She struggled momentarily to lift herself, her bottom wiggling against his lap as she had to grip one of his shoulders and one thigh for leverage, and then she felt it, protruding hard against her backside. “Oh!”
Well, well, well. Her jaw almost dropped but she snapped it shut.
His hands fell from her waist entirely. At first he grimaced. But then he lowered his gaze with a wistful, embarrassed smile, scratching at his forehead to avoid eye contact.
“Maybe call it even on the blackmail?” he asked, voice thick.
Although still gripping his shoulder and thigh, Perdie slowly extricated herself from his lap, balancing herself carefully onto the floor. “Deal.” She dusted at her clothes with her back to him for a few moments.
She also discreetly swooped up the vibrator, tucked it into the pocket of her suitcase, and with little hops, slid the flats onto her feet, marveling at the relief. Now she had a reasonable center of gravity. Falling on Carter’s lap a second time would bear much more serious consequences.
Carter adjusted his coat, then rose from the chair. “I was wondering when you were going to do that.”
“Huh?”
“Change out of those heels. Looks like hell to walk in.” He nodded absently, having apparently recovered from their encounter, now scrolling on his phone. “There’s a hotel connected to the airport. According to my weather app, the snow is expected to worsen every hour for the next four hours. That rules out another Uber. Staying here is our best bet.”
Our best bet. They were in this together now by virtue of a lawsuit and a shared ride. She had only herself to blame for that second part. A shared intimacy burgeoned between them, the kind of intimacy that developed when people faced emergencies together.
But Perdie had to admit it was more than that. Nestling into his lap was too intimate. And he...he was too good-looking, eyes darkened and hair tousled like he’d been up to something illicit. Which, well, they almost kinda had, hadn’t they?
Easy plucking, indeed.
She didn’t need reminding of any potential career ramifications of her flirting. Not that it was against any rules, technically speaking. Rumors permeated around more than one senior partner. But these were all men in positions of power screwing around with subordinates. Everyone tended to look the other way.
If her managing partner caught wind of these antics...something told her she wouldn’t receive the same benefit of their feigned ignorance.
Carter gestured towards the walkway. “Shall we find the hotel?”
Perdie extended the handle of her suitcase. The least she could do was get a good night’s sleep. “We sure should.”
But oh lord. Would she?
Chapter Three
“Sorry, we only have one available room.”
Carter’s large frame leaned against the edge of the reception counter, while Perdie stood, arms crossed. Perdie couldn’t believe the way the front desk clerk said the words one available room as if they were completely normal words to say.
Frustrated, she rubbed at her face. It was going to be a long night, and she was currently living out the life of some kind of warped romance novel heroine, except she wasn’t lithe, gracile, and blonde, and her bra hurt like all fuck.
“You take the room,” she said to Carter. “I’ll find a hotel nearby.” At this point she ached for nothing more than to wallow in aloneness. Having Carter around made her clothes feel too tight. It was time to be rid of them and him once and for all.
“Oh no, sweetie. The other nearby hotels are booked,” said the desk clerk. “We’ve been conferring since the storm started more than two hours ago.”
Perdie shook her head slowly, weighing her lack of options. “I’ll wait in the terminal. No biggie.”
In her youth, she’d spent a night or two in an airport terminal, using her suitcase as a pillow and a bra as an eye mask. Usually with Lucille though, after canceled spring break plans. Never as a full-grown adult with a respectable checking account.
“Nope, not happening. My mothers would slaughter me alive for letting you sleep in an airport terminal.” Carter canted his head towards the reception desk. “You take the room. I’ll figure something out.”
Perdie rolled her eyes. “Don’t put me in this weird position where I have to accept the room because of your misguided sense of chivalry. It makes me feel like I owe you.”
“I’ll take the room.” The voice chimed in behind them. A line had formed, and they were both in danger of losing the only hotel room available. She had to act fast.
“No, it’s ours,” she spit out.
The desk clerk’s eyebrows shot up.
Perdie, panicked, glanced to Carter. “I was thinking maybe we’d...share?”
An arch look crossed his face, and then he slowly dug into his pocket, retrieving his wallet. “Two keys please.”
Perdie beseeched the woman behind her desk. “Tell me there are two beds in this room.”
The woman’s smile tightened as she typed at her keyboard. “There are two beds in this room...”
Perdie let out an exhale of relief. Finally, one thing going right.
“Except there’s only one.” The desk clerk gave a rueful smile. “I’m so sorry, ma’am.”
Perdie’s body slumped at the words. She mumbled to herself, “That checks out.”
The woman slid two plastic key cards across the counter. “You’re welcome to a complimentary chocolate chip cookie.”
The green light flashed as Carter shouldered his way through the door to their room. Behind him, Perdie clutched three plastic-wrapped cookies to her chest like they were stolen Fabergé eggs.
It was fair to say she was freaking the fuck out.
