Page 4 of One Reckless Night

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AMELIA

Istumbled into my hotel room, feeling like I’d just been run over by a truck. My feet ached from the heels I’d been foolish enough to wear. They were sexy and made me feel like I was invincible, but they killed my toes. I wasn’t even sure my pinkie toes were still attached to my feet. I looked down, flexing them and apologizing for the abuse they had been forced to endure.

My head spun from the whirlwind of the evening. Meeting Jared Welch had been a dream of mine for years but not like that. That was not the Jared Welch I thought I was going to be meeting. Dropping down onto the bed, I leaned over to undo the buckle around each of my ankles.

Jared had been tipsy and leering, his ego so massive it practically filled the room. I’d idolized him for so long—his groundbreaking work, his fearless approach to neurosurgery—but the man I’d just met was nothing like the compassionate pioneer I’d imagined.

“Never meet your idols,” I muttered.

I kicked off my shoes and shimmied out of my dress, struggling to get it over my hips. Why did I think a body-con dress was a good idea? I shook my head at myself as I finally freed my body from the fabric and tossed it onto the bed. It felt like cutting the shrink wrap on those mattresses they sent through the mail. They arrived no bigger than a book and exploded into a full bed.

I took a deep breath, appreciating the fact my chest could actually expand. “Sorry, girls.” I plumped my breasts and was convinced the tight dress had actually reduced the size of my very ample lady lumps. It would certainly make bra shopping easier, if that was the case.

I quickly changed into my pajamas, a soft set of cotton shorts and a tank top, and was about to collapse into bed when there was a knock at the door.

I froze. It was late. I didn’t know a soul in Miami. Who could possibly be knocking at this hour? I tiptoed to the door and peered through the peephole. A woman around my age stood in the hallway, her dark hair pulled into a sleek ponytail. She looked harmless enough, but still, my heart raced.

“Who is it?” I called through the door, trying to sound braver than I felt.

“Clair Morgan,” the woman replied, her voice friendly. “I work at Welch Labs. Shawn mentioned you were here, and I wanted to introduce myself.”

Shawn? Welch Labs? My mind raced. I hadn’t met anyone from the lab yet—I wasn’t even supposed to start for another week. But if she worked there, maybe this was some kind of welcome committee. Still, I hesitated before unlocking the door and opening it just a crack.

“Hi,” I said cautiously. “I’m Amelia. But how did you know I was here?”

Clair smiled, showing all of her straight white teeth with a tiny gap between the front two. Her smile made her cheeks round and rosy and crinkled the corners of her eyes. I was immediately more at ease. No psychopath could smile like that—right?

“Shawn—he’s one of the senior surgeons—mentioned that our new researcher was at the awards tonight. I didn’t see you there, so I thought I’d stop by and say hello. I hope that’s okay? I figured it was early enough in the evening that you wouldn’t be asleep yet.”

I opened the door wider, no longer worried she was here to steal my kidneys. “Oh. Yeah, of course. Come in. Don’t mind me, I’m already in my pajamas.” I closed the door behind me and wrapped my arms over my chest, covering my braless titties. Poor Clair didn’t need to get to know me that well just yet.

Clair brushed past me in an elegant royal blue dress that ended mid-calf. Her heels were gold and sparkly and matched her accent jewelry. She glanced around the room before her eyes landed on the dress crumpled on the bed. My heels were tossed haphazardly and my purse hung over the back of the chair. “Long night?” she asked with a knowing smile.

“You could say that,” I replied with a laugh. “The price of beauty.”

She scrunched up her nose. “I get it. My feet are killing me, and this push-up bra is threatening to drive my boobs straight up my nose.”

“I didn’t wear a bra. The dress was the bra. And the vise. I believe it’s a twist on some sort of medieval torture.”

“What did you think of the ceremony?” she asked. “Did you get to meet any of the other staff?”

“It was… an experience.”

Clair chuckled. “I can imagine. Those things are always a bit much. Too many egos in one room, if you ask me.”

“Tell me about it,” I muttered, thinking of Jared Welch and his ridiculous advances. “So, you work at the lab too?”

“I do,” Clair said, leaning against the desk. “I’ve been there a while now. Mostly in oncology research, but I assist in surgeries when needed. It’s a great team, but it’ll be nice to have another woman around. It’s mostly men right now.”

“I can imagine,” I said, smiling faintly. “I’m looking forward to starting. I just need to get settled in Key West first.”

Clair nodded. “Yeah, Shawn mentioned you’re heading down tomorrow. I’ll be back at the lab in a week or so myself. I’m here for the awards and to visit my mom and dad. They live nearby.”

At the mention of “mom,” I felt a pang of regret. My own mother was thousands of miles away, her memory fading a little more every day. I pushed the thought aside and forced a smile. “That’s nice. Family is important.”

“It is,” Clair agreed. She glanced at her watch and sighed. “I should probably get going. I’ve got an early surgery tomorrow, and I still need to prep.”