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“Hmm, yeah, because it would have felt great to wake up in bed with a guy I don’t know.”
“You do know me, Allison.” Her name felt like velvet on my tongue. I knew she didn’t like it, but I liked the way it riled her up. Besides, I was serious about not calling her what everyone else did.
“That again?” She shifted around. I knew she was trying to get up, but I wasn’t quite ready to let go yet.
“You are really cute when you get angry.”
“Just shut up and let go of me so I can get the heck out of here.”
“Wow, calm down. Aren’t you going to let me make you breakfast? It’s the least I can do for the girl I just spent the night with.”
“I did not spend the night with you. We were on the couch.” She blinked again. I’d have to make sure she brought a case for her contacts next time she spent the night at my place. The next time. That thought got me excited.
“You spent the night in my arms, sweetheart. Sex or no sex, you can’t argue that.”
She groaned just as Owen walked into the room. He always had impeccable timing. I moved my arm so Allie could sit up. She smoothed out her dress and stood.
“Good morning. Did you enjoy the wonderful accommodations of our living room?”
“Where’s Jess? Please tell me she’s here somewhere.” Allie’s voice was a mix of worry and embarrassment. She didn’t need to feel either. Jared wouldn’t have hurt Jess, and she’d slept with me on the couch. What was embarrassing about that?
“She’s in with Jared,” Owen and I answered at the same time.
“Um, could one of you please get her for me?” She picked up her purse off the ground and put back on her flip-flops. Was she really just going to leave like that?
I couldn’t get upset about it. I had no reason to. I’d just take her out again and end the night in my bed next time. But maybe I could stall her awhile longer. “There’s no way I’m taking the chance of seeing Jared naked.” I stretched in an exaggerated way to let her know I wasn’t in any hurry.
She scrunched up her face. “Gross. Fine. Which room is his?”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. We have to be at work in like twenty minutes.”
Again about work? Maybe her dad was as much of a hard ass as mine. Even so, I still had to try to get her to stay awhile. “Well, if you are already going to be late, you might as well stay for breakfast.”
“Which room is his?” She repeated.
Owen pointed and she marched down the hall. A few minutes later, she opened the front door with Jess chasing after her. She was busy fidgeting with her sandals as Allie stepped outside. “You could have at least let me get dressed!”
Allie didn’t respond. She only threw her an annoyed look. Even her annoyed look was cute. I was losing it.
“Thanks for an amazing night, Allison!” I laughed, enjoying her reaction to everything. She was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. And the hottest.
The girls were still arguing as they stepped into a cab.
Jared walked out of his room in just a pair of pajama pants. “Lovely morning, isn’t it?”
I ignored him and started to make a pot of coffee.
“What’s gotten into him?” Jared hopped up on the island counter.
“He spent the night on the couch.” Owen took a bite out of an apple.
“Wait? You gave up your room to the girl and didn’t join her?” The huge smirk on Jared’s face said it all.
“No. He spent the night on the couch with her.”
“With clothes on?” Jared raised an eyebrow.
“Yes.” I was tired of letting Owen answer for me.
Jared cracked up. “Seriously? You slept with the girl on the couch?”
“Her name’s Allie.” I may have called her Allison to her face, but I didn’t want Jared calling her that too.
“Well, I definitely didn’t just sleep on the couch with her friend.”
“Yeah. We heard.” Hailey walked into the kitchen.
“Too much for your innocent ears?” Jared smirked.
“Do you even remember her name?”
He laughed dryly. “It’s Jess. Give me some credit.”
“And do you know anything about her?” Hailey was really pushing her luck.
“Why do you care?” Jared hopped off the counter.
“Because you’re better than that.”
“Because I’m better than that?” He pointed to his chest. “What about her?”
“She can do whatever she wants. I’m worried about you. You’re going to be heading for a lonely life if you don’t stop this.”
“Glad you’re worried about me, but I’d be more worried about Levi here. I think he’s lost his touch.”
“Shut up,” I snapped at him. I was frustrated enough already, although not about the lack of sex. Strangely, that didn’t bother me. But she didn’t stay. I refused to believe she wasn’t interested, but she was definitely making it hard.
“I’m proud of you,” Hailey patted me on the shoulder.
“Great. Just what I always wanted.”
“And I’m rooting for you. I like Allie and want her to stick around.”
I poured myself a cup of black coffee. “She will be. Don’t worry about that.”
“What’s your plan, Cassanova?” Owen reached around me to get a mug down from the cabinet.
“I’m taking her out for lunch.”
“Funny. I didn’t hear you guys making plans.” Owen took a seat on a stool.
“We’re going out to lunch.” I made my exit. I was in no mood to listen to any more crap from my friends.
Chapter Seven
I wasn’t positive what her job was at the hotel, but I knew someone who would undoubtedly know. I walked into the lobby and headed right over to the desk. Luck was with me, and the manager was standing behind one of the computers.
“Good afternoon, Natalie.”
The blonde woman glanced up and her posture changed immediately. She stood up straight and plastered on a smile. “Good afternoon, Levi. What a pleasant surprise.”
I smiled back. “I’m actually here to see Allie. We have lunch plans.”
“Oh.” A look of surprise crossed her face. “I didn’t know you two were friendly.”
I put a hand down on the counter between us. “We’re more than friendly.” I don’t know why I added that part. I didn’t have to. Natalie was going to tell me where Allie was no matter how well I knew her.
