Kylie

I put the map back on the glove compartment and eased the car onto a less crowded highway leading out the city and its horrible traffic. There are more trees aligning the quiet road and I rolled down the window to let the fresh air fill my nostrils. It's been a good week. Best one I had since that fateful day in the conference room. The one when I had to look Bachelor's editor in chief in his perfect little blue eyes and doomed myself.

Anyway, Vren Parkinson really fulfilled his end of the bargain. His stubborn brother and his flowers have gone MIA. Finally. Although it's been a busy week planning the weekend for my boss and her boyfriend, it has been the less stressed I've been in months. I have to make sure my boss doesn't know about her boyfriend's plans for the weekend because there's so much more to the 'weekend getaway' Vren suggested to her.

I take in the green scenery, pushing my sunglasses to my head as I turn down the graveled driveway of Vren Parkinson's cabin. It was bigger and cozier than I imagined. There weren't any neighbors nearby since I've been told he bought up the properties around it. It's a private cabin in the woods – in every luxurious sense of the word.

My mouth hung open at the sight of the first-rate vacation home I only get to see on Architectural Digest. There were a lot of windows welcoming the sunlight in. A wooden deck surrounded it, making me think of some readings one can finally succumb into, oblivious to the life in the city. The cabin is nestled among the trees, so if there were any onlookers, they wouldn't have much anything to see. My eyes caught the smoke coming from the chimney.

I sighed. A fireplace.

Then it dawned on me. Someone is in the cabin. A car is parked in the driveway that I've only came to notice. Vren and Audrey are not supposed to be here until later this afternoon. The reason I was sent here is to stock them. I stared at the grocery bags in the backseat of the car and climbed out.

I tap my toe on the gravel, thinking. There's definitely someone in the cabin. A chimney doesn't smoke on its own. Unless some ghost light up the fireplace. I headed up the steps, leaving the groceries and my overnight bag in the car in case I have to make a run. It sounds ridiculous that a ghost managed to park in the driveway and chilled by the fireplace, but still.

Reluctantly, I headed to the steps. A chill run down my spine when I found the front door unlocked. I take a step in, thawing at the rustic-style couches framing a huge stone fireplace. There's a plush rug covering the wooden floor.

No ghost in sight.

The décor was almost masculine, but a touch of throw pillows made it somehow neutral. Paintings adorned the walls. I'm just so glad there weren't any animal heads to scare the crap out of me during the night.

The chill resettled on the pit of my stomach, confirming that the fireplace is indeed in use. I wandered toward the far end of the house and found the kitchen empty. I walk down the hallway, discovering several bedrooms.

Still no sign of ghost.

Or is it a burglar?

I swallowed at the thought of burglary. In contrary though, the vintage clock over the fireplace that must have cost a fortune is untouched. Either the burglar doesn't know how economy works these days or I'm just wrong.

I stared at the paintings. He could've taken the paintings. I click my tongue as I ridiculed the idea. What burglar drives around in an expensive car parked out front?

A low rumbling caught my ears. It sounded like a machine. I bit my lip, dragging my sweaty palms across the ragged fabric of my jeans. I headed to the back door, my heart drumming in my ears. The rumble continues and then there were sounds of water bubbling. I push the door open as silently as I could and found the source of the rumbling.

It was a massive hot tub. Submerged in the bubbling water is a half-naked man. His wet hair is slicked back away from his face. He had his head resting on the edge of the hot tub, eyes closed, unaware of me.

My mouth went dry. It was no ghost. It was an utterly gorgeous man chilling in the tub. His chest was exposed, and my eyes didn't know where to focus. It was a conflict of interests. His chiseled jaw could be one of my interests. His long lashes were wet and are kind of cute. And there was his finely shaped mouth.

He looks like an angel in a sleeping spell.

I tilted my head, taking a bold path downward. The rest of him are toned muscles. He was a lot of well sculpted muscles and biceps. I gasped in horror. He looks so much like Vren Parkinson. Have I been ogling my boss' boyfriend? It's just one of the million things that doesn't make sense.

Well, above all else that don't make sense at the moment.

"See anything you like?" The familiar voice made my thoughts disappear. There was a cockiness to it that I couldn't place but it is positively familiar.

My eyes rounded in alarm, heat scalding my cheeks.

An all too familiar smirk appeared on the once lovable face. His blue eyes glinted in amusement. Then the puzzle pieced together. I had to hold back a sigh of relief because, for heaven's sake, I thought I was gawking at Vren Parkinson. Which is wrong on so many levels because I look up to him like that one big brother I never had.

Never in my wildest and ridiculous dreams did I saw him as an object of my... interest. It's inconvenient that without that smug look on Christian's face, they look exactly alike. That being said, another alarm went off in my head with another pile of problems.

Christian Parkinson is looking thoroughly pleased.

I pivot on my heel, clasping my hands to my eyes. Probably too late for that but how would he know that I've seen everything that was exposed? "Don't, under any circumstances, think that I was checking you out."

He chuckled. "Hey, no one said someone is checking somebody out. That's what a guilty person would say, Kylie."

I groaned, making my way back inside the cabin. My hands were itching to strangle someone's neck and drag his body to the lake. I pace around, holding my phone up in the air. I went outside in search for reception but there was none. I look back to the cabin that doesn't look cozy to me anymore.

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