19. Chapter 19
I hated to wake her. Again. She’d asked me to, though. I glanced over and my breath caught in my throat. She was fucking beautiful. Her dark hair against the tan skin was striking, even in the low light.
Her features were relaxed, and I realized I’d never seen her like this. In all the times we traveled, we weren’t ever in close enough quarters. Leaning closer, I caressed her face, whispering so I didn’t startle her.
“Princess.”
She gave a soft groan of protest. Slowly she stirred, blinking as she gazed up at me with innocent blue eyes. “I’m sleepy, Lev.”
“We’re about to land,” I replied, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips at hearing my nickname. “I thought you said you wanted to see the view from above.”
Her eyes widened in excitement as she sat up, rubbing the sleep from them. “Ooh.” She reached for the window covering and lifted it.
She peered out, her breath caught in her throat at the sight. The twinkling lights of the town spread out below us like a blanket of stars.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered in awe.
I nodded, feeling a swell of pride at being able to share this moment with her. “It sure is,” I agreed, staring at her instead.
Her wonder took my breath away. Typically guarded and sharp-edged, she moved through the world like she was bracing for impact. This softness was something else entirely. The wheels hit the runway with a firm jolt, pulling us back to earth.
The landing was smooth, but deplaning wasn’t. The narrow aisle filled fast, overhead bins slamming shut, strangers crowding too close. I stayed at her back without thinking, my palm resting at her waist as we shuffled forward.
Despite the size of the terminal, we didn’t get lost looking for our baggage. We’d scheduled an Uber and made our way to the waiting area.
I sent a text to Chase, and he responded with excitement at hearing we’d landed and were on the way. Isabella drew close, almost instinctively, when a group of young men who were on the same plane as us made their way out.
From the sounds of the excitement, they may have had a few drinks. I pocketed my phone, pulled her to me, and wrapped my arms around her. Despite the late hour and the weariness from the lengthy travel, the minute she was in my arms, a surge of adrenalin raced through me.
Our driver arrived, and I reluctantly let her go before helping her into the car. I gave him the address and settled back and studied my fake date. For the first time, I felt nervous. The reality of her being my responsibility hit.
Maybe it was because we were somewhere outside our comfort zones. As we pulled out and left the airport, there was wonder and awe in her eyes. She looked like Declan did at the Manchester United game for the first time.
“I know your brother wanted us to get our own rooms, and I have no problem with that. I was thinking when we get to the hotel we can book the other one. I probably should have done that before, crap—”
“Oh,” she said, looking confused. Her gaze drifted down to her lap.
“What is it?” I took her hand.
She gulped, looking so damned vulnerable. Knowing she didn’t show that face to just anyone made me instantly hard. Damn my attraction to a woman willing to be raw and real. This was not the way to start the trip.
Maybe I should have actually done more than watch Allison and Bambi at the club last night. But it felt off. Every minute of it had. I’d even slipped out early. Once I knew Sebastian had left, it was easier to just head to the gym to burn off that restless energy.
“How is that going to look, though? To everyone?”
“Who gives a fuck? We’ll say you’re old-fashioned,” I teased because, truthfully, I didn’t give a fuck what the others would say. Her comfort level was my priority.
“I guess I assumed we’d share and keep it secret from, well, Sebastian, at the very least. I’m not that good at keeping things from my girls.”
A knot formed in my stomach. Was she disappointed? Upset? I was still getting to know the more vulnerable side of this woman. Her words caught me off guard.
Finally, finding my voice and ending the awkward silence, I spoke. “Are you saying you want to share a room?”
The words came out rougher than I intended. Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink, standing out even in the dim light of the streetlights. Sharing a room with her sparked something reckless in my chest. Something more dangerous than simple lust.
It wouldn’t be that simple with her. It would be intimacy. Proximity. No witnesses to keep me in check. And then Sebastian’s words echoed in my skull.
Don’t let her get hurt.
What if sharing a room blurred lines we couldn’t come back from. Destroyed our budding friendship. What if I crossed a boundary? What if she did? For a second, I felt like a teenage boy who’d never spent the night in the same room with a girl. Let alone the same bed.
“I…what if…something goes wrong, or I need…”
She looked out the window. I let out a long breath and leaned back against the seat.
Touch her, for fuck’s sake. My conscience roared.
Reaching out, I touched her shoulder and then grabbed her hand. Her head whipped around, and tears formed in her eyes. Her whispered words now made sense. She was frightened and didn’t want to be alone in case she needed someone. She wasn’t sure how to ask.
