Page 10 of Lost Room Lawyer (Room #4)

I just stood there, swallowing hard. A queasy feeling spread in my stomach, and I had an urge to get the hell out of there. “Shit,” I muttered.

“At least it’s not dirty,” Nico said, stepping into the middle of the two-hundred-square-foot room, which smelled of stale air and old paper. “Don’t those belong in the trash?” he asked, pointing to some bundles.

“Canonica assured me that this isn’t just scrap paper.”

“So we’re looking for documents or receipts dated June 26th?”

“Exactly.” I couldn’t help it. My body was reacting to the chaos with a sweat outbreak, my pulse was racing, and I suddenly felt sick due to the disorder. “I … uh … I’ll be right back.”

I spun around and hurried down the hall to the spacious kitchen, which offered a stunning view of the mountains.

I washed my hands at the sink with soap and took deep breaths to steady myself.

After drying my hands on a kitchen towel, I felt it wasn’t enough, so I washed them again.

Still unsatisfied, I washed them a third time.

Damn, calm down.

I didn’t want to return to the archive, but unfortunately, I had no choice. I’d be stuck here for the next few days—with Nico.

“Everything okay?” he asked as I stood in the doorway by the light switch, staring at the floor to avoid looking at the chaos.

“I have a hard time with a disorder,” I admitted, wringing my hands.

“We can search the stuff in the living room,” Nico suggested casually. “With a view of the mountains. Or is that not allowed?”

A huge weight lifted off my shoulders, and I was grateful for the suggestion. A nod was all I managed. Meanwhile, Nico grabbed four bundles and carried them into the living room.

It didn’t take long before we had settled in and spread out. Documents were piled on the floor, and drinks were on the coffee table. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, we could literally watch the sun travel from one side of the mountain peaks to the other.

Not that the work wasn’t a hassle, but Nico seemed to become more attractive with each passing hour.

At least that’s what my mind was convincing me.

I watched him covertly: his chiseled jaw, the Adam’s apple in his throat, his shoulder-length bleached hair, and his dark eyebrows.

He had a strikingly angular face. And those lips.

God, just concentrate.

But that was easier said than done. As if he weren’t sexy enough, he was wearing a salmon-colored sweater at shoulder height, orange-red at the belly, and reddish-brown at the hips.

I was awestruck and irritated when he removed his jacket.

No man in the world would dare to wear such a thing.

But he did. And it suited him perfectly.

Seductive and elegant—even though I doubted that was his intention.

The conversation we had in the car came to mind.

“We have fun together, then everyone goes their separate ways.”

Is that his thing? Have a bit of fun and then move on? Or is that just how young people are these days?

We had no idea we’d end up working together. The contract was signed without us having met. Why should we have? He’s Leo’s son, and Leo was my mentor. There was no reason not to sign that contract.

But here we were, and I had to do my best to act like an adult, even though I would have preferred to pounce on him. Inside, a little child was screaming. Why can’t I? I didn’t want to be the adult here. Every glance he threw my way and every smile felt like an invitation.

Is he doing this on purpose?

Or is he just being polite?

By now, the sun had disappeared behind the mountains, and twilight was setting in. A glance at my phone revealed that I had received an email from Linda. It contained the booking confirmation for our hotel.

“Let’s call it a day,” I said. “We shouldn’t overdo it.”

Nico put the paper away, leaned back on the couch, and rolled his neck from side to side. When he stood up, he stretched his arms, exposing a bit of his flat stomach. Inevitably, I wondered what was underneath. He was sexy with clothes on. What would he look like naked?

I went to wash my hands one last time—the old documents, receipts, and whatever Pierin had collected felt awful on my skin—then I slipped into my coat. We left everything as it was; we would still be here tomorrow and probably also Monday and Tuesday.

We drove to the hotel, the Kempinski. I knew it well, as I had been there before. As we drove up the driveway, Nico leaned forward and opened his mouth in astonishment.

“What? We’re staying here? It’s like a castle!”

I laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, Linda must have meant well and forgot that we’re not on vacation.”

“And who’s paying for this?” Nico asked.

“I’ll definitely charge that to Canonica,” I replied, somewhat sheepishly as I parked at the side of the hotel’s entrance.

Once we grabbed our bags, I handed over the car keys to the valet attendant, and then we went to the reception desk.

“I have a reservation for Lando.”

The hotel clerk checked the computer and nodded. “Yes, Hector Lando. Two people. You’re staying for four nights, correct?”

“Yes,” I answered reluctantly. I would have preferred to leave the next day, as I had more than enough to do.

“The reservation was made by Linda Baumgartner,” the clerk stated as she turned her attention to the computer screen.

“Yes.”

“She booked a room for two.”

One room for two people? “What? But I thought … We’re here on business. Aren’t there two separate rooms available?”

“I’m sorry. Mrs. Baumgartner wanted to book two rooms, but unfortunately, we’re fully booked. The Bob and Skeleton World Championships are taking place right now. This is the last room we have.”

I knew Linda well enough to know she had done her job. If this was the last room, then we might as well forget about finding another place.

The hotel clerk clicked the mouse and glanced up at me. “Something will be available again starting Monday.”

“Something wrong?” Nico asked, stepping closer.

“That would be …” I cleared my throat and turned back to the woman. “One bed?”

“Yes, a king-size bed. And there’s a sofa set. I assure you, the room is spacious enough. I’d be happy to send someone up later to prepare the sofa for you. If you like, I can also arrange for an extra bed.”

“Damn,” I said, pulling out my phone and checking the email Linda had sent me. I hadn’t read it thoroughly.

“I’ve tried, boss,” it said as I skimmed the text. “Even in Silvaplana and Celerina, everything is fully booked.”

In disbelief, I let out an exasperated sigh. “This is unbelievable.”

“I can reserve the two rooms for Monday if you’d like.”

“Yes, do that. And prepare the sofa,” I said, slipping the phone back into my coat pocket. “We have no other choice.” I knew all too well that it was pointless to look for another room on a Saturday night.

So I took the key cards and handed one to Nico, who had a grin that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

“Don’t worry,” he said with a wink. “I won’t pounce on you while you’re sleeping.”

And what if I pounce on you?