by Hazel Kelly
Fuck.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of a room key slip in the door. I scooted back under the covers as quickly as I could and turned my back to the door, leaving my face exposed just enough so I could breathe while I tried to figure out what the hell was going on.
Whatever sleepiness I'd felt moments ago evaporated as I strained to listen to the set of feet moving across the carpeted floor.
A moment later, Adam was standing on my side of the bed with a sheen of sweat coating his rippling abs. “Morning, sleeping beauty.”
I was sure then that the pit in my guts would swallow me whole.
“How did you sleep?” he asked, bending over. His dark hair was wet around his face and he was positively glowing.
“Like the dead apparently.”
He smiled and walked away.
I sat up, pulling the comforter under my armpits to keep my chest covered. “Do you know where my shirt is?”
He raised his eyebrows and loosened the iPod strap around his muscular arm. “The one you threw in my face last night?”
I swallowed.
He pulled two bottles of water from the mini fridge before heading back over, bending to grab a shirt from the floor on his way. Then he stopped at the end of the bed and tossed one water and my shirt so they landed near the pillows beside me.
I glanced at the other side of the bed as I reached for them, my throat closing up at the realization that we must’ve slept together.
“You don’t remember,” he said, his mouth curling into a smile. “There’s a shock.”
“I feel bad enough right now without you tormenting me.”
“I bet you do,” he said.
“Under what circumstance did I throw my shirt at you?”
“Well, I never sleep with a shirt on,” he said.
“Or exercise apparently,” I said, using all my energy to keep from feasting my eyes on the perfect trail of chest hair before me.
“You’re sweet to notice,” he said, unscrewing his bottle of water. “Anyway, when I took my shirt off last night, you burst out laughing before taking yours off, swinging it over your head, and throwing it in my face.
“Then what?”
“Then I helped you giggle your way into bed where you proceeded to pass out seconds later.”
I squinted. “And that’s it?”
He cocked his head. “Are you disappointed?”
“Yes,” I said. “In myself.”
“I’m sure you would’ve preferred to wake up at home, but I haven’t the slightest where you live and it seemed necessary that you have supervision.”
“Because you’re a pervert?” I asked, pulling my shirt on and yanking it down to where my little black skirt was bunched around my waist.
“I might be a lot of things, Jolie, but I’m not the kind of guy that takes advantage of women who get themselves into a state like that.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.” Lord knows I must’ve been belligerent because I don’t really remember anything after… puffing on that joint. Oh god. Fuck. “I know you were just looking out for me.”
“Would you rather I left you at the party?” he asked, setting his empty water bottle on the desk. “Because Brian offered to look after you at least two dozen times.”
I bit the inside of my cheek.
“And I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I don’t think he likes you enough to keep his hands to himself when you’re like that.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.”
“It does actually. If you think about it.”
My eyes traced the muscles in his back as he spread his legs and stretched for his toes. “What does that say about you?”
He stood up and stretched one arm straight across chest. “I wouldn’t put my hands on you unless it was what you wanted, sober or otherwise.”
I hung my head.
“And in my opinion, what a guy wants is no longer relevant once a woman gets in a condition like the one you were in.”
I stared at my clasped hands. I didn’t want him to think less of me. And I hated thinking about how sloppy I must have been to take my shirt off and dance around his hotel room.
Sure, he could’ve been lying, but something told me he wasn’t. “Where was Gia when you were saving my ass?”
He stretched his other arm across his pecs. “Getting busy upstairs.”
I nodded. “I’m so sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” he said, turning around.
My eyes dropped to the way his loose black shorts hugged his ass as he walked into the bathroom.
“I’m just glad I was there to make sure you were okay,” he said, his voice bouncing off the tiles.
I dropped my feet to the floor and followed after him. “You know, I appreciate what you did and everything, but I would’ve been fine even if you hadn’t been th-” I froze in the bathroom doorway.
Adam was standing on the rug in front of the sink with his shorts down around his ankles.
I saw everything before it even occurred to me to look away.
He continued reaching for the towel on the rack beside him, unable to hide his amusement at my timing. “You ought to close your mouth before I get the wrong idea.”
I hoisted my jaw up from the floor and raised a hand to cover my eyes. “Sorry. Oh my god. I didn’t realize-”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Nothing you haven’t seen before.”
When I dropped my hand, the white towel was firmly around his hips, just below the sinful v that had led my eyes straight to his cock moments earlier.
“Besides,” he said, bending over to pick up his shorts. “For how many times you told me last night that you don’t find me attractive, I’m surprised you’re blushing at all.”
I shook my head. “I’m not sure I could be any more mortified right now if you’d had to hold my hair back.”
His eyes shot at me just long enough to make my stomach flip.
“Please tell me you didn’t hold my hair back.”
“Just the once,” he said, plugging his razor into its charger.
I felt my whole body droop.
