Chapter 4
4
The shrill sound of my alarm practically punches me awake, dragging me out of a dream that I’ve already forgotten. Ugh. It feels way too early for this, and my head is pounding.
I fumble around for my phone, to silence the alarm, to try to stop the high-pitched tone vibrating through my skull. When it finally stops I let out a groan, because if my alarm is going off, that means it’s a workday.
I rub my eyes, trying to get them to accept the fact that they have to open, and that’s when it hits me. Oh my God. My eyes snap open as I suddenly realise where I am and what I’ve done. I’m in a hotel room – Ethan’s hotel room. And not just in his room. I’m in his bed.
I stare up at the wall in front of me, given that I’m lying on my side, and it’s like there is a projector showing scenes from last night on the blank space as the flashbacks come in thick and fast, in all their horny glory. Bloody hell, no wonder I feel like I barely slept – I don’t recall spending much time on my back. I feel exhausted, but… in a good way?
Just as I’m wondering how to navigate things this morning, there’s a soft knock at the door. I freeze, my heart leaping into my throat. Ethan shifts beside me, and I feel the bed dip as he gets up to answer it.
There’s a murmur of voices, Ethan’s low and soothing, the other person’s too soft to make out. I take a deep breath and slowly roll over, the throbbing in my head intensifying with the movement.
When I open my eyes again, Ethan is walking back toward the bed, pushing a large room-service trolley loaded with all sorts of things. He looks unfairly good for this hour – hair tousled in that sexy, effortless way and a grin that’s just too charming for my poor sleep-deprived brain to handle.
‘Breakfast,’ he says. ‘I thought you might appreciate something to eat, before work.’
‘How are you perfect in the morning too?’ I blurt.
‘Thanks,’ he says with a smile as he pours two cups of coffee.
‘It’s definitely a compliment but I think I need an answer,’ I reply, laughing softly to myself.
Is he real? This godlike man standing in front of me, with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, pouring me a cup of coffee.
He sits down on the bed next to me, handing me my cup. I take a sip and, ugh, it’s heaven.
‘That’s so good, thank you,’ I tell him, setting it down on the bedside table. ‘This place is… wow, it’s really nice. So fancy.’
‘Yeah, it’s all right, isn’t it?’ he replies. ‘It’s so hi-tech though. Look.’
Ethan dumps no less than four remote controls down on the bed.
‘Beyond the TV one, I have no idea,’ he admits.
‘I wonder if one makes the bed do something,’ I say, picking one up to examine it. ‘The only thing I’m missing is a massage.’
‘Is that a hint?’ he asks.
‘It wasn’t, but…’
Ethan moves over, so that he’s sitting behind me, with one leg on either side of me. He starts working on my shoulders with his thumbs and, wow, that’s incredible.
‘Oh my God, you angel,’ I practically groan. ‘Mmm.’
‘Don’t make noises like that, you’re giving me flashbacks,’ he jokes.
‘Would a little memory refresh be such a bad thing?’ I reply.
Taking the hint, Ethan leans forward and starts kissing my neck. I lean back into it, letting him wrap his arms around my body, holding me close.
‘Your breakfast will go cold,’ he whispers into my ear.
‘I’ll get over it,’ I reply.
I drop forwards, onto my elbows, as Ethan takes my hips in his hands.
Obviously I’m a little distracted, but I am vaguely aware of a quiet but strange noise coming from somewhere in the room. It’s only when I open my eyes that I realise the room is suddenly much lighter, and the blinds are open, and we’re on the ground floor and, oh God, we’re starting to catch the attention of people walking by on their way to work.
‘Oh my God,’ I blurt.
‘The blinds!’ Ethan says.
He grabs the duvet from under us and quickly pulls it down over us, leaving us hiding in a sort of bed den.
‘What happened?’ I ask him. ‘And what are we going to do? People are looking – how do we close them?’
Ethan just laughs.
‘I think you leaned on a remote,’ he tells me. ‘I think this one might be for the blinds.’
He pushes a button and sure enough we hear that sound again.
I dare to peep out from under the covers and sure enough the room is in near darkness again.
‘I wonder if everything we do will be chaotic,’ I say, seeing the funny side. Well, you have to see the funny side, don’t you, when you accidentally commit an indecent act in front of an audience?
‘I hope so,’ he replies. ‘I’d really like to see you again. Tonight, maybe? While I’m still in Leeds?’
‘I’d really like that,’ I say, trying to keep my cool, even though I can feel a smile yanking at my lips.
‘Great,’ he says. ‘I’ll message you the details later.’
I nod, already thinking about what I’m going to wear, wondering where we’ll go, wishing that I didn’t have to go to work – shit, work!
‘I should probably get ready for work,’ I say reluctantly, grabbing my coffee for another sip. ‘Actually, I really need to get a move on if I’m going to have time to apply the emergency make-up I keep in my desk.’
Ethan chuckles, shaking his head slightly.
‘You look beautiful as you are,’ he says, and I almost believe him, but a quick glance in the mirror tells me otherwise. Bed hair and smudged mascara from the champagne-explosion-shower combination will definitely get people at work talking. I keep a simple white blouse in my drawer too, just in case I ever end up pulling an all-nighter, and don’t have time to go home. A plain white shirt over any dress makes it look instantly businesslike.
‘Thanks,’ I reply, blushing just a little. ‘But you know what Jennifer is like.’
I slide out of bed, gather my clothes, and head toward the bathroom with a smile that almost makes my face ache.
‘Looking forward to later,’ Ethan calls after me, and there’s something in his tone that makes me think he actually means it.
‘Me too,’ I call back, before shutting the bathroom door behind me. Yep, privacy, for the girl who showered champagne from her boobs in front of him.
As I turn on the tap and splash my face with cold water, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. There’s a sparkle in my eyes, one that I haven’t seen in a long time, and a lightness in my chest that makes everything feel… possible? Oh my God, what am I saying? That’s so cringe but… I don’t know, I guess it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this happy, and hopeful and, for the first time in ages, I’m actually going on a second date. I know, it’s hardly wedding bells like my sister, but it’s a start, right?