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Room Service

Page 16

by Fiona Riley


  Savannah sighed. “Thanks, Annabelle.”

  “Sure thing, Savannah. Need anything else?”

  “No, no, that’s fine. Can you put me through to Mr. Dodd?”

  “You got it.”

  “Bye, Annabelle. Thanks again.”

  A booming laugh came across the line. “Savannah! How are things in…wait, where are you these days?”

  “Phoenix. And things are fine. Well, sort of, the email’s down again.”

  “Oh, yes, yes, Phoenix, right.” He was unfazed by her obvious irritation. “I’ll let my admin know to contact IT and look into the problem. So, what’s new with you?”

  Savannah sighed. She didn’t want to make small talk with him. She wanted him to fix the goddamn problem so she could wrap up this project. The process had been bumpier than the Denver site. She only had two more days to finalize the space before Olivia and her team started to break apart. They were under a crunch, and she needed her email to be working, now.

  “Not much, Ken. Just trying to wrap up these deadlines.” She paused, deciding to take this opportunity to bend his ear about their progress. “I sent over the midterm review of this installation with some extra information before the email server went down. There have been a lot of obstacles along the way, but the Greater Image Design team has been truly incredible.”

  “Indeed, indeed. I’ll make sure the forms get to the correct people.” He sounded like his attention was elsewhere. Like on another planet, like he usually seemed to be.

  “Thanks, Ke—”

  “You know, Savannah, I think you ought to take some time for yourself.” He bowled through her and offered his unsolicited advice. “I know we worked out a deal to give the crew from Greater Image Design some time off afterward at that hotel and spa we partner with, and I think you should take a few days there, too.”

  Savannah’s brow creased. She hadn’t considered this, mostly because it hadn’t been offered to her. She’d heard rumblings that some of the team were taking an immediate break, but she wasn’t sure about the others. Savannah had assumed she would just fly back to Chicago to prepare for the next project. She hoped to iron out some details so it would be less stressful than this installation had been.

  “Savannah, are you there?”

  She shook her head. “Sorry.”

  “I mean it. Take a few days to yourself before you fly back, okay?”

  Savannah considered it for a moment. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”

  “Great. See you when you get back.” Ken disconnected the line before she had a chance to say good-bye.

  She pulled up her calendar. If she got creative, she could move some appointments and reschedule a few conference calls. She’d left a little void in her schedule in case the project ran long. They were on pace to finish on schedule. They were ahead by half a day, which she still couldn’t believe considering how many issues they’d had. She redialed Annabelle and set the plans into motion. The idea of some time off was exciting.

  She leaned back in her seat and looked over the drafting table at the view before her as she waited for the morning crew to arrive. Thoughts of Olivia danced around her head. Yesterday had been an eventful day for them. It’d started with the little make-out session in the design space, then lunch with more kissing, then dinner with a side of kissing and groping. She let out a contented sigh as she remembered the way Olivia’s lips felt on her own. She had savored the taste of Olivia’s mouth and the cute little pout she made when she didn’t get her way. It was all too adorable to ignore.

  She pulled out her phone and texted Olivia a quick good morning message before she approached the builders. Today was the installation of the solar panels. All the partitions were constructed, the lighting fixtures installed, and after this, the only thing left was to test the electronics and furnish the space with furniture and plant life. Savannah was excited to wrap up this project, but she realized that completion would also decrease the amount of time she would be able to spend with Olivia. The thought settled heavily in her chest—she had a hard time envisioning her days without Olivia in them. She could feel herself growing attached and that scared her. Although they had agreed to casually date, it was only a matter of time before it became something more, or fizzled out to something much less. Either of those conclusions was overwhelming to her in that moment. She stood and straightened her skirt. Those thoughts would wait for another time.

  * * *

  After a productive meeting with the site crew, Savannah glanced up at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She clipped her hair up off her neck and turned on the water. She looked tired. She could see her fatigue at the edges of her eyes today. She closed them and let the warm water trickle down her fingers from the tap.

