CHAPTER SIX
Tyres crunched over gravel in the hotel car park, as the black Rolls-Royce Wraith glided to a halt a few yards from the entrance. Guy braced himself. One big, fat chicken was about to come home to roost. With starting his new job, he’d put off breaking the news about their accommodation to his companion, but he could procrastinate no longer.
“Maddie, I hope you don’t mind, but when I rang the hotel to book the rooms, I asked for them to be located as close together as possible. When the receptionist asked if I wanted adjoining suites—”
“You said yes.” Maddie finished his sentence and levelled her gaze at him. A lesser man might have squirmed. “Are you all right? You look a little dazed.”
“What?” Guy was still waiting for the eruption.
“Were you expecting me to object?” She turned back to the hotel.
“There was a possibility.”
“Hope for the best, prepare for the worst?”
She turned further away from him, and that was her mistake—there in the wing mirror was confirmation of her struggle to keep a straight face. Two could play that game.
“Of course, if you’d rather I ask for rooms on different floors at opposite ends of the hotel, I’d be more than happy—”
“I’m sure that won’t be necessary. I mean, the hotel’s probably fully booked, and we wouldn’t want to make things difficult for them.”
She was lucky she didn’t get whiplash from turning back to him so fast, then a gentle laugh reflected his own amused expression.
“I didn’t fool you for a second, did I?”
Guy shrugged. “Maybe one or two, to begin with. Shall we go in before it starts to rain?”
As if on cue, half a dozen fat raindrops landed on the windscreen.
“That might be a good idea.”
They made a dash for the entrance. Guy insisted on taking Maddie’s bag as well as his own. Once again she surprised him, this time with her ability to travel light. They checked in, and then made their way up to their rooms.
The gentle knock came as Guy was removing his dinner jacket from the suit carrier. He went to answer it, already certain who’d be standing there.
“Maddie.” Without thinking, he glanced at the interconnecting door, wondering why she hadn’t used it. “Come in. Is your room all right?”
“Oh, it’s fine, thank you—more than fine. I think I could host Olympic swimming events in the bathroom.” She turned to face him as he closed the door. “I just wasn’t expecting something quite so… luxurious.”
“Ah.” When he’d asked for their best rooms, it had slipped his mind that she worked in the hospitality industry. She was an astute businesswoman, and had probably worked out in seconds the likely cost of her accommodation. “Is that a problem for you?”
“No. No, it’s fine, it’s just…”
“Just what?” He took her hands in his. “You’re here as my guest. I wanted you to feel comfortable.”
“I do, but…”
“But what?” Unable to resist, he cupped her cheek and lowered his head to kiss her.
“But… I forgot what I was going to say. Would you mind doing that again, please?” She licked her lips.
“With pleasure.”
She tasted even better second time around. And while Guy relished the thought of getting her into bed, he wasn’t about to hurry her. Maddie was a prize he was determined to win and then cherish for as long as she’d allow it.
“Your beard’s softer than I thought.” Her fingertips explored his jawline. “Did I ever tell you that?”
He chuckled. “No, you didn’t.” He captured her hand and kissed her fingers. “Do you mind it?” He’d shave it off if she didn’t like it. He had to admit, though, he’d grown rather fond of it since deciding to grow it a few years earlier.
“I think it’s very dashing, although I am glad you keep it quite short and tidy.” She stroked his moustache with her thumb. “Bushy beards don’t work for me.”
“I’ll keep it trimmed then.”
She took a step back, a thoughtful expression passed across her face. “Actually, while we’re on the subject, can I ask you a personal question?”
“You can ask me anything.”
“I don’t want to presume too much, but…”
“But?” he prompted.
“Different people have different tastes, and I wondered if you had any preference.”
“In?”
“Your lovers being smooth or trimmed.” She took his hand, and with cautious care, laid it at the apex of her thighs.
“Either is fine.” He didn’t remind her that he’d already had the privilege and pleasure of seeing her semi-naked. “Is it important to you?”
