Page 17 of Shade
Is he for real?
Sadly, he is for real, and I’m about to have some fun with him to mask my own embarrassment. I smile and wink at him. “Well, I hate to break it to you, but I’m not. You’re in a hotel,” I point out, and then motion to my body. “I’m dressed in a hotel uniform so that would make me a maid,not a stripper.”
To my surprise, Tiller tosses his head back and laughs darkly, a loud booming sound that carries through the small elevator. “We could reenact that night I fucked the stripper if you want, only you can show me how arealmaid does it.”
I don’t even look in his direction when I say, “Thanks, butno thanks.”
He nudges Shade with his elbow and then cocks his head to the side, like he doesn’t hear me right, and dang it, he looks just as good his brother. “Can you believe this shit? She said no tome,” he says, like the idea someone would deny him is preposterous.
Shade glances up at him but doesn’t say anything, his head slowly tilting back to his phone. At least I think they do. He’s wearing sunglasses so I have no idea what he’s looking at—aside from his phone, the direction his head is tipped.
When we reach the third floor, I panic internally because I’m supposed to get off on this floor but there’s no way I’m exiting the elevator with Shade on it. I’ll ride it all day long if he’s in here.
Quickly pressing the button, the mirrored doors close and we’re heading back up to the penthouse suite. Me, the Sawyer brothers, and the Doublemint twins.
My stare focuses on Shade and the way he won’t even acknowledge my presence in the elevator with them. I do feel slightly better he doesn’t look atanyone. It’s like he’s in a world by himself hidden behind his dark sunglasses.
My heart pounds in my chest so loudly I’m sure they can all hear it but then again, the girls are laughing and talking so loudly I doubt anyone can hear a goddamn thing.
Look how beautiful he is. He’s leaner than he was the last time I saw him. He’s wearing black jeans and a white button-down shirt, the top few buttons undone revealing his beautiful, artful ink spread across his neck and up the side of his half-shaved head. On the top of his head he’s got a mess of dark hair he brushes to the side, out of his face every so often.
He’s the most beautiful man alive, isn’t he?
Not only do I think that but millions of others do too. Don’t believe me? He was actually voted as the most beautiful man of the year byPeoplemagazine and being this close to him now, I can totally see why.
Look at me, Shade! Just look and you’ll remember me!
What the fuck is so interesting with his phone?
Tiller doesn’t say anything else to me, maybe because I dismissed his ass. Instead, he’s looking at the girls in the elevator, as if he wants to shove something in their mouths to get them to stop talking. I know what he wants to shove in there, too.
The more talkative of the two wraps her skinny arms around his waist. “You like me, right?”
Why would she even bother asking that? Of course he doesn’t. Even I don’t ask stupid questions like that.
“No, I don’tlike you.” Tiller chuckles, pinning her with his intimidating stare. “I don’tlikeanyone. I’m just trying to get my dick in your mouth by the end of the night.”
See? Told you.
I stifle back a laugh, smiling internally, but then I’m watching Shade again, his attention on his phone growing more concerning. His left hand that’s holding it is now shaking, his jaw clenching and unclenching, the muscles in his arms tightening and if you look at his chest, it’s rising and falling rapidly, as if what he sees on his phone is disturbing him.
My heart lurches in my chest, goes out to him even though I have no idea what’s going on. All I know is I want to take that feeling away from him.
Tiller senses there’s something going on and pushes off the side of the elevator to stand next to Shade, the girl clinging to his body staying with him, like she can’t possibly bear to part herself from him.
Tiller whispers something in his ear, but Shade immediately shakes his head, as if he won’t entertain the idea of what he’s asking.
The shorter of the twins, the one with the bright-red lipstick on, checks herself in the mirrored walls and then tucks her arm around Shade’s. “It’s certainly true you’re the sexiest man alive, isn’t it?”
Shade says nothing, doesn’t even acknowledge her.
Ha. Sucks to be you, slut.
She ups her antics by purring in his ear, “I can’t wait to see the rest of your tattoos. How low does the one on your stomach go?”
Tiller chuckles darkly and mumbles, “Hate to break it to you, but you’re not going to find out tonight, sweetheart.”
“Says who?” she snaps back, unamused with Tiller. Hell, even her sister wrapped around him laughs.
