The Tourist Attraction (Moose Springs, Alaska #1)(80)
He turned, and the hand that had gone through a wall cupped her cheek as carefully as if she were made of glass.
Zoey went up on her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s just a moose,” Graham finally whispered.
“But he was your moose.”
“You’re right, Zoey. He was my friend.” Leaning his forehead against hers, Graham closed his eyes. Then with a soft noise of surrender, he dipped his head down and kissed her. Just like last time, his lips were warm and soft, but this time, they tasted of whiskey, sweet and strong.
Graham turned, pressing her back to the wall as he deepened the kiss.
A picture frame got caught between her shoulder and his hand fisting into her hair. When the picture fell, Graham ignored it. He ignored two more that hit the floor when he hoisted her up with the strength of one arm, guiding her legs around his waist with the other.
“This stops when you say so,” he whispered against her neck. “This doesn’t even start unless you say so.”
Pulling his face to hers, Zoey crushed her mouth to his, a silent but clear reply. In response, Graham muscled her higher in his arms. But when she started to fumble at his shirt, he pulled back, abruptly releasing her back to her feet.
“Not here, Zo. Not like this. Not some one-night stand.”
“We’re not—” she started to say, but Graham shook his head, eyes pained.
“But we are. All of this was never a good idea.” He braced an arm over her head, resting his forehead to hers. “I can’t, okay? This relationship, or whatever it is, is going to end with you walking away. Listen, gorgeous. You and me, this was a mistake. I like you so much, but, Zoey, all of this—”
“A mistake.” Just because she understood why he was saying it didn’t make those words any easier to hear. “I should go.”
He’d been drinking, and he’d been her ride. Even now, Graham wasn’t leaving her stranded. “I’ll find someone to drive you.”
“It’s fine. I’ll call Lana to come get me. Or I’ll call a rideshare.”
Ducking under his arm, Zoey took her wounded pride and tucked it into her pocket. She was hurt and still breathless from his kisses, but he was hurt too—more deeply than she was right now, for far more important reasons. Having her feelings hurt was nothing close to losing a friend forever.
And if he could love an animal this much, Zoey had no illusions to how deeply this man could love another person if he gave his heart away.
Graham was right. She was leaving in five days, and she needed to walk out this door. But even as she thought it, she hesitated at the doorway. Graham was watching her leave. The look he gave her…so helpless…so hopeless…broke her heart all over again.
“He’ll be okay,” Zoey promised softly from the doorway. “And you will be too.”
Chapter 14
There would be no saving the dress.
Between the hike through the woods, rolling a moose, and multiple encounters of the sexy kind with Graham that evening, the delicate layers of fabric had been ruined.
“I’m sorry, Zoey.” Quinn held it up to the light as if better illumination would help her find some inch of fabric not damaged by the evening before. “We can have it cleaned, but this part won’t hold a stitch without unravelling more.” Turning the dress over, she pointed at the worst of the tearing. “And this can’t be stitched without it showing. If you want, I can try.”
“It’s okay. I won’t waste your time.”
Disappointed, Zoey accepted the dress back from the hotel’s expert seamstress. Quinn was a woman of many talents, including the ability to be truly crestfallen at Zoey’s misfortune. If Quinn couldn’t save it, it couldn’t be saved.
Quinn’s domain was a tiny windowless office just off the main laundry rooms. For a resort this big, they kept their laundry machines running nonstop. Detergent, bleach, and heated Egyptian cotton mixed unpleasantly in Zoey’s nostrils, but Quinn seemed oblivious to the smell.
“I wish there was more I could do for you.” With a wistful sigh, the hospitality specialist turned in her chair. “You looked so pretty in this last night.”
Warmed by the unexpected compliment, Zoey sat down in the other chair in the small office. “Thank you. I didn’t see you there. I saw Diego, but I didn’t recognize anyone else.”
“Oh, Diego is in training to be a butler. He and Grass are both in the running.” Lowering her voice conspiratorially, Quinn added, “I bet Hannah gives the job to Diego, even though Grass would be so much better at it. Mrs. Harris kept promoting all the out-of-towners over people from here. Hannah is trying to even things out. Which I’m completely in favor of, except have you noticed how Diego bares his teeth at everyone?”
Giggling, Quinn did an impression of Diego that was spot on. Quinn’s cheerfulness was infectious. Zoey had been down all morning, distressed beyond what was reasonable for a weeklong pseudo-relationship and unable to get Graham out of her mind, but she felt better being around Quinn.
“Is it like that even here in the resort?” Gesturing to the hotel around them, Zoey turned to Quinn. “Because it seems like out there, it’s town versus hotel to the extreme.”