Deep Focus by Erin McCarthy Read Free Book Online

she’d gotten him. He needed to dial it back a notch, be more sensitive.
    Now she was brooding and he wasn’t sure why. Was it the whole situation, or was it his stupid underwear joke? She had paused outside to lift her face to the sun and breathed in deeply. Maybe she was just relaxing. Reflecting. He stayed silent throughout the drive and tipped the driver when they arrived at the resort. Rolling both bags behind him, he let her wander into the lobby first, a little surprised at how average the resort was. It wasn’t luxurious by any means. So it seemed that on top of Ian’s poor timing, he was a boyfriend with a budget. It was a nice resort, and more than adequate for Hunter, but it honestly looked like something he and his small bank account would have chosen, not what a multimillionaire would choose. But hell, maybe Ian didn’t like wasting money. Nothing wrong with that.
    Frankly, he was glad. He personally felt uncomfortable in a chi-chi environment. Like a bull in a china shop. He didn’t have the clothes or the manners or the money to hang with a highbrow crowd, so he was pleased with the way this trip was turning out. What had started out as an onerous task to earn a few bucks was now playing out to be a relaxed and easy week in the sun. With a gorgeous woman.
    Who was now raising her voice, upset at the desk clerk.
    He set their luggage aside and came up behind her. “What’s the matter?” He put a hand on the small of her back, hoping to reassure her. Melanie was tense, a frown on her face, shoulders tight.
    “We only have one room,” she told him over her shoulder.
    “I’m sorry, Ms. Ambrose,” the apologetic clerk said. “But this was what was booked for you. It’s a very nice room, overlooking the dolphin-swim area.”
    “I’m sure it’s lovely, but we need two rooms.”
    He was going to keep his mouth shut tight, because he didn’t particularly have a problem with sharing a room. In fact, he preferred it. He wasn’t used to having privacy, being alone. He had thought when he got back to the States that he would crave that space, and for the first few weeks, it had been blissful. But then it had gotten lonely. The downside of privacy was having no one to talk to, no one to share a thought or crack a joke with. He’d been in an all-male unit, and he missed the camaraderie, though not the smell. It had been a long time since he’d been allowed or able to share a space with a woman and all her feminine scents and quirks.
    Even if he and Melanie weren’t being intimate sexually, he wanted to be in her presence for a couple of days. He wondered what it took to make her laugh on a regular day, a day when she hadn’t just been dumped.
    “We have an additional room available at the same package price as the first room,” the clerk said.
    Melanie blanched. “Oh. Well. Never mind.” She glanced back at him. “I can call Ian. I mean, he should pay for your room. He’s the one who wanted you here. I’m sorry, I already maxed out my credit card paying for the trip package. I can’t afford another room.”
    Hold up. “
You
paid for the trip?” he asked, appalled. “What do you do for a living?” Not that it mattered. Ian made a ton of money, there was absolutely no reason he should have his girlfriend paying for his vacation. If they were both financially secure, sure, go halfsies, but Hunter was pretty goddamn sure that Melanie was not in the same income bracket.
    “I’m a PR rep. It’s a good job, but it’s not enough to pay for two rooms in Cancún.” There were suddenly tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry. This is all such a disaster. I have no idea why Ian would do this to me. I’m starting to think he actually hates me.” Her bottom lip trembled. “I’ve never had anyone be downright mean to me before. What did I do to deserve this?”
    Hunter opened his mouth to reassure her, but she just kept rolling.
    “And I mean, this is so embarrassing. We’re holding up the line and I