“I can’t,” she said, her shoulders slouching. “I can’t go back. But the people I put you in touch with, the ones who can get you copies of their contracts and tell you their stories, can you help them?”
“I’m sure I can come up with something. But that doesn’t answer my question. Why can’t you go home?”
“We should get some rest,” Aria deflected, yawning to add effect. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“How long have you been here?” he asked, his voice softening some.
“Seven years,” she answered, pushing her chin up defiantly, as though to tell him it had been long, but it hadn’t broken her.
He drew a deep breath and calculated the odds she would open to him. He wanted to know the reason she felt desperate enough to sign her life away and why she was so certain she couldn’t go home. Tracing the fine line of her clenched jaw he realized she wouldn’t give him anything tonight. “Let’s indulge,” he announced, hopping to his feet. “It’s probably been a while since you’ve done anything wildly impulsive or simply because it felt good.”
“That’s an understatement,” she agreed, her eyes dancing as she tried to read his face to ensure he was serious. “What are you proposing we indulge in?”
“Everything and anything you want. I’m not going to stop until I see you smile and light up that spectacular face.”
Chapter 8
Aria’s breath caught in her chest when someone came knocking on Monroe’s hotel room door. “Who’s that?” she asked in a whisper.
“I ordered a few things while you were freshening up.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal.
“Room service?” she gasped, suddenly skittering around like a frightened deer. “They can’t see me here. I can’t be seen like this.”
“It’s fine,” Monroe said waving her off. “You’re here with me.”
Before he could reach the door she slid toward the bathroom and pressed herself to the wall as she pushed the door closed with her foot.
“Good evening sir,” she heard a familiar voice accompanied by the clinking of a room-service cart rattling its way in. It was Tobin, the sweet young guy who’d arrived last year all wide-eyed and excited for his adventure. It was short-lived, just like everyone else’s. “I have everything you requested here. Is there more I can do for you tonight?”
“I can’t think of a single other thing I’d like,” Monroe said confidently.
“If you do, don’t hesitate to call,” Tobin said.
Aria could picture him in the doorway waiting for the tip she was sure Monroe would give. What he and the rest of the guests didn’t know about their generous tips was they weren’t kept by the staff. Another powerful clause in the contract.
When the door closed, it was Monroe’s laugh that filled the room. “I haven’t had a girl hiding like that since ninth grade when Kelly Swanson used to climb in my window to make out and my mom was coming down the hallway.” Monroe pushed open the bathroom door and continued laughing. “The coast is clear.”
“It’s not funny,” she protested, covering her face with her hands. Now that she was actually in the presidential suite with this gorgeous man she realized what most people would think. She couldn’t blame them either. The idea of Monroe pressing her to a wall and lifting her from the ground as he found a dozen ways to pleasure her ran through her mind every few minutes. “That’s Tobin. He’s a really sweet kid, and if he saw me in here, he’d think the worst of me.”
“Well I have a lot of things to take your mind off that,” Monroe promised, taking her hand in his. It was a jolt to feel his skin, his warmth, but she didn’t pull away. Monroe was the promise of something happening. Maybe it would be something wonderful. Maybe something awful. But after seven years she was just ready for some kind of commotion. And this man was commotion.
“I’ve ordered caviar, champagne, chocolate-covered everything. I had the spa send up exotic lotions, hot stones, a Dead Sea face mask, and something called a sugar scrub, which I assume you know what to do with. There’s a detox wrap, and I’m not sure how it works, but I could have used this in Vegas last week. We also have meditation mats and music. Essentially you’re going to be thoroughly relaxed, hydrated, and possibly a little tipsy.”
“I can’t accept all of this,” she said, the knot in her stomach tightening as she took a quick inventory. “I know exactly how much that little tube of lip hydration costs. I know what they charge for those stupid hot stones. It’s all too much.”
