Page 40 of Phoenix Rising

“Someone disrupted the cameras.” He told her about the couple in the lobby.

She turned to Reese again. “How long have you been in town?”

“Three days.”

“I’ll file a report on the break-in, but with no video, I doubt it will be investigated. As with most police stations in the country, we’re short-staffed. Plus, hotel rooms are notoriously full of fingerprints, so narrowing them down would take time.” She removed two cards from a pocket on her tablet and handed them to Reese and Audria. “Thank you for being honest. I would appreciate you keeping me updated on what you find out.”

“We will.”

As they left the security office, Ms. Houseman met them, looking much different from the last time they’d seen her. She wore a T-shirt and shorts, and her hair had been pulled off her face with a band.

“Mr. and Mrs. Green, I’m so sorry again about the trouble.” She passed Reese a key card. “I’ve comped you the best suite in the resort for the rest of your stay, along with a complimentary in-room couple’s massage.”

“That wasn’t necessary,” Reese protested.

“It’s already done. I’ll have one of the guest service attendants transfer your belongings.”

“No need. There’s nothing left.”

She slapped her head. “Oh, right. I knew that. You don’t need to worry about the mess. I’ll have housekeeping gather your ruined things and dispose of them.”

“Thanks. We’ll go through and see if we can salvage anything first.”

“Again, I’m sorry. Please let me know if you have any other problems. We strive for complete customer satisfaction at Aguas Tranquilas Resort and Spa.”

They thanked the manager and stopped by the boutique in the lobby to replace their wardrobe, but it was closed for the evening. Instead, they returned to their original room, looking for anything that survived the destruction, but there was nothing. They tossed the shreds of clothing and toiletries into the ruined bags and left them on the bed for the staff to discard.

Their new room was two floors up, on the top level of the resort. It also happened to be the honeymoon suite, according to the sign on the door.

Audria slid the key card inside the slot and pushed the panel open. The overwhelming urge to sweep her off her feet and carry her across the threshold slammed into Reese. An image of him in a tuxedo and her in a long white dress flashed in his head. They were laughing, and a feeling of happiness washed over him. He shook his head to clear the vision and refrained from picking her up. Barely.

“Wow.”

Reese stepped in behind her and took in the space. Pure luxury. A gift basket of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries welcomed them on a table by the entry. The room was spacious, with a sitting area flanking a fireplace, a stocked mini-bar, and a massive king-sized bed. The most impressive feature was the wall of windows leading to a private balcony overlooking the red rocks.

“Not bad,” Audria murmured.

No, it wasn’t bad at all, but Reese wasn’t interested in the scenery. He was looking at her.

#

Dread filled Audria as she walked around the honeymoon suite. The room screamed love and romance. And sex. No, SEX. Capital letters. The room expected it and got it ninety-nine out of one hundred times. It was a couple’s retreat from the enormous four-poster bed covered with silk and pillows and surrounded by netting to the wall of windows showcasing the view to the private deck, complete with a hot tub. It even smelled amazing, like roses and vanilla and lavender. The room was made for loving.

It was hard enough keeping her feelings for Reese hidden when they were in a regular suite. She wasn’t sure she had the willpower to pretend in this den of iniquity. She shook her head. That sounded trashy, and the room was anything but. It was time to stop thinking about sex. Since it was late back home, she texted Luke and Logan, telling them there had been developments and asking them to call her in the morning. When her phone rang five minutes later, she wasn’t shocked.

“It’s my bosses,” she informed Reese, who came over to sit beside her on the plush leather sofa.

“Hey, Audria, is Reese with you?” Luke asked.

“He is. You didn’t need to call tonight. I didn’t mean to interrupt time with your families.”

“You’re family,” Logan said, which touched Audria more than anything had in a long time.

She had to clear her throat before continuing. “We had an incident tonight. I’ll let Reese explain while I send you a video.”

Reese detailed the car jumping the curb while she forwarded the footage.

“Are you both okay?” Luke asked, concern evident in his voice.

---