Room 452

by T. L. Quinn

  He must hear me come in because suddenly his eyes shoot up to me. I give a half smile and turn toward the liquor cabinet to pretend I’m not listening in on his call, but when I turn back around his eyes look more intense.

  He doesn’t break eye contact as he continues to talk into the phone. “Yeah, she’s here.”

  I raise an eyebrow in question, knowing he’s talking about me since I’m the only one here so far. He says a few more things into the phone, but his eyes never leave mine. Once he hangs up, I casually take a sip of my drink that I poured. “What was that about?” I ask.

  “Flights were cancelled.” He says casually like it’s no big deal.

  I choke on the liquid going down my throat and cough out. “Excuse me? What?”

  He walks over to the counter opposite of me. “The storm came in faster than expected. Nothing coming in or out of the airport tonight. They hope to have things open again tomorrow, but it most likely won’t be until Sunday.”

  I open my eyes wide as realization that I am going to be stuck here all alone with Sawyer for two whole days comes over me. “No.” I say in disbelief. “No, this can’t be happening.”

  Sawyer grins back at me. “Don’t worry. I’m sure we can find things to do to pass the time.” He looks me up and down.

  I quickly grab my phone and look up the airport’s number. Ten minutes later I’m hanging up with the same answer that Sawyer gave me. I set my phone down on the counter, and he gives me a I-told-you-so look.

  “Shut up.” I grumble even though he didn’t say anything.

  He reaches up and stretches his arms over his head. The movement pulls his shirt up, exposing his abs. I try not to stare, but well, you know. He steps forward and leans on the counter. “You’re just upset because you know by the end of this weekend you’re going to end up in my bed.”

  I laugh. “Is that really what you think is going to happen here?”

  He steps around the counter and approaches me. I take a step back, but he closes the distance until my back hits the counter. He smirks down at me. “Yes, I think you’re dying for a taste.” His breath is hot on my ear as he leans closer. “Dying to give in to what you really want.”

  I gently push his chest back. I stare up into his eyes. “I’m a big girl. If I want something, I don’t deny myself.”

  “You really believe that?” His tongue slips out over his bottom lip.

  I narrow my eyes. “How can one person be this cocky?”

  He doesn’t miss a beat. “Because I have a great cocky.”

  I slap my hand to my face. “No! You did not just say that.” I can’t hold back my laugh.

  He steps back and grabs his drink from off the counter and smirks at me as he takes a sip. “Adding act like a geek to my list of ways to get you into bed.” He mentally checks off.

  I roll my eyes and pour myself another drink, but I still have a stupid smile on my face. “Has that method ever worked for you?”

  His smile grows. “Oh yes, it’s one of my best. The girls eat that shit up. Like they really think I go around looking like this without getting any.”

  I push past him to the living room. “Ugh. You’re disgusting.”

  He follows behind me. “What? It’s not like they ask. They assume what they want so that I fit their ideal image. Not my fault they don’t want to get to know the real me.” He says sarcastically.

  I laugh. “The only thing you’d be able to fuck is your hand if they got to know the real you.”

  He laughs behind me. “I don’t know about that. You know the real me, and we are definitely going to fuck.”

  I roll my eyes as I crash onto the big comfy couch. I chug my drink back and make a dramatic satisfied sound. “Sorry hun. I’m already too drunk.”

  He glances at my empty cup. “So what you’re telling me is that the threshold for you to sleep with me is only two drinks? Wow, this is going to be easier than I thought.”

  I reach forward and hand him my glass. “I need a third just to tolerate being in the same room as you.”

  He doesn’t even think twice as he grabs my cup and refills his own in the kitchen. I turn on the couch and lean on the back of it. “What’s the real reason behind this whole game of yours? Are you trying to push my dad over the edge or something by saying you nailed his daughter? Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”

  He walks back with the drinks in his hand, and I don’t know why my eyes can’t look away from his hips. Fucking hell. How does him just walking look so good?

