“Understood.”
She closes the door behind her, and when she’s got to be halfway down the hall, I jump up and down, fling my arms around and gyrate my hips. “Fuck yeah!”
CHAPTER 10
Grae
Day 1 of the Trial
I shoot off a quick text to Darren to let him know I’m hopping in the shower. As much as I want to taste and smell like Alana all day, that’s unnecessary. And I have this hard-on I need to take care of, otherwise it’s going to be awkward around my bodyguard.
By the time I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around me, I’m clean and even more excited. Darren knocks on my hotel door, and I’m basically vibrating.
“Dude, it happened!” I say, grabbing my backpack out of his hand and returning to the bedroom to change. I dig through my bag finding track pants and a hoodie. Yessss, it’s the super soft one.
“I need every detail,” he says through the door. I hop while pulling up my pants.
“I was waiting in line to sign in at the auction, and the guy in front of her stole the pen. And I had one.” It hit me—my Pen Girl needed a pen. “It was like every dream I’ve had.” See, it’s fate and karma, the universe wants us together.
“Anyway, she started to leave but I caught her and basically groveled. Then we talked about Knights of the Night, and I invited her back here to watch the fan show. Oh, and the Pirate King knows that Lady Elnona is alive! Our mutual geekiness overflowed and one thing led to another and boom, she’s waking up in my bed.”
I come out of the bedroom, throwing my hoodie over my head. My nose gets stuck in the collar, and it hurts as I pull it down. “She said I would get two weeks.”
“For what?”
I slam my hands on his shoulders and use them to propel me up as I jump. “To fall in love with her again.” During my second jump I realize with a groan, “I have two weeks to get her to fall in love with me… again.”
Darren does not seem as impressed as I am. “Should I run a background check on her?”
“Naw, it’s cool. Besides I think she’d be super pissed if I did. She’s all about her privacy.” He gives me a side-eye.
“This shit is literally my job. And currently, I need to protect you from yourself.” He pulls out his phone, “Tell me her name.”
“Nope. You’re going to do a deep dive and I’m gonna know her dental report for the last three years.”
He sighs and rubs his temples. “I guess lecturing you about protocol is going to be a total waste of time right now. You’re too pumped up.” I start packing my stuff, pants, wallet and last night’s tie. I’m about to jam my jacket into the bag when Darren grabs my arm. “That’s a ten-thousand-dollar Tom Ford jacket. You do not stuff it into a backpack.” He yanks it out of my hand and throws it over his shoulder. “You need to be supervised today.”
“I’ve got some extra energy."
“I can tell. I’ll call your trainer and see if he can get you in today for a session.” He looks at me up and down, “Maybe you need two.”
Once the room is packed and he does a second and third look because he doesn’t trust my observation skills, we go to the lobby and I check out. The morning sun glares against the building windows, and I’m temporarily blinded. Darren yanks me out of the way before I crush a young mother and her kid.
I mumble sorry and give Darren a grateful look. But my body feels like it’s on fire. “Should I call her?”
“Now? No!”
“Text her?”
“Absolutely not.” I huff. He’s being so unreasonable.
“I only have two weeks to make her my wife for life.” I look around the street and start walking uptown. Darren doesn’t question it. I have one place I want to go.
“Look, if you don’t trust my opinion, text Lukas.” Excellent idea. Lukas is madly in love and understands what it’s like to wait for the woman who is your soulmate.
Me: Lukas, I found Pen Girl.
Seconds later my phone rings and Lukas is yelling into the phone, “That’s great!”
