Fated Hearts (Southern Bride 8)

“Oh, my God! I want to punch you so hard right now, you don’t even know.”

He chuckled and walked past me to the front desk. The young woman who had been there earlier came walking out and gave me a sweet smile. But when she saw Roger, her smile grew into a full-on grin.

“What can I help you with, sir?”

He smiled back, and I was pretty sure my knees wobbled slightly. Apparently, so did the clerk’s because she held onto the counter. That was when I knew I was screwed. She had nearly melted on the spot. And then I noticed his blue eyes. If it was at all possible, they were even bluer than mine. Add that smile that should be rated R, and I knew I was going to be the one finding another room.

“Heidi? Is that your name?” Roger asked.

She nodded and sighed. “How did you know?”

“It’s on your nametag,” I stated dryly. She ignored me while Roger cleared his throat in an attempt to hide his laugh.

“Heidi, there seems to be a problem,” he said. “I checked into my hotel room a few hours ago. The American Airlines agent arranged for me to stay here for the next two nights—and imagine my surprise when a complete stranger walked into my room.”

Roger pointed to me when he said “stranger.” Heidi looked at me and raised her brows as I attempted to give her my best smile.

“She came into your room?” she asked with an accusatory stare.

Wait. What in the hell? She’s the one who gave me the key to his room!

I took a step forward. “Yes, because when I checked in, you told me my room was sixteen thirty-three. So, I went to that room. My key worked, I walked in, and lo and behold, he was in there sleeping in my bed. Naked!”

Heidi snapped her head back to Roger and gave him a slow once-over, most likely imagining him naked.

Damn it. I messed up…again.

Roger smirked, and it took everything I had not to slap that smug smile off his face. Gah, why did he have to be so handsome and witty? If I didn’t already think he was a jerk, I was positive I’d have gotten caught up in his charms too.

Wait. What?

Heidi cleared her throat as I shook the weird thoughts away. She stared down at her computer. “Let’s see if we can fix this.”

Roger and I looked at each other. He lifted his hand and rubbed his fingers together. “Get ready to pay up, princess.”

I shot him a dirty look, and when I knew Heidi wasn’t looking, I gave him the finger.

“Feisty. I like it.”

With a roll of my eyes, I replied, “You would.”

She typed for a good minute before just staring at the computer screen for what seemed like forever. Then she frowned. Lifted her brows. Chewed on her lip. Glanced up at us, then back down at her screen.

“I’m starting to lose that warm and fuzzy feeling that says you’re going to fix this for us, Heidi,” Roger stated.

Swallowing hard, she looked at me and then Roger. “The hotel keeps a few rooms on hand if they need them for flight crew or passengers. Somehow…I don’t know how the system did it, but when it booked you into the room, Mr. Carter, it never marked it. So, it booked Ms. Michaels into the same room as well.”

This was an easy fix. I leaned forward and in my sweetest voice asked, “Okay, well, can you just give one of us another room?”

“Her,” Roger said with a wink in Heidi’s direction.

This time, his charm had no effect. “I wish I could,” Heidi said, “but there are no more rooms available.”

“None?” Roger and I asked in unison.

Heidi slowly shook her head. “None. Not a single room. I’m so sorry.”

Roger sighed as he threaded his fingers through his brown hair. Heidi let out a weird little groan, and I forced myself to look away.

“Well, looks like we’re bunking together, Annalise,” he said.

I jerked my head up and stared at him. “What?”

Heidi had the same reaction. “Wait, you’re staying in the same room?”

We both ignored her. “Together? You want to stay in the hotel room together?” I asked with a disbelieving laugh.

He leaned closer, narrowed his eyes, and asked, “Do you want to sleep in the airport? Or out here in the lobby?”

“Oh, we can’t allow that,” Heidi said. “No sleeping in the lobby.”

I frantically shook my head. “No, I don’t want to go back to the airport. I almost died driving here. I’m pretty sure the Uber driver had never seen snow before.”

With that brilliant, dimpled smile of his, Roger replied, “Then come on, roomie. I’m exhausted.”

He turned and started back toward the elevator. I glanced over at Heidi, who had been watching him leave. She turned to look at me.