Hotel O
Page 24
“Me? Participate?”
“Why not?” She pokes me. “Or are you saying you don’t like sharing me anymore?”
I narrow my eyes. “I’m not jealous if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Yes, you are. You just don’t want to admit it.”
“I have no problems sharing you. I just don’t like to see others play with you when I’m not part of the game.”
“Exactly my point. You need to take part in one of them too.”
“I’m a hotel employee, not a guest.”
“So? You can have a day off and stay there, right? It’s not against the rules, is it?”
I bite my lip. I don’t actually know because I’ve never tried. At least, not before I met her. But if she’s that interested in trying it again … I have to see if there’s a possibility.
“C’mon, I don’t want to give up our kinky life just because we’re a thing now,” she says.
“I never said you have to …” I reply, sighing. “But I’ll see what I can do.”
“Yay!” She wraps her arm around my neck and hugs me, practically pressing her tits right up in my face. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me hard as a rock.
“So you’re not interested in other girls anymore?” she mumbles.
“Where’s all this coming from?” I ask.
“You said that when Flynn was here. Something about the chat room …” She pokes me.
“Ahh …” I raise a brow at her. “You’re wondering if you have competition?” Is she getting jealous? Nice. It means she’s as attached to me as I am attached to her.
“Well, not per se, I just wanna know whether you still intend to use the chat room,” she says.
“Right …” I don’t believe her, but I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt. I lick my lips, watching her intently. “That depends if a certain KittyKat is on there or not.”
She giggles, her fingers circling on my chest. “Maybe. Depends if a certain Big D is going to play.”
“Oh …” I groan, grabbing her wrist and pinning it above her head as I roll on top of her. “You bet your ass I will. But first,” I mumble, planting a kiss on her cheeks and neck until she’s practically moaning, “I need to know how committed you really are.”
“I’ll do anything you want me to do,” she replies with a hoarse voice as I keep kissing her everywhere.
“Good. Then you can pack your bags tomorrow, and we can bring everything over to my place.”
As her eyes spring open, she turns her head. “What? Are you asking me to move in with you?”
A devilish grin spreads on my lips. “Think you can handle being in the same home as this asshole?”
Before she even says a word, she’s already squealing and hugging me. “Yes! Fuck yes.”
I laugh. “Well, that was quick.”
“Sorry, I already made up my mind long ago.” She winks. “But I’m happy you finally came to that conclusion as well.”
“Are you telling me you think you knew sooner than I did that we had feelings for each other?”
“Maybe …” Her brows lift in a taunting way that pushes all my buttons.
“You wish,” I reply, flipping her over on the bed so I can rip down her panties and fuck her into oblivion. “I’ll prove it to you right now just how much I fucking love you. But first, you’re going to prove to me how much of your morals you’re willing to sacrifice.”
“Oh yes …” she moans, as I start to finger her while holding her down on the bed. “Make me filthy.”
“You already were from the beginning,” I whisper into her ear, nibbling on her earlobe. “A filthy fucking toy for me to play with … forever.”
Epilogue
Kat
“And? What do you think?” I ask Crystal, who’s reading the story I typed up. It’s been thoroughly edited, but she’s still the first one to lay eyes on it besides Declan, and I’m nervous as hell.
Her eyes are still scanning the document, and she’s biting her lip at the same time, but she won’t reply. Not until she’s finished. Her eyes widen.
“Oh, my God, is this for real?” she asks.
I don’t know if that’s positive or not. “Um … yes?”
“Where did you even come up with this?” she squeals.
“I didn’t. It’s all true.”
“What? No! I can’t believe it. Really?” She seems hyper.
“Yup,” I say, laughing it off like it’s no big deal.
“You did all this?” she says, still clutching the paper tight.
“Well, yes …” I can already feel the heat rise to my cheeks. “Is it bad?”
“No! Holy shit, this is amazing!”
I grin. “Well, I’m glad you think so. Do you think Ellen will think it’s good enough?”
“Fuck yes. If she doesn’t print this, she’s nuts.”
I laugh. “It’s kinda out there, though.”
She sits down on my desk, totally up in my space. “Where did you meet this guy? And that place where the events were done, does it really exist?”
“Yeah, but I have to keep it a secret,” I say. “I don’t want anyone finding out.”
“Aww … why not?” She puts up a pouty face. “I’d love to try it out myself.”
“Can’t ever reveal my sources, Crystal,” I say, winking. Plus, I’m really not interested in seeing her there too.
“Boo!” she says, jumping off my desk again. “Well, I’m sure you’ll do great with this.” She places the document in front of me.
“You think I should take it to Ellen?”
“Of course. This is big. I just know it,” she says as she opens the door. “Let me know how it goes. All the juicy details.”
“Will do!” I say as she leaves my office.
I pick up the document and stare at it a few more seconds. Crystal’s right. This should get published, and Ellen would be crazy to turn this down.
So with that in mind, I make my way through the building to my boss’s office.
Declan
A week later
“You sure it looks okay?” I ask, readjusting my tie.
“It’s fine. Stop worrying about it.” She grabs my hand and laces her fingers through mine. “You look sexy.” She pinches my ass, and I immediately swat her away.
