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He dropped his gaze to my mouth, lingering there long enough that I had the urge to slide my tongue out and lick my lips.
“There’s a book,” he said, dragging his eyes back up to mine. “Details about every guest are logged there. The more high profile, the more research is done. For you and your friends, we spared no detail. All to make sure you were well serviced. I guess you could call it a hospitality host’s secret weapon.”
My mouth fell open.That’show he knew things about me?
Did Gia know about this book? Probably. She lived in this world, and she did it gracefully. I was merely a guest.
“What kind of details?”
He shrugged, watching the waves as we walked. “Which drinks you like, your preference in shampoo, career information.” He cleared his throat. “Your relationship status… or lack thereof.”
“Wow.”
“The information is never shared beyond the hosts, and they’ve all signed strict confidentiality agreements.”
“I mean, it’s…” I wasn’t sure how I felt about this revelation. To a point, it made sense. In order for them to be good at their jobs, they needed to know the people they were serving.
Clearly there was a lot I didn’t understand about the hospitality profession.
I felt his gaze on me. “It’s a little creepy, I know. That’s why I wanted to tell you the truth.” He looked so guilty that I almost laughed. Guilty for doing his job. “It’s my least favorite part of what I do. But I’m not exactly sorry that it let me get to know you.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls you see outside of work.”
He shook his head. “I’ve never dated a guest before.”
“Really. Ever?”
“No.”
Silence stretched between us but I couldn’t bring myself to ask the one question niggling at me: Was it against the rules? Was I endangering Malachi’s job?
“What’s your favorite part,” I asked instead.
“Favorite part?”
“Of work. If the book is your least favorite, then what’s your favorite?”
His shoulders relaxed and a small smile curved his lips. “Oh, that’s easy. But it’s going to sound cheesy as hell, so brace yourself.”
I stopped walking and he turned to face me. “Braced and ready.”
He sighed dramatically. “All right. If you insist.” He jammed his hands into his jean pockets and gave me a sheepish look that told me he didn’t get this personal very often. I wondered why he felt comfortable enough to do so with me. Maybe for the same reason I was okay with the book. “I like knowing I made someone’s day,” he said.
God, he was really making it easy to fall for him.
“Service is your love language,” I said softly. “That’s not cheesy. It’s sweet.”
He stepped closer. “What’s a love language?”
“It’s the way you express love and care. And also the way you prefer to receive it.”
He tilted his head to the side, his eyes searching my face. “I never thought of it like that. You’re very perceptive.”
“Good thing, too. Because I didn’t have a fancy, creepy book to help me out,” I teased. It was fun to rib a big, sexy man like Malachi. “Since you know so much about me, I have some catching up to do. Start spilling, mister.”
He smiled, taking my hand to pull me close and a shiver of pleasure rocketed up my spine. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know. Everything. Go ahead, ask.”
“Favorite color?”
