As Tanner walks away, my heart races in my chest. I’m unable to take my gaze from him. Why is he so damn handsome? I take a deep breath and focus on the task at hand, heading to the front desk to check us in. The receptionist smiles warmly as she greets me.
“Hello, I’m checking in,” I tell her with a smile. “Thorne, two rooms.”
I see the woman frown. “Are you sure that there’s two rooms under Thorne? I’m only seeing one.”
I stare at her dumbfounded as my stomach clenches at her words. "I'm sure there should be two rooms reserved under Thorne. Could you please double-check?"
She gives me a sympathetic look before glancing back at her computer. “I’m really sorry, there is only one for Thorne, in fact, I took that reservation a few days ago, we’re fully booked for the conference, Mr. Thorne was lucky we had the executive suite available.”
Tanner’s words just before he left to go to the conference center hit me. “Our room.” That fucker. He didn’t tell me that there was only one room. Shit, that doesn’t bode well for me. The receptionist hands over our room key, and I mumble my thanks as I move toward the elevator.
Once insideourroom, I press my back against the closed door, close my eyes, and let out a sigh and try to calm my racing thoughts. I want to kill him right now, what on earth was he thinking of booking only one room?
Tanner is my boss, and he knows how to get under my skin in more ways than one. Just when I think I can coincide with him as just my boss, he’ll flash that charming smile or he’ll tease me with his quick wit and just like that, I feel that spark between us that's hard to ignore.
I shake my head, trying to push aside these distracting feelings. Tomorrow is the big conference, and we have a job to do. I quickly unpack my things and start laying out the materials we'll need for our presentation. But no matter how hard I try to focus on work, Tanner's presence lingers in the back of my mind.
Opening my eyes, I feel the anger rise in me as I spot just the one queen size bed in the room. That asshole.
I storm out of the room, not caring about slamming the damned thing behind me. I’m determined to find Tanner and give him a piece of my mind.
As I make my way out of the hotel, my mind races with all the things I want to say to him. How could he not mention that there was only one room booked? Does he think this is some sort of joke? Not to mention only one bed? He’s got another thingcoming if he thinks he’ll be sleeping in that bed with me. The room is big enough for him to sleep comfortably on the floor.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity, I spot Tanner chatting with a group of people near the conference center. He looks up as he senses my approach, and his eyes light up with a mischievous glint.
“Hey, everything checked in okay?” he asks casually, clearly oblivious to the storm brewing inside me.
I clench my jaw, trying to contain my frustration. “You’ve got some nerve, Mr. Thorne,” I hiss through gritted teeth. “You booked only one room for us? What is wrong with you?”
Tanner’s expression shifts from nonchalance to realization, and a sheepish smile tugs at the corners of his lips. “There’s no other rooms available, Bella, the island is full, this convention is huge and the majority of hotels have been booked out for months. We were lucky to get the room that we got.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re actually enjoying this shit?” I grunt.
“I get that the room situation isn’t ideal,” he begins. “But we’ll make it work. You’re in paradise, Bella, enjoy it.”
I glare at him. “I could kill you right now. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
He raises a brow. “Had I told you, would you have come?”
“No, but?—”
He shakes his head. “But nothing, I need you here, this isn’t just a vacation, Arabella, this is work. So, while I get you’re pissed, you’re here to do your job.”
I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him, letting him know that I’m not happy. Far fucking from it. “What do you need me to do?”
Tanner grins, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "Well, we have a big presentation tomorrow, and I could use your helpwith the final touches. But before that, I'd like to take you out for dinner tonight, just the two of us."
My heart races at the thought of being alone with him, but I try to keep my emotions in check. "Why would you want to do that, Mr. Thorne?"
"Because we're going to be spending a lot of time together in this tight space, Arabella. I think we need to get to know each other better, break down any barriers we might have." He steps closer to me, his voice a soft murmur. "I promise you this evening will be nothing but professional."
I should say no, I should turn around and go to our room and stay there, but for some reason, there’s something about Tanner that I’m unable to resist. “Okay, but I need to change.”
His gaze travels along my body, heating as they do and sending shivers down my spine. “Yeah, I do too, why don’t you head on up and I’ll finish up here. I won’t be long.”
I nod, take a deep breath, and turn away from him, walking in the direction of our room. As I walk, I can't help but feel a mix of frustration and confusion. Why did he think it was a good idea to book only one room? And the single bed really pushed it. Did he want to make things as difficult as possible for us?
My mind keeps drifting back to Tanner's words about working together closely in the tight space, and my heart beats a little faster each time I think about it. I don't know if I can resist him for long, and the thought of being alone with him is both exhilarating and terrifying.
