by Holly Jaymes
“When will you be back?”
“I’m here for most of the week.”
There was a long pause. “I’ll check in next week.”
“Yes, of course. I’m sorry for any inconvenience.” I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief, but I was glad he wasn’t forcing me home. Or deporting me. As I hung up, I had to wonder if other foreigners living in the United States found the system nerve-wracking. Then again, perhaps that’s how it was everywhere. Next time I was home in Canada, I’d have to ask someone who’d immigrated there about their experiences with the Canadian immigration bureaucracy.
Not wanting to run into Robert again, I went up to my room to regroup. Back east, it was three hours later and everyone at work would have gone home, but I could login and check on work stuff that might need my attention.
Afterwards, I ordered room service for dinner and watched reruns of Gabe Sloane’s home renovation show until it was time for bed. As I lay in bed, I wondered about the Sloane family and how those parents were able to produce four such successful men. All of them were smart and at the top of their fields. And rich. Not that I cared about rich, but they’d all been able to turn their passion and talent into a career. I’d done the same, but I worked for others as opposed to starting my own business. Perhaps that was the answer for me. Instead of seeking out work opportunities such as this one in the United States, maybe I needed to plan on going home and starting my own firm like Will. I wonder what he would say if I told him that. Would he discourage me? Encourage me? I rolled over, giving myself a mental facepalm; after all, why did I care what he thought?
Book 4: Chapter 4—Saved
Saved
Will — Monday
Early Monday morning, the project manager at CTS called me to let me know Adalyn was in Las Vegas at a tech conference. I probably should have considered that since it was a big deal in the tech world. I’d sent a few people to manage an exhibit myself. It didn’t explain why her phone wasn’t working, but at least I knew she’d gone on a trip.
From my office in Washington, I made calls to the hotel and conference. It was harder today to verify the whereabouts of people. Many places weren’t inclined to giveaway if people were there. But most hotels would patch you through to their guests, so I called and asked for Adalyn Beaumont. The phone rang to her room, but no one answered. I considered leaving a message, but decided I’d keep hunting and call back later if I didn’t find her another way.
I checked in with the staff running our exhibit at the conference. They said things were going well, but hadn’t been able to tell me if someone fitting Adalyn’s description had been to the exhibit. Since they worked at my office building and she was at CTS, they wouldn’t have known her.
By midmorning I was considering calling Guy to let him know Adalyn was simply out of town, but then I thought he’d want a visual confirmation or personal contact. I knew a guy in Las Vegas I could call and ask him to check on her, but ultimately, Guy had trusted me. If anyone was going to put eyes on her to verify that she was alive and well, it needed to be me. It wasn’t convenient for me to fly to Las Vegas, but I pulled out my schedule and did what I could to delegate some projects and move others until I could return.
Unfortunately, there were some items I couldn’t put off. I spent the day working like a dog to get as much done as I could, and made arrangements for a charter plane to fly me out tonight. I could sleep on the plane, find her Tuesday morning, and then return home that afternoon. Or maybe I’d stay a day, check out our exhibit, and learn how she was doing on the project.
That evening, I called a car to take me to Reagan Airport which was closer to me than Dulles. I called my mom from the car to let her know I had to make a business trip out of town. Then I called Nate, who lived closest to her, so that he knew to check on her or be there for her if needed. Not that Mom needed anything, but I felt like it was my duty to watch out for her. Nate, of course, was always willing to pick up the mantle when needed.
Once airborne, I did some more work, and then lay on the couch to catch a few z’s. I wondered what Adalyn would think about my showing up. What excuse would she have for her phone and email not working? Was she purposefully avoiding her father? Had she run off and eloped at the conference? I didn’t like that thought, but reminded myself I had no reason to be bothered by it except that impulsive marriages were a potential disaster.
It was two in the morning my time but only eleven p.m. in Vegas when I landed. By the time I arrived at the hotel, it was closing on three in the morning my time. While I had gotten some rest on the plane, I was tired. And I figured midnight was too late to make an appearance at Adalyn’s room. The hotel was booked, except for the hospitality suite. It was more space than I needed, but since most hotel rooms felt too small, I was happy to have more space than less.
Once in the room, I took off my clothes, and crashed in the large king-sized bed.
I woke early the next morning, showered and dressed in a suit. Having obtained her hotel room number the day before, I headed down to her floor. Hopefully I’d catch her before she left for breakfast and the first presentation of the day.
The elevator opened and I made my way up the corridor, then turning right toward her room. Up the hall, I saw a woman in a short robe standing outside her room with a man. As I got closer, I realized it was Adalyn.
I took in her attire again. She was in a short white satiny-looking robe. She must have packed it, because hotel robes were big and fluffy. This robe showed off her long strong legs. Her chestnut hair hung loose and slightly messy. She was sexy as hell.
She was holding her hands up in front of her and shaking her head. As I got closer, I could hear her say, “I appreciate that Robert, but I’ll get housekeeping to help me back in.”
“You don’t want to stand out in the hall, Addy. Come to my room. We can have breakfast together.”
