Of its own volition, her gaze dropped to the left hand held loosely at the man’s side. From this angle, the stark absence of a ring was easily noticeable. There was no visible tan line there, either, but in this day and age, that didn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t married.
Ahem…helloooo. Rose. The man waiting downstairs. Any of this ringing a bell?
Okay, seriously. What the hell was wrong with her? This wasnotthe time to ogle over some hot guy who looked like he knew his way around the bedroom.
A hot guy who was still standing in the exact same spot.
He’s waiting with you. Probably wants to make sure John from downstairs shows up.
The warm gesture was sweet and greatly appreciated. But Scarlett felt it her duty to let him off the hook.
“Oh, you don’t have to stay with me.” She gave him a small smile. “I’m sure someone will be along any minute.”
“I can wait.”
When The Man in Black didn’t budge, she tried going with, “Really. I mean, you’ve already helped so much, and I’m sure you have much more important things planned for your day than to stand in a hotel corridor with someone who probably looks like a drowned rat in a towel.”
He studied her closely, his gaze seeming to be taking her all in. Slightly full, kissable lips parted as if to speak, but at that exact same moment, the elevator behind him called out with a loud ding.
In a move that seemed almost automatic, he curled a gentle hand around her upper arm and guided her over, closer to the wall adjacent to her room. Fire seared into her skin from his touch; the force so sudden, sopowerful, Scarlett’s breath hitched at the electrifying heat.
Her eyes flew to his. The Man in Black’s pupils expanded. And the way he was looking down at her…
Pure.
Primal.
Desire.
There was no question. Not even the slightest hint of doubt in her assessment. Because as she stood, her eyes still fixed on his, Scarlett knew this man was attracted to her.
How could she be so sure? It was easy. She knew because that heated, lustful stare of his was the same look she was giving him.
Why am I so drawn to him?
She’d never had such a visceral reaction to a man before. Oh, she’d read all kinds of stories about love at first sight. But those were fiction, and this…
This man was very,veryreal.
“Dude, did you see that chick down at breakfast?” A loud, male voice echoed around them.
A breath later, another voice responded, “With an ass like that? I’m pretty sure every man in there saw that one.”
It was a lewd and obnoxious conversation, but Scarlett paid the men little attention. She was too busy being held captive by her protector’s spellbinding gaze.
A moment later, the spell was broken when one of the immature idiots passed by them on their way down the hall.
“Hey, check it out. Speaking of fine-lookin’ asses…”
“Damn, man. That girl downstairs has nothing on this one.”
The comment, along with the low whistle that followed, snapped both Scarlett and her mystery man back to attention. Turning toward the not-so-hushed dialogue, she saw the two men in question staring back at her.
Or to be more precise, the two douchebags were staring straight at her towel-covered ass.
Seriously?
Scarlett opened her mouth to tell the two twenty-something asshats where they could stick their disgusting comments. She never got the chance.