Page 81 of His Surrender
“Of course you are,” I said, blowing out a sharp breath. The rooms ranged from $299 to $700+ per night. “That’s too rich for my blood.”
“Well, I’m paying, not you.” Jay took another bite of beignet.
“I don’t know if me staying with you is a good idea.”
“Why not?”
An answer failed to come to mind. He smiled as he saw the resignation on my face. He knew he’d won.
The notion of fate popped into my head again. I had lost my hotel reservation, and not even two hours later I’d run into Jay, who offered for me to stay with him. Maybe things really did happen for a reason.
“If I stay with you, it doesn’t change anything,” I said, pointing at him.
“Ah, it changes everything, darlin’.” That infuriatingly adorable smirk appeared on his lips. “But I’ll behave myself. Scout’s honor.”
“Were you a Boy Scout?” I asked.
“Yep. For a full three days.”
“Only three days?”
His lips twitched. “Apparently telling the Scout leader to suck on deez nuts when he tried to make me gather firewood is disrespectful. Who knew?”
“You keep on surprising me,” I said, amazed.
“There’s more where that came from.”
I couldn’t wait.
Damn him.
***
“You got the executive suite?” I asked as I followed Jay into the elevator. The room cost $480 per night, and that didn’t include taxes.
He pressed the button for our floor and smirked at me. “You’re a coffee snob. And I’m a hotel snob. Don’t shame me for my expensive tastes.”
“I’m not shaming you,” I responded with a light laugh, after seeing his playful pout. “You work damn hard for your money and can spend it how you please.”
“I could’ve gotten us the presidential suite,” he said, arching a brow. “This one seemed nice, though.”
I didn’t miss theusin that sentence.
The elevator took us up to the third floor, and I fought the urge to shove Jay against the wall and kiss him. Lust had nothing to do with it either. Okay, maybe lust had just alittleto do with it. I mainly craved the closeness with him. Nothing felt better than his lips against mine.
The door opened, and Jay placed a hand at the small of my back as I exited first with him close behind.
“I feel like we’re in an antebellum mansion instead of a hotel,” I said, noting the fancy décor and historical feel to the place. “My mom would’ve loved this. She adored antiques and anything to do with history.”
She’d had a library in our home that housed her favorite antiques, including Victorian high-back chairs and an old desk that had a heart carved on the inside drawer. I had the desk in my loft now and would sometimes run my fingers over the carving, wondering who put it there.
“Well, you can enjoy it for the both of you.” Jay stopped once we were at the room and used the card to unlock the door. The light blinked green, and he pushed it open. “After you.”
I hauled my suitcase inside and placed it on the floor. “Wow.”
The light blue walls and white trim made the room feel open and light. The floor-to-ceiling windows helped with that too. I walked farther inside and saw that the living area was separated from the king-sized bed with a privacy wall and sliding door between the rooms. Jay’s suitcase sat on the floor at the foot of the bed, the flap unzipped but closed.
“I haven’t tried out the bed yet, but it looks comfy,” he said from close behind me.
