Page 26 of Open Road (Tattooed Hearts Duet 3)

Simon snorted, shaking his head as Lennox and Thane began to look at the menu. He stopped next to me, smiling. “You just stopped at the first place you saw, didn’t you?”

“Humph,” I grunted, casting my eyes over to him. “You’ll never know.” Smiling at teasing him, I relished the feeling of being so open with both him and Lennox now. It felt like my life was finally moving in the direction it was always meant to go.

After ordering copious amounts of food, we carried it to our room. We dug into the pulled pork, loaded fries, and apple cobbler, none of us speaking as we ate in a trance. I looked around the table when it was cleared, taking in everyone’s state.

“What’s it going to be? Swimming or movie?”

The three of them thought about it, but in the end, we all decided a dip in the pool sounded nice. While they all changed, I called down to the front desk with a mission.

“Hello, Mr. Evans. How can I help you?”

“How much for me to secure the pool for two hours?”

“I’m not sure I understand, sir.”

“Oh, you understand. How much will it cost me to ensure no one else can access the pool? Thetopsidepool.”

“Well, um, sir, I’m not sure.”

“Listen, you might think I want this for nefarious reasons, but that’s not the case. My girlfriend is famous, and we’d like to be able to enjoy the pool without people taking photos or asking for things. I know that you do this for other celebs. So, call your manager and get back to me.”

I hung up, rolling my eyes at the man’s incompetence. A giggle had me jerking my head up to find Peach staring at me.

“I’m famous, am I?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

I couldn’t focus on anything else as I locked on her swimsuit. It wasn’t that it was skimpy. Peach had more bits covered than most swimsuits, but it wrapped around her body just right, making me want to unwrap the beautiful package she was, especially with just a hint of her tattoo showing. Swallowing, I looked back up, finding her cheeks red. I started to say something when the phone rang.

“Do you have an answer?” I asked in lieu of a hello.

“Um, yes, he said $500.” I heard the man on the line gulp as he repeated it, probably expecting me to be outraged at the price. Honestly, I’d been willing to pay anything to spend time with Peach without interruption. I had more money than I needed, and if it got me memories and time with the people I loved, then it was well spent.

“Deal.”

“Oh, okay, um, someone will be up with the key card and for you to sign off. There’s apparently a liability waiver, etc.”

“Fine, but don’t take too long.” I hung up, not waiting for another answer.

“What did you do now?” Simon asked, walking out with a towel draped over his shoulder. His shorts hung low on his hips, showing off the V I loved so much. He didn’t have muscles like Thane or me, but Simon was delicious in his own right.

Smirking, he walked closer, snapping his fingers in front of my face. “Babe, focus. What did you do?” he asked, just as a knock sounded.

This time it was my turn to smirk as I didn’t answer, walking over to the door. I opened it, finding two people. They both tried to peer around me to see into the room, probably to figure out who the famous person was. Blocking their view with my body, I held out my hand for the forms.

“We just need you to sign here,” one of the hotel workers said, handing me a clipboard. Skimming it, I took in the information and signed off. It wouldn’t be needed. I’d keep everyone safe.

Once I handed it back, they gave me a black leather case that had the slip for the charge. I signed it quickly, handing it back. Once they had both things, they handed me the key.

“After the two hours, it will be deactivated.”

Nodding, I took the key and stepped back to close the door. One of the more ambitious ones stepped forward, trying to stop the door.

“Could we get a picture?”

“No.” I didn’t wait, shutting the door and locking it. I waited for them to leave, watching through the peephole. Once it was clear, I turned back to the room, checking everyone over. Peach now had a soft dress covering most of her body, making my heart slow at knowing people wouldn’t get a peek at what she had under it. Thane and Simon both had shirts and towels in their hands.

“Ready?” I asked, and they all nodded, and we left the hotel room and headed toward the stairs. Since we were on the top floor, the private pool was only accessible from the stairwell. Swiping the keycard, it lit up green, giving us entrance.

“Wow,” Lennox said as she stepped onto the roof. “This is amazing. How did you know?” She spun around, taking in all the lights. From this height, you could see the whole boulevard with all the theaters as their signs lit up the night.

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