Chapter Four
Conor
Something is up with Arianna.
And my intuition tells me it has to do with more than what happened last night.
Fuck, just thinking about it has my cock hardening again.
I should have known better than to touch her, a woman so young and innocent.
Not to mention that she’s a freaking client and therefore forbidden.
No, I should have kept my hands and lips to myself, but it felt right to just touch her… to hold her close.
However wrong it was for me to cross those lines, I can tell that’s not what’s bothering her.
She’s been jittery all morning and more so in crowded areas.
I noticed it first when we stopped to get coffee.
She’d peek out the window and look around.
Not in the way she does when she’s taking in a potential filming location, but in a manner that suggested she was looking for something… or someone.
She seemed more distracted, and I had to remind her to take pictures of the Bean and film the Navy Pier as we explored Chicago.
Each person she bumped into seemed to send her into a wave of anxiety.
Any questions I raised about her behavior were simply shrugged off as her being nervous about visiting a new city. I’m not sure I believe her.
And now, I’m beginning to question if the “negative comment” response I got yesterday was just an excuse to throw me off the truth.
Still, I decide to push down the matter as we try a couple of restaurants for Chicago staples.
She tries everything from Portillo’s hot dogs and Pizzeria Uno to Garret’s Chicago mix popcorn.
The jolly smile she wears for her viewers looks a tad strained as she records every meal and gives a review.
By the time the evening rolls around, we’re both clearly tired.
The thought of driving to a campsite sounds like a nightmare after all that walking.
I nearly groan in relief when Arianna announces we’re staying at a hotel she booked in advance—parking the van in the hotel’s garage overnight. That had been her plan all along.
There is some awkwardness as we walk through the lobby—until Arianna stops midway and turns toward me, nervously glancing at me.
“Okay, I have a confession to make,” she says, her nervous eyes locking with mine for the first time all day, but it lasts for only three seconds before she looks away.
“So I booked a single room with a single bed for this trip because I thought I’d be traveling alone, and even when Amy joined in, I figured we’d just share my bed, but…
” She sucks in a deep breath before releasing it slowly through her mouth.
“I called them this morning, but they couldn’t change my reservations. They said they were booked solid.”
Aaah.
“That’s what happens when you travel during peak tourist season.”
“Right, I know. I didn’t intend to plan the trip around this season, but I’ve been putting this trip off for so long that I just…
needed to finally do it...” Her voice trails off.
and her eyes widen with surprise when she realizes she’s shared more than she meant to.
“My point is, I’m still going to ask in case someone canceled a reservation, but I’m not too hopeful. ”
“We shared a bed last night, Arianna.”
“Yeah, I know. Still…”
“Is this what’s been bothering you all day?”
She shuts down at the question. It’s fascinating to watch her go from a nervous wreck to closing herself off to the point that I can hardly tell what she’s thinking.
Lately, she’s been opening up little by little.
and to see her suddenly closed off unnerves me.
“I don’t… Let’s go see if we can get a second room or a room with two beds. ”
We don’t.
The hotel is fully booked, but Arianna doesn’t seem that disappointed by the news. In fact, I swear I read relief in her eyes, but I can’t be certain. I question if she just likes my company or perhaps…she’s scared of being alone with me.
I lean more toward the latter when we get to the room, and she hesitates to go inside. My brows furrow at her hesitation, and it becomes clearer that something is bothering her. However, pushing the issue won’t get me any answers, so I decide to do what I imagine will put her mind at ease.
“Why don’t I look around to make sure the place is empty and safe?”
The look she gives me tells me that I’m on the right track. “Uh, yeah…okay.”
I leave her standing by the door and check every corner of the room—the bathroom, closet, and even under the bed.
Once I’m certain that the place is clear, I go back to get her.
She still appears nervous, and for once, I entertain the thought that I might be part of the reason she’s behaving this way.
Now that I think about it, she was fine before we shared that kiss at the dunes and only started acting strange after that. Perhaps she needs time to herself. To be fair, we haven’t left each other’s side since we left New York, and this could be what’s affecting her mood.
Space.
