Chapter Thirty-Six
Rowan
The door softly clicks behind me as I watch Millie walk further into the hotel room.
She does a little spin before turning around to face me.
"This isn't too shabby. Looks like they even have a little mini fridge.
" She points over to the corner of the room, where there is indeed a compact refrigerator.
I can tell she's nervous because she's talking about a fridge, and her eyes are darting all around the room like she can't focus on any one thing. If I had to make one guess about why she's nervous, it would be because there's only one bed in here.
"Wonder if it has anything in it?" I ask as a distraction for her as I walk over and place our bags down on the little desk that's in front of the TV.
She walks over to the fridge and opens it, finding a few unopened water bottles. She pulls one out and lifts it up. "Want some?"
I shake my head and watch as she opens the water bottle and downs the whole thing in three big gulps. I smile at how endearing she is. She's so damn beautiful that it hurts to look at her sometimes; my chest aches with a longing that seems to consume my entire body.
"What are you smiling at?" she asks as she puts the empty water bottle down.
"You," I say as I push off from the desk and make my way toward her. My answer has a shy smile pulling at her lips. "I was just thinking about how pretty you are."
She tilts her head as she watches me approach. My steps are slow and deliberate.
"Oh, yeah?" She pulls the bottom corner of her lip into her mouth before releasing it quickly. She isn't going for her pulse point, and that's usually a good sign.
I finally reach her, my hand going out to caress her cheek. Her soft skin is like an electric jolt to my system, tantalizing and addictive. I nod my head. "The prettiest."
"You're just saying that because you want to get into my pants," she teases, surprising me when her hand dips under the back of my shirt. Her soft fingertips skate across my skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake.
I lean down, stopping right before my lips touch hers. "Maybe," I tease right back before I close the distance, placing a soft and gentle kiss on her lips. After a moment, I pull back and grab her hand in mine as I lead her to the bathroom.
I flip on the bathroom light and am pleasantly surprised at how big it is. I specifically asked if there was a room with a jacuzzi tub on the off chance that the older hotel had one, and I was kind of shocked when the front desk clerk said they did.
Hot damn, this thing is massive. There's enough room for both of us, but that's not why I requested it.
"Are those—"
"Oh, yeah, baby, those are jets!" I answer excitedly as I walk over and turn the water on, letting the water get to a nice warm temperature before closing the drain.
Just then, there's a knock at the door. Millie's head whips toward the noise before looking back at me. "Did you order room service or something?"
I smile, "Something like that." I hurry to the door, pulling a cash tip out of my pocket to hand to the man on the other side of the door. He hands me a bag, and I quickly say thank you before closing the door behind me.
"What are you up to, Rowan?" She tries to look in the bag, but I slide it behind my back so she can't peek at its contents.
"I just need five minutes, then it's all yours."
"What's all mine?"
"The bath." I silently leave out the other part of my answer: and me.
I turn her around and whisper in her ear, "Go get your pjs. I just need a few minutes to get it ready." Then I gently push her out of the door and close it behind her.
"What are you up to?" she repeats, her voice is a little muffled from the other side of the door.
"You'll see," I answer as I make quick work of pulling the contents out of the bag.
I realize the hotel staff downstairs really came through for me because there are candles of varying sizes, a bath bomb, rose petals, and even a little eye mask thingy that all the girls like to use when they are trying to relax.
I'm even more excited than I was when I first asked them if they could help me. If my request seemed strange, they didn't show it on their faces. Obviously, it isn't that odd of a request if they already had all this stuff on hand.
Oh, shit. I need a lighter. I pat my pockets like that will somehow make a lighter that I never carry appear.
Maybe they included it in the bag? I cross my fingers metaphorically as I go over and check the bag.
They really did think of everything, I say to myself as I peer down and find a box of matches in the bottom of the paper bag.
I should have given the dude a bigger tip. It doesn't take me long to get all the candles lit, but it's a little too bright in here to get the full experience. I find the light switch, and there's a little dimmer. Perfect.
Once the lights are fixed, I turn around and take one last look. I hope she loves it. I know she needs it. Today has been a clusterfuck of emotions, and a good long soak in the tub should help her relax.
I open the door to find her standing right in front of it with her arms crossed, a shirt hanging from her fingertips in one hand. She raises one eyebrow before the flicker of a candle catches her attention. She steps forward, and I step aside so she can really see.
"Rowan," she whispers in awe as she takes it all in. I go to stand behind her, wrapping both arms around her waist and pulling her back into my front.
"Do you like it?" I ask as I nibble at her ear.
"No," she answers, and my heart literally stops in my chest. No? Fuck, did I mess up? Fuck, what if she hates baths? I didn't even think of that as a possibility.
She spins in my arms to face me. I must look absolutely dumbfounded because she giggles and decides to put me out of my misery. "I don't just like it. I love it."
I let out the biggest sigh of relief before hooking my arm around her ass and hoisting her up. She wraps her legs around my waist and her arm around my neck. "That wasn't nice. You almost gave me a heart attack thinking I screwed up."
"Oh, come on, you knew I was playing. What girl doesn't like a hot bath with candles and an even hotter guy to join her?"
"Silly me, but this is just for you," I answer as I kiss her. She moans, and it's the most erotic sound I've ever heard. Her kisses grow more impatient and frenzied.
"I want you to join me," she says, and my cock grows painfully hard, pushing against the zipper of my jeans. And when she steps back and starts undressing right in front of me? Well, the damn thing was about to pop through the metal just to get to her.
"I can't." I shake my head, flustered. I can't think straight, not with her standing in front of me, looking like that. "I mean, this is for you, so you can relax."
"Maybe I don't want to relax."
I watch as she reaches for the button on her pants.
I lick my lips as she unhooks it and starts to slide her pants down her legs.
They pool at her feet, and one foot at a time, she steps out of them.
When she hooks her thumb under her underwear, I know it's my cue to leave.
She still has her shirt on, but I suspect that won't be the case for long.
I slam my eyes shut to try to remain in control because all I want to do is rip that dang shirt off of her and join her in that tub just like she insinuated. But that's not the plan; that's not why I did this.
"Why do you have your eyes closed right now?"
"Because I'm scared of what I might do if I keep them open," I answer honestly because I feel out of control. And when she comes up to me and places my hand around her bare back, I almost snap.
"Don't you want to see me?" she teases as she slides my hand down to her bare ass. I think I almost come in my pants right then and there. I grip it with so much enthusiasm that it should have hurt her, but all she does is moan and lean even further into my touch.
I groan, tilting my head back to the ceiling. Only then do I open my eyes. "You are going to be the death of me, you know that? I'm trying to be a gentleman here."
"Who said I want a gentleman? Maybe I want to show my appreciation."