by Lynn, Sandi
“It wasn’t all bad.”
“Why did you finally decide to tell me?” I asked.
“Because it felt right, and I want to gain your trust. Plus, you had kidnapped me and already knew all my aliases, so what was the point of not telling you?”
I let out a long sigh. “I didn’t kidnap you. How many times do I have to tell you that? You voluntarily came home with me.”
A small smile crossed her lips.
“Then you locked me in a bedroom and secured the house so I couldn’t leave. I would classify that as kidnapping. Not to mention the fact that you handcuffed me when we left the house and you gave me a cell phone where your number was the only one I could dial.”
“Okay.” I held up my hand. When you say it like that—”
“I’m glad you finally realize what you’ve done.” She smirked.
“It hasn’t been that bad, has it?” I asked.
“Not so much. To be honest, it’s the most normal I’ve felt in my entire life.”
“Really?” I cocked my head and our eyes met. “Why?”
“Because I no longer had to pretend to be someone I wasn’t.” She looked down at her plate.
I reached over and softly stroked her cheek with the back of my hand.
Chapter 27
Kate
I opened my soul to him at that very moment and he didn’t judge me. For the first time in my life, I felt normal. I brought my hand up to my cheek and placed it on his as I closed my eyes. The warmth of his touch radiated throughout my body and made me tremble. He took our plates and set them back on the cart. Turning to me, he cupped my chin in his hand and softly brushed his lips against mine. Our kiss soon turned passionate as I lay down and he hovered over me. We made love; slow, sensual, and in various positions before he exploded inside me. The gentle touch of his hands on my body sent chills down my spine. His touch felt possessive and made me feel safe and secure. A feeling I wanted to feel for the rest of my life.
We lay in bed for the first time together, his arms wrapped around me as my head laid on his chest.
“We should get back out there,” he spoke. “I need to check my emails.”
“Yeah. We should. How much longer is the flight?” I asked as I lifted my head.
“About three more hours.” He softly kissed my lips.
I climbed off the bed and slipped back into my clothes. Gabriel did the same and we both left the bedroom. He took his laptop to the table and I sat back in my seat, staring at the clouds as the plane floated through them. I couldn’t help but glance over at Gabriel now and again. And every time I did, the corners of my mouth curved up into a small smile. The anger I harbored towards him quickly dissipated when he explained why he was so angry with me. I got it. I really did, and the best part was I trusted him. All the man wanted was honesty from the start, but I was too afraid to let the real me emerge.
When we finally landed, we took a limo that was waiting for us to the hotel, which consisted of ten floors, four hundred breathtaking guest rooms, six restaurants, a coffee café, a candy shop, gift shop, a large gym, casual and formal clothing stores for men and women, and a luxurious spa.
“Wow,” I spoke in amazement as we stepped into the marbled lobby.
“Welcome to Quinn Hotels, Kate.” Gabriel smiled.
After being greeted by numerous staff and the hotel manager, Albert, we headed up to the penthouse suite on the tenth floor that overlooked the ocean. I walked out to the terrace and took in the beauty that Hawaii offered. The roaring of the ocean and the subtle sounds the waves made as they crashed to the shore gave me a sense of peace.
“Well, what do you think?” he asked as he walked up behind me.
“It’s beautiful. The hotel, the room, everything.”
“I designed this entire hotel myself. It was something I had been working on for a couple of years.”
“Your father would be so proud.” I smiled.
“Can I let you in on a little secret?” he asked.
“Of course.”
“I’m going to build a digital hotel. The first one will be in Las Vegas, and we’re projected to start building in about six months.”
“Care to explain what a digital hotel consists of?” I smirked.
“Every guest room will have their own virtual butler who will control everything in the room from temperature control, lights, shades, showers, baths, TVs. You name it, and the virtual butler will do it for you. He will even order room service for you. All you have to do is ask.”
I let out a laugh. “Are you serious? So, if I want to take a shower, what do I say?”
