on and cutting the engine. He shifts in his seat to look at me. ‘Not all of us draw huge salaries or are stupid about spending,’ he surprises me by saying, ‘but well done, very passionately delivered.’ He searches my face for something, then the shutters come down. ‘I could
almost
believe you.’ Climbing gracefully from the car, he leaves me frozen in my seat, mouth hanging open.
Did he just call me a liar?
Chapter Six
I’m angry and hurt but my conscience tugs at me. I
am
a liar, until I find the right moment to tell him who I am and the reason I’m here.
But he doesn’t know that. So why is he assuming I’m being dishonest?
If it was anyone else who’d said it, my instinct would be to argue, but it won’t help, so I take a moment to cool down. Grabbing my mobile from my bag, I check for a signal. The little tree icon and message welcoming me to Spain show I’m linked to the local network. I send Jess a quick text.
Hi, here safely :) Got off plane in one piece! Know you think I’m wrong to do this but I need to. Speak later. C x
Dropping my phone into my bag, I hope I’ll still have a best friend by the end of the weekend.
I wiggle from the car, aided by a red uniformed concierge who rushes over to hold the door open for me. If I’d expected Alex to wait I’d be disappointed. He’s already gone into the hotel. Charming.
Studying the grand white frontage of the building, I thank the man, receiving a nod and smile in reply, before I click up the broad stone stairs and through the gold-gilded door into the lobby. Spotting my infuriating but dishy boss at the front desk, I stride across the vast, high-ceilinged, black marbled room. The differences between the traditional façade and the modern interior of the hotel work surprisingly well together.
Hoping Alex will acknowledge me and perhaps apologise turns out to be pointless; he’s deep in laughing conversation with the pretty brunette receptionist who’s tapping quick fingers over a computer keyboard, their gazes tangling. Not that I’m bothered.
‘Here you are, sir,’ she says with a flirtatious smile and some exotically rolled r's, ‘the Mediterranean. I have two key passes. There are two guests staying,
si
?’
My eyes widen. He’s not expecting us to share a room? No way. Not appropriate, a bit sleazy, and how would it look if anyone found out, given the rumours Tony’s spread about me? It’s absolutely nothing to do with how my rebellious hormones might cope with the challenge of sleeping a few feet away from Alex.
He looks round at me. ‘Oh, there you are. Sorry I didn’t wait for you but I wanted to get started on check-in. I thought you might be wrung out after the plane journey.’
Meaning my nerves on landing. Drats. He has his faults, but he’s actually pretty thoughtful.
His gaze flickers over me, making my skin fizz, and he frowns. ‘Are there any other rooms available?’ he quizzes the receptionist.
She checks her screen. ‘No, sorry sir. We are fully booked.’
‘What about other hotels in the area?’
‘I can make some calls but it is unlikely given the time of year. It’s very busy.’
‘Right.’ He runs a hand through his dark hair. ‘Of course.’
I start to feel self-conscious. ‘What’s the situation?’
‘We were expecting Stuart to accompany me,’ he throws over a broad shoulder. ‘For a woman, different arrangements would have been made.’
He usually shares rooms with male colleagues? But he’s mega wealthy, could probably buy the whole hotel with his pocket change. He doesn’t
seem
gay … and he warned me off earlier. Was it all a cover?
Embarrassingly, he catches me studying him. His eyebrows fold down together, then his mouth quirks up on one side. ‘It’s a suite with two separate bedrooms.’ He shakes his head. ‘It’s for convenience. Your room would be accessible from the outside corridor as well as the lounge of the suite.’
I release a breath. Separate rooms
almost
believe you.’ Climbing gracefully from the car, he leaves me frozen in my seat, mouth hanging open.
Did he just call me a liar?
Chapter Six
I’m angry and hurt but my conscience tugs at me. I
am
a liar, until I find the right moment to tell him who I am and the reason I’m here.
But he doesn’t know that. So why is he assuming I’m being dishonest?
If it was anyone else who’d said it, my instinct would be to argue, but it won’t help, so I take a moment to cool down. Grabbing my mobile from my bag, I check for a signal. The little tree icon and message welcoming me to Spain show I’m linked to the local network. I send Jess a quick text.
Hi, here safely :) Got off plane in one piece! Know you think I’m wrong to do this but I need to. Speak later. C x
Dropping my phone into my bag, I hope I’ll still have a best friend by the end of the weekend.
I wiggle from the car, aided by a red uniformed concierge who rushes over to hold the door open for me. If I’d expected Alex to wait I’d be disappointed. He’s already gone into the hotel. Charming.
Studying the grand white frontage of the building, I thank the man, receiving a nod and smile in reply, before I click up the broad stone stairs and through the gold-gilded door into the lobby. Spotting my infuriating but dishy boss at the front desk, I stride across the vast, high-ceilinged, black marbled room. The differences between the traditional façade and the modern interior of the hotel work surprisingly well together.
Hoping Alex will acknowledge me and perhaps apologise turns out to be pointless; he’s deep in laughing conversation with the pretty brunette receptionist who’s tapping quick fingers over a computer keyboard, their gazes tangling. Not that I’m bothered.
‘Here you are, sir,’ she says with a flirtatious smile and some exotically rolled r's, ‘the Mediterranean. I have two key passes. There are two guests staying,
si
?’
My eyes widen. He’s not expecting us to share a room? No way. Not appropriate, a bit sleazy, and how would it look if anyone found out, given the rumours Tony’s spread about me? It’s absolutely nothing to do with how my rebellious hormones might cope with the challenge of sleeping a few feet away from Alex.
He looks round at me. ‘Oh, there you are. Sorry I didn’t wait for you but I wanted to get started on check-in. I thought you might be wrung out after the plane journey.’
Meaning my nerves on landing. Drats. He has his faults, but he’s actually pretty thoughtful.
His gaze flickers over me, making my skin fizz, and he frowns. ‘Are there any other rooms available?’ he quizzes the receptionist.
She checks her screen. ‘No, sorry sir. We are fully booked.’
‘What about other hotels in the area?’
‘I can make some calls but it is unlikely given the time of year. It’s very busy.’
‘Right.’ He runs a hand through his dark hair. ‘Of course.’
I start to feel self-conscious. ‘What’s the situation?’
‘We were expecting Stuart to accompany me,’ he throws over a broad shoulder. ‘For a woman, different arrangements would have been made.’
He usually shares rooms with male colleagues? But he’s mega wealthy, could probably buy the whole hotel with his pocket change. He doesn’t
seem
gay … and he warned me off earlier. Was it all a cover?
Embarrassingly, he catches me studying him. His eyebrows fold down together, then his mouth quirks up on one side. ‘It’s a suite with two separate bedrooms.’ He shakes his head. ‘It’s for convenience. Your room would be accessible from the outside corridor as well as the lounge of the suite.’
I release a breath. Separate rooms
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