One Night Stand: A Secret Baby Romance (Love Me Again Book 3)

by Ted Evans

  “Please, sit down,” I offered. “I’ll bring some more water for you.”

  She nodded absently as she walked over to the couch. She sat down and kicked off her heels. As I walked into the bedroom, I saw out the corner of my eye as she leaned down to rub her feet.

  I closed the bedroom door behind me and leaned against it with a sigh.

  What am I doing?

  I wasn’t a bad guy, but this wasn’t a lot like me, either. I wouldn’t usually go out of my way to help someone I didn’t know, and now I’d brought a woman to my hotel room, and not for anything fun, but so I could take care of her.

  And Dad and Trent think I need to grow up. Somehow, I did end up a babysitter in this trip, huh?

  Well, whatever. At least, I was no longer in a bad mood.

  Pushing off the door, I shrugged off my coat and folded it, then set it down on a stool. Then I headed for the bathroom. I undid my cufflinks and put them in my pocket, then folded my sleeves back. Moving to the sink, I turned on the water to warm, and washed my face. The club had been packed, and hot, and it was our last stop after a long day of following my brother and his friends, so I was sweating.

  Afterward, I patted my face dry and decided to change out of my shirt, at least. I tugged it off, along with the thin t-shirt I had on underneath, and after wiping myself down, I pulled on a thicker, long-sleeved t-shirt.

  Finally, I went back to the front room with a glass of water poured from the bathroom, only to pause when I realized Klara had fallen asleep on the sofa.

  “Great,” I muttered.

  I set the glass on the small coffee table and looked at the girl. She was curled up on the tiny seat, and she looked uncomfortable. With a sigh, I leaned down to pick her up so I could take her to the bed.

  “You better be grateful for this, Klara,” I murmured, looking at her face.

  She mumbled a little and shifted, so her face was pressed against my chest. I stared at her for a few seconds longer, then headed for the bedroom. It was a bit of a struggle. She wasn’t so heavy that I couldn’t carry her, but she wasn’t that light, either. I breathed in relief as I set her down on the bed until I realized I’d have to move the covers out from under her. I grumbled to myself about it, but I still handled her carefully. Even after I managed to move the covers, though, there was one more problem.

  Her clothes looked so tight; I wondered how she could breathe in them. I pondered for a moment, before deciding to strip her. It would be wrong to see her or touch her uninvited, but I wasn’t doing this for thrills, after all.

  I tried to be as gentlemanly as possible as I stripped her down. I left her in her underwear, though. Then I covered her up. I left her purse on the nightstand, and turned off the light, then left the bedroom.

  “Damn,” I cursed, shaking out my t-shirt because I’d just made myself sweat again.

  I found the water and drank it down, then hunted for some alcohol I knew was in the room. After finding it in the fridge, I poured some for myself and went to sit on the couch.

  “Welcome to fucking Vegas,” I said to no one, lifting the glass up.

  Then, I tipped my head back and drank down the entire glass’s contents.

  Chapter Three

  Klara

  When I woke up the next morning, I regretted everything.

  Fuck!

  My head hurt like hell before I was even fully awake. The pain was likely what woke me up, and it felt even worse when I moved to roll over.

  “Ugh.”

  It wasn’t just the headache, either. The inside of my mouth tasted like shit. I’d been waking up like this the past week, and every time I got over the hangover, I forgot just how bad it was. I had never been hung-over before in my life, at least before this trip. If I drank alcohol, it was single glass champagne that was never full, at family parties, and I didn’t get to have that until I was nineteen.

  Now that I knew how bad hangovers were, not to mention the bitter taste of beer, I wondered why people loved the stuff so much. Since I was going back home soon, I was done with it shortly.

  Wait. I’m forgetting something, aren’t I?

  How did I get back to my room last night?

  I opened my eyes, only to wince and squint. There was light coming in from a set of open curtains, and it felt like getting stabbed in both my eyes and my brain. With another groan, I brought the covers over my head and curled up, forgetting about whatever had me worried before.

