Page 44 of Tempt Me Forever

She cleared her throat and said something that sounded a lot like "Oh yeah, you'll do."

Vlad gave us tidbits about Aspen on the drive. It wasn't anything I didn't know, but I appreciated his effort.

Kimberly was sold on the property. Now it was only a matter of time before we convinced Reese and Travis. I was going to suggest a call when we reached the hotel. I didn't want to risk Kimberly changing her mind before she spoke with her cousin.

"By the way, Vlad," Kimberly started as we reached the hotel, "we've had some issues with our room. Do you happen to know if there's anything available at another hotel?"

"I don't think you can find anything in a radius of fifty miles. This is the most booked-up weekend of the year. It's very good for business. Typically they book up over a year in advance."

"Yeah, I figured that," she said. "Thanks a lot for driving us."

As she got out of the car, I went right next to her, resuming my hold on her back.

"I won't freeze from the car to the hotel," she protested.

"I’m not taking any chances," I said.

She shimmied but didn't pull away. I moved closer, almost covering half her back with my chest. Was it crazy that my impulse was to make sure she wasn't uncomfortable in any way?

There was no line at reception, which was good, since we wanted to see if they were able to find another hotel or room. Personally, I was hoping they didn’t. Being with Kimberly tonight was going to be very enjoyable, I suspected.

She took off her beanie, and I had to grin because she wasn't lying—her hair did look like she’d stuck her fingers in an electrical socket. But she was still so damn gorgeous.

The woman who checked us in smiled at us, but her eyes were wary. I already knew she didn't have any good news. She didn't even wait for us to reach the counter. She just came around the desk.

"We haven't been able to find a room for you, so I went ahead and instructed our staff to set up a rollaway bed in the living room. They also sent up a complimentary bottle of champagne to apologize for the inconvenience."

"Thank you so much for everything," Kimberly said. "We appreciate your trying to help—it goes above and beyond your duty, and your making the effort means a lot."

The receptionist beamed at that. "It's my pleasure. Do you have any reservations for dinner?"

Kimberly shook her head. "No, we didn't bother, actually. I envisioned a night of staying in and ordering room service. We'll let you know if we need anything."

"Most places are booked up, but I’m pretty sure I can find you a table somewhere. It’s the least I can do."

I nodded. "Thank you." I gave her an extra tip for being so accommodating. This was the type of employee I’d like to hire.

Kimberly took off her coat, stuffing the beanie inside the arm. The elevator was packed as we got on. A group of skiers had just returned and were in various states of undress. They still had most of their gear on, although some had taken off their jackets, holding poles, helmets, and other things, making it so tight that Kimberly and I barely crammed in. We were so close to each other that our arms were touching, and I felt the connection through and through.

She kept pressing her lips together as if she wanted to say something but then thought better of it. Was she thinking about the night ahead? I fucking was. I’d joked about it before, but this was different. Now, it was the only option.

She stayed silent as we stepped out of the elevator and headed to the room. She swiped the card, opening the door.

"That's the bed?" she asked in a disappointed voice.

It was a single bed shoved against the wall, right next to the TV. It was the only place in the room that they could put it where it wasn’t in the way.

"Kimberly, I'm going to be more than fine in it."

"What? No. Come on, look at your size. You're much bigger than me. You need more space. You take the double, and I'll cram into that elf-sized bed."

"No!" I said in a lower octave.

"I insist.”

"Kimberly, you take the bedroom. I won't accept anything different."

She put her hands on her hips, tilting her head to one side. Her chest was heaving up and down as if she'd raced up the stairs. "Really? And what will you do if I fight you on it? Carry me to bed against my will? Make sure I stay there?"

---