The Enforcer - Kelli Callahan Page 0,24

handing him the card to his room. She hands one over to me then for my room. “Is there anything else I can get you guys during your stay?” she asks, looking back to him.

“No, I don’t think so,” he says with a smile. “You have been a real lifesaver. Actually,” he says, turning quickly. “Do our rooms have any kind of menus or local pizza places? That kind of thing?” he asks with a shrug.

“Um, yeah, I think they do,” she says. “Actually, no. Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today.” Her cheeks are flushing with color as she ducks under the counter and pulls out a piece of paper. “Here is a Pizza Hut menu, as well as a couple of other options for delivery. I’m going to write my name on it in case you need anything. Just dial 0 and ask for me.” She writes down her name and hands him the menu.

“Excellent. Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome, sir. Anything else?”

“No, not at the moment,” he says, picking up the backpack and throwing it over his shoulder.

“Well, if you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to call. You can reach me any time.”

“Thank you,” I say with a nod. “It sounds like someone has a crush on you,” I whisper when we get around the corner.

“Hush now,” he says. “Thanks to that crush we were able to get a room without a driver’s license.”

“That’s true,” I nod. “Do you do that often?” I ask.

“Do what?” he frowns.

“Use your good looks to throw off women so they have to agree with you.”

“Oh,” he says. “Maybe.” Then he winks at me, and I feel my own heart stumble.

We walk into our rooms on the first floor. He passes me my key back before using his. “Would you mind leaving the adjoining door unlocked?” he asks, and I turn to look at him. “If there is an issue, I want to be able to get to you quickly. Hotel doors are harder to break down than regular apartment doors,” he says knocking his fingers against the metal-lined hotel door.

“Yes,” I say, “I’ll definitely do that for you.”

“Good. Thank you. Let’s shower and get dressed, and I’ll go ahead and order something to eat. Sound good?”

“Sounds great,” I say with a smile. “Jake?”

“Yeah?” he asks, turning to face me.

“I just want to say thanks again.”

“You’re welcome. Again.”

Walking into our separate hotel rooms. I close the door behind me and inhale deeply. It’s so nice to be able to be alone like this in a place that feels safe and uniquely my own. I’ve always liked that about hotels. Each day is exciting, and each room is crisply clean and awaiting you. It’s a thrill on its own.

Walking into the bedroom area past a little bathroom, I smile at the small queen bed facing the TV. It’s not as nice as the Marriott that I was staying at before, but I can’t complain. I’m just glad that I’m not in the car anymore. Or that Jake didn’t have plans to carry me off to a cabin in the woods, where we’d be stuck together and living off the land.

Maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. That’s kind of where I saw this going: a cabin with a mountain man, rough and rugged. I laughed, shaking my head as I pull off my sweatshirt and pajamas, dropping them on the floor. Who am I kidding? Jake is no mountain man. If I had to assign him any profession, it would be mafia, hitman, or confidant for the Godfather. I guess, in a lot of ways, he is though, being the most important person in Noah’s life next to his daughter and fiancé. But still, I can picture him now. Both in a high-end club in New York City and an Armani suit, casually surveying the room. And I can also imagine him on the back of a motorcycle in a fitted leather Jakeet with a killer stare. In both scenarios he has a sidearm, tucked neatly beneath his jacket, ready to use at a moment’s notice.

Leaving my clothes on the floor intentionally, just as my therapist would have liked, I walk to the little shower in the side bathroom and turn on the hot water. I’d kill for a bath to soak in, but the eight-inch-deep tub would barely hold enough water to hold me, so it’d be better to just take a shower and wash away the grime