diner. I brought leftovers.”
“Save them for later,” he told her with a laugh. “When do your midterms end?”
“The day after tomorrow.”
“Stay here until Friday then,” he said. “When you’re done with midterms, you can come back here to unwind a bit. Then text me. I’ll pick you up.”
Laila’s eyes darted over the lobby. It was like being in her personal version of Aladdin’s treasure cave. It was tempting, but she couldn’t let him do this. “It’s not too late to find another hotel. This place might cost your firstborn. And what was that card? Not the credit card. The other one.”
Mason chuckled. She warmed, pleased she could make him laugh. He didn’t do that a lot.
“The price won’t be that bad, because that card was a special VIP identification.”
Laila’s drew her head back. “You stay here often enough to have a VIP card?”
“No. But my buddy knows the owners, and they hand out these member cards to their friends. You can put other people on them. The room isn’t free, but it’s heavily discounted and gives you access to many perks. I rarely get the chance to use it. Most of the places I work don’t have fancy hotels—most don’t have hotels period. You should make the most of it.”
“Oh…” Laila didn’t know what to say to that. “I guess I should then.”
“Good.”
Staring up into his perfect face, Laila racked her brain for something brilliant to say. But the man behind the desk signaled them before she could think of anything, indicating the room was ready.
Mason walked her to the elevators. “Do you have everything you need? You didn’t forget any of your books, did you?” he asked, gesturing to her overnight bag.
“Books?” she echoed stupidly.
“To study for your midterms,” he prompted.
“Oh.” Blushing, she shook her head, lifting her bag. “I have them. Thank you.”
Most of her midterm materials were on her computer in any case.
“Well, if you think of anything later, give me a call. I can run you back to your place to get it.”
“That’s kind of you. This entire thing is too generous,” she said, gesturing to their surroundings.
He waved away her thanks. “Don’t mention it. And sorry the party got in the way of your studies. It won’t happen again.”
“Well, you are setting a bad precedent,” she joked weakly. “You can’t rent me a luxury hotel suite every time you have a gathering.”
“All the more reason to keep a lid on things in the future, but I don’t mind treating you. You deserve to be pampered every once in a while.”
His intense blue eyes bored into hers for a beat. The elevator doors opened, and he backed away. Feeling weak-kneed, she stepped inside the cabin.
Walking backward, he raised his hand. “Study hard,” he called cheerfully.
Laila craned her neck to watch him leave.
“Oomph,” she groaned as the elevator doors closed on her.
Flushing in chagrin, she pulled her head inside and pressed the button for her floor.
Laila was still flushed when she reached her floor, but the Caislean hotel suite did a lot to distract her from her embarrassment.
The door opened with a short hallway on the left, which dead-ended with a three-way mirror next to a built-in coat closet beside a sink with smaller mirrors fixed to the wall. Glancing into them confirmed they magnified her face. It was the ultimate set up to get ready for a night on the town, conveniently located next to the door and closet for last-minute touch-ups.
The rest of the suite was just as well designed. She flipped the light switch to the main room, charmed by the sight of a small sitting room with a comfy-looking couch and a loveseat with a sizable flat-screen facing them. Behind it, two steps separated a set of double doors. They stood open, revealing an impossibly wide bed covered by a sky-blue coverlet. It was angled so the occupants could watch the television while lying down.
Laila stroked the couch upholstery, marveling at its softness. In the bedroom, she found an ensuite bathroom. The toilet was in a separate room nearest the door. A walk-in shower stall stood on the other side of a huge oval tub.
Squealing, Laila climbed inside the tub fully clothed. Nestled in the far corner was an entire line of bath products stamped with the hotel’s name and logo, including bath salts and a full-sized bottle of bubble bath.
In contrast, her apartment had a small shower stall right next to the toilet. It was all one room, tiled up to the