“It appears we have a bit of a problem,” Edgardo said slowly, moving his eyes between Lily and the other man. “We have only one available room remaining. It is an executive suite—”
“I’ll take it,” she replied, at the exact moment that the gorgeous guy next to her did. Although, as it seemed that they were both vying for the last hotel room in one of the few hotels that she knew by reputation—she didn’t like taking a chance on unknown chains at the last minute—he was starting to look decidedly less appealing.
Edgardo looked wary, but he maintained his professionalism and soldiered on, “And the price is nine hundred and forty dollars for the night,” he finished, his eyes again bouncing between Lily and the stranger.
Who, once again at the same time as she, said, “Done.”
Oh, of all the infuriating—
“Jinx!” Lily exhaled loudly, the frustration of her day suddenly spilling over as she turned to face her now-nemesis, the brief attraction to him momentarily forgotten.
Momentarily being the key word. Because as soon as their eyes met, she could barely form a coherent thought over the rush of hormones that rose up in her body. There was something in this man’s gaze that called to her, that made her want to throw caution to the wind and do wild, dirty things with a perfect stranger. His chin was hard and angled, shadowed with a light dusting of dark hair. Deep-set chocolate-colored eyes, a perfectly straight nose with wickedly flaring nostrils at the end above full, pink lips set into a smirk—
She jumped as those lips moved, and she prayed her thoughts weren’t written all over her face. She’d been told she had an expressive face.
“Jinx? As in, I’m not allowed to talk until someone says, ‘done’ again?” The man had an American accent, though she couldn’t place its exact origin. Not Southern, and not New York, but that didn’t actually narrow it down much. His voice was low, but not too low. Perfectly pitched to be smooth and soothing, and she had a sudden, vivid image of him whispering hot, sinful words in her ear as he pushed into her body—
Lily snapped to attention, forcing her posture into a rigid stance. She tipped her chin up and looked him in the eye. “Yes, jinx. And pinch, poke, you owe me a Coke, while we’re at it. After I book my hotel room.”
His eyebrows rose. She knew she was coming off as a total bitch, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. This guy was hardly being chivalrous, and she was emotionally as well as physically exhausted. This ski trip she’d just spent six days on, at some chic and plush and altogether miserable resort in the Andes, hadn’t turned out the way she had hoped. Primarily because of the miserable part.
She held the man’s gaze for a moment before letting out a huff, crossing her arms over her chest. She knew she must look scraggly and unimpressive in her yoga pants and fleece turtleneck, her dark hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, but backing down from this guy wasn’t an option.
Luckily, she hadn’t spent years fighting for contracts as an independent consultant, only to roll over and die at the mere hint of public conflict over a hotel room.
“Fine,” she snapped. “I don’t drink soda. But you owe me a drink.”
“You take my hotel room and then I owe you a drink?” the man scoffed, reaching for his wallet. Lily took a step back. Was he going to try to buy her off? Maybe whip out an official-looking badge? Oh, no, please don’t let him have a diplomatic passport…the room would be his, for sure.
But instead, he withdrew a slim, dark gray card from one of the pockets of his sleek leather wallet and placed it on the reception desk. She willed herself to stay still, not to strain to see it like some kind of fluttering rookie.
The receptionist helping the man picked it up and her eyebrows rose. Edgardo glanced over at it and his eyes went wide.
Shit.
That was the universal expression for, “You’re screwed.”
“Miss Stanton,” Edgardo cleared his throat. “I do apologize, but might you have a Ritz-Carlton Rewards account?”
So that’s what it was. Lily shook her head and simmered. She usually stayed at Marriotts, since that had been the hotel chain that her first consulting firm preferred, back when she had been starting out and worked for someone else. After she struck out on her own she wanted to maintain her loyalty points.
Besides, it was more practical. The Ritz was a beautiful hotel, certainly, but she wasn’t going to regularly dig into her own bottom line by splurging for the more expensive chain on a regular basis.
Apparently, this guy didn’t have a problem with his bottom line.
She ignored the catcalls in her mind as an image of his firm ass momentarily filled her vision.
Or maybe he was a financial catastrophe. She might feel slightly superior if he was just a playboy on a spending spree. Let him have the room and continue to dig his own money pit. But judging from the way his whole person screamed “Wealth and power!” she somehow doubted he was anything but a very secure, competent man.