Page 18 of Not That Complicated

Adam was one hell of a kisser. His lips were firm, his hold was gentle but in control, and he had a gift for gauging how much pressure I needed, and not letting me have it.

He stroked his mouth over mine in teasing brushes, pushing then withdrawing. I hadn’t had even a hint of tongue yet and I was half hard.

“Yeah,” he whispered against my lips as I opened up helplessly. He pulled me a fraction of an inch closer, licked into my mouth to make me moan, then...he let me go.

I dropped back onto my heels with a jolt, stunned. I gaped at Adam.

He held the phone to his ear with one hand and tapped at the keyboard with the other. His mouth was red and damp and he had a hint of colour in that peach-perfect skin, but otherwise he showed no sign that until the phone rang he had me up on my toes, his tongue in my mouth and his hands cupping my face while he kissed me like he was off to war.

“Yes, we have a room free,” he was saying. “Would you like a single or a double?”

I was sweating lightly as my racing heart slowed.

Hold on.

He’d told me Dr Ridley had the last room.

“Would that be for tonight or more than one night? Yes, three nights, not a problem.”

Adam must have sensed the pulsing beat of my ire. He cut me a glance and paused, attention arrested on my face.

I snatched up the pen and notepad from beside the bell on the desk. In block capitals, I wroteARSEHOLE!!!

With a flourish I tore the flimsy sheet off the pad, slapped it down in front of Adam, and stalked back to my room.

CHAPTER SIX

It will come as nosurprise to hear that I was utterly incapable of sleep that night. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, for hours.

I couldn’t even blame the dead body or the squawking honeymooners in the room next door, whose enthusiastic shagging eventually simmered down to a dull, background roar.

Both were excellent reasons.

And yet full responsibility lay with Adam Blake.

Adam Blake, and the way he kissed me, riled me up, and then left me drowning in self-loathing for a) kissing such a manipulative and annoying shit in the first place, and for b) kissing a twenty-three-year-old.

By the time six a.m. rolled around, I was gritty-eyed with exhaustion and exceedingly cranky.

I took a long, hot shower in the tiny cubicle and used up all the free toiletries, having forgotten to bring my own. When I was done, I was squeaky clean and hotel scented from top to bottom.

I bundled myself into cosy sweatpants, thick socks, and a jumper. The air con in the room was set to meat locker. I would rather freeze to death than call the front desk and ask Adam for help. I’d had a cautious fiddle with the dial the night before, and gave up when the thing had threatened to come off in my hand.

I made coffee from a packet of disgusting freeze-dried instant provided on a little tray with a tiny kettle. The hotel had also provided a miniature packet of biscuits, which were just about big enough to wake up your appetite and make you yearn for a Hobnob. I choked down the coffee, scoffed the biscuits, and grudgingly set my computer up at the desk.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, I loved being my own boss. On days like this, though, it would have been great to be able to call in sick and have someone cover for me.

I couldn’t even say screw it, I’ll take the morning off and work late, since I had a deadline and there was a client out there expecting files to be sent over by lunchtime. I buckled down and got the job done, then poked about online until I received confirmation of receipt from the satisfied client, and staggered back to the bed.

NowI could sleep.

Hopefully.

Of course, as soon asI dropped off, I was startled awake by the shrill demand of my iPhone, which I’d left sitting on the desk across the room. My Apple watch took up the slack and did its best to shock me awake by having an actual fit on my wrist.

I hauled the pillow over my head and fumblingly removed the watch. I tossed it in the general direction of the bedside table, and carried on with the important business at hand: sweet oblivion.

My nap extended all the way to five p.m. Even though I’d needed the rest, I was horrified at myself for sleeping the day away.

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