Only it won’t be a good night, will it? It’ll be one of tossing and turning and listening for the sound of her footsteps on the floor and trying to ignore the longing. There will be so much longing.
21
Gelato and Girl Talk
Nora
He’s grateful for me.Knowing me is going to make him a better man. I changed him. I—Nora Cooper, lowly hotel employee—changed Theo Rojas, heir to and president of the Rojas Rum fortune.
My eyes popped open the second the sun came up, and I’ve been lying in this sinfully comfortable fluffy white bed, wide awake and thinking about him ever since. The crazy part is I’m not even tired, even though it took forever to fall asleep, my brain opting instead to waste half the night willing him to knock on my door to see if I was awake so he could pledge his undying devotion, then make sweet, sweet, spicy love to me all night.
But that’s just silliness. He doesn’t think of methat way, despite a whole lot of deliciously flirty banter yesterday (once we got over ourselves and decided that getting along would be more fun than bickering).
Could he maybe be attracted to me? It’s possible. I’m not hideous after all.
No, no he’s not. I’m sure of it. He’s looking for someone altogether different than me as far as a long-term relationship goes. Or is he? Because if it turned out I was the girl for him, I could make peace with that idea quickly. I know that a mere eighteen hours ago, I was certain I hated him and everything he stands for, but now I feel like I’ve gotten past his hard outer-shell, and it’s nothing but gooey, yummy chocolate inside.
I can imagine us cooking meals together, playing cards, snuggling up on the couch watching movies, going out dancing. I bet he’s an amazing dancer. He probably had to take classes at whatever highbrow boarding school he went to, which left him light on his feet with a keen knowledge of how to lead, a commanding sense of rhythm, and a firm grip around his partner’s waist.
Gah! This is killing me.
I’ve been lying here for nearly two hours, listening for some sign of him being awake. So far, nothing. But as soon as I hear one sound, I’m going to jump out of bed. Because the thing is, I can’t wait to have more time alone with him. Like, maybe the next week or so. That would be enough time to find out if maybe a little something might happen between us.
Okay, Nora, you need a plan. As soon as he moves, go out there and be bright, chipper, and generally fabulous. Oh, and sexy. Be sexy too, but without seeming like you’re trying. Be bright, chipper, fabulous, and effortlessly sexy, like Mila Kunis or a woman in an ad for hair dye. With any luck, Justin won’t be back until the end of the day, which will give us plenty of time to be together in the world’s most romantic villa on a private island.
A knock at the door interrupts my scheming. “Yes?” I do my best to sound sleepy. Like a sleepy, cozy, sexy kitten. All right, so a sexy kitten isn’t a thing.
“Nora? Our ride is here.”
Shit. Fuck. Son of a bitch. “Great! I’ll be out in a minute,” I call back in a smooth voice.
I throw my T-shirt and shorts back on, then hurry out of the room only to see Harrison Banks standing in the living room, chatting with Theo. Theo is also dressed and looks as though he probably slept like the dead last night, unlike me. If that’s not a sure sign he’s not into me, I don’t know what would be.
As soon as he sees me, Harrison says, “Nora, are you okay? I’ve been worried sick about the two of you.”
“I’m great,” I tell him with a smile. “I’m surprised you came to pick us up.”
“I wanted to get here as fast as possible, and Justin doesn’t start work for another hour,” Harrison says. “I was just telling Theo that this kind of thing has never happened before. We’re always so careful about the weather reports, but this storm blew in hours before it was supposed to. I’m so sorry this happened.”
“No need to apologize, we’re fine,” I answer. “Mr. Rojas missed an important meeting, but otherwise, all is well.”
“You sure? I know the last thing you thought you’d be doing last night was winding up stuck here.”
With a little shrug, I say, “It was okay, Harrison. It was no one’s fault, and we made out just fine.”Made out? FIX THAT NOW!“Wedidjust fine. Not made out. That makes it sound like there was… and there wasn’t.” I let out a laugh, my skin prickling at the sight of the two men cringing as I ramble. “There was plenty of food, and we were safe the whole time. We even had some fun, didn’t we?”
Theo nods. “We played cards to pass the time.”
“Poker. Just the regular kind,” I add.
“Okay, well, good,” Harrison says, looking puzzled (as he should, since apparently, I’m a bumbling idiot this morning). “Should we get going? Get you two back to civilization?”
“Absolutely,” I answer with a firm nod. “I have so much to do when we get back to the resort.”
“I was thinking you may want the day off, since you were basically on the clock for the last twenty-four hours,” Harrison says, holding the door open for us.
“Nope, not this lady,” I announce as I step outside into the already-hot day. “I have far too much to do. Plus, I’m really well-rested so I’m ready to work.”
Ha! See? I slept well too, so there, Theo.
