I lean into the kiss, letting him know I trust him. As soon as the elevator doors open, he’s backing me out, our lips never parting. As awkward as it is to walk backward, not knowing how far we are going, I don’t pull away. I don’t break the kiss. I meld with him completely until we come to a stop and he moves one hand to fumble in his back pocket.
“Damn it,” he mumbles against my lips before pulling back. “Why is it so hard to get your wallet out of your back pocket?”
“I don’t know,” I lean against the door we stopped in front of. “Maybe it’s because your jeans are so damn tight that it would take a force of nature to pull it out.”
He looks down at the jeans in question. “You don’t like them?”
That doesn’t deserve an answer, but I give it to him, anyway. “I do. But it is making it take longer to get into the room,” I pause for a second, “and so does sitting outside your room talking about your clothing. It’d be a lot better if we were inside and they were on the floor.”
His mouth drops open. I guess he wasn’t expecting me to say that. It’s not like I’m a prude or anything, but I can see why he might be surprised by my comment. “I guess we better remedy that.” He finally gets the wallet out of his pocket, and searches for the key card. He waves it in front of the door, but the light stays a steady red. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he groans.
“Did you have it in the little paper sleeve while it was in your wallet?” I’m ninety percent sure I know what happened, and he’s not going to like the answer.
“I’m not sure?” It comes out as a question, and I have my answer.
“Are you sure we’re at the right room?” Might as well, figure that out while we’re at it.
“Yes,” he nods emphatically. “We definitely have the right door. What does that have to do with anything?”
I shake my head at him. Amateur. “Well, if we’re at the right room,” I yank the key card out of his hand and try waving it in front of the reader with no luck. “That means the data on your key card was erased.”
“How is that even possible?”
“There’s a reason they tell you to keep it in the sleeve.” I’m always amused at how many people don’t know this. It’s happened to me on one occasion and that’s all it took for me to remember to put in in there. At his raised eyebrows, I continue, “If you put it in with the rest of the credit cards in your wallet, it can sometimes erase the card.”
“How does that even work?” He gently pulls the card from my hand, turning it back and forth. Looking for something that can explain this.
“I don’t know,” I shrug. “Technology magic?”
He pulls me back to him and brings his mouth to my ear. “I guess it’s a good thing you came back with me after all.” The way his breath tickles my ear sends tingles down my spine. I know what that mouth is capable of, and if it wasn’t for this damn door, I’d be experiencing it right now. He leans back. “Seriously,” he smirks, knowing damn well what he’s doing, and how it affects me. “I would have been here for another thirty minutes trying to get it to work before admitting defeat.”
“Well, I guess you better get your ass down to the concierge desk and get a new one.”
“Why’s that?” An older couple walks behind, knowing smiles gracing their face as they pass us by. No doubt thinking about what they were like when they first started dating. Or hell, maybe they still act that way. I’ve never seen a long-lasting relationship except my parents, and half the time they don’t look like they even like each other. At least, not then. “Jolene?”
His voice breaks me out of my thoughts. “Um, because the bed is in there, and we are out here.” I’m playing innocent when he knows damn well why we both want in that room.
“You mean, you want to use the bed to sleep?”
“I do like my sleep,” I tap my finger against my chin. My lips curling at the game we’re playing.
“Hmm, I guess I could go get a new one so you can get some sleep.” He winks at me as he turns back toward the elevators. “Don’t go anywhere.”
Rolling my eyes, I slide down the door until my butt hits the floor. “Hurry up, tease. We’d already be in there if you listened to the clerk when they gave you the card.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he mock salutes and picks up his pace.
My heart soars as I watch him rush down the hallway and then disappear into the hallway. This is a playful side I’m not sure others get to see. I’m only happy he allows me in. Allows me to witness the soft side of his hard exterior.
I know I have a good ten or fifteen minutes until he comes back. I might as well do something useful.
Jolene: Hey girl, did you make it home okay?
Lana: Yep. Snug in my bed. You home?
Jolene: Nope. At the hotel with Bentley.
Lana: Why the hell are you texting me?????