  Then, I must have fallen asleep, or just blanked out, for some time, because when I woke up again, I could hear sounds. Like, close to me. My head had calmed down a little, and I knew better than to try and move too quickly, so I slowly tugged down the covers so I could see, and my eyes went wide.

  “Who are you?” I whispered, quietly starting to freak out in my head.

  A man was sitting on the edge of the bed. He had his legs crossed and was leaning an elbow on his knee. There was a mug in one hand, and he was holding his phone with the other.

  When he turned around, and I saw his face, last night’s events came back to me, the parts I’d forgotten, at least.

  He smirked down at me. “Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten me, Klara. That breaks my heart, you know?”

  I frowned at his mock hurt look because his eyes were laughing at me.

  “No, I know who you are,” I muttered.

  At least he kept his voice quiet.

  “Would you like some painkillers?” he offered. “And a glass of water? I figured you’d need them, lucky for you I packed some for this trip.”

  “Because you knew you’d get hung over?” I guessed.

  He nodded, though his expression looked strange, and a little unhappy.

  “Stay where you are. I’ll get them for you.”

  He set his mug down on the nightstand. I stayed mostly under the covers as I watched him move around the room. He pulled a suitcase from the closet and fumbled inside the top pocket. Then he opened the second door into the room, leaving the door open. It was the bathroom, and from where I was lying, I could see him. He rinsed out a glass, then poured water into it, and brought both to me.

  Probably did it that way so I would see he wasn’t trying to drug me.

  I decided it was time to get up, even though I wasn’t sure if I was ready yet. I couldn’t take the painkillers lying down. Still, when I moved, my head throbbed, but I made sure to move carefully. I noticed the light in the room wasn’t as bright as before, too, and saw the curtains were partially closed. I managed to sit all the way up, before I realized it, my eyes widening.

  Crap!

  “Why don’t I have clothes on?” I asked.

  I’d raised my voice a little, and it had my head throbbing again, but I ignored it as best I could as I raised the sheets to cover my chest. I did note with some relief that I at least had my bra and panties still on, so I wasn’t completely naked, but still.

  He laughed. “Sure,” he said dismissively. “Are you going to take these or not? Does your head feel okay? You did insist you weren’t drunk last night…”

  I scowled at him. It was a bit of a struggle to keep the sheets covering me and reach for the glass and meds at the same time. Too far, and the covers would slip, but he wasn't nice about this either, holding the stuff just out of reach. I gave him a particularly scathing glare, and he chuckled as he finally moved close enough for me to grab them.

  The meds were still in their box, and it was ibuprofen. In the back of my head, I couldn’t help hearing my mom’s caution about too much of the drug being detrimental to your health. I was pretty familiar with them since they were what I used… during that time of the month.

  I was wild, but still, I hesitated.

  “Don’t you have Tylenol? Or even an aspirin?”

  His eyebrows jumped up. “Oh, if you plan on having hangovers regularly, or even occasionally, those are drugs you’d like to avoid. They might help a headache, but they’ll give you other problems. Just take them.”


  I frowned.

  Well, what am I hesitating for, anyway? So what if they mess something up inside me? I’m already messed up.

  “Just take one,” he said before I could open the packet. “You can take another later if this one is not enough.”

  I just arched an eyebrow at him, and took one pill, then swallowed it back with water. After all, I was familiar with the pills. Usually, I made sure to have some at hand every month, but I’d forgotten this month, with good reason.

  Afterward, I set the glass back on the nightstand and brought the covers above my shoulders. I turned back to Jake with narrowed eyes.

  “Now,” I said. “You never did tell me how I found myself half-naked in your bed? I’m assuming this is your bed since this is your suite?”

  He just grinned. “Right. I ordered breakfast already, but I was waiting for you. Hopefully, it’s all still warm. Just come out when you feel like it.” He turned to head for the door leading to the front room, only to stop and look at me over his shoulder. “Oh, and don’t worry. Nothing happened.”

