Shesimply wasn’t the type of woman to do something so rash and potentiallydangerous. She was practical, never-take-a-risk Meg and her friends constantlyreferred to her as the ‘reliable’ one. Taking this vacation alone was the mostdaring thing she’d ever done in her life. She felt her cheeks flush as sherealized Rob was still holding her hand and had been doing so since they leftthe bar. His palm was large and warm and surprisingly comforting to her. He wasa stranger and yet she felt an immediate connection to him.
“Onceyou get into the room, you can take a nice hot shower and get out of those dampclothes.”
Ratherthan comforting her, his words had the opposite effect and she felt a strangetingling sensation sweep through her body. Looking at Rob’s handsome face, sheconsidered what it would be like to let him peel the wet clothes off her andtake a hot shower with him. His muscular body and god-like face were certainlyawakening parts of her libido she didn’t know she had and she certainlywouldn’t mind letting him wash her back.
Whatthe hell was she thinking? He was a complete stranger and she’d never had a onenight stand in her life. She was practical, rational, level-headed.
Fuck.I’m boring.
Ashe unlocked the room, Meg recalled the goddess she saw emerging from the limowith Rob earlier. “What about Lana?”
“Whatabout her?” Rob seemed perplexed by her question.
“Won’tshe mind me sleeping in the next room?”
“Idon’t really think it’s any of her business one way or the other.”
“Isn’tshe your girlfriend?” Meg silently berated herself for her too straight-forwardnature.
Roblaughed at her question. “Good God, no. She’s mysecretary. She has a room down on the first floor.”
Cursingherself for the sudden relief flooding her body, she followed him into thesuite. Why it should please her that Lana wasn’t anywhere in the vicinity, shedidn’t know. She wasn’t about to try to seduce Rob Mason. Of course, theweekend was all about romance and it wasn’t like she’d ever see him after theyleft here. Maybe she could break free from her own self-constraints a bit. Livea little. Fact was she suspected Rob would be terrific in bed. Smiling toherself at the thought, she followed him into the hotel.
“Holy mother.” Rob watched as Meg’s eyes flew openupon entering the room.
“Pardonme?”
“Thishotel suite is bigger than my whole townhouse.” She was obviously awed by theroom. “This place is amazing. Beautiful. Is that areal Grand piano?”
Robnodded as he glanced around, surprised by her comments. Silently, he wonderedif he’d become immune to his lavish lifestyle. The hotel suite—by hisstandards—was quite simple. He wondered what Meg would think of his castle in England.Grinning at the thought of showing it to her, he shook his head. What was hethinking? He was helping out a young woman down on her luck for one night. Or perhaps more than one night. He felt comfortable in herpresence and wondered what it would take to convince her to spend the entireweekend with him. He was enjoying his anonymity and her company very much. Shewas friendly and sincere, with a terrific sense of humor given the fact shecould actually joke about her horrible day. In his cut-throat world thosetraits were uncommon and—given the reaction his body was having toher—apparently incredibly sexy.
“Sothe company you work for really owns this suite?” Her question jerked him fromhis thoughts.
“Yes,they do. Part of the benefits package is that we can take advantage of thisplace.” The continued lie was beginning to taste bad on his lips. Why he didn’twant to end the charade yet, he couldn’t explain. Somehow, for just tonight, heliked the idea of being plain old Rob Mason, hard-working businessman. It feltgood to shed Rob Madison, billionaire bachelor for awhile. He liked the idea ofbefriending a woman with his personality rather than his checkbook.Unfortunately, his body was making a different sort of demand in regards to MegWilliams and he had to make a quick adjustment of his trousers.
“Itmust cost a fortune. I was going to offer to split the room fee for the night,but even half of this,” Meg gestured at the splendid room, “is way out of myprice range.”
“Youaren’t paying a cent. As I said earlier, the company pays, not me. Makes nodifference who stays here. Your bedroom is right upthere.” He pointed to a door four steps up on its ownlanding. “Mine is over there. Each room has a private bath. Please feel free totake advantage of the kitchen in the morning. I’ll call down and make sure roomservice stocks it with something nice for breakfast.”
“Ohno,” she said. “You don’t have to do that. I won’t imposition you for more thantonight, I promise. I’ll pick up breakfast on my way back to the airport.”
“Iowe you at least a breakfast given the careless way my driver—”
“Rob,”she interjected. “The car accident didn’t change the fact that this stupidhotel overbooked.”
Robwinced at her words, swallowing down the insult to his property. Fact was hishotel had screwed up her vacation. Damn that idiot Timothy.
“Nonetheless,you need a place to stay and I’m able to offer it. That fact is going a longway toward soothing my guilty conscience over the car incident so let’s leaveit at that. Besides, look at what I’ve gained. The extra room would have beenempty and I wouldn’t have had such lovely company tonight.”
Megsnorted at his compliment. “Oh yeah, I’m a raving beauty right now. Gotta thing for mud and frizzy hair, do you?” She ran herfingers through her tangled hair.
Robgrinned.
“I’mgoing to order room service. Have you eaten dinner?”
Meglooked longingly at her bedroom. “It will take awhile for them to prepare it.Why don’t you take a hot shower and I’ll knock when it arrives.”
“Well,that does sound good. I’m starving. Nothing to eat all day, but those damnlittle packages of peanuts they give you on the plane and I insist on pickingup the tab for dinner
