Page 59 of The Haunted Hotel

“Ah, yes. Fun. That’s what people do when they don’t have a multimillion-dollar hotel empire to run, right?”

“You know what I think you should do?” I roll over on top of him, then fold my hands on his chest and rest my chin on them.

“What?” He reaches up absently and toys with an errant curl at my temple.

“You should find a reason to smile every day,” I decide.

“Every day?” He chuckles and I enjoy the feel of his chest rumbling beneath me.

“Every. Single. Day.” I nod. “Life’s too short, Morgan. I know you have a big, important job that comes with stress and decisions, but there’s always time for a smile…” My voice trails off, and he stares at me for a long time.

“What are we doing, Ellis?” His tone is low and intimate as he traces the line of my cheekbone with his finger.

“We’re enjoying the time we have together.”

“Is that enough?” he replies, his brow furrowing. “I’m going back to New York.”

“I know.” Even though my heart gives a sad, little forlorn thud at the thought of him leaving. “It’s enough,” I whisper, leaning in and pressing my lips to his. The kiss has none of the heat and desperation of earlier but instead is filled with sweetness.

When I pull back, he looks slightly dazed, and I chuckle. “Did I scramble your brain?”

“I think you might have.” He skims his palms down my back and rests them in the curve at the base of my spine. “I’ve never met anyone like you,” he mutters, and I’m not sure whether he meant to say that out loud or not, but I answer anyway.

“I’ve never met anyone like you either,” I murmur, teasing my lips against his again.

“This has the potential to go so wrong.”

I reach up and graze the pad of my thumb between his brows to smooth away the almost-permanent crease.

“I’m not asking for anything you don’t want to give. I like you, Morgan, just the way you are. There’s not a thing about you I’d change. Why not let yourself have this? I get the feeling you don’t allow yourself the things you want very often. Enjoy the time we have together and when it’s time for you to go home, take the memory with you.” I trace the arch of his dark brow softly. “And maybe when you think back to our time together, it’ll make you smile.”

“You know, I’m beginning to think you’re right about this place.”

I grin. “About what?”

“That it’s magic,” he says as he watches me. “I feel like I’m caught in a web you’re weaving around me.”

“Maybe I am,” I tease.

This time, it’s him who lifts his head to lay a soft, sweet kiss on my lips, and my heart gives a hard knock and rolls over lazily. In that one moment, I know without a doubt that I will lose something important when he leaves.

He’ll be taking a little piece of my heart that I didn’t mean to give but did anyway.

18

Ipress my ear to the door a little harder, straining to hear. My cheeks are still flaming from all the moans and groans and yelling. Roger, on the other hand, has a glass pressed to the door and is grinning gleefully.

I can vaguely make out the words, but the intent is unmistakeable. Smiling in satisfaction, I raise my hand, and Roger high-fives my palm.

“Smashing effort!” I step back and congratulate Roger. “Phase one complete.”

“I think it was Morgan and Ellis putting in all the effort by the sounds of it.” Roger smirks. “Who would have thought the little cinnamon roll was so vocal!”

“Yes, well.” I clear my throat. “I believe we can let them take it from here tonight. We’ll check in on their progress tomorrow.”

I glance down at John the Maid, who is on his hands and knees a few feet down the corridor from us and scrubbing the carpet while muttering to himself.

“What do you fancy a spot of to pass the time?” I ask Roger. “We could go and hide all of Mr Pennington’s pens again? Or we could rearrange all of Aggie’s kitchen cabinets.”