Keeper (Alpha Athletes 2)

Chapter Sixteen

Aspen

I waited in the car while the driver turned up the radio station. I sat back on the vinyl seat and watched Lachlan turn the corner for the security gate to the Olympic village.

What was I doing? For an instant in the car I thought he had shown his true colors—the mean, doesn’t-give-a-shit, prick everyone had grown to despise. And then suddenly he softened. He kissed me tenderly. He apologized. He agreed with me.

I couldn’t figure him out. Really, I couldn’t figure myself out. Why was I still here? Why did I let him persuade me? Why did one confession turn me into putty? Why did I want him to hop back in this car and kiss me again?

I’d never met a man like Lachlan. He was irresponsible and selfish. He was a walking tornado, only the carnage was usually women’s hearts and not barn doors. I didn’t want to be one of those women. I didn’t want to leave Rio in pieces.

But I couldn’t stop the pull. I couldn’t deny the attraction. I couldn’t say no even when my mind and heart told me he was dangerous.

Because for three weeks, I could be his. For three short, glorious weeks, he wanted me. And no matter what the rationale was for protecting my heart or

my spirit, I wanted that. I wanted him.

Lachlan and I walked into the hotel together. I heard the whispers and saw a few phones emerge as we passed by. But this was what we wanted. We needed him to be seen with one woman for the next three weeks.

The buzz would start today. The speculation would be out there, and that was okay. Eventually enough people would see us together. I liked how he held my hand firmly as if he was showing the world I was his.

“Which floor, love?” he asked.

“Seven,” I responded.

I don’t know why I felt so nervous. The time for nerves was last night when I stayed with him in the village. That part should be over, but it wasn’t.

As we approached the doors side by side, I retrieved the key from my bag.

“Here you go.” I handed him the key to his room.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“Your room. We’re next to each other.”

He looked at me with confusion. He had one damn sexy face. It was enough to make me forget how to speak.

“Hmm,” he turned the handle. “Part of your professionalism?” He smiled.

I didn’t know whether to follow him or go in my own room. In a matter of seconds, he would discover our rooms were connected. And as soon as he twisted the knob, he would know I had already unlocked my side.

It wasn’t as if we were a real couple. We didn’t need to spend all our waking minutes together. We weren’t going to map out Rio’s tourist spots or go for a hike. We weren’t planning a day at the pool or beach. Those were the kinds of things normal vacationing couples did. There was nothing normal about our relationship.

I decided I’d try to get some work done.

I set up my laptop on the built-in desk. The air conditioning sputtered and churned overhead. I heard there were complaints from many of the athletes that the village wasn’t ready for them. I was glad I had a hotel room during the unexpected heat wave.

I had a few emails from Karen. My assistant had also sent an update on the sales numbers for last month’s adventure game. I exhaled as I scanned the spreadsheets. Shit. It wasn’t performing as well as I wanted. It made the pressure for the Kenzie game all that more critical.

I looked up when I heard a loud thump on the other side of the wall. I had no idea what Lachlan was doing over there. It sounded as if a caged animal was trying to break free.

I typed out a response to Sylvie, trying to ignore the sounds that were beating the wall.

I tried to read through a memo about the new launch schedule for the spring when the bookcase rattled overhead.

I pushed back from the desk and marched next door.

“What in the hell are you doing over here? I’m trying to work.”