Page 82 of Dead Serious with Benefits
“I’ll be honest and admit that has little to do with any morals or values, and more to do with the fact that I don’t wish to upset Arlo further.”
“That’s more motivation to behave than Mason has ever pretended to care about.”
Arlo gave her an amused look as we followed her into the hallway. “Everyone in this family knows giving Mason a reaction is the quickest way to guarantee he’ll continue to act the way he does. And yet everyone still does it.”
“Not necessarily, Dom and Milo both encourage him,” Moira said with a roll of her eyes as she led us down the short hallway to a door. “Now, this is our top floor and the only floor that contains a single room. We don’t have any security or staff designated to keep people off this floor. However, we can make it so it can only be accessed with a certain key card. So if you’re interested, we’ll ensure that only someone with your room’s card and the staff can access this floor. The same for the stair access, which can be reached by turning left out of the elevator.”
“It’s not strictly necessary,” I assured her. I didn’t know how complicated or simple that would be, but there was no need to go the extra mile. “I’m not exactly an A-tier celebrity status.Most people tend to dismiss me as just the governor’s son, or a degenerate who isn’t worth socializing with unless you’re also trouble or looking to commit social suicide. Or both.”
Arlo eyed me, but rather than say what made him stare, he turned back toward the door as Moira opened it. The room beyond opened into a wide space backed by a wall of windows. Most of the room was level with the floor we were on, except the sitting area, which had a couple of stairs down into a little pit. A piano, of all things, was shoved into a corner, near a fully stocked wet bar. A glance to the left as we entered showed a kitchen with a large island, set up for anyone to cook whatever they wanted, stove, fridge, the works.
“The bedroom and bathroom are just through this doorway,” she explained, gesturing to a door to the left, near the kitchen. “I doubt it’s anywhere near as nice as you’re used to.”
“Again, I wouldn’t worry. My home was essentially a museum to excess and wealth. This is more than fine,” I assured her quickly.
“I hope so,” she said with a twitch of her lips. “Especially when several hotels in the city have the sort of accommodations you’re used to. And yet you chose this one.”
“What can I say? I confuse the hell out of people with my decisions,” I said with a little shrug. “I’m a mystery.”
“Yes, a mystery,” she said dryly, her eyes shifting to Arlo, who was peering out of the windows and down at the city. I grinned; we both knew she was right, but there was no reason to get into that.
“This works for me just fine, I’ll take it,” I said, digging into my pocket and pulling out my wallet and card. “I suspect it will take a while to get through the investigation before I can even think of having someone fix the damage. How long is the minimum for a long-term stay?”
“Typically? Two weeks.”
“Perfect, make it a month,” I said with a grin. “That seems like a good place to start.”
Moira eyed my card for a moment before taking it gently. “I can do that. You can cancel anytime after the two weeks and before the month ends, and we won’t charge you for the full month. I’m not even going to point out our check-out time, and I’m sure you know the basic rules of a hotel.”
“I’ll be on my best behavior,” I said with a wink. “Scout’s honor.”
“Were you even in the scouts?”
“Mmm, no.”
“I figured as much. I’ll send someone up shortly to bring you a few things,” she said as she walked toward the door. “Including your room keys. If you need to leave and come back in, talk to Arlo.”
“Of course, thank you, Moira.”
“Welcome,” she said, closing the door behind her after watching Arlo momentarily.
I turned to him as he stared out the window, not having moved during the conversation. “So, you have access to my room?”
Arlo pulled out his keys and showed me the small, white plastic disk. “I’m one of the people with full access to anywhere in the hotel. Milo insisted he didn’t want one because he’d lose it and didn’t want the pressure. Elijah showed no interest, the same as Dom. Masonwasanother who had access.”
“What happened to his access?”
“It was revoked when he decided to use it to find places where he and Jace could...enjoy one another.”
I laughed. “Oh, well, after the conversation downstairs and the few stories I’ve heard, I fully understand why you weren’t exactly thrilled about Mason and me meeting.”
In the faint reflection from the window, I could see Arlo smiling. “In truth, it went far better than I feared. I underestimated your respect for my preferences, so I apologize for that assumption.”
“It’s not an unfair assumption,” I said, wrapping my arms around his waist. I was only just taller than him, but it was enough to fit my chin onto his shoulder. “I’m not exactly well known for my ability to behave.”
“I can’t imagine that about you,” he said, and I didn’t need to look at the reflection to know he was being sarcastic.
“I’m sure,” I said as I stood there, closing my eyes and focusing on the warmth and firmness of his body pressed against my front. I couldn’t remember the last time I had just...existed around another person. I was used to being around people; it was how I drowned out the chaos and unpleasant aspects of my life. It meant I got a little too used to noise, chaos, and people everywhere. For now, though, it was just the two of us, and I realized that was exactly how I wanted it.