“But it’s no big deal,” he said. “Really. To be honest, I was relieved you got sick before the cab ride. As far as I’m concerned, that’s the sign of a real champ.”
I fell against the doorframe and dropped my forehead against it.
The last thing I felt like was a champ.
Chapter 18: Adam
I didn’t want to pile on when it was obvious that she felt awful, but I also didn’t think I’d be doing her any favors by lying.
After all, I wanted her to be more careful in the future. There was no shortage of guys at that party who seemed to be keeping their eyes on her for all the wrong reasons, and the thought of someone hurting her or making her do something she didn’t want to do was so upsetting it made me worry that I liked her even more than I realized.
I sat on the edge of the tub and turned the hot water on. At home, I had a much loved Jacuzzi habit. But here, I had to settle for regular baths to ease my muscles.
I could feel Jolie watching me, and the fact that she hadn’t fled the scene made me wonder if there was still some alcohol in her system.
“You take baths?” she asked, scrunching her face.
“Sometimes. Why?”
“I would’ve thought you were a shower guy.”
“Because…?”
“Because your time is valuable and all that.”
I nodded. “I find the more valuable it becomes, the less apologetic I am about doing what the hell I want with it.”
“Understandable.”
“There are ways I prefer to unwind,” I said, letting her catch me admiring her toned legs. “But it seems this will have to do for now.”
She bit her lip.
“And I do try to maximize the time,” I said. “By listening to audiobooks or having meetings with colleagues… like this one.”
Her eyes grew wide.
“That was a joke, Jolie. I don’t hold staff meetings in the tub.”
“Right. Obviously. I’m sorry. This is really inappropriate.” She ran her fingers through her hair and leaned forward to peek in the mirror, rubbing the smudged eyeliner from under her eyes. “I should go and leave you to your-”
“I disagree,” I said, standing. “I think the only thing that’s inappropriate is how many clothes you have on right now.”
She scoffed. “Do you really think I’m the kind of girl who would fall for this?”
I walked up to her and lowered my voice so it was barely audible over the sound of the roaring water. “Can I be honest?”
“Of course.”
“I think you’re the kind of girl who’s waited her whole life for this.”
“You’ve got me all wrong,” she said. “I know I behaved poorly last night, but I don’t just give myself to anyone.”
“I know you don’t,” I said, dragging a thumb across her cheek. “But I can assure you, when you give yourself to me, you won’t regret it.”
She blinked at me.
I dropped my hand and curled the tips of my fingers around the bottom of her skirt where it hugged her thigh. “Because I like you for all the right reasons. I like things about you other people don’t even notice.”
Her eyes dropped to my lips.
“And it’s that attention to detail that’s going to make all the difference.”
Her bloodshot brown eyes lifted up to mine.
“Maybe I’ve got you all wrong,” I said, dragging my fingertips up over the front of her skirt. “But something tells me you’ve never been with a real man.” I slipped my hand under the bottom of her shirt. “A man who puts your pleasure first.” When my fingers grazed her belly button ring, I flattened my palm against her warm stomach. “A man who doesn’t stop until you say when.”
“When,” she whispered.
The knock on the door nearly shocked her out of her skin.
“That must be my room service,” I said, pulling my hand back to myself. “Do you want to get that or-?”
“Very funny,” she said, flattening herself against the inside wall of the bathroom as if the middle of the room were booby trapped. “Do not say I’m here.”
I walked to the door laughing. “Good morning, Anya. How are you today?” I asked as she wheeled in the tray.
“Very good, sir.”
“I told you to call me Adam,” I said, slipping her a tip.
“Sorry sir.”
“Otherwise, I’ll have to start calling you ma’am and you’re far too young for that.”
Anya giggled as she bowed backwards out the door. “Anya is fine, sir- Mr. Adam.”
“Just Adam,” I said, realizing she probably didn’t know where to look as I was in a towel.
She blushed and waved and disappeared.
I closed the door. “Your breakfast is here princess.”
Jolie came out of the bathroom like a wary kitten.
“I didn’t know if you wanted eggs or carbs so I got both.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said.
“I didn’t have to carry you to bed last night, either, but I’m an extra mile kind of guy.” I lifted the silver domes off the warm plates. “Help yourself. Otherwise it will just go to waste.”
While she deliberated over whether she was just going to eye the food or eat it, I went to check the bath. It was nearly full and way too hot to get in, so I turned off the faucet and returned to the breakfast spread.
Jolie was sitting on the edge of the couch, eating a slice of berry covered Belgian waffle with her hands. “I didn’t realize how bad I needed this.”
“I’m glad I could do something right,” I said, sitting in the chair across from her.
“I’m sorry I’ve been a bitch,” she said. “I didn’t deserve to have you look out for me last night, and you did it anyway.”