“Aria,” Monroe said, skillfully popping the cork from the champagne and filling two glasses, “you’re six years and eleven months overdue for some indulgence. We can spend the next hour arguing over how you think it’s too much and how I think that’s crazy, or you can drink this while I start a fire and put on this creepy gong and harp music that is supposed to make us relax.”
“Gongs and harps?” Aria giggled, taking the glass from him. “I guess I could have one glass. And maybe a chocolate-covered strawberry.”
“You have to promise not to keep some kind of mental tab. The contacts you’re going to make for me, and the information I’ll gather with your help—it’s invaluable. You don’t owe me; if anything I’ll owe you more than this measly hotel stuff.”
“I used this cream once,” Aria admitted, picking up the gold and red tube and eyeing it as though it meant a hell of a lot more than just some cosmetic treatment. “They keep it under lock and key. Only two people on spa staff can get it for the guests. I’ve never seen a whole tube brought up to a guest room before.”
“I have some pull,” Monroe said, coming up behind her as she continued to spin the tube around in her hands.
“One day I was on a double shift, and I had to cover for someone at the spa. I was showing a guest to her massage room. She got up on the table and I let her know someone would be in any minute, and then I saw it. This tube sitting on the tray by the table. She’d clearly ordered it for her treatment. She had her face planted in the massage table and I figured no one would ever notice if I took a dab and rubbed in on my hands.”
“And you did?”
“Yep,” Aria admitted bashfully. “And my hands had never felt that good. I always thought what they charged for this stuff was ridiculous. But then I realized it’s worth every penny.”
Monroe put both hand on her shoulder and leaned down by her ear. “Tonight you can put that on from head to toe. It’s all yours.”
“I . . . there’s no way I could,” Aria stuttered.
“I’d be happy to apply it for you,” he offered.
“But it’s so expensive,” she protested.
“There’s that wasting time game again. I’m going to win, so don’t bother. Run a hot bath. Use every single lotion and balm they sent up. The mask. The scrub. Whatever all these things are for. Use them.”
“And you’re just going to sit here while I’m in the bath?” she asked, nearly choking on the lump in her throat. His whole body was pressed against her back now, and she could feel his excitement.
“I’ll do anything you want me to,” he whispered in a husky voice as he pushed her hair off her shoulder ran his finger up her neck.
“There might be some places I can’t reach,” she replied, her voice trembling. She could hardly believe she was saying this to a man like Monroe. “Maybe you can help.”
“Take a bath,” he ordered, pressing his wet lips to her neck, then nibbling seductively. “Then come out here, and I won’t miss a spot.”
“This wasn’t part of our arrangement,” she said, spinning to face him, but staying pressed so close she could feel his chest rising with each breath. “This isn’t part of the plan.”
“No plan. No arrangement.” He slid a hand down her back and cupped her ass as he forcibly closed the tiny gap that had remained between them. “This is indulging. I’ll start the fire. You fill the bath.”
Her nipples were pulsing in tight peaks as they pressed to his solid broad chest. His firm grip on h
er ass didn’t loosen, nor did his intense stare break from her face. Slipping a hand to her hair, he brushed the fallen pieces away from her eyes. “Did I judge you right?” she asked with a gulp. “Will you hurt me?”
Monroe’s stare faltered, just for a beat, but long enough to see something earnest flash in his eyes. “Nothing you feel tonight will be anything less than unbridled pleasure, having you scream out for more.”
“I don’t mean . . .” she stuttered, her eyes shooting toward the floor.
“I know what you mean,” he said, his finger curling under her chin and tilting her head so her eyes were back on him. “If you’re with me, you won’t be hurt by anyone.”
Truth. Elusive. Ever-changing. Yet in his words she could see the truth as plain as she could see the room around them. Monroe’s large arms folded over her. His lips crushed down on hers and whatever willpower she’d been clamoring to hold on to washed away with the flick of his tongue on hers. Pulling away suddenly, Monroe drew a deep breath. “Fill the bath. I’ll start the fire.”