Something shifted in my chest. Clarity. I could almost hear Marcel in my ear.
Follow her lead.
“I’d be honored to share a room with you, Bella. I’ll be on my best behavior at all times.” With a soft squeeze, I pulled her hand to my lips. “It’s settled, then?”
She heaved and nodded, giving me a small smile that said a million words. The primary one was thanks for not making me ask.
“Can I be honest with you?”
“Please,” I breathed, watching her for signs of fear.
“I think I’m more worried about being around everyone. You know how I can get with…strangers. I don’t want to come across as rude.”
I nodded, expecting she’d have concerns about it.
“I understand. But I promise they’re really nice and one of the girls, Shelia, gets migraines. She’ll want time alone as well. There’s no expectation for you to be with them every waking moment. We have a few list items to tackle anyway, and I know we can knock a few off it while we’re here.”
She flashed me a smile, and I sucked in my breath. “I’ve never been nervous about being an outsider before. It’s strange.”
“You’re not an outsider. You’re with me,” I said before adding, “My beautiful princess.”
“And you’re my roaring lion,” she said dramatically before we both burst out into laughter.
I was glad we’d opted to arrive at night. It would give us a bit of time to not jump right into the craziness of my friends. Chase informed me Hannah and her date were flying in tomorrow morning, so knowing we didn’t have to see her tonight made things more relaxed.
The drive to the hotel took twenty-five minutes, and we drove in comfortable silence. Once we arrived, I turned to Isabella.
“You ready?”
“Yeah, I guess so. Let’s do this.”
I opened the door and helped her out. The night was clear, and the moon in the sky was almost full. There was a gentle hum of waves in the distance. As we approached the door, it swooshed open and Chase and Lisa rushed over.
Their smiles were infectious, and Chase shot me a knowing grin, his eyes twinkling with mischief already. He had a beer in one hand and his other one held Lisa’s.
“You made it!” he exclaimed. His gaze landed on Isabella. “And you must be the lovely Isabella,” he said, trailing off as he extended his hand toward her.
“Yes, thanks so much for having me.”
Lisa stepped forward and smiled at Isabella. “I’m Lisa. It’s great to finally meet you. It’s been ages since we’ve seen Pasha.”
The girls shook hands, and Lisa turned to me. “You’ve gotten more muscular.” Her eyes twinkled with humor. “I’m not mad at it. It looks good on you. Come on, let’s get you settled in your room. You must be exhausted.” She once more turned to Isabella. “How long was the flight?”
The sound of our footsteps echoed against the pavement as we made our way inside. The reception area was quiet. Isabella and Lisa were chatting by the fire, and I wished I could hear the conversation.
But thus far, the expression on her face was serene. She wasn’t in freak out mode, so that was good. Chase and I approached the front desk. The receptionist greeted me with a flirtatious wink.
“Name, honey?”
“Lenkov, Pavel Lenkov.”
“I see, yes, reservation for two. Oh, so does that mean you’re taken?”
I coughed while Chase slapped my back and chuckled.
“Um, yeah. My girlfriend is there.” I pointed at Isabella.
My eyes drifted over to her. She looked stunning, even in exhaustion. The soft glow of the lobby lights had her eyes twinkling as she threw her head back, laughing at something Lisa was saying.
“Yeah, he’s so smitten we may have to have a double wedding. Now that would be epic,” Chase said far too loud.
“Well, if you change your mind…I’ll be here all night,” the receptionist intoned hopefully before handing me the room keys.
“What the hell just happened?” I asked, feeling like I’d stepped into the Twilight Zone, while Chase thought it was hilarious.
I’d forgotten how bold some American women were.
Thankfully, Isabella hadn’t noticed the exchange.
I stopped dead in my tracks. Even if she had, she wouldn’t have reacted.
We weren’t really dating. I needed to get it together.
We approached the girls, who quickly went silent on us.
I raised an eyebrow at Isabella in question.
“You get everything?” she asked wickedly.
Okay, scratch that, she definitely noticed the receptionist’s lingering looks. I could practically hear the gears turning in her head.
“Boy, did he ever. Keep an eye on that one, Isabella,” Chase said with a smirk. “She wanted to slip him her number. Offered to be around should he need anything.”
“Is that so? Well, maybe I should stake my claim then. He only has eyes for me, isn’t that right?”