Room 452

by T. L. Quinn

  I shake my shoulders out one more time and run my fingers through my hair. Then I stick the key in the slot and push the door open. No turning back now.

  The room is dark, and as the door swings back shut, I can’t see anything. I debate turning on the light, but then I hear Todd roll over in his bed. I walk toward the sound. “You fall asleep already?” I try to sound light and sexy.

  “Hm?” He grunts, sounding confused as to why I am here. He really must’ve fallen asleep.

  I feel like there’s tension in the air now, and I don’t want it to get uncomfortable, so I jump right in. I feel my way to the bed as my eyes adjust slightly to the darkness. I climb right onto Todd’s lap as he sits up. He tries to talk. “What are you doin-.”

  I cut him off by pressing my lips to his. He hesitates for a moment like he didn’t actually think I’d be here in his room with him. Probably because we never actually went this far before. A moment later though, he reaches behind my head and pulls me closer to himself.

  His other hand runs up my bare thigh as he deepens the kiss. Hm...I don’t remember Todd being such a good kisser. Maybe I’m a little tipsy still, or maybe that was because we weren’t in his bed before.

  I grind myself against his lap and run my fingers down his bare chest. He must’ve been sleeping in his briefs, which is all good by me. His hand slides up and pulls the tie on my robe, and I let it fall off so I am left in my lacy panty set.

  His fingers dig into my ass as his other hand reaches up and squeezes my chest. I moan at the feeling of his beard scuffle scraping against my face.

  Wait what?

  No.

  Todd was clean shaven at the party. Who the fuck is this?

  I push the man back as hard as I can, but I still can’t accept that I kissed a perfect stranger, so I ask anyway. “Todd?” My voice comes out breathless.

  The man leans forward, and I can feel his smirk up against my jaw. “Sure. Call me whatever you want.” He whispers seductively as he bites down on my neck.

  No. No fucking way. This is my worst nightmare come to life. I’d know that voice anywhere.

  Sawyer.

  I push him back again, but I can’t contain my anger. “What the fuck are you doing in Todd’s room?”

  He chuckles and leans back against the headboard. “I think the real question is what are you doing in my room?”

  My eyes begin to adjust to the dark room, and I’m starting to see the outline of his face. Shit. Maybe he doesn’t even know it’s me. If I can get out of here fast enough, we can pretend this never happened.

  I stumble off the bed and frantically reach around for my robe. My hands feel fabric, and it isn’t until I’m putting it on that I realize this is a man’s dress shirt and not my robe. Whatever. It will have to do. I have to get out of here.

  I head toward the door as I try to button a couple of buttons on the shirt. I walk as fast as possible over to the elevator, but I hear Sawyer’s voice behind me as I step into the elevator. “You forgot this.”

  I press my floor and then try to press the close door button over and over again, but it doesn’t seem to want to listen and in walks Sawyer with the smuggest grin on his face. Fuck! I want to slap that smile right off his face.

  He dangles the robe from his finger as his eyes scan down my body in nothing but his dress shirt and panties. I swallow hard, and it distracts me too long, so the elevator doors close shut on us.

  I scowl at him and reach out and rip the robe from his hands. “Tradesies?” He asks like I’m going to take off his shirt and put my robe back on right in front of him.

  “Not another word.” I grit through clenched teeth. I try to use the robe to cover my legs somewhat, but I am failing miserably.

  His smile never leaves his face. “I just came to get my shirt back.” He nods towards my makeshift outfit, and that’s when I notice he’s standing in the middle of the elevator in nothing but his underwear.

  My eyes involuntarily move down every chiseled inch of exposed skin until they reach a not at all hidden erection. I avert my eyes as quickly as possible, but I definitely took in the sight in front of me. “Jesus Christ! Where the fuck are your clothes?”

  I turn around to pretend to have the decency to not gawk at the man. He reads that completely wrong and takes a step forward until he is right behind me. “You didn’t seem to mind when your hands were all over me.” He whispers into my ear.

