Page 21 of No Reservations

He finished the lewd suggestion with a few choice emojis that made me grin and shake my head. There was no way I would tell my friends that I’d tried that and hoped to have the chance to do it again. I couldn’t schedule blowjobs every day as a stress reliever though, no matter how much I wanted to. We certainly couldn’t do that in public, although I’m sure those pics would spread like wildfire. I shifted on the chair and tapped the screen.

Matthew:Maybe bungee jumping or parasailing?

Dee:I thought you wanted to help him relax, not kill him.

Wes:Bungee jumping! You can do that tandem right? Like get strapped together.

The thought of bungee jumping already lay outside my comfort zone. I liked active fun but wasn’t really a thrill seeker. Maybe there was a way Cole and I could get that close together without jumping off a cliff with a rubber band around our ankles.

Dee:No, Wes. Joe suggests maybe hitting a club. It’s public and would be good press. You used to go dancing all the time.

Matthew:I’ll think of something.

I tucked my phone away again and stood up to head toward Tomas. I could find multiple gay clubs in the city, but it probably wasn’t a good idea to bring Cole somewhere he could get mobbed. Maybe the helpful inn manager knew something closer by and more lowkey.

“Hello.” His smile widened as I approached the high desk. “How can I help you?”

“I’m looking for a recommendation for a local bar or club.” I lowered my voice. “Where I can bring Cole and not get swarmed.”

His sculpted eyebrows rose. “I understand. Carter added a special note to your reservation.” He winked before tapping his chin with one finger. “Revere’s. It’s a great neighborhood place with a hot DJ and friendly vibe. Hold on.” He scrawledRevere’sand an address on the back of one of the inn’s postcards.

A couple laden down with suitcases stepped through the door, and Tomas turned in their direction. I thanked him before heading toward the back door and out into the hot afternoon once more. Dancing at a gay bar seemed a lot safer than bungee jumping, and we’d have the opportunity to get plenty close without actually getting tied together.

Bondage wasn’t my thing anyway. I chuckled and shook my head. If Cole was into it, he’d have to make do with my octopus arms every night while we slept in the same bed. I wasn’t about to give that up and go back to the couch. If I had a chance to touch Cole again, I would take it. Maybe Wes had the right idea. A few blowjobs could surely help him release some stress, and I would gladly take on that task any day.

Chapter 12

Cole

Matthew took my phone.

I woke up in a tangle of his arms and legs again, heat pressing in on me from all sides. Instead of wanting to extricate myself from the cuddle like I usually did whenever a bed partner stayed too long, I snuggled closer and let his warmth soothe me.

Some people would call him clingy, but it didn’t bother me at all. In fact, I’d come to crave the early morning hours when light crept through the curtain and barely highlighted the angles of his face and the messy fall of his hair. He hadn’t said a word when he opened his eyes and caught me staring at him, just flashed me that warm smile and rolled out of bed.

After showers and coffee, he told me to wear good walking shoes and disappeared in the direction of the inn. I had no idea what he planned to surprise me with next, and I couldn’t text him to ask. He took my phone.

I knew I was on vacation, but the lack of connection made me anxious. What if Brooke needed to talk to me? What if Thad posted more horrible rumors online? What if something happened to one of the boys in the band and they couldn’t get ahold of me? I almost snorted at the last thought. They didn’t contact me whenever the paparazzi caught pictures of one of them sneaking out of some hotel or falling into a fountain. That wasn’t my job.

I pulled on a pale blue linen shirt over khaki shorts, rolled the sleeves, and slipped on my simple white Ferragamo sneakers. As long as Matthew didn’t have hiking planned, they’d keep me comfortable all day. He’d warn me if it was something more, right? I’d seen him scrolling through a bungee jumping website the day before. There was no way he’d get me to trust my life to nothing but a giant rubber band. So far, his adventures seemed reasonably tame, so I had to trust whatever he came up with next wouldn’t have me risking my life.

The sight of him in black Vans, shorts, and a t-shirt that skimmed deliciously over his broad shoulders and chest pushed all thoughts of plummeting into a ravine out of my mind. I felt like I was plummeting, but it was a lot more pleasant than near death. In fact, it felt a bit like the life I’d always wanted. I shook my head to try to dislodge the thought.

He paused at the top of the stairs and spoke to someone inside who I couldn’t see. In that moment, one foot up on a stair, chin tilted just so, and smile on his face, I could imagine him posing for marketing shots easily. I’d buy anything he modelled.

“Matty.” The pet name popped out without thought in a voice much deeper than my usual professional tone. I blinkedbut didn’t have enough time to correct myself before he swung around and turned that dazzling smile on me.

“Hey, baby,” he said as he descended the last two stairs and leaned in to brush a kiss on my cheek. “Ready to go?”

His lips on my skin and the simple term of endearment directed at me seemed to heat the day up even further. “I’m ready for anything,” I said, and was surprised to realize I meant it. Well, I meant it for anything except bungee jumping.

Matthew took the keys to the rental SUV and waved me to the passenger side. As we pulled out onto the main road heading east, he shot me another smile. “I went over a lot of options for today’s outing, but most of them sounded too wild or didn’t get us in front of the public enough. Most of the things that really sounded fun to me were things we’d do alone.”

The last sentence sent a zing of want through me. However, it was quickly tempered when the previous statement worked its way through the innuendo. The reminder that the relationship was mostly a PR stunt dampened the warmth inside me. Before I could say something practical, he went on.

“Dating Cole Gilliam is thrilling enough without parasailing or sky diving, ya know? And I do still have a responsibility to the contract.” His smile dimmed as we turned onto a winding road that headed away from the lake, and he shrugged. “I kinda thought this might be fun, too.”

“You haven’t told me where we’re going yet.”

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