I rolled my eyes. “I wasn’t gawking.”
“So, where are you meeting your new little friend?”
Taking a drink of my beer, I glanced over toward Roby. “There’s a nightclub on the top floor of the hotel. I’m meeting him there later this evening.”
Chancing a look at Roger, I almost laughed when I saw him scowling at poor Roby. “Is he even twenty-one?” he asked.
“Stop it,” I said with a chuckle. “Who’s the pretty little blonde you were chatting up?”
“That’s Lynn, Mary’s friend. She fell off the treadmill earlier. I saw her sitting at the bar and asked if she was okay. She invited me to dinner tonight.”
I stiffened. “Did you accept?”
“Yes, I did.”
That made me jerk my head to the side. “You mean the dinner you were invited to earlier that you turned down?”
He reached over for my beer, then took a long drink. He set it down with his brows raised. “That’s good.”
My eyes bounced from my nearly half-downed beer to Roger. Ugh. I wanted to punch him in the face.
“To answer your question, I already ran into Dylan and told him I would join y’all for dinner tonight,” he said.
“You said you didn’t want to go.”
He looked at me and grinned. “I changed my mind.”
“Because of Lynn?” I asked, hating that I voiced my thought out loud.
Roger simply grinned at me.
“Another beer, Annalise?” Roby asked.
“On a first-name basis, I see.” Roger extended his hand to Roby. “Roger. I hear you and my roomie are meeting up later at the club.”
Roby’s gaze turned to me. “This is the guy?”
Roger stared at me as I answered, “Yes, this is the guy.”
He gave Roger a look. “Is it cool that I asked her out?”
My mouth dropped open. “Wait a minute, Roger and I are not together. At all. I mean, please.”
“Hey, I take offense to that,” Roger said. “Would it be so wrong if we were together?”
“We’re not, so it doesn’t matter,” I countered.
“But what if we were…? Would that be so bad?”
Roby glanced back and forth between us as if watching a tennis match before he finally walked away.
I turned to face Roger. “Why are we even having this conversation?”
“Because you acted like being with me would be a bad thing. No, a disgusting thing.”
Laughing, I shook my head as I said, “Nonsense.”
Roby walked up with my replacement beer, and I smiled at him. I noticed he set one down for Roger, as well, before he headed off to help other patrons.
Roger leaned toward me on his barstool. “Then why did you have to throw a ‘please’ on the end as if the idea was insane?”
I swiveled on the barstool and stared up into his eyes. They were still the most beautiful shade of blue I had ever seen in my life. It was like looking at the sky on a perfectly clear day.
For a moment, I lost all train of thought. “You have the most stunning blue eyes.”
“I could say the same thing about you, Anna.”
Hearing him use my nickname made my heart thump against my chest.
“Thank you,” I whispered before clearing my throat. “I hardly know you, Roger, so how could I know what being with you is like?”
A slow, unbelievably sexy grin moved across his face. “We could go up to the room and I can show you right now.”
I raised a brow. “Are you asking me to sleep with you?”
He let out a soft laugh. “We did that last night, Anna. I’m asking if you want me to fuck you and show you just how good we could be together.”
An instant rush of wetness gathered between my legs, along with a throbbing I hadn’t felt in a very long time. Before Roger could read my face, I turned away from him and reached for my beer.
“Aren’t you the romantic,” I stated dryly. I took a drink, praying he wouldn’t notice the effect his words had on me.
He laughed, reached for his own beer, and took a drink. When he put it back down, I could feel his eyes on me, but he didn’t say anything else. Was he waiting for me to say something?
“Has anyone ever told you that you look like—”
I cut him off and asked, “Cinderella?” Sighing, I went on. “Yes. All the time. I actually played the part in a high school play. I’ve always wanted to go to Disney’s Magic Kingdom.”
“You’ve never been?” Roger asked.
“Nope,” I replied with a shake of my head. “Someday. This is probably silly, and I know I’ll regret telling you this, but I’ve always dreamed of having my honeymoon there.”
