Page 48 of Feel It in the Air

13

MARGEAUX

Steam billowsout of the shower as I pull back the curtain, filling the small, simply decorated bathroom. I grab a towel from the rack, inhaling deeply and letting my lungs expand, and my eyes try to adjust to the opaque conditions. Ooops, didn’t mean to fog it up that much.

I step out of the shower and crack the door slightly, shivering as the cool air slips in, hitting my damp skin. Or maybe the shivers are from all the excitement coursing through me at what I know awaits me on the other side of that door—a date with Gus.

Really, it could go either way. Although my money is on the latter.

Because I haven’t been able to think of much else since he called me his girlfriend. Or since he told me how much he likes my brain. My brain. Pretty sure I never saw that pickup line coming. But damn, Gus looking me in the eye, those magnetic green irises holding on to my soul like a fully laced corset, telling me how much he values my mind? Well, fuck.

He might as well have taken me right then and there.

He didn’t though. Like the gentleman he is—or he is outwardly, since I have experienced firsthand what happens when grumpy Gus Hayes loses control—he showed restraint and left me wanting. For now.

I run the towel through my hair, trying to catch some of the excess water, before wrapping it around me. Enough of the condensation has evaporated that I can start to see myself in the mirror and know I need to get a move on. I don’t know what time our reservation is at the restaurant downstairs, but I also haven’t gotten to see almost any of Savannah since we got here and wouldn’t object to a walk around the square before we eat.

The 17Hundred90 Inn, the beautiful, historic—and haunted—hotel that Gus booked for our stay is nestled right in the historic part of downtown Savannah. Surrounded by gorgeous trees, squares, shops, and more, it reminds me of many of the old buildings we have in New Orleans, each with their own story to tell. I’m certain this one is no different, and I want to make sure we make time to explore.

Leaning forward, I wipe away the rest of the moisture on the mirror, discarding the damp washcloth on the floor. The soft thud fills the air, followed by a long creak. The kind of sound an old floorboard makes when someone steps on it.

“Gus?” I call out, assuming that’s him moving around.

The long day at the expo center left both of us feeling like we needed a shower before dinner. Not that said feeling stopped us from trying to round second base when we made it back to the room. I was three seconds away from suggesting that we kick things up a notch and move our party for two to the shower when my phone rang, my grandfather’s name appearing on the screen. If there was ever a lady-boner killer, it’s your grandfather calling as you’re trying to be Babe Ruth and call your shot.

So Gus took the shower first, leaving me to my call. And, as fate would have it, as soon as he was out, his phone rang, someone back in Hickory Hills needing his attention. All for the best, really. It gave us both time to cool our jets, letting the anticipation continue to build.

Although at this point, I’m so pent-up I’m ready to shoot off like Old Faithful at any moment.

The floorboards creak again, this time accompanied by an actual footstep.

“Gus?” I call out again.

He must still be on the phone. Although it’s a little weird that I can’t hear him talking. This room is big, but it’s not that big.

Securing the towel under my arms, I open the bathroom door the rest of the way, peering out into the room. The U-shape design of the renovated space gives the main living area privacy from the door that leads to the main hotel corridor, with a mini hallway inside the room that passes by the bathroom. Sticking my head out, I look both ways, as if I was crossing the street, trying to listen for Gus’s voice, but again, hear nothing.

Weird…

I step into the room, turning the corner toward the bed. I could have sworn I heard a⁠—

Slam!

“Ahhhh!”

I shriek, whipping around toward the door. My heart jackhammers against my rib cage, adrenaline racing through me like I’m lined up at Churchill Downs and have been waiting on the gun. I can feel my fight-or-flight response lock and load, ready to engage, a sheen of sweat appearing across my skin.

“Margeaux?”

Gus…

My entire body relaxes, and I can feel the letdown as he turns the corner, brows raised, first in confusion, then in excitement as he discovers me in my towel. A whole new heat envelops me as he drags his gaze up and down my body, and I have to fight the urge to run to him. His charcoal dress pants paired with a solid black button-down fit him like they were cut especially for his muscular frame. The monochrome look paired with his dark features is almost too much to bear, overwhelming in every delicious sense of the word.

“You…you weren’t in here?”

“No, I stepped out to get you this,” he says, handing me a single red rose. He smirks, stepping into me, placing his hands on my hips. The weight of them is soothing, as if somehow they had been missing from there and are now back in place. Right where they belong. “Wanted to give you some space to get ready.”

“Oh.”