Chapter 10
HAILEY
I didn’t have any time to procrastinate at home because traffic had eaten up much of my buffer. That was for the best really, otherwise I might have talked myself into bailing on Reid tonight, coming up with an excuse and rescheduling the meeting on a weekday, preferably lunch in a public place.
I did, however, spend a little too long in front of the mirror, checking if the bottom of the bikini covered the cellulite dimple on my ass cheek.
I’d barely turned thirty, but there was no getting rid of it, no matter how often I ran.
Yep, all covered from inquisitive eyes. I had butterflies in my belly.
My palms were sweaty. I had a bout of energy that was going to burst out of me at any time.
Here goes nothing.
The door to the penthouse was open, so I let myself in. The room was dimly lit. I perched on the barstool, assuming he’d join me in no time. The receptionist had called to tell him I was here as I’d entered the elevator.
“Hailey.”
He sounded surprised. I turned around and nearly swallowed my tongue.
He was only wearing a towel. How could his muscles be so defined and sculpted, and yet so lean?
I didn’t know where to look first. At those arms, or at the water drops trickling on his chest. Watching his happy trail disappear into the towel made me clench my thighs.
I only realized how obvious I was when his chest rumbled with laughter.
“Should I just drop my towel so you can look your fill?”
“Sorry… I… what? No. Did I take you by surprise? The receptionist called.” I kept my voice cool and calm, maintaining eye contact.
“I was in the shower, didn’t hear it. Want us to start right away?”
I cocked a brow. “How about putting on some clothes first?”
“If you insist.”
“I do.”
“You sure? You seemed to enjoy the view.”
I pointed toward where I assumed his bedroom was. “Clothes. Now.”
“I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
I took out pen and paper, as well as the list of questions.
When Reid returned, the atmosphere between us was no longer light and playful.
He cast one look at my list of questions, and I could almost feel him reinforcing his defenses.
But that was quite all right… I was as good at getting under his skin as he was at getting under mine.
“Want me to prepare you a drink?”
He slipped behind the bar. I suspected he wanted to keep himself occupied while I fired off questions.
“What do you want?”
“Surprise me. I’ll start with the questions right away, okay?”
He nodded tightly, confirming my suspicions.
As I arranged the blank paper in front of me, he said, “You can record this if you want.”
I blinked up in surprise. Warmth coursed through me. We’d made progress in the weeks we’d known each other. I opened the recording app on my phone and started it.
Not having to take notes left me with nothing to do but look at him as I fired off questions.
Whenever he was uncomfortable, his body language immediately gave him away: either he crushed ice with excessive force, or he gripped his own glass so tightly that I feared it might break. I hated Marion, I realized. I’d never even met the woman, but I hated her for the pain she’d caused Reid.
Why, I wondered, were some people always in search of something else? And why weren’t they brave enough to first break up? Honest enough? That angered me the most.
After Reid finished our drinks, he paced through the living room as he answered my questions. I was firing them off as fast as possible, because the only way I could think of making this less unpleasant was to make it as quick as possible.
“Okay, we’re done,” I exclaimed at last, pressing Stop on my phone.
Reid tilted his head back, drawing in a deep breath. I watched his chest expand, my eyes tracing the contours of his six-pack. They were visible through his thin dress shirt.
When he opened his eyes, he zeroed in on me. The atmosphere changed instantly. He stalked in my direction, and my breath caught. He slid his empty glass on the counter, brushing my arm with his hand in the process.
“Time to blow off steam, I’d say,” he murmured. He searched my face, and I was burning under his scrutiny. I’d never met anyone who affected me this way.
“Oh? I thought we were swimming.”
“That’s what I had in mind, but if you have other ideas, I’m happy to oblige.”
I blushed.
“Did you bring a bikini?”
“Yes. You didn’t buy one for me, did you?”
“Why do you think I was late?”
I swallowed. Curiosity ate at me. I wanted to know what he’d chosen for me, but I stuck to my guns.
“Well, you shouldn’t have. I’m going to wear mine.”
I slid off the chair at the same time he moved in closer to me, resting his palm on my waist, bringing his mouth to my ear.
“There will be plenty of occasions for you to wear what I bought for you, Hailey. I’ll make sure of that.”
My thighs felt like spaghetti as I stepped away from him, grabbing my purse.
On a shaky breath, I asked, “Where can I change?”