“Jesus, Kat. Not here.”
“Who cares?” she jokes.
“Your parents,” I say, just in time before someone opens the door.
“Welcome, Miss Mayer.” Melvin holds out his hand to me. “Hello to you too, sir. I’m the butler. You can call me Melvin.”
“A butler?” I say, raising my brows at Kat.
Her face flushes. “Yeah …” She rolls her eyes.
“Convenient,” I say, to make her feel less embarrassed.
“Sometimes,” she says, smiling as we walk inside. “Plus, he’s one hell of a listener.” She winks.
“Thank you for the compliment, Miss,” Melvin says.
“Oh, Mel,” she says, nudging him in the side. “Stop being so perfect.”
Melvin shrugs. “Can’t help it, Miss.”
Kat’s laugh makes me smile too. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to loving that sound so much.
Melvin takes our coats, and says, “They’re waiting for you in the dining area.”
As we walk there, I whisper to Kat, “Dining area?”
“Sorry, did I mention my parents are kinda …”
“Rich?” I fill in. “The house gave it away.”
She makes a face without saying anything else, but it’s enough.
I place a hand on her back and pat her gently. “No need to feel guilty. It’s not a problem.”
“Eh, for you it might not be.” She bites her lip. “But to me? Ugh …”
“Why? Hard growing up?” I ask as we walk through the hallway.
“Let’s just say there’s a reason I’m so in love with the freedom I have right now.”
We enter the room together. He
r parents are sitting at the long table, which is already set. “Hi!”
Her mom gets up and greets her first, giving her two kisses on the cheek, before holding out her hand to greet me. “Meredith. But we already met.”
“I’m still amazed you’re her mother,” I say, shaking her hand.
“Oh, stop it,” she says, nudging me in the arm. Then she glances at Kat. “Is he always this smooth?”
“Like butter,” she answers, making me grin.
Her dad gets up too and pats me on the shoulder instead of shaking my hand. “No need for introductions, right?”
“Right …” Nothing’s more awkward than this. Meeting your boss when you’re not at work.
“C’mon, let’s have a drink,” her mom says, guiding us back to the table where we all sit down.
Melvin quickly hobbles into the room with a tray filled with cups of tea and coffee. “Dinner will be served shortly,” he says, after giving everyone their preferred drink, and then he scurries off just as fast as he came inside.
“Does he always do that?” I whisper into Kat’s ear.
“What? The randomly appearing and disappearing thing? You’ll get used to it.”
I don’t know about that. I’ve never had a butler. Or rich parents. Then again, I can understand it’s hard when you’re the only child and they don’t let you do your thing. Which is what probably happened to Kat. Sheltered to the point of feeling suffocated.
Lucky for me, she was too naughty to stop looking for more, and here we are.
“So you’re together now?” her dad says, and I almost choke on my coffee.
“Yes,” Kat replies.
“So is he your boyfriend or just a friend?” her mom asks. “I’m so confused.”
Kat’s face flushes. “Boyfriend, I guess?” She looks my way for confirmation.
“Yeah, sorry about the confusion.” I put down my coffee and look at both her parents. “I’m very serious about your daughter.”
“Good. She deserves the best,” her mom says with thin lips.
“Did she tell you where I work, though?” I say. I just want to get it done and over with.
Mr. Mayer clears his throat. “He works for me.”
Mrs. Mayer asks, “At the hotel, right? And you’re okay with that?”
“He’s not the one to decide, Mom,” Kat says before her father can even open his mouth. “I made this choice. I want Declan.” She grabs my hand and squeezes tight.
“Right, of course.” Mrs. Mayer licks her lips, sucking on her bottom one. “Well, if you’re happy with him, that’s all that matters. Right, Fred?”
“Right.” He nods, taking a large sip of his coffee. It’s all so damn awkward.
When everything’s gone silent for a while, I speak up. “Sir, I would just like to apologize to you for finding out this way that I was dating your daughter.”
Mr. Mayer glares at me. “Well, it would’ve been better if you’d told me beforehand.”
“I didn’t know she was your daughter. I found out when you did.”
“How’s that even possible?” he asks.
“I gave him a fake name,” Kat mumbles, stirring the spoon in her cup as she looks up at both of us. “Sorry.”
“Aha,” her dad says. “So you lied?”
“If he knew my name, he could look me up and see where I worked,” she explains. “Which means he’d probably have kicked me out for trying to write about the hotel.”
“Is that true?” her mom asks.
I nod. “I always have the reputation of the hotel in my mind. It’s the most important thing to me, and I don’t ever want to jeopardize that. Not for any girl.”
“Not that I’d ever expose the hotel, knowing my father owns the place,” Kat adds.
“Good to know,” Mr. Mayer says. “I’d rather not have any of my business leaked to the public. It’d mean the end of everything. My whole life’s work.”
“I understand,” Kat says, smiling. “I know it’s important to you, and it’s important to me too. I like the place. I don’t want to see it fail.”
“Sounds like a marvelous hotel to visit someday,” her mom suddenly says.
