AlwaysRoomfo Four

by Lynn LaFleur

  She’d pay when he got her back to his suite. Big-time.

  Chapter Nine

  The music of “Taking Care of Business” came from Patrick’s belt. Tera looked at him as a grimace crossed his face.

  “That’s the ring tone I assigned to all my assistant managers. I’m supposed to have the weekend off, but I have to take this.” He checked the display on his cell phone. “It’s my head of security.”

  Tera turned her attention to Amanda. Her friend’s eyes shone with excitement. That must be the signal to get Patrick to the conference room where his employees had set up his surprise party.

  “Yeah, John, what’s up?” Tera watched Patrick’s eyebrows draw together in a frown. “You don’t see anyone?… It’s okay. I agree you needed to tell me… We’re through with dinner. I’ll meet you there.”

  He pressed a button on his phone to end the call. “John found the door to one of the conference rooms standing open. He didn’t see anyone inside, but those doors are locked when they aren’t in use. He thought I should know.”

  “You need to check it?” Jake asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Then let’s go.” He removed a couple of bills from his wallet and tossed them on the table. “You got dinner, I got the tip.”

  Patrick took Tera’s hand as he led the way out of the restaurant. “Sorry we didn’t get to have dessert.”

  “That’s okay. We can have it later, after you make sure everything is okay in your hotel.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Thanks for understanding.”

  “I’d do the same thing if there was a security breach in my store.”

  They took the elevator to the second floor. A handsome man in his midthirties met them as soon as the doors opened. “Thanks for coming, Patrick.”

  “No problem. Which room is it?”

  “Number two.”

  Patrick walked up to the door John mentioned. “I’m sure it’s nothing serious. The door probably wasn’t pulled all the way closed when—“

  His words were cut off when he pushed open the door and at least fifty people yelled, “Surprise!”

  Tera laughed at the complete shock on Patrick’s face. He obviously had no idea about the party. He stood still, his face red, as people came up to hug him, shake his hand or pound his back. Someone thrust a glass of champagne into his hand. A huge white banner with red letters proclaiming “Happy 30th Birthday, Patrick!!” stretched from one side of the room to the other.

  “Are you surprised?” Amanda asked him after she gave him a tight hug.

  “Very. Did you plan this?”

  “I had help.”

  “From who?”

  “Me,” Lissa said, walking up to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him close for a smacking kiss. “Happy birthday, boss.”

  All the hair on the back of Tera’s neck bristled when Lissa kissed Patrick. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, but Tera still didn’t like it. She wanted to jerk the beautiful brunette away from Patrick and order her never to touch him again.

  As quickly as that thought formed, Tera pushed it out of her mind. She had no right to be jealous of another woman kissing Patrick. He was her weekend fling, her reintroduction to sex, nothing more.

  Amanda handed her a glass of champagne. “Don’t worry, they’re just friends.”

  Apparently Tera hadn’t been that good at hiding her feelings about Lissa. “I’m not worried.”

  “You look worried. Are you falling for Patrick?”

  Tera released a snort of laughter. “Of course not.”

  “Would that be such a bad thing? I think y’all are great together.”

  “Amanda, I’m not ready to get involved with a man. I spent a lot of years putting Roger first. Now I need me time.”

  “I have Jake and still have lots of me time. You can have you time and still have Patrick. I think you should accept his job offer.”

  Tera almost choked on her sip of champagne. “You aren’t serious.”

  “Why not? It would be a fantastic job. The scenery here is breathtaking. And you’d have Patrick in your bed every night.”

  The having Patrick in her bed every night part sounded really good. “Amanda, I already have a wonderful job I love. I don’t want to give that up and move to Colorado.”

  “Not even for love?”

  Loud applause kept Tera from responding to Amanda’s question. She looked toward Patrick to see two women steering him toward a table that held a huge cake and dozens of wrapped presents. She smiled. He still appeared in complete shock at the party.

  “Hey, is there anybody working in the hotel?” he asked.

