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I chose now. His lips barely brushed mine at first. But the chaste kiss wouldn’t do. As if we both were spurred on by the first taste, we moved at once to deepen the kiss. Damn. No worries about missing butterflies, chills, or a spark with this man. All three hit me at once.
An involuntary moan left my throat when his tongue touched mine. I vaguely recognized the floor moving beneath my feet, but it wasn’t until the distinctive elevator ding sounded and the doors opened that I realized we’d arrived on our floor.
Max was first to break the contact, stepping away with a twinkle in his eye. “Guess we showed him.”
“Who?” Oh, damn, Shawn. Right. The entire reason for the “fake” kiss.
He chuckled. “Come on. Let’s find our room.”
Our. He said it so casually, as if he hadn’t just rocked my world.
Max took my hand, the contact seemingly natural. With one swipe of his hotel room key, the door opened and we entered.
My eyes immediately fell upon the giant four-poster, king-sized bed. Jesus, the one-room, one-bed thing keeping in line with the feel of a romance novel. Now if only the power would go out, so we were forced to snuggle for warmth. Yep, I was one step away from developing a whole new fantasy.
“I should’ve asked for two beds. It slipped my mind.” He stood there gripping his neck.
Chapter Six
Max
The grand idea of wiping the smug look off of Shawn’s face had suddenly been doused with the reality of sharing a hotel room with a beautiful woman who was off-limits.
Not only sharing a room, but also an impromptu kiss. A kiss which had been a whole lot hotter than I’d bargained for.
When was the last time I’d taken the time to kiss a woman? Sadly, I couldn’t remember. Instead, everything for the last few years had been about the “performance” for the club and what others would enjoy watching.
The elevator kiss had been a performance too. Which is what I repeated to myself over and over in order to keep the front of my jeans from making it obvious there’d been nothing fake about it. Especially the soft little moan which had me wanting to take her against the wall. What the fuck had I been thinking to take a taste when I now had to deny myself anything further?
I had to stifle a groan when my eyes fell upon her swollen lips.
Gauging my unexpected roommate’s expression, I decided she was still stunned. Whether it was from the scene downstairs or our kiss, I wasn’t sure. Shawn’s words about her being slow to put out gave me pause. What if I’d gone too far in the elevator by suggesting she kiss me? It had been petty to pull that stunt, but there was no forgetting the taste of her lips.
“Let me call downstairs about switching to a room with two beds.” I’d rectify the situation right now. However, two minutes later, after the front desk clerk had checked and re-checked, it appeared we were out of luck. No alternate rooms were available.
“They don’t have any double-bed rooms available, but they’ll call me if one opens up. I can take the couch.” The one half my size and which looked stiff as a board.
A smile pulled from her lips. “I’d like to see you fit on that thing. It’s okay, Max, I can take the couch, or we can build a pillow wall between us on the bed if you’re worried.”
Now it was my turn to grin. “Worried about what, exactly?”
A pretty blush stained her cheeks. “I meant you seem to be the one concerned.”
“I’m trying to be a gentleman.”
She took a seat on the ornamental love seat. The cushion didn’t squish at all, proving my assessment of its lack of comfort.
“I appreciate it, but I’m the one imposing on you. The last thing I’d do is take your bed.”
There was a sadness to her, as if all of the adrenaline had run its course. Crossing over to where she sat, I took the chair across from her, our knees almost touching. My fingers lifted her chin until she had no choice but to focus on me.
“You all right?”
She swallowed hard. “Yeah. Thanks for allowing me a moment of triumph after Shawn’s shitty comment.”
“Tell me more about the prick. What does he do? Where did you meet?” I justified wanting to know everything as acting in the role of protective big brother. Honestly, I was interested in what had drawn her to a guy like him in the first place.
“He went to college with Tim and recently moved to New York City. He works for an investment company—Marquis Investments, I think he called it—as a financial advisor. He seemed like a nice guy from what Kate told me, so I agreed to meet for a blind date. Then we went on two other dates. I should’ve trusted my gut when it came to him, though. I knew something seemed off, like he was a fake, but I never expected such hostility. Once again, you saved me. Thank you.”