“For example, let’s say your butler for your room is named Gregory. You would simply say, out loud, ‘Gregory, I want to take a shower.’ The shower will turn on automatically before you even walk into the bathroom.”
“Shut up.” I lightly smacked him.
“I’m serious. Each room will have a huge computer screen attached to the wall. You don’t even have to sit down and type anything out if you want to surf the web or check your emails. The butler will do it for you. For example, you’d say, ‘Gregory, I need to check my email,’ and voila, your emails will appear on the screen. You can also check out. ‘Gregory, I’m checking out at nine a.m.’ and at that time, you will automatically be checked out.”
“Does Gregory talk back?” I asked.
“Of course. When you enter the room, he’ll greet you. When you leave the room, he’ll tell you goodbye. You can carry on a conversation with him to an extent. He’ll ask you how your day was, ask if you slept well, and tell you good morning.”
“That’s kind of creepy.” I scrunched up my nose. “I’m surprised you aren’t having a sexy woman’s voice.”
“Ah.” He smiled. “If a man is traveling alone, his butler/maid will be female. But if it’s a couple, it will be male.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Of course. It sounds amazing.”
“It will be. It was something my father always dreamed of, and before he died, he told me to make sure I built it. It was a project he had been working on for ten years. Vegas will be the first place to launch it.”
“I’m going to assume it will also be a casino?”
“Of course it will be. One of the best Vegas has to offer.” He smiled. “Listen,” he took hold of my hands, “there are only five people who know about this, including you. We are the only company that possesses that kind of technology for this right now and word can’t get out. Understand?”
“Sure. I would never tell a soul. You of all people know how good I am at keeping secrets.”
“I know.” He kissed my forehead. “We should get ready for dinner. Your dresses should be in the bedroom. Go pick one out while I get in the shower.”
When I walked into the beautifully decorated bedroom, there was a silver rack in the corner with approximately ten different dresses hanging upon it. In front of the rack, shoes were laid out, coordinating with each dress. I thumbed through the rack and pulled out a champagne-colored gown with ornate beading and a layered A-line bottom. It was perfect. I took my makeup in the bathroom of the other bedroom in the suite, took a shower, and got ready. After curling my hair, I pinned it up but left a few wispy curls hanging. After slipping into my dress and putting on the matching shoes with a heel, I walked out into the living area of the suite and saw Gabriel standing on the terrace with a drink in his hand. His eyes raked over me from head to toe.
“You look stunning.” He smiled as he walked towards me.
“And so do you in your black tux.” I smirked as I straightened his bow tie.
“Shall we?” He held out his arm.
“We shall, Mr. Quinn.”
We took the elevator down to Incognito, one of the formal restaurants in the hotel. The place was filled with influential businessmen and women. We mixed and mingled for a while as he introduced me as Kate. I was grateful he didn’t tell my last name. I wasn’t ready for the world to know me yet. I was still ge
tting used to Gabriel knowing who I was.
While he talked business with a couple of friends of his, I took a seat at the bar.
“What can I get you?” the polite bartender asked.
“Tequila with a splash of lime, please.”
“Coming right up.” He smiled.
As I was sipping on my drink, I noticed a man take the seat next to me.
“I’ll have what the pretty lady is having,” he spoke with a French accent to the bartender. “May I buy you another?” A grin crossed his lips.
I studied him. Mid-forties, stylish blonde hair, which he obviously dyed, and short on the sides with a shag on top. Green eyes that had a shady look about them. Wealthy and slick. French. A player. A definite player.
“Sure. Why not.” I smiled.
“My name is Marcel Mathieu.” He extended his hand.
“Kate.” I placed mine in his and gave it a light shake.
“Why is a beautiful woman such as yourself sitting at the bar alone? If you were my wife, I would never let you out of my sight.”
Ah, he’s trying to find out if I’m single and making himself sound like a stalker.
“I’m not married.” I smiled.
“Well then, if I was your boyfriend, I would never let you out of my sight.” He gave his head a light nod.
“No boyfriend either.” I took a sip of my drink.
