Another woman greeted me as I walked in, and handed me a glass of champagne. “Welcome, Mrs. Paulson,” she said and nodded with a professional smile.
“Oh, I’m not-” I tried to correct her, but she had already turned to greet Oliver, and I shrugged. Not that big a deal.
I made my way up the aisle and sat in one of the enormous seats near the back. Oliver joined me, planting himself directly opposite me and raising his glass.
“Mrs. Paulson.” he smirked, and I rolled my eyes, leaning over to clink my glass against his.
“What was that about?” I replied, taking a sip of my drink. God knows how expensive this champagne was, but it was damn good.
“I think the Masterson group are a pretty traditional company,” he explained. “They’d just assume that you were my partner, you know?”
“Should we tell them?” I asked, and he shrugged.
“Probably wouldn’t do any harm to let them keep thinking we’re married,” he replied. “If you wouldn’t mind.”
“If it helps you get the account.”
I grabbed the ring that usually lived on my index finger and switched it over to the ring finger of my left hand, waggling my fingers in front of my face to show him. “I do.”
“I’ve got to say, I’ve done pretty well for our honeymoon,” he said laughing as he gestured around, and I nodded.
“Yeah, this place is pretty amazing,” I admitted. “Not quite what I pictured for my honeymoon but…”
“Why, what did you have in mind?”
He grinned mischievously, and my stomach flipped. Here I was, talking about my fucking honeymoon with a guy I’d sworn I was going to keep things platonic with.
“I always liked the idea of a road trip,” I replied. “Go see both our families, explore. Just drive around and hang out.”
“I can’t imagine ever liking anyone enough to risk spending that much time with just the two of us on our own.”
He shook his head.
“No, I think I’d go out to Europe.”
“Just like this?” I asked.
“Maybe without the business meetings,” he admitted, “but yeah, something like this.”
“Sounds pretty perfect.” I cocked my head at him. “Though, you’d have to stop having your dates turn up at the office if you want to find a wife.”
“Oh, come on,” he protested playfully. “What kind of woman wouldn’t let me have my old dates hanging out at work all the time?”
“A much more understanding one than me.”
I raised my eyebrows at him and finished up my champagne. Almost without a pause, the hostess whisked my empty glass away and placed another one in my hand. I raised my eyebrows at her as she backed off, surprised at just how slick this entire operation was.
“You’ll be a great wife. You’re so organized. You’ll keep any guy on the right track.”
“I’m not going to marry anyone who needs to be kept on track,” I shot back.
“I don’t imagine you will, no,” he agreed, cocking his head. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
“No.” I said, shaking my head. “Not for a while. Not since high school.”
“Seriously?”
He sounded surprised.
“Why? You think I should have settled down by now?”
“No, it’s not that. I just, I don’t know, I assumed someone like you would have found someone by now. That’s all.”
“Just me and my roommate.” I shrugged.
The alcohol was loosening me up, and I knew it. I should have slowed down, but I was enjoying myself too much.
“No one in college?” he asked.
“No one worth mentioning,” I replied. “I was too busy studying to date.”
“Yeah, me neither,” he joked.
“I don’t even think I want to imagine you in college,” I teased.”
“Ha, I wasn’t that bad,” he protested. “I was busy, too. Didn’t get where I am today by dating too much.”
“So you’re catching up now?”
“Pretty much.” He nodded. “Feels that way.”
“That’s what I’ll do,” I replied with certainty. “When I’ve gotten to where I want to be in my career, I’ll start dating properly. I don’t have time for it now.”
“Where do you want to be in your career?” he asked, and I realized with a start what this felt like – a date. A first date. All the questions, the alcohol, the unfamiliar setting. It felt like we were testing the waters, getting to know each other for the first time. Which, well, maybe we were.
“I… I don’t know.” I looked down at my hands. “I’m only just out of college. I don’t know exactly where I want to be yet, but I know I want it to be good.”
“I’m certain you’ll get whatever it is you’re looking for,” he offered warmly, flashing me one of those devastatingly gorgeous smiles. I felt my heart flutter and averted my gaze down to my lap, forcing myself to take a deep breath.
I had a feeling this was going to be a long flight.
Chapter 14
Oliver
It was late by the time we arrived in the UK. The flight had taken hours, switching between time zones a few times, and I had no idea what hour it was.
Mona had fallen asleep on the plane, hand dangling over the edge of her seat as her breathing slowed and steadied. I watched her for a little while until I realized what I was doing and forced myself to look away. I didn’t want to be creepy.
When we arrived, Mona’s head snapped up and she looked around blearily.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“Local time, or our time?” I replied and gestured out the window. It was dark, and there was a light drizzle of rain.
“We should get to the hotel,” she yawned. “How far away is it?”
“I don’t know, but they’ll have sent a car for us.”
I stretched and got to my feet. I had spent the flight going over the details of the contract I was hoping to enter into with them, and I was way too excited to get any rest.
“Thank goodness.”
