“Welcome to The Aurelia,” he says, those bright blue eyes giving me tingles. “I’m thrilled you’re here.”
I’m breathless as he puts his hand on my hip and kisses my cheek. He smells so good. Like lavender and sandalwood. I just want to lean against his body, put my cheek on that soft shirt, and breathe him in.
“I’ll take it from here, Jericho,” he says to the manager.
“Very well,” Jericho says, giving me one last smile. “Enjoy your stay, Miss Howard. It’s a pleasure having you at The Aurelia.”
“Thanks, Jericho,” I whisper as he leaves.
The air charges with electricity once we’re alone. I look up at this beautiful man and wonder if this is really happening. Am I really spending a week with a stranger?
But then he gives me that warm smile and I instantly feel at ease.
He’s not a stranger. I got to know Adrian well enough on the plane to know that this will be a week I’ll never forget.
“So, no wedding?”
I shake my head and laugh, a little embarrassed by my chaotic family. “No wedding. Turns out true love couldn’t survive a few warm beers and a long plane ride.”
“I can’t say I’m disappointed,” he says with that slow, confident grin that always short circuits my brain. “Unfortunately, the world won’t have mini Taints running around, but if it means I get you for the week, I’ll take that trade.”
“Be careful what you wish for, Mr. Drake,” I say in a flirty tone. “Are you sure you can handle me for a full week?”
“I’m not sure of anything anymore,” he says, staring at me with a sense of awe in his bright blue eyes, “but I’m excited to find out.”
He takes my hand and we start walking down the hall. I glance around at the shimmering marble, the view of the ocean, the quiet hum of perfection. If we can’t make it here in paradise, we have no hope anywhere else.
We walk by one of the pools and I just stare in wonder at how the human race can build something so spectacular. The crystal clear (and Bandaid free!) water looks so inviting. I just want to slip into it in my clothes and feel the cool water washing the sweat and grime from my face.
“This is a bit of an upgrade from the pool at the Breezy Winds,” I say with a laugh.
“That bad?”
I exhale long and hard as I recall the depressing sight. “That bad,” I say with a shiver. I tell him all about it as we continue walking. Even his laughs are sexy. They get me all lightheaded and quivery.
“Don’t worry,” he says as we pass a gorgeous abstract sculpture of intertwined figures overlooking a spectacular koi pond. “We have our own pool at the suite.”
I stop and stare up at him in shock. “We have our own pool?”
“Two of them,” he says with a grin. “And a hot tub.”
“Oh my god,” I say, unable to believe my luck. “Is this place heaven?”
He slowly steps up to me, cups my jaw with his hand, and leans down. “Maya,” he whispers on my mouth, his warm minty breath tingling my lips, “everywhere with you is heaven.”
I moan as he kisses me, stealing the air from my lungs, slow and deep, until I can’t tell where I end and he begins. When he finally pulls away, he licks his lips with a low groan, like he’s savoring the taste of something he’ll never get enough of.
“Come,” he says, squeezing my hand. “I can’t wait to show it to you.”
The Empire Suite is tucked away on the outskirts of the hotel for absolute privacy. It’s more of a separate villa than a hotel room, complete with solid wood double doors carved to perfection with intricate golden waves that shimmer when the light hits them.
“Ready?” Adrian asks with a grin as he presses his shell bracelet to the pad and the door unlocks.
I shake my head, not knowing what to expect. “I don’t think I’m prepared for what’s behind those doors.”
“Ready or not,” he says as he pushes the heavy door open. “You’re here.”
I step inside and stop dead in my tracks. My mouth drops. My purse slides off my shoulder and lands with a thunk on the shiny marble floor.
