Being with Ryan made me realize just how out of my depth I was. He always had a way of making me beg for mercy, but then he’d hit me with those pitiful, unsatisfied eyes, and even with tears in my eyes, I’d find myself giving in to him all over again.
It was already three in the afternoon. I had a meeting scheduled at the hotel, and just as I finally got a breather, my phone started ringing right away. I went to take a shower, and when I came out, Ryan was sprawled out on the bed, the gray blanket barely covering his perfect body–he looked like pure temptation. That lazy, satisfied look after everything–he was gorgeous and downright sinful.
“Where are you going?” he asked, seeing me rush to answer the phone, push him aside to shower, and now sit down in front of the mirror to do my makeup.
“I have a meeting,” I replied.
In the mirror, my skin looked supple and luminous, radiant and delicate. Back in my previous life, I was obsessed with skincare, but my complexion never really glowed. Maybe it was because there was no light in my eyes–everything just seemed dull to me. Now, my skin was baby-soft and practically poreless, flawless even without a hint of makeup. My eyes looked like stardust scattered in the night sky, brimming with life and intelligence. It was amazing how loving myself could make me feel like I was glowing from the inside out.
Suddenly, Ryan wrapped his arms around me from behind, his body radiating heat. He sounded a little put out. “Already working? It’s just your first day in Braylin!”
“Yeah, I need to finalize the location and some initial details,” I said, patting on moisturizer.
“If you can’t find anything better, I’ve got a place for you,” Ryan offered after thinking it over.
I turned to look at him, and his eyes were clear and sincere.
“Alright, deal. If I can’t lock down a spot, I’ll be counting on you,” I said. I knew the Jennings family owned a ton of properties around here. The hotel game was cutthroat, and if I wanted to stand out, I had to go all in–no half-measures. I was determined to take this brand to the top, whatever it took.
“Fine!” Ryan grumbled, still a little salty. “Seriously, can’t you just push the meeting to tomorrow?”
“No way,” I shot back, not budging an inch.
Ryan gave me a look of pure exasperation. “You really don’t cut me any slack, huh? So cold-hearted.”
I leaned over and planted a kiss on his abs, teasing, “Next time, I’ll pay you back–with interest.”
That seemed to satisfy him, and he headed off to the bathroom. I finished my makeup, opened the closet, and picked out a dress that was classy, elegant, and made me look put-together. Jared had stocked the closet with mostly business outfits–pretty much a little work perk courtesy of him. I was in a rush to get to my meeting, so I told Ryan to let himself out.
The meeting lasted all the way till six, and then we had dinner after that. Being the one in charge, I could really feel the rush that comes with actually making things happen. By the time I finished all the work and socializing and made it back home, it was already eleven. I was totally wiped out. New city, new job, and that thing with Ryan at noon–by the end of the day, I just hopped in the shower and crashed straight into bed.
The next few days were all about picking the perfect spot for the hotel. My team was split into two camps, each side arguing their case. As the one in charge, I had to make the final call. In the end, we landed a prime location inside the Third Ring, near Ku Cha Zi—one of Braylin’s landmarks. It was a luxury high-rise, a real skyscraper. Jared was willing to spend big, and even when we ran into some issues, he always found a way to fix things. Once the location was set, we brought in a feng shui master to check things out and started getting the renovation plans rolling. With the Hachester blueprint as our base, we just needed to spice things up a bit–no need for a total overhaul.
Time flew by in a whirlwind of work. Ryan and I only managed to meet up twice during that stretch, and every time we got straight to the point–either he was tied up with something, or I was swamped. Ryan kept teasing me, whining that I was way too busy and that I definitely owed him some quality time. I really did want to make it up to him. Ryan’s not the clingy type–he’s always focused on bettering himself. Guys as sweet and understanding as him are honestly hard to find. So, after I finally got through a busy patch, I agreed to go with him to a violin concert.
“Do you know whose concert this is?” Ryan asked with a mysterious smile as I got into the car.
My mind went totally blank and I shook my head. “I’m not really into the arts.”
“It’s Isabelle Lynn and a few of her friends. They’re all pretty famous in their circle,” Ryan said with a grin.
“Oh, so it’s Ms. Lynn,” I replied, a bit absentmindedly.
Ryan glanced at the time and added casually, “By the way, Uncle Ryan said he’ll be coming too.”