Chapter 20: Anna—Champagne and anonymous sexts
Check-in was a breeze. Shane appeared to have contacts at the hotel. The security manager Scotty made an appearance, promising Shane he’d do whatever was needed for him to have a “good weekend.” Nice. Another ally! Anna smiled at Scotty and asked the receptionist to please organize an anonymous delivery to the room next to theirs.
When they entered the room, Anna was struck by its beauty and romantic vibe. It was gorgeous, on the second-highest floor.How much was Mason spending on this weekend?She’d offered to transfer some money to Shane, but he’d dismissed her offer and refused to talk about it further. He was a tough man in many ways, but he only seemed to use his stubbornness to do nice things for her. She’d pick up the dinners or something, she told herself. Then it would be more even. If Mason could drop thousands on his mistress, she’d drop money on her … her what? Friend? Ally? Confidante?Crush?He was definitely a kind man under all that stoic bluster, and he seemed interested in her. He was handsome in a different kind of way and his physical strength was more than appealing. Stupid biology. Maybe she needed a night of fun? No, she decided. She wasn’t “single” yet, even though she felt it in her heart.
She checked out the bathroom—absolutely luxurious!
“This is amazing. Quite the getaway for our lovebirds,” she remarked.
“Let’s hope we have thin walls, so we can hear the fallout,” Shane responded.
“Could be a mixed blessing. We might hear them fucking,” Anna mused.
Shane shuddered dramatically, making her laugh.
He moved to the French doors that led out the balcony, throwing them open and letting in the evening breeze. Suddenly, he turned to Anna with a finger over his lips. He beckoned her over, grabbing her hips and holding her still when she moved to step out onto the balcony.
The sound of voices on the next-door balcony drifted over.
“It’s so nice to get away, Mase. My poor puss is aching for you,” April’s seductive tones cooed.
Anna made a quiet gagging sound, looking up at Shane behind her with amusement.Shouldn’t this hurt? Why am I almost enjoying this?Their words sounded pathetic, amusing.
Shane’s hands hadn’t moved from her hips. They stood silently, ostensibly listening to the saucy conversation next door. Her heart was pounding. She could feel his warm chest on her back, his breath on her neck. He must be looking down at her, she thought. His breath sounded as choppy as hers.
“And I’ve been aching for your sweet puss,” Mason returned, though his voice sounded forced.
“We can’t do this anymore. This has to be it, Mason. I’m not sneaking around for you anymore. I’ll give up Shane. I’ll walk away with nothing, all for you. My man, my everything.”
“April, I know and I truly—”
“Who could that be? No one knows we’re here,” April asked.
Ah, the room service must be arriving.
“I’ll get it,” Mason offered.
Shane looked down at her, smiling. She smiled back and couldn’t help but look at his lips. They were full for a man’s lips. The scar that began beside his mouth wasn’t unattractive; it was just part of him. It added to his mysterious, dangerous appeal. The silence and tension deepened, broken only by Mason’s return.
“Are you sure you didn’t say anything to anyone? That was room service. A fucking bottle of champagne with a card. Are you playing me, April?”
“How dare you,” her angry voice was becoming dark and low. “What does the card say? Maybe it’s like a hotel welcome.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Quinn, may your love be as strong as your integrity,” Mason read. “Doesn’t sound like a fucking complimentary hotel welcome.”
His tone was accusatory and was met with open hostility from April.
“Well, don’t blame me. Who have you told? It’s probably Lilah. That sniveling bitch has been riding both of us lately. You shouldn’t have left the pube.”
Shane’s chest was moving. He was laughing, she realized. She turned around and pushed her finger to his mouth to stop any sound he may make. Her motion made his smile disappear, leaving only intense eye contact between them. Mel would love this, she thought. Those pregnant silences in romance novels had nothing on this. The tension was real and jarring. Luckily, the two morons they had once called lovers broke it.
“It can’t be Lilah. And it wasn’t my fucking pube. If you maybe landscaped occasionally, that wouldn’t have happened,” he fumed.
“Landscaped? What do you want, a little girl, Mason? Well, bad luck, I’m a grown woman with a full bush.”
Oh, this was amazing. This was everything. She should have sent up a bottle of lube and a butt plug training set. What was the pube thing about? Whatever it was, it had to do with Lilah. She owed the woman a bottle of wine.
“Enough about the damned pube. April, we need to seriously talk about this. Look at us, we’re not suited,” Mason scoffed.
