Hotel O

“Yeah, it was. If I’d been honest from day one about who I really was, you would’ve told me my dad works here.”

With my hands tucked in my pockets, I stand before her. I don’t do it because I wanna feel casual. It’s to stop myself from touching her because I know that if I do, I won’t be able to quit.

“But then … we would’ve never had the opportunity to bang like we did.”

She tries to hide her snorting behind her hand, but it’s no use. I can see right through her, just from the way her eyes sparkle. Beautiful. Just like her. Why can’t I stop noticing?

Without thinking, my hand instinctively reaches for that loose strand of hair framing her face, and I tuck it behind her ear. Her cheeks slowly begin to glow like mine when I watch her smile.

“So Kat Bronson … or should I say Kat Mayer …”

It sounds so strange, especially considering who her father is. I’ll have to get used to calling her that.

Her cheeks turn even more red. “I prefer KittyKat.”

A smirk spreads on her lips, and it makes me shake my head. “Of course, you do. Why should I expect anything else?”

Not that I’m mad. On the contrary, it’s exactly what I was thinking as well.

“Once a slut, always a slut,” she says with a certain cockiness I could get used to.

And I definitely like where this is going.

Still I need to know one thing before we proceed. “So about your dad … he never told you where he worked then?”

“No, my dad was very secretive. My mom didn’t even know,” she replies, chewing on her bottom lip.

“Wow …” I take a deep breath to let it all sink in.

“I suppose it’s only normal, considering the line of work,” she says. “But anyway, we’ve talked it all out now.”

My eyes narrow. “All of it?”

She nods.

“What does your dad think of all this?” I ask, licking my lips. “Won’t he be mad that you’re here?”

“I told him to accept me for who I am, and that includes my interest in you.” She winks, which makes it hard for me to concentrate on the actual conversation instead of the thoughts swirling in my head about banging her right here on my kitchen table.

“And what about your mom?” I add, clearing my throat.

“She knows … although she prefers to call you ‘my boyfriend.’” She uses quotation marks, but that doesn’t decrease the gravity of the word. It makes my heart pump faster, but I don’t know whether that’s good or bad.

“Interesting,” I muse.

Up until now, no girl has ever gotten so far as to call me that. But she’s gone far beyond what I thought I would be willing to do. A definite rule breaker … and I’m not even mad.

In fact, seeing her right here in my home reminds me of how much I was starting to miss her. How much she’s really grown on me.

But I have to remember that there is still some unfinished business.

“So,” I say, clearing my throat. “Kat Mayer … do you work for a magazine?”

Her eyes widen. “How did you—”

“I searched for your name online. Didn’t take me long to find you.”

Her entire face turns as red as a strawberry. I like the color.

She may have been able to hide her fake name pretty well, but her real name? It showed me everything I needed to know about her.

I cock my head. “Were you writing articles for them?”

“About that …” she mumbles, almost unable to say the words.

“Just be honest with me.” I tip up her chin, forcing her to look at me.

“I was. Actually, I am,” she says, sucking on her bottom lip.

“About the hotel? About me?”

“It’s not like that. I—”

I place a finger on her lips. “No need for lies. I just want to know why.”

She nods a few times. “I did it because I wanted the recognition so badly. So I could get a raise,” she explains. “All the extra money I earn I donate to a good cause, but it’s so little. I wanted to do more. And when I started on that chat site and met you … I just knew it’d be an amazing opportunity.”

Donates her money? I didn’t even know. If that’s true, my admiration for her only grows.

She sighs out loud. “I only wanted to get a good story out there, but I promise, I was never going to include your name or the hotel. It was going to be an anonymous thing only.”

“Show me,” I say, trying to remain headstrong even when I can see she’s hurting inside.

She knows what she did was wrong and that it would ruin everything between us, but we’ve gone so far already … I’m not even sure we can stop. If I want to stop.