Roger smiled. “Why would I think it’s silly?”
With a half-shrug, I said, “I don’t know. I’m too old to believe in fairy tales anymore, but…” My voice trailed off before Roger bumped my arm. “I’ve always wanted to meet her…Cinderella.”
I felt my cheeks heat up, and I turned to look at him. He stared at me with the strangest expression. Probably thinking of how he could get rid of the crazy woman staying in his room.
He shook his head. “I’m going to head on back to the room and clean up.” He stood, leaned down, and pressed his mouth against my ear. “Enjoy your lunch, Annalise.”
Even if I wanted to say something in return, I couldn’t physically do it. My entire body was on fire from those four damn words. It was the smell of him. That outdoorsy, musky smell that I knew was simply a mix of his cologne and sweat. God, why did it turn me on so much? Or was it the way his hot breath tickled down my neck and seemed to spread throughout my entire body?
All I could do was nod and then watch as he walked out of the bar while I tried not to imagine what being with Roger Carter would feel like. No, as I tried to not imagine what being fucked by Roger Carter would feel like.
Roger
THE DOOR TO the bathroom opened, and Annalise stepped out in a dress that nearly had me swallowing my own tongue.
“Wow. You look…beautiful.”
She glanced down at the form-fitting black dress and smiled. It was long-sleeved, but one sleeve was lace from wrist to shoulder. When she turned, I had to fight to hold in a moan. The back of the dress was low-cut enough to tease me with the soft skin of her back. When she finished her spin, I let my eyes roam her entire body. It was a sexy-as-fuck dress, but not too sexy. It fell just above her knee, and showed enough cleavage to make my dick harden in my pants.
“You look pretty nice yourself,” she said. “Do you always have suits with you when you travel?”
“When you’re a lawyer and in meetings for days on end, you do.”
She lifted her brows. “A lawyer, huh?”
It was then I realized that the only thing we truly knew about each other was our names. “Yes, I was in Chicago on business, mostly for my brother. He’s in negotiations to do a show on a cable network, and he couldn’t make it, so I stepped in.”
“Wow, that’s kind of cool. What does he do for a living?”
“Builds playhouses.”
I could see the confusion on her face, so I took out my phone and pulled up the latest playhouse Truitt was building. It was castle-themed.
“Holy shit! That isn’t a playhouse, it’s a mini castle! That’s for someone’s kid?”
Laughing, I said, “Yeah. You’d be surprised at what he’s made. He’s done playhouses for a few actors, and a couple of singers, as well.”
“That’s amazing.”
I pushed my phone back into my pocket and watched as Annalise made her way over to her suitcase and pulled out a small clutch.
“What do you do for a living, since we’re sharing?” I asked.
“I’m in hotel management. I was most recently employed at the Lotte New York Palace in New York City.”
“Shit, that place is nice.”
She smiled. “You’ve stayed there before?”
With a nod, I replied,
“I have. A college friend of mine got married there. It’s beautiful. How long did you work there?”
“Six years.”
“Why did you leave?” I asked, watching her grab a pair of black high heels. She bent slightly to slip them on, and I stared at her perfect ass, my pants suddenly feeling a bit too tight.
“I was tired of living in New York. A smaller hotel was looking for a general manager, and I needed a change. I interviewed for it twice, and they offered me the position. I was supposed to start tomorrow.”
“Shit, that sucks.”
Annalise shrugged. “They know I’m stuck in Chicago, so it’s not that big of a deal.”
I got up from the couch when I saw that she was ready. We both started to head for the door.
“Will it be a big change for you?” I asked.
“A huge change! But one that I’m looking forward to. I’m only thirty-one, but I feel like I need to slow down. I want wide-open spaces and room to breathe. New York City was fun when I was younger, but not so much now.”
As we walked to the elevator, I contemplated how much personal information we should share with one another. I wanted to ask her where the new hotel was but decided not to. She hadn’t asked me any more information about my personal life, so I wouldn’t pry into hers.
