“There must be some kind of mistake.” Gwen frowned, feeling herheart start to race. This couldn’t be happening. Had Stacyforgotten to get them two rooms? Gwen quickly dug around her purseand pulled out her cell phone. She found no messages from Stacy.She sent her a quick text, but then remembered she was on vacationin Cuba. Probably drinking with her friends by the pool. Now what?How many unforeseen hitches could she handle in one day?
“No mistake, but is no problem. See, double room, yes? Bigenough bed for two,” said the man with an oddly suggestive wink,looking back and forth between Crispin and Gwen in such a way thatmade her feel dirty.
“Well, isn’t this just perfect!” Crispin barked a sarcasticlaugh at the indignation on her face. Lookat her, little miss innocent. “Nice play,Gwen, I’ll be sure to give Stacy a rave review for this latesttrick.”
Chapter 12
At Crispin’spresumption, Gwen reddened. He was obviously under the impressionthat she and Stacy had set this up on purpose. She was mortified atthe idea of him thinking it but she couldn’t really blame him.
“It’s not like that,” she said. “It’s not what you’re thinking.This is a mistake. I swear it.”
“Right,” Crispin snarked, unconvinced. He nodded at the doormanwho smiled as if they were in on an inside joke. He then led theway down the hall and down a few steps to their room. Gwen watchedwith an indignant frown as the man opened the door and then handedCrispin the key while exchanging another glance with him. With alascivious wag of his bushy brow, he then leered at Gwen.Self-consciously, she followed Crispin in and stepped aroundhim.
“Enjoy your stay,” said the man with a wink, holding out hishand, awaiting a tip.
Having heard enough, Crispin scowled at the cluelessass. With a slow shake of his head, hestood tall and blocked the tiresome man’s view of Gwen. “Yeah, nowwould be a great time for you to fuck off,” he snarled, using hisheight to intimidate the guy out of the room. He then shut the doorand locked it from the inside. “Dick…” he muttered.
Gwen sighedwith relief when it was only them standing in the room. “Crispin… Idon’t know what to say.”
Ignoring her,because it was all he could do to keep from losing his shit,Crispin flung off his coat and tossed it into a chair behind her.For a second or two, he then turned and glared at her, seethingwith pent up rage. When she met his gaze with those eyes of hers,he snapped himself out of his tumultuous thoughts.
The room wastiny in comparison to North American standards with barely enoughspace to turn around. It was square in shape with a queen size bedtaking up most of it. There was a small closet, a wall-mounteddresser at the foot of the bed, making it nearly impossible tosqueeze by. The chair in which he had dropped his coat was on theright side of the bed. There was a door leading into an even tinierbathroom.
With the two ofthem in there, it would be a true test of character. He took amoment to breathe, looking around the minuscule space where theywould stay for three nights. With a frown, he next went aboutsetting up their suitcases the best way possible. He placed his inthe closet. Hers, he tucked into a corner on the floor so theywouldn’t trip on it.
Not knowingwhat to do with herself, Gwen stood out of the way while he huffedand puffed around the room, flinging his carryon bag onto the floornext to the closet on the left side of the queen size bed.
“Well, are you gonna take your coat off or are you just gonnastand there all night?” he said, brushing past her into thebathroom, slamming the door. “You’ve got to be kidding me! Fuckingjoke!”
“Yikes…” Gwen winced, slowly unbuttoning her coat and placingit on the chair with his. She started to sit on the bed only tojump up when the bathroom door was flung open and out stormedCrispin. He was not happy, not in the least.
Barely makingeye contact with her, he made his way over to his carryon and dugaround for a few items. “Go on, use the bathroom if you need itwhile I get my shit together.”
“Okay, good idea.” Taking advantage, she grabbed her carryonwhich held what she needed for the night and she went to get readyfor bed. Ready for bed…Gwen paused just inside the bathroom. As much asshe had fantasized about Crispin, this was not exactly how sheimagined things. He was angry and rightly so. How would they dothis? They had three nights booked here. Perhaps first thingtomorrow she would ask the front desk to call around for anotherplace but the thought of dealing with that pervert turned herstomach. And what about Crispin? He was under the impression thatshe had set this whole thing up. He must hate her by now. Worseyet, he must think she was a crazy stalker for sure.
Not wanting totake too long, she washed her face, brushed her teeth, the wholetime thinking about her predicament. Changing out of her clothes,she stepped into the shower and gave herself a quick rinse. Shewinced at the size of the shower stall. While she was okay, sheimagined Crispin would find it quite confining, to say theleast.
Seconds later,as inappropriate as it was given the circumstances, Gwen couldn’thold back the smile that tugged on her lips or the giggle thatescaped her throat. Why was she laughing? She felt awful for it butgiddy at the same time. Even now, she could hear Crispin mutteringabout in the bedroom. Poor guy was at his wit’s end and here shewas giggling. But it was only because it was her way ofcelebrating. She had survived the flight and the train ride. She’dmade it and to prove it, she was standing on English soil. Despitehaving messed up a few things already, in the end, she had made itand that’s what mattered most.
After givingherself a moment, she got out of the shower. The next challengewould be to put on the little nightie she
