She broke off the kiss with a laugh. “Miss me much?”
“Aye, lassie.” Fin held on with one arm and took her bag from the porter with the other. “Thanks, Ted. Appreciate your help with fetchingmo ghràdh.”
“Hey, I can carry that.” Alex reached for her bag.
“Och, no. I’ve got it. They’ll be bringing your luggage along shortly, so you may need your hands for those.”
Alex spotted two large suitcases beside him and raised an eyebrow. “No traveling light for you this time?”
Fin followed her gaze. “No, I’m leaving most of this stuff in Los Angeles. I didnae expect to be there this much, but since everything exploded, I need a semi-permanent place to stay. Addie has a cabana in her backyard similar to Eddie’s garage apartment, so I’m staying there for now.” He shrugged. “Would you like to sit while we wait for your bags? I have a car service on standby, and we can walk straight from here to the car park without being seen. It’s a similar setup to the one at Heathrow.”
“Ms. Tanner?” a voice behind her spoke. Alex turned to find a uniformed woman standing with her suitcase beside her.
“Goodness, that was quick.”
The woman smiled and nodded. “We aim to please.”
Fin stepped up beside Alex and the woman stared, her mouth dropping open. “Thanks, lass,” he said and handed her a tip.
“Thank you, sir!” she responded crisply. Then broke all professional decorum by giggling and spinning away.
Alex and Fin looked at each other and laughed. “Seems like they’d be accustomed to coming in contact with celebrities,” Alex observed.
“Aye. Perhaps she’s new. Ready to go?”
“Absolutely!” she exclaimed. She couldn’t stop grinning.
Half an hour later, they followed a porter to their suite on the fifty-fourth floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Alex walked in first and stopped, taking in the room’s luxury. The focal point of the room was where the two floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Central Park joined in the corner. A semi-circle couch faced the stunning view.
Fin gently nudged her further into the room, allowing the porter access to the bedroom off to their left, where he deposited their luggage. Alex followed and marveled at the second floor-to-ceiling view overlooking downtown Manhattan, while Fin thanked and tipped the man. As the door shut behind him, leaving them alone, she pivoted from the window to face Fin.
“My god, Fin, the view is breathtaking. When you told me you would arrange our accommodations, I didn’t give it much thought, but… Is this how you usually travel?”
“Hardly. I go more subtle than this. We’re only here for two nights, so I thought we’d indulge. I take it you like it?”
“It’s fantastic. I’ve never seen anything like this.” Alex wandered into the bath area and then back to the front room, inspecting the suite. “I’ve never stayed in a hotel room equipped with a guest bathroom. That’s hilarious.”
“Aye. I did some research, and many celebrities stay here. I imagine they take meetings in the living area and the guest toilet allows them to host others in their room without compromising their private area.”
“Oh. Well, that makes sense. We didn’t really need a suite, though, did we?”
“No, but I thought we might spend lots of time here and the suites have a cozy dining area. That allows us the option to wander around like tourists or stay put the entire time and never leave.”
“Nice. Who knew you were such a meticulous planner?” Alex walked back to Fin and ran her hands up his chest and around his neck. “I’ve missed you.”
He bent his head and kissed her softly. “Aye, lass. It’s been difficult. Those first two weeks with each other spoiled me, I suppose.”
Alex’s stomach picked that moment to rumble, and Fin laughed. “Hold that thought. We should get something to eat, aye? I’m hungry too. Do you wish to go out or order room service?”
“Let’s go out. After sitting on a plane for hours, my legs could use a good stretch. I’m sure the concierge could direct us to a wonderful eating establishment around here.”
“Sounds good.”
Alex stuck her room card in her purse and slung it over her shoulder as they left the suite. They discovered the hotel was part of a large complex containing a variety of places to eat, and they didn’t have to walk far at all.
While they ate, Fin told her what he’d read about the hotel and its amenities. When he mentioned the swimming pool, Alex was glad she had packed her swimsuit.
“So the spa is supposed to be top-notch. They have this treatment called a couple’s escape where we could get special baths, then side-by-side massages and several other spa treatments. I was ready to sign us up for that until I realized it lasted for four hours.”
