“Let’s try not to make it too obvious. I don’t want the rest of them gossiping,” she said.
“They’re drunk—I’m not sure they’d notice if Beyoncé walked in on the captain’s arm.”
She giggled. “They are.”
I’d been watching Skylar’s alcohol intake this evening. I didn’t want the cocktails to make her decision to stay with me. But she’d stopped at two drinks, switching to water when no one was watching. “Still. Where are you staying? I’ll meet you there.”
“No way. I’m not having you walk alone at this time of night. We’ll put them in cabs and then we’ll go to the hotel.”
She gave me a reluctant grin and nodded.
In less than five minutes, the rest of the crew had piled into two taxis, leaving the two of us to catch a third.
Skylar and I stood and watched them turn left up the street, then I turned to Skylar and took her face in my hands. “Finally, I get you all to myself.” I pressed my lips against her forehead, just enjoying touching her again. It was as if being this close to her gave me something nothing else did. I couldn’t describe it—energy? Power? It was as if she added fuel to my soul. Her fingers drifted down my forearms, and I moved my mouth to hers, desperate to taste her.
She stumbled, and I pulled away to steady her. “You okay?”
She put her fingers over her mouth and nodded. “The kissing thing just kills me.”
I frowned. “What?”
“Nothing, come on, let’s go.” She slid her hand into mine, and I led her down the street until we were staring up at the entrance of the Hotel de Paris.
“You didn’t book here?”
“I heard it was nice,” I said as I pulled her inside.
“Landon, you can’t. It’s crazy expensive.”
“Tell me what made you say yes to spending tonight with me?” I asked as I pulled out the room key they’d given me when I’d checked in earlier.
“What? You can’t be serious about staying here.”
“I am,” I said as I pressed the button for the lift. “Fourth floor.”
“You mean fifth floor. It’s crazy how you Brits don’t call the first floor the first floor.”
I chuckled. “We do. It’s crazy you Americans don’t call the ground floor the ground floor. Now tell me why you said yes.”
She sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe it was the kissing thing.” She turned her face to my arm and placed a kiss on my shoulder. “I think I was always going to say yes.”
“You thought you’d just keep me waiting before you told me?”
She grinned. “You always knew I’d say yes.”
Had I? Skylar wasn’t the sort of girl to be taken for granted, and I knew she thought we were badly suited. We were looking for different things, but right now, tonight, this summer, I didn’t care about any of that. I just wanted her.
“I knew you had your reasons to say no. But I like that you said yes. Even if you won’t tell me why.”
“It’s not that I won’t. I’m just not sure I can explain it. I know you’re not who I should want. I shouldn’t want anyone, yet I think about you more and more. I want to know where you are, what you’re thinking, and who you are underneath. You make me feel . . . safe. Like being with you is where I should be. And it doesn’t make sense to me, but as long as I know this is just about tonight, I—”
I pressed her against the wall and kissed her. She’d said exactly what I’d wanted to hear. She liked me despite her logic and criteria. Her need for me was bigger than all of it. Somehow that made her decision more important. More valuable. For all she knew, I couldn’t provide for her, but she was here anyway. Just because she wanted me.
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The lift doors opened, and I took her hand and guided her into the suite I’d booked.
“Wow, Landon.” Skylar walked toward the windows that overlooked the sea and the marina. “It’s beautiful.” She spun to face me. “This is just . . . Are you enjoying your tips before you get them? How can you afford this? Holy shit, is that a bathtub?”