Annalise hit the button for the floor and said, “Mary said we’re supposed to meet them at the Andiamo.”
I placed my hand on her lower back and tried to ignore the way it sent a jolt of heat through my entire body. I also ignored the way my heartbeat seemed to speed up as well. Ever since I’d made that stupid suggestion about fucking her, I hadn’t been able to get it out of my head.
Every time I closed my goddamn eyes, I saw Annalise naked under me. Naked on top of me. Naked in the shower. Naked in every possible way I could think of.
“Roger? Roger?”
Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked around.
“Are you coming?” Annalise asked with a slight chuckle, standing half-in and half-out of the elevator.
I shook my head. “Shit, I must have been lost in thought. I don’t even remember the elevator ride.”
With a smile and a wink, she said, “I hope they were good thoughts.”
My gaze fell to her mouth, which only moments ago I had pictured wrapped around my cock. “Very good,” I said, clearing my throat.
“Shall we?” she asked.
I nodded and motioned for Annalise to start walking. Man, she looked so beautiful in that dress. It was a damn good thing I was never going to see this woman again because if I had to look at her every day, I was pretty sure my hand would cramp from jerking off to her image.
“Annalise! Roger! Over here!” a female voice called out.
“There they are,” I said as I pointed to the table where Mary, Dylan, and Lynn were sitting with some other guy I hadn’t met.
“I’m glad you joined us for dinner, Roger,” Mary stated. She stood to hug Annalise, then turned and smiled at the guy sitting next to Lynn.
“Annalise, Roger, this is Monty, Dylan’s business partner and friend. He’s stuck here as well.”
I reached out and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, Monty.”
Monty smiled at me and then focused on Annalise. He made no secret of the fact that he was checking her out, letting his eyes take in every inch of her body in a slow perusal. “Dylan said you were beautiful, but he didn’t say you were stunningly beautiful.”
For fuck’s sake, had he really just used that line on her? When I took a quick glance over at Annalise, she didn’t seem the least bit impressed. Instead, she looked at Lynn and extended her hand.
“I don’t believe we’ve met yet, Lynn.”
Lynn gave her a smile that was fake as hell and quickly shook Annalise’s hand, letting her gaze bounce from me to Annalise. “No, we haven’t had the pleasure.”
I pulled out a chair for Annalise, then sat next to her while Monty continued to stare. I glanced at Lynn and caught her staring at me.
Good grief, dinner was going to be long.
Twenty minutes into the meal, and I was fighting the urge to reach across the table and knock the shit out of Monty. He was obnoxious, and his endless flirting with Annalise was not only getting on my nerves, but everyone else’s as well. Never mind the fact that Lynn kept trying to pierce me with her fuck-me-now eyes.
“Annalise, what are you doing after dinner?” Monty asked.
Looking up from her meal, she replied, “I’m actually meeting someone up at the club on the top floor of the hotel.”
I tried to ignore the way that made my blood boil. Why should I care if Annalise was hooking up with some bartender? She was a grown woman, and one I hardly even knew. And if I didn’t care, why did the idea of Roby or Bobby, or whatever the hell his name was, touching Annalise make me want to hit someone?
Jackass Monty raised a brow and looked over at me. I smiled and went back to eating.
Suddenly, Lynn clapped her hands, which had us all looking at her as she bounced in her seat like a five-year-old. “We should all go to the club tonight. I mean, if we’re stuck in this godforsaken hotel, we might as well take advantage of it, right?”
Monty leaned back in his chair and grinned like the Cheshire cat. “That’s a great idea, Lynn. Who’s up for a trip to the club?”
Mary and Dylan exchanged a glance before they both agreed as well.
Lynn pinned hopeful eyes on me and asked, “What about you, Roger? Will you go too? I would love to dance with you.”
I could feel Annalise looking at me. “Sure, a little dancing never harmed anyone.”
