Passion's Mistral by Charlotte Boyett-Compo Read Free Book Online

satisfaction, Miss Trevor?” the bellman inquired.
    Dragging her gaze from the beautiful floral pattern, Silkie nodded. She started to open her shoulder bag
    to tip the bellman but the handsome young man held up a hand.
    “Everything is included in the price of the room, ma’am,” he said.
    “Wow,” was all Silkie could manage to say.
    “Dinner will be in a half hour in the Sea Crest Room. If you would prefer instead, room service is
    available twenty-four hours a day. I highly recommend the lobster Florentine.”
    “Thank you,” Silkie replied. She craned her head to read the bellman’s name badge. “Steve.”
    “My pleasure, ma’am.”
    She looked around but before she could ask, the bellman touched one of the mirrored panels on the wall.
    A hidden door opened with a low click, revealing a huge walk-in closet with built-in dressers.
    “Second panel from the right is the closet,” the bellman said with a smile. “The second panel from the left
    is the bathing suite.”
    “Wow,” Silkie said again as the bellman pushed against the panel behind which the bathing suite was
    located.
    “Would you like me to unpack for you?”
    “Oh, no,” Silkie was quick to say. “I’ll do it.” She had always hated other people handing her personal
    belongings.
    “Well, if there is nothing else, I’ll be going. If there is anything you need, anything at all, please ask for
    me.”
    “What room is Dr. Carstairs in?”
    “I believe she is in her usual room,” he replied. “The Regal Suite.”
    Silkie smiled. “That sounds like her.”
    “Each of the rooms has a theme,” the bellman said. “If you get a chance, take a stroll by the Lagoon
    suite. It is truly breathtaking. There is an aquarium arced over the bed in that room.”
    Silkie whistled. “That I gotta see!”
    Steve bowed slightly and let himself out, gently closing the thick, carved oak door behind him.
    Looking about her, Silkie walked to the bathing suite and poked her head in. The sight that greeted her
    made her eyes go wide. If the headboard of the bed had surprised her, the bathing suite stunned her even
    more.
    Besides a long vanity holding dual marble sinks, there was a toilet and bidet, a vast walk-in glass shower
    with a marble seating shelf and showerheads on three sides, and a well-appointed dressing table. But the
    piece de resistance was the huge spa tub in pale green marble with delicate white veining that took center
    stage in the plush chamber. Sunken into the tile floor and sitting at the base of floor-to-ceiling mullioned
    windows that gave a magnificent view of the ocean beyond, the tub looked so inviting Silkie couldn’t wait
    to climb inside and turn the brass jets on full force.
    Biting her lip, she was trying to decide if she wanted to dress for supper or simply call room service for a
    light snack. The tub was calling out to her and the thought of sinking beneath the swirling waters was too
    tempting to pass up. She knew the next few days would be embarrassing at the least, humiliating at the
    most, and having the rest of this evening to herself, to relax and drive all thoughts of her assignment from
    her mind, seemed too important to ignore.
    Making up her mind, she reluctantly turned away from the tub and headed for the parlor, but the bed
    snared her attention and she made a detour. Kicking off her shoes, she heaved herself onto the higher
    than normal mattress then gave a loud sigh of contentment as she sank into the marshmallow feel of the
    viscose foam mattress. Without another thought, she stretched out, allowing her body to become
    enveloped in the soft but firm surface.
    “Oh, man,” she whispered, reveling in the sensation the mattress was causing. It was almost like floating
    on air, no pressure points to feel along her back and legs. “I’m gonna sleep good tonight!”
    For ten minutes she lay there as relaxed as she could ever remember being in her life. It demanded a
    great deal of willpower to get up and go