watching Charlize take him to the elevator. “Get him to his room, Char Char, before anyone finds him missing.”
Charly might be a little out of her element, but she nodded, pressing the button for the next floor while the elevator filled with the soothing sounds of Cindy Lauper’s True Colors. Aaron would have the best room in the house actually—the Sunroom Suite. It was a darling setup with a bedroom attached to a cozy parlor resting in an alcove above Spring Street.
The elevator doors opened, and she led Aaron past the railing to the suite, knowing full well if he lost his footing, he was so tall that he’d take them both down with him. Even now he leaned heavily against her. It was all she could do to keep her balance.
She wrestled with the doorknob to the suite and pushed the door open. Her target was the four poster bed. The bedding was disturbed where he must’ve been sleeping before. They took one step into the room, and he knocked the door shut behind them in an instinctive move that could only come from years of practice. He had seriously underestimated his strength, however, because he went stumbling backwards and took her with him. Her back hit the door, and he came next. She was pinned against him, his gruff cheek brushing against her neck.
He made a confused sound and steadied her, like she was the one who needed the help. Then he hesitated, staring down into her eyes. Her heart thudded against his. Where were those professional boundaries she’d been talking about? She should pull away. She should. Her breath ran ragged with his. His arms tightened over her. She was completely lost in his warmth and his strength. She didn’t want him to let her go.
“Am I really seeing you?” His voice came out low and gruff—that same sexy voice on the phone that she’d fallen in love with. He ran his fingertips over her lips. “It is you.”
Her breathing hitched. This was wrong. Aaron was so out of it, he kept mistaking her for some other girlfriend. She recalled the name in an instant. “No, I’m not Tara.”
He shook his head, his voice lowering as he traced a trail down her neck. “I know, it’s you.”
Aaron was going to kiss her. Was she going to let him? Her hands tightened against his back. She didn’t know this man, not really, yet his touch felt familiar, like coming home, and she realized that, yes, she might be okay with kissing him.
A throat cleared behind them. Aaron twisted around. Charly couldn’t see around his massive shoulder, until he took both her hands and tugged her away from the door like a ragdoll. In his condition, he didn’t know his own strength as he hauled her around to come face to face with yet another sour-faced femme fatale. She’d dressed the part in a red velvet dress the exact shade of her dark red hair, different from Mollie’s cheery orange. Who was this lady? Jessica Rabbit?
“Veronica?” Aaron choked on her name. Nope, Veronica. Her name was as over the top as her ’20s look. The only thing missing was a long cigarette holder, although Charly supposed even femme fatales were much more health conscious these days. “I didn’t know you were here,” he said.
Veronica pulled herself up indignantly. “Clearly.”
Goodness! Were these two a thing? How many women did Aaron have in his life? First Darcy, then Tara, now this Veronica. Charly refused to add her name to the list.
Veronica’s eyes slid to Charlize. “I didn’t hear you leave.”
Charly felt sick with embarrassment. She knew what this looked like. Never had she been the type of girl to get caught in any kind of compromising position, and with a man she barely knew? He was half out of his mind with—with motion sickness pills. She was on the job. Where were her ethics? But she had gotten so caught up in him. That wasn’t an excuse. She should’ve called for help the moment she saw Aaron struggling, whether or not she knew he had a girlfriend waiting for him. Charly had nothing to say for herself. Everything had happened so fast.
Veronica’s scathing glare that ran over her felt well deserved, before she lifted a delicate, disdainful shoulder. “Well, you seem busy, Aaron. I’ll go.” She brushed past them both, rushing through the door and slamming it behind her.
Aaron didn’t seem at all concerned about Veronica’s feelings. Out with the old,