“Did you enjoy the show again?”
“Stunning,” I repeat the same thing from last night.
She beams proudly. “You had a much better seat tonight.”
“It was alright. I prefer my view right now.”
The hazel gleam of her eyes sparkles in the light. The brilliant mix of blues and greens seeps into me, hammering my self-control. I fight the impulse to pick her up and drag her away, needing her all to myself. She cups my cheek, scraping her nails through the short stubble. “I’m glad you’re here.”
The words score through my system, and I drop my mouth back to hers. “When I’m here and you’re working, this is exactly where I’ll be waiting,” I say against her lips.
We stay like this, her in my arms and caressing my face gently. Without saying it, I hope she understands what I mean.
“Pips, want me to take your bag by your house on my way home.” Dante breaks the moment, and both of us twist our faces to his. He’s grinning like a loon, clearly enjoying our show of intimacy.
“No, thanks, I have to run by the place tomorrow and pack.”
His amusement heightens as he looks between the two of us. “Is Ryanne going to be there?”
“I assume, depending on what time I head over. “
“Let me know what time.”
“Why?”
“I want to be there for this.”
“For what?”
“When Ryanne meets Evin. It’s the entertainment I live for.”
“Hate to burst your bubble, but I’m going alone.”
I jerk, tightening my hold, and glance back at her. “Alone?”
She twists into me. “I figured I’d go while you are working.”
“Tomorrow is Sunday. My shit can be done anytime.”
“Do you want to go?”
“See where you live? Meet your roommate and best friend? Get a feel for your life? Hell yes.”
Her palm moves to my neck and she squeezes. “We’ll go when you get a break.”
“Good call. If you showed up without him, Ryanne would drag you back here by your hair. She almost blew the roof off when I told her I left you with him last night.”
Poppy head plants into my chest, shaking her head. “Why are you two so dramatic?”
“It’s one of our many fine traits. I’m going home now. Partying until four a.m. is catching up with me.” He pushes off the wall and steps in, kissing the back of her head. “Have a great night.”
“Love you,” she mumbles into my shirt. He flashes me an approving grin before mouthing ‘staying power’ and walking down the back hall.
“You hungry?” I ask, placing my chin on the top of her head.
“Didn’t you eat earlier?”
“I did, but you haven’t.”
“I could eat, but it is late. Do you have to get up early to tell Darby and the others goodbye?”
“I already did that. We are sleeping in tomorrow.”
She moves back and grins shyly up at me. “Sunday is my sleep-in day.”
“Good to know.”
I take the bag off her shoulder and link my other hand with hers. “How about we order room service?”
“You ordered room service this morning.”
“Is there a rule we can’t do it more than once?”
“No, but it’s… pricey.”
I can see the wheels turning and pick up on her hesitation. “Don’t worry about that.”
She runs her bottom lip through her teeth and seems to think about it before nodding. “Okay, that sounds perfect.”
The walk through the hotel is mostly her asking about my evening and sharing more stories about her day at the pool. When we get inside the room, she pauses, letting go of my hand, and turns to face me. “Is it weird that I’m comfortable and nervous at the same time?”
“No, but I hope the nerves aren’t because of me.”
Her face falls, and she shakes her head. “That’s not what I meant. It’s just that… well, this is unconventional and—” She stops mid-sentence, running her hands through her hair, getting flustered.
Dante’s fierce warning comes back to me as a reminder that there are a lot of layers to Poppy I haven’t uncovered.
“What would you normally do after a double show on a Saturday night?”
Her brows pull together, and she tilts her head to the side. “Occasionally, a group of us will plan something, but mostly I go home and take a long, hot bath. Then I’d eat, have a glass of wine, and watch bad TV.”
“We don’t have to change that routine.” I go to the desk and hand her the room service menu. “Pick your dinner, take a bath, and we’ll watch bad TV together.”
“You sure?”
“Anything you want.”
She closes in, tipping up on her toes, bringing her lips to mine. “You may regret this when we get sucked into the worst TV programming in the universe.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
She smiles against my mouth before stepping away and disappearing into the bathroom. The water sounds, and after a minute, she opens the door.
My heart stops and all my blood rushes to my dick, which hardens instantly. She’s wrapped in a simple white hotel towel, but knowing she’s naked underneath has my blood pumping overtime. My hand itches to rip the towel off and run my mouth over her body.