She brushed some sleep from her eyes and stood up, pressing her face to the window and cupping her hands around her eyes so she could get a better look out the glass. “I can’t believe we’re actually here.”
“We sure are,” I assured her, and the door to the cabin opened. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I need to get to the hotel and email Neil.”
We went outside and stepped into the car that was waiting for us. I held the door for Mona, but she was so tired, I wasn’t sure she even noticed.
She slumped into the back seat, her bag clutched on her lap, and her head hanging as we pulled away and made our way through the warm promise of the London night.
It wasn’t the first time I’d been to London. I’d come years ago when we first started making real money at the company, and I was determined to make the most of it while I still could. That was years ago, though, and the city had changed a lot since then. Even what little I could see out the dark windows, had changed big time, and I couldn’t wait for the meeting to be over with so I could enjoy myself a little and get a better look around.
I’d only have a day or two in town before I had to fly back out, but I intended to make the most of it, all the same.
We arrived at the hotel, and I reached over to wake Mona. She lifted her head, opened her eyes, and frowned at me, as though pissed she’d been dragged from her peaceful slumber.
“We’re here.” I nodded up at the hotel, and she peered out the window, raising her eyebrows.
“Holy cow, is this actually where we’re staying?”
She looked over at me as we climbed out of the vehicle. I nodded and shrugged.
“It’s pretty nice,” I agreed and it was an understatement.
The building towered over us, a twenties-style façade on the outside and an enormous entryway covered by a gold and red canopy that glowed in the light of the street.
Mona hooked her bag ove
r her shoulder and we went inside.
“Good evening,” I said as I arrived at reception, which was manned by an immaculately well put together woman around the same age as me.
From the looks of this hotel, it was the kind of place that hired people when they were eighteen and trained them until they were experts at their jobs.
She offered me a tight smile in greeting as I leaned up on the counter.
“Paulson and Richards? We should have rooms booked with the Masterson account,” I explained as Mona yawned widely beside me, trying to cover her mouth with her hand.
“I have a room under Paulson here,” the woman replied. “But nothing under Richards.”
“What?”
“It’s a double room.”
She glanced over at Mona and caught a glimpse of the ring she’d jokingly moved to her wedding finger on the flight.
“For you and your wife?”
“No, we’re not-”
I shook my head, and looked over at Mona.
“Two beds?” Mona asked the receptionist, and she glanced down at the screen.
“Just one,” she replied.
Mona looked up at me.
“I need to get some sleep,” she murmured, her eyes bleary. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”
“Fine,” I replied, maybe a little too quickly. “Can we book in?”
“Of course.”
We quickly got our keys and climbed into the elevator to head up to our room. Mona swayed on her feet, obviously exhausted, and as soon as we got into the room, she dumped her bag, kicked off her shoes, and crawled into the enormous bed at the center. Then, she turned over and looked around the room.
“Holy hell, look at this place,” she said, pushing herself up on to her forearms to look around.
I had to admit, the place was stunning – luxurious in that understated way the British did so well. Lots of polished wood, heavy curtains, thick carpets, the kind of place that a couple might splurge on for a romantic weekend.
“I should have a shower,” she mumbled as she got to her feet, heading to the bathroom and grabbing her bag as she did so.
“I think I’m going to get some room service. You want something?” I asked.
I knew it was late and that I would have likely been better off just getting some sleep, but with the meeting late into the morning tomorrow, I knew I could take some time to relax and de-stress before I went to bed.
“Yes, I’d love that,” she called through. “Just get me something light.”
“Will do,” I replied, and grabbed my laptop out of my bag as she pulled the door shut behind her.
I reached for a room service menu as my computer booted up and called reception to order some salad and something sweet to celebrate the fact we were finally here.
I turned to work on my computer, to let Neil know we were here safely and ready to move forward. Before I knew it, there was a knock on the door to let me know my room service had arrived.
I got to my feet, made my way over to the door, and glanced over in the direction of the bathroom – freezing on the spot.
The door had swung open, and Mona hadn’t bothered to pull across the shower curtain. She had her back to me, but I could see more than I ever should have seen. She was washing her hair, arms up over her head, water cascading over her sexy, naked body as she absently hummed to herself.
My eyes widened, and I knew I should have looked away, but it was as if my eyes were pinned to her. And then, of course, she turned around.
“Shit,” I mumbled, slamming the door shut.
She caught me. There was no damn way she hadn’t seen me looking at her. I opened the room door, grabbed the food from the guy, and turned back into the room to dump it all on the bed.
My appetite had vanished. All I could think of was her in that shower, her looking back at me, her eyes wide and her mouth parted as the cool water teased her nipples to attention.
This was going to be a challenge.
Chapter 15
Mona
I climbed out of the shower slowly. Had he really seen me like this, totally naked? I hoped he didn’t think I left the door hanging open intentionally. I was sure I had closed it, but either I was wrong or it had swung open on its own.
