pulled her closer just as Alana slid out the door, giving them some privacy.
She felt like such a fool for believing him. As she sprinted out the front door, looking for a taxi, she vowed she wouldn’t allow herself to be taken in by a sexy, sweet-talking stranger again.
By the time ten minutes passed, Ryan was getting antsy. Where the hell was she? Shifting in his seat, he looked over his shoulder.
“Would you like me to go and check on her, dear?” Joan asked, reaching over to pat his hand.
He wanted to play it cool, pretend it didn’t matter, but he was past the point of trying to maintain his dignity. He wanted her at his side, now. Hell, he would settle for having a strip torn off, as long as she was still speaking to him.
“Would you mind?” he asked.
“No, of course not.”
Ryan tried to join in the conversation as he waited for Joan to return, but he couldn’t focus on anything until he saw Alana.
A few minutes later, Joan returned, a dour expression on her face. “I’m sorry, dear. It seems your young lady has left.”
He stood quickly, almost toppling the heavy chair. “What are you talking about? Where the hell did she go?”
“The doorman told me he called a taxi for her a few minutes ago.”
“Shit,” he muttered, tossing the napkin on the table. “I’ve got to go. I’m sorry,” he said, casting a glance over his shoulder as he made his way out of the crowded ballroom. With perfect timing, the twin turbos cornered him before he could make his way to the door. “You’ll have to excuse me, ladies,” he said, trying to avoid being cornered. He knew from experience these two were relentless.
“What happened to your girlfriend?” Jade said, grinning.
“You saw Alana?” he asked, his heart racing. Shit, this could not be good.
“Yeah, we ran into her in the bathroom. We were just telling her about your antics, you bad boy,” Tara said, licking her lips as she reached around to grab his ass. “Have you got time for a quickie, Doc? We won’t tell her.” She crossed her fingers over her chest. “Promise.”
He was so screwed. What the hell had they told Alana? “No, I’ve got to go.” He pulled the doorman aside, trying to be discreet when he slipped him a hundred dollar bill to supply Alana’s address. The hotel staff knew him well, too well. He often brought one-night stands here instead of taking them to his home. Consequently, they saw him pass through with more women over the years than he cared to count.
Still, the doorman was reluctant to share the information. “I’m so sorry, Dr. Lang. That is against company policy.”
After peeling a few more hundreds off the roll of cash in his pocket, Ryan said, “I don’t give a shit about your policy, Albert. I need to find that woman, now.”
“Sir, I can’t help you. I’m sorry.”
Ryan knew from previous conversations that Albert was a retired welder and he needed this job to put food on the table. Ryan couldn’t live with himself if he did something to cause Albert to lose it. “Fine,” he said, stuffing the money back in his pocket. “I understand.”
Albert attempted to pass the single bill back to him, but Ryan shook his head. “Keep it, for your trouble.” He smiled. “Don’t worry; I’ll track her down myself.”
“Good luck with that, sir,” he said, tipping his hat. “She sure did seem upset when she left.”
Thankfully, she was listed in the directory, and he found her telephone number and address on the short drive to her home. His GPS guided him to an unfamiliar part of the city, and he sat in his car seething as he stared up at an apartment building that had fallen into disrepair with no visible signs of security. Was she crazy? A beautiful, single woman living in an environment like that was just begging for trouble. He’d ream her out about her living situation later; right now he just needed to see her.
He stood in the hall banging on her door as he punched her number into
She felt like such a fool for believing him. As she sprinted out the front door, looking for a taxi, she vowed she wouldn’t allow herself to be taken in by a sexy, sweet-talking stranger again.
By the time ten minutes passed, Ryan was getting antsy. Where the hell was she? Shifting in his seat, he looked over his shoulder.
“Would you like me to go and check on her, dear?” Joan asked, reaching over to pat his hand.
He wanted to play it cool, pretend it didn’t matter, but he was past the point of trying to maintain his dignity. He wanted her at his side, now. Hell, he would settle for having a strip torn off, as long as she was still speaking to him.
“Would you mind?” he asked.
“No, of course not.”
Ryan tried to join in the conversation as he waited for Joan to return, but he couldn’t focus on anything until he saw Alana.
A few minutes later, Joan returned, a dour expression on her face. “I’m sorry, dear. It seems your young lady has left.”
He stood quickly, almost toppling the heavy chair. “What are you talking about? Where the hell did she go?”
“The doorman told me he called a taxi for her a few minutes ago.”
“Shit,” he muttered, tossing the napkin on the table. “I’ve got to go. I’m sorry,” he said, casting a glance over his shoulder as he made his way out of the crowded ballroom. With perfect timing, the twin turbos cornered him before he could make his way to the door. “You’ll have to excuse me, ladies,” he said, trying to avoid being cornered. He knew from experience these two were relentless.
“What happened to your girlfriend?” Jade said, grinning.
“You saw Alana?” he asked, his heart racing. Shit, this could not be good.
“Yeah, we ran into her in the bathroom. We were just telling her about your antics, you bad boy,” Tara said, licking her lips as she reached around to grab his ass. “Have you got time for a quickie, Doc? We won’t tell her.” She crossed her fingers over her chest. “Promise.”
He was so screwed. What the hell had they told Alana? “No, I’ve got to go.” He pulled the doorman aside, trying to be discreet when he slipped him a hundred dollar bill to supply Alana’s address. The hotel staff knew him well, too well. He often brought one-night stands here instead of taking them to his home. Consequently, they saw him pass through with more women over the years than he cared to count.
Still, the doorman was reluctant to share the information. “I’m so sorry, Dr. Lang. That is against company policy.”
After peeling a few more hundreds off the roll of cash in his pocket, Ryan said, “I don’t give a shit about your policy, Albert. I need to find that woman, now.”
“Sir, I can’t help you. I’m sorry.”
Ryan knew from previous conversations that Albert was a retired welder and he needed this job to put food on the table. Ryan couldn’t live with himself if he did something to cause Albert to lose it. “Fine,” he said, stuffing the money back in his pocket. “I understand.”
Albert attempted to pass the single bill back to him, but Ryan shook his head. “Keep it, for your trouble.” He smiled. “Don’t worry; I’ll track her down myself.”
“Good luck with that, sir,” he said, tipping his hat. “She sure did seem upset when she left.”
Thankfully, she was listed in the directory, and he found her telephone number and address on the short drive to her home. His GPS guided him to an unfamiliar part of the city, and he sat in his car seething as he stared up at an apartment building that had fallen into disrepair with no visible signs of security. Was she crazy? A beautiful, single woman living in an environment like that was just begging for trouble. He’d ream her out about her living situation later; right now he just needed to see her.
He stood in the hall banging on her door as he punched her number into
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