We all gaze at her with wide eyes. “Please don’t,” Kat says. “You’d probably have a heart attack.”
I try not to snort, I really do.
“She’s right, though,” her father agrees. “Best not at our age.”
“But you’re there too,” her mom says with a high-pitched voice.
“It’s my hotel. I work there. It’s my job,” he says. “But I’m not a guest. I don’t participate in any of the events.”
“I have, and I’m pretty sure it’s not your thing, Mom,” Kat adds. “Trust me.”
Her mom makes a pouty face as she picks up her coffee. “Well, I was looking forward to finally seeing the business … but I guess you’re right.” She takes a sip.
Everything grows quiet again.
“So is everything cool between you guys now?” Kat asks her dad, who looks around as if he’s pretending not to know she’s talking to him.
“It seems so,” he replies after a few seconds.
“So I can keep my job?” I ask tentatively.
“As long as you can do it without too many mistakes,” he says. “Customer happiness is always the number one priority.”
“I’ll give it two-hundred percent, sir,” I reply. “You can count on it.”
“Good,” her dad says resolutely.
Everything goes quiet again, which seems to happen a lot.
I clear my throat. “I hope we can still keep things professional between us, of course,” I say to him. I don’t want things to get anymore awkward than they already are.
“Yes, yes. If it’s what my daughter wants”—he smiles—“then I’m happy for her.”
Kat places a hand on her dad’s arm. “Thanks … I really appreciate you approving of this.”
“But the guests come first, always. Got it?” he says.
“Got it,” I say without a shred of doubt.
“He’ll keep doing his best like he always has,” Kat says, jumping in for me. “Nothing will change.”
“Good,” her dad says, taking the last sip of his coffee before putting the cup down. “Now, where’s the food?”
“Calm down, Fred,” her mother jests. “It’s not like you don’t have enough reserves to last a week or more.”
I rub my lips together to stop myself from laughing.
“What?” Mr. Mayer says, gazing down at his belly. “This isn’t filled with food.” He gazes at her intently. “It’s filled with love and adoration.”
Kat almost dies from laughter while her mother rolls her eyes.
“Really, Fred?” she mumbles while Kat and I can barely keep our shit together. But then her father leans over to kiss her mom on the cheeks, and it brings a warm smile to my face.
“I’m guessing you two have made up then?” Kat asks, winking.
“We have our ups and downs,” her father says, sighing, “but being honest does help.”
“It definitely does,” her mom reiterates. “I finally know where all those missed nights went.”
“I only did it for all this, honey,” he says as he looks around at the room he’s in. “Money doesn’t fall from a tree.”
“Neither does being home during dinner,” she retorts, and they both raise their brows at each other now.
I lean toward Kat. “Tell me we’re not gonna end up like that,” I whisper.
She snorts. “I hope not.”
“It’s all in the communication,” I say, winking at her.
“Oh, and you think we’ve got that covered?” she muses.
I shrug. “Maybe. But I’m not ashamed to admit there’s always room for improvement.”
She narrows her eyes. “On your end or mine?”
After thinking about it for a second, I reply, “No comment.”
“Of course, you’d say that.” She pokes me in the side wit
h her elbow. “Asshole.”
“Aren’t you used to that, with your magazine and all?”
“Oh, your magazine!” her mom suddenly yells. “How’s that going?”
“Good, good.” Kat nods. “I actually have some news.”
Everyone’s hanging on her words now, including me. She never said a word. Not through the phone, or the chat site, or anywhere else.
“I actually wrote a story about my experience with the hotel and how I met Declan,” she says, holding up her hand so no one interrupts. “Don’t worry, I didn’t name any names or companies, so no one knows where or what it actually is.”
“Okay,” her dad says.
“And my boss just approved it to be in a spread.”
“Oh, my God, really?” Her mom quickly gets up to hug her tight. “That’s great news, honey!”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“I’m proud of you,” I say, adding a tiny wink.
Her dad seems a little less pleased. “Will this expose the hotel?”
She shakes her head vehemently. “Nada. I keep my sources a secret. I don’t mention the hotel itself, any staff, or any names of anyone. Everything is with pseudonyms. Oh, and no times or dates or anything like that.”
“Good,” he mutters, mulling it over for a while.
“Are you mad?” she asks. “This story … it means a lot to me.”
Mr. Mayer takes a deep breath. “If you’re sure it won’t result in any media attention, then I’m happy for you.”
Kat gets up from her chair and hugs him softly. “Thanks, Dad. I appreciate it.”
“But it better not become a regular thing,” he adds.
She laughs a little. “Of course not.”
“Except the part where you spend time with me, I hope,” I add. Everyone’s looking at me now. “As we’re gonna be living together.”
“Really?” Her mom brightens up.
Kat’s face turns as red as a beet. “Yup.”
“I love that,” her mom says. “You’re finally settling down and making something of your life.”
Kat rolls her eyes. “Really, Mom?”
“Sorry, I’m just always so worried about my little baby.”
Kat looks away, completely mortified. “Please don’t call me that again,” she whispers even though her mom probably can’t hear it. I can. And she can hear me laugh too.