  “We’re taking shifts,” Lissa answered. Tera noticed the bartender managed to worm her way to Patrick’s side. “Some of us will leave in a few minutes so other employees can come in and wish you a happy birthday.” She handed him a long-handled knife while one of the waiters lit the candles. “So blow out the candles and cut the cake!”

  With a pleased smile on his face, Patrick cut into the cake that was shaped like the hotel. Cameras flashed as several people took pictures. Lissa placed the piece he’d cut on a paper plate, shooed him out of the way and took over the cutting duties.

  Patrick made his way to where Tera stood. “Aren’t you going to get any cake?” he asked.

  “Amanda said she’d get a piece for me. She and Jake are standing in line.”

  “I’ll share.” He forked up a bite and held it to her lips. “It’s the turtle cake I told you about.”

  Rich chocolate, gooey caramel and toasted pecans slid over her tongue. Tera moaned. “Oh my, that’s good.”

  Patrick grinned. “Told you so.” He offered her another bite, which she gladly accepted. She moaned again from pleasure.

  He leaned closer and spoke in her ear. “When you make those moaning sounds, I think about spreading this cake over your nipples and licking it off.”

  Looking into his eyes, Tera scooped up some caramel on her fingertip and slowly licked it off. “Like that?”

  Heat flared in his eyes. “You realize after your little footsie game at dinner, I’m going to make you pay tonight.”

  “Are you?”

  “Oh yeah. I’m gonna make you come so many times, you won’t be able to move for a week.”

  She had no doubt he could do exactly that, but wouldn’t feed his ego by admitting it. “Talk is cheap, Mr. Dennison.”

  “You’d rather have action than words?”

  “Action is always better than words.”

  “If there weren’t so many people in here, I’d show you some action…right up against the wall.”

  Tera bit her bottom lip to keep from moaning a third time when her clit pulsed. She chanced a glance at Patrick’s fly. His loose black pants kept his erection from being too obvious, but she could definitely see an enticing bulge behind his fly.

  She wondered how quickly they could break away from his party.

  Amanda and Jake walked up to them, Amanda carrying two plates of cake. “Tera, you won’t believe how yummy this cake is!”

  “Patrick gave me a couple bites of his.”

  “Do you think your chef would share the recipe?” she asked Patrick before taking another bite of her cake.

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Lissa sidled up to Patrick, slipped her arm through his. “You can’t stay over here. You have to mingle.”

  “I was just enjoying my cake.”

  “Enjoy it over here while you open your presents.”

  She sent Tera a look over her shoulder as she and Patrick moved away, one that clearly said she was in control and Tera could forget having Patrick to herself.

  Tera narrowed her eyes, pressed her lips together in anger. If Lissa thought she would have the opportunity to give Patrick a special birthday present, she was very much mistaken. Tera had plans for Patrick tonight, and they didn’t include the sexy bartender.

  Patrick felt completely overwhelmed and humbled
by the caring of his employees. Every one of them had dropped by to wish him a happy birthday. Some could only stay for a few minutes because of their work duties, but he couldn’t think of one who didn’t show up.

  He enjoyed his second piece of cake while he opened presents. Most everyone had given him gift cards so he could shop for books, music or sports equipment at the stores of his choice. He received several from Railway Pizza, his favorite restaurant in the resort.

  There were also gag gifts including three calendars of sexy women, a chef’s apron that said “I’m the Boss, That’s Why”, a mug shaped like a woman’s breast, and ice trays where the cubes looked like little cocks.

  His eyebrows shot up when he opened a box containing a tiny black leather thong with the resort’s logo on the front. He received whistles and applause when he held it up for everyone to see.

  “I think you should model it for us, Patrick,” Darcy said.

  “I think that would expose a whole lot more of me than I want exposed.”

  “That’s the idea!”

  More whistles and applause made Patrick laugh. He checked the wrapping but didn’t see a card. He had no idea who had given him the sexy thong. Glancing in Tera’s direction, he saw her standing with her arms crossed beneath her breasts, a frown on her lips. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was jealous.