My head spun as I dried myself and I quickly slipped into my pajamas. The fabric was thick flannel, cozy, and I was able to forget for a second that my boss had just seen me completely naked.
My stomach rumbled. I was starving, and I couldn’t stay in here forever. Placing my hand on the door handle, I felt as though I might explode with nervousness. I just needed to breeze by this. I was a professional, and nothing that happened would change that.
I opened the door and Oliver was waiting outside, standing at the opposite end of the room, as though placing as much distance between us as possible would somehow shield us from any more uncomfortable situations.
“The food’s here.”
He gestured to the food spread bountifully on the table in front of him. There were a couple of salads and a steaming plate of something.
As I approached, I caught a waft of sweet, heavenly cinnamon, and my mouth began to water. I tentatively approached him and realized that the lights around us were low, the soft glow softening his features and creating a romantic atmosphere.
I wanted to reach out and slip my arms around him, to let him know I didn’t mind him looking at me. In fact, I wanted more. But I knew that I had to remain professional. I was here because I had proven to be an invaluable part of the project and I couldn't jeopardize the deal when we were this close to signing the contract.
I took a seat, pulled one of the salads toward me and began to eat.
“What’s that?” I asked, pointing to the small ramekin in front of me. It was steaming, and the sweet, fruity scent was amazing.
“Apple crumble,” he replied as he took his seat opposite me and began to eat his own salad. “I had it in London before, and it’s really good. Just what we need on a night like tonight.”
“Sounds perfect,” I agreed.
We continued to eat in silence, and I wondered if we were going to acknowledge what had just happened. I certainly wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up.
“So, when’s the meeting tomorrow?”
I finally broke the silence, forcing the words out just to get rid of the awkwardness.
“Eleven, I think,” he replied, glancing at his watch and frowning. “I need to catch up to local time.”
“I’m surprised they didn’t put your watch forward on the plane,” I teased. “They had everything else covered.”
“Yeah, except getting the rooming arrangements right,” he grumbled. “I’m so sorry about this.”
“I mean, we did give them the impression that we were married,” I pointed out through a mouthful of food.
The salad was delicious, and I didn’t even want to think how much the meal in front of us cost.
“Good point,” he grinned. “I guess we should make the most of this place while we can, then.”
“Agreed.” I nodded, reaching for my dessert. “I suggest all room service, all the time.”
“Maybe we could swing dinner at the restaurant downstairs one night,” he suggested. “I read up on it, and it’s meant to be amazing.”
“As long as I get to eat fish and chips at least once while we are in London. I’ve heard it’s the best in the world.”
“I think it’s more a street food than the kind of thing you’d see served at a fancy restaurant,” he replied with a chuckle.
Things were beginning to feel normal again between us, the shower incident successfully blown over.
“Well, then, I’ll just have to roam the streets until I find some,” I replied loftily.
I took a bite of the dessert, and even though it was so hot it burned my mouth, my eyes practically rolled into the back of my head with pleasure.
“Mmm, that’s so good.”
I finished up and stacked
the plates carefully on the cart and then wheeled it out into the hallway for housekeeping to take away.
“I should get some sleep,” I said through an exaggerated yawn.
Sliding into bed, I pulled the crisp, heavy comforter over me and closed my eyes. It was colder than I was used to here, and getting under the warm covers was really nice.
“I guess I’ll sleep on the couch, then?” Oliver remarked, and I realized what I’d just done.
Without meaning to, I’d more or less told him I was having the bed.
“I don’t mind,” I blurted out.
“Don’t mind…?”
“I don’t mind if you sleep in the bed with me,” I replied, eyes drifting shut. “I don’t want to get out, but you don’t have to sleep on the couch.”
I yawned again, and my eyes watered with sleepiness, but I felt a jolt of excitement dance through me as he sat down on the bed next to me.
“Are you sure?” he asked cautiously, and his voice was soft.
“I’m sure,” I promised. “Let’s get some sleep. Okay?.”
“Okay,” he agreed, and it was clear that either he was too tired to make a good case for why this might be a bad idea. Either that or he was just as happy as I was to be sleeping together in the same bed.
Yes, it was crossing the line, but I didn’t care. I wanted him near me, even if I couldn’t act on my feelings. It was a bittersweet torment.
He vanished into the bathroom, and I peeked one eye open when he returned to the bed. He was wearing nothing but a pair of pajama pants, and he was so hot I thought I might combust at the sight of him. I closed my eyes as he got closer, and smiled to myself as I felt him climb into bed next to me.
The bed dipped a little and he let out a small sigh, something between comfort and relief. I wanted to turn over, to look at him, and to let him know that if we were going to do this, there was no better time than now.
But I knew I shouldn’t. Not now. Not tonight.
Still, I could smell him, the aftershave that had driven me crazy only a few days before was filling my senses once again.
He was in bed with me. In bed with me! If anyone back at the office knew what was happening, they would have told me I was crazy. If his old assistant could see, she’d be furious. All I knew was I liked this. I could easily get used to it.
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