“I find that hard to believe.” He smirked.
“Well, believe it.” I arched my brow.
“Whom are you here with? Don’t tell me you’re at this beautiful hotel alone.”
“I’m here with Gabriel Quinn.”
“I see. Well, it was nice to meet you, Kate.” He got up from his stool.
“Nice to meet you too, Marcel. Thanks for the drink.” I held up my glass.
Was it something I said? Gabriel walked over and placed his hand on my back.
“What was that all about?” he asked.
“Marcel?” I turned my head and looked at him.
“Yes.”
“He was hitting on me, bought me a drink, and then when he found out I was here with you, he bolted. What’s going on there?”
Gabriel took the seat Marcel had sat in and asked the bartender for a bourbon.
“His father and mine were rivals. Had been for years. It started with our grandfathers.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“When my grandfather first had the idea to open a hotel, he was short the funds to do it. He and Marcel’s grandfather had been friends for years at that time. He offered to loan my grandfather the additional money he needed to open the hotel in exchange for being his business partner. My grandfather agreed and, soon after, QM Quarters was opened. At first, it didn’t do so well and was almost forced into bankruptcy after the first year.”
“Why?” I frowned.
“Because Marcel’s grandfather’s vision changed, and he wanted more too fast. He wanted to be on top and number one. He became greedy. So, to get him out of the company, my grandfather blackmailed him.”
“With what?”
“I don’t know. My father never would tell me, but it had to be something serious in order for Marcel’s grandfather to accept the buyout. That was the end of their partnership and friendship. His grandfather packed his family up, moved back to France, and opened his own hotel, which does very well. After he passed away, Marcel’s father decided it was time to move out of France and here to New York where he opened up his first hotel in the U.S.”
“Which hotel chain does he own?”
“Regal Hotels.”
“Big competition for you?” I smiled as I sipped my drink.
“Not really. They do a good business, but nothing like my hotels do. Enough talk about Marcel. Let’s go sit down for dinner.” He held out his arm.
Chapter 28
Gabriel
I watched her from across the room as she stood and spoke with some of the guests. Everyone seemed to like her. She radiated beauty and confidence and she turned me on. The feelings I had for her came full force today after she opened up to me. I considered it a breakthrough and it made me happy that she trusted me enough to tell me about her life. It was getting late and the last of the guests left the restaurant.
“Are you ready to head up to the room?” I asked her as she sat at the bar.
She stumbled as she attempted to get up.
“Whoa.” I smiled as I grabbed her arm. “I think you had one too many tequilas.”
“Nah.” She waved her hand in front of her face. “I’m fine.”
She held on to my arm, and as we began to take a few steps, she stopped.
“The room is spinning and I’m not feeling so well,” she softly spoke.
I swooped her up and carried her to the elevator.
“Lay your head on my shoulder and close your eyes,” I spoke. “And please, whatever you do, do not get sick on me.”
“I’ll try not to.” She closed her eyes.
Once we reached the suite, I opened the door and began to carry her to the guest bedroom but stopped midway and turned around and carried her to the master suite. Laying her on the bed, I took off her shoes and then rolled her over and unzipped her dress. Grabbing the robe from the closet, I laid it down on the bed while I took off her dress.
“Gabriel?” she spoke as she looked at me.
“Yes?”
“I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Shit.”
I grabbed hold of her arm, quickly led her to the bathroom, and rubbed her shoulders as she vomited all the alcohol she drank. Once she was done, I ran a washcloth under cool water and placed it on her forehead.
“Do you normally get sick like this when you drink?”
“No. It must have been those fireball shots I was doing.”
“Fireball shots? With who?” I asked.
“I think her name was Lydia. Or was it Lucy? Or maybe it was Lulu. Hell, I don’t remember.”
I smiled as I helped her from the floor and into bed. Climbing in next to her, I told her good night and turned off the light. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, I heard Kate’s voice.
“I’ve been lying to my father for years,” she whispered.
I opened my eyes and turned my head to look at her.
“What?”