There were two things that irritated me; One was the nickname Addy. She didn’t seem to mind it, but Adalyn was such a beautiful name and fit her to a T. The second thing was any man who looked at Adalyn with lecherous eyes. Sure, his voice sounded earnest and helpful, but I could see he had every intention of getting under her robe. No way was I going to let that happen.
I strode up to them. “Problem?”
Adalyn’s eyes widened as she looked at me and realized who I was.
“I’m locked out of my room,” she said.
I looked at the man she called Robert. “I’m sure you’ve called down to the lobby to get her help.”
“I was just inviting her to my room so she didn’t have to stand in the hall while I did that,” he said, sizing me up. He took a step back, and I wanted to think it was because he realized I wasn’t going to let him near her and that I could kick his ass six ways to Sunday.
“How nice of you.” I looked at Adalyn and I must have lost my mind in that moment as I looked into her dark eyes. “Were you planning on cheating on me, honey?”
Her brows furrowed. “Ah…no.”
I turned back to Robert. “Thank you for your help, but I think I can manage to help my wife from here.”
“Wife?” Robert swallowed and then his eyes narrowed slightly as if a light bulb was going off in his brain. “You’re…you’re Will Sloane, aren’t you?”
Okay, so I wasn’t thinking that he might know who I was. Still, all that mattered was that he nixed the idea that he’d ever get a chance to get under Adalyn’s robe.
“I am, and you are?”
“Robert. Robert Siddons. I’ve applied to work for you many times.” He thrust his hand out at me.
“Robert is a computer programmer,” Adalyn said, still looking at me like she didn’t know what to make of me.
“Nice to meet you.” I gave his hand a hard squeeze as I shook it. Then I turned back to Adalyn. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to fly out with you, honey. Thank goodness I got here when I did.” My eyes raked over her body again. “I went ahead and got us a suite. How about I call
down to get housekeeping to let you in, and then we can move you. Our suite has a hot tub with a view of the Las Vegas desert.”
I could see the flicker of understanding in her eyes, but also, some leeriness. No doubt she wondered why I was there. She was probably also trying to decide if she was trading in one hassle for another by choosing my help over Robert’s.
“I almost forgot, I heard from your father,” I added.
That seemed to tip the scale in my favor. She turned to Robert. “Thank you so much for all your help, Robert. Now that my…husband is here, I won’t need your help anymore.”
I put my arm around her, tugging her close just in case Robert wasn’t getting a clue. What I hadn’t counted on was the zap of electricity that zinged through my veins as her warm body nestled against mine. She flinched and I wondered if she felt the zap, or maybe she was surprised or annoyed at my protective play.
“Yeah, sure. Hey, Will, can I call you Will?”
No. “Sure.”
“If you’re going to be here for the rest of the time, I’d love to meet with you. Talk shop, so to speak.”
“I’ll see if I can make time for that. Right now, I need to get my wife in her room. I’m sure you understand that I don’t want her out in the hall in her robe were men can ogle her.”
Robert’s eyes widened in guilt. “No. If she were my wife, I wouldn’t like it.”
“Hey, don’t talk about me like I’m not here.” Adalyn tried to pull away from me.
I smiled at her. “Sorry honey.” I kissed her hair, to make the scene look real for Robert. At least that’s what I told myself, as my lips touched her soft strands that smelled like summer flowers. Like jasmine, or honeysuckle.
Her hand pressed to my chest, and that’s when my dick decided to join in. Shit. I reluctantly pulled away and withdrew my phone from my pocket.
“Thanks again, Robert,” I said dismissing him. I called down to the front desk and asked them to send someone up to let Adalyn in her room.
Robert finally made his way across the hall and two doors down to his room. When the door closed behind him, Adalyn whirled on me.
“What are you doing here?”
“Your father sent me. When I realized you were here, I was going to call and tell him you were okay, but thank goodness I decided to do my friend a favor and check on you in person. You were in a pretty pickle there.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “I could handle him.”
“That’s what he was hoping you’d do.” I let my eyes take her in again.
She pulled the lapels of her robe tighter over her chest. “How would you know? You’re an automaton.”
I stepped closer. “I might be a bore at work, but I can promise you, I know lust when I see it.”
“Too bad you can’t feel it.” The minute it left her mouth, her eyes rounded like she was shocked to have said it.
Feeling surly, I wrapped my arm around her waist and tugged her close, pressing my erect dick against her belly. “Oh, I can feel it.” Just then, a woman appeared at the end of the hall. I smirked as I stepped away from her. “First you’re saved by me and now you’re saved by the maid.”
Book 4: Chapter 5—Mortified
Mortified
Adalyn — Tuesday
I had to be dreaming. A nightmare. That was the only thing to explain my trying to ward off Robert, being saved by Will, being bitchy to him about his emotionless personality, and his responding by pressing his very impressive length against me. Oh, and all while being in my robe. Really. This couldn’t be happening for real.
Except it was.
When he stepped away from me, I tried to inhale a breath as it had stopped the moment he’d pulled me close. Good God, not only did he have a sizable erection, but he smelled so good.
