Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 158829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 158829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
Piper laughs. “You’re standing here in a towel, so I think we can skip the formalities. You don’t have to call me ‘Miss.’”
Is it missus then? My jaw clenches.
Shelly must hear that. “Is everything okay, sir?”
Fuck no.
And it feels like it can only get worse.
“It will be if you just do your job,” I say coldly.
“Do you have a preference for what room you’d like?” Shelly’s voice strains like she’s finally realizing the sky-high pile of shit she’s in.
I’m about to ask for a honeymoon suite.
It’s the next tier down, right below this one.
At this point, I’d rather have Miss Renee keep the best room plus whatever else I can manage to avoid getting nuked into slag online. But something she said replays in my head.
We do have mediocre reviews, and most of those aren’t coming from the top-shelf suites.
“Put me in a room on the Garden level,” I say.
If I’m being kicked out of my usual room, I might as well find out how most of my guests stay.
“Garden room. Right,” she says, like she’s checking if she heard me right. “Let’s see, I’m going to put you in room... one oh nine. Will that work?”
“Yes.” I hang up, trying not to slam the phone down as I look at Piper. “Let me get dressed, then we’ll sort this out. Stay off your foot.”
She blinks at me and frowns.
I stomp to the massive closet beside the main door and grab my duffel bag. I didn’t expect to unpack until tomorrow and I usually sleep naked.
Apparently, it’s going to be a while before I get any shut-eye, though.
It takes me five minutes to change in the bathroom.
When I walk out, I find Piper still lounging in the chair, holding a tissue to her damaged foot, the blanket pulled aside.
Shit, I’m staring.
I was so gobsmacked earlier that I didn’t appreciate the way her t-shirt hugs her mango-sized tits or how perfectly those lace panties cling to her sweeping hips.
I wish I wasn’t so observant now.
“They haven’t come with your first aid kit yet?” I ask.
She shakes her head.
Goddamn, someone needs to overhaul the entire training program.
I’m about to make excuses or at least apologize when we’re interrupted.
Knock-knock!
I nod. “Better late than never.”
I head for the door and yank it open.
“First aid kit as requested, sir,” a uniformed attendant says.
I take the white box from him. He gives me a quick update on a system error from the front desk, supposedly the cause of this insane mishap.
When he’s finished, I shut the door, walking back into the sitting room and tossing the kit in Piper’s lap.
“For your foot.”
“Thanks.” She opens it and takes out a sanitizing wipe and a bandage, then sets to work on her foot.
“Once you’re dressed, I’ll have someone come up and clean the floor so you don’t step on glass again.”
“Thank you,” she whispers, mouthing the word more than saying it.
She doesn’t even look at me.
It’s not just because she’s cleaning up her foot. She’s trying like hell to avoid me.
No improvement. She’s going to draw and quarter you in that review, you dolt.
“How do we make this right?” I ask, stepping closer and stopping next to her, waiting for her to meet my eyes.
She looks up at me and winces.
“...are you kidding? You weren’t exactly Mr. Congeniality until you found out what I was. Honestly, I’ve never been so terrified in my life. I thought you were a serial killer here to axe murder me.”
“Serial killers and axe murderers aren’t the same,” I point out. “One is fueled by total psychosis; the other is a raging case of reckless—” I stop, pinching the bridge of my nose as she gapes at me. “I listen to a lot of crime podcasts when I’m traveling, okay?”
I sigh. That’s hardly the full truth but we’re not getting into that.
She gives me nothing.
Just two hot accusing green pinpricks for eyes.
I shrug. “Whatever. The point is, you didn’t look scared while you were gawking at me in my birthday suit.”
She glares at me and makes a startled sound. “Um, what? Do you hear yourself? I woke up to a noise inside my hotel room on a floor with a private elevator. You can’t possibly blame me for thinking you were either a murderer or an employee. And I know most resorts don’t send staff into rooms while their guests are sleeping, so I had to assume the worst...”
Ah, there she is.
Feisty.
I’d rather have her spitting venom than acting like she’s made of wood.
“Looks like there was a problem with the system. Once the first reservation was made, the system should have locked out the same dates. I don’t know how this happened, but rest assured I intend to talk to the people who made each reservation and my IT manager. At Winthrope, the customer is god, though. So will you let me make the rest of your stay enjoyable? I know what a dreadful fucking start this is, and I’m sorry. If there’s anything I can do to make it up to you, tell me.”