“I had your clothes sent to the laundry,” John said, staring down at his phone. “But Rawley texted. He said—”
He was cut off by a knock at the door and he grinned at her. “Speak of the devil.”
For one terrifying moment, Alanna thought it was Rawley at the door and that she had been cheated out of her few days of respite before he would come to collect her. When John answered the door and it was just one of the lodge’s porters standing there with several shopping bags, Alanna breathed a sigh of relief.
“Rawley had some clothes and sundries sent for you,” John explained, not acknowledging the porter as he took the bags. He didn’t bother to tip and finally, the porter ducked his head and left, disappointed. “I don’t know why you’re being such a whiny bitch about marrying the guy. He sure takes care of his ladies.”
Alanna snorted at that, but she managed to do it quietly and without attracting John’s wrath. She bit her tongue, keeping her rage locked inside. She had only let it out once, while she was still locked in the trunk, her hands bound behind her back, and feeling like an animal. Things had already seemed as bad as they could be. So she’d screamed and kicked and squirmed until she’d tired herself out and fallen asleep.
John dropped the bags in front of her and looked at her expectantly. “So get dressed.”
There were two bedrooms in their suite. John was apparently on orders to both keep Alanna in line and also to spoil her. That sounded like Rawley alright. It was more of that carrot and stick switcheroo again. First, he was charming you then he was going to kill you and if he was angry, it was your fault no matter what.
Alanna mutely picked up the shopping bags and took them to her room. Black Bear Lake had a nice shopping district in the town below the lodge. He would have had stores deliver things. Alanna shut the bedroom door and sighed, unpacking the bags. The things weren’t to her style, not that it mattered. They were of good quality, though. There were designer jeans, cashmere sweaters, silk underwear, new boots, and a parka with a fake fur collar. There was even a decent make-up kit among other things. Alanna dressed in jeans and a cream cashmere sweater. None of the “gifts” mattered at all to her. It was all part of the gilded cage. Sure, he would spoil her, just like he did all his wives. In return, all she had to give up was her freedom.
No problem.
Alanna slipped on the boots and went back to the bathroom to blow out her hair in soft, glossy waves just to have something to do. But she was edgy, wanting badly to get out of the room. John had said she could hang around the lodge on her own. She decided to test that promise.
“I’m getting a drink downstairs,” she said, hovering by the door.
“Just charge it to the room,” John muttered, staring down at his phone. She was about to leave when he looked at her again. “Just don’t forget—”
“Alex,” Alanna murmured. “I know.”
Alanna sighed and she shut the door behind her with just a little more force than necessary. She jogged down the wide, carpeted staircase to the main floor of the lodge and it was hard not to look too long out the floor to ceiling windows in the spacious lobby at the mountains outside and wish she was out there in her most natural and freest state, running where she wanted to go and belonging to nobody.
Booze, Alanna thought. Now.
Alanna allowed herself to wander through the lobby. In the sprawling dining area, some people were chatting over late afternoon appetizers and drinks while others simply sat with their laptops or phones. Alanna bypassed the dimly lit lounge with its small tables and round booths and sat down at the bar with a soft sigh. A man was playing some non-intrusive jazz on a grand piano and there was something calming about that.
“What can I get you, miss?” The bartender smiled kindly, placing a napkin in front of her.
“Grey Goose,” Alanna said. “Neat. Put it on room 27’s tab.”
The bartender nodded and went to pour the drink.
It was a pretty good vodka, smooth and good chilled. It was her go-to when she felt like splurging a little. She felt like something a little bracing and as long as it was on the room tab, she might as well spend Rawley’s money.
“The hot toddies are really good.”
The voice came from a man one seat away from her. He didn’t move to sit right next to her and she appreciated that. She hated it when guys were presumptuous right off the bat. She looked up and felt herself flush slightly as she immediately recognized the handyman who had fixed their sink, the one she’d foolishly imagined might sweep her away.
“Or the Kahlua cocoa?” he suggested, smiling. “With some bourbon. It’s fantastic. But then I always had a sweet tooth.”
Alanna smiled to herself as the guy rambled about his favorite drinks. He had changed clothes too and cleaned himself up a little. He was wearing a thick, snug-looking sweater the same color as hers and he’d switched out his raggedy jeans for a nicer dark wash. His sandy blonde hair was combed back, but he still had stubble on his chin that gave him a handsome rugged look.
He was nice eye candy and Alanna told herself she could enjoy the company of a man at a bar for a few minutes, even if she was now Rawley’s “property.” She certainly deserved it, she thought to herself.
“I’ll remember that and try it next time,” Alanna said as she took a sip of vodka. “Just needed something to take the edge off.”
“Oh.” The handyman looked at her in surprise. “Room 27, you’re um…wow, you look different.”
“I wasn’t looking my best before,” Alanna said, rolling her eyes.
“No no, I mean…you should see me when I have to work on the sewer line...”
“Ha!” She chuckled and took another long swallow of the alcohol, relishing its initial chill and the burn it left as it poured down her throat. “I’ll take your word for it.”
“It’s not pretty,” he mumbled, then laughed in a way that made his whole body move. He threw his head back and his amusement came from his gut, the sound of it deep and warm. It made Alanna smile.
He stuck out his hand to shake hers. “I’m Nathan.”
Save me, Alanna thought again. But she only shook his hand. Yet when she raised her eyes, her heartbeat picked up just a bit. Nathan had a stubbled lantern jaw and kind blue eyes. He was big and broad and there was the subtle scent of Old Spice under the musk of his bear. It was heady and arousing and Alanna just smiled and nodded.
“I’m Alanna,” he said simply.
She didn’t let the handshake linger and reminded herself not to flirt too much. That could get dangerous. Mostly for him. The very last thing she needed was Rawley returning and deciding he needed to kick the Black Bear Lodge’s handyman’s ass.
“You clean up nice,” Nathan said, tossing her a wink.
Alanna blushed under the attention, but she couldn’t help enjoying it. There was something warm and welcoming in the way he talked even when he was obviously hitting on her just a bit. Rawley, when she had first met him, had come across too slick and forceful. He thought it was sexy.
“I want what I want and I want you,” he said. “I always get what I want. Just ask my other five wives.”
That night at his party, she’d hardly known what was happening before she was being swept along to one of his houses, also full of people. He’d shown her all his stupid luxuries and promised her the world and when she’d laughed and said “no thank you,” he’d slapped her across the face and had her locked in a cell. She’d escaped a few days later out of pure luck when one of his security men had come to bring her food while he was drunk and left the cell door unlocked. She’d escaped the house and run without looking back. But eventually, John had caught up with her.