  A pleasant warmth filled his chest at the idea of her being jealous. She wouldn’t be jealous if she didn’t care.

  He winked at her. Her frown slowly relaxed into a smile.

  He gathered up the pile of gift cards, made arrangements with his head of housekeeping to take the gifts to his suite tomorrow. After thanking everyone for the wonderful party, he followed Jake, Amanda and Tera from the room.

  Jake slapped him on the back once they were in the hallway. “You made a haul, man.”

  “I know. I can’t believe all my employees were there.”

  “It shows how much they love you,” Amanda said with a smile. “You must be a pretty good boss.”

  “I try not to be a boss. I let my people do their jobs and step in only when I have to.”

  “That’s what makes you such a good boss. Your employees respect you.”

  Patrick waited until they were all in the elevator before he spoke again. “It’s almost eleven. How about a nightcap in my suite?”

  When he didn’t receive any arguments, he inserted his keycard in the panel and pressed the 5 button. Amanda reached around him and pressed 4. “I need to stop by my room and get your present.”

  “We have a present for him?” Jake asked, his voice puzzled.

  “Of course we have a present for him.”

  “What is it?”

  The elevator doors opened on the fourth floor. Amanda stepped out. “I’ll be right back.”

  Patrick pushed the button to hold the doors open. True to her word, Amanda returned in only moments carrying a plastic bag.

  “You aren’t going to tell me what we got him?” Jake asked.

  “You’ll see when we get to Patrick’s suite.”

  Patrick released the doors and the elevator began its climb. “I think I might be scared.”

  Amanda’s lips turned up in a mischievous smile. “You’ll like it, I promise.”

  Unlocking the door to his suite, Patrick stood aside and let everyone enter before him. He laid the gift cards on the kitchen island. “What does everyone want to drink?”

  “You need to open your present first.” Taking Patrick’s hand, Amanda tugged him into the living room with Tera and Jake following. She handed the sack to him. “Open it.”

  Patrick removed a box wrapped in shiny purple paper with silver ribbon. “Fancy. Did you wrap it?”

  Amanda nodded.

  He tore off the paper and ribbon, eager to see what had Amanda so excited. He froze in confusion when he discovered what she’d gotten for him.

  “A Twister game?”

  Amanda nodded again. “But not just any ol’ Twister game. This one is special.”

  He hadn’t played Twister since he was a kid. Taking off the lid, he saw the same board with the black plastic spinner he remembered. “It doesn’t look special.”

  “It looks the same, but how we use it is different. You get to spin first since you’re the birthday boy. Tera, Jake and I will be on the mat. Whoever falls first, you tell them which article of clothing to remove.”

  Jake burst into laughter. “Strip Twister?”

  Amanda grinned. “Exactly.”

  Tera giggled. Patrick looked from the game box in his hands to her. “Did you know about this?”

  “Amanda told me yesterday.”

  “And you’re okay with it?”

  She nodded. “I think it’ll be fun.”

  Tera and Amanda spread out the mat while Patrick and Jake moved the coffee table against the wall to give everyone more room. “Shoes off, everyone,” Amanda said. “Whoever falls will take over on the board and Patrick will be on the mat. The last person still wearing an article of clothing is the winner.”

  Shaking his head at Amanda’s crazy idea, Patrick sat on the floor two feet from the end of the mat with the board in his hand. He flicked the black plastic spinner with his forefinger.

  “Left foot red.”

  Five moves later, Patrick was laughing so hard he could barely hold the board. Removing his cell phone from his belt, he snapped a picture of the human pretzel in his living room before he spun again.

  “Right hand yellow.”

  That move proved too much for Tera. She fell on her stomach in a heap.

  “The first casualty.” Grinning widely, Patrick rubbed his hands together. “Now I get to pick what you take off.”

  “How about my earrings?” Tera helpfully suggested after she’d moved to a sitting position.

  “Jewelry doesn’t count.”

