Page 14 of Royally Embraced: RBMC

“I’m underdressed,” she muttered.

He looked at her and those around them. It was late, so there weren't too many people wandering around the lobby area. Some were in evening attire that looked straight out of magazines, but the majority looked casual but expensive.

Tori's black skinny jeans fit her like a glove, accentuating her petite yet curvy figure. The black and red T-shirt he knew was butter-soft. She had a flannel top tied around her waist when she'd been working, but she'd shrugged it on before they'd left the office of Hoolihan's. His jacket he’d given her before they’d walked outside the bar she’d taken off and given back to him, insisting he needed to cover up the blood on his shirt. Jeter wanted to insist she keep it but agreed with even though he liked having her covered in something of his.

He pushed the caveman thoughts away and appreciated the beauty of the woman before him. In a few words, he'd describe her as stacked in all the right places. Her ass would fit perfectly in his hands, nice and rounded like a woman should be, in his opinion. If asked if he was a tits or ass man, he'd say yes to all the above, especially when it came to Tori. Every dip and curve on her screamed femininity at its finest. Hell, his hands itched to see if her breasts were more than a handful.

“You look fine. Besides, we won’t be here for long. Come on, babe.” He threaded their fingers together as he led the way toward the elevator that would take him up to his suite of rooms. From years of being in the military, he didn’t let his guard down during the entire walk through the foyer or the ride up to his floor. Neither of them spoke as the silence stretched. He released her hand once to swipe his card to gain access to his floor. Jeterwanted to slide his hand over hers again but settled for placing his palm on her lower back once the doors opened.

“Wow, this is the top floor,” she whispered.

He grunted, knowing the cost and the floor went hand-in-hand. Kendrick would’ve booked all the suites on the floor for him and his people. There didn’t seem to be any sign of the others in residence yet, which gave him a chance to slip out unnoticed.

“A grunt is your answer. Come on. How the hell do you afford to stay in one of these?” she asked in a loud whisper.

Jeter stopped in front of the massive double doors and swiped the wooden card over the reader. He held his hand up the moment the lock disengaged. “Wait here for me.”

An ingrained sense within him to make sure nobody waited inside to ambush them had him moving swiftly through the large suite, scanning the rooms for signs of an intruder. Once he was sure it was safe, he went back out to where he’d left Tori to find her leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, frowning.

“I was a literal sitting duck out here if someone had come out of one of the other rooms with a gun.” She wouldn’t meet his eyes as she spoke.

Jeter shoved the gun he’d pulled out, when he’d gone through the hotel room, back into the holster on his back. “I’m sorry if my actions scared you. My brother rented out this entire floor for his wedding, which was to take place tomorrow, for himself and his groomsmen. Nobody but him, me, and two of his trusted men have access. I know for a fact none of them are back. Security is tight, and nobody would expect you and me to show up here.”

She waved her hand toward him and the entrance. “Then why did you go all sneaky snake and search the room before allowing me to go inside? You can’t have it both ways, Jeter.”

He looked up and down the hallway on both sides, then pulled her into the room, shutting the door behind them. No way in hell did he want to have a conversation out there where they might get caught on camera. “It’s like second nature for me to do what I did, farfallina. I guess it’s a byproduct of my upbringing that got a double dose of security upgrade, thanks to Uncle Sam.”

Jeter ran his hand over his head, wincing as he hit the spot the bullet grazed.

“Shit, let’s go into the bathroom so I can clean that better and get a proper look at the damage. You might need to go to an actual doctor and possibly get an antibiotic. The last thing you want to get is an infection. Are you up to date on your shots?”

He let her pull him into the super-sized bathroom, plopping down onto the side of the bathtub while she mumbled words too low for him to make out. He wouldn’t admit it, but he enjoyed having Tori fuss over him. She turned back toward him with a wet washcloth. He spread his legs to make room for her, placing his hands on her hips to steady her or himself. He wasn’t sure.

Chapter Eight

Tori took a deep breath and made a decision. Hopefully Jeter would be on board with her choice. It wouldn’t matter afterward. She’d walk away with what she hoped was a good memory. She was good at disappearing, or she had been for the past four years.Pump the breaks, Vittoria. This sexy man hasn’t agreed to do anything.Yet. The last word slid into her subconscious. Her mom had told her she was like a moth to a flame, always getting too close to danger when she’d been young. This time, Tori’s eyes were wide open, and she’d be damned if she didn’t want to feel the burn from Jeter.

“You keep looking at me like that, farfallina, and I won’t be responsible for my actions,” he growled.

She bit her lip, wondering if she was pushing them too fast. Hell, she knew nothing about him besides his name and that he was in town for his brother Kendrick’s wedding...a wedding that wasn’t happening after the bride ran off with another man.

The stark reality hit her like a bucket of ice water. She reached for the small packet of alcohol swabs. “This is going to sting,” she warned.

His body tensed slightly, but that was the only sign of discomfort he showed.

“You gonna kiss me all better?” he asked.

She froze, watching his Adam's apple bob up and down. He looked like he could be a sexy spy or gangster wearing a suit with the top three buttons of the dress shirt undone. Each time he lifted his hand, she saw bits of what appeared to be ink on his wrist. If there was one thing she was a sucker for, tatted up men, was it.

“There you go. You didn’t answer my question about being up to date on your vaccinations,” she said, taking a step back. His hands fell away from her, dangling between his spread thighs. Tori couldn’t help but stare where they landed. He was hard.

Her eyes jerked up to meet his, catching a knowing glint in his flashing green orbs.

“Hey, it’s only natural for a man to get excited when a gorgeous woman, as sexy as you, has her hands on him,” he said, winking. “Besides, if we ignore him, he’ll go away.”

“I don’t know how you can ignore an anaconda in your pants.” She slapped her hand over her mouth. The moment the words left her mouth, she wanted to call them back. Embarrassed she’d spoken what she’d been thinking. “Ignore that, please.”

He got to his feet like a jungle cat stalking his prey. She took a step back for everyone he took forward until her back hit the counter. As soon as he stood in front of her, she let out a sigh. “What are we doing? Shouldn’t we be running to your friend’s place to hide?”

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