Page 20 of Room 710 (The Scarlet Hotel #15)

Elijah

Being with Ziggy in that way felt as natural as breathing.

There was no awkward fumbling or embarrassment, no doubt or confusion, just puzzle pieces slotting together like they were always meant to be.

I wanted nothing more than to spend all day in bed with him, talking and laughing and mapping every inch of his body.

Unfortunately, I had a job to do, and we were still lying in a sweaty, sticky heap when Marc came knocking on my door.

“Hey, boss, time to get up. I have coffee and extra-strength painkillers for your hangover,” he called through the door.

I groaned, rubbing at my face. “Maybe if I ignore him, he’ll go away.”

“With how drunk you were last night, he’ll probably think you’re dead and go get another key from the front desk. Besides, I kinda want that coffee he brought.”

“Well then, whatever my omega wants, my omega gets,” I growled, rolling until Ziggy was underneath me and muffled his laughter with my mouth on his.

I quickly rolled up to standing and covered myself up with the robe, hiding all evidence of what we’d been up to, though my cock was already half hard again, begging for round two.

I put a finger to my lips, telling him to be quiet, as I headed for the door, where Marc was knocking again.

Using my body to block Marc’s view, I opened the door a crack. “I’m alive,” I grunted, reaching for the carafe, but he pulled it out of reach.

“Where’d you get that bruise?” he asked, squinting up at my forehead.

I sighed in frustration. “Alcohol-induced clumsiness. Now, coffee.”

“Hang on, I’ll give you the coffee, but I also need you downstairs in ten minutes. The contractor for the repair team is headed over, and he has some paperwork for you to sign off on. Says he can get us back in the house tomorrow.”

I sighed. “Fine. Sure. Whatever.” I knew we couldn’t stay in our sexy-time bubble forever, but I’d hoped to have a shower with Ziggy before it popped and let reality back in. As soon as Marc moved the urn back within reach, I snatched it and slammed the door.

Jogging back to the bed, I whispered, “Hurry! I’ve got ten minutes to make you come again.”

Ziggy, however, was already busy getting cleaned up and dressed. “Looks like I’ll have to be the responsible adult here,” he teased. “I heard what Marc said, and you, sir, need a shower.”

“Ohh, I like when you call me sir,” I purred.

He bit down on his lower lip, eyes smoldering. “What about Daddy? Can I call you that?” he asked.

I groaned. “Holy shit, yes,” I said, setting the coffee aside so I could reach for him. I hoped he understood what that title meant to me. But as hot as being called Daddy was, I had my eye on other roles for our future—boyfriend would be a good place to start.

He slapped my hand aside. “Ah-ah, hands to yourself, mister. You have work to do, and I have to sneak out while your staff is distracted, and if you start touching me again, neither of us are ever leaving this room.” Dammit, I hated that he had a point, though at this exact moment, I was having a hard time mustering up a reason for why that was a bad thing.

“I’ll see you again soon,” I said reluctantly, though how soon and in what capacity, I had no idea.

Part of me wished I could ask him to quit the show, but that would be unfair.

I wasn’t some caveman, I didn’t own him just because he made me come harder than I ever had in my life.

And if he expected me to be his Daddy, I was for sure going to be the kind who spoiled the hell out of his boy.

Who made sure his every need was met, every dream fulfilled, not one who tried to control his every decision.

“Bye,” he whispered, giving me the softest kiss as he made his way to the door. “Oh, and since I can’t just go traipsing to the store, do you suppose I could ask you to swing by the pharmacy for some condoms?”

I could feel my grin stretching wide. Condoms meant he was planning on there being a next time. “I’ll get a whole damn case,” I promised, though I wasn’t sure that would be enough, for the way I planned to indulge in him.

Taking a peek through the peephole to make sure the coast was clear, he hesitated. “And I’m taking the coffee,” he said with a cheeky wink before he yoinked the carafe off the counter and slipped out the door, taking a piece of my heart with him.

Gods, I was in so much trouble with that man.

The house repairs were done ahead of schedule, which was practically unheard of in any industry, and as the director, I should’ve been thrilled by that.

As an alpha, though, who’d just been given a taste of the sweetest man, it was the worst kind of news.

It meant the boys moved back into the house and Ziggy was no longer right next door.

There would be no sneaking him into my room at night, and even though he was still just across the yard, it might as well have been an ocean for how untouchable he was.

Even knowing I would be sleeping alone for the foreseeable future, I went by the store and bought a big-ass box of condoms. A promise was a promise, and I wouldn’t start off on the wrong foot with Ziggy by breaking the first one I’d made to him.

I hoped desperately that it had meant as much to him as it did to me, but as days apart turned into a week, I still didn’t know what it meant for the future.

In the real world, we would’ve gone on dates, and in between, we would’ve texted or stayed up late talking on the phone.

There would be no barricades to getting to know each other.

Instead, I had to go right back to watching him on the other side of a screen as he flirted with Devon.

It’s just for ratings , I told myself. And it was working, almost too well, in my opinion.

The chat groups were eating up the Diggy stan, to the point that I’d started doubting what I might have with Ziggy.

Was it all just some drunken fantasy? Every now and then, though, I would catch the way he looked up at one of the cameras, and like he knew I was watching, he would give me a wink.

“You okay, boss?”

I started, turning to find Marc staring at me expectantly. “What?” I asked, my cheeks burning like I’d been caught doing something illicit.

“I asked if you’re okay. You’ve been staring at that screen and sighing a lot.” He nodded to the screen where Ziggy was giving Darnell a lesson in the kitchen, showing how to make risotto. “Is anything wrong?”

“Of course not. Just… thinking about the finale.” That wasn’t a total lie.

Devon had shown interest in a few of the housemates—Prairie and Darnell included—but there was only one omega that mattered.

And no matter that Ziggy had told me there was nothing between them, I had eyes.

There was no missing the way Devon gravitated toward him, finding excuses to touch him.

Playing with his hair, brushing flour from his cheek.

It could’ve been innocent, but I knew better.

Devon was smart enough to know a good thing when he saw it, and Ziggy was the best thing.

I had no right to feel jealous, but tell that to my heart.

Week four wrapped up with another live challenge, this time in the pool, where the boys all had to balance on a ledge that got narrower as time went on.

Devon wore a lifeguard uniform, vowing that he’d trained as one for his role in Harbor Hotties , but I wasn’t about to take his word for it.

I was poised to race over there and drag Ziggy out of the pool myself if I had to.

The prize for lasting the longest was a video call from home, and I knew how much Ziggy wanted to win.

He was hyperfocused on keeping his balance, so it broke my heart when he swayed, overcorrected, then plunged into the pool.

I stood from my chair, heart racing until I saw him emerge from the water.

He swam over to the edge and pulled himself out, sitting on the edge next to Prairie, who hooked an arm over Ziggy’s shoulders.

One by one they fell into the pool until Alex was the last remaining competitor. With a boisterous whoop, he cannonballed into the pool, and all the others jumped in to join him in celebrating his win.

Even though I knew the chances were slim that Devon would evict Ziggy, I held my breath and crossed my fingers that it might happen… only to be disappointed when he sent Ross home instead. I didn’t even care about my predictions anymore. I just wanted Ziggy.

“Fuck,” I cursed under my breath.

“What was that?” Marc asked.

“Nothing.”

Dash Patterson Ross Walters Alex Clement Costas Layton Stuart Lee Garfield Basso Abraham McNeal Rune Cochrane Cy Adler Darnell Sawyer Prairie Donoghue Ziggy Goff