“You do know me, Allison.” Her name felt like velvet on my tongue. I knew she didn’t like it, but I liked the way it riled her up. Besides, I was serious about not calling her what everyone else did.
“That again?” She shifted around. I knew she was trying to get up, but I wasn’t quite ready to let go yet.
“You are really cute when you get angry.”
“Just shut up and let go of me so I can get the heck out of here.”
“Wow, calm down. Aren’t you going to let me make you breakfast? It’s the least I can do for the girl I just spent the night with.”
“I did not spend the night with you. We were on the couch.” She blinked again. I’d have to make sure she brought a case for her contacts next time she spent the night at my place. The next time. That thought got me excited.
“You spent the night in my arms, sweetheart. Sex or no sex, you can’t argue that.”
She groaned just as Owen walked into the room. He always had impeccable timing. I moved my arm so Allie could sit up. She smoothed out her dress and stood.
“Good morning. Did you enjoy the wonderful accommodations of our living room?”
“Where’s Jess? Please tell me she’s here somewhere.” Allie’s voice was a mix of worry and embarrassment. She didn’t need to feel either. Jared wouldn’t have hurt Jess, and she’d slept with me on the couch. What was embarrassing about that?
“She’s in with Jared,” Owen and I answered at the same time.
“Um, could one of you please get her for me?” She picked up her purse off the ground and put back on her flip-flops. Was she really just going to leave like that?
I couldn’t get upset about it. I had no reason to. I’d just take her out again and end the night in my bed next time. But maybe I could stall her awhile longer. “There’s no way I’m taking the chance of seeing Jared naked.” I stretched in an exaggerated way to let her know I wasn’t in any hurry.
She scrunched up her face. “Gross. Fine. Which room is his?”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. We have to be at work in like twenty minutes.”
Again about work? Maybe her dad was as much of a hard ass as mine. Even so, I still had to try to get her to stay awhile. “Well, if you are already going to be late, you might as well stay for breakfast.”
“Which room is his?” She repeated.
Owen pointed and she marched down the hall. A few minutes later, she opened the front door with Jess chasing after her. She was busy fidgeting with her sandals as Allie stepped outside. “You could have at least let me get dressed!”
Allie didn’t respond. She only threw her an annoyed look. Even her annoyed look was cute. I was losing it.
“Thanks for an amazing night, Allison!” I laughed, enjoying her reaction to everything. She was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. And the hottest.
The girls were still arguing as they stepped into a cab.
Jared walked out of his room in just a pair of pajama pants. “Lovely morning, isn’t it?”
I ignored him and started to make a pot of coffee.
“What’s gotten into him?” Jared hopped up on the island counter.
“He spent the night on the couch.” Owen took a bite out of an apple.
“Wait? You gave up your room to the girl and didn’t join her?” The huge smirk on Jared’s face said it all.
“No. He spent the night on the couch with her.”
“With clothes on?” Jared raised an eyebrow.
“Yes.” I was tired of letting Owen answer for me.
Jared cracked up. “Seriously? You slept with the girl on the couch?”
“Her name’s Allie.” I may have called her Allison to her face, but I didn’t want Jared calling her that too.
“Well, I definitely didn’t just sleep on the couch with her friend.”
“Yeah. We heard.” Hailey walked into the kitchen.
“Too much for your innocent ears?” Jared smirked.
“Do you even remember her name?”
He laughed dryly. “It’s Jess. Give me some credit.”
“And do you know anything about her?” Hailey was really pushing her luck.
“Why do you care?” Jared hopped off the counter.
“Because you’re better than that.”
“Because I’m better than that?” He pointed to his chest. “What about her?”
“She can do whatever she wants. I’m worried about you. You’re going to be heading for a lonely life if you don’t stop this.”
“Glad you’re worried about me, but I’d be more worried about Levi here. I think he’s lost his touch.”
“Shut up,” I snapped at him. I was frustrated enough already, although not about the lack of sex. Strangely, that didn’t bother me. But she didn’t stay. I refused to believe she wasn’t interested, but she was definitely making it hard.
“I’m proud of you,” Hailey patted me on the shoulder.
“Great. Just what I always wanted.”
“And I’m rooting for you. I like Allie and want her to stick around.”
I poured myself a cup of black coffee. “She will be. Don’t worry about that.”
“What’s your plan, Cassanova?” Owen reached around me to get a mug down from the cabinet.
“I’m taking her out for lunch.”
“Funny. I didn’t hear you guys making plans.” Owen took a seat on a stool.
“We’re going out to lunch.” I made my exit. I was in no mood to listen to any more crap from my friends.
Chapter Seven
I wasn’t positive what her job was at the hotel, but I knew someone who would undoubtedly know. I walked into the lobby and headed right over to the desk. Luck was with me, and the manager was standing behind one of the computers.
“Good afternoon, Natalie.”
The blonde woman glanced up and her posture changed immediately. She stood up straight and plastered on a smile. “Good afternoon, Levi. What a pleasant surprise.”
I smiled back. “I’m actually here to see Allie. We have lunch plans.”
“Oh.” A look of surprise crossed her face. “I didn’t know you two were friendly.”
I put a hand down on the counter between us. “We’re more than friendly.” I don’t know why I added that part. I didn’t have to. Natalie was going to tell me where Allie was no matter how well I knew her.
