She grins as she taps the gold button.
The elevator dings softly as it arrives. The doors slide open, and Calliope gestures down the corridor.
“Room 641 is right down there.”
“Thank you.”
She watches me, her eyes brimming with amused curiosity until the elevator doors shut.
I walk down the hallway, my mind spinning.
Manager offices have private restrooms. The employee lounge has showers. There is absolutely no reason for a staff member to be spending lunch in a guest suite.
I stop outside room 641.
My hand slips into my wallet and pulls out the master key fob.
I step inside.
The room is immaculate. Exactly the way housekeeping leaves it. The king bed is perfectly made. Crisp white linens. Smooth pillows. No signs of anyone sitting or lying on it.
The bathroom door is open. I flick on the light. The sink is dry. The counter spotless. The shower tiles bone dry. No towels out. No toiletries opened. No sign anyone’s used it.
I walk deeper into the suite.
No sign of her.
I turn toward the door, already wondering if Calliope got the room number wrong.
Then I catch movement through the sliding glass door.
I step outside onto the balcony and freeze.
Harleigh is stretched out on a lounge chair. Her blazer is tossed over the armrest beside her. Her pink camisole is tugged halfway up her torso, exposing the smooth plane of her stomach.
And the tattoo.
Black ink curves beneath the thin strap.
Her hair is down. Loose and golden around her shoulders.
She’s wearing oversize sunglasses.
A brown paper lunch sack sits on the small table beside her. A half-eaten sandwich and an apple rest next to it.
An open book lies in her lap.
But she’s not reading. She’s leaned back, face tilted toward the sun.
I just stand there. Watching her from the shadow.
The afternoon light glows against her skin. The breeze lifts a few silky strands of her hair.
I clear my throat. “Miss Storm.”
She startles slightly, and her head turns toward me.
Slowly, she slides the sunglasses down the bridge of her nose. One eye remains closed against the sunlight as she peers up at me.