Maybe that’ll solve whatever’s going on with her.
“Why don’t you take a bath and relax? I’ll…” I scramble for something to do. Heck, I can’t leave the hotel for a walk or head down to the bar for a drink. I never drink on the job, and I’m not about to start now just because my client turns me on. “Go to the gym.”
Her pretty brows furrow, and she taps at the screen of her phone to check the time. “It’s nearly nine, Conor. You’re going to work out now?”
“Sure, I haven’t done much of that lately.”
“But don’t hotel gyms close at nine or ten?”
I tilt my head to the side and study her. Doesn’t she want me to leave? Fuck, I can’t get a read on Arianna, and it’s driving me insane. Shit, maybe I do need that workout after all. “This hotel has 24/7 access for guests. It was on the brochure I grabbed at the front desk.”
“Oh,” she deflates, but before I can react, she turns and, with her bag in hand, heads toward the bathroom. “Enjoy your workout, Conor.” Her words echo long after the door has slammed closed.
I shake my head, confused more than ever by her sudden change of mood as I change into the workout clothes I surprisingly remembered to pack.
The gym is easy to find, and it’s empty, too—thank fuck.
I warm up for ten minutes before moving to the heavy lifting, certain that a little sweat and strain will push a certain stubborn blonde from my mind.
It doesn’t.
After two solid hours split between cardio and weights, my tank sticking to my torso, and every muscle in my body sore, I realize that there’s no erasing Arianna from my mind. Not her and not the moments we’ve already shared together.
I grab a complimentary bottle of water and drop down on a bench with a groan, cursing myself for pushing as hard as I have.
The thought of going back to that room and sharing a bed with the temptress that is my client leaves behind a sense of dread and uncertainty.
So when my phone lights up with a call from Roarke, I welcome the distraction.
“You’re alive,” he says in greeting.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I pant, dabbing my forehead with a towel.
“Well, I thought Arianna would have killed you by now, seeing how much she doesn’t like you.” Fuck, I forgot about that.
“Did Elena tell you that her cousin hates my guts, or why she does?”
Roarke laughs at my expense. “Why don’t you ask her yourself? One would think you knew how to talk to a woman.”
“Oh, fuck off!” I snarl, taking another swing of my water. “Seriously, why does she hate my guts so much?”
“You don’t remember, do you?”
My brows draw in confusion. “Remember what?”
“That day at Gabriella Rossi’s exhibition, six months ago, when Arianna tripped and you caught her?”
Fuck, I vaguely remember catching some clumsy young lady at the exhibition, but I don’t remember it being Arianna. “Why the fuck would she hate me for saving her?”
“It’s what you did after that changed everything, but I’d rather you hear it from the horse’s mouth,” he laughs. “Am I to assume she doesn’t hate your guts anymore?”
I pause for a second and think over his words.
The truth is, I’m not sure. I thought I could read her, but the last twenty-four hours have proven that’s not the case.
Now, I can’t help but wonder if I did something again to scare her.
“Speaking of Elena,” I start, weighing my words carefully.
“What point in your relationship did you realize that you wanted…everything?”
Roarke is quiet for a while. and I can tell I’ve taken him by surprise with that question.
We never talk about how he and Elena got together.
As her bodyguard, he broke every company rule we wrote by getting involved with a client.
But it wasn’t just a one-time thing with them.
A secret courthouse wedding and defeating one murderous Russian mob boss later, the two became a unit. One that worked.
Arianna and I…. we don’t exactly fit. Not our lifestyles or interests. Hell, she’s so much younger than me that it feels damn near illegal to want her as much as I do.
“Our first touch,” Roarke finally responds. “I knew I wanted her the moment I saw her picture, but after the first touch, I was sold on forever.”
“You broke rules for her.”
“And I would do it all over again,” he says with such conviction. “Are you thinking of breaking the rules for Arianna Marino?”
“Maybe. I don’t fucking know,” I groan, brushing wet hair from my forehead. “She drives me insane—I can’t tell if I want to storm off or just…kiss her!”
Roarke surprises me by laughing. “Sounds like a Marino.”