  “Who made up that rule?”

  “I did ’cause I’m the birthday boy. No, I think…” Patrick tapped his chin with one forefinger. “It should be your bra.”

  Tera looked down at her chest. “How am I supposed to take off my bra without taking off my blouse too?”

  “You gals are somehow born with the knowledge to take off your bra while still wearing a blouse.” He came her a come-hither motion with his fingers. “Come on. Off.”

  With a loud huff, Tera rose to her knees. Reaching behind her back beneath her blouse, she unhooked her bra. She tugged the straps down her arms, then pulled her bra from under her top and tossed it at Patrick. “Satisfied?” she asked.

  Patrick’s gaze snapped to her unbound breasts as he picked up her bra, inhaled her scent from the lacy lingerie. “Immensely.”

  Tera moved toward him on her knees, which made her breasts sway in a very enticing way. “Before I spin, I need a glass of wine.”

  “Me too,” Amanda said.

  “Wine or beer, Jake?”

  “Wine’s good.”

  After returning with four wineglasses of Bordeaux, Patrick took Tera’s place on the mat. It only took four turns before Jake fell.

  “I’m too old for this,” he said, groaning.

  “Poor baby.” Amanda gave him a quick kiss. “Tera, what do you want Jake to take off?”

  “I can’t take off my briefs with my pants on. I don’t have that kind of talent.”

  Tera laughed. “I’ll settle for your shirt.”

  Jake took Tera’s place and the game continued. Patrick liked being sandwiched between the two ladies. He made a point of reaching past them to get to the colored dot, instead of choosing the one closest to him. His efforts let his arms slide across breasts and asses. The playful looks they shot him told him they knew exactly what he was doing but had no intention of stopping him.

  When Amanda fell, Jake asked for her blouse. Patrick admired the lacy pale lilac bra uncovered when she removed her blouse. It dipped low over her breasts, barely covering her nipples.

  Jake met her halfway as she moved to take her place with the
board. Sliding his arm around her back, he dropped a kiss on each breast. “Pretty bra, babe.”

  “Thank you.”

  One hand dipped down and squeezed her cheek. “You wearing a thong to match?”

  Amanda nodded.

  “Mmm, can’t wait to see it.”

  Patrick glanced at Tera’s ivory bra on the floor, wondering if she also wore a thong. His cock was already half hard from him rubbing across her and Amanda in the game. Imagining Tera in an ivory thong that matched her bra sent blood rushing into his shaft.

  Jake took her place on the mat. A few spins later and he was taking off his pants. “This is completely unfair,” he said, tossing his pants to land on his shirt. “Pat hasn’t taken off anything yet.”

  “I’m more flexible than you are.”

  Patrick couldn’t help noticing Jake’s hard-on in his briefs. The game apparently had the same affect on him as it did Patrick. Which meant the ladies’ pussies were probably creaming.

  Thinking about that wouldn’t help his cock to relax.

  Amanda lost the next round. “Show me that pretty thong, Mandy,” Jake said, his tone husky.

  She stood and slowly unfastened her pants. Her hips did a little shimmy from side to side as she pushed the pants down her legs. Since she faced Jake, Patrick got a close-up view of her ass. “Damn,” he muttered.

  She cast him a coy look over her shoulder. “Like what you see, Patrick?”

  “What’s not to like?” He slid a hand over Tera’s bottom. “Your ass is almost as pretty as Tera’s.”

  Amanda tossed her pants aside and sauntered over to Jake. “My turn to spin.”

  Jake rose to his knees, gripped her ass and buried his face in her mound. “God, you smell good.”

  She bent over and kissed him, which gave Patrick an even better view of her butt. His cock surged in his briefs.

  “On the mat, Jake,” Amanda said.

  “You’re killing me, Mandy.”

  “Just think how good it will be later.”

  “You’re a cruel woman.”

  Patrick chuckled at the forlorn look on Jake’s face as he returned to the mat. He patted his cousin’s shoulder in sympathy. “You’ll live.”