Kissed Blind (Hot Pursuit #2)(74)

He glanced down at his watch. “Half an hour. And then you owe me an explanation.”

I nodded, and my stomach plummeted as I walked into my room.

Half cream and half gray walls led into my suite. Two large rooms, a bedroom and a living area, were separated by tall, sliding wooden barn doors. I was going to be sleeping in a black canopy bed covered in fluffy white linens. It was going to be all mine for the next thirty-six hours. I spun around, arms open wide, and took it in. Something struck me and I laughed, because it was just that fabulous.

I dove, face first into my bed and breathed it in. I grabbed a pillow and squished it to my chest. I could have easily dozed off, but the bellhop arrived with my bags and roused me from my bed.

I hung my clothes in the closet, set an outfit out from my suitcase on my bed, and hopped in the shower. I had an inexplicable spring in my step I chalked up to my change of venue.

I didn’t bother with makeup—dewy clean skin would suit me fine—and I left my hair wet; drying it would take too long, and Vance would be at my door any second. I rubbed some of the lotion left on the sink on my legs and arms. My skin hadn’t seen the sun in a while so I was paler than I would have liked to have been for shorts, but at least I’d smell good and be moisturized. As I screwed the cap back on the bottle, Vance arrived.

I gathered some things into a small hand bag and looked through the peephole. Vance stood in the hallway recently showered as well. His wet hair had been combed back with his fingers, and his cheeks still held the glow from hot water.

“Hey.” I stepped out and let the door close behind me. “I’m so hungry I can’t wait to see the menu.” I walked away, but when I looked back, Vance wasn’t following. “What are you doing? Come on.” I waved my hand.

“Look at you.” His mouth was agape.

I stopped and looked down. I’d snuck in time to paint my toes before I left, and they were a cute pink. Nothing wrong there. My zipper was closed on my shorts. I twisted my body to check out my behind. Had Mother Nature played a cruel joke because I’d chosen to wear white shorts? No. Were my bra straps showing? No, again. After my once over, nothing in particular struck me as odd. “What?”

He leaned against the wall and released an appreciative sigh. “You look spectacular.”

“Oh.” I blushed and smiled. “I thought I sat in ketchup or something.”

He shook his head faintly. “No, you just caught me off guard.”

“Well, it’s the same old me.” I curtsied.

He shook his head. “No, there’s something different. It’s not your clothes.” He stroked his chin. “But it could be your hair.” He snickered.

“It takes too long to dry. I knew I’d end up keeping you waiting. Besides, if we’re eating poolside, I’ll fit right in, right?”

“Wrong.”

“I swear you’re giving me a complex. What’s wrong with the way I look?”

“Absolutely nothing. It’s every kind of right. Trust me.”

“Oh.” I beamed. “Thanks.”

“Let’s go eat. We have a lot to discuss.” He placed his hand on the small of my back and led me to the elevator.

We were taken to a table for two on the outer edge of the pool. I ordered a glass of pinot grigio, and Vance ordered a beer. The water in the pool glistened in the fading evening light. The sky had been painted a beautiful shade of rose with streaks of tangerine. The temperature was comfortably warm, and the bar played music I could easily hum along with or ignore. I sat back and took it all in. It may not have been a vacation, but it felt like one for the time being.

“So, there are some things we need to discuss,” Vance said, drinking his pale yellow lager.

I let out a quick breath. I’d thought about what I might say while I was in the shower but hadn’t settled on anything. How could I bring up the kiss again? He probably hadn’t given it a second thought since he pushed me out of the way when Cici had arrived on his parent’s driveway. I was going to sound like the biggest kind of stupid.

“Have you had a chance to read through the schedule and maps for tomorrow?” Vance asked sprinkling salt on his coaster. He set his beer down on the granules.

My shoulders relaxed a little. He’d bought me some more time to think. Or maybe he’d forgotten and this is the conversation he’d wanted to have all along. I dared to dream. “Uh, yeah. I read through it before we left.” I spun the skinny stem of my glass between my fingers.

“Right, so given the circumstances with you and Oliver, I think I should lead the way for him on the red carpet and you bring up the rear.”

My eyes shot up. I should have known he would have suspected something was up. I gathered the spit in my mouth and swallowed. “What do you mean ‘given the situation with me and Oliver?’”

“You know the stuff about you two being an item, the stuff that’s been in the papers.”

I tossed my head back. “Oh, right.”

He squinted. “Rrright. So anyway, I’ll get out first and follow Cici as she takes them to the photo spots, autograph signing stations, and interview points.”

“Okay, that makes sense.”

We reviewed all the finer points for the following day at the dinner and at the ceremony. When I thought we’d covered everything, I picked up my menu. “Is it me, or does everything look good?” The appetizers, main courses, desserts, I wanted them all.