I take it, grateful.The water is cold and perfect, and I drain half the bottle before coming up for air.
“I should have known something was up,” I say, settling back against him, “when you volunteered to drop off Mom’s delivery order in the city this morning.And insisted I come with you.”
His chest rumbles with silent laughter beneath my cheek.“I needed an excuse.Now that my parents are in your house all the time, I barely get a minute alone with you.”
It’s true.It’s just been two days since the engagement, yet our mothers have been in full wedding-planning mode, which apparently requires both families to occupy the same space at all times.It doesn’t matter what we say about the wedding, they have their own ideas.
Christmas preparations have only made it worse.Yesterday when Alexander and I returned for breakfast, we walked into the kitchen only to find Victoria and Mom debating centerpieces while Dad and Jacob argued about the best way to hang garland.It had beenone daysince our engagement.
It’s chaos.
“Mom’s going to wonder why we’re taking so long.She’s going to know,” I point out.
“What, that we’re having sex?”Alexander’s voice is perfectly casual.“Pretty sure everybody knows that.”
“That we got a hotel room in Asheville to have sex when we were supposed to be making a delivery run.”I tilt my head back to look at him.“Our mothers will be mortified.”
His grin is absolutely wicked.“Then let’s keep it between us.”
I laugh, pressing my face back against his chest.“Deal.”
We shower together—which almost derails the entire plan to get back in time for lunch when Alexander decides that soaping my back requires both hands and a lot of kissing.But eventually we make it out of the bathroom, wrapped in the hotel’s plush towels.
I find my bra on the floor—how it ended up all the way over there, I have no idea—and hook it on, then locate my pants draped over the velvet armchair by the window.Alexander is already dressed in his pants, bare-chested and gorgeous, and I let myself enjoy the view for a moment.Dark hair, lean muscle, that line of his hipbones disappearing into his waistband.
“You’re staring,” he says without looking up from buckling his belt.
“You’re pretty.”
He looks up at that, one eyebrow raised.“Pretty?”
“Like a really expensive suit commercial.”I pull on my pants, hopping a little to get them over my hips.“Or a cologne ad.Very aspirational.”
He looks up, a smile playing at his lips.“Should I be flattered?”
“Extremely.”
His eyes narrow.“Come here and say that.”
“Why?So you can get me back on the bed?I don’t think so.”I grab my shirt from where it’s somehow ended up on the desk and pause before putting it on.“Listen, we need to talk about something.”
Alexander’s hands still on his shirt buttons.“Should I be worried?”
“Maybe.”I turn to face him, arms crossed over my bra.“Once we’re back in the office after the holidays, we have to be professional.That means you can’t just...grope me in the office or whatever.”
His expression turns innocent.Too innocent.“I would never grope you.”
“Alexander.”
“In front of anyone,” he adds, his mouth curving into a smirk.
I flush.“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”He crosses the room in two strides, and suddenly I’m backed against the wall with his hands braced on either side of my head.His bare chest is inches from mine, and I try not to focus on that little detail.“I’m always serious when it comes to you.”
My mouth goes dry.“If you grope me at work, I’ll bite you.”
His eyes darken, and the smirk turns absolutely wicked.“Will you?Where?”
