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Luke let Marley pass him before they reached the lobby doors of his hotel.
“Hey, did you let me win?”
He leaned his hands on his knees, breathing hard. “Me? I am the most competitive person you will ever meet. If you beat me, it was fair and square.”
“Hmm.” She started walking around to the back staircase and he frowned.
“Are we still sneaking around?”
Marley turned, a flush in her cheeks. “It’s just for two more weeks.”
“Yeah, I know.” He opened the door and walked into the lobby, pausing when the door opened again behind him. Marley caught up and warmth spread through him. He figured holding her hand would be pushing it, so he held back.
“Hey Turner.”
Turner, the owner of The Love Shack Hotel, was a bal
ding man in his early fifties who spent most of his time behind the desk reading. He looked up from the James Patterson novel in his hands and nodded. “Hey, Marley. Mr. Jessup.”
Luke said hi, and they continued to the elevator. When they stepped inside, Marley slipped her arms around his waist and leaned her chin against his chest. “Are you happy?”
“Just about.” The minute the doors closed he kissed her, hard and fast and he actually felt her stumble when he released her. “Even better now.”
The doors opened and he led the way to his hotel room, hurrying with the door before she bolted.
When Marley made a beeline for the bathroom, he went to kick off his shoes and lie down on the bed.
“Aren’t you coming?” she asked from the doorway, dropping her sports bra on the ground.
He paused, watching as she bent over and discarded her shorts and underwear. “Figured you’d want some privacy.”
“And I thought we’d have a shower and then get very, very dirty again. With me on top, of course.”
Like he was going to say no.
Two hours later, Luke lay on his back with Marley sprawled out across his chest, her deep, even breathing telling him she was asleep. As he stroked her hair, he wondered what it was about her that was so different. From the moment he’d met her, he’d been drawn to her like a bear to honey and now, he didn’t want to ever be without her.
Which is why the reason behind why they couldn’t go public bothered him so much. For the first time in his life, he was falling in love. Imagining a future, marriage, kids…
And she wanted to move to New York and start her life.
He didn’t want to go back to New York and he definitely didn’t want to raise a family there. But if it was what Marley wanted, and she wanted him too, was he really going to not follow her?
Why was he even thinking about this now? They had two more weeks. Then they could talk about life after Brent and Sonora’s wedding. Right now, he should just enjoy what they had.
Too bad his brain wouldn’t shut the hell up.
Chapter 18
The next Friday was the Bachelorette party, and Marley was already exasperated with Sonora. Tahoe was bustling in the summertime, and as Marley and Kendall walked behind the group of scantily clad bridesmaids led by tiara and boa wearing Sonora, Marley had a sudden urge to disappear into the crowd.
“I guess no one was interested in my spa idea,” Marley said.
Kendall smiled and nudged her shoulder. “I was, but I was outvoted.”
Instead, the girls had all decided they wanted to go dancing and get hammered. Forget dinner or gambling—Marley was still going to end up taking care of a bunch of drunk girls all night.
They walked into Harvey’s and through the lobby until they reached the club. Marley could feel men’s gazes following them as they passed, and it made her feel like a slab of beef on the grill. Damn, when had she gotten so old?
