Cougar Christmas Read online

  “Wow, this place is really something. I can see why people lay out three to five grand a weekend to stay here,” Drew murmured as they walked into the front lobby.

  Whispering Pines was a large stone building that seemed almost to grow out of the side of the mountain it was built against. Flanked by huge, old growth trees, the front of the building was edged by a wide spreading lake that looked tranquil in the winter sunlight.

  The inside of the resort was just as grand with high, arching ceilings carved from some deep reddish wood and skylights that let patches of sunlight in to play over the shiny hardwood floors. In one corner stood a massive Christmas tree decorated tastefully in gold and maroon—apparently the only nod to the upcoming holiday.

  To go with its exclusive and luxurious décor, Whispering Pines also had tennis courts, an indoor swimming pool, and even a small jewelry store, where newly doting husbands could get their wives gifts. There was a separate spa as well that Genevieve was actually looking forward to visiting. The idea of a soothing massage and a good facial was immensely appealing, especially considering the stress she’d been under for the past six months.

  “It is nice,” she whispered back.

  She didn’t know why she felt the need to keep her voice low, maybe just because she got the feeling that everything she said would echo in the cavernous space.

  “Come on, we’d better go register.”

  They walked up to the front counter, which appeared to be a long, unbroken stretch of highly polished oak, still holding hands stiffly. Genevieve wished she could loosen up and relax but it just felt wrong to be holding hands with her assistant. It was too intimate, somehow.

  Better get over it, Gen, she told herself with an internal sigh. If you can’t stand to hold hands how are you going to look deep into his eyes for all those “intimacy workshops” the infomercials are always pushing?

  But no matter what she told herself, even the thought of sitting close to Drew and doing only that, just holding his gaze, made her so nervous she nearly broke out into a sweat.

  How the hell was she going to do this?

  There was a nice looking young woman, probably about Drew’s age, standing behind the monstrous front counter, poised at the keyboard of a sleek computer. Genevieve opened her mouth to speak to her but to her surprise, Drew beat her to it.

  “Hi, Mr. and Ms. Wells checking in for your Christmas Couple’s retreat,” he said, smiling at the girl across the counter. “My wife here works for Spiritual Soulmates—Genevieve Wells?”

  “Oh yes, Ms. Wells.” The girl’s fingers began to fly over the keyboard. “Yes, we just got your confirmation the other day from Mister Solomon himself.” She looked up, her eyes shining with devotion. “What’s it like working with him every day? Is he as handsome in person as he is on TV?”

  “Oh, well he—” Genevieve was saved from what would certainly have been a lie, since she didn’t feel a smidge of attraction for her boss, by a deep, booming voice from the office behind the counter.

  “Is that Genevieve Wells you just checked in, Marley?”

  “Yes Sir, it is,” the girl called back, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder.

  Genevieve looked up just in time to see a tall, stooped figure emerging from the small office door like a troll coming out of its cave.

  “Genevieve, I’m so glad to meet you,” boomed the troll. He was probably somewhere in his sixties, she imagined, with thinning gray hair and the rounded shoulders of someone so tall he’s constantly ducking to keep from bumping his head on too-low ceilings and door jams. A pair of thick black glasses perched on his large knobby nose and he pushed them up with one finger before holding out his hand.

  “Uh, glad to meet you too,” she said belatedly after realizing she was staring at him. She untwined her fingers from Drew’s and reached across the counter to shake. “You’ll have to forgive me but do I know you?” she asked as her hand was swallowed up in his cool, firm grip. “Have we met at one of the staff seminars? I usually stay close to the home office but—”

  “Oh, no, no, no.” He shook his head and boomed laughter, like thunder rolling overhead. “I’m actually quite new to the Spiritual Soulmates family. I’m Dr. Guy Phillips and Stuart has been kind enough to make me the head spiritual guide and counselor here at Whispering Pines.”

  “Oh, well in that case I’ve heard lots of good things about you.” Genevieve smiled at him, wishing he would release her hand. But he didn’t. Instead he placed his other hand on top of the first one that was holding hers captive and leaned across the counter to study her face.

  “I’ve heard about you too, Genevieve and may I say that Stuart is concerned—very concerned—about the erosion of your relationship.”

  “Excuse me?” Genevieve stared at him blankly. “What? I mean, why? Why would he say something like that?”

  “Stuart is concerned about you,” Philips repeated, raising his eyebrows. “He says he can tell something is wrong—and has been wrong for a while. He feels you and your soul mate are in definite need of remedial help. Just between you and me, I don’t think you winning this trip was entirely the luck of the draw.”

  He boomed a laugh again and squeezed her hand in both of his. By now Genevieve was beginning to feel like it was a dead appendage—like a limp fish attached to her arm that she was never going to get back.

  “Remedial help, huh?” Drew raised his eyebrows and put his arm around her shoulders. “Well now, I don’t know about that. Gennykins and I have been going through a little bit of a rough patch—her grandmother’s been ill unfortunately, among other things—but we’re coming out of it just fine.”

  Gennykins? That was really going too far. Genevieve struggled to keep the incredulous look off her face and settled for giving her assistant a sharp little kick in the shin, glad the counter hid her actions.

  Drew uttered a muffled groan and squeezed her shoulders a little harder than necessary. But the pleasant look remained plastered on his face and Genevieve could feel a frozen smile on her own mouth as well. If only this weird Phillips character would give her hand back! But he was still too busy staring at her, as though analyzing her every move to release her numb hand.

  “Not having any problems, eh…? You’ll have to forgive me, I don’t even know your name, Mister Wells.”

  “Charles,” Drew said at the exact same time Genevieve said,

  “Drew.” They looked at each other and she bit her lip as a hot blush rushed to her face. “Er…his name is actually Charles Drew Wells but I always call him Drew,” she said lamely, hoping to cover her mistake.

  “Well, Drew it is then. Unless that’s a private name between the two of you? Something you only use during intimate moments like making love?” Philips raised bushy salt and pepper eyebrows at them and Genevieve nearly choked.

  “Actually she calls me ‘Daddy’ during our more intimate moments,” Drew said, with a perfectly straight face. “So you can call me Drew, no problem.”

  Oh my God, “Daddy? Genevieve aimed another kick at him but this time he avoided it nimbly. Unfortunately Philips seemed to be taking everything they said at face value.

  “Daddy, hmm?” He frowned at her, his eyes narrowing in concentration behind his thick lenses. “Perhaps a buried Electra complex, then…”

  “My assis—uh, husband is kidding you,” Genevieve said, elbowing Drew in the ribs sharply. “He’s such a kidder. In fact, his sense of humor is what attracted me to him in the first place.” She thought the last part was pretty brilliant but it seemed to bother Phillips somehow.

  “It’s strange you should say that, Genevieve, because you don’t appear to be deriving any enjoyment from Drew’s little joke at all.” He raised his bushy eyebrows again. “In fact, his sense of humor appears to be making you tense rather than relaxing you.”

  “Oh, well, I—” Genevieve began but Phillips was already shaking his head.

  “I’ve seen this before—when a relationship is allowed to sl