“Good,” he replied then took off toward a very scenic area that didn’t smell that great, but it was exactly like I pictured. Considering I was recognizing things from The Originals that I was guilty of watching on a Netflix binge. I started to point something out but stopped myself. Cruz would have a blast making fun of me.
He pulled into a parking deck and cut the engine. I took off my helmet and looked around. “Where are we?”
“Hotel parking.”
I didn’t see a hotel. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. Been here before. A couple of times.”
“Why were you in New Orleans?” I asked.
He smirked at me. “Mardi Gras.”
Ah. I should have guessed. “This won’t be nearly as exciting as I had imagined.”
He got of the bike. “There won’t be women showing me their tits all over the street. So yeah, it’ll be less exciting.”
I rolled my eyes and got off the bike. “I have nothing with me. I need to find a store to buy some toiletries, and a change of clothes would be nice.”
“Let’s get a room, then we can go shopping.”
“Rooms,” I corrected him.
He cocked an eyebrow. “Seriously? We’re gonna waste money on two rooms?”
I nodded. “Yes, we seriously are.”
“Jesus, Lila Kate. I’m not going to try and screw you. I’ve never tried and I’m not about to start now.”
That stung. I wasn’t going to let him know it stung, but it did. “I’m aware you’re not attracted to me. You’ve made that very clear. I like my privacy. I don’t want to share a room with you.”
He shrugged. “Whatever.”
There was the guy I knew. At least he was reminding me that the sweet guy who had wanted me to experience some of Mississippi was a brief lapse. The Cruz I knew and disliked was back.
We checked in without saying much to each other. Our rooms were beside each other. When we got to the doors to our rooms, he looked over at me. “This gonna be too close for you? Planning on sneaking in some guy off the street you find and don’t want me to see?”
He was being a smartass. This Cruz I knew well. But the new Lila Kate wasn’t going to take his smart mouth. I unlocked the door and just before walking inside my room met his cocky gaze. “No. This is fine. My last one night stand was on a public beach. I figure if I can have sex on a public beach then I can have sex in the room next to yours.” I didn’t give him a chance to respond. I quickly went inside my room and closed the door behind me.