Page 16 of The Bachelor

“Thank you for joining us, Miss O’Leery. Was everything okay this evening? We expected you here earlier,” the desk clerk said. He was in his fifties, soft-spoken, suave.

It sounded like a script. Just what he was supposed to say. But Avery stammered a little, over-explaining. “My flight was really delayed,” she said. “And they lost my luggage. That’s why I don’t have any. So just a long night, but nothing too horrible.” She gave a nervous laugh. She wasn’t a skilled liar and the story was too elaborate and far from the truth.

Shane put his hand on the small of her back to reassure her, calm her down. She had no reason to be nervous. If anything, he was the one who felt like an ass. It looked like he’d let his girlfriend pay for his hotel room and that galled him, but he restrained himself from making up some bullshit excuse. At the end of the day he didn’t give a shit what the clerk thought, and he couldn’t give the guy his name anyway, because he didn’t want it to get out there as gossip. Producer’s latest score, or some such shit like that. He wouldn’t want that to happen to Avery.

“Well, we hope you’ll enjoy your stay here despite the rocky start.” The clerk pushed up his glasses and smiled the bland smile of a man forced to be polite at nearly four in the morning. Shane had to admire his demeanor.

Avery showed the clerk her credit card, they received the keys, and then they were on their way to the elevators. He shouldn’t say anything, because it wasn’t his business, but he couldn’t stop myself. “You don’t need to explain yourself like that, you know. Making up excuses. It’s none of that guy’s business. It’s his job to stay neutral.”

“You don’t understand. You’re a man. No one cares what you do.”

That surprised him a little, but he realized she probably did have a point. His sister, Jolene, put on five pounds and the critics tore into her, yet no one seemed to care when a man was as round as a suckling pig. But that didn’t mean you had to tolerate it. “True. But I don’t think you should care either. This isn’t small-town Kentucky. You’re free to live your life as you choose.”

The elevator doors opened and she stepped inside and turned to look at him. “I know that, Shane. That’s why I’m letting you come up to my room. Because I want to live my life as I choose. Tonight I choose you.”

His dick hardened and he took a step forward. “I’m honored. But are you sure?” He slapped his hand over the elevator door to keep it from closing. He had one foot in, one foot out. He didn’t want to sway her in any way. The decision had to be hers. He would leave if she was not positive about this.

But she nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear. She looked up at him from under thick lashes, her expression both shy and seductive. It was a deadly combination. The sexual come hither of a sweet woman. Was there anything hotter? He didn’t think so.

“I’m absolutely sure. I’ve never been more sure in my life.” Her voice was sweet, but strong. Certain.

That was all he needed to hear.

“Then sweet girl, come here.” He stepped forward and released the door. It closed quickly behind him.

He reached out and drew his finger across the line her purse was making between her breasts.

Avery tentatively reached out and closed her fingers around his bicep.

“What floor?” he asked her.

“Three.”

He reached behind him and hit the button.

Then he leaned over and brushed her hair off of her ear. “I can’t wait to taste your pussy.”

The elevator shuddered at the same time Avery did. She didn’t speak but she flicked her tongue across her bottom lip. He bent down and followed the same path with his own tongue. She was trembling, leaning in, closing the space between them.

“I want that,” she whispered. “So much.”

“I’ll give you everything you want.”

The door opened and he gestured for her to go before him. Avery did, glancing at him over her shoulder as she walked, her tongue dragging across her bottom lip again. God, she had no idea what that did to him.

“Do you have condoms?” he asked, because he only had one emergency foil packet in his wallet. He had a feeling that wasn’t going to be enough for either of them. The hallway was quiet and he kept his voice low, conscious of the fact that it was four in the morning and most guests were probably asleep.

She followed his cue and whispered. “Yes.” She tapped her purse.

He didn’t want to think about her opening herself for that idiot Ben. Or going down on him. It made his nose twitch and his fists clench. He was going to make sure by the time she fell asleep, she forgot she had ever wasted damn near a decade of her life on that prick. “Good.” Then he held his hand out for the key.

“What?” she asked, staring blankly at his open palm.

“The key. I’m going to open the door for you.” Like any man raised right would.

“Oh, okay.” She seemed curious. “But…why?”

“It’s polite.” He frowned, angry all over again at the way she had obviously been treated by her now ex-boyfriend. “Key, please.”

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