Page 103 of Alpha-Ex Wedding Ruse
She looked up, clearly unimpressed, her expression tight with disinterest. But the moment Luca stepped in behind me, recognition flashed in her eyes. She straightened like she’d just had a double shot of espresso.
“Good evening, Mr. Vaughn,” she beamed, ignoring me entirely. “Welcome to Oasis Luxury Resort.”
Luca offered a lazy nod. “Reservation under Vaughn. Double bed suite.”
“Right, sir. We’ve been expecting you,” the receptionist said as she rifled through a stack of key cards.
I turned to Luca. “Double bed suite? Is that two rooms in a suite, or…what does that mean?”
Luca shot me an amused look. “Pretty sure you know what a double bed suite means, Leila.”
My eyes widened. “Hell no. No way, Luca. I’m not sharing a room—or a suite, or whatever—with you, even if it has separate beds. Why the hell would you book that?”
He shrugged, maddeningly calm. “That was the only suite available. You know I can’t stay in ordinary rooms.”
“Bullshit!” I snapped, turning to the receptionist. “Are there any other rooms available? Preferably your cheapest.”
I could already guess the price would be insane. But anything—anything—was better than sharing a room with Luca. I’d gotten through the week with too many shameful dreams. I wasn’t about to let him unravel all my self-control in just two nights.
“I’m sorry,” the receptionist said, clearly thrown off. “All rooms are fully booked for the summit.”
Damn it.
I bit down on my lip, fingers curling into fists at my sides. Frustration rose like a fever—hot, sharp, and crawling beneath my skin. I couldn’t look at him. Not with that insufferable smirk spreading across his face like he’d just won something.
“What about nearby?” I asked tightly. “Any hotels or motels around?”
She shook her head. “Nothing within two miles.”
Of course not.
I finally looked at him. Luca was practically glowing with smug satisfaction.
His voice was smooth as he leaned in and said, “Looks like we’re roommates, after all.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Luca’s POV
I stoodin the corner of the hall and twisted my champagne glass in my hand, watching as Leila walked—no, strutted—her way through the small crowd in the hall.
The Grand Alpha’s Summit boasted the best business and networking event. CEOs and business owners of the most lucrative brands were always in attendance. Not to mention all the Alphas of the eight packs in New York. It was the best place to strike your next multi-million dollar deal or dig up new business partners.
But instead of networking or doing any of that, I was watching her move across the crowd gracefully with that pretty, polite smile on her face.
And honestly, no talk with these boring businessmen could come close to watching Leila walk, speak, talk—or do absolutely nothing.
She’d done well to avoid me last night. Even if our beds were across from each other in the large suite, I could still hear her heart thudding loudly. I could still smell her scent like she was right next to me. And it had been absolute torture.
When I booked the double suite, I’d thought it’d be a good way to get Leila to lower her defensive armor against me.
But I was wrong.
She’d intensified it—brought AK-47s and a whole wall of grenades that might blow up if I so much as attempted to pass.
She barely acted like I existed the entire night. She went to bed early, covering her entire frame with the duvet until the only thing I could see was her hair. And as early as six a.m., she was up. I’d heard her when she was in the shower, and when she walked out of the room. A few minutes later, her text came in, informing me that she was at the café in the hotel and we should meet there to go over her pitch.
I hated playing nice. Hated that I had to go to bed last night with a fucking hard-on when even the sound of her breathing was turning me on. This wasn’t about being a gentleman. Fuck that. That was just a word coined for men with no balls.
