“Ouch.”
Hope shrugged. “Nothing illegal happens at this resort, as you know.” She gave him a pointed look. “The owners are very cognizant of safety and security, as you know. And this place makes people happy?—”
“As I know,” he finished for her. “Nothing wrong with happy, horny adults doing what adults do. Here, it just doesn’t need to be done behind closed doors.”
“I wish everyone had that outlook.”
“Same.”
“Why can’t everyone simply live and let live?” Hope sighed.
“Unfortunately, people are always going to judge others. It’s human nature.” He paused. “Well, time for me to goshower, change, and get to work, despite wanting to be a corpse for the rest of the day. Do you need my help to put things away?”
“No, I appreciate the offer but the rolling cart makes taking everything to the storage closet easy.”
He gave her a single nod. “Then, I’m out of here.” He headed toward the event hall’s double doors but stopped halfway there.
“Did you forget something?” she called out, glancing around for something he might’ve left behind.
“Yes.” He turned and took long, determined strides back to her.
“What?”
He stopped only a couple feet away. “What are you doing later?”
“How much later?”
“Say…six or so?”
She blinked. Was he about to ask her on a date or something? She knew he was single, but…
“I’m not looking for a date, per se.”
“You’re not?”
He slowly shook his head, then smiled.
That smile spoke volumes.
“Aaah. So, no dinner and a movie first?”
“Do you need that?”
Did she? “No. I have dating on hold right now.”
“I’ve had dating on hold since my last relationship ended five years ago.”
“Ouch,” she echoed him from earlier.
“Hookups are easier and usually less painful.”
“Unless someone straps you down to one of those spanking benches and smacks your ass with a spiked paddle.”
His head tilted to the side. “That actually sounds better than dinner and a movie.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “You’re into that?”
“Remove the spikes and I’m not going to say no.”