“You haven’t been a bitch,” I said. “You’re just trying to make sense of a lot of changes, and you have a huge amount of responsibility. I get that.”
“Thank you for being understanding.”
I shoved some buttery egg onto a slice of toast and folded it in half. “Does this mean you’re prepared to stop bearing your teeth at me all day every day?”
“I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to get you to promise you’ll never mention last night to anyone.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Careful now. I have a very active imagination.”
“Within reason.”
I squinted at her and took another bite of my buttery egg sandwich.
“I know I’ve been unwelcoming, but I crossed the line allowing myself to become a drunken handful.” She shook her head. “I always hit the bottle too hard when I’m nervous.”
“Nervous? I hope you weren’t nervous because of anything I did.”
“Of course not,” she said. “Anyway, can I count on you to not mention this whole… fiasco to anyone? I mean, it’s in both our best interests to create the illusion that things have been nothing but professional.”
“Apart from the filthy thoughts you have about me that are written all over your face?”
“That’s in your head.”
I laughed.
“Seriously,” she pleaded. “I’m begging you.”
“Have dinner with me,” I said. “For your sins.”
“Are you sure more time with me is really what you want? I’ve been a total nightmare.”
“I’m sure,” I said. “Just dinner. I’ll come as not your boss and you can come as… someone pleasant and reasonably sober.”
“Ouch.”
“What do you say?” I asked. “I think it’s a very reasonable request since you said you’d do anything.”
“If I agree, do you swear you won’t say a word to anyone?”
“I swear. Besides our children,” I said, flicking the paper cover off my orange juice. “Who I’m sure will find the story hilarious once they’re old enough.”
“Let’s pretend you didn’t say that,” she said. “And I thought we were talking about dinner?”
“We are.”
“Nothing more,” she said, lifting her juice.
I nodded. “Nothing more. I assure you I’ll behave like a gentleman worthy of the company of a lady like yourself.”
“I better not have detected sarcasm there.”
“Why don’t you just say yes before I decide I want something more inconvenient?”
“Fine,” she said, crossing her legs. “But we have to go somewhere far away. I don’t want to risk running into anyone we know.”
I smiled. “Yeah, god forbid someone sees you out with a loser like me.”
“I mean it,” she said. “No funny business.”
“Fair enough.” I extended a hand across the table. “No funny business. Just fun.”
Chapter 19: Jolie
I didn’t want to like the woman whose job it was to change the entire look and feel of the hotel, but she was making it really difficult.
“My only concern with this one,” Carrie said, dragging her hand along the back of the soft white couch. “Is that it’s too comfortable.”
I sat down on the sofa in the middle of the large showroom and crossed my legs.
“And I don’t know how much you really want people loitering in the lobby.”
“Don’t you think the white will get dirty?” I asked, looking over my shoulder at her.
Her long blonde hair was pulled up in a loose bun and she had an actual scarf tied around her neck like she’d just walked out of a Parisian café. “With what? Sand? The weather’s so good here it’s not like kids are going to be putting muddy boots up on the cushions.”
“Mmm.”
“Besides,” she said, walking around the couch to sit beside me. “White and blue doesn’t date.”
I knew she was implying that our current sea foam green and cream palate was n
auseatingly dated. And while she was right, my dad always liked the green so it felt disloyal to agree with her.
“Furthermore,” Carrie continued. “It’ll look fabulous on the website.”
I raised my eyebrows. “We’re changing the website, too?”
“Of course,” she said. “Why wouldn’t you? That would be like making over a retail store and not changing the shop window.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“Look,” she said, turning to me. “I know it’s hard to make so many changes so quickly to what for all intents and purposes has been your home since you were a little girl-”
“So you do get it.”
“Of course,” she said. “And it can’t be easy to trust strangers you don’t know to implement those changes, but we’re professionals.”
“I know.”
“So you can trust us.”
I nodded.
“I get that this hotel is your life, Jolie. Your baby. But you have to remember that my reputation is on the line, too. And so is Adam’s. We wouldn’t have taken on the project if we didn’t think we could improve on what you have now.”
I noticed a couple across the room trying out the handles on a row of standalone doors.
“Him especially.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“It means this project isn’t just about the money for him.”
I tilted and ear towards her. “What else is it about?”
“Oh c’mon. Don’t be thick.”
I craned my neck back. “It’s not about me if that’s what you’re implying.”
“It doesn’t have nothing to do with you either.”
“Did he say something to you?” I asked.
“He didn’t have to,” she said, leaning back on the couch, her perfect posture disappearing into the cushions. “It’s obvious.”
“What is?”
“The fact that he likes you.”
“Well, we’ve known each other a long time,” I said, sliding my hands under my thighs.
“I don’t think it’s that kind of fondness to be frank.”
“Did he put you up to saying this?”
“Oh my god no,” she flattened a hand across her chest. “He would kill me if he thought I even mentioned it.”
