Page 41 of Of Pucking Course (Denver Bashers #4)

Bella

W hen I walk into the hotel suite in Victoria, my jaw drops.

“Braden, oh my god. This place is amazing.”

I do a slow scan of the penthouse at the Wymore Hotel, which overlooks the Salish Sea. It’s a one-bedroom suite with dark wood floors, a plush sectional in the living room, a cozy white stone fireplace, and the biggest flatscreen TV I’ve ever seen in a hotel room.

I peer across the living room to the open doorway of the bedroom. There’s a massive king-sized bed with a fluffy down comforter.

“There’s a fireplace in the bedroom too?

” I run into the bedroom. My mouth hangs open as I look around.

It looks like something out of a magazine.

There’s another white stone fireplace, flatscreen TV, and plush armchair.

The bed faces a massive floor-to-ceiling window that offers another incredible view of the ocean.

I glance at the attached bathroom, which is covered in sleek, white subway tile. The marble counter top has dual sinks and there’s a massive rainfall showerhead.

Behind me, Braden chuckles. “You like it?”

I spin around. “I love it.”

I slide my arms around his waist and pull him close. I tip-toe up and kiss him. “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble for me.”

He cups my cheek in his hand, then softly traces his thumb along the hinge of my jaw. I shiver.

“I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to. You deserve to be treated, Bella.”

My tummy flips at his words. Just then there’s a knock at the door.

He kisses me before walking over to answer it.

A teenage bellhop stands there with our bags.

Braden holds the door open for him and he unloads our suitcases.

Braden hands him cash and tells him thanks.

When he leaves, he shuts the door and turns to me.

“I have a surprise for you,” he says.

I bite back a smile. “What is it?”

“I booked a massage, manicure, and pedicure for you at the spa downstairs in thirty minutes.”

My mouth falls open. “Are you serious?”

He nods, grinning.

I’m about to say it’s too much, but he steps over to me, pulling me in his arms. “It’s not too much. You deserve be taken care of.”

Sparks fire off in my chest at how thoughtful and generous Braden is.

“I can pay for?—”

He cuts me off with a kiss. I moan into his mouth. When we break apart, I’m breathing heavy and my heart is hammering in my chest.

“I’m treating you, pretty girl. You’re not paying for a damn thing when you’re with me.”

Goosebumps skitter across my skin at his low, rough voice, how bossy he sounds.

“Okay,” I say softly, fighting a smile.

He checks his phone. “When you’re finished at the spa, meet me at the restaurant downstairs for dinner, okay?”

I bite my lip and nod. “Can’t wait.”

Butterflies zoom through my tummy as I take the elevator to the restaurant in the lobby of the hotel.

I catch my reflection in the mirror wall of the elevator. I look happy and relaxed after spending the last three hours at the spa.

I dab my finger under my eye and wipe away a fleck of mascara, then smooth a hand over my hair, which I styled into soft waves. I run a hand over my deep red cocktail dress. It’s strapless and hits me right at my knees. I smile to myself. I can’t wait for Braden to see me in this.

I remember the way his eyes popped out of his head when he saw me in my Jessica Rabbit Halloween costume. The dress I’m wearing now isn’t nearly that sexy, but it hugs my boobs and my butt and I’m hoping that it reminds Braden of it.

The elevator doors glide open and I step out. My heels click against the floor of the lobby as I make my way to the entrance of Très Buono, the fancy Italian-French fusion restaurant housed in this hotel.

I walk in and spot Braden at a table in the center of the restaurant. He’s looking at a menu, so he doesn’t see me.

I walk up to the table. “Hey.”

When he looks up, his eyes look like they’re about to bulge out of his head. “Holy shit,” he blurts.

An older couple sitting at the table nearby frown at him. I hold back a laugh.

Braden clears his throat and mumbles, “Sorry” before standing up and stepping over to me.

He grins wide before kissing my cheek. “Holy shit,” he whispers. “You looking fucking incredible.”

I’m smiling so wide, my cheeks hurt. “Thank you. You look ridiculously hot.”

Braden’s wearing a perfectly tailored slate gray suit and a crisp white dress shirt, no tie. His sandy blond hair is neatly combed and the usually thick scruff on his face is trimmed close to his skin. He looks like a male model who just stepped off the runway.

I breathe in his cologne. He smells like rain and spice.

He flashes a sexy smile. “Thanks. I clean up pretty good for a guy who stops pucks for a living, right?”

I chuckle and he pulls out my chair for me. I sit down and skim the drink menu and notice him looking at me.

