Page 13 of Beneath Submission
~Nine~
When we left Direction 96, Xavier had tried several times to get in touch with my father, with no luck. With everything that was going on, he thought it was better that we go somewhere other than the cabin. I managed to reach Agnes to let her know that we wouldn’t be back this evening. The last thing that I wanted was to make her worry.
I thought for sure that we would be staying at Xavier’s condo, but when he pulled up to the Four Seasons, I realized I was mistaken. It really didn’t matter where we stayed as long as we were together. As we headed in, I couldn’t believe that this was happening. It didn’t matter what I wanted my life to be like or how much I wanted to strengthen the relationship with Xavier, Mr. Colin would always be there to take it away.
For now, I tried to put everything aside and pray that my father and Xavier would find a way to save my brother. Parking in front of the hotel, a valet was waiting patiently for us. Heading our way, he opened my door and said, “Welcome to the Four Seasons. May I assist you with your bags?”
I wasn’t sure what to tell him since we didn’t have any bags. Looking over to Xavier, he quickly got out of the car and responded, “We are here for a short time and have no bags,” as he handed the gentleman the keys over the top of the car. Dangling the keys until the valet tried to take them, Xavier warned, “Park her away from the rest of the cars. I prefer to have her returned the way I’m leaving her.”
The valet nodded with a half-smile. “Yes, sir.”
A few minutes later we were making our way through the glass doors and heading to the reservation desk. I had been to this hotel many times, but this time was there was no regret, even if the circumstances were less than favorable. Being with Xavier was one thing I didn’t regret, and being controlled by him was nothing like being controlled by Mr. Colin.
Reaching the desk, an attractive young woman walked up to us giving Xavier a big smile. I thought for sure that she was going to pull a muscle in her face the way she smiled at him. When she accompanied it with a wink, I could feel my temperature begin to boil.“Who the hell did she think she was and what was she trying to prove?”I said to myself.
“Mr. London, how nice to have you back,” she said in a flirty voice, as though he came back to see her.
“Thank you, Shelley. It’s nice to be back.” he replied.
I didn’t know what was going on between the two of them, but whatever it was, I didn’t like it one bit. As I pulled on his arm, he looked down at me and saw my disapproval of her flirtatious demeanor.
“Would you like your regular room?” she asked.
“That would be wonderful, but can you please make sure there are additional toiletries in the suite for my girlfriend?”
The look on her face was priceless as her smile turned upside down. “Of course,” she stated, less than enthusiastic.
My mind began doing somersaults, knowing that he announced me as his girlfriend. His declaration made me feel good, and best of all it halted any advances that Shelley was conspiring to achieve. When she handed Xavier the key cards, we headed to the set of elevators. Taking his hand in mine, I said, “Thank you for that.”
With a smile, Xavier replied, “I would like to think that you are, Tessa, and I want every woman to know that you are,” He was confident as he looked over his shoulder, letting me know that he was aiming his remark towards Shelley.
As we entered the elevator, I wondered just how many women he had and how many others there would be that I would be competing with. I knew that it was silly of me to worry based on what he just admitted, but nonetheless, he was a man and I knew that every man enjoyed the attention of a beautiful woman. I couldn’t imagine that any of the women that he knew would be less than gorgeous.
When the door opened on the 16thfloor, we headed down the impressive hallway that was decorated in grays and blues and finally reached our room, which was doubly impressive. Most of the rooms that I had ever been in were guest rooms. There was only one time that it had been different. It was when a client from Asia insisted on having nothing less than the Presidential Suite. All the money in the world couldn’t make me want to ever be with that man again. Mr. Colin instructed me to do everything the man said, even if it included BDSM play. He said it was very important that I please that client and that he would be paying top dollar for my services. He was a brutal man and even Mr. Colin saw how ruthless he really was. I was thankful that Mr. Colin’s affiliation with the man only lasted that one time
Xavier pushed the key card into the slot and turned the brass handle. Just like the Presidential Suite, this suite was elegant with its tasteful décor of grays mixed with tans and whites. I wasn’t sure how long we would be staying here, but the accommodations were more than sufficient for any length of stay.
Taking a seat in the living area, I picked up the information book and began thumbing through the pages. I wasn’t really looking at the contents only because my mind was elsewhere, namely the giant king-sized bed that could be seen through the double French doors.
Xavier took a seat beside me and looked over to see what I was looking at. I didn’t realize that I had stopped at the room service menu until he said, “Are you hungry, Tessa?”
I really wasn’t very hungry, but didn’t want to tell him that I had lost my appetite the minute he showed me the letter from Mr. Colin. It had been at least six hours since we ate lunch and I knew that he would be hungry, so I replied, “Yeah, I could eat a little.”
“Good, because I’m starving. How about we order something from the restaurant and have them bring it up?” he suggested.
“Sounds good to me. You order. I am going to take a hot bath,” I replied as I rose to my feet and headed to the bathroom where the large tub was. It was crazy that this suite had two bathrooms, especially since it was only the two of us sharing the room.
Walking through the double doors, I began removing my clothes and set them neatly on the chair. As the tub began to fill, I could hear Xavier just outside the doors asking what I would like to eat. Peeking my head out the bathroom door, I said, “Whatever you think sounds good.”
Leaving the door open a crack, I sunk down into the hot water and took in the warmth as the water began to make my body relax. Reaching across the front of the tub, I turned on the jets and enjoyed the pulsation of the water against my back. Every tense muscle in my shoulders and my back began to loosen and I could feel the pressure between my shoulder blades begin to ease. Closing my eyes, I leaned back and reveled in the comfort.
My mind was so consumed by the wonderful state that I was in that I didn’t hear Xavier come into the room. Opening my eyes, sensing that I wasn’t alone, I looked up at him exhibiting a mischievous grin. Grabbing a towel from the rack, he held it open for me and said softly, “I hate to take you away from your paradise, but dinner is here.”
Relaxing in the tub did wonders for my appetite. I was starving and ready to eat. Pushing from the tub, I carefully got out and turned my back to him so that he could wrap the soft plush towel around my body. Not only was the towel warm against my skin, the feel of Xavier’s arms around my body added to the warmth that I was beginning to feel inside. Turning to face him, I let him continue to warm me as he began rubbing his hands up and down my back, soaking up some of the water with the towel. Suddenly, a memory came back as I thought about my mom doing the same thing when I was a child.
Once I was dry enough, Xavier handed me one of the courtesy robes. It was also nice and warm as I wrapped it around my body and tightened the sash. Taking in the scent as I adjusted the collar, we headed back to the living area. The cart that was delivered by room service was covered with different dishes. Using it as a table, Xavier pulled up two chairs, giving us a place to enjoy this amazing meal. He must have been very hungry when he had placed the order. There was enough food on the cart to feed six people.
As we sat and ate our meal, I could tell that something was on Xavier’s mind. When I was about to ask him what was wrong, he said, “I need to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me.”