  “Hey.” Soft lips breathed into Savannah’s ear as she washed her hands at the sink. A warmth settled in her chest. Olivia was exactly the person she wanted to see right now.

  She smiled and kept her eyes closed as she leaned back a bit into Olivia. She tilted her neck to allow Olivia better access to the skin below her ear. “Hey.”

  Olivia hummed against her neck and dragged her lips down slowly before tracing lazy patterns with her tongue. “You seem tired. Something been keeping you up?”

  “It’s been tricky sleeping.” Savannah let her head fall back as she focused on Olivia’s mouth. She was being truthful. She’d been waking up to steamy dreams involving the succubus attached to her neck at this very moment. Their dinner earlier in the week had only intensified her feelings. They’d been dancing around each other the past few days. Olivia’s team had divided so only the designers and Savannah were left in the work space. It was easier for her to sneak away and have little private lunch meetings with Olivia, but their evenings were still busy with tying up the loose ends. Tomorrow was the launch to the representatives and they would be departing shortly afterward. Savannah hadn’t had the opportunity to talk with Olivia like she had hoped she would be able to.

  Savannah reached out and shut off the faucet as she opened her eyes. Olivia looked great, as usual. Olivia’s hands came around Savannah’s waist and Olivia bit down on her neck. Savannah reached up and slid her hand into Olivia’s hair. She held Olivia’s mouth against her, and her clit throbbed when Olivia’s tongue lavished attention on her neck. She turned her head to catch Olivia’s lips and let Olivia lead for a moment or two.

  “This is a hello I could get used to.” Olivia nipped at her lips as she turned in her arms.

  “Me, too.” She sucked on Olivia’s tongue for a moment before she pulled back and took the opportunity to trace the perfect lines of Olivia’s face. She brushed back a few rogue curls from Olivia’s forehead and decided to ask the question that had been on her mind all morning, since her call with Ken. “What are your plans for next week?”

  “I’m going to take advantage of the offered trip and stick around for a while.” Her voice was soft. Almost contemplative. “What about you?”

  Savannah tightened her arms around Olivia’s waist and rubbed her thumbs along Olivia’s back. “I was thinking the view around here was rather nice.” Her gaze trailed up and down Olivia’s front before fixing back on the bright eyes in front of her. “So I’m going to soak it up a little longer.”

  “I like the idea of getting to spend some quality time together. You know, maybe enjoy the, uh, sights.” Olivia’s lilt hinted to anything but that.

  “I can’t think of a better way to spend a vacation.” She meant that.

  The sound of the bathroom door opening broke them apart as a construction worker shuffled into the stall behind them. Savannah smiled as Olivia kissed her quickly before she slipped back out into the design space. She let out a contented sigh and saw her happier, much more awake self reflected in the mirror before her. It was just another day or two until she could relax and maybe get Olivia alone, for some uninterrupted getting to know you time. Her smile broadened as she stepped back out to work, feeling newly invigorated to wrap this proje
ct up.

  Chapter Twenty

  “So, tell me everything.” Olivia could hear the smile on her sister’s face.

  She snorted at the playful interrogation attempt. “There’s nothing to tell, Christine.”

  “I don’t believe you for a second. You haven’t taken a vacation in forever. Obviously something or someone is involved.”

  Olivia ignored her sister and changed the subject. “How was Mackenzie’s week?”

  “She’s doing great. She brought home this macaroni art project the other day that looked exactly like the Eiffel Tower. Maybe I ought to cut back on the nightly readings of the Madeline books—I think she’s becoming obsessed with France…” Her sister trailed off. “Stop trying to distract me. Tell me it’s Savannah, the hot corporate chick. You’re vacationing with her, aren’t you?”

  Olivia made a mental note to send her niece the next four books in the series and a matching beret just to hear Christine’s reaction. She decided there really wasn’t any point in avoiding the topic any longer. “We’re not vacationing together. We are on vacation in the same place and might see each other during that time. But—”

  “But you’re not together. Right. Like anyone believes that,” Christine replied.

