Page 61 of Falling for the Grumpy Bad Boy

And he was going to be with Simone. I didn’t know what was going on between them, but clearly they weren’t the least bit bothered about sharing a bed or space.

The room was, as promised, spacious by hotel standards. A large king bed dominated one wall, with a sitting area that included a decent-sized sofa that would presumably convert into a bed. A large window offered a nice view of downtown Austin. There was enough floor space for the promised cot without making the place feel like a sardine can.

It could have been worse. It also could have been a hell of a lot better.

“Right,” I said, dropping my bag near the door and surveying the sleeping arrangements. “I assume the two of you are vying for the bed?” I said to Simone and Conroy.

Poor Simone turned bright red. Clem scowled at me like I had said something wrong. Were we all going to pretend we didn’t see the two of them naked and fucking?

“Actually,” Conroy said. “I insist on taking the cot. Ladies should have the comfortable sleeping arrangements.”

I caught the look that passed between him and Simone. Whatever had happened between them in Miami was clearly ongoing, though from Simone’s expression, it wasn’t exactly simple. She wasn’t trying to admit to anything.

“That’s very thoughtful,” Simone said.

“I’ll take the couch,” I offered, partly out of practicality and partly because I needed to maintain some distance from Clementine. “You two can share the bed.”

Simone tossed her bag onto the king bed like she was claiming territory. “Perfect.”

And then there was an awkward silence. Because whatever was going on with Conroy and Simone was unsettled. And the idea of me and Clem sharing a room after the incident was just awkward.

We all felt it.

“You know what? Clem and I need some girl time, don’t we, Clem?” Simone said.

Clementine looked confused. “Uh, yeah. Sure.”

“We’ll catch up with you boys later tonight,” Simone said, already heading for the bathroom with her toiletry bag. “Maybe we can find some live music or something authentically Austin.”

Conroy opened his mouth like he was about to suggest joining them, but something in Simone’s expression made him think better of it.

“Actually, why don’t we meet downstairs at eight?” Simone said in that way that said it wasn’t really a question. She did that to me all the time. Gentle bossing. “I saw they have a spa in the lobby. Clem and I could use some pampering after Miami.”

Conroy and I couldn’t exactly say no. Ten minutes later, both women disappeared.

That left me alone with Conroy for the first time since Miami. And I had some questions.

“So, want to tell me what the hell happened with you and Simone?”

Conroy’s entire face lit up like Christmas morning. “Rhett, I have discovered the secret to life.”

“Please tell me you’re not about to give me details about your sex life. With Simone. My assistant. And my friend.”

“No details. Just… man, I had her all wrong. Completely wrong.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, shaking his head like he still couldn’t believe it. “I thought she was this uptight, professional woman who barely tolerated having me around.”

“She is uptight and professional. And she does barely tolerate having you around.”

“That’s what makes it so incredible!” He was practically bouncing now. “Turns out all that professionalism was just… I don’t know, armor or something. Underneath, she’s passionate and funny and completely unpredictable.”

I tried to process this information while maintaining my mental image of Simone as the hyper-organized assistant who color-coded our itineraries and sent follow-up emails about follow-up emails.

“How did you even…” I stopped, holding up a hand. “Actually, I don’t want to know.”

“I found her on the beach that night in Miami. We just talked. For a long time we talked about everything. Her family, her dreams, why she’s so focused on doing everything perfectly.” His expression grew more serious. “Did you know she grew up poor? Like, really poor? This tour is really important to her.”

I hadn’t known that. I’d never really thought about Simone’s background beyond her impressive organizational skills and ability to handle logistics nightmares.

“And then?” I asked, though I was pretty sure I knew where this was going.