Page 11 of Taking A Chance

I double brush my teeth while in the shower, making sure I get rid of the icky taste from my mouth. I dry off, get dressed and scrape my damp hair into a high ponytail in record time. A quick coat of tinted moisturiser, flick of the blusher brush and a layer of mascara, helps to make me look half human. Mint balm gives my lips a soft gloss, the finishing touch. I swallow down a couple of painkillers, then step back out of the bathroom.

“Wow!” is my greeting, when Cade looks up from his phone. I’m a little surprised that he’s actually still sat in the same spot. “Most women would take hours and still wouldn’t look half as good as you.”

“Why thank you sir,” I give a little cute curtsy to distract from my ridiculous blushing. Yes, blushing again, what the? “I need to grab some shoes.” Normally I’d grab a pair of flats, but my hands seem to have a mind of their own when they pick up a pair of high wedges and start slipping them onto my feet.

“Ready?” Cade asks from right behind me.

“Shit! Cowboy, do you creep up on people all the time?”

“No, just you. It’s kinda funny when you do that little jump thing.” He walks over and opens the door, standing back and waiting for me to go first.

We don’t really speak much on the ride up in the lift. It’s a little awkward, but not massively uncomfortable. I watch him out of the corner of my eye and when I think he’s not looking; I try to sneak a better look. He sure can wear a suit and the fact that he’s minus a shirt, I’m half expecting him to start gyrating, slowly sliding off his jacket, before ripping off his trousers in one super-fast movement, like he’s one of the Dream Boys. I wonder if his trousers have Velcro seams. The fantasy in my head has me distracted and I miss the fact that he’s now watching me, watching him. He has a big arse, smug as shit, smile on his face because he’s caught me.

“What?” I snap, annoyed at getting caught. Then the lift stops and the door opens. He doesn’t reply, just smiles some more and gestures for me to step out first.

I follow him until he stops outside a door a little way down the hall. Swiping his card, again being the perfect gentleman, he pushes open the door, then stands back waiting for me to enter.

When he flicks on the light, I become consumed by the vision.

Beautiful dark hard wood flooring. A window that covers most of one wall. Plush fabrics, fine furniture and expensive looking accessories. Most of the room is in earthy colours, but then given a vibrant splash of citrus green with the use of lamps, rugs and wall canvases. Hotel opulence like I’ve never seen before.

I step further into the living area of the suite, running my fingers along the hard-looking leather of the sofa, which is as soft as butter to the touch.

I spy double doors off to one side of the room. I glance back at Cade, a silent ask for permission.

“Go ahead,” he replies.

I almost skip towards them but stop for a moment, caressing the crystal knobs on the door. I take a deep breath in anticipation of what I’m about to see before I twist and push the doors wide open.

“Holy shit!” I gasp, taking in the beauty. Like most hotel bedrooms, it’s dominated by the enormous bed. The colour scheme of the luxurious bedding mirrors the one in the living room, but with the addition of the crisp white sheets and pillows. A large dresser sits against the wall, that’s adjacent to another floor to ceiling window, which is draped with a soft, light defusing organza curtain. I walk around the bed, letting my fingers trail across the fabrics, touching the wood at the head, before I check out the texture of the shade that sits proudly on the bedside lamp.

“Am I missing something here?” Cade asks, snapping me out of my interior love fest.

“Oh, err, I’m just looking.”

“It’s more than that,” he laughs softly, “the expression on your face, it’s like...”

“Like what?” I turn to face him.

“Nothing, nothing, ignore me.” He waves it away, turns his back to me and moves toward the window, looking out. The silence is palpable, and I wonder if he’s more sensitive guy than hard man.

“Okay, if you must know,” I break the silence with a huff. “I have this thing about hotel rooms.” He looks over his shoulder at me and winks.

“Now this could be interesting.”

“Not in that way, you dog.” I blush a little. What is it with this blushing malarkey? “The design, the way they put together the room with colours, fabrics and the furniture.” I walk over and stand beside him. “For example,” I point into the room. “See how they’ve taken the earth colours, the wood, the bright white, then a hint of lime? It reminds me of a walk in the country in summer. Then you turn and glance out of the window and you see the light sand, the ocean, the motion of the waves and you’re now holidaying at the beach.” I let out a contented sigh. “Different aspects, yet so absolutely perfect.”

It's my turn to catch him watching me, and the way he’s looking at me has my skin tingling. Neither of us seems able to take our eyes off the other.

“Did I say something wrong?” My voice is so quiet, I scarcely hear it myself.

“Not at all,” he replies. “You surprised me a little.”

“That I turned out to be some weirdo hotel stalker,” I laugh. “I rarely get to see rooms that are as opulent as this. I find it interesting, that’s all.”

“I see a reasonably pleasant hotel room. You see, the detail.” He walks over to the dresser, removes his wallet and phone from his pocket and lays them on the surface. “I’m starving, but I need to grab a quick shower. You don’t mind, do you? I’ll stick to the ten-minute target you set.”

“No problem, but can I check out the bathroom first?”