Page 29 of His Secret Virgin
Chapter 12
Emma
After running home at lunchtime to pack, I kissed Mom and Dad goodbye before they got into Dad’s company car; I got into mine, and we all headed off to our work weekends. To some, a weekend away for work may have sounded boring, but to us it sounded like fun.
I’d never gone on a trip alone before. Mom was a little worried about me, but I told her that I had my cell and that meant I had GPS, and they would know my whereabouts at all times. It eased her mind some. Dad said he’d already thought of that, and that’s why he’d felt comfortable with me making the trip.
I’d secretly rolled my eyes at that. While I never wanted to worry my parents unnecessarily, I was a working professional now; I would take work trips whether Dad felt comfortable about them or not.
When Mrs. Kramer came into my office with the packet she’d put together for my excursion, my bubble burst just a bit. I’d honestly thought Christopher might’ve had an agenda, sending my father and mother away. But I’d been wrong, it seemed. He had no plans for me at all—other than work plans, it seemed.
The brief interaction I’d had with him the day before had left me with enough of a glimpse of his skin and his body that my dreams were the sweetest ever: visions filled with the two of us lying on a beach, running our hands over each other’s bodies, kissing tenderly.
Sure, I didn’t know what any of that really felt like, since I’d never done any of it before, but it didn’t seem to matter in my little dream-world. Nothing mattered in my dream-world.
If by some miracle Christopher Taylor did want me the way I wanted him, there would be so many obstacles in our way. Somehow, I didn’t care. If it meant I got to be with Christopher, I could deal with anything. Not that I thought I would ever get that chance, but it was a pleasant fantasy, and it kept me going.
The thirty-minute drive to the Centennial Hotel passed in a flash. Walking up to the entrance, I admired the red brick structure that I’d read had been opened in 1876 as a home for elderly residents who didn’t have enough money to live on their own. Later it was transformed into a luxury hotel. And now I was getting to stay in it, thanks to my fabulous job.
Entering the lobby, I felt as if I’d stepped back in time, the building’s long history seeming to hang heavy in the air.
“Good afternoon, miss,” the receptionist greeted me with a smile. “How are you doing today?”
“Great, actually. I’m Emma Hancock. My company made a reservation for me.” I put my suitcase down only for a bellhop to appear out of nowhere to pick it up for me.
“I’ll escort you to your room, miss,” he told me.
I could handle my one suitcase on my own, but I let the young man do his job while the receptionist looked up the reservation.
“Oh, yes. You’re in one of our turret suites on the third floor. Jason will show you to it.” She handed me a keycard. “It’s the King Turret, Jason. Thank you for staying with us, Miss Hancock. If you’d like to dine in our restaurant, you can make reservations using the phone in your suite. Or you can order in, and we’ll have it brought to you.”
“Thank you. I’ll see what I feel like doing once I get settled in.” Following Jason to the stairs, I took in a deep breath. The air felt electric, like something special was about to happen.
Even though my plans were pretty mundane—I’d be touring the town and finding things our Chinese guests would hopefully find exciting and pleasing—I felt a charge that couldn’t be explained.
When we got up to the room, my jaw dropped as I looked around. “This is so beautiful.”
Jason put my suitcase just inside the door. “Glad you like it. If there’s anything you need, please call the front desk and we’ll bring it right up to you. We’ve got every toiletry you can imagine if you’ve forgotten anything.”
I reached into my purse, pulling out a five dollar bill. “Thank you so much, Jason. You’ve been very helpful. If I need anything, I will call.”
With a smile and a wave, he closed the door, leaving me alone. The first thing I did was look at the vast king-size bed. I kicked off my shoes and ran to flop down on it. “Oh, how soft!”
Running my hands over the bedspread, I nuzzled a thick, plush pillow and thought I might just take a little nap. A few minutes would be all I’d need.
Two hours later, I woke with a start. My cell was ringing, my mother’s name flashing on the screen. “Hi, Mom. I made it all right,” I croaked.
“Were you sleeping, Emma?” she asked, sounding surprised.
“The first thing I did was fall on the bed—this is the comfiest bed I’ve ever laid down on, and this is the most magnificent room I’ve ever been in. It seems I did fall asleep. I guess I needed to catch up a bit.” I rubbed my eyes as I sat up. “What time is it?”
“Four,” she said. “Have you made reservations for dinner yet? Your father said that if you’re going to eat in the room, which is what he’d prefer, then you should make reservations at the hotel restaurant. He doesn’t want you out exploring an unfamiliar city after dark.”
Man, he really knows how to make me feel like a baby!
“I don’t want to go eat alone in some fancy restaurant, Mom. I’ll get room-service.” Wondering how long it would be until it got dark, I looked out the window to see where the sun was. “I’ve got things I need to do before it gets dark. I might just pick up something from a drive-thru and bring it back here to eat.”
Dad called out in the background, “You don’t need to eat crap, Emma. Get something healthy. And put it all on the company card. You don’t have to spend your own money on things like this.”