  I whip back around and narrow my eyes at him. “Turn around. You can have your damn shirt back.”

  He bites down on his lip and smirks at me, but he does turn around. I unbutton a few buttons, and he peeks his head over his shoulder. “Eyes on the wall, Sawyer!” I shout.

  He laughs as he turns away, and I quickly slip out of his shirt and into my bathrobe, which is not much better at covering me up. I clear my throat, and he turns back around to look at me. I stretch my arm out and hand him his shirt.

  I’ve been so distracted that I didn’t notice that the elevator doors haven’t opened yet. I glance at the elevator doors and then back at Sawyer. “Why isn’t this thing moving?”

  Right as the words are out of my mouth, suddenly the lights flicker off. I close my eyes shut, praying this is not happening right now. When I open them though, the elevator still hasn’t moved. I press the open door button over and over, but nothing happens. “Oh for fuck’s sake! Can this night get any worse?” I mumble angrily.

  Sawyer somehow still sounds chipper behind me. “I can think of a few ways to make it better.” He flirts.

  A backup emergency light turns on. I bang my head against the elevator wall lighty and then rest it there. Sawyer gets comfortable on the floor behind me. “It could be worse.” He says. “You could be in Todd’s bed right now.”

  I whip around and glare at him. “Can’t you be useful and call for help or something?”

  He cocks an eyebrow at me. “Where exactly do you think I am keeping my phone?” Then his smirk grows.

  I let out a frustrated breath. “For Christ’s sake, put your shirt back on.” I say even though my eyes continue to check him out.

  He smiles at me. “How about you just take your shirt off?”

  I turn back around and try to find an emergency phone or something. I see the red button and press it. A sound comes through the speaker. We’ve received your emergency alert. The front desk has been notified. Average wait time is 30-60 minutes. Thank you.

  I bang my hand against the wall again. “Thirty minutes! You have got to be kidding me!”

  I hear Sawyer chuckle behind me like he thinks this is no big deal. “Could be longer.”

  I clench my jaw and go and sit next to him. “Not helping.”

  I lean my head against the wall and look up at the ceiling. Sawyer turns his head toward me and smiles with all his teeth. “What should we do to waste the time?”

  “Not that.” I say, sounding disgusted.

  I stand up and walk to the other side of the elevator and cross my arms over my chest. Sawyer stands as well and leans against the other side. “You’re the one who snuck into my room. I was cozy in bed. This is all your fault.”

  I lean my head to the side. “My fault? I tried to escape. You’re the one who chased after me.”

  He laughs. “Escape? You crawled into my bed and attacked me with your mouth.”

  I open my mouth wide. “Fuck off! I didn’t attack anyone. Besides, you’re the one who just let a random woman come on to you in the middle of the night. Setting the bar pretty low now, huh? Taking whatever you can get?”

  His smile grows to one side. “It wasn’t a random woman. It was you.”

  I lower my eyebrows and stare back at him. “You knew it was me?” I ask angrily.

  He cocks an eyebrow, looking surprised at my angry tone. He shrugs his shoulders. “Yeah, of course.” He says nonchalantly.

  “Why didn’t you stop me?” I yell back.

  He twists his face in confusion. “Uh...because I thought we we
re gunna fuck.” He says like it’s obvious.

  “Ha! You thought I would actually sleep with you.” I say with no humour in my voice.

  Sawyer smiles anyway. “Don’t pretend you didn’t like it, Blake.” His deep voice rumbles through me.

  I fidget nervously. “I was giving Todd the chance to pull himself together. I wasn’t impressed.”

  Sawyer bites down on his lip. “You can’t lie to me. It’s my job to read people, Blake.”

  Why does he keep saying my name like that? I fidget again. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. And stop saying my name like that.” I huff out.

  He pushes off the wall and steps closer. “You fidget when you lie.” He takes another step. “And you moan when my hands are on you.” Another step. “Blake.” He emphasizes the last word.

  “I uh...I was too tipsy...I uh…” I try to find my words, but I fidget again, and I know Sawyer saw it.

