again," I said as we walked towards the front door. It had been a crazy three months, since our fight, breaking up, and coming back together. We'd spent most of it in Chicago, as I learned under the Forrester Hotels management team in Chicago as well as getting started with college, again. Who knew, maybe the third time was the charm, but I was doing a lot better than I had the first two times. I'd already passed the first round of tests. Between that and management training, as well as my own personal development as a trainer, I was working fourteen hours a day, but loving every bit of it.

Of course, I think my true secret was Krystal. With her next to me, I found motivation and drive in the academic arena that I'd never felt before. While she was in Chicago less than half the time, I never forgot what I was busting my ass for. I'd even taken a digital photo of her and I in front of the Ferris Wheel at the Navy Pier and printed it out, sticking it on the wall above the small desk I'd put in what had been my bedroom in our apartment. Every time I felt like slacking off, I looked up and saw her, and the smile on her face. I was working for that, and I found the energy to keep going.

"It's a little cold though, don't you think?" I said, as we stepped into the hotel lobby. The floor was still bare concrete, but the walls were being painted. "I wonder what it's going to be like when winter sets in."

"It sets in early in New England," we heard, both of us turning our heads to see Yuki coming towards us. She was dressed differently than I'd ever seen her before. When she was my father's house manager at Castelbon Manor, she always wore suits, except for the few times I'd seen her exercising, doing yoga in the garden or something similar. I'd also seen her in formal dresses and gowns on the occasions that the manor hosted formal events, the most recent being Dad's wedding to Sandra, Krystal's mom.

However, until that moment, I had never seen Yuki in work clothes. She was wearing cargo pants that looked like they were a copy of military style, along with work boots and a button down chambray work shirt. All in all, she looked cute, and even younger than she normally did. In fact, she looked almost my age. "It's good to see you two."

"Yuki, it's good to see you as well," Krystal said, coming over and giving her a hug. No longer an employee of the family, she was much more relaxed than she had been, although still professional. After all, we were now equal level co-workers at the resort, with Yuki being the staff and building manager, Krystal being the executive chef, and I being in charge of resort activities and the fitness center. We were to report to Benjamin Williamson, who Dwayne had tagged to be the resort manager until I finished my last year of training. The implication was pretty clear, if I wanted the resort after I finished my diploma, I could have it. "How are you enjoying the transition?"

"It is wonderful," Yuki said. "Lizette is loving the ocean, and our home is on the beach itself. I woke her up this morning to the sound of waves crashing just outside our bedroom."

"Oh, you didn't tell us you weren't living at the resort," I said, slightly disappointed. I'd been looking forward to meeting Lizette. "Why not?"

Yuki smiled. "Because not all of us have loved ones who can work at the same location as us," she reminded me gently. "But it's not bad. Her commute now is nearly the same as when I lived at Castelbon Manor, and mine is not bad either, only a half hour. In fact, it will give me a chance to put some miles on my favorite toy."

"Toy?" Krystal asked, confused. I grinned and squeezed her shoulder.

"You've never seen Yuki's toy? If you've got a minute Yuki, how about you give us a walk around?"

"Of course. We can talk with Mr. Williamson later," Yuki said, turning to walk towards what I assumed was the back office area. "My keys are in my office, let me get them first."

As we walked, I kept my eyes open. Dwayne wanted the resort to have a Colonial feel, and I thought that, so far at least, they were doing a good job. There was a definite nautical feel to the structure, with a wide, broad floor plan with very simple design. The roof support pillars looked to be simple round columns, about what I'd expect, and the outer buildings were supposed to be constructed in what I had learned was called a Dutch Colonial style. I actually was curious to see how the final product would look. "Hey Yuki."