“Nothing, I … it’s just … well, this is a lot of trouble for you to go to, you know?” I’m trying to gesture with my hands, but the jacket is making it rather difficult, frustrating me further. “You’re changing my room because a guy hit on me and I didn’t deal with it like I should have been able to … It’s not even like I’m a VIP that deserves the special treatment, I have a basic room and only for a week. You don’t know me from Adam, and I don’t even know your name. Do you work here or something?” The tone of my voice gradually gets higher, and my words come out fast until I’ve run out of breath.
A low rumble bubbles up from his stomach, and he presses his lips together to stop the laughter escaping but he is failing miserably. It’s infectious and I join him when I realize just how neurotic my little rant was.
“Okay.” He holds my shoulders and bends a little at the waist to look directly into my eyes while trying to keep his laughter under control. “Do you know how funny and adorable you look trying to move your arms around in my jacket while your mouth is running away with you?”
I laugh. “I guess that makes me look pretty crazy, huh?”
He nods and smiles gently. “That’s a lot of questions, so here goes. Firstly, my name is Denham King. I would offer to shake your hand, but…you know…” He tilts his head and smirks to himself, reminding me that I’m still unable to free my arms. “I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself before. I hadn’t even noticed that we had skipped that part. Secondly…” He takes a deep breath. “I own this hotel, so who I give rooms to is my business, and thirdly, please let me assure you that this is the first and probably the only time I’ve felt compelled to accommodate a guest so willingly. You looked like you needed to catch a break, and I wanted to be the one to help you.” He looks down at the marble flooring and finishes his sentence with a shrug and a shy smile.
I stand there a little taken aback and silenced by his explanation while I try to take in all the information. He seems so genuine, and I want to accept his kind gesture as nothing more than that, a kind gesture, but the realist in me makes me skeptical of anyone being so thoughtful just because they want to and not because there’s an ulterior motive. Lottie said her boyfriend’s brother owns this place…is he…?
“Come on.” He starts to walk toward the elevator. “I’ll have the bellboy stop at 144 and bring your belongings to your new room.”
“I would really like to pack up my own things and make sure I don’t leave anything behind…if you don’t mind?”
“Of course, I’m sorry, I should have thought. Would you like to stop by there on the way up or…?”
“It’s fine. I’ll pack everything up in a while. You don’t have to show me to my room, really, you’ve gone to enough trouble for me, I am so grateful and—”
“We can stop at your room along the way, and then Iwillshow you to your new room. It’ll give me peace of mind that you haven’t gotten lost or hit on by a middle aged sleazeball with questionable dress sense.” He looks at me with a quirked eyebrow. “Besides, you’ll need a special code for the elevator.” He says the last words with a wink, and I scrunch my brows at him. Nonetheless, I put my trust in him, perhaps more than I should, given my circumstances, but I trust Lottie and she wouldn’t put me somewhere I wasn’t safe.
We stop at my old room and collect my belongings. Ever the gentleman, he waits outside while I get everything together. When I open the door to the room that I haven’t even spent more than a few hours in, he is leaning across the doorway, one leg propped against the wall behind him.
He is casual, unassuming, and very attractive.
My negative feelings toward the opposite sex take a nosedive when I look at him. I watch him for several long seconds, taking in the shape of his strong jaw and containing the urge to draw my finger along his day old stubble.
“Will you let me take your case for you?” He smiles and holds out a hand. I look down at my case, all that I have.
Denham holds his hands up in mock surrender. “Relax, I’m not going to steal it, just carry it to your room.”
Once again, I feel my tension slip away and I hand him my case. He should make me nervous but, strangely enough, he puts me at ease.
The elevator ride seems to take forever as we stand beside one another facing the door, close but not touching. An invisible electricity bouncing back and forth between our bodies. I feel his gaze on me, and when I give in to the craving to turn towardhim, he snaps his head back around to look at the elevator doors like a naughty child who has been caught doing something he shouldn’t.
The doors slide open, and we step out onto the landing. There’s another huge vase of flowers directly in front of me like the ones in the foyer, and a plush cream carpet that looks deep enough to sink your toes in. I look at him in confusion when I see there are only two doors—one to my left and one to my right. Huge, imposing, dark wood doors with gleaming gold handles, but neither has a room number.
“Yours is to the left.” He walks ahead, slipping the key card into the door and pushing it open. I walk over the threshold and let out an audible gasp. This isn’t a room. It’s a beautifully, elaborate suite filled with opulent details and spectacular views out of the floor to ceiling windows, which are more like a glass wall.
Luxury at its finest.
“What’s this?” I ask, a tone of astonishment mixed with annoyance in my voice.
“It’s your replacement room. It was the only one available, so I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“But I can’t afford this room.” Although I could stretch my money toward this kind of grandeur, I don’t want to.
“It’s a complimentary room, Miss Jamesson. You didn’t ask to be upgraded, I upgraded you.”
“Yes, but I’m not a charity case, I don’t want you to feel sorry for me, and I don’t need to upgrade to the penthouse just because someone hit on me.”
“I think we had this conversation downstairs, and your mouth is starting to run away with you…again.”
He strides past me, taking my case through another door, and I break into a half run to keep up with him which isn’t easy when I’m still buttoned into this damn blazer. I stop just before I slaminto his back. When he puts my case down and steps to the side, I’m stunned at what I see.
“Whoa.”
The room is exquisite. A king size bed draped in ruby-red silk sheets and sumptuous bedding is the centerpiece of the room—a masterpiece in intricately, hand-carved dark wood. Off to the side is an en suite bathroom with a sunken marble bath.
