We enter the elevator and I’m pushed closer to him as another couple gets on. When I feel his arm wrap around me, I let my head fall to his chest briefly. A few floors later, we’re alone in the elevator. It takes a few minutes for me to realize what’s wrong. I laugh when I look at the elevator panel. None of the buttons are lit up.
“You forgot to push a button. What floor are you on?”
“Third floor.”
I push the button and the elevator descends. It doesn’t take long to reach his floor and I exit first, sending him a playful look over my shoulder. “I can’t wait to see this room. If the rest of the hotel is any indication, I bet it’s pretty swank.”
He stops next to a room and pulls out his phone. I’m trying to pretend like this is all totally normal to me but inside all I’m thinking is, Wow this hotel doesn’t even use regular keycards?
He holds the door open for me. “Does it meet with your approval?”
I put my bag down on the table next to the bed. The room is beautiful with gorgeous paintings on the wall and a balcony. But I’m not even looking at any of that. All of my attention is on the huge bed that looms in front of us. Suddenly I’m not so sure about this bold plan of mine.
What was I thinking?
I’ve never propositioned anyone in my life and I had to start with a guy who looks like he’s invented a few sexual positions?
I sit on the edge of the bed, folding my hands in my lap.
“Would you like a drink?” He gestures toward the small minibar. “I’m not sure what’s here but they usually have a pretty good selection.”
Oh good. If we have a drink that gives me some time to loosen up a bit. “Sure. Maybe a glass of wine?”
He turns his back to me and starts rummaging on the bar. I use the opportunity to watch him when he’s not looking. Tall and thin, he has the kind of compact frame common among runners or surfers. His dark hair is artfully tousled and I wonder if he’s ever had a bad hair day.
Seriously, what the hell am I doing here with a guy who looks like he belongs in a Hugo Boss ad?
He turns and hands me a glass. I take a tentative sip,
relaxing when I recognize it as champagne. I look up to find him watching me. “I guess you can tell I really don’t do this often.”
“Would you believe me if I told you I don’t either? It’s not that easy to trust people these days. I spend a lot of my free time on my own.”
“Me too! I can’t afford to get distracted. I trusted the wrong person in the past and had to drop out of school. Now I’m focused on my career. I really want to prove to myself that I can do this.”
He nods his head. “I understand. Can I tell you a secret?”
“You can tell me anything. This is a one-night stand, remember? One night of fun before we go back to our real lives. We’ll never see each other again so you can think of me like a vault. Whatever you tell me will never see the light of day.”
“I want to do something completely different. I love what I do now but I also want to work on helping the less fortunate. Maybe a non-profit program to help them get warm clothes in the winter. Something like that.”
I bump my shoulder against his. “I knew it. You’re a good guy. I could tell.”
His cheeks redden. “It’s probably not going to happen. There’s a lot of people depending on me. For money, I mean. I need to focus on what’s most profitable. I don’t want to let them down.”
“I understand that. My mom has always struggled and now that I have a new job, I’m going to be able to send money home to help her. So I get it. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t do this new project, too. If this is what you’re meant to do, I think you’ll find a way to balance the need to make a profit with your need to help others.”
“You really think I can do that?”
Why does he seem so shocked that someone could believe in him? It makes me a little sad to think he doesn’t have a cheerleader in his current circle of friends and family. I’m not sure if I could handle all the crazy stuff life has thrown at me recently if I didn’t have my mom in my corner telling me she knows I can handle anything.
“Yes, I really think you can do it. Something tells me you can do just about anything.”
When he notices I’m done with the champagne, he takes my glass. I slip my shoes off and tuck my legs underneath me. “This really is a beautiful room.”
When I look up, he’s watching me with that intense, sexy look.
Screw this. We’re both adults and we know why we’re here. I grab the front of his shirt, pulling him down on top of me. I can feel his shock, he’s as stiff as a board at first but then he’s lowering himself on top of me and our tongues are entwined.