  “You know that none of this was actually about your dad. Contrary to your little fucked up idea that I tried destroying your family, I was only doing what was best for me.” He says as he sits down next to me.

  I grab the drink from his hand. “Spoken like a true selfish bastard.” I cheers him and take a sip.

  He leans back on the couch with his arm resting across the back. “You only have one person to look out for you in this life Blake, and that’s yourself.”

  I raise an eyebrow at him. “Wow, what a sad existence you have.” I pause then though. It’s not like I know most of the employees’ families or anything, but I’ve never actually heard Sawyer talk about anyone important in his life.

  I fold my legs up under myself on the couch. “So if there’s not a bigger picture here, then why are you still playing this little game?”

  He shifts his body so that he is facing me, and his fingers brush over my shoulder on the back of the couch. “Because you’re hot and I want to fuck you.”

  I lean back and then stand from the couch. “I don’t know why I asked.”

  I try to leave the room to go back to my bedroom, but before I can take any more steps, Sawyer stands and wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me back up against his body. I gasp as my breath leaves my body. His nose runs up the back of my ear before he talks. “And because I can’t stop thinking about the way you felt in my hands while you were in my bed.” He growls into my ear.

  I feel shivers run up my spine. I swallow, but I can’t seem to form words. He keeps talking. “Because for once I just want you to shut your damn mouth as you squirm in pleasure beneath me.”

  His hand starts moving down my stomach, and I know I should stop him. Fuck, I need to stop him, but I’m frozen in place. His fingers grip my hip hard, and he knows he has the upper hand here. That thought is what seems to snap me back to my senses. I can’t let Sawyer be in charge here.

  I pull away from him and turn around. I smirk back at him. “I don’t shut my mouth when I fuck.”

  I turn back around and walk toward my room before Sawyer can stop me again. I hear him groan behind me. He calls out before I shut my door. “Don’t worry Blake. I’ll make sure it’s my name on your lips next time you fuck whether it’s with me or not.”

  I slam the door in frustration because I know now that he put that thought in my mind, I’m going to think about him next time I’m with a guy. I lay back on my bed and debate if that’s worse than actually sleeping with him. At least if we fucked, I wouldn’t have to constantly be thinking about him.

  No. No, that’s a horrible idea.

  I hear a light knock on my door 30 minutes later. I walk over and peek it open. “I’m surprised you knocked.”

  He raises his eyebrows. “How many times do we have to go over that you were the one who snuck into my room, not the other way around.”

  I roll my eyes and laugh. “What do you want?”

  “Come swim with me.” He states doesn’t ask.

  I lean against the door frame and cross my arms. “Why would I do that?”

  He looks up at the ceiling like he’s dealing with a child. “Because Blake. We both know that if you were describing this place, you’d tell everyone about how the pool is the most magical part of the whole cabin.”

  I open my mouth both in offense and shock. “Get out of my head Sawyer!”

  He smiles at me. “I’ll gladly get into another part of your body.”

 
; I slam the door in his face. “Give me five minutes to change.” I call through the door because obviously I’m still going swimming.

  Five minutes later, I’m tip-toeing out in the freezing cold air. The storm is still about 50 miles south of us, so it is only lightly snowing right now. The hanging lights twinkle all around, and the lights from the pool illuminate the area since the sun just finished fully setting.

  The scene is so beautiful, but my eyes seem to have zeroed in on the very wet, shirtless man throwing blow-up basketballs into the pool hoop. Sawyer turns my way, and his eyes light up in mischief as he gives me the sexiest smile.

  “What are you waiting for?” He asks as he leans back against the pool wall with his arms spread out on the edge.

  I realize that I have just been standing here taking in the scene. I guess I was taken back for a moment because I’ve never been to the cabin when it wasn’t full of other people. I didn’t realize how romantic this place was, and for fuck’s sake, I’m stuck here with Sawyer.

