Page 112 of Reckless

“I really don’t want to say something cheesy about finding myself in you.” I arch a brow. “But I will if I have to.”

Krista laughs, and it's music to my ears. Then the sound of sirens takes over. We can’t see out of the back of the RV because of the bedroom, but it’s obvious we’ve been spotted sitting in the breakdown lane. It’s highway patrol or someone coming to check we haven’t broken down.

“Shit,” she mumbles. That’s not what I want to hear.

But she goes up on her toes, and she pulls my mouth down to hers. Her tongue strokes against mine and I press her up against me. I try not to let it get in the way of this, but every time she kisses me, my cock swells, wanting every part of her.

When she pulls back, her lips are still pressed to mine, her eyes are closed. “I love you so badly I don’t know how to handle it.”

A grin splits my face. “Let’s handle it together. Annnd, the cops.”

There is one walking past the window. Alongside the RV.

“Oh shit,” Krista leans back. “Well, at least it’ll be an interesting story to tell our friends.”

Chapter 27

Krista’s face is a picture as we enter the hotel. Not because she’s impressed by the amazing lobby as Riggs ushers us through, having already sorted out our check-in. It’s because she watched Luther drive away with the RV.

I’ve arranged to have it parked up in a secure garage for the week. I’ve even paid a company to detail the whole thing, including the tanks, to make sure it’s at its best for when she makes the drive back home.

I’m still not sure how I feel about that, and am trying to figure out how to convince her to let me fly her home, and have the RV brought back for her. That is a thought for another day, because she looks forlorn as it disappears around the corner.

I get where she is coming from. For the last four weeks, that RV has been our home. The place where our feelings grew for one another and, in a way, stepping out of that is like stepping into a strange world, something that we’d forgotten existed while in that bubble.

It’s weird as fuck for me. It must be weirder for her. I’m used to this kind of thing. In fact, a hotel like this doesn’t impress me in the slightest.

Krista has spent most of her life travelling with her parents, yet they’ve always been content in their campervans, or shared hotel rooms. I got the sense her parents were thrifty despite being well off and they taught those values to their kids.

Things are going to be different now. But I want to make her as comfortable as possible. I need her to know I’m the same guy she’s been traveling with for the last few weeks. It won’t change just because I can afford these things. It’s for security more than anything else. It’s safer in places like this.

Right now, I’m more concerned with keeping Krista happy, to stop her going inside her head and worrying this is a bad idea. Maybe I went a bit too ostentatious. This suite is costing me four grand a night. Shit, I went overboard. Our two small bags of belongings looks ridiculous amongst all this opulence.

In the elevator, I hold her hand and lean in to ask if she is okay.

Krista nods and smiles, but says nothing. Once we get to the suite, I give the bellman a generous tip and take the bags, not wanting him to come in with us. Riggs says he and Luther are a few floors down, but to call if we need anything, then he slips away too.

We enter the suite and I walk behind Krista as she takes it all in with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open. As I suspected, her eyes go straight to the piano. She walks across the marble floor and plush rug, looking through the wall of windows to the city spread out beneath it, and lifts the lid.

The keys tinkle as she taps a few of them. I shove my hands in my pockets and watch. I’m rusty as shit when it comes to the piano, but she’s right. It’s not a skill you forget once you find the right key. Krista sets the lid back down and turns around a full three sixty, taking it all in, then she walks to the window.

The place is gorgeous, not gaudy or over the top, aside from the huge black and gold piano. The rest of the place is muted and stylish. The views of Chicago are stunning, even during the day. I imagine they’re going to be breathtaking at night.

The apprehension was dissipating a little, but the longer she is silent, the more the niggle of worry comes back.

The RV might seem basic to some, and a foreign concept to most of the people in my world, but it is top of the line and has everything we need. We weren’t out eating expensive food and going to parties. We’ve hiked trails, been at the mercy of the weather, travelled across the states, seeing some of the most amazing sights this country has to offer.

Now, we’re here, in this palace of a hotel suite.

Krista isn’t materialistic, she likes comfort, and she has her vices, but she’s never shown any inclination something like this will impress her.

Fucking hell, my nerves are shot. All I want to do is please her, take care of her, and give back some of the kindness and care she gave to me. A complete stranger, who walked into her life.

Stop being a dick. She isn’t going to run away screaming. And I’m not some nervous teenager waiting to see if the girl he likes is going to say she likes him back. I walk over and stand behind her by the window, placing a hand on her hip.

“What do you think?

“It’s beautiful,” she replies. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen the city like this.”

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