not to slide her gaze towards the bedroom.
Molly cocked her head to one side and smirked. ‘I can’t afford you.’
‘Well, here’s the thing, Sonia, the longer I sit here across from you and the more you fidget, the more inclined I am to waive my fee.’
‘Oh, I do have money for you.’
She got to her feet and tried to ignore the ticklish urge to shiver that ran across her shoulders as she moved to the table at the end of the sofa. The interest with which he watched her was so unnerving. Her back to him, she lifted her purse and took the few seconds she had with her face out of reach of his gaze to suck in a deep breath through puckered lips.
‘I booked your time and I’ll pay for it – or, rather, the company will – and we’ll hash this out.’
‘It’s a complicated matter. Are you sure you don’t want to at least take your shoes off?’
She glanced over her shoulder, enough to be sure he was still in his seat, enough to be sure he saw the lack of amusement on her face.
‘Last year, Barry REIT purchased our hotel from Taureau-Werner. Their brand is much different. Their focus is less on corporate clients and more on families. Maybe you’ve noticed that the pool has been closed for the past few weeks. When it reopens, the athletic pool will be gone and in its place will be an egg-shaped abomination with a water-slide. The lounge is next. Forget about spiced olives and venison carpaccio; it’ll be chicken fingers and personal pizzas.’
‘You don’t sound happy about the changes.’
‘I’m not,’ she admitted, shaking her purse and drawing its maw wide open. ‘I’ve been working here since I was sixteen years old. I stayed here because I liked the atmosphere. So, here’s my suggestion for you. You take your business elsewhere, to the Radisson or the Marriott or wherever. For the time being, anyway, Nick will continue his referrals, but you won’t return to the property.’
She caught movement from the corner of her eye, and jumped as he settled his hands on her hips. He had moved so quietly. She hadn’t even heard the sofa creak as he rose.
‘I have a counter offer.’
‘Take your hands off of me,’ she said in a shaky breath.
‘Just a moment. Just … settle.’
‘Don’t tell me to settle. If you don’t take your hands off of me, I’ll start screaming.’
He gave a low, rumbling laugh that danced over her shoulders. ‘Just hear me out. Give me until New Year’s Eve. Just another month and change, and that’s all.’
His breath beat against her cheek. She could feel it penetrate the skin and soak into her. It wasn’t as though he had any sort of grip on her; she could have moved aside and just evaded him, but it was as though that hand on her hip was an anchor he used to keep her against him.
She tried not to think of what he said about ‘unlocking’ a woman. She pushed it out of her head and pulled in a deep breath.
‘Why New Year’s Eve? Is that your busiest night?’
‘I’m not a pizza delivery man,’ he replied with laughter that skimmed over her ear. ‘New Year’s Eve is my last night. As in, I’m retiring after that.’
She turned her head just slightly. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Completely. I turn thirty-six on New Year’s Eve. I’ve been planning this night for a long time, and I would consider it a personal favour if you would let me have it unscathed.’
Molly opened her mouth to say something, but quickly discovered that she couldn’t come up with anything. She overflowed with questions that had only been slinking around her consciousness since she first noticed him all those months ago.
Only one poured out: ‘How long have you been doing this?’
‘Half my life. I started when I was eighteen.’ He squeezed his fingers into the swell of her hip. ‘Please, look the other way for six weeks, and then you’ll never see me again.’
‘Why should I?’
Molly went still as he dropped his chin on her shoulder.
‘We could come to some sort of arrangement,’ he said quietly.
‘Are you trying to bribe me?’ she scoffed. ‘Offering to cut me in or something?’
‘Or something. I like that.’ he murmured, wrapping his words around her as he said it again.
Or something.
The significance of ‘or something’ stole her objection. Delivered in such a soft, coaxing voice and mingling with the heat bleeding through her clothes, ‘or something’ swept her as far away as possible from what she knew she should do this moment.
He slid one hand forward until it lay flat on her stomach, and what little space left between them was closed.
‘You can tell me what you want, or you can show me.’
She turned her head and felt the heat from his mouth at the corner of hers. ‘I want you to take the money.’
He made a fist, bunching the front of her dress and tugging it up just a little, until the hem rubbed mid-thigh. Holding her at the nape of her neck, he nuzzled the sensitive slope. Only the faintest burn of bristle scraped against the skin, enough to raise goosebumps on her arms and legs.
‘And?’
She touched her tongue to her teeth. She hadn’t brought him here for this, but that ‘or something’ had made all the difference.
‘Or something’ had roused the wicked part of herself she hadn’t forgotten about and missed dreadfully. It whispered to her that no one would ever find out, and even if they did wouldn’t it be worth it? When would she have an opportunity like this again?
He propped his chin on her shoulder again. ‘What do you really want from me?’
She sucked in a breath in an attempt to claw back the words creeping over her tongue, but it was no use. ‘I want you to take my money and fuck me.’
‘That’s better,’ he said, and pressed his knee between her legs.
Molly was rendered breathless. Just a nudge, and she felt as though he had completely exposed her.
‘I’ll take your money,’ he went on. ‘Show it to me. Count it out.’
‘Don’t you trust me?’
‘I do. You’ve got a face I can trust, but I like experiencing a woman laying her money out. You can practically feel the temperature rising with each bill laid on top of another. Go on. Count it out for me.’
The tips of her fingers grew hot as she reached into her purse and drew out the fat envelope tucked between her wallet and cosmetics bag. As she scratched free the strip of tape that held the envelope closed, her skirt inched