  I pause at the edge of the pool before I take off my coverup. “No funny business. This isn’t like Mexico.” I pause and look at him. “And yes, I remember everything that happened there.”

  He laughs. “Hurry up before you get hypothermia and I gotta rush you to the ER.”

  I slip off my coverup and the cold air rushes over my skin. Goosebumps run up my arms, and I can feel how hard my nipples are. Fuck. I try to rush into the water as fast as possible before Sawyer notices them poking through the thin material. That’s the last thing I need for him to think I wore this on purpose. I should have worn my more padded suit. The problem is that one pushes up my breasts. Which one seems more like I am trying to seduce him when I’m not, boob hump or a little nipple peekaboo?

  I dive under the warm water and let it warm my blood back up. When I reemerge from the water, Sawyer smiles at me. He hands me a drink, and we sip on our cocktails while we watch the snow fall around us. “It really is magical out here.” I set my glass down and float back in the water and look up at the sky.

  Before I start to sink, Sawyer reaches out and places his hand under my back so I can just float in the water. I feel completely weightless as he moves me around the pool like this. “Have you ever been anywhere like this before?” I ask.

  “Not really.” He answers.

  I close my eyes and let the water move over me. “Did you grow up in the city?”

  “Yeah.” That’s all he says. Strange. Usually Sawyer is more talkative.

  I lean forward and place my feet on the bottom of the pool. “Is your family still in the area?”

  He pinches his lips. “No.”

  I roll my eyes and step back. “Wow, okay. Sorry I forgot you don’t actually know how to have a conversation that doesn’t center around sex.”

  He looks down at the water and then back at me. “There’s just nothing to tell.”

  I throw my hands up. “Hey, it’s fine. If you want to be all secretive about your family, that’s fine. We aren’t friends. You don’t have to tell me anything.”

  He smirks back at me. “Do you always start out with such deep conversations?”

  I laugh harder. “Oh, I’m sorry. This must be out of your territory. What do you usually talk about with girls once you bring them home?”

  He raises an eyebrow at me. “We don’t.”

  I laugh. “What? Like you just meet a girl at the bar, and then you are completely silent in the car until you get to your place where you immediately get down to business?”

  Sawyer rolls his eyes at me. “Please.” Then he smirks. “They usually don’t make it past the car in the parking lot of the bar.”

  “You’re disgusting.” I laugh.

  He looks at me surprised. “Hey, look who’s talking. I seem to recall you trying to hook up with many different guys in Mexico. All while leaving poor Todd in the dust.”

  “All those guys knew what they were getting into. I somehow doubt the girls you push on the curb from your car were expecting to get shafted so quickly. Especially with the way you’ve been collecting stalkers that are probably going to murder me when they find out we were never together.” I smirk back at him.

  He laughs. “Oh please. Don’t kid yourself into thinking these guys don’t want to be with you. It’s just too bad they don’t know you have abandonment issues from your mommy so you’ll never settle down with any of them.”

  I gasp. “Wow. For someone who doesn’t like to have deep conversations, you sure took that somewhere personal.”

  “I’m sorry. Is it that you can dish but you can’t take it back?” He snaps back. “In fact, I think you might be a little bit of an asshole.”

  I don’t know why, but I get a huge smile on my face. He takes a step closer. “You think that’s funny?”

  I actually laugh. “Hearing you say I make you feel that way just brings immense joy to my heart.”

  His voice deepens, sounding more stern. “I have a no asshole policy.”

  I grin back. “It’s too bad you’re just a joint manager then. I don’t have to follow your policies.”

  His face gets more serious. “No Blake, you don’t have to follow anyone’s policies because you have no one to look out for but yourself.”

  I lean my head back, my voice coming out angrier than before. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He closes the distance between us and leans against the pool wall next to me. “It means you act like I’m the asshole when you aren’t really close with anyone. Not Erin, definitely not Todd. The only person you care enough about to defend is your dad, but I don’t even know if that’s for his sake or because you just want a reason to hate me so you can keep me away too.”