  “We’re dating. But we’re taking it slow. So this is like an opportunity to get to know each other outside of work.” Olivia chewed her bottom lip as she keyed into the hotel room at the resort. The design space had wrapped up without any problems and was unveiled, on time, to the VIPs a week ahead of schedule as planned. She had been invited to the launch party and spent the entire night shaking hands and receiving compliments on her team’s work. The next morning, she’d checked out with her team, firing off a quick text to Savannah to ask her to dinner that night once they had both checked into the vacation resort. She was met with a smiley face and a sounds good, babe that made her inwardly swoon a little. They hadn’t spoken since, and it was late afternoon by the time Olivia got to the resort. She might have lingered in the lobby looking for Savannah, hoping to see her sooner rather than later, but she didn’t find her.

  “Dating? That’s progress. When did that come about?” She could hear her niece singing what sounded like French in the background.

  Olivia shifted the bag on her arm, cradling the phone on her shoulder and as she set her suitcase against the wall. The card reader kept flashing red when she swiped her room key.

  She frowned as she tried again. “Uh, a little over a week ago? I can’t remember. I feel like we talked about it like a dozen times before we finally agreed. There was a lot of kissing in between conversations. It’s kind of a blur.”

  “Kissing? Is that all?” Christine didn’t pull any punches.

  “So far.” Olivia omitted the groping and straddling that also occurred. No reason to spill all her secrets.

  “What’s she like?”

  “She’s perfect. She’s gorgeous and smart and single and perfect. She has the world’s sexiest voice. Did I mention she’s gorgeous?”

  “Twice, actually.” Christine chuckled. “Why are you grunting in frustration while you sing her praises?”

  “Oh, sorry,” Olivia said. “My fucking room key won’t work and I have a date with her later. I kind of wanted to relax a little beforehand.”

  “And by relax you mean rub one out and take a nap, right?” Leave it to her sister…

  “Jesus, Christine. Get your mind out of the gutter.” Olivia grimaced, because she was thinking exactly that, but she would never admit it. Ever.

  She let her forehead thump forward onto the door in frustration before she swiped her key card once more. The door unlocked and she stumbled forward, pushing the door open as she walked in. “Anyway, as I was saying, she’s gor—”

  Her progress into the room was halted when a hand gently landed on her arm. She looked up to find Savannah scantily clad in a tiny bikini and sporting a surprised look on her face.

  “Oh, shit,” was all Olivia could get out before the phone slipped off her shoulder and hit the ground. Her eyes were glued on Savannah’s chest and abs, and she licked her lips reflexively.

  “You were saying something?” Savannah flashed a smile, her eyebrow cocked.

  Olivia just gaped. This was the least amount of clothing she had ever seen on Savannah. It was…mesmerizing.

  Savannah glanced down at the dropped phone and reached to retrieve it. A tinny voice called out from the forgotten object. “Liv? Liv?”

  “I think someone’s looking for you.” Savannah held out the phone to Olivia, nodding for her to take it.

  Olivia closed her fingers around it while she continued to closely examine the smooth plane of Savannah’s exposed stomach as she stuttered out, “What are you doing in here?”

  Savannah cocked her head to the side and a confused look crossed her face. “It’s my room.” She paused and asked through a smile. “The real question is, what are you doing here?”

  A frown settled on Olivia’s face as she stepped back from Savannah, looking back into the hallway at her abandoned suitcase. She glanced at the key card envelope in her hand. The envelope was labeled Room 475. She looked up at the door, her eyes widening as she read the door number out loud. “457…oh.”

  Savannah followed Olivia’s gaze between the door and the envelope and her smile broadened. “Our date isn’t until later. Eager much?”

  Olivia felt the blush creep up her face. She had been eager—maybe that was why she had been so distracted while talking to Christine. Oh, shit. Christine.

  “Liv!” Christine’s voice sounded far away.

  Olivia shook her head and brought the phone back to her ear. “Sorry, Chris.” Savannah waved her into the room, pulling her suitcase in from the hall and shutting the door behind her.