  “Stop talking Blake.” He commands.

  I scowl at him. “Fuck off! You don’t know anything about me!”

  Another step.

  “I said stop talking.” He grits out.

  I try to step backwards to create distance between us, but I am up against the wall already. “You don’t get to tell me what to do Sawyer. I don’t give a fuck what you said. I hate you. I don’t have to listen to you.”

  His smile grows more dangerous than before. He leans his arm on the wall next to my head. “I said shut up, Blake.”

  His lips whisper across my shoulder, up my neck, and along my jaw. “What is wrong with me?” I breathe out harshly.

  Then his lips are crashing to mine. I dig my fingers into his hair. He yanks my leg up around him, and then he presses himself harder against me. His tongue pushes into my mouth, and I moan when his fingers dig into the side of my ribs.

  Suddenly, the elevator shakes, and the lights turn back on. Sawyer steps back slightly, and I slide out from being in between him and the wall “Oh thank fuck.” I say as the elevator moves up the one floor and dings open on my floor.

  I turn to Sawyer before I step out. “It’s been real.” Then I quickly walk to my room before anyone finds me out here like this.

  “Hey!” He calls out after me, and I hear him following behind me.

  “Forget it!” I shout over my shoulder without looking back at him. “Whatever you thought was going to happen is over now.”

  I slide my key into the door, but Sawyer boxes me in against it. I turn around and look him in the eye. “Look. I was drunk and horny, and you were the only option. That’s not the case anymore. Goodnight Sawyer.” I push my door open and walk in.

  Sawyer grins at me like he thinks I’m spewing utter bullshit, which may or may not be true. “I don’t have my room key. Let me use your phone.”

  I take a look at him, still barely clothed, and my smile grows even more. “I don’t think I will.” I shut the door in his face.

  He bangs on it a moment later. “Oh c’mon Blake! Let me in. Don’t be like that!” He shouts through the door.

  I laugh. “Shouldn’t have told me to shut up. I don’t like that!” I yell back as I giggle.

  He knocks again. “Open the damn door, Blake.” He pleads.

  I like the sound of him sounding desperate. “What do I get in return?”

  He mutters through the door. “Oh I’ll give you something alright.”

  I laugh again. “Not interested! Goodnight Sawyer!” I turn off my light so it seems like I’m going to bed.

  He knocks again. “Fine. I’ll bring you those little caramel candies that you love.”

  I tap my foot and think. “For how long?”

  He groans. “A week.”

  I peek open the door with the chain still intact. “Make it a month and we have a deal.”

  He smirks at me through the door. “You really think it’s a good idea to eat candy for a month straig-.” I slam the door in his face.

  He pounds again. “Fuck! Fine! Two months! Let me in, Blake.”

  God, I love to hear that man beg. I walk back over to the door and open it up. I turn back around, and Sawyer follows me in. “You’re an evil woman.” He says even though he’s smiling.

  I glance over my shoulder. “Why do you suddenly care if the people in the lobby see you in your undies? You didn’t care when you ran out of your room without your key.”

  He chuckles. “I don’t wear ‘undies’ Blake, and my blood wasn’t exactly flowing through my brain at that moment if you know what I mean.”

  He leans back on his hands on my bed. He hasn’t even bothered buttoning up the shirt I gave back, so his chest is still completely exposed. “Don’t get comfy. Make your call. And for Christ’s sake, can you please button your shirt?”

  He rolls over to the desk phone, but before he dials, he looks back at me. “I didn’t see you changing.”

  I narrow my eyes at him. “Yeah, well, that’s because I still have someone I need to meet.”

  He laughs harder like that’s ridiculous. “You really want to try to get with Todd after being with this?” He motions towards his perfectly sculpted body.

  “Make your damn call, Sawyer.” I grit out.

  He doesn’t make the call. He stands from the bed and walks closer to me. “Maybe you should wait a couple days. You know, bring your expectations back down to reality. I would hate for you to be underwhelmed.”

