that’s what I said?” Riana asked for the
hundredth time that week. She couldn’t possibly believe she agreed to any of
it. After that kiss—which still tied her stomach in knots every time she
thought about it—she didn’t remember a word he said. She was too busy watching
those lips move, wondering when he was going to kiss her again. She thought
about it every moment of every day.
She sighed. Those
sweet, sexy lips…
She slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. Idiot! Aren’t you in a mess already because
of those lips!
Loraine stuffed her mouth with more popcorn. “Yup. You,
my dear friend, agreed to service him every single night of those two weeks.
But he did promise to repay the favor tenfold.”
Riana dropped on the couch, her head in her hands.
“Oh, God. I agreed to have sex with a total stranger.”
“For two weeks.”
“I know that!” she snapped.
Loraine was quiet for a moment before she leaned in
and added conspiratorially. “Every. Single. Night.”
“Loraine!”
She shrugged backing away. “Hey, he hasn’t tried to
track you down in over a week. Maybe he’s changed his mind. Maybe he’s found
another girl to take.”
The thought of Allan taking another girl on a trip
he’d promised her after the bone-melting kiss he’d planted on her made her
chest ache with unfamiliar pain. He said they’d leave in a week’s time. It had
been ten days. Three days past the seven that composed a week.
She chewed nervously on her lower lip. Could Loraine
be right?
Oh please
no! “You think so?”
Loraine sighed with exasperation. “You can’t be
serious, Riana! First you were freaking out about going out of the country with
a stranger and now the prospect of it not happening is making you sad? Make up
your mind woman!”
Riana leaned her head back against the backrest of the
couch, pulled the quilt over her head, and groaned. “I don’t know what to do or
think. I’m so confused!”
The doorbell rang and Loraine stood to answer it.
“Well, you better make up you mind before Mr. Allan
Sinclair decides to call you.” Riana heard the door open, and then Loraine
laughed. “Actually, you are going to have to make that decision now.”
“ Huh ?” Riana
pulled the quilt off her face and turned to the door. There stood a man in a
chauffer’s uniform with his cap held against his chest. He had the largest
smile plastered on his face.
“Miss Albury , Mr. Sinclair
is waiting for you at the airport. He has your passport and all other necessary
documentation. His instructions are not to pack any clothing items, as all you
require will be purchased once you reach your destination. The jet will be
leaving for Italy in an hour.” He turned to the side and stretched his arm out
signaling with his cap. “Shall we?”
* * * *
Allan leaned back in his comfy, leather seat, hoping
to get at least one hour of sleep before Riana arrived and they could finally
leave. Seven hours in the sky with a beautiful woman and no work to plow
through, after working on very little sleep for the past two days, was exactly
what he needed. Acquiring a hotel chain was more of a headache than he had
anticipated.
His executives at Sinclair Enterprise were shocked by
his sudden interest in the hotel business. Sinclair Enterprise only dealt with
buying manufacturing companies, tearing them apart, and selling them off piece
by piece at a two hundred percent profit.
The hotel business was only for his baby sister’s
benefit. He had a soft spot for her. Now no one could accuse him of being a
completely cold-hearted businessman.
Unlike others he knew, Allan helped the workers of all
the companies he had torn apart find work someplace else in addition to a very
large severance pay, which equaled six months of their monthly salary—twice as
much as their original company severance package.
Melody had always wanted to run her very own hotel.
She had a vision of making it a home away from home for her
Learning to Kill: Stories