Page 83 of Playboy

“I ordered room service,” I call from the bed.

“I feel bad.” She appears in the bathroom doorway, wearing a fluffy white robe just like I am.

I pat the spot next to me, and she pads over and then settles close.

“Why?”

“You planned a special trip, and we haven’t left the hotel room.”

I tilt her chin up so she’s looking at me again. “Are you having a good time?”

Her lips curve into that beautiful smile I’m starting to become addicted to. Oh, fuck, who am I kidding? I’m well and truly deep in my addiction by now. There’s no starting involved.

“The best.”

“Then I’m happy. My goal was to give you a few days away from real life so you could relax. You’ve been going nonstop, and I’m about to do the same since training starts next week.”

She hums contentedly. “I appreciate it. Did Noah tell you this is what I did for him when he found out Jen was pregnant?”

“He did. Though he didn’t say much more than that. Just that it’s something you do for people.”

“Have a daytrips.” She leans against me. “I started the tradition after my mother’s first divorce.”

I let out a low hum, hoping she picks up on my interest. I’m completely infatuated with this woman, and I don’t mind admitting it one bit.

“She was so depressed. She wouldn’t get out of bed. Wouldn’t get dressed. He was the only husband to ever leaveher. And she never allowed that to happen again.” She shakes her head subtly, like she still doesn’t understand it. “When I was young, if I had a bad day, she’d tell me we should have a day. It meant shopping, treating ourselves. She did it on her ex-husband’s card back then.

“When he left her, that was no longer possible, but I wanted to cheer her up like she’d always done for me. So I counted up all the money in my piggy bank, and we spent the night at a local hotel. We ordered room service and laid in bed, watching movies for hours.” She gives me the smallest of smiles. “The next day, she perked up. God, I was so relieved. I can see now that it wasn’t so much the hotel but that she realized it wasn’t right to fall apart like that when she had a child to take care of. I think it hit her how sad it was that her daughter had to orchestrate the scenario to get her moving. Or at least I’d like to think that’s what it was. Anyway.” She shrugs. “From then on, any time a friend or family member hit a rough patch, I’d take money that I’d set aside and we’d gohave a day.I’ve had far more of those days with my mother. One after each of her divorces. Then another after my own divorce.”

Without my permission, my body tenses.Divorce?This is the first I’m hearing of it.

She peers up at me through her lashes, worrying her lip. “That’s a story for another day, please?”

I give her an easy smile and squeeze her hip. I’ll wait as long as she needs. “I’m glad that we’re having a day,” I say softly, “But, Hannah, our reality isn’t something I need a break from. I understand if you don’t feel the same way, but honestly, this is easily the best thing that’s happened to me.”

She pulls back, eyes wide. “How can you say that?”

An ache blooms in my chest. I want to pull her in again, but it’s better that she looks me in the eye so she knows I’m serious. “Do you trust me?”

She nods. “I really do. It may not seem like I’m giving you much, but for me”—she motions between us—“this isa lot.”

I get it. The last few hours in the bath—hell, the last few weeks—she’s been slowly opening up to me in a way I don’t believe she does with others. Now that I have a little insight into her history with her mother and the smallest tidbit of information about her divorce, I can’t blame her for holding her cards so close.

I press a kiss to her head. “You’ll understand eventually, but for right now, just believe me when I say that I don’t have a single regret about what led us to where we are.”

She settles against my chest, her warm breath tickling my neck. “Can I sleep in your bed tonight?”

With another kiss to her crown, I chuckle. And my heart does this strange flippy thing that I’ve never experienced before. “Yeah, dream girl. You can sleep in my bed any night you want.”

“I might hold you to that.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

HANNAH

“I wishwe never had to leave.” I suck in a lungful of fresh mountain air and tip my head toward the sun. It’s peeking between the trees as we hike the path toward what we’re told is a beautiful set of falls.

We had breakfast with the owner of the inn and a few other guests. It was nice, really—dining with strangers. It gave us the opportunity to try out interacting like an actual couple. Though it kind of felt like we were pulling one over on the other guests, since we still haven’t defined what the hell we’re doing—other than having a baby together.

---