Nothing to Hide

TEN

TEN

Yet another hotel suite. Could be Lomond just wasn’t aware regular hotel rooms existed. What a life to live.

Always a planner, Jane transferred their flights to leave from their new location while Toria preened, and Roxie soaked in the tub. Getting those formalities out of the way freed them up to drink and dance to their happy hearts’ content.

High on life, the prospect of venturing out in Vegas stoked bubbly anticipation in her belly. Now if only Toria would get her a*s out of the restroom, maybe they could get going. Jane wasn’t worried, she was buzzing around, tidying up. Wasn’t her idea of a good time, but Jane seemed to be enjoying herself.

Just as she finished her drink, her clutch buzzed. She opened it up to retrieve her phone and read a text from Astrid.

Apparently, everyone had a suite, even the staff. If Lomond was as rich as people said, he could probably reserve the whole hotel if he wanted.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” Roxie called over the music.

Jane waved at her and continued putting Toria’s clothes on hangers.

The Astrid meeting wouldn’t take long; she’d bet big that a warning was in her future. Don’t get into trouble. Don’t start any more riots. That kind of thing. The riot was a one-time anomaly, they shouldn’t judge her for it forever.

The jaunt in the elevator was quick. Roxie hopped out expecting a floor like hers. Instead, one door stood straight ahead. The nameplate declared it to be the “Platinum Suite.” Her stop. She knocked and, a second later, the door opened like someone was waiting on the other side.

Slick.

Roxie smiled, assuming employees shared space. “Astrid texted me.”

Slick nodded and stepped aside. “Just go through.”

Rather than join her, he departed and closed the door. Hmm, not a good sign. If they needed privacy, the warning would be a big one.

Strolling up the awe-inspiring grey marble foyer, she reminded herself they were in a hotel, not some stately mansion. Last week she’d thought cork bathroom tiles were fancy; life sure had changed fast. To the right, a restroom. The next door was closed. Closet, maybe? Opposite was a bedroom, small, though it opened to something beyond.

The glass wall up ahead showcased an external deck and pool.

“Whoa,” she whispered when the foyer gave way to the vast living room.

Sleek and modern with hidden lights scattering their hues on the ceiling, the grey and white space was less majestic mansion and more bachelor pad.

“I have a condition.”

Startled by Lomond’s voice, Roxie spun around. He was standing behind a bar by the mouth of the foyer.

She gasped. “There’s a bar up here?” Rushing over, she spread her hands on the cool marble to hop up onto a stool. “Is this like some secret hang out only the cool kids can access?”

“Hardly,” he said, pouring liquid into a sugared, limed martini glass. “You’re here, aren’t you?”

“Implying I’m not a cool kid,” Roxie said, laying her fingers on the base of the glass when he put it in front of her. “You’re such a gent.”

And if they were fourteen, she might have finished with “not.” Her sarcasm was in full working order.

“You’re welcome,” he said, stabbing an olive with a toothpick to snag it in his teeth.

“You went to boarding school,” she said, sweeping up the glass while he chewed. “What do you know about the cool kids table?”

He swallowed. “I invented the cool kids table, Lola.”

“So you like to think.”

Leaving his post, he disappeared out a door and reappeared on her side of the bar. “Are you going to behave yourself tonight?”

“Haven’t decided,” she said, sipping her lime-drop. “I’m just a drink or two away from wasted… Who knows what fun might happen?”

His brows descended, heating his scrutiny. It lingered, then he took out his phone and began to type.

“I came to see Astrid, is she around?” Roxie asked, telling herself not to peek over the top of his phone despite her curiosity.

“You came to see me. Astrid delivered you.”

“Like take out,” she said, l*****g sugar from the rim of her glass. His eyes rose from the phone. Her smile was half hidden by the glass, but her gaze was telling a story all of its own. “Does that mean you plan to eat me?”

A semi-smile joined his slow blink. “We’re flirting today?”

“Not me,” she said, tipping her head back, arching her body his way. “That’s where your mind went, Casanova.”

Dipping a fingertip into her drink, Roxie took her time about sucking it clean. He put the phone down and rested his hands on the bar, trapping her between his arms.

“Your mind isn’t as clean as you let on,” he murmured.

Slanted back, her spine pressed into the rounded edge of the bar. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” she asked, dipping her finger in the drink again, stirring it slowly. “You’d like to corrupt my innocent mind.”

“You’re anything but innocent, Miss Kyst.”

At the spot her crossed legs rested on his outer thigh, searing awareness began to spread. “No? What am I?”

His smile faded. “You’re complex, Roxanna. Smart, sassy, pragmatic yet a dreamer… You’re a host of contradictions. Both sensible and wild, aloof yet excitable… You’re a beautiful, enticing mix that equals trouble… especially with a mind that’s so open.”

“Oh,” she said, her lips curling. “What is that? You think if you say I’m open-minded, I might be swayed to open my p***y to you?” Her smile grew. “You wouldn’t think I was open-minded if you knew the snap judgments I made about you during Talk at Sunset.”

Interest arched his brow. “No? Enlighten me. What did you think?”

“That you were too rich and hot for your own good. You know yourself far too well… and know exactly how to use your talents to your advantage.”

“You think I’m taking advantage of you?”

“I believed you thought a lot of yourself. Too much.”

“And now?”

If only Roxie could answer that question. Being around him was fun. Different to any other casual association, there was something innate about the way they communicated. So much of it was more than words. Her stomach clenched with excitement whenever they were alone. She wanted to smile. To tease and play with him. Not in a s****l way. At least, not in a physical way. Something more existed behind the smug playboy’s polished exterior. She didn’t know what it was and didn’t expect him to show it.

In his super-public life, all sorts of people would cross his path. He couldn’t trust all of them. She was just another in a long line of people who’d pass him by. Understanding his reluctance to trust didn’t make it any less frustrating.

The intensity of his mysterious gaze tickled her interest. He was right there in front of her, showing complete confidence, like it wouldn’t matter what she said or thought. A part of her wanted to push further, to see how open they could get with each other.

“I don’t think I should answer that,” she said.

“Because you know I am exactly as rich and hot as I think I am.”

“Rich and hot maybe,” she said, l*****g her lips slowly. “But you are not God’s gift to the world.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Careful,” Roxie said, sipping her drink. “Your ego is showing.”