“There’s a bathroom at the end of the corridor. Or you can have my bedroom if you prefer.”
“Bathroom will do, thank you.”
“There’s a robe for you on the sink.”
I darted toward the bathroom, clutching my bag as if it was a lifeline. Once I was alone inside, I locked the door, then leaned against it, drawing deep breaths. Why had I not kept the bikini on after trying it on at home? Would have saved me the hassle of changing.
I could leave. I could just walk back out and tell him I’d changed my mind.
I should do it. Reid Davenport was everything I didn’t want in a man.
Too broody, too withdrawn… too everything.
But under that tough exterior was a man I was dying to get to know better.
This was precisely why I should leave. Getting closer wasn’t a good idea, no matter how much I wanted to.
Still, I slipped on my bikini and the robe Reid had said was mine. When it came to him, I couldn’t heed my own advice.
I was fretting over nothing. We were just going to swim in the panoramic pool along with other hotel guests. I was dying to see the view. And besides, it was only seven o’clock. The pool closed at ten. We’d have plenty of buffer. I wouldn’t even know he was there.
When I returned to the bar, I saw that Reid was also wearing a robe. Thank heavens it was fastened, because I did not want a prime view of his six-pack again while we were still alone. His gaze perused me shamelessly, and I felt utterly naked.
“Ready?” he asked. I nodded. How could I be so on edge already?
Unsurprisingly, his elevator had direct access to the pool floor. What was surprising was that the pool area was deserted.
“Where’s everyone else?” I inquired. Reid smiled slowly.
“Asked the staff to close access earlier tonight.”
I swallowed, unable to meet his eyes, but I felt his gaze on me. When he came closer, my entire body was on high alert.
“Thought you could enjoy the view better this way.”
The view. I would focus on the view. I glanced outside the glass window, at the sprawling hills of LA. The sky was that orange-blue hue just before sunset. It was my favorite time of the day.
“You didn’t have to do this. I doubt even a million people could keep me from enjoying everything.”
I felt him step right behind me, then his hot breath on the shell of my ear as he spoke.
“I did tell you I want you all to myself.”
“Reid….”
Oh, God. I shuddered but went ahead and undid the cord of my robe. Reid helped me take it off, and his fingers touched my shoulders. I felt the contact deep in my belly. Oh, my. I’d been right. There was no surviving tonight intact. When I walked out of the hotel, I wouldn’t be the same.
I set my tote on one of the many sunbeds before entering the pool. The water was pleasantly cool, and I began swimming the breaststroke the second I heard Reid enter the pool too. Yeah, maybe this was just what I needed. Maybe a swim would help me relieve the tension in my muscles, clear my head.
Ten minutes later, I gave up on the idea.
I wasn’t a quitter, but I knew when to admit defeat.
I felt Reid’s presence as if he was next to me the entire time.
In between strokes, I’d glanced at him a few times.
He was watching me intently. I swam toward him, into the small alcove just in front of the window where you could enjoy water jets massaging your back.
“Done running away?” he asked in an amused tone.
“Wasn’t running away,” I muttered.
“No?”
I pressed the buttons for the jets, sitting on the bench, doing my best to look outside and not at the ridiculously sexy man next to me. I was failing, often, but just when I thought the growing tension between us was getting to be too much, footsteps echoed against the tiled floor.
“I took the liberty of ordering us some snacks and drinks,” Reid explained.
“Some snacks” turned out to be a five-course meal. The staff served it at the in-pool bar. The seats were in the water, the counter just above the surface.
“This is delicious. I didn’t know your hotel served gourmet food.”
“Happy you like it. Glad you stayed?”
“Oh, yeah. Perfect way to spend Saturday evening.”
Oh my God. We were on a date. Somehow, I’d ended up on a date with Reid Davenport. His lazy smile told me that he was enjoying watching me reach that conclusion.
“I can’t believe this.”
“Why? I like being near you.”
“You have strange taste, Reid. Pretty sure you could spend time with someone who doesn’t give you shit at every turn.”
“But I want to spend it with you. I like that you don’t put up with anything, that you don’t shy away from telling it to me straight.”
I swallowed, twirling my glass, hyperaware that we were alone again. I wasn’t sure how to act or what to say. This tension between us was just too thick. I slid away from my chair, intending to go for another swim since we were done with dinner. Reid was just behind me.