Chapter 9
Soaking in the tub, breathing in the lavender vapors, Aria tried desperately to keep her head straight. But the question that kept rising inside her was, why the hell now? Why couldn’t she leave this bath, walk soaking wet to the fire, and give herself over to Monroe. She deserved the indulgence. She deserved sheer pleasure.
Finally finding the courage, she released the plug from the tub and drew a deep breath. Her legs quivered as she stepped from the tub and quickly patted herself dry. She decided she’d ditch the towel. Parading about naked wasn’t normally her style, but it had been so long since she’d felt desire. She was tingling, aching to be touched.
Monroe seemed a capable man. More than just talk and bragging. The one kiss they’d shared earlier, the way he worked his tongue around her mouth, made her confident that if she was willing to jump into his promise of pleasure, she wouldn’t regret it.
She pulled open the bathroom door to find dozens of candles lit on every open surface. Wax streamed down and pooled in places she knew someone would have to clean tomorrow. But she pushed that thought from her mind. She wasn’t a part of the staff right now. She was his.
“Damn,” Monroe panted, his eyes wide as he took in every inch of her naked body. “Get over here.”
“It was a good bath,” she said through her smile and a light blush of her cheeks. “A very good bath.”
He was sitting on the floor by the fire. He’d moved the table out of the way and spread one of the lush velour blankets out for them.
“I thought you might have a chill,” he said as he grabbed the metal poker and stoked the fire, sending sparks fluttering upward. “I’ll warm you.”
“I feel silly being the only one without clothes,” she said, considering racing back to the bathroom for the towel.
“You’ll feel anything but silly in a second,” he promised as he reached out and took her hand, pulling her closer. She turned so her bare ass faced the fire, and her skin heated immediately. Before she could protest the extreme heat, his tongue plunged against her folds, lapping frantically at her sweet core. Aria called out wildly as she tipped her head back with pleasure. On sheer instinct she grabbed handfuls of his hair and gave in to the heat from the fire as well as the hot pulsing bolts of ecstasy he provided.
She breathed out his name, feeling like her legs might give out any second. His finger plunged deep inside her and his pace frenzied, matching her rapid breath, and she cried out. Her core tightened around his finger and pulsed with the waves of her climax.
“Monroe,” she gasped, as her knees buckled, and she fell into his waiting arms. He stripped quickly, and through her haze she helped, pulling at his clothes until they were thrown aside. Aria’s smile was a simple reflex to the sight of his fully hard excitement.
Monroe grabbed her waist and laid her down, and before she could catch her breath he drove himself deep inside her. There had been an emptiness, both physical and in her heart, for so long. The way he’d filled her, his eyes locked with hers, felt like she’d been pulled from an icy lake and warmed by a thick, plush blanket.
“You taste so sweet,” he groaned into her ear as he thrust with a powerful rhythm. Dipping her head back and exposing her neck, Monroe immediately ravaged her skin with his teeth and tongue, each pinch and bite sending her body into a new dimension of pleasure.
Monroe’s grunts became primal, his need showing on his twisting face.
“Come. Faster. Harder,” she demanded as she curled her legs around him and pulled him tightly to her.
With all the fireworks of a Fourth of July celebration, Monroe brought her to the edge of the world where they both burst to life in ecstasy.
His arms collapsed as he rolled to her side and pulled her in tight, promising without words to never let her go. His grip was as strong as a bear. His breath, rapid. The fire crackled and popped, the shifting pile of burning wood settling as their bodies did. Aria nuzzled against his bare chest and stared into the fire, feeling a peace she hadn’t felt for many years. She fought sleep though her eyes were heavy. If she gave in, every minute spent in slumber would be wasted instead of enjoyed.