  I’m stunned speechless. Not only because I’m shocked Sawyer could have such a deep conversation, but also because he’s not wrong.

  I wring my hands together in the water not knowing what to say. I finally settle on the truth. “People can’t hurt you if you don’t let them in.” I whisper as I look down at the water.

  Sawyer reaches forward and wipes a stream of water dripping down my face. “You know that’s not true Blake.” He whispers back.

  Why, of all people, does Sawyer have to be the one to talk to me about this? It’s like I can physically feel my heart opening up to him. I need to squash that before it gets any worse. The problem is he’s the only one who has ever truly tried to understand me. Nobody else ever bothers to get that far. Sawyer doesn’t mean it though. This is all still just part of his game.

  I give him a half smile. “It’s getting late. I’m going to go to bed.”

  I walk up the pool steps and wrap a towel around myself. I turn to walk back inside, but Sawyer’s voice stops me before I make it all the way in.

  “You won’t need to steal a room key if you find yourself trying to sneak into my room tonight. I’ll leave the door unlocked.” He practically purrs.

  I roll my eyes without looking back. How the fuck did I have an actual serious moment with that man? Oh well, I only have to survive one more day with him. I can handle that. Right?

  Chapter 8

  I didn’t bother setting an alarm this morning. I wanted to try to sleep in as late as possible so there’d be less time I had to deal with Sawyer. At least I made it until late morning.

  I don’t bother getting ready and head out toward the kitchen in my sleep shorts and tank. Sawyer’s door is open, and I don’t see him in there as I pass. When I get to the kitchen, I hear music coming from the home gym room, so Sawyer must be in there.

  What kind of psycho works out in the morning while on vacation is beyond me. I decide to make breakfast for the both of us. Maybe if I start out the morning being nice to him, then the rest of the day will be easier to deal with. I mean, I may be partially to blame for all of our bickering.

  I grab some eggs, milk, and veggies out of the fridge to make some omelets. I called my dad’s local friend and asked him to pick up some basic food supplies for the
cabin. He does it for us every time we use the cabin for a work trip, and then we pay him double whatever it costs to make sure everything is fully stocked.

  The music from the gym streams into the kitchen, so I sing and dance along to it while I prepare the eggs. The song gets to the most dramatic part, so I belt it out as I dance when suddenly the music cuts abruptly, and I hear a laugh from behind me.

  I freeze in my tracks and narrow my eyes as I whip back around and stare angrily at Sawyer. He laughs harder. “What are you doing?”

  My brain turns to mush as I stare at him. I’m not even exactly sure what he just asked. He fucking just waltzed in the kitchen looking like this? No fucking way.

  He’s in nothing but a pair of black shorts and sneakers. Sweat is literally dripping down his body. I stare as one drop runs down over every grove and curve of his abs. I didn’t even realize a man could look this good in real life. What the fuck was he doing in that gym to get this sweaty? And for the love of God, can I please be there the next time he does it?

  He must realize I am not going to answer his question because he gives me a funny look and then walks over to the counter to his phone. He swipes across the screen a couple of times, but then grins up at me. “Can you unlock my phone? My fingers are too sweaty.”

  Jesus fucking Christ!

  I absent-mindingly walk over to his phone and swipe up the lock screen. He cocks an eyebrow at me. “Are you okay?”

  “Hm?” I hum back, but then I snap back to reality. “Uh yeah. I’m making breakfast.”

  He starts stretching his arms right in front of me. “Isn’t it almost lunch time?”

  I lean my head to the side and make a mocking face. “So brunch then. How about you make the mimosas?”

  He leans against the counter and lifts his leg to stretch his quads. “Drinks already? You sure you don’t have a problem?”

  He opens his eyes wide realizing what he said. “I’m sorry Blake. I didn’t mean because of your mo-.”