“I want to know if it’s still… if it’s important to you.”
At one time it had been, but now that he was confronted with the question, he found he wasn’t bothered. “Like I said, either is fine. Is there anything else you’d like to declare, since we’re in a soul-baring mood?”
Her smile disappeared—another interesting reaction. She was hiding something, but he wouldn’t press her about it now. Besides, he couldn’t imagine anything, apart from a pre-existing partner, that would deter him from pursuing this relationship.
As for how long and how far he’d pursue it? He didn’t anticipate calling it a day any time soon.
“No skeletons, if that’s what you’re concerned about.” Her coquettish grin returned, and she adopted the air of a woman about to share a confidence. “Although I do know how to dispose of a body without leaving any trace.” She winked.
Dear God. She was going to be the death of him.
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Guy put the finishing touches to his bow tie, and cast a critical eye over his reflection. Good enough to impress Maddie? He hoped so. A lot was riding on this evening, and it had nothing to do with the charity the event was supporting.
The daunting truth was, this dinner was his first formal public date in more than a decade. As if that weren’t enough, to him, it was a significant milestone towards putting his relationship with Maddie on a more serious footing. No matter when they spent the night in the same bed—whether it was tonight or not—she wasn’t going to be a casual lay.
On the dot of seven-thirty, he knocked on her door—the one in the corridor, not the one that joined their rooms. The moment she opened it, he was even more captivated by her beauty, elegance and charm.
Her vibrant evening gown was a bold splash of colour next to his boring monochrome. What attracted him even more, though, were the silken tendrils of hair that had escaped from her loosely styled updo. He itched to wind their softness around his fingers, to delve into the thick, glossy mass and free it to tumble around her naked shoulders. The off-the-shoulder style of her dress suited her, while the creamy skin at her collarbone was a temptation he fought to resist.
“You look amazing. Shall we?” He offered her his arm.
“Thank you. I hoped this would be suitable for this evening.”
Guy tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. “‘Suitable’ is a ridiculous understatement. I’ll be the envy of every man there tonight.”
“Now I know you’re a silver-tongued devil.” Maddie pulled her door closed.
“Devil, am I? In that case, I’ll have to do something to live up to my billing.”
With that, he pivoted to face her. Before they joined the genteel scrum, he needed one of her sweet kisses to see him through the evening, until he could get her alone again. Maddie’s honest, passionate response left him in no doubt that the attraction he felt for her was reciprocated.
“Do we really have to go downstairs?”
Her quiet question kicked his heartbeat up a notch. He touched his lips to her forehead. “Yes, we do.”
“For the sake of appearances?”
“For the sake of your reputation.” He didn’t want anyone to think she was only there for an assignation with him. Even so, he couldn’t resist stealing another kiss. “Come on.”
The charity dinner was preceded by drinks in an adjoining function room. Guy took pains to circulate as much as possible, and also ensure that Maddie was included in the conversations. Before long, though, it became abundantly clear that she was born to move in circles such as this, especially when she charmed the Lord-Lieutenant of the county. She was a strong, independent woman, socially accomplished, a partner any man would be proud of, and tonight that lucky bastard was him.
“I think they’re ready for us to go in.”
Her hand rested on his forearm. With a smile, he picked it up, kissed her fingers, and tucked it into the crook of his elbow. “So they are. Shall we?”
They took their place the line of guests and filed into the banqueting room.
Maddie was more than the charming companion of his imagination. As the evening progressed, surrounded by the great and the good, she was as graceful as a swan. He watched her deal with the curiosity of people who’d known him for years and wondered what she was to him. The answer to that was simple—she was so much more than a ship passing through his night.
Unable to resist, he reached across for the hand resting on her lap and transferred it to his. For the first couple of minutes, she continued her conversation with the man to her left. At a natural break, she angled her head more towards Guy and glanced down at their hands. Her gaze lifted to his, and while there was a question in the hint of a frown, the subtle curve of her lips belied any suggestion of displeasure. And he knew he didn’t imagine the almost imperceptible tightening of her fingers on his thigh.
