“We’re here,” he murmurs, keeping his hand in place.
I cough to clear my throat and nod, inwardly cringing. “Shit, I’m sorry. I’m not really a napper unless I’m in the car, apparently. You didn’t have issues finding the hotel?”
“No. It’s hard to get lost here. I’ve already got our bags inside, but they wouldn’t let me check in since the room isn’t under my name.”
“Right,” I mutter before unplugging my phone. “Let’s get to it, then. I’m sure my mother’s pacing in one of the hallways already, so we’ll need to be sneaky.”
Grayson chuckles and offers me the hand that was on my shoulder. I take it, and he helps me out of the car before shutting the door behind me.
“It wouldn’t be the worst thing to meet her right off the bat.”
“No, don’t even speak that into existence. I need some time to wake up first,” I grumble.
The hotel before us isn’t anything overtly special, but it’s cute. The wedding isn’t taking place here; that would just be the rehearsal dinner. My sister chose a chunk of land out by the mountains for the main event. From the photos I was sent on the drive here, they’ve got quite the setup going already.
“Afraid I’m not ready for her questioning?”
“Quite the opposite. I’m positive you’d nail it, but I’d stumble over my words and ruin everything already. Just trust me, it’s best if we don’t have to see her until dinner.”
He nods in acceptance and touches my lower back, guiding me forward. My breath hitches at the warmth that explodes beneath my sweater, but I hide it with a completely unnecessary yawn. Keeping my eyes forward, I let myself relax against his palm and walk through the hotel doors.
Our two bags are tucked beside the check-in desk. Grayson drops his hand only once we’re close enough that he can grab them. I turn my focus to the woman at the desk and flash her a smile.
“Hi! I’m checking in. The name should be under Jill Clarkson.”
The woman doesn’t look much older than I am, and as she returns my smile and starts clicking away on her keyboard, I don’t miss the subtle dart of her eyes. Grayson’s setting my bag on the counter and unzipping the front pocket at the same time her cheeks flare a deep red.
“Can I see your ID?” she asks almost nervously.
I assume it’s the man standing beside me who’s making her nervous. Which isn’t surprising in the slightest. He’s huge, and there’s no denying how good-looking he is. I don’t know one person alive who wouldn’t be attracted to him, even if the clean-cut thing isn’t your type.
I narrow my eyes on her just enough to have me questioning myself. “Yes, of course.”
Reaching for the pocket he’s busied himself unzipping, my fingers are immediately wrapped in warmth. He’s curled his around them, squeezing my hand. The smooth surface of my ID replaces his skin as he hands it over and shifts closer, our sides brushing.
My pulse thumps in my ears as I glance up at him and wordlessly hand the card to the receptionist. There’s a subtle glimmer in his eyes as he meets my gaze, a muscle in his cheek twitching. I swallow past the sudden thickness in my throat and give him a soft, appreciative smile before facing forward again. My face has got to be as red as this woman’s still is, and that seems to bother me more than it did a few moments ago.
“You’re booked in for two nights, and the room has already been paid for. Is the card on file a good one to charge for incidentals?”
“Oh, yes.”
She tips her chin and slides my ID across the desk for me. Grayson steals it before I can make a move to and tucks it back into my bag. I roll my lips and let him zip the pocket.
“You’ll be in room 303. The Wi-Fi password is right here on the card, and breakfast is from six till ten. If you need anything, just give us a call down here,” the woman says, staring at Grayson a bit too long when she finishes her spiel. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
I bristle. “Nope. We’ll be just fine, thanks. Isn’t that right, sweetie?”
“As long as I have you, I’m good,” Grayson drawls gently, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.
My skin pebbles with goosebumps. I reach forward and snag the cards from the woman before he can. My smile is saccharine as I touch his arm and lean a bit closer than I should, feeling the hard press of his bicep beneath my fingertips.
“See? We’re perfect.”
The woman blinks once but then smiles, albeit forcefully. “Great. Enjoy your stay.”
“We will,” Grayson says.
I almost smack him for speaking to her this time. If he didn’t reach for both of our bags, I may have. And that’s fucking insane behaviour.
