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“Oh, yeah. More than once,” I replied with a smile.
The attendant clearly saw his attempt to get her attention but walked in the opposite direction. She was avoiding him. Good for her.
He abruptly got to his feet. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, watching him take off his suit jacket. His hotness factor just increased. And when he turned around and I had aglimpse of his very round, very defined ass, I almost sighed but caught myself in time.
The last thing his ego needed was to know he was hot as hell—though he was probably aware. He moved with the swagger of someone who knew exactly how attractive he was.
Whatever, I wasn’t going to see him again. I watched him intently as he strode to the counter, then glanced at my phone. My sister had texted me.
Blair: Don’t worry. Mom and I will stay up and wait for you.
Hannah: No way. You need your beauty sleep for tomorrow.
Blair: You can’t boss me around, big sis.
I laughed and knew there was no point insisting. Besides, I couldn’t wait to catch up with the two of them.
***
One hour later, we finally received permission for takeoff. I left the lounge and made a beeline for the gate to request my dress back. Then I waited in the line for economy class for about five minutes while they boarded the business-class passengers. My grumpy neighbor was among them.
Why couldn’t I look away from him? I’d seen hot men before, though nonethishot.
During the flight, I watched a few episodes of my favorite series. Once we landed, I immediately ordered an Uber. The hotel was twenty minutes away. Blair had offered to pick me up, but I shut her down quickly. This was her weekend, and I didn’t want her worrying about me.
When the Uber pulled in front of the hotel, I sighed, smiling and texting my sister before getting out of the car. It was a gorgeous colonial-style building, the facade a mix of white andpink. The entrance had three huge arches and marble floors, and inside was more marble and five golden chandeliers with crystals. It was mesmerizing.
“Hello! I have a reservation under Chase Sterling,” a familiar voice said.
I turned toward the check-in desk. My grumpy neighbor was staying at the same hotel. What were the odds?
“Hannah, you’re here!” Blair screeched. She ran toward me, pulling me in a tight hug. Josh, her husband-to-be, was right behind her.
“Did you two come together?” Josh asked, looking from me to... my grumpy neighbor?
“What do you mean?” He straightened up, glancing straight at me. The weight of his gaze was almost too much.
“Chase, this is Hannah Levine,” Josh said. “And Blair Levine, of course. Blair, Hannah, this is Chase Sterling—my best friend and the best man.”
My sister shook hands with Chase. Then he extended his hand to me. I shook it out of instinct, trying to maintain a straight face. The contact electrified me. His green eyes were even more intense than before.
“This is so funny,” Josh said. “You two must have passed each other at the airport without realizing.”
Chase’s eyes glinted as I flashed a polite smile.
Oh, Josh. You have no idea.
Chapter Two
Hannah
“Come on, Chase. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” Josh said, whisking Chase away as soon as he finished checking in. I got my keys only seconds later. A bellboy was taking my suitcase and dress to the room.
Blair hugged me again, and I soaked in her embrace, breathing in deeply. She smelled like roses. It was her signature scent from the hair oil she'd used since we were kids.
"Where's Mom?" I asked.
"She's in my room. Come on. Let's get you to relax a bit. You seem so tense. Everything okay?"