I sure as hell hope so.
She could only assume Rose’s friend, Oliver, had tried texting and calling to figure out why she’d stood him up. But since her phone was still charging on the bathroom sink…
I just pray he still agrees to meet.
She was damn sure going to try. Scarlett would figure out where the guy lived and beg from his doorstep if that’s what it took. But as she pictured the man’s mugshot again, she got the sinking feeling her sister’s friend may not exactly be the forgiving type.
“I am so sorry those kids have been bothering you.” John’s kind eyes shone with regret. “This is the third call we’ve gotten on them in two days. Some school from Kansas here on a field trip. But don’t you worry, Miss Hathaway. I am going to go find their chaperones right now and make sure they know what’s what.” One of his thin, dark brows rose with a level of attitude Scarlett wished she could pull off. “They come messing with you again, you let me know.”
“I will.” She smiled back, assuming he’d seen her name and picture when he’d looked up the room number when he’d received the call.
When an exhausted Scarlett had checked in late last night, she’d inwardly cursed the hotel’s policy of scanning guests’ driver’s licenses into their system. Flashing her I.D. to someone was easy. Fitting her fingers into the tiny little plastic sleeve in her wallet and pulling it out?
Torture.
But as she thought of her present situation, she could thoroughly admit she was wrong.
“Make sure you ask for me specifically,” John instructed. “Because I’m not afraid of a group of unruly kids or their parents. And what those boys don’t know…” The nice man leaned in close, almost as if he were about to spill the latest gossip, and whispered, “I’ve faced tougher opponents than them, and I always win.”
The spunky comment—along with John’s playful wink—made Scarlett chuckle. Though she wasn’t sure why, she found herself curious to see The Man in Black’s reaction. But when she looked at him from over her shoulder, he wasn’t looking at John.
He’s looking at me.
“Again, I’m truly sorry for the trouble, Miss Hathaway.” The kindest hotel employee she’d ever met apologized once more. “Please call if you need anything else.”
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
And then, he was gone.
Scarlett pushed against the door but stopped before fully walking in. Turning back, she saw that The Man in Black was still there. “Thanks, again.” She smiled wide. “I’m Scarlett, by the way.” She lingered in the doorway, hoping he’d take her official introduction as a prompt to share his name in return.
He didn’t share his name. Just took a slow, wide step forward. And then another. Her pulse spiked, and she rapidlyregretted the decision to involve him in her unfortunate turn of bad luck.
Something’s off. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked this man for help. Definitely shouldn’t have told him my name.
Just like she shouldn’t feel such an unexplainable, visceral attraction toward him. But while she couldn’t seem to controlthatparticular issue, Scarlett did have the power to choose what happened next.
She pushed the door wide open. Took a purposeful step to enter her room. And just as she was almost fully inside, she heard the very last words she expected to hear.
“Oliver,” The Man in Black rumbled the name from behind. “My name is Oliver Garcia. But your sister calls me Olly.”
3
Beautiful.
The word had blasted to the forefront of Olly’s mind the second those elevator doors slid open, and he’d come face to face with the woman he’d come here to meet. He hadn’t realized it was her, of course. Not at first, anyway.
Suspected, sure. With all that long, red hair and eyes so similar to Rose’s, how could he not?
If he were being honest with himself, there might have even been a tiny piece of him that hadhopedthe sexy as fuck woman wearing only a towel and a smile was the same one who’d called him. But it wasn’t until John from downstairs had spoken her name over the phone that Olly was given his confirmation.
Room four-oh-three…that would be Scarlett Hathaway, correct?
Those unexpected words had sent his heart slamming against his ribs. And when he’d glanced back at the coppered beauty, he saw a resemblance he hadn’t noticed before.
Similar hair. Pale skin. And a smattering of tiny, cute-as-fuck freckles on her cheeks and the very tip of her nose.