Maddie made the evening not just bearable—she made it far more enjoyable than Guy could ever have imagined. She was the perfect dining companion, and the perfect recipient for his raffle prize, a voucher for a day of pampering at a luxury spa. She’d protested the gift, of course, and as an experiment, he’d tried his implacable Dom look on her. Interestingly, she’d acquiesced with no further objection.
When they’d taken to the dance floor, she’d moved with him as if they were made for one another. She was sweet heaven in his arms, until she’d suddenly stumbled and fallen against him.
“I’m sorry.” She put her hands on his biceps and pushed herself upright.
“Let’s go and sit down. Are you all right?”
With their arms linked, he detected a slight halt in her gait as they returned to their table. He’d never noticed it before, and wondered what was going on. He pulled out her chair at the dinner table, and held her hand as she lowered herself to the seat.
“I’m fine, really, it’s nothing.”
“You nearly collapsed on me. It’s not nothing. Can I get you some water?”
“That would be lovely, thank you.”
Guy poured a tumbler from the carafe on the table. He handed it to Maddie, and crouched in front of her, scanning her face to reassure himself she was as fine as she claimed to be. She sipped the water and gave him a slightly shaky smile.
“I was in an accident a few years ago. I broke my leg, and it didn’t heal quite as well as it should have. Sometimes I forget, and if I move too fast, doing something other than walking in a straight line, it can play up. It’ll be fine, honestly—don’t worry.”
But he did worry. This woman was on his mind for all sorts of reasons, and she’d just unwittingly added another. Sometimes she reminded him so much…
No, he wasn’t going there. Maddie wasn’t Liz, and his interest in her had nothing to do with any occasional superficial similarities.
“Ready to call it a night?”
“Would you mind?”
“Not at all. Let’s go.”
Truth be told, Guy was relieved to have an excuse to leave the party. Wine had been flowing freely, and it was beginning to show among some of the guests. Having already left his bids for the charity auction that would end the evening, he wished their table companions a good evening. With Maddie on his arm, they made the short journey up to their rooms.
“Would you like to join me for a nightcap?”
She shook her head. “You don’t mind, do you? I’m really tired. It’s been a busy week at work, and with my leg playing up…”
“Don’t worry, I understand.” While disappointment crashed through him, he wasn’t going to attempt to persuade her change her mind. If she wasn’t ready, she wasn’t ready, and if she was in pain as well, that was another good reason to let her have her rest. He’d had the great good fortune to have her company for the evening. The last thing he wanted now was to put her in the kind of awkward position that could send her running. “Do you need any help?”
With a gentle smile, she shook her head. “That’s very kind of you, but I’ll be fine, thank you.”
He leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “Then get a good night’s sleep, and I’ll see you for breakfast.”
“I hope so.”
The last, lingering kiss of the evening helped to ease the sting of disappointment. The door of her room closed, and Guy headed to his suite, pulling his tie loose as he went. He tossed his jacket on a chair, followed it with the tie, and toed off his shoes. Thank God he’d had room service deliver a bottle of whisky earlier. A good, stiff Scotch or three should leave him pleasantly numb and unable to brood too much about spending the remainder of the night alone.
“I don’t suppose you happen to have another glass?”
He whirled around. The quiet question came from the direction of the adjoining doors. His heart nearly stopped. Holy shit.
She was… intoxicating. With her hair falling loose in a cloud of dark-chocolate silk, she was the living fulfilment of his earlier fantasies. And nothing could have been more alluring than the suggestion of curves beneath the elegant simplicity of her nightgown. Ivory satin and lace, classic and unfussy.
“Maddie.”
“I like it when you call me Madeleine. It… makes it special.”
“Then spend the night with me, Madeleine.”
“It’ll be my pleasure.”