  “I thought you died. What happened?” Christine asked.

  “Um, wrong room. I gotta go.” Her eyes remained focused on Savannah’s body as Savannah moved toward the bed. Olivia ended the call before Christine could ask more questions.

  Savannah motioned for her to sit on the bed and she complied because she didn’t know what else to do. Because she couldn’t contain her leering. Like a creep. She nervously ran her hands down her thighs to rest on her knees before wiggling her fingers a bit. “Um. Hi.” Olivia watched Savannah close a folder on the desk to her left before turning and leaning against it, facing Olivia and wearing an amused expression, and little else. “So, do you always parade around your hotel rooms in a bathing suit or…?”

  The soft chuckle from Savannah’s lips made Olivia shudder. “No, you caught me about to head out for a swim.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I should go,” Olivia sputtered, feeling embarrassed as she glanced over to the luggage that Savannah had dragged in for her.

  “No, please. Stay.” Savannah stepped away from the desk and placed a hand on Olivia’s forearm as she continued, “I was just going to burn off a little excess energy before dinner, but…”

  “But?” Savannah sat next to her on the bed. Olivia moved her hand to cover the one Savannah had resting on her forearm. She was always amazed at how soft Savannah’s skin felt. She was always so warm. She let her fingers trace swirling patterns on the back of Savannah’s hand while she waited for her answer.

  “But I would be more than happy to burn off that excess energy with you, instead.” Savannah’s voice dipped into that danger zone as she leaned toward Olivia and brushed Olivia’s hair off her shoulder, exposing her neck.

  Olivia’s head felt foggy as the implications of Savannah’s suggestion settled low in her stomach. A warm buzz spread through her chest to her limbs as Savannah inched closer.

  “And how do you propose we do that?” Olivia closed her eyes at the feeling of Savannah’s breath on her neck.

  “We could”—Savannah pressed a featherlight kiss to the skin below Olivia’s ear—“take a walk.” She moved her lips a little higher and pulled Olivia’s earlobe into her mouth, sucking softly before she added, “Or w
e could…get wet together.”

  A shudder rippled through her body. She took in a deep breath as Savannah nibbled on her earlobe, tugging a bit before letting go with a wet popping noise. When she opened her eyes, she saw the lust on Savannah’s face as her tongue slid along her bottom lip.

  “You mean, like, go for a swim together?” Olivia decided to play along with Savannah’s taunting. She had a feeling she’d be rewarded for her efforts.

  Savannah traced her finger along Olivia’s collar and pulled the fabric from her skin while dancing her fingertips along the flesh under her collarbone. “Of sorts, sure.” Her eyes sparkled. “Either way, you are far too overdressed. Don’t you agree?”

  Olivia watched the fingers playing with her shirt. She nodded and tried to slow her breathing as those nimble fingers started to unbutton her blouse, painfully slowly, one button at a time.

  Savannah finished unbuttoning her shirt and grasped both sides, sliding up the fabric until her hands loosely held the shirt collar. Her thumbs traced Olivia’s exposed collarbone and Olivia whimpered at the touch. Savannah leaned forward and brushed her cheek along Olivia’s before she whispered, “It’d be a shame to get this shirt wet, right?”

  “Fuck.” Olivia breathed out as Savannah’s lips made contact with the shell of her ear. A breathy chuckle accompanied the gentle disrobing by skilled hands, and then the blouse was discarded by the side of the bed. Before Olivia could react to the sudden rush of cold on her newly exposed skin, Savannah had moved onto her lap, a thigh on either side of her legs. She looked down at Olivia’s cleavage with a hungry stare and motioned for Olivia to scoot up the bed with a firm nod.

  Olivia moved up the bed as Savannah stayed over her. She settled at the top of the bed, resting on her elbows as she looked at Savannah through her eyelashes. Her heart thumped in her chest.

  “I like you, on my bed, half naked.” Savannah purred as she crawled up Olivia’s body, pausing when their faces were just inches apart to blow cool air across Olivia’s lips.

 

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