turned to flip on the light in the bathroom. “This is just the standard room.
All the first-floor rooms are like this, but the second and third floors and luxury
suites have other themes.”
She inched around him to peek into the bathroom. It was black. Black tile, black toilet,
brilliant silver mirror with bright white lights… it was a lot to absorb. “And
the bathrooms too?”
Somehow his face softened. She didn’t get a full smile but she got the idea that he
was amused at her amazement. Then he nodded. He carefully stepped around her, obviously
doing his best to make sure he didn’t brush up against her. Randa was glad he was
cautious. Really. She told herself she was better off not knowing if the zing of his
touch was more than a fluke. Direct contact with his chest would be impossible to
ignore. Or forget.
He was headed to the door at his previous quick pace when she said, “Um, what about
the gym and the… what else were you supposed to show me?”
His shoulders slumped a bit and he picked up her key card. “Follow me.”
Randa looked long and hard at her Laboutins passed out in a drunken sprawl on the
carpet. She stepped over them with bare feet and followed Misty out into the hall.
She could hear the whisper of her jeans, which were now too long on the carpet. And
nothing else. Tony didn’t say anything. And she had no idea how to get the conversation
started.
Near the end of the hall, Tony stopped and pointed. “Gym. Closes at ten, opens at
six. If you need help, call the front desk.”
Tony raised an eyebrow. Randa nodded. And the three of them resumed the tour. It was
kind of nice communicating on a nonverbal level like that. Maybe Tony was on to something.
She tried not to think about all the ways they might communicate without saying a
thing.
The hall ended with a glass door labeled Pool . And Tony opened the door to let Misty out. “If you come out, you’ll need a key card
to get back in. Otherwise, you’ll have a long walk back to the lobby front door.”
He handed her the room key and they were both careful to avoid another brush of skin.
Randa nodded her understanding.
Tony pointed. “See that building?” When Randa peered through the glass, she leaned
close enough to smell Tony’s detergent and aftershave. He smelled so, so good. Not
rich, but healthy. She stepped back quickly and bumped the wall. “Those are the employee
apartments where you’ll be staying.”
Randa wrapped her arms tightly over her chest. “Thanks for the tour. I appreciate
it.”
Tony was serious as his eyes met hers and finally he sighed. “Welcome to the Rock’n’Rolla,
Ms. Whitmore. I hope you enjoy your stay. Please let us know if there’s anything we
can do to ensure a pleasant experience.”
He’d just put together more words then than she’d heard him use since she arrived.
But the impersonal hotel-speak showed less personality than his dark eyes had. She
had a feeling that the real Tony was as much like his professional persona as the
Rock’n’Rolla Hotel was the typical business-class Whitmore property.
As she walked back to her room, she realized she already missed Misty. And she was
more intrigued by the Rock’n’Rolla and its manager than was good for her. She’d have
to get over both. She wanted a place of her own and the time was now. She couldn’t
be distracted by beautiful dogs or distracting, mysterious men. She had a job to do.
Chapter Two
----
T ONY STOOD IN the shade and watched Misty nose her way through the flowerbeds that lined the pool
area. At first, the blast of heat was welcome. It took his mind off the hotel’s newest
guest. The heat was sticky, uncomfortable, and the concrete around the pool was probably
set to broil. But he’d been hotter. In Iraq, the heat had been deadly: thirty or forty
degrees higher, and his combat gear hadn’t helped. Memphis in August might have been
like the
All the first-floor rooms are like this, but the second and third floors and luxury
suites have other themes.”
She inched around him to peek into the bathroom. It was black. Black tile, black toilet,
brilliant silver mirror with bright white lights… it was a lot to absorb. “And
the bathrooms too?”
Somehow his face softened. She didn’t get a full smile but she got the idea that he
was amused at her amazement. Then he nodded. He carefully stepped around her, obviously
doing his best to make sure he didn’t brush up against her. Randa was glad he was
cautious. Really. She told herself she was better off not knowing if the zing of his
touch was more than a fluke. Direct contact with his chest would be impossible to
ignore. Or forget.
He was headed to the door at his previous quick pace when she said, “Um, what about
the gym and the… what else were you supposed to show me?”
His shoulders slumped a bit and he picked up her key card. “Follow me.”
Randa looked long and hard at her Laboutins passed out in a drunken sprawl on the
carpet. She stepped over them with bare feet and followed Misty out into the hall.
She could hear the whisper of her jeans, which were now too long on the carpet. And
nothing else. Tony didn’t say anything. And she had no idea how to get the conversation
started.
Near the end of the hall, Tony stopped and pointed. “Gym. Closes at ten, opens at
six. If you need help, call the front desk.”
Tony raised an eyebrow. Randa nodded. And the three of them resumed the tour. It was
kind of nice communicating on a nonverbal level like that. Maybe Tony was on to something.
She tried not to think about all the ways they might communicate without saying a
thing.
The hall ended with a glass door labeled Pool . And Tony opened the door to let Misty out. “If you come out, you’ll need a key card
to get back in. Otherwise, you’ll have a long walk back to the lobby front door.”
He handed her the room key and they were both careful to avoid another brush of skin.
Randa nodded her understanding.
Tony pointed. “See that building?” When Randa peered through the glass, she leaned
close enough to smell Tony’s detergent and aftershave. He smelled so, so good. Not
rich, but healthy. She stepped back quickly and bumped the wall. “Those are the employee
apartments where you’ll be staying.”
Randa wrapped her arms tightly over her chest. “Thanks for the tour. I appreciate
it.”
Tony was serious as his eyes met hers and finally he sighed. “Welcome to the Rock’n’Rolla,
Ms. Whitmore. I hope you enjoy your stay. Please let us know if there’s anything we
can do to ensure a pleasant experience.”
He’d just put together more words then than she’d heard him use since she arrived.
But the impersonal hotel-speak showed less personality than his dark eyes had. She
had a feeling that the real Tony was as much like his professional persona as the
Rock’n’Rolla Hotel was the typical business-class Whitmore property.
As she walked back to her room, she realized she already missed Misty. And she was
more intrigued by the Rock’n’Rolla and its manager than was good for her. She’d have
to get over both. She wanted a place of her own and the time was now. She couldn’t
be distracted by beautiful dogs or distracting, mysterious men. She had a job to do.
Chapter Two
----
T ONY STOOD IN the shade and watched Misty nose her way through the flowerbeds that lined the pool
area. At first, the blast of heat was welcome. It took his mind off the hotel’s newest
guest. The heat was sticky, uncomfortable, and the concrete around the pool was probably
set to broil. But he’d been hotter. In Iraq, the heat had been deadly: thirty or forty
degrees higher, and his combat gear hadn’t helped. Memphis in August might have been
like the
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