Page 13 of The Lynx and the Llama
“Good to know. Follow me, and I’ll get you checked in.”
“You don’t have to go through all of this trouble. I’m pretty sure all I have to tell them at the desk is my name, correct?”
He had her there, dead to rights, but she didn’t want to say goodbye yet. Which, if she was honest with herself, was a little strange.
“I just want to ensure they charge the palace for your stay. After all, you’ll be training here, so I want to ensure you are all set.”
“Having problems saying goodbye?” The cocky grin appeared again. “How about we get a drink before you have to leave for your place? It’d be good practice if nothing else.”
No. Say no. Say no!
“Yes! That sounds great!”
Damn it!
He smiled brightly, and they both headed to the check-in desk.
The woman at the desk offered a smile to Quinn, but when she glanced at Erika, she frowned. Figured the woman behind the desk would have the hots for Quinn. Not that she could blame the woman because Quinn dripped sexiness from every single pore.
Wait?
Was she getting jealous? No. That couldn’t be right. She didn’t do jealousy—not after her ex.
“Your reservation is all set. It also says that your employer will handle your bill and all additional charges.”
The woman’s voice was saccharin as she smiled brightly again in Quinn’s general direction. And now the woman was eye-fucking him.
Mine, bitch! Back off!
“Yes, that is correct. Do you need the physical charge card?” Erika’s voice came out a little harsher than she’d intended, but the scowl on her face was intentional. She didn’t like the woman flirting with Quinn at all.
“That isn’t necessary,” the lady said with a dismissive hand. “Here are your room cards, Mr. Taylor, and if there is anything else I can help you with, please let me know. Also, someone left this for you.”
She presented a suit on a hanger to him, which Quinn took along with the cards. Then he turned to Erika.
“Let me drop off this stuff, and then we can get that drink,” he said to her as he motioned to the elevators.
“I can wait for you down here.”
“Please come up with me. Call me crazy, but I don’t enjoy leaving a date all by her lonesome, even if it’s just for a few minutes.”
“A date?”
He reached for her hand while he pressed the button on the elevator and then drew his lips to her ear.
“Relax, Erika. Play the part.”
His breath was hot against her ear, yet it still made her skin prick with goosebumps. He gently tugged her closer to the elevator and escorted her into the empty car, which appeared when he pressed the up button.
“I could have stayed downstairs and gotten us some seats at the bar.”
“No, you couldn’t have. If you had, the woman at the desk would have been suspicious. She’d already assumed you and I weren’t together, which tells me you aren’t all that good at playing the part, Erika. We have to get this right for tonight and tomorrow.”
“Why must we convince that woman at the desk? She isn’t about our supposed assignment. An assignment—need I remind you—FUC has thrown me into!”
“No, she’s not. But she was flirting with me because she thought I was available.”
“And that’s my fault because?”
