“Matt McIntyre. He’s on a daytime soap.” Hallie’s eyes lowered to half-mast. “Sexy,” she drawled. “But total slob.” She closed her magazine and tapped an inset photo on the cover of a man with long dark hair. “Wouldn’t mind cleaning his hotel room. He’s so hot I’m not sure I’d even care if he were a slob.”
Where in the World is Jett? was the photo’s caption.
Arabella turned the magazine to get a better look. “You think he’s hot? You can’t even see what he really looks like. Not with those sunglasses and that beard.”
“Seriously? He’s got the bad-boy look nailed down.”
Arabella shrugged. “My mom always says she wonders what guys are hiding behind their beards. I guess it’s stuck with me.” Jay’s clean-shaven face danced in her mind.
“My mom says the same thing. But seriously, have you seen his music video? There’s a reason why that video put his name on the map.” Hallie fanned herself when Arabella shook her head. “Whether you like facial hair or not, you are missing out. Whenever I get depressed over my lack of a love life, I pull out my phone—” she did just that, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket to wave in the air “—and watch me some hottie Jett Carr crooning about his lost love and I am all good again.”
Arabella couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She steeled herself against her protesting muscles and stood. They packed up their lunch boxes and reported back to duty. Hallie went to inspect some of the other rooms also under her watch while Arabella went to the floor pantry and retrieved the cart. She replenished the linens and carefully began backing it through the doorway.
“How’s the first day going?”
She jumped and turned around.
Jay was leaning against the wall watching her.
She forgot all about her sore feet and muscles. “It’s going great.” She waved her hand, taking in his appearance. “Back on food and beverage again?”
“Shows, does it?” He grinned. “Some corporate thing going on this afternoon. Using the banquet room and a couple breakout rooms. I’m on water and coffee detail. Tough gig.”
She laughed softly. “Did you ever have to do a stint in housekeeping?”
“Yep.” He straightened away from the wall. “After the first day, I sent flowers to my mother and grandmother for all the years they spent cleaning up after me.”
She laughed again and finished pulling the cart into the hall. “I’d better get to it. I’m already behind schedule.”
He glanced around the piled-high cart, then leaned closer to her. “Hot tub in the fitness center does wonders for helping with the aches and pains.” His murmur next to her ear sent shivers dancing down her spine.
She turned her head slightly toward him. His green eyes mesmerized. “Fitness center is for guests.”
“It closes at nine.” His smile turned wicked. “And I have a connection who can get us in.” Then he kissed her lightly and straightened away from her just in time to avoid being caught by Grace Williams, who stepped out of the service elevator.
“Good afternoon, Jay. Arabella. How’s the first day going?”
Arabella couldn’t have wiped away the smile on her face if she’d tried. “Better than I ever dreamed.”
Chapter Seven
She met Jay outside the hotel that evening promptly at half-past nine.
Prompt, because she’d waited in her car around the corner to the hotel for fifteen minutes so she wouldn’t look too eager.
Even though she was, in fact, very eager.
“Ready?”
She nodded and felt even more breathless when he took her hand in his and led her around the side of the hotel to the door they’d used that day in January. Although she knew the balcony had been rebuilt since then, Arabella couldn’t help looking up at it a little warily as they passed it.
Jay noticed. “It’s been inspected a couple dozen times over by now.” He knocked twice on the door.
“I know.” Even the bushes that had been growing beneath the balcony had been replaced. “Kane and Brady have both talked about it.”
The door opened and Mariana peeked out.
Arabella eyed the woman with surprise, but Mariana just gave a quick look around as Jay pulled Arabella through the door and into the fitness center.
“Thanks, Mariana.” Jay kissed the older woman’s cheek. “You’re a peach.”
“Sweet and juicy,” Mariana quipped, giving a broad wink. “Just be sure to get out of here before the night crew comes in to clean at eleven.” Then whistling tunelessly, she hurried out of sight.
There really was no need for Jay to hold Arabella’s hand as they made their way through the well-equipped room. Dim lights lit the perimeter, illuminating the way well enough.
But Arabella didn’t tug her hand free and Jay didn’t let go of it either, not until they reached the opposite end of the space and he pointed at the sign on the door. Women’s Lockers. “You have your suit?”
She patted her trusty book bag. “Even brought a towel of my own. Just in case.”
“Hot tub is through there.” Jay pointed to an archway. “Meet you there.”
Her eagerness reached such a peak she was possibly in danger of passing out. She nodded and hurried into the women’s locker room and reminded herself to breathe again. She quickly changed into her swimsuit and pulled her hair up into a high ponytail. Then she wrapped the towel she’d stolen from Brady’s around her waist, bundled her sundress and undies into her book bag and slung the strap over her shoulder.
Heart pounding, she peered around the edge of the locker room door, and squealed out loud when Jay moved. She pressed her hand to her chest and slipped through the doorway. “For a second there, I thought we’d been caught!”
His teeth flashed. “Nothing like the fear of getting caught to keep things exciting.”
She swallowed hard, not certain how to take that particular innuendo.
He’d changed out of his jeans into a pair of black-and-gray board shorts, and his white shirt hung unbuttoned over his chest. It was nearly impossible to
