Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
“Fuck.”
I grab my key card and shove my feet into my sneakers before I leave the room. The dream about losing her still floats through my system, making my insides twist uncomfortably. I’ve never had a dream like that, one that felt so real, and I know the only thing that will calm my nerves is seeing for myself that she’s okay.
Getting on the elevator, I wonder what floor to start on. She could be anywhere, and this hotel is huge between the casino, shopping mall, and restaurants that are all attached. Searching for her will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Pressing the button for the floor the casino is on, I watch the numbers go down while I dial her number again and listen to the phone ring.
“Hi, this is Elora. Leave a message.” The sound of her voice only intensifies the panic wrapping around my insides, threatening to send me to my knees.
“Call me as soon as you get this message.” I hang up and call back again as I step off the elevator, and I keep calling in case she gets back to our room as I walk through the mostly empty casino. Only a few people are up this early, or maybe they stayed awake all night. After searching through three floors and calling a hundred times if not more, I’m about to head to the security office to see if they can help me out when she answers, stopping me dead in my tracks.
“Hey, I—”
“Where the fuck were you?” I bite out, unable to keep the worry I’ve been feeling from turning into anger.
“I was getting something from downstairs. Is everything okay?” she asks, sounding confused, and I scrub my fingers through my hair, ignoring the glare I get from an elderly woman walking past me. I’m sure I look half insane, standing in the middle of the hotel without a shirt and talking into my phone so loudly.
“Yeah, I’ll be upstairs in a few minutes. Stay in the room.”
“Okay,” she agrees softly.
Hanging up, I jog toward the elevator, pushing past the group of people getting off with their luggage. I ignore the dirty looks they shoot in my direction and press the button to send the doors closed. The ride up to our floor takes forever, and when the doors open, I force myself to walk down the hall instead of running, taking the extra time I need to calm my racing heart.
Pressing my key card to the electronic lock, I draw in a breath when it beeps and push the door open.
The room is dark, and I stop in my tracks when I see the spark of a match.
“Happy birthday,” Elora murmurs, walking toward me. The flame of the single candle stuck in the top of a stack of sprinkled doughnuts illuminates her pretty face and her hair, which is down in a wild mass of curls. “Make a wish.” She smiles at me through the glow, and my chest gets tight.
Jesus Christ. I’m falling in love with her. Or maybe I’m already in love with her. I should have realized before this moment. I should have understood what the need to have her close meant, why I couldn’t just ignore the impulse to take care of her. I didn’t because I’ve never felt this way about anyone else. Not my parents, my sisters, or Val. Not even my grandmother.
I’ve never had one person in my life who I would gladly walk through hell for and do it smiling, until her.
I don’t bother making a wish before blowing out the candle, and her smile falters.
“Roman,” she says quietly, worry edging into her voice as I take the plate from her and carry it to the dresser. Turning back toward her, I watch her fingers tap at her side. “I’m sorry.” She looks at the plate before focusing back on me. “When the girl at the helicopter place mentioned that today was going to be your birthday, I thought I would surprise you.” She shakes her head as I start to close the distance between us. “I should have asked if you even liked celebrating your birthday or—”
Her words cut off when I capture her by the back of her neck and yank her toward me, covering her mouth with mine. Her hands land against my chest, her fingers fisting the material of my tee as I walk her backward to the bed. When she starts to fall, I go down with her, never releasing her mouth. She tastes like Elora and mint, but most of all, she tastes like mine.
Letting her mouth go, I kiss down her neck to the top of the dress she has on while I bunch the material at the bottom, sliding my hand up the back of her thigh. The little whimper she makes when my fingers fall between her legs has my cock throbbing in response. I don’t think I’ll ever get over how soft and smooth she is, how wet she gets before I ever really touch her.