Page 41 of The Heartbreak Hotel

Ella

Ella woke to something swatting her face. She squirmed, blinking away dreams of giant goats chasing her through Manchester Airport to see a fluffy paw hit her square between the eyes. Ziggy’s chest rumbled as he brushed himself under her neck, suffocating her. She chuckled, manoeuvring his body away from her airways and waking up Riley in the process.

Though they hadn’t had sex last night, they’d slept in the same bed together, and in a way, that felt just as intimate. She got the sense that Riley never shared her spaces, and yet here Ella was, lying between the soft sheets of her bed, basking in the warmth of her body.

Ella was wound up tight—who could blame her after all of those toe-curling kisses?—but she couldn’t rush anything. The last thing she wanted was to scare Riley away.

Small slivers of light peeked out from under the blinds. The rest of the cabin was still cloaked in darkness.

Ella fought off a yawn with the back of her hand while the other tickled behind Ziggy’s ears. “What time is it?” she mumbled.

Riley brushed her hands over her face. “Quarter past six.”

Ella groaned. “Doesn’t your cat understand the weekend?”

“My personal alarm clock doesn’t take days off, I’m afraid.” Riley laughed low in her throat and stretched, flexing her arm muscles. Ella’s mouth went dry.

It’s far too early to be getting caught in those thoughts, Ella.

“How’d you sleep?” Riley asked, and to Ella’s horror, she flung back the sheets and jumped out of bed. Ella missed her warmth immediately. “Can I get you a drink of something?”

Ella’s temple throbbed. As much as she’d thought she’d missed drinking, she did not miss the consequences plaguing her the next day. Combined with their lack of sleep—they’d stayed up until the early hours talking—her mind was running on a small delay.

Ziggy jumped after Riley, rubbing himself against her legs as she chopped oranges into halves. She popped a slice into the juicer and, without missing a beat, poured some food into Ziggy’s metal bowl, moving on autopilot with a bounce to her step.

Cute.

Normally, Ella would kill for a coffee, but the idea of fresh juice sounded better, even if the whirring noise made her want to hold a pillow over her head. She sat up and observed Riley cooing over Ziggy, making plaid pyjama bottoms and an oversized black T-shirt look remarkably attractive. But she had the kind of body that would be flawless wearing a Tesco carrier bag.

Seeing her so at ease, especially after their conversation last night, warmed something in Ella’s belly. Is she always so carefree in the morning?

There’d been a shift in the air between them, and finally, they were on the same page. That thought sent excited sparks all over Ella’s skin.

When the machine stopped whirring, Riley made her way back to the bed, carrying two glasses of freshly squeezed juice, and hopped in next to Ella.

Ella let out a small moan as the cool liquid slid down her throat. “Wow. That’s delicious.”

“No better way to start the day.”

Ella could think of several. Starting with curling up back under the sheets with Riley and exploring every inch of her sculpted body with her mouth. Heat crept between her thighs at the thought. Maybe she needed a cool shower.

She finished her juice and cleared her throat, angling herself towards Riley. “So today’s your day off. What are you going to do?”

Riley placed her glass on the bedside table. “Actually, I was hoping to spend some more time with you.” She smiled sheepishly. “So, what do you want to do?”

Ella pushed away the dirty thoughts infiltrating her mind. She glanced around Riley’s cabin, at all the bits and pieces that made her Riley. She wanted more of that.

“Why don’t you show me what you usually do on your days off?”

“Really? It’s not that exciting.”

“I think so.”

She locked eyes with Riley’s blues. When she grinned, it touched someplace deep in her centre.

“Alright,” she agreed. “But I warn you now, there are no refunds for the tour.”

They had a quick breakfast of eggs and toast, Riley packed a bag, and they headed out into the sunshine. Ella borrowed some of Riley’s cargo shorts and a vest. Not her usual choice of attire, but her sundress was still soaked from last night.