“He doesn’t have a clue what I’ve been doing since he went to prison.”
I sat up, reached over, and turned on the lamp.
“Kate, I don’t understand.”
She rolled over to face me and tucked her hands under her pillow.
“He thinks that I was working at a high-end restaurant as a waitress and going to school in Chicago. When I went to visit him the other day, I told him that I had just moved here because the owner I worked for opened a restaurant in New York and I asked him if I could transfer so I could be closer to him. If he knew the things I had really done, he’d be so disappointed. The last thing he said to me before they sent him to prison was, ‘Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Go out into the world and make something of yourself. Make your old man proud.’”
I lay down on my pillow, facing her, and stroked her cheek.
“You were doing what you thought you had to do to get him out of prison. Maybe it’s time you told him the truth.”
“I don’t think I can. I couldn’t bear to see the disappointment in his eyes.”
“He loves you, Kate. You’re his entire world. Sure, he’ll be upset and disappointed for a while, but his love for you will overtake that.”
“Your father’s love for Caleb didn’t overtake it.”
“My father was a different man and incapable of truly loving anyone. He let his success and greed consume him. All he really cared about was his reputation.”
She moved closer and snuggled under my arm, forcing me to lie on my back so her head could rest against my chest. I slowly closed my eyes as I kissed the top of her head.
“The one thing I always wanted growing up
was a dog. A white Maltese so I could put cute little bows on the top of her head. But with the way we moved around so much, my dad said it wasn’t a good idea. I always thought that having a dog of my own would make me feel less lonely. I need to sleep now,” she whispered.
“Get some rest. We can talk about this more in the morning.”
Her wall was crumbling down right before me and I’d be there for her when the last piece fell. She was growing more important to me with each truth than I thought she would. Holding her against me felt right, righter than anything in my life. I’d held many women beside me in bed but holding her gave me a new feeling. One I couldn’t describe. I closed my eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep.
* * *
Today was the official grand opening of the hotel and every room in the place was booked. Now that this was finished, my attention and focus would go heavily into the building of the new hotel in Vegas, a hotel that was probably the most important to me. I had people to speak with and a couple of meetings to hold, so I told Kate to go do whatever she wanted, and I’d catch up with her later. She chose to go down to the beach for the day. She said that if she couldn’t see parts of Hawaii with me, then she’d be happy just to sit in the sand under the warm sun and wait for me. I believed her and I could honestly say that I was fully starting to trust her.
“We need to get dressed and go down for breakfast. Are you feeling okay?”
“I am. I’m going to take a quick shower first if we have time,” she spoke.
“Good idea. I think maybe we should take one together to save time.” I smiled.
“I’d like that.” She bit into her bottom lip.
She climbed out of bed and, with her back to me, she slid her robe off her body, letting it fall to the floor. Her curves and perfectly round ass made my cock stand in an instant. She walked into the bathroom, climbed into the shower, and I followed.
As we stood under the stream of warm water, our lips tenderly met. My hands groped her breasts as hers wrapped around my hard cock, stroking it up and down, causing me to become more excited than I already was. Getting down on my knees, my tongue slid down her torso while my hands stayed firmly planted on her breasts, down her clit, and to her aroused wet opening. I circled around her as moans escaped her lips. Moans of pleasure and fulfillment. Dipping a finger inside, I explored her until I knew she was ready to take my cock inside her. I couldn’t wait anymore and the animal inside me was about to emerge. Standing up, I placed her against the shower wall, grabbing her ass tightly and lifting her up onto my cock. Her arms and legs wrapped around me and our lips met with passion. The water beat down on us as I thrust inside her. She took me all in, every inch with ease. The warmth was overwhelming and intoxicating. Our moans were in sync as we enjoyed the pleasure we gave each other. I thrust in and out of her rapidly, holding her tight and against my wet body. She came and I smiled as our lips were connected. One last thrust and I buried myself inside, straining to pour every drop of come I had in her. I was changing, she was changing, and the feeling that resided inside me couldn’t have been more right.