really get any lower? The strange attraction she’d been trying to deny since first seeing Ethan leapt in her stomach. If they were to find a little mutual release – release she obviously needed – who would ever find out? It’s not like Susan would ever believe it happened. Refusing to back down, she curiously waited to see if he’d make a move to touch her. ‘What’s that box thing?’
‘Power supply. I’m going to give the hotel clerk some ink tonight.’
‘Is that safe?’
Ethan stepped closer. His arms crossed over his chest and he said quietly, ‘Are we actually having a conversation that doesn’t include fighting?’
Alexis blinked, surprised. He was right. How could she have even for one second considered sleeping with the insufferable man? Stiffening at the sardonic look on his face, she said, ‘You know, it’s people like you who spread disease.’
‘Oh, here we go.’ He turned his back on her. ‘Save the speech, doll, I don’t want to hear it – not from an uninformed, judgemental priss like you.’
‘Ah! You are the rudest . . .’ She took a deep breath. ‘Where are my bags?’
‘In the trunk of the car where you left them. Need the keys to go get it?’ He pulled the key ring out of his pocket and held it up. ‘Just push the little button twice. The trunk has electric locks.’
Alexis couldn’t believe it. She’d seen Ted carrying up Susan’s belongings for her. Now Ted was a gentleman. Was it too much to ask for the same courtsey from Ethan?
She snatched the keys, stomping from the room. His laughter followed her out the door. Damn him, the barbaric jerk.
‘Hey, what ya doing out here?’ Susan asked, coming out of her room. She glanced down at Alexis’s bag on the ground. ‘Did something happen? Did Ethan kick you out already?’
The evening was a little cool. From her spot she could hear cars travelling over the nearby interstate. The sky was dark and the streetlights shone down on the abandoned parking lot. They were on the second storey, along the back of the hotel. Beneath her, she saw the red dot of a cigarette as an overweight man smoked. His white T-shirt was stained with sweat beneath the underarms. Alexis knew, because he’d offered to help her with her bags. She was still creeped out by it.
Alexis glanced at the bag by her feet and then to the room she shared with Ethan. ‘No. He didn’t kick me out.’
‘Did you lose your room key?’ Susan insisted.
‘No.’
‘Well, it’s not like this parking lot is a great view,’ Susan said. ‘Are you pouting?’
‘I think Ethan’s in there having sex. I didn’t want to walk in on it.’ Alexis couldn’t meet Susan’s eyes.
‘What? You’re kidding,’ Susan said, whispering. The curtains were drawn and she looked at them sideways, trying to see in.
Alexis shook her head, giggling slightly at Susan’s look. ‘No. I heard buzzing. I think they’re using toys.’
‘Oh, my gawd. Gross.’ Susan wrinkled her nose. ‘Come on, let’s listen.’
‘Ew, no,’ Alexis said, unable to help herself as she crept to the door.
Susan leaned her ear to the wood. ‘Shh, listen.’
Was it wrong of her to be jealous of Ethan right now? How come Mr Bad Ass got some action and she, a perfectly normal woman, couldn’t even find a decent pity lay. Pouting slightly, Alexis said, ‘It’s bad enough I have to go in there afterwards.’
‘I don’t hear anything,’ Susan said. Alexis leaned next to her. The buzzing started again and Susan had to hold her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.
‘Oh, gawd. That hurts,’ a woman’s voice cried. ‘Stop. Stop. It hurts. Are you sure it’s not too big?’
Too big? OK, even though she hated the man, that comment was intriguing. Alexis widened her eyes as the buzzing stopped. ‘Maybe he’s not doing it right.’
‘Maybe the toy’s broken,’ Susan added. ‘I never heard one that sounded like that.’
‘What are you two doing?’ Ted whispered from
‘Power supply. I’m going to give the hotel clerk some ink tonight.’
‘Is that safe?’
Ethan stepped closer. His arms crossed over his chest and he said quietly, ‘Are we actually having a conversation that doesn’t include fighting?’
Alexis blinked, surprised. He was right. How could she have even for one second considered sleeping with the insufferable man? Stiffening at the sardonic look on his face, she said, ‘You know, it’s people like you who spread disease.’
‘Oh, here we go.’ He turned his back on her. ‘Save the speech, doll, I don’t want to hear it – not from an uninformed, judgemental priss like you.’
‘Ah! You are the rudest . . .’ She took a deep breath. ‘Where are my bags?’
‘In the trunk of the car where you left them. Need the keys to go get it?’ He pulled the key ring out of his pocket and held it up. ‘Just push the little button twice. The trunk has electric locks.’
Alexis couldn’t believe it. She’d seen Ted carrying up Susan’s belongings for her. Now Ted was a gentleman. Was it too much to ask for the same courtsey from Ethan?
She snatched the keys, stomping from the room. His laughter followed her out the door. Damn him, the barbaric jerk.
‘Hey, what ya doing out here?’ Susan asked, coming out of her room. She glanced down at Alexis’s bag on the ground. ‘Did something happen? Did Ethan kick you out already?’
The evening was a little cool. From her spot she could hear cars travelling over the nearby interstate. The sky was dark and the streetlights shone down on the abandoned parking lot. They were on the second storey, along the back of the hotel. Beneath her, she saw the red dot of a cigarette as an overweight man smoked. His white T-shirt was stained with sweat beneath the underarms. Alexis knew, because he’d offered to help her with her bags. She was still creeped out by it.
Alexis glanced at the bag by her feet and then to the room she shared with Ethan. ‘No. He didn’t kick me out.’
‘Did you lose your room key?’ Susan insisted.
‘No.’
‘Well, it’s not like this parking lot is a great view,’ Susan said. ‘Are you pouting?’
‘I think Ethan’s in there having sex. I didn’t want to walk in on it.’ Alexis couldn’t meet Susan’s eyes.
‘What? You’re kidding,’ Susan said, whispering. The curtains were drawn and she looked at them sideways, trying to see in.
Alexis shook her head, giggling slightly at Susan’s look. ‘No. I heard buzzing. I think they’re using toys.’
‘Oh, my gawd. Gross.’ Susan wrinkled her nose. ‘Come on, let’s listen.’
‘Ew, no,’ Alexis said, unable to help herself as she crept to the door.
Susan leaned her ear to the wood. ‘Shh, listen.’
Was it wrong of her to be jealous of Ethan right now? How come Mr Bad Ass got some action and she, a perfectly normal woman, couldn’t even find a decent pity lay. Pouting slightly, Alexis said, ‘It’s bad enough I have to go in there afterwards.’
‘I don’t hear anything,’ Susan said. Alexis leaned next to her. The buzzing started again and Susan had to hold her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.
‘Oh, gawd. That hurts,’ a woman’s voice cried. ‘Stop. Stop. It hurts. Are you sure it’s not too big?’
Too big? OK, even though she hated the man, that comment was intriguing. Alexis widened her eyes as the buzzing stopped. ‘Maybe he’s not doing it right.’
‘Maybe the toy’s broken,’ Susan added. ‘I never heard one that sounded like that.’
‘What are you two doing?’ Ted whispered from
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