Page 18 of The Romance Fiasco

“Wait. No. I won’t sleep knowing that you’re crunched up in your car. As the guy pointed out, you’re tall. That won’t be comfortable. I know a couple of people here in Atlanta. I can make some calls to see if I can stay the night.” Kevin or Lance come to mind and I cringe—could join Dolly in the doghouse.

Magnus checks his watch. “It’s late. Almost midnight. Are these people you know and trust or—?”

“Former clients. I mean, their dogs. I was their vet. Listen, it’s really sweet of you to look after me. I appreciate it, but I’ll figure something out. You have a big speech to give tomorrow. You ought to get some rest.” I pull out my phone.

Magnus remains, unmoving, standing by my side. “No.”

“No?” I ask, taken aback.

“Unless you’re sure that they’re nothing like Ross or his dink of a friend Linc, you’re staying here, securely at the hotel.”

“Are you my personal bodyguard now?”

He shifts from foot to foot as if realizing he overstepped. “No, I’m an older brother and wouldn’t want my little sister staying on some stranger’s couch.”

“I’ve stayed on a lot of couches over the years. Usually, they’re surprisingly comfortable.”

Magnus doesn’t laugh. I’ve noticed he doesn’t really smile. But he does smell like mountain air and his voice is deep and rich, making me sleepy.

I lift my eyebrows. “Maybe there’s a sofa in the room. One of us could stay on it. The other could take the bed.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Would I let my sister stay in the room with a strange man? The answer is no. Definitely not.”

“You don’t seem that strange.”

“Ha ha,” he says drily.

“You can’t be that bad, given you’re standing in for Ross’s brother as his best man.”

“I wouldn’t say Ross is a good judge of character.”

I wince because of our history. “How about Sean?”

“Excellent. The best kind of man. Someone I aspire to be like.”

“Well, there you go. Trust bond secure. If you haven’t noticed, I’m dripping wet and barefoot standing in a hotel lobby. I’d like to go up to the room.”

“Be my guest. It’s all yours.” Magnus gestures toward the elevator.

I tilt my head. This man is as stubborn as me and that’s saying something because I am well aware of how headstrong I can be. “I’m not going anywhere unless you come with me. I owe you. You rescued me from the pool.”

“You said you know how to swim.”

“Had I not, I might be in the hospital or drowned.”

“I’m sure someone else would’ve—” Magnus squints as if considering the crowd around the pool. “Maybe not.”

I incline my head. “See? You deserve a bed. I’ll take the couch.”

“If there’s a couch.”

“We can’t very well sleep in the lobby. They’ll kick us out or force us to take the room that we paid for, er, that Romy’s parents paid for.”

Raucous laughter comes from the entryway that leads outside to the pool at the same time the elevator dings. To spare myself from having to engage with Romy, Ross, or their friends again or explain the situation, I grip Magnus by the wrist and pull him into the carriage before pounding all the buttons.

Expecting him to protest, he simply stares at my hand. “You don’t have fat thumbs.”

I tilt my head back against the mirrored elevator wall and a long laugh escapes.

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