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Christian heard a crash and craned his neck, finding Zoe in a corner of the store. She knelt in the floor, picking up apples and placing them back in the bowl she’d obviously tipped over. “Add that to my bill.”
The cashier smiled as the total grew.
“Seventy-five dollars?” Christian might be obscenely rich, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be ripped off.
“Handmade bowl.”
“And the apples?”
“That’ll be another twenty.”
“Who pays four dollars a bloody apple?”
Taking Christian’s money, the cashier’s smile grew Cheshire Cat proportions. “Looks like you just did. Anyway, the Starlight Motel is right up the street, past the jail.”
He grabbed the bag and Zoe before she could knock over something else. “Thanks for the information.”
As soon as they were outside, he unlocked the car and opened the door for her.
“What information?” she asked, sliding inside.
Shutting the door, he quickly made his way to the driver’s side and got inside. “They’ve a hotel if we need one.” Buckling his seat belt, he gave her a wicked smile and her cheeks grew rosy. “How on earth can one woman blush so much?”
“I can’t help it.” Her lashes lowered. “You make me think—”
“Naughty thoughts starring us?”
Instead of answering, she reached for the shopping bag and pulled out a peppermint stick. She stuck one end in her mouth and chewed. Then looked at him and took a large bite.
He shook his head and started up the car, taking note of the needle pointing to E. “Don’t worry, love. We’re going to get gas and then be on our way.” But as he parked beside the one gas tank, a harried looking man came running out with the name Fred embroidered on his grease stained coveralls.
Fred motioned for Christian to roll down the window. “We’re out until tomorrow. The truck’s supposed to be here around seven a.m.”
“How far is the nearest station?”
“About two hours that way.” Fred pointed in the direction they’d driven from.
Ominous black clouds rolled in and fat drops of rain began to polka dot the windshield.
“The car won’t make it that far.”
Zoe giggled, unable to stop even as Christian and Fred stared at her with identical expressions of ‘what the hell?’ on their faces.
“Guess we’ll have to stay here for the night,” Christian said, putting the car back into gear.
As they drove in the direction of the town’s only hotel, she finally stopped giggling. “I’m sorry, but this couldn’t be more ridiculous. We’re off the beaten path, out of gas and now a storm. I swear this is something out of a historical romance novel.”
Christian’s eyes stayed on the road as the rain fell in heavy sheets, making it impossible to drive any faster than a crawl. “Does this mean I get to ravish you at the country inn?”
“No, you’ll get struck down by the convenient twenty-four hour cold. It will be my job to nurse you back to health while the Florence Nightingale Syndrome takes effect.”
“The what?”
“You know, when the patient falls in love with the caregiver.”
“You novelists have strange ideas about love.”
“Hollywood doesn’t? What about your last movie? You and Brianna Keene knew each other for less than a day. I mean her character, not her. Even if you were involved with her during and after. I think that’s your MO. You always sleep with your female co-stars…”
Icy blue eyes met hers for a moment, halting her thoughtless words. “I thought we’d come to an understanding, that you believed me.”
He pulled the car into the hotel’s parking lot.
“I did, I mean I do. I’m so sorry, Christian. It’s just that if anyone finds out about us spending the night together—”
“For once in your life, Zoe, stop thinking about the past and future so damned much and try living for today.” He practically threw open his door. “Stay here and I’ll get us a room.”
He sprinted through the rain, yanking the door open to the hotel’s office.
She noshed on another peppermint stick. Maybe he was right, maybe she should make the best of it. Enjoy the time she had with him and when it was over, it would be over. No hard feelings and she could go back to the way things were.
If things last that long. After their argument at the diner, she could barely stand to be with herself. She was exactly the person he described. Making money off of him, without his permission. The sooner she told him the truth, the better.
A few minutes later, he ran back to the car and jumped inside, driving to the building on their left. “They had one room left.”
He parked the car as close to the door as possible, but they still got soaked by the downpour. Unlocking the door, he opened it with a flourish and waited for her to go inside.
Flicking the lights on, she froze. “Please, tell me I’m hallucinating.”
“Maybe Betty put something in our milkshakes.”
The room was dominated by a heart-shaped bed with crimson satin covers and matching pillows. Heart-shaped mirrors adorned the walls while tiny cupids and purple candles dotting every flat surface completed the look.
He surveyed the place with a slight grin. “Guess this is why it was the only one left.”
“It looks like Valentine’s Day threw up in here,” she said.
A rectangular box with a slot in it caught her attention. She read the writing at the top and laughed. The bed actually vibrated. According to the label on the box, one quarter equaled ‘five minutes of a rockin’ good time’.
“What’s so funny?” He moved to stand beside her.
“Do you have any quarters?” she managed to ask between gasps.
He stuck in two quarters and pressed the button. Nothing happened and he pressed it again. He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Maybe we have to sit on it.”
After kicking off her shoes, she jumped on the bed and he joined her. He reached over and pressed the button, but nothing happened. “Shall I call the main office to complain?”
“Don’t you dare.” She tackled him as he made a grab for the phone. “They’ll think we’re in here, well, you know.”
Laughing, he shrugged her off and she tackled him again. He reversed their positions so that she was trapped underneath him, his mouth inches from hers. The delicious weight of his body made her want to sigh in pleasure.
