Page 12 of Just One Chance

"They didn't want to sell anything or lose the property entirely, and this was what they came up with. They created a business that will sustain our family for generations. Or at least, that's the hope," Raymond said.

I smiled. "That's an impressive story."

"You probably don't care about the history. Most hotel chains aren't family owned." Boone said.

"That's not true. A lot of the hotel chains are owned by families." They might not be run by the families anymore, but they reaped the benefits.

He snorted. "Wealthy families. They're nothing like us."

"Boone, behave," Judy chided him, and I almost laughed.

The dynamic between Boone and his parents was interesting, given how he'd acted last night. Like a man who was confident and sure of himself. Who'd never let anyone tell him what to do.

It was obvious that Boone wanted to design the furniture and saw me as a threat to that dream. The Harts hadn't mentioned that before I agreed to work with them. If they had, I would have reconsidered. This was a family situation that could cause a lot of strife, and I wanted no part of it. Especially after being with him last night.

That added a whole new dynamic. I'd never slept with a client before, and I felt horrible about it. I never would have gotten involved with him had I known he was a Hart.

Why hadn't he mentioned that he owned the hotel last night or, at the very least, that his family did?

But he was my client now, and I would act professionally. I wouldn't do anything that would ruin my reputation. I'd worked too hard to screw things up.

"I'll show Ms. Barnes around the inn and the property," Boone said.

I noticed that he'd attempted to create distance between us by calling me by my last name. It wouldn't work because we'd been as intimate as two people could be last night.

There was no shoving it into a box. There was no rewinding and pretending it didn't happen. I didn't want to forget it; I just wanted to move on. To not feel anything toward him. But there was a part of me that was disappointed.

I'd never experienced anything like it before, and I wanted a repeat. I shouldn't have let my guard down. I was feeling lonely, and there was something about Boone that called to me.

Now look where I was, sitting at a table with my one-night stand and his parents. And they were my new clients. Could this be any worse?

Jodi was going to laugh about this when she heard. Mainly because she didn't have to live through it.

I'd never screwed up this badly before. If he told anyone that I slept with a client, my reputation would be ruined. Men could get away with it but not women.

I needed Boone to stay quiet about what had happened. He was so angry that I wasn't sure what he was going to do.

"I don't need a tour guide," I said, desperate to create distance between us. I didn't need to see Boone again, and he clearly didn't want anything to do with me.

Boone considered me, and then a smile spread over his face. "I'll do it."

Did he have an ulterior motive? Had he sensed that I didn't want to see him again, even in a professional capacity, and was determined to irritate me? I couldn't argue with him in front of his parents.

"I'm so relieved that Kennedy will be in good hands," Judy said.

That made me think of how Boone had handled me last night. How he'd touched and licked and drew several orgasms out of me.

The server brought our plates, and I dug into my eggs. When a long, thick thigh pressed against mine, I paused with my fork halfway to my mouth.

My cheeks flamed. Was he messing with me? Trying to embarrass me in front of his parents? Or was he just reminding me of last night?

We couldn't do it again.

I glared at him, but he carefully avoided my gaze. I could have moved away from him, but I liked him touching me.

It reminded me of how nice last night was. How he took care of me and made sure I ate. Then the sweet note this morning? He could have walked out without a word. We hadn't made any promises. It would have been perfectly acceptable.

Now it was hard not to think about all the things that he did to me last night. How he'd ensured I orgasmed multiple times. How he'd spread my legs in the hot tub and devoured me.