The clearing of his throat silenced me. I rolled my inner lip through my teeth, waiting for words to follow. There were none.
Ping.
He gathered himself as best he could and stumbled off the elevator. I was close behind. Even in his drunken haze, he was still glorious. His legs were slightly bowed. His frame wasn’t thin nor thick. It was perfect. He wasn’t too tall, but he definitely wasn’t short.
He’s capable of making long, Black babies.
I closed my eyes as I reached the hotel room.
Many cops are.
“Right here.”
I pushed the door open after gaining access. His legs finally stopped moving and backtracked after realizing he had gone too far. I held the door and my breath as I waited for him to pass me. And, once he did, I still didn’t let it go.
Quietly, I closed the door behind me. His silence was as peaceful as it was agonizing. Drunks were loose at the lips. He hadn’t said a word.
I deepened my presence in the room, finding him sprawled out on the bed. He’d gotten rid of his shades, but the hoodie was still tied around his neck. His focus was upward. His eyes were fixated on the ceiling.
Slowly, I blinked, hoping to erase his aesthetics from my memory. He would be aprettybig problem for all I loved. Every law enforcement was… no matter the division.
“Check out is at twelve. Pull yourself together by then. Maybe your spectator will have decided to call it quits.”
I didn’t wait for a response. I knew there wouldn’t be one. And, I had shit to do. Lusting over a piece of pork that feasted on donuts and was fueled by coffee wasn’t going to get it done.
As my hand touched the cold metal, a deep, uneven baritone stopped me in my tracks.
“Thank you.”
Simple.
Straight to the fucking point.
He didn’t use more words than necessary and I didn’t plan to waste more seconds than necessary. This time, I didn’t bother looking back or acknowledging him. I pulled myself up by the spine and raced to the opposite side of the door.
Once there, I pinned my back against the wood and closed my eyes. I swallowed warm saliva. As it slid down my throat, I tipped my chin upward. By the time it reached my belly, I was on the elevator, again, forgetting the existence of the hooded man.
As best I could, at least.
With my eyes trained on the hotel receptionist, I neared the front desk. The bottom of my black bag collided with the countertop. Wordlessly, I retrieved it, turned, and beelined for the door. Too much of my time had been spent inThe Balgaria. It was never my intention to overstay.
I removed the valet ticket from the side of the bag as I exited. The midnight breeze welcomed me with a whistle. It kissed my cheeks and patted the tip of my nose.
“Good evening, ma’am. Your car?”
I nodded, extending my hand. I’d return to the loft another day to retrieve my other set of wheels. Tonight, I’d be in the set that got me toThe Balgariahours before my date.
“Right there.”
The SUV hadn’t moved much. It was nestled between a navyPhantomand a whiteMaybach.
“One second.”
“There’s no need. Keys, please.”
My patience was thin and my bedroom was beckoning for me.
“Are you su–”
