He just...left.

No, not Mark. Well, yes, Mark left, but that was basically his party trick. I had expected that. Work came first, and I promised him he would be able to get some done when he needed to.

It was the man who jumped in my business the other night who surprised me with his withdrawal. I had half expected him to make some smartass remark about Mark taking off, as if he could have known Mark's actions upset me.

It bothered me that Mark had left. It usually did, though I rarely admitted it to him.

Every time I brought up something that upset me, he would smooth it over with a gift. I got a new Louis Vuitton purse when I asked for more help around the house and diamond earrings the time I told him I was ready for marriage.

That was how Mark fixed things.

The problem itself was always left unresolved, so eventually I stopped bringing most of them up in the first place.

It wasn't that I cared about the material things. I didn't. I would have much rather talked through our issues and found a solution together. But I loved Mark, and I knew he was doing what he believed was thoughtful. At the very least, I could appreciate the gesture.

What truly bothered me at that moment, however, was the irritating stranger and his infuriating, all-knowing looks.

It was as if he could read every thought running through my head while he had sat there, smugly drinking his beer.

I wanted to slap that smirk right off his face.

The thought only made me more annoyed—and more confused.

I wasn't usually this quick to anger. Not just because I hated conflict, but because I was generally good at keeping my emotions in check.

Yet somehow, this man seemed determined to test that skill.

Despite my perplexity, I knew I needed to let my encounter with him go. He was gone, and that was that. If I had to see him again at the lodge, I was sure it would only be in passing, and I knew I could be mature and well-mannered. That was who I was, after all. Years of obedience practically insured it.

Sighing, I pushed myself to my feet and moved closer to the band.

If I couldn't dance with my boyfriend, I'd dance by myself.

Closing my eyes, I let the music wash over me and swayed gently to the rhythm. For a few precious moments, I imagined it was only me, the music, and the mountains surrounding us.

I felt free.

Not a single worry occupied my mind. No expectations. No responsibilities. No need to be anything other than exactly who I was.

It was the feeling I had spent my entire life chasing yet could never quite reach. Every now and then, I would catch a glimpse of it, only for it to slip through my fingers again.

There was always something missing.

I didn't know what it was.

But standing there beneath the string lights, surrounded by music and laughter, I found myself hoping I might discover it there.

By the time I finally decided to head back to my room, darkness had settled over the lodge.

I'd lingered longer than I'd intended, listening to the music and chatting with some of the other guests. They were genuinely kind people, and I found myself hoping I'd run into a few of them again during our stay.

When I stepped into the room, Mark emerged from the bathroom with a towel draped around his shoulders.

Droplets of water still clung to his skin, evidence of a recent shower.

"Hey. You ended up staying a while." He ran the towel through his hair and threw it on the floor before sitting on the bed and patting the space next to him.

I walked over and took a seat. "Yeah, the band was pretty good. I ended up staying for their whole set, and I met a few interesting people."

"A few people, huh?"

His tone indicated that he was irritated, which truthfully irritated me. "Yes. There are some nice people here. It's not like I had you to talk to."

Sighing, he ran his hand through his wet hair. "Listen, I know you weren't happy I left. But you know I have work to do. That was part of the deal when I agreed to come here."

"Yeah, I know. It's fine. I just didn't know you were going to leave as soon as we sat down. I mentioned listening to the live music, and you seemed good with it."

"I am not sure what you are wanting me to say here, Grace. I went for you and stayed a little for you. But I kept thinking about the proposals I have to get done. Now, you know you would rather me be here with my work if it's on my mind, rather than be with you and not be in the moment like you deserve."

I looked to him, giving him a weak smile. That was his usual argument. He would always tell me I deserved to have his full attention on me and not have his mind elsewhere.

The problem was, his mind always seemed to be elsewhere. I was not sure if I ever had his full attention.

Would I even recognize it if I did?

"I know what you need. How about I treat you? First thing tomorrow, I am going to buy you a spa package. You can take the day to get relaxed and pamper yourself." He grabbed my hand and rubbed his thumb over my skin. "You seem tightly wound; it may help."

"What about you? I would actually love to be spending our anniversary with you, not alone."

"I'll get some more work done while you are getting pampered. Then we can meet later for a nice dinner and maybe swim together at the pool. Hopefully, I will get enough done to where you can have my full attention the rest of our time here. How does that sound?"

He was looking at me with hopeful eyes, and I knew I would not let him down. Even if a spa day was not exactly what I had in mind for my time spent there, I knew it would still be nice. Plus, maybe he really would get the rest of his work finished for me, and then we could just enjoy each other and the rest of our vacation.

"Sure, that would be nice. Thank you for thinking of it."

He leaned down and gave me a small kiss before pulling away with a wicked grin on his face.

"Good. What my Grace wants, my Grace gets." He patted my knee and squeezed. "I have a feeling I know what else would make you feel better." He wiggled his eyebrows as his grin grew wider.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" I asked, already fully aware of what it was that he had in mind. It wouldn't make me feel better, but he didn't have to know that.

He placed his smooth hand underneath my dress and slid it up past my thigh. His other hand cupped my face, and he pulled me in for a deep, needy kiss. When he pulled away, he grabbed my hand and placed it on top of his boxers, working his erection with it. A moan escaped his lips as he squeezed his hand over mine.

"There you go, babe. You know what to do." He then ran his hand up my neck to grip the back of my hair before leaning back so I could get to work on him.

When I finished pleasing him, we swiftly made love. He fell asleep almost as quickly, leaving me still yearning. I sighed and scooted back to my side.

Stealing a glance at Mark to make sure he was really asleep, I slowly trailed my hand down my stomach and to my core. My eyes fluttered closed as I worked out the tension Mark usually left behind.