Chapter 11
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The pounding disrupts my sweet dreams replaying how Rob and I spent our night together. I rub my thighs together under the sheet as I crack one eye open. I'm disoriented as I blink against the soft light filtering through the curtains and casting the hotel room in a soft glow.
Rob groans beside me. " Why? "
The door rattles as the intrusive culprit continues banging, clearly desperate for our attention. Rob disentangles his limbs from mine and climbs out of bed. I drag myself up to a sitting position, clutching the sheet against my chest as I grumpily watch him go.
We didn't go three rounds last night; we managed four .
I'm exhausted. Are sex hangovers a thing? Because I think I woke up with one.
Even through my brain fog, I'm able to appreciate the way Rob's muscles shift as he yanks on his abandoned sweatpants from last night.
He doesn't bother with a shirt, which I feel a great amount of appreciation for.
I lean forward a little on the bed to watch his rippling back muscles move as he stomps toward the door.
Our banger continues knocking, even louder now, like a woodpecker on a mission to take out a whole tree.
"Coming!" Rob barks, running a hand through his sleep mussed hair. I like the way his voice sounds when it's husky from sleep. A ridiculous flutter makes itself at home in my stomach.
Sex has not satiated my attraction one bit.
Rob yanks the door open.
"Sara," he growls, the sound of her name a curse.
I hoist the sheet tighter against me, self-consciousness flooding in as Sara barrels straight past Rob to walk further into the hotel room.
Her eyes light up when she sees me in his bed.
Her expression seems manic, like she's carrying the energy of someone who has already had three coffees too many today.
She waves the phone in her hand around triumphantly.
"Rise and shine, lover boy... and lover girl!
" Sara chirps. My cheeks heat, but Sara doesn't seem prepared to give me an ounce of mercy.
She strides right to the bed and plops down on the edge by my feet.
"Sorry to crash the morning-after glow, but there's no time for modesty and pleasantries.
Nina is hosting a Goodbye Brunch downstairs at the top of the hour, and you two need to hurry and get dressed before we're late. "
Rob is already shaking his head. "Sara–"
"Don't Sara me. I'm not listening." She fakes sticking her fingers in her ears with a big grin.
"I have a surprise planned, and you'll ruin it if you hide up here playing grab-ass all morning.
" She winks outrageously at me, and I bury my face in the sheet for a moment, wishing it could swallow me up to protect me better from this moment.
"I don't think..." My voice sounds small as I force myself to raise my head back up. "I don't think I can go to that. I'm sure my stepsisters will be there, and after yesterday, I can't bear the thought of facing them."
Sara leans toward me and wags her finger, launching into her best rendition of a motivational speech.
"We are not going to back down to people who have mistreated you.
Family or not. You deserve to walk into that brunch with your head high after how they treated you.
And besides," her eyes twinkle with mischief, "you'll ruin my big reveal if you're not there to see it in person. "
Rob crosses his arms as he plants himself next to his sister to stare down at her with a disapproving glare. "Sara, you can't just–"
"I can, and I did," she interrupts, brushing him off easily.
She hops up from the bed and heads for the door, effectively ending any hope of conversation about this decision she's single-handedly made for all of us.
"Ten minutes," she calls out as the door clicks open.
"Wear something cute. Or don't, whatever.
Either way, you're both beautiful enough that no one is going to care what you wear. "
The door slams shut behind her, leaving confused silence in her wake.
I flop backward, releasing my tight grip on the sheet so that it flutters around me as I fall back on the bed. "I can't believe your sister just barged in like that and wasn't even bothered that I'm here naked in your bed."
Rob pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs like a man who has experienced this kind of embarrassment a thousand times before. "My sister isn't always great about boundaries. She tends to forget how to behave in polite society the moment she gets excited about something."
"She's kind of terrifying," I admit with a laugh.
"I know." He nods solemnly, then the look on his face changes as he steps closer to the bed, staring down as if he can see my whole body straight through the sheet. "Y'know, I only need two minutes to get dressed."
"I'll need three to put on makeup." I raise an eyebrow at him. "So, I guess that leaves five minutes for..."
"This," he finishes for me, diving on top of me and capturing my mouth as I laugh into the kiss. For the moment, I forget about facing everyone downstairs. I still have unfinished business here .