  I growled at his back as he closed the door behind him. He could have said that to begin with so I wouldn’t worry. Then, I sighed and rolled my eyes at myself.

  What the hell did I expect, anyway? A guy like that wouldn’t need to trick a drunk woman to go back to his room with him. He probably would have found someone if I hadn't thrown myself at him.

  Left alone, I took a minute to look around the room. I figured he’d paid way more than I did for his room. The room was bigger, more luxurious, and several floors above mine. The amount it would cost to stay in a suite like this for just one night was more than I could afford unless I borrowed cash from someone first, so either Jake liked spending money, or he had a lot of it to spare.

  And he’s waiting for me on the other side of that door.

  There was some hesitation, of course. Jake hadn't done a thing to me, at least I didn’t think he did, but in the end, what else could I do? I was in his room. I was sure he’d just let me go if I asked, but now that a headache was going down, I was starting to feel a little hungry.

  At least, I knew to eat and drink a lot of water last night in between the drinks, or I’d be dealing with nausea this morning. After the previous times, I’d looked it up on the internet how to make hangovers easier, and aside from forgetting the painkillers, I must have gotten something right.

  In the end, I didn’t have much of choice. Besides, all my cash was gone. I’d have to make a cash withdrawal from my bank to get funds for the trip home since I had no more cash on me. That meant I couldn’t afford breakfast for myself until I found an ATM, and here a guy was, offering me free food.

  It couldn’t hurt.

  Feeling way better than when I woke up the first time, I slipped out of bed. I had to check out of my room. I wasn’t sure what time, but likely before noon, or I’d have to pay an extra day.

  Then, I had to go back home. To face my parents, and other things I’d rather not be facing.

  I found my clothes folded at the foot of the bed. I picked up the skirt and eyed it critically. It was short, and I’d needed a lot of courage just to put it on. I’d told myself I would at least try wearing a short skirt once. I definitely wouldn’t be doing it again after this.

  Tossing the skirt back to the bed, I went to the bathroom to use the shower. Jake would have to excuse me. I hurried, and was back out in less than ten minutes, wrapped in a fluffy bathrobe. The room was still empty, and I hurried to get dressed. The bra I put back on, and I hesitated a lot, before deciding to put the panties away in my purse. I’d get back to my room and put another pair on; I’d have to worry about the short skirt.

  That had probably been one bad idea I should never have tried.

  I felt a bit drafty but even better, and I left the room to go get that free breakfast.

  Chapter Four

  Jake

  I looked up when the door to the bedroom opened. Klara stepped out, fully dressed, with her purse in hand, and her hair was looking a little wet.

  “So, you finally decided to join me, huh?”

  Immediately, she frowned. I wondered if she knew, but every time she did that, her lower lip looked like it was sticking out in a pout, making me think she was cute again.

  “I used your shower,” she muttered. “It took a few minutes. Sorry I didn’t ask first.”

  I waved the apology away. “No need to say sorry for that. Say sorry for making me wait until the food went cold.”

  Last night, while she took my bed, I slept on the couch. It was damn uncomfortable, and I woke up early with a crick in my neck. I felt like I didn’t get enough sleep, actually, but it was better than bothering her.

  Still, I had to wonder when I started turning into a saint.

  The tray had been set on the coffee table, and I lifted the covers off the dishes. I’d ordered all the stuff that was good for hangovers. Some eggs, toast, sliced bananas and honey to go on the toast. Then apple juice and water. There were coffee and bacon, too, but those were both for me. I’d wanted to wait for her to come out before I ate, but it had been nearly half an hour since I had the food brought up. Even covered, of course, it would go a little cold.

  “Would you like me to call down and ask them to take this back to warm up?” I offered. “It shouldn’t take that long.”

  “No, it’s fine,” she said quickly, walking over to sit next to me.