Chapter 10
“Are you relaxed?” Monroe asked in a husky, tired voice as he rolled to his side. They’d moved to the bed, which was a cloud Aria wished she could ride across the sky forever. But much like a fairy tale this would all evaporate. Come tomorrow this down-filled pillow-top mattress would be just another chore for her. Something she’d need to strip and stuff into the laundry cart with the wobbly wheel that pulled hard to the left. The champagne would just be something she was supposed to deliver to some happy couple. “Well?” Monroe asked, and she realized suddenly she hadn’t answered.
“Relaxed . . .” She sighed, rolling to face him. “I’m Jello. This was all too much. You ordered everything the resort offers. I’m completely relaxed.”
“Good.” He leaned in and brushed a sweet kiss across her lips. It was a stark contrast to what they’d shared. But oddly, it felt equally intense. “If you’re so relaxed, what’s that far-off look?”
“My days are relatively predictable. I’m considered a floater around here so while I don’t know what job I’ll have, I’m always sure I’ll be working my ass off most of the day.”
“Still plenty of ass there,” he teased, grabbing a handful and winking.
“You know what I mean.” She sighed. “Tonight you gave me more than a night of indulgence; you gave me an unpredictable evening. That’s priceless. The far-off look is me hoping I can will the sun not to rise.”
“Tomorrow can be the same,” Monroe countered as though all of this was so easy to fix. “We have work to do. You set me up with contacts. Maybe even help me access some company documents or financial reports. Then we can be right back here again.”
“Even if this extends a day or, if I’m lucky, two, it changes nothing. I just want to stop time. I want to change my reality.”
Monroe reached for her, and she instinctively rested her head on his chest as though they were long-time lovers settled into a comfortable routine. “Life isn’t the ride you’re on, it’s the car you drive. The steering wheel is in your hands. Your foot is on either the brake or the accelerator. If this isn’t the reality you want, don’t stop until it’s different.”
“I’m not dismissing what you’re saying,” Aria whispered, not wanting anything to ruin the moment. “I know in your life that’s probably been true. It’s not that easy for me. Nothing has been easy for me for a long time. I don’t expect a guy who can order a thousand-dollar bottle of face cream for a woman he hardly knows to understand that. You’re driving the car. Your hands are on the steering wheel. I can’t even walk myself off the curb.”
“We’re not as different as you might think,” Monroe corrected. “The place I’m at in my life . . . I certainly didn’t start there. I’ve been kicked around. I’ve had to fight my way to the top of the pile. You have f
ire in you. Anyone with eyes can see that. I can’t figure out what’s stopping you. For some reason you don’t want to tell me.”
“My life is the culmination of many mistakes,” Aria admitted. “I failed my family. I failed myself. That’s something I have to deal with for the rest of my life. I try to remember there are worse places to be, even with that kind of burden. At least I get to stick my toes in the sand every day.”
“But you’re far from happy,” Monroe cut in.
“I want things to change here. I want the power-hungry heartless bastards who think they run the world to get knocked down more than a few pegs. It would make me happy. It’s for everyone else here who deserves the relief.”
“Let’s say you could leave and start over,” Monroe said, and though she couldn’t see his face she could hear he was smiling. “Where would you go?”
“Paris,” Aria answered quickly. “When I was a little girl I never bothered with posters of the latest heartthrob. My walls were covered with cutouts of the Eifel Tower. I had atlases and maps with pushpins of all the places I wanted to go. When I was ten years old I had a complete backpacking trip through Europe planned.”
“It’s never too late,” Monroe asserted, and she found his optimism endearing even if it was out of touch with reality.
“You’re right.” She gave in, knowing he’d never understand unless she filled him in on the truth, which she didn’t plan to do. “Maybe someday.”
“We should sleep,” Monroe said quietly, and she tipped her head to see his eyes were already closed. She imagined that was the peace that came with having everything at your fingertips. Real rest was never quite as easy for her.
“Yeah,” she agreed, nestling her head comfortably against his muscular chest and pressing her naked body to his. “I can’t keep the sun from rising.”
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