The Mercenary Next Door (Rogues and Rescuers #2) - Lucy Leroux Page 0,13
door. A drain in the middle was supposed to make sure the room didn’t flood, but she always had to place towels against the door just in case. Laila couldn’t remember the last time she’d had access to a tub—probably since her stepmother had to sell their house.
Laila was about to fling off her clothes when a knock at the door announced the arrival of dinner.
“What is this?” she asked when the waitress delivering her tray whipped off the silver dish cover.
“Seared duck magret with polenta and fresh vegetables—today’s house special as requested. We also have a slice of our signature pavlova cake. It’s a personal favorite among the staff. I hope you enjoy it. Please call the concierge if there’s anything you need.”
The woman pointed out the hotel directory, encouraging Laila to look at the other amenities before leaving. Laila had her phone in her hand before the door closed behind her. Rosamie arrived less than twenty minutes later, just enough time for Laila to devour the main course and half the dessert.
Her friend zipped back and forth like a bumblebee on a sugar high, checking every nook and cranny of the suite down to the plush carpet fibers.
“Oh my God, this couch is amazing. I would give up my bed for this. I could live on this thing,” she said, getting on her hands and knees to rub her cheek against the fabric. Using her feet, she pushed herself across the cushions, stroking them with her entire body.
“You better not be wearing foundation, Rosamie,” Laila scolded, climbing on the couch next to her and handing her the cake plate. “Here, I saved you half.”
Rosamie sat up in a hurry, checking each cushion to make sure it wasn’t marked. “They’re fine. I’m only wearing eyeliner, and it’s the expensive smudge-proof kind.” She got up on her knees, making a beeline for the plate. “Gimme!”
Handing over the plate, Laila giggled as Rosamie gobbled up the rest of the pavlova, moaning in ecstasy. “I’m only eating this because you can bake this with your eyes closed,” she said between bites. “You can make this, right? I don’t think I can go back to a world where I can’t get this on the regular.”
“I’m pretty sure I can make it.” Laila laughed. “It’s a basic meringue shell with whipped cream and fruit.”
“Oh, sweetie,” Rosamie said, her eyes rolling back into her head. “There is nothing basic about this. This is better than sex.”
“I will have to take your word.” Laila giggled. “Did you see the size of the tub?”
“Yes!” Rosamie bounced up and down on the plush cushion. “You’ll be able to do laps in it.”
“Almost,” Laila agreed. “Hey, do you want to stay the night? It’ll be like a luxury sleepover.”
Rosamie groaned. “I would, but I promised my mom I’d help get my brothers to school in the morning. Mom has her annual check-up tomorrow—mammogram, pap smear—the whole nine yards. And Dougie and Jerico never get up with their alarm. I’ll have to drag them out of bed by their hair.”
Laila shook her head. Rosamie’s brothers were a handful, but she knew her friend loved them to bits despite the colorful epithets she used to describe them. “Well, then come back tomorrow night. There’s a heated pool in the basement, and I know you love to swim.”
Rosamie’s jaw dropped. “Mr. Marvelous is paying for two nights?”
“Yes—until midterms are over. But he doesn’t pay full price. He’s got some sort of hookup that gets him a big discount.”
The phone on the coffee table rang. She picked up the receiver, then had a short conversation with the concierge. “I’ll let you know,” she said, hanging up.
“Let me guess. There’s a problem with Mr. Marvelous’ credit card,” Rosamie said with a wry twist of her lips.
“No.” Laila wanted to laugh at her friend’s pessimism. “They wanted me to know that Mr. Lang, Mason, has asked them to schedule a massage for me. I guess he’s still worried about my back.”
Rosamie swallowed the last bite of Pavlova before licking the spoon. “Well, that shows me what’s what.”
Confused, Laila frowned. “What?”
Her friend pointed the spoon at her. “Mr. Marvelous totally wants to fuck you.”
Laila cringed. “He does not.”
Rosamie smirked. “Of course he does. A guy wouldn’t go to all this trouble for a neighbor out of the goodness of his heart.”
“He does have a good heart,” Laila protested. “Not to mention that with me out of the way, he and his friends can be as loud