When I first saw him walking up the hall toward me, it was like a mirage. He moved with power and grace, like a billionaire should. It made me think of Darcy walking across the moors toward Elizabeth in the recent adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. All I could think was Yum. When he pulled me close, every cell in my body sizzled to life. Even now, my body hummed with desire to have him hold me again, only this time without my robe on. Or his suit.
Get it together, Adalyn.
And there was the fact he called me by my name. He was the only person besides my grandmother who called me Adalyn. Everyone else called me Addy. Three years ago, I thought he did it because he was so formal. I ended up growing to like it. Like it was a nickname just for him. Today, it sounded like music off his tongue.
Seriously, Adalyn. Pull it together.
Finally, the maid reached us.
“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I locked myself out of my room.” Because I was in my robe and I knew I looked like an idiot, I tried to make my situation not look so bad by adding. “I was putting my dinner tray out from last night and my door shut.”
The maid smiled in that way that suggested she was trying not to laugh at me. “I’ll be happy to let you in.” She used her master keycard to open the door. “Will there be anything else?”
“No. Thank you.” I pushed the door open and walked in feeling completely humiliated. Of all the people to end up in this situation in front of, I was locked out of my room in my robe in front of Will.
When I turned toward the door, Will stood in the doorway. He pulled a key from his pocket and reached toward me.
“Here’s the key to my suite.” He told me the room number. “When you’re dressed and packed, you can come up. I’ll meet you there.”
I frowned, not liking that he seemed to think he could tell me what to do. “I’m not staying in your room.”
“If you don’t come up to my room, ole Robert will think you’re open to cheating on your husband.” Since I wasn’t taking the key, he set it on the dresser by the TV.
I ground my teeth. “You’re not my husband.”
“He thinks so. Or maybe you want to have a little Vegas-only fling with Robert?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You know what they say — what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” He leaned against the wall in the tiny entryway, but he wasn’t fooling me. He wasn’t relaxed. He didn’t like that Robert was sniffing around me. But I was also smart enough to know it wasn’t jealousy that motivated his dislike of Robert. I was another job my father had thrust upon him. Why hadn’t I considered that my father would hire someone to hunt me down?
His jaw tightened. “I plan to leave today once we check in with your father. The room is paid for. You can stay in it. Away from your buddy Robert.”
Okay, so that sounded appealing. But still. “I don’t need your help.”
He shrugged. “You can tell your father that when you call him.” He shook his head. “You haven’t changed.”
It sounded like an insult. I felt my anger rise another notch. “What does that mean?”
“It means you’re still self-centered and difficult.”
His words made me feel like a silly teenager. “And you’re still a pompous ass.”
“Before, I was a stiff bore. I’d say that means I’ve changed.”
Yes, he had changed. He was still intense, but there was something different. I just couldn’t articulate what it was. Except that he was annoying me, and not just because he was mad at me. His presence was wreaking havoc on my hormones.
“Your dad is worried. Is your phone off or something?” he finally asked.
“I changed my number and email.”
He stepped a little further into the room, but he didn’t come all the way in. Maybe it was because he was being careful that I didn’t feel threatened, or maybe it was because I was still only in my robe.
“You and your dad have a falling out?” he asked.
“No.” I grabbed a few items from my suitcase and then I walked towards him to the closet and pulled out a navy sleeveless dress. Then I went into the bathroom. “I’m having trouble renewing my visa.”
“I don’t ge
t what that has to do with your father,” he said on the other side of the door I shut to get dressed.
“He’s in Iraq, and the U.S. apparently thinks that makes me vulnerable to spill secrets about the project.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
I shook my head as I slipped my dress on. Thank goodness I’d showered when I woke that morning. Tomorrow, I’d get dressed right away way instead of putting my robe on. “I would never — ”
“I’d spill secrets if my mother or anyone in my family was seriously threatened,” he said. It sounded like he meant it, and it made my heart go aww. Will Sloane had a heart after all.
“Don’t let the feds hear that.” I combed through my hair, deciding to put it up in a loose bun. “The point is, it seems unlikely.”
“Then why break contact with your dad?” he asked.
“Because if I stay in touch, it gives the immigration people more cause to worry. I’m sure they look into when I call him and how I contact him.” I put a little makeup on, and with a glance in the mirror to make sure I was put together, I opened the door. He was leaning against the wall across from the door. He really was so handsome. Too bad he was so stuffy.
“You think it’s that big of a deal?”
“The immigration guy made it sound like it was.” I walked past him and started packing up my bag.
“We’re working on getting you a longer-term visa,” he said. “Unless you don’t want to stay. The project looks like it will be done in the next few months anyway.”
I looked up at him. “I want to stay until the end of the project. After that, I don’t know. It depends on what becomes available.”
He studied me. “Do you like working like that? Contract to contract?”
“Sure,” I said with a shrug. Initially I loved it. It allowed me to travel a lot, and each project was a new challenge. But after years of working like that, I missed being in one place for longer than a year. I didn’t really have a home. There was my parents’ home in Quebec and wherever I was working. But I didn’t have a place that was permanent. Or mine.