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The lady behind the long, gleaming counter greets me.
“Ah yes, Ms. Jacobs. I see that you’ve already been checked in. Here’s your room key, and Dustin will show you to your room. You’re on the top floor. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to make your stay wonderful.” She tilts her head to a young, uniformed man who hovers near the reception desk. He rushes up to me.
“Yes, ma’am. This way,” he says.
I follow Dustin into the elevator. He hits the “P” button and then swipes his badge to close the elevator doors. We go up thirty floors until we get to the floor where my room is located. The doors open directly into a small lobby. There appear to be only two rooms on this level.
The bellboy, Dustin, asks for my room key and swipes it for me. As he opens the room and steps aside, I can only gape at what I see. Hastily, I remember to tip Dustin and thank him as I stare in awe around me and close the door.
I’m in the penthouse suite. Right in front of me is a shiny black baby grand piano. There is a lit fireplace to the right, the flames gently dancingand casting a beautiful soft glow on the leather loveseat beside it. I notice a door next to the fireplace which must be the bedroom. On the opposite side is a small hallway leading to another door, likely the bathroom. The company really sprung for a nice room!
I’m guessing that Jake occupies the suite next to mine since there are two separate suites on this floor. If my suite is this nice, I can only guess what his must look like. I could get used to traveling like this. It’s certainly nicer than any apartment that I’ve ever lived in.
Jake mentioned wanting to get together prior to our meeting this evening.I remembered he asked me to text him when I arrived, so I quickly pull out my phone.
At the hotel. Be ready to meet up in 30 minutes.
I look down at my rumpled skirt and blouse. Thirty minutes should give me enough time to change my clothes and refresh my makeup.
I look around the suite again. Spying the bedroom door once more, I walk over and open it. The first thing I notice when I open the bedroom door is the large balcony doors and the expansive view of the city beyond. I head over that way. I’m focused on the view that I don’t notice the open suitcase lying on the enormous bed. Nor do I notice when the en suite bathroom door silently swings open.
“Enjoying the view?”
Startled, I swing quickly around.
Jake. He obviously just came out of the shower, steam moving all around him in a warm haze. He is wearing only a white towel wrapped around his narrow waist and is drying his hair with a smaller white towel. As he moves his arms, his muscles flex on his toned, hard chest.
Unable to avert my eyes, I focus on the water droplets streaming down from his neck. I have an almost overwhelming desire to move closer. Instinctively, I know that taking even one step toward him would be a mistake.
I open my mouth to make a witty comment, but nothing comes out. This man could be on the cover of a magazine. I’m out of my element.
He cocks his head to the side and raises his brows, his blue eyes looking at me questioningly. “If I’d known you wanted to share my room, I’d have told the front desk to give us a one-room suite with just a single king-size bed.”
His inappropriate comment shakes me out of my trance. Embarrassed to be caught staring, I respond more harshly than I should. “Don’t be ridiculous. I would never agree to share a room with you, or a bed for that matter. I was told this was my suite.”
Jake shrugs, unconcerned, the towel loosening dangerously on his waist. “That’s a shame. For a minute there, I was thinking that this trip would be far more interesting than originally planned.”
Annoyed and a little turned on, I put my hands on my hips. “Ever heard of an HR violation? I’m pretty sure it’s against the rules to proposition your female employees, especially those who work directly under you.”
Jake crosses his arms, amusement lighting his eyes. “Under me? Interesting choice of words,” he teases. “Plus, it’s not a violation if it is consensual and you are willingly standing in my bedroom while I am in a towel. It’s okay; I won’t tell HR. Last time I checked, they worked for me, not the other way around,” he says arrogantly.
“Not that you’re egotistical or anything.”
“Just to clarify, are you saying you don’t want to share a bed? I don’t snore, if that’s what worries you. Unless maybe you snore, and you’re embarrassed? It’s okay. I don’t mind. I can get some earplugs from the gift shop.”
Jake clearly thinks he has the upper hand here. The damn man is amusing himself at my expense, and I’m not going to stand by and let it happen. The conversation has quickly gotten out of control, but I know how to get it back on track. He doesn’t know who he’s messing with.
“I wonder what you’d do if I actually agreed to your proposition?” I chew my lower lip as I pretend to think about it.
“And I wonder what you’d do if I actually took off my towel?” he returns silkily.
My eyes intuitively want to roam down his body at those words. I fight the impulse and keep my eyes locked directly on his. I take a step closer to him, unwilling to be intimidated.
“You don’t have anything I haven’t seen before. In fact, I’m sure I’ve seen better.”
I hope that my outwardly calm demeanor and false bravado are hiding my conflicting mass of emotions. I won’t let him get the best of me in this dangerous game of cat and mouse.
He raises his eyebrows and takes a step closer. “Oh yeah? You thinking of that boyfriend of yours? The one I saw you with last week?”