When I turned to her, she smiled and then looked across the table at Lynn. She frowned, and I followed her gaze, only to find Lynn eye-fucking me again.
“Does that mean you’ll save me a dance or two?” Lynn asked me.
Ignoring her, I focused on Dylan. “What do you and Monty do for business?”
Dylan let out a chuckle, clearly catching on that I wasn’t the least bit interested in Lynn. “We own a consulting firm.”
“Really?” I asked. “What sort of consulting firm?”
“A large, very profitable one,” Monty added.
“What do you do, Roger?” Mary asked.
I gave a one-shoulder shrug. “My father owns a ranch. I help with the cows.”
Annalise laughed but then quickly covered it with a cough.
“What about you, sweetheart?” Monty asked, staring at Annalise.
“The name is Annalise,” she said with a frown. “Not sweetheart, babe, baby, darlin’, or princess.”
I couldn’t help but smile as I reached for my beer and took a sip.
“And I’m in hotel management,” she added.
“Here in Chicago?” Monty asked.
Annalise reached for her wine, but before she took a drink, she answered with one word. “No.”
“So, you sound like you’re from the south, Roger. And your daddy owns a ranch. How exciting. I’ve always wanted to…two-step with a cowboy.” Lynn slowly ran her tongue across her lips.
“This is not your lucky night then, Lynn,” I said. “Sorry, but I don’t know how to two-step.”
The girl actually pouted. Monty turned to her and said, “I know how to two-step. I’m from Dallas.”
Christ above, please don’t let this douche be on my flight back to Texas.
Lynn clapped her hands again and then wrapped her arm around Monty’s. “Then you get the first dance.”
“What if it isn’t a country song, Lynn?” Mary asked.
Monty’s and Lynn’s eyes were locked, almost as if seeing each other for the first time. “Who cares?” Lynn purred as she tilted her head and winked at Monty.
Annalise leaned over and whispered in my ear, “I feel like we’ve just been saved in some weird way.”
I smiled and turned my head, nearly brushing my lips against hers. Annalise drew back in surprise, but the smile stayed on her face.
“Let’s hope,” I said.
Annalise
THE MOMENT ROGER placed his hand on my lower back when we stood from the table, I felt my body tremble again. It was subtle enough that I knew he wouldn’t notice—like he hadn’t noticed when he’d gently guided me onto the elevator and then over to the table. Every damn time he touched me, my heart felt as if it was about to leap right out of my chest.
We pulled ahead of the rest of our group, and Roger leaned down to speak quietly to me.
“I’m pretty sure Lynn was trying to play footsy under the table with me.”
I laughed. “She was. She kept hitting my leg, and I finally kicked her foot away. That was about the time she started to pay attention to Monty.”
He chuckled, and I loved how the sound rumbled in his chest. “Thank you, then. I thought at one point she was going to jump across the table and attack me.”
“Me too! And what about that clown, Monty? Oh, my gawd, could he be any more stuck on himself?” I asked as I tossed a quick look over my shoulder. Monty and Lynn were pulling up the rear, deep in conversation.
“Well, at least you won’t have to worry about him when you meet up with your date later.”
I stumbled, and Roger reached for my arm to steady me. “Sorry, not used to walking in these heels,” I said. “And by the way, it’s not a date.”
We stopped at the elevator, and Roger pushed the arrow pointing up. The rest of the group slowly made their way toward us. “Your bartender friend probably thinks it is. You told him you’d meet up with him, Anna. That’s a date.”
Why did I love the way he said my name? It was that southern accent of his and the way he didn’t use a long “A.”
“Well, it’s not. I told him I would meet him and his friends. I didn’t say I planned to spend the entire night with him.”
Roger laughed again. “Good, because there’s no bringing anyone back to our room.”
I huffed and replied, “Like I would ever do that.”
He simply shrugged.
A thought hit me right in the middle of my chest. What if Roger met someone and wanted to bring them back to our hotel room? A strange sensation rushed through me.
Holy hell. Is that…jealousy?
Fated Hearts Page 4