  I wanted to laugh, she was staring at the food like she was starving, but I had a feeling she’d only get annoyed with me if I did.

  “If I’d gotten a better suite, we’d have a proper table to sit at to eat, but you’ll just have to hold it in your lap.”

  She threw me a strange look. “What do you mean, a better suite? I bet this one already costs twice more than mine. It’s five whole floors higher, too.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “So you do have a room in the hotel?”

  Her head bobbed, even as she leaned forward and picked up a plate, then piled it with food. I had to lean forward and smack her hand when she went to touch the bacon. She threw me a nasty look, but she ignored it.

  “I would have gotten you a better breakfast, but I had to keep in mind your hangover. If you irritate your stomach right now, you’ll regret it later.”

  She grumbled underneath her breath but got everything else on her plate.

  “And, yeah, I do have a room in this hotel. Did you think I just wandered inside to the club?”

  I shrugged. “A lot of people do, the club isn’t exclusive to the hotel, or anything. I only ended up there last night because the guys I was with didn’t feel like calling it a night yet. So, we all ended up there.”

  Come to think of it; I hadn't checked in with them or gotten a call from my brother since I left last night. I grabbed something and sat back to eat, watching her eat out the corner of my eye. She must have been hungry because she was scarfing down everything. I wanted to tell her to slow down before she choked herself, but before I could, she started coughing. With a sigh, I poured her some apple juice and held the glass out to her. She didn’t even look at me when she took it and drank it all down.

  “So,” I said once she calmed down. “What’s a girl like you doing in Vegas, on her own?”

  Her eyebrows shot up as she turned to me. “I wondered about it last night, too, but what do you mean by a girl like me?”

  I shrugged. “Someone young who didn’t seem all that used to being drunk, or in a club.”

  Though really, I didn’t want to tell her that she looked like the innocent, nice girl type that wouldn’t be into that sort of thing, to begin with. I’d run into quite a few, and they were the type I didn’t get along with, but considering where I found her, I could have read it wrong.

  “I’m not young,” she protested. “I’m twenty-one.”

  “And I’m three years older.”

  “That’s barely a generation gap,” she muttered, turning back to her food. “And anyway, why
don’t you go first? I’m already in your room with you, why do I have to tell you anything about me?”

  I chewed thoughtfully on a piece of bacon as I stared at the side of her face for a second, before turning away. Usually, I wouldn’t just open up to someone I didn’t know, but after last night, I couldn’t say I was acting like my usual self at all.

  “I came here for my brother. He’s having his bachelor party and invited all his friends. He and my dad thought it would be good for me to join in.”

  She frowned. “But you were alone last night. Or did I take the attention away from your party? I’m sorry…”

  I shook my head. “There’s no need to be sorry; I wanted to leave. We… see, my dad has this business, and my brother is a part of it. Has been since way back in high school, actually, but I never wanted what they did, and in the middle of his bachelor party, while he and his friends were on their way to being hammered, he was telling me it was time for me to be a part of the family business.”

  Who the hell would do something like that? I was the only one not drunk since they’d left me to be the designated driver, but since we were in the hotel, I thought I’d get to drink, too. He just had to go and ruin my mood.”

  “I felt it was the last time to enjoy myself,” Klara told him.

  I looked up, brought out of my annoyance toward my brother. I blinked at her, and it took a few minutes for me to realize she was answering my earlier question.

  “Oh.”

  Wait… I frowned as her words properly registered in my mind. Did she say ‘last time?’

  I was curious what she meant by that, and I would have asked, but the expression on her face stopped me. Even just looking at the side of her face, I knew she wasn’t thinking of anything particularly happy. Is she leaving the country or something? That couldn’t be it, though…but what big thing could happen that made her think it would be the last time she had to enjoy herself? My brother and his friends joked about nearly the same thing yesterday, but it was just that, a joke.

  Klara didn’t look like she was joking, and that look on her face made something in my chest go tight, almost suffocating.