Page 13 of Cloud Nine Love

REMI

“One percent of the population can dream while awake.” ~ Tim Rhodes

Thoughts whirled in my mind as we stepped off the elevator onto the fourth floor.

Was this really happening?

Had I fallen asleep and was just dreaming this?

It was possible since I hadn’t slept in nearly thirty-six hours. Maybe I was still on the plane headed to California and was napping in seat 5A. Maybe Ana wasn’t real at all. Maybe we weren’t about to share a room together. Maybe Misty hadn’t had an affair; she wasn’t pregnant, and we were still together.

No. If I had been dreaming, that would not have happened. The thought of Misty being unfaithful had never even occurred to me before. I’d trusted her completely. Other guys on the crew worried about being gone for so long at a time, not me. Although, with the benefit of hindsight, I realized I should have.

That was a thought for another time. Right now, I was living in the moment, just like I did when I was fighting fires. I wasn’t thinking about tomorrow or yesterday; I was totally present.

This entire night felt surreal, but if it was a dream, I sure as hell didn’t want to wake up from it.

When we reached room 406, my pulse raced like a Bugatti Super Sport with Andy Wallace behind the wheel, breaking world speed records as I slid the card into the reader. The green light came on. I opened the door and held it so she could walk in front of me, then stepped in myself with her luggage and my bag. As the latch of the door closed behind me, I noticed her take a short, shallow breath.

If you’re uncomfortable, I don’t need to stay. I’ll be fine in the lobby.”

She turned around, and the corners of her mouth tilted up. “Are you kidding me? I’m not passing up the opportunity to share a hotel room with Kyle Chandler.”

I smiled and had to admit that I felt relieved. Not because I gave a shit about sleeping in the lobby. As a wildland firefighter, I’d slept in much worse conditions. I was just happy that our time together wasn’t over.

“Okay, but if you change your mind or, at any point, get uncomfortable, just say the word.”

Her head tilted, and a wide smile spread across her face, causing the apples on her cheeks to round. Fuck. That smile could end me.

“You’re a good egg,” she said as her stomach growled loudly.

“And it sounds like you’re a hungry egg. I’ll order food.”

After a brief discussion, we decided on the Chinese place next door. It had a few things going for it. One was its proximity. Two, there was a menu in the room, which made ordering easier. Three, I could walk and wouldn’t have to wait for a delivery person since I had a feeling a lot of people might be eating in on this stormy night.

I made the call and put it on speakerphone so we could both place our orders. She ordered chicken chow mien, pork fried rice, and fried wontons. After she did, I realized I’d missed being around a woman who didn’t seem to have dietary restrictions.

The entire eight years I’d known Misty, she was perpetually on a diet because of her career. She never ate carbs or empty calories. I applauded her dedication and discipline, and until this moment, I hadn’t even realized it was something that I’d noticed.

I sort of felt like a dick that I had now, and that I was comparing her to Ana, but I wasn’t going to be too hard on myself, considering she was pregnant with another man’s baby.

“Will that be all?” the man on the line asked after I finished my order.

“Yep.”

“And what is the name?”

I looked up at Ana and smiled. “Kyle.”

“Okay, Kyle. Give us about ten minutes.”

When the line disconnected, I hung up and said, “I guess since we’re going to be spending the night together, I should tell you my real na?—"

“No!” She raised her hand like a backup singer in The Supremes, singing “Stop in the Name of Love.”

“Uh…” I couldn’t help but be a little taken aback by her reaction. “Okay.”

“Sorry, it’s just…” She lowered her arm as she shifted from one foot to the other. Her huge green eyes stared up at me as she bit her lower lip. The sight of her teeth sinking into her pillowy pink lip sent arousal surging through me. Her breath was unsteady as she inhaled and then exhaled. “Can we just be Ana and Kyle tonight?”

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