  I give him a disgusted look. “You’re not getting in my head Sawyer. Todd is nothing like you, and that’s a good thing.”

  He smiles down at me. “I wasn’t trying to get in your head.” His eyes lower down from my face.

  I push past him and pick up the phone. “Yes, can you please bring a spare key for room 452 to room 583. We had one of our employees get locked out. Thank you.”

  I slam the phone back down onto the receiver. “Feel free to wait in the hall.”

  He walks back over to the other side of the bed and lays down. “How’d you manage to get the king bed, but I’m stuck with two queens?”

  I smile at him. “The only reason you don’t have a roommate is because the resort threw in an extra room at no charge.”

  He gets cozier. “Let’s swap. I’d hate to see a bed like this go to waste.”

  I cock an eyebrow at him. “The way I see it, you went to bed alone. I had plans to meet someone.”

  He smirks at me. “Subconsciously or consciously you ruined those plans on purpose. How’d you end up in my room anyway? You memorize all the employees’ room numbers or just mine?”

  I don’t dignify him with an explanation. “Yes Sawyer, that’s exactly what happened.” I say sarcastically.

  I grab my phone off the nightstand to text Todd. Sawyer scooches over to me. “What are you doing?” He asks.

  “None of your business.” I clip back.

  He grins at me. “You’re texting Todd?”

  I roll my eyes. “If you must know, then yes I am.”

  He grabs the phone from my hands before I can stop him. “Hey! Give that back!” I shout.

  He has already slid across to the other side of the bed. “You up?” He asks then laughs. “Jesus Blake, you actually fucking booty called him.”

  I place my hand on my hip. “So? Like you haven’t done it a million times.”

  He glances his eyes up from the phone at me and smirks. “I have way more game than this.”

  Then he starts typing on my phone. I open my eyes wide. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I shout as I run over to the other side of the bed to get the phone back.

  He lifts the phone out of my reach and continues typing a message. “Give it back!” I try hitting his side, but he barely even notices. “Sawyer!” I try again.

  He laughs. “Relax. I’m just making sure that he brings his A-game tonight.”

  I narrow my eyes at him. “And why would you want that?”

  He smirks down at me. “Because I never warm a woman up without making her finish.”

 
I feel my face flush as I think about what he said. I blink a few times to pull myself together then I hold out my hand for him to give me the phone back. “What did you say?”

  He shakes his head. “Nuh uh! We have to wait until he responds so that you don’t go do something dumb like text him that was me.”

  A couple minutes later there’s a knock on the door. “Oh thank God! Took them long enough. C’mon get out of my room.” I say as I walk over to the door to grab his room key.

  I swing the door open. “Thanks so much for bringin-.” I lean my head back in confusion. “Todd?”

  He smiles at me. “Hey.” He turns and looks to the side. “Were you expecting someone else?”

  I try to close the door a little so he doesn’t see Sawyer here, but of course Sawyer’s hand comes out and opens it wider. “Todd, my man!” He grins at him while he leans his arm against the doorframe with his body pressed up against my back.

  I step away from him, which is probably a mistake because then Todd sees that Sawyer is barely clothed. Todd takes a step back and his smile drops from his face. “Oh sorry. I didn’t realize you had someone here.” He actually fucking apologizes like he interrupted something.

  I elbow Sawyer back into the room, and I step out into the hall. I try to explain, but Todd continues. “I misunderstood your text. I didn’t realize you were with Sawyer.”

  “He’ll be gone in a second. He just got locked out of his room. They are bringing him a new key right now. Just give me a second.” I say.

  Todd gives me an awkward smile. “Maybe another time.” He mumbles as he continues to walk backwards.

  Fucking hell! I am not letting Sawyer ruin this for me. I march right up to him. “Todd, wait.” I wrap my arms around his neck and press my lips to his. He’s hesitant at first, but then he wraps his arm around my back and kisses me back.

  I hear my door open behind me, and I swear to God, I am going to kill Sawyer if he interrupts us.