Page 126 of Till The Sun Dies (Checkmate 2)

“I see you in our system, sir.” The woman, maybe mid-fifties and kind of dull, but in a comfortable homely way, taps away at her computer and smiles like she’s genuinely happy to see us. “Booked online and already paid up. Breakfast is included for four each day.” She works her computer and prints receipts. “Elevators are that way. Saltwater Restaurant is on the second floor. Breakfast buffet is open from six till eleven, seven days a week. And from five onwards, they do dinner. It’s five star and black tie, so if you’re looking for something fancy, dress up and come down. Otherwise, the boardwalk is packed with restaurants; fish and chips, burgers, steak. There’s an Italian restaurant close by, and a Thai place at the end of the block.”

She collects printouts from under her desk. “Rooms seven-one-three, and seven-one-four.”

“Next door?” Ang glances at Jess and Kane. “How’s the soundproofing?”

The woman doesn’t giggle like her immature guests, she maintains her professionalism and shakes her head. “Rooms are soundproofed. You won’t hear your neighbors, and unless your balcony doors are open, you won’t hear the boardwalk. Weekends tend to get noisy outside, so if you’re looking for peace and quiet, keep the balcony doors closed and you won’t hear a peep.” She slides two room packages over the desk, one with ‘713’ handwritten on the front, the other with ‘714’. “Seventh floor. You need your passes to work the elevator. Do you need someone to bring your luggage up?”

“Some kid out front is already doing that,” Ang answers. “Parking?”

She points to the floor. “Beneath us. The garage is locked twenty-four-seven. Use your keycard to get in and out. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“That’s it.” Kane lunges forward and snatches one of the room sets. “Jessie and I have gotta go inspect our room. Catch you guys in the hall at seven for dinner. Dress up, we’re gonna be respectable citizens for the evening.”

Jess notices the way my face turns white. She doesn’t want to honor her promise – shewantsto bunk with Kane – but a promise is a promise, and Kane’s enthusiasm won’t change that. “Baby? Girls bunk together?”

“Um…” Ang releases my hand for the first time since we saw the coastline. He steps back and gives me what he thinks is space, but in my warped mind, is rejection. “Can we get a third room? I don’t wanna split you and Kane.”

“No rooms left, Twink.” Kane grabs the second card set and slaps them against my palm. “They got something happening this weekend, which is why I booked online. Lucky, or we might’ve been sleeping on the beach.”

“Lucky…” I study my cards with shaking hands. “Um. Okay. Ang.” I turn to him and curse the quiver in my voice. “Do you mind?”

His eyes narrow. “Do I mindwhat?”

“Sharing a room, again… I know it’s a little weird. This isn’t how this trip was supposed to go, but when we planned it, I never expected to be the third wheel. Now I am, and I’d feel bad about splitting them up.”

“It’s not weird to me.” He steps closer and takes the cards. “We had the same room last night. It wasn’t weird. As long as you’re okay with it, I’m okay with it.”

I turn back to the woman. “How many beds in this room?”

“It’s a king suite.” She smiles like that should impress me. “One king-sized bed.”

Awesome.I turn back to Ang. “One bed.”

“It’s a giant ass bed, Twink.” Kane pushes me toward the elevators and leaves the others behind. “I bet if you triedrealhard, you’d be able to build a pillow wall between yourselves.” When we’re far enough away, he leans in uncomfortably close and whispers, “Or do that ball tickling thing we talked about. Won’t want a pillow wall then.”

I slam my elbow into his ribs and take a small amount of satisfaction when the breath whistles from his lungs. “Shut your stupid face. You think I don’t know what you’ve done? I bet there are plenty of rooms available, and if there aren’t, this town is full of hotels. I bet you chose the only one that had two rooms left. I might be blonde, Bishop, but I’m not stupid.”

When Jess and Ang catch up with us at the elevators, he steps back with raised hands and winks. “And if it wasn’t for you meddlin’ kids, I woulda gotten away with it.”

“Pig.”

“It’s like you and Jessie are related; she mentions the blonde thing a lot, too.” He drags Jessie against his body and smacks a wet kiss on her cheek. “We’re gonna take the stairs. I gotta stretch my legs out.”

Jess’ lips firm. “Seven flights, Bish. Are you insane?”

“Not insane.” He slaps her ass and hustles her toward the staircase. “But I wanna make out with my girl some. An elevator ride will end in twenty seconds. Stairs give us so much more time.”

Groaning, I turn back when the elevator doors slide open. “Whatever. This is only weird if we let it be weird.”

Ang steps in behind me. “You say something?”

“Just that I hate Kane Bishop’s stupid guts.”

He leans against the back wall when the doors close and lock us into the tiny space. “He’s… intense.”

“He’s a troublemaker.”

He nods. “That’s true. Listen… This is okay, right? I feel like you’re being forced to share a room you don’t wanna share, and it makes me feel like a dick. I’m not here to ruin your vacation.” His gray eyes study mine. “This doesn’t have to be a big deal. I can make other arrangements.”

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