“Absolutely not.” I shake my head violently, and I almost tip over on the floor.
I’m too inebriated for this right now.
“They may have another room available tomorrow, right?” Othello looks at Sabrina. “And her accommodations will be free of charge?” His voice is slightly stern.
Sabrina responds with a nod.
“We wouldn’t have it any other way, Mr. Kingston. We are so sorry about this. I’ve already dropped the charges for her stay, so her card will not be charged, and tomorrow if one of our Queen Suites becomes available, we will have it on hold for you, Ms. Jacobs.”
“I appreciate that,” I deadpan. But I’m already pulling out my cellphone, looking up the Wailani Resort on my phone. It’s a three-star hotel and a one-hour and 45-minute drive from here.I don’t even think my energy level can endure something like this right now. My body and mind are run-down.
“Marley, please,” Othello says, gently pulling my phone from my hand and sliding it back into my bag. Then, to Sabrina, he says, “Can you have her things, extra pillows and blankets sent up to my suite?”
I exhale slowly, every instinct screaming for independence, yet my body protests with exhaustion.
“Fine,” I murmur.
The fucking odds of today are going to pay for this because this isn’t how I imagined my first night in Maui going.
Not at all.
12
for tonight
OTHELLO
Marley isthe first to enter the room, our appointed butler holding the door open for us. Although calling it a room feels like an understatement.Suiteis more accurate.
Marley is tense the entire route up here. I can see it in her body language. Her tense shoulders. The way she keeps clenching the strap of her duffel bag.
I follow close behind as the butler leads the way. When he opens the door to our suite and we walk inside, I watch her composure soften. Her shoulders relax. It’s like her body is taking a deep breath. And I don’t blame her.
The suite is amazing.
After we enter the room and take the short walk down a narrow hallway, we come to a massive living room, with a cozy dining area for two off to the side. The floor-to-ceiling windows offer a nice view, and the sliding glass door frames the ocean like a painting. There’s a half bath on one side of the room and a kitchenette on the other, complete with a mini fridge, a small two-burner cooktop, and an espresso machine near the sink.
“Wow,” Marley sighs breathlessly.
The sliding glass doors to the veranda are already open, the sheer curtains floating lazily in the breeze. Marley drops her bag on one of the beige armchairs and rushes outside, her head rotating slowly from left to right as she admires the view. When she turns around, she smiles at me, and I feel like all is good in this world.
Maybe I can win back some cool points.
“This view issick,” she exclaims. “Come look at this.”
I can see the view from here, but I’m down to do whatever Marley wants at this point.
I step outside. Seeing it from here instead of the living room does take it up a notch. The view is even more amazing. The Maui air is welcoming, and the smell of saltwater from the outstretched ocean makes it all the better. I marvel at the late evening sun casting everything in warm gold.
Damn. I can’t believe I almost bailed on coming here.
“I could stay out here all day?” she sighs, letting her head fall back and her eyes fall shut.
An ache settles in my chest because suddenly the view isn’t the most amazing thing out here anymore. It’s seriously taking everything in me not to pull this woman into my arms and find out what her lips taste like.
“Yeah,” I say, trying to remain a gentleman. “I can get used to this.”
A small bistro table sits near the railing with two cushioned chairs facing the water. Off to the right is a chaise, wide enough for two, angled to face the ocean, which you can see because the wall of the balcony is made of clear glass.
