The car stops. Gazing out the window, I realize we’ve arrived at Darrel’s hotel. He steps out of the car. I follow him. He grabs my suitcase and bag from the trunk and leads me through the lobby up to his room.
Once inside the familiar room, he shows me around like this was the first time I set foot here, like the night we almost did it never happened.
“Make yourself at home,” he says, opening a closet. “See, plenty of room in here! Use it. You can watch TV, splash in the Jacuzzi bath anytime you want, sleep in the bed. I only need the little desk for my laptop.”
“Where will you sleep?”
“On the couch.”
I gauge its length. “It’s too short for you.”
“I’ll shrink myself.”
I give him a hooded look.
He grins from ear to ear, making my heart flutter. “You have no idea how good I am at sleeping in nonstandard beds and positions. Years in the military will teach you that.”
“That’s cute, but I prefer to sleep on the couch.” I arch an eyebrow to show that the discussion is closed. “It’s the perfect size for me.”
“If that’s what you prefer… Like I said, feel at home!”
At home, huh?I head to the entryway closet, where I find a spare pair of prettily embroidered white slippers. I put them on. Next, I fish my toiletries out of my duffel bag and move them to the bathroom.
This being a charming hotel, I do a quick inspection of the bathroom shelves and countertops and find several extra towels, a bathrobe, a hairdryer, and all sorts of other useful and useless items that I might or might not need. But it’s good to know that if I’m in the mood to shine my shoes, I can.
When I’m done in the bathroom, I return to the main room. Darrel is at the desk. He’s fired up his laptop and seems to be researching something. I peek at his screen. He’s studying Google Earth images of a medieval ruin.
He closes the laptop and checks his watch. “The bar is still open. Want to go down for a drink?”
“It feels like I’ve already had a few.”
He smiles at that, probably assuming I’m still reeling from the scene at my parents’. And I am. But the lightness, the recklessness that has come over me since I stepped inside this room is due to something else.
It’s Darrel’s fault. The man emits insanely powerful pheromones. All I can think of is… “Make love to me!”
Oops, did I say that out loud?Yes, I did.
Was my slip of the tongue intentional this time?It’s such a shame I’ll never know!
Darrel rises from his chair. “Stella.”
“Darrel.”
“We shouldn’t.”
“But we both want to.”
He doesn’t deny it.
I take a step toward him. “Let’s finish what we started.”
He shakes his head. I may be wrong, but I detect a lack of vigor and amplitude in the way he objects.A lack of conviction.
“Is this about the other woman?” I ask. “Are you dating her?”
“No.”
“But you think you might?”