Page 6 of I Wanna Be Your Lager

It’s going to be an even longer night unless I quickly fall asleep, or at least pretend, so I’m not subjected to a night of interrogation.

SIX

TASTEFULLY FAKE AN ORGASM

Lach

The elevator ride is silent except for the whirring sounds as we travel up to the third floor. Her bright pink suitcase is the only thing separating us. I hike my backpack higher on my shoulder before stealing glances at her from the corner of my eye. She looks different from last night. More casual, but just as beautiful. She presses her pink lips together, and I’m instantly reminded of how those lips felt on mine. Plump and soft. It’s hard to say where her head is, though. Not acknowledging me on the plane, avoiding me at the airport, and I’m sure she’d be sleeping in her own room if the hotel wasn’t fully booked right now, all point to she’s not interested. Why do I care? Tomorrow, we’ll go our separate ways, just like last night.

The elevator jolts to a stop. Before the doors fully open, Kat slips through the crack and is down the hallway, suitcase in tow. My gaze drops from the back of her head to her hips as they sway back and forth. Fuck. I adjust myself in my jeans. She bailed on me once, and I’m sure she wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. At the door, she slides the keycard into the reader and lets herself in. Not bothering to hold it open, she lets it click shut before Iarrive. My lips twitch into a smile, and I shake my head. I’ll give her a few minutes now, but she’s not getting out of telling me what happened yesterday.

When I enter the room, a sliver of light shines through the bottom of a closed door, which I suspect is the bathroom. As I scan the rest of the room, the one king-size bed jumps out at me. This will be fun. I toss my backpack on the chair in the corner and throw myself onto the bed. Linking my fingers behind my head and crossing my feet at my ankles, I wait for the aftermath. Several minutes later, the door opens, and Kat strolls out with her suitcase, wearing cotton shorts and a hoodie.

No one should look as hot as she does right now, and I’m sharing a hotel room with her with only one bed. The temptation to pick her up and toss her onto the comforter while I crawl up her body is strong. Real fucking strong. Based on my read of the room, she’d probably grab the nearest object to clock me upside the head if I tried to touch her. It’s in my best interest to stay exactly where I am.

She releases the handle, and her head drifts up. Her eyes connect with mine for a split second before darting around the room. “Where’s the other bed?”

“This is it.” I smirk. “And you best believe I’m sleeping like a starfish.” I slide down the mattress and spread my arms and legs to each corner of the bed.

“There has to be a pull-out couch or something.” She twists around, searching the room again in case a spare bed magically appears. Her hand slides down the wall, searching for a Murphy bed. Her frown confirms her answer.

“You can keep searching, but you’ll have better luck with the other hotel. That is, if you want to wait even longer. Actually, I bet they’re already sold out too.” I lift my head and catch her glaring at me. “Or there’s plenty of space here.” I pat the spot between my shoulder and leg.

She eyes the comforter before blowing out a deep breath. “You’d think hotel rooms would have a pull-out couch nowadays.”

“I’m sorry this isn’t up to your standards, but I’ll make sure you’re cozy.” I pat the bed again. “Just so you know, I only bite if you bite first.”

She rolls her eyes but walks toward the bed. The edge of the bed dips as she sits. “Luckily, I am very comfortable sleeping in a ball.” She pulls her hair from her ponytail, and the blonde tresses cascade down her shoulders. I’m mesmerized as she combs her fingers through the strands.

“So, how’s it going?”

A small chuckle escapes her. “Is that really what you want to ask?”

“Not really, but I thought we’d ease in first. But we can dive right into the good stuff.” I move up the bed and adjust the pillow against the headboard. “What happened? Why did you leave?”

She rotates on the bed and crosses her legs in a pretzel, getting more comfortable. “Would you believe your overpowering masculinity intimidated me?”

Fuck. She’s sassy. All the girls I’ve been with always follow my lead. Afraid to have opinions of their own. “No. You don’t seem like the type of person to fear anything.”

“Thanks.” She picks at a thread on the blanket. “But looks can be deceiving.” She’s silent for a moment before she says, “Would you believe I wanted to make someone jealous?”

“That sounds more believable. Did it work?”

Her face is soft as her hazel eyes meet mine. “I never stuck around to find out. I kind of got caught up in the moment and went back to a stranger’s hotel room.” A small smile graces her lips. “And I wanted to forget everything that happened earlier.”

“Now we’re getting to the good stuff. Keep going.” I roll my hand between us, encouraging her to continue.

“You’re genuinely interested in all my drama?”

“I never saidall,” she tilts her head and narrows her eyes at me, and I laugh, “just the stuff that leads up to you kissing me.”

She taps her finger against her lips, drawing my attention to her mouth. Flashbacks of her lips on mine flit through my mind. Soft and perfect.Don’t be an asshole and reach across the bed and haul her to you just so you can kiss her again.I doubt that’s what she wants right now.

“The lighting of the fuse started when I found out my boyfriend for the past six months is actually married. After that, it was just a countdown until everything exploded.”

“The explosion happened when you met me?”

“More like when I kissed you. And, not saying the kiss was explosive, but that was the moment things changed. It was no longer about making him jealous but making me forget.”

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