Page 33 of Phoenix

The décor in the lobby is wood with gold accents. It’s lush and over the top, but I don’t hate it.

“Checking in?” a gentleman with a red jacket asks.

“We are,” Amelia answers.

“Right this way.”

I take the moment to let Nora walk ahead of me. She is looking up and all around, truly taking in the beauty of the building. I could watch her experience something new all day long. Every single day. The wonder in her eyes is intoxicating.

Grayson and Amelia head over to the front desk, while Nora and I take a seat in the small seating area off to the side.

“This is incredible,” she says.

“It is. I’ve never stayed anywhere this nice before, honestly.”

“Really?”

“What can I say? I’ve never had anyone I’ve wanted to impress this much.” I lean forward with my elbows on my knees.

“I stayed in a Ritz with an ex once. It was quite the experience,” she admits.

The thought of her being with another man in a hotel for any period of time makes caveman-like rage and jealousy course through my veins.

“Ex, huh? The Ritz didn’t impress you?”

“No, the hotel was incredible. His desire to bang multiple other women wasn’t.”

“Who is he and where is he?” I ask genuinely. “He needs to be taught a lesson or two about how to treat women.”

“Easy, killer. My brother beat you to it. Rearranged his face a bit after he saw me in my car crying when I found out.”

“What kind of man would do that?”

“What? Cheat on a UFC fighter’s sister?” she asks, while mindlessly scrolling through her phone.

“No, sleep with anyone else when he has you.”

She looks up at me with those eyes, and I see her lips part like she wants to respond, but she doesn’t get to before Amelia approaches us.

“So, we have a small problem,” Amelia says, plopping down on the seat by Nora. “Apparently with the football game happening on Sunday, this hotel is booked solid. They don’t have three rooms for us; they only have two.”

I chime in, “So you and Grayson in one and Nora and I in the other.”

Nora’s eyes widen. “Umm…”

“Look, we are all adults here. I’m a gentleman who will give Nora the bed and I’ll sleep on the floor or the pull-out sofa.”

Amelia looks to Nora and whispers something. I can’t make it out from here, but whatever she says, Nora nods her head then turns to me. “Okay. I don’t mind sharing a room with Case.”

Grayson pats my shoulder. “If he crosses a line, Nora, you just let me know. I’ll teach him a lesson next time we are on the mats in the gym.”

I just laugh. “In your damn dreams, man. We both know I own you on the mats.”

Amelia chimes in when she stands, “You two, Jesus, is it always a pissing contest?”

Grayson and I both answer at the same time, “Yes.”

Nora stands and then speaks, “This is going to be an exhausting weekend, isn’t it, Amelia? Dealing with these two?”

Amelia answers with a cock of her brow, “We’ll need all the drinks, Nor. All. The. Drinks.”

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