“You’re staring.”

“Can’t help it. You look beautiful. That dress.” He runs his gaze down my neck and chest. “It kind of reminds me of your Jessica Rabbit costume.”

“I did that on purpose. I could tell you liked that dress.”

“I fucking loved it,” he growls softly. “Anytime you want to wear it again, please do.”

I’m giddy at the hungry flash in his eyes. The server stops by and takes our drink order, then leaves us to browse the menu.

“How was the spa?” Braden asks.

“Amazing. It felt so good to relax and unwind for a few hours. Thank you again. That was so thoughtful of you to plan that surprise.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

The server arrives with the bottle of red wine we ordered and pours it into our glasses.

We both take a sip. A couple of minutes later, the server returns to take our dinner order.

I sit back and drink my wine, taking in the low hum of conversation around us and the dim romantic lighting of the restaurant.

I glance over at Braden. He’s staring at me with that same fiery look in his eyes from earlier.

“Are you having a nice time?” he asks.

“I’m having the best time ever.” I’m quiet for a long moment, feeling overwhelmed at everything he’s done.

He slides his hand across the table and touches my hand. “What is it?” he asks softly.

Emotion surges up my chest. “It’s just…you’ve been incredible, planning all this and taking care of everything.

And I don’t just mean today. The way you helped me when I had to move out of my aunt’s place blew me away.

And how supportive you’ve been about my coffee business.

I’ve never been treated like this. I feel so taken care of. ”

Braden blinks at me, his soft blue gaze focused and intense. “I like taking care of you, Bella.”

Warmth burrows in my chest at the conviction in his tone.

He laces his fingers in mine. “I know you can take care of yourself. I know how strong you are. I see how hard you work every single day. I’m in awe of you.

I just want you to know that you deserve to be taken care of too.

You deserve to rest and take breaks. You deserve to be spoiled with spa days and vacations and fancy dinners and anything else you want.

And I love being the guy who gets to spoil you. ”

Tingles fly across my body at the same time that my heart races.

“You mean that?” I ask.

A tender smile dances across his lips. “More than anything.”

The server returns with our entrees. We dig into our beef bourguignon and cacio e pepe.

When I take my first bite of beef, I moan. “Oh my god, this is incredible. Here, you have to try this.”

I feed him a forkful of the tender meat. His brow lifts as he chews. “Wow. That’s really good. Want a bite of my pasta?”

I savor the rich, sauce and al dente noodles. “So yummy. The beef is better though.”

He chuckles. We chat and laugh while eating and sipping our wine. When we finish dinner, the server takes away our empty plates and tops off our wine glasses.

My phone buzzes with a call from Ingrid’s mom. I frown at the screen before looking up at Braden.

“It’s Ingrid’s mom. Shoot, maybe she has an issue with the coffee she ordered from me this week. I should take this.”

“Yeah, of course,” Braden says.

I stand up and answer the phone as I walk toward the restrooms at the back of the restaurant.

“Hi, Amy.” I find a quiet corner to the side of the ladies’ room.

“Bella, honey! Hello! I’m so sorry to bother you in the evening like this.”

“It’s okay. Is everything alright with your latest coffee order?”

“Oh yes, everything is amazing. I brewed a pot for myself and my husband this morning and we loved it. I think your French roast is our favorite so far.”

“I’m so happy to hear that.”

“The reason I’m calling you is because I was at dinner with my girlfriends this evening and we were all raving about your coffee and how it’s a shame that more people don’t know about you. And we got to thinking, what if you open your own coffee shop?”

A sad smile tugs at my lips. “That’s my biggest dream, to have my own coffee shop. I just don’t think it’s in the cards for me anytime soon.”

“Why not? You’re young and an incredibly hard worker. You could make it happen.”

“I wish I could, but I’d need to save a lot of money before I can even think about opening my own place.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, dear. I should have said this in the first place. My friends and I would be your investors.”

I fall against the wall. “What?”

“We would give you the money to open your own coffee shop. That way you wouldn’t have to take out some predatory business loan.”

I stand there, my mouth hanging open as I struggle to process everything Amy says.

“Wait, you’re serious? You and your friends want to give me money to open my own coffee shop?”

“Absolutely. Bella dear, you have such a talent and you should share it with as many people as possible.”

I’m speechless for a long moment. Excitement bubbles up inside of me at the incredible opportunity that’s just been dropped in my lap. I have to bite back a squeal, I’m so pumped at the thought of finally having my own coffee shop.

But then the logical part of my brain chimes in.