“You okay?” Alastar smiles.
I nod nervously. “Yes, perfect, this is just…” I hesitate. “Perfectly overwhelming.”
He kisses me gently. “Yes.”
I look at the kind receptionist and I smile as my equilibrium returns.
“You are in the master suite—” She stands to show him the way.
“I know where it is.” He cuts her off.
“You have been here before?” She smiles.
“Many times.” He smiles kindly.
Huh? He’s been here before. Oh. That’s disappointing. I thought this was a special thing for just us.
He catches my face fall and smiles politely to the receptionist before he heads off to the left. “This way, Emmaline,” he calls over his shoulder.
I follow him silently as he takes the second set of stairs from the grand foyer.
“What was that look for?” he asks.
“What look?”
“Your face fell when I said I had been here before.”
I shake my head in embarrassment. Oh, boy. I’m acting like a spoilt brat. “Nothing.” I fake a smile. “How many times have you been here before?” I ask.
He shrugs. “A lot. I come here often. This place is very special to me.”
“Oh.” My heart drops. Not so special with me then.
He stops and spins on the spot to watch my face for a moment. “What are you thinking?”
I smile and kiss him gently on the lips. “Nothing.”
He stands still, watching me intently. It’s so annoying that he can read me so well.
I gesture to the grand hallway in front of us. “Are we going?”
“Aye,” he replies, distracted as he continues walking. We get to another wide set of stairs that splits in two directions. Holy hell, this place is something else. Never have I seen such splendor. “This way,” he calls over his shoulder. We reach the top and walk down a long wide corridor. Finally, we get to a double door and he puts our bags down, takes out the key, and opens the door.
“Wow,” I whisper. A large, I mean huge, exotic bedroom of red and gold sits before us. Everything is gilded and ornate. The ceiling is covered in hundreds of gold and red painted squares, and the bed linen is red matching the walls that are also red and gold. The carpet is the same red as the walls. This is the most beautiful, luxurious place I have ever seen.
“Alastar,” I whisper. I put my hands over my mouth in shock.
“Do you like it?” His eyes search mine.
I nod. “I do.”
He senses my trepidation. “But?”
My heart drops. Damn him for reading me so well. “Have...” I hesitate, this is going to sound so lame. It does even to me because the answer shouldn’t matter. “How many women have you bought here before me?”
He smiles down at me sympathetically and pushes my hair behind my shoulder. “Not a one.”
“Not a one?” I repeat hopefully.
He shakes his head. “This place is special to me and I have never had anyone special enough to bring here.”
I smile softly.
“Until you.”
He bends and kisses me gently. This shouldn’t mean as much to me as it does. I already know that this place is special to me, too, and I couldn’t stand the thought that he had done this before with someone else.
“Promise me you have never been here with anyone else before,” I whisper.
He smiles broadly into my lips. “I, Alastar O’Shea, solemnly swear that I have never been here with anyone else other than my Emmaline.”
I smile and wrap my hands around his wide, strong shoulders, and he embraces me tight. “Why would you think I would bring someone else here?”
I shake my head as I pull out of his grip. “Because you’re… well you’re you and you are gorgeous. I know you were a player and this is the ultimate player’s hangout,” I blurt out before putting my brain to mouth filter on.
He watches me intently. “I am not a player, Emmaline,” he replies emotionlessly. “I have never played anyone. Yes. I have been in casual sexual relationships before, but they all knew what it was and nothing more. I would never purposely hurt anyone.”
My eyes search his. He hurt me. Is he even aware that he hurt me? He casually blows this off all the time and its finally getting to me.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” he whispers.
“You hurt me, Ali. Do you even realise that you hurt me?” Fuck why am I bringing this shit up now. We are on a weekend away, for fuck’s sake?
“I know I hurt you, Em.” He swallows. “I...” He hesitates as he thinks. “I wasn’t brave enough to love you back then.”
I frown. “What does that even mean?”
He shakes his head in defeat. “I will tell you one day.” He stays silent for a moment before adding. “I have never been in love before. I don’t know how these things are supposed to go.”
I smile softly as my eyebrows rise by. “You have never been in love before?” Hope blooms in my chest once more.