Chapter One #3
An hour later, with my heart pounding, I entered the packed hotel bar and surveyed the men and women in suits, standing near each other, engaging in conversation. Why was it so easy for them? Several seats were open at the horseshoe-shaped dark wood bar, and I slid into one.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asked.
“Uh…A fuzzy navel, please.”
He placed a small bowl of mixed nuts in front of me and brought the colorful drink a minute later, complete with cherry and orange wheel. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” I scanned the crowd as I took a sip.
“Looking for someone special?” A deep voice at my shoulder surprised me, and my hand shook, spilling some of my drink. “Here. Let me help.”
A tall man in an expensive suit dabbed a napkin at the wet spot. His demeanor was friendly, and his brown eyes gleamed with interest. I blinked.
“Oh, thanks.”
“Not feeling into the meet and greet? I can understand. It’s been a long day.”
“Oh, well, I’m not a lawyer. I just stopped in for a drink.”
Did that sound as lame as I think it did?
“Even better,” he said with a chuckle. “We’re all a boring bunch. Dan Thomas.” He held out his hand, and I took it in mine. His palm was firm and smooth. I hoped mine wasn’t sweaty.
“Theo Sweeny.”
“So if you’re not an attorney, Theo, what do you do?”
“I own a bar.”
He sipped his drink, while I held mine. “Scoping out the competition?”
What the hell was I supposed to say? That I was here to pick up a guy?
“N-not really. Just a long day, so I figured I’d take a drive and ended up here.”
Did that sound plausible? I gulped a little more of my drink. It eased the tightness of my throat, and I smiled, hoping it didn’t look like a grimace.
“Well, lucky me.” He finished his drink and signaled to the bartender for another.
“Wh-where are you from?” I forced myself to make conversation.
“The Upper West Side of Manhattan, but originally from New Jersey. My firm specializes in criminal law, and learning that Jaxon was the keynote speaker, I figured I needed to take a ride up.”
“Oh, you know him? He’s very nice.”
Dan stared at me and boomed out a laugh. “ ‘Nice’ isn’t exactly a word I’d use to describe Jax, but he’s a damn good attorney. Might even become a judge one day.”
I nodded as I took another sip of my fuzzy navel, then froze when Dan leaned in to whisper the next sentence. His lips touched the outside of my ear, and a rush of something hot exploded in my blood.
“Don’t you think it’s too noisy and crowded in here? How about we go someplace we can sit and really get to know each other?”
The scent of expensive aftershave tickled my nose, and my hand tightened around the glass. This was it. Why I’d come. I knew what he meant. Could I really do this? Was I going to be like the woman in the movie?
Light-headed, I met his fiery gaze and nodded. “Okay.”
Guess it’s time for me to find out.
A slow grin kicked up his lips. “I’ll get the check.”
He held me by the elbow and walked us out of the room. I could’ve sworn everyone knew where we were going and what we were about to do, but of course, that was ridiculous. At least seventy-five people filled the space, and no one was paying attention to two men leaving.
Once we were alone in the elevator, Dan’s expression turned predatory, and he backed me up to the wall of the cab, nuzzling and kissing my neck.
“You’re so fucking sexy. I’ve never been with a redhead. Can’t wait to see you naked.”
Could he feel the frantic pounding of my heart? I hoped I wouldn’t faint.
When the door opened, he took my hand in his and led me down the hall. But instead of entering his room, he crowded me against the doorway, and his mouth slammed over mine in a hard, possessive kiss. I clung to him, not out of desire but because he’d caught me off guard and I couldn’t breathe.
“Wait…I-I don’t think—”
“Good. Don’t think. Just get naked.” Key card in hand, he touched the lock and turned the handle. “Let’s go.”
He grasped my elbow, and something twisted within me. This wasn’t right. I couldn’t have sex with a man I’d only met five minutes earlier. Life wasn’t about to imitate art—at least not in my case.
“I’m sorry. I-I can’t.”
I heard the ding of the elevator and wrenched away from Dan to rush back to the elevator. The doors slid open, and I came face-to-face with Jaxon Polaris passionately kissing a man. They pulled apart at my interruption, and Jaxon’s eyes widened.
“Theo? What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing. I gotta go.”
“Fucking cock tease,” Dan snarled, coming up behind me.
“Dan? What the hell is going on? Theo? Tell me, please.”
Jaxon stepped out of the elevator, still holding on to the man he had been locking lips with. I rushed past them and jabbed at the button marked Lobby.
“Nothing,” I choked out and faced the wall of the elevator cab, hearing Jaxon speaking to Dan.
“No way—” I heard Jaxon say, but the doors closed.
I was safe.
I leaned my head against the wall, shaking. Car keys in hand, I left the hotel to face the long ride home ahead. That movie was nothing but Hollywood fantasy.
I could change my clothes but not who I was inside.