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“Don’t we have to check in?”
He inserts a key card in the slot by the elevator doors. They open immediately, and I’m once again pushed forward.
&nb
sp; “No. Once you called and made the reservation, they knew to have the suite ready. I’m a frequent visitor, so they always make the suite available when I need it.”
“Oh.”
The ride is silent. I stand with my hands folded in front of me. Asher stays beside me, his hand still brushing my back, sending thousands of goosebumps over my arms. What feels like ten minutes later, but couldn’t have been more than a minute or two, the doors open. I’m in awe as I step into the biggest, most beautiful foyer I’ve ever seen. I didn’t realize hotel rooms had foyers. But then, this isn’t just any hotel. It’s one of the most expensive in Dallas. And we’re not just in a hotel room, we’re in the Presidential suite.
My purse strap falls from my shoulder and drops to the floor as I walk in a daze to the floor to ceiling windows. I barely notice the living room I walk through or the full kitchen I pass by. The view is stunning, and there’s no doubt we have to be on the top floor. We’re so high up I can’t even see the ground. It’s amazing, being surrounded by other tall buildings, but not be intimidated by them.
There’s a sliding glass door to my left, and my hand itches to open it and walk outside. I feel a presence at my side. In the reflection of the glass, I see Asher.
“It’s beautiful,” I say quietly, still amazed at the view. I reach out and place my palm flat against the warm glass.
“Breathtakingly gorgeous,” he says softly.
He’s not looking out the glass when he says it; he’s looking at me. I shift in my heels, feeling suddenly hot. My breath fogs the window in front of me with my now heavy breathing. My heart races in my chest so hard I can feel it in my ears. It’s so hard to stay still with him so close, his woodsy scent surrounding me. I have a sudden need to turn to him and step forward. This… thing, whatever it is that’s happening, has my brain scrambled. I don’t know what to think anymore. I want Asher, but I also want Sterling. Both men intrigue me and make my body heat in ways it never has before. But Asher has me confused. What exactly does he want from me? A one-night stand? That’s just something I can’t see myself doing. Or is it something more that he wants? And do I even want something at all with him?
Pulling up my big girl panties and determined to find out what’s going on in his head, I turn to face him.
“Asher—”
I’m interrupted when there’s a knock at the door. Asher looks at me so intently that I feel like I should move away, but he turns and stalks off to the door. It’s the bellman with our luggage. I watch with confusion as the bellman places both of our suitcases and my smaller travel bag just inside the door.
After Asher tips him, he closes the door.
“You’re staying in this suite too”? I ask, unsure how I feel about that.
“Yes,” he says. He picks up my suitcase and bag and carries it over to a door I hadn’t noticed until now. I follow behind him and enter a room that’s twice as big as my bedroom at home. He sets my stuff down just outside another door and turns to face me. I’m stuck looking at the huge four poster queen size bed with a thick white bedspread. There’s a mountain of pillows in which no one would use and will end up on the settee. A small writing desk sits against one wall, and a tall dresser on the opposite wall. Beside the door where Asher set my belongings, there’s another one on the other side of the room. Bathroom? Closet?
“Why don’t you get settled. Shower, change, whatever you would like to do. This meeting won’t take long. I’ll be back in about two hours and we’ll do an early dinner.”
“Where are you staying?” I blurt out, needing this settled before he leaves. He never said anything about sharing a room.
I don’t realize I’m clenching my hands until he takes one and unbends my fingers. With my hand in his, he walks me out of the room and across the living room. It’s just as elaborate as the bedroom with its sleek cream colored couch, matching recliner chair, flat screen TV, another writing desk, coffee and end tables, and thick Persian carpet. Once we arrive at another door, he opens it and leads me inside to a bedroom just like mine, except this one has a king bed.
“This is my room. There is one other bedroom besides mine and yours.”
I don’t know if I’m disappointed at being so far away from him or relieved. I should be relieved. I shouldn’t want to share a bed with him, but I kind of do. I mentally slap myself for thinking like that.
“This is my room,” Asher says again and turns me to face him. There’s something in his eyes that has mine widening. It’s the same look he gave me in the car right before I licked my lips and he closed his eyes. I may not have much experience, but there’s no way I could mistake his look of desire for anything other than what it is, and he wants me to see it. He’s not trying to shield it at all. My heart jumps, my stomach drops, and every bit of moisture in my body heads south between my legs. I press them together, but it does nothing to help with the immediate ache I feel.
He takes a step closer to me and lowers his head. I hold my breath, thinking he’s going to kiss me. He stops inches from my lips and smiles an incredibly sexy smile, one I’ve never seen on his face before. I’m completely mesmerized. He moves another inch, and I close my eyes, preparing for the taste of his lips. God, I hate myself for wanting it so much. Sterling crosses my mind, but I push it back. I’m going to hell for this.
Instead of the feel of his lips, I feel his breath against my ear. “This is my room,” he breathes, sending a shiver all through me. I think I may even moan a little. “But you’ll be staying in here with me.”
With that, he kisses my cheek, steps back, turns on his heel, and leaves the room with me standing there in a complete daze. It takes me several seconds to snap out of it and realize what he said. I turn and quickly walk back into the living room, but he’s already gone. I cannot believe he said I would be staying with him in his room. And I can’t believe I almost let him kiss me. What in the hell is wrong with me? I have absolutely no excuse for my behavior, or lack thereof.
Still dazed, I walk over, grab my purse from the floor, and go back to my bedroom. The room that I will be sleeping in, not Asher’s, I determinedly tell myself.
My hands run over the comforter on the bed. It’s so soft and fluffy. I’m almost too scared to sit on it, afraid I may mess it up somehow, but I do so anyway. The bed is high, so I have to give myself a little jumping boost. My heels fall to the floor, and I wiggle my toes to stretch them out. Pulling my phone from my purse, I scroll though my messages until I find the name I want, my eyes skipping over the offending message from earlier. I need to hear Sterling’s voice. I need him to remind me of what we’re hopefully starting.
A line of worry creases my brow when I think about what I’m going to say to him if he asks how my trip has gone so far. I don’t feel right lying to him, but I also can’t tell him about Asher and his new behavior toward me. Then I think about Asher and his almost kiss and his unspoken promise of what’s to come.
I tap the green phone symbol next to Sterling’s name and wait impatiently for him to answer. The more I hear it ring, the more anxious I get to hear his voice. I don’t know what Sterling has done to me, but my chest physically hurts when the call goes to voicemail. I can’t even hear his voice from his voicemail because it’s the robotic automated kind.
