Except this time it’s not Ruby, it’s Lex, regarding early checkin at the hotel. He’s suggesting we go now, so we have some extra time before everyone else shows up. It seems smart, especially when he spins it as a pre-engagement party de-stressing meeting that will take place on one of the enormous king-size beds.
I gather my things, call an Uber, and head to street level. Lex texts me his room number. I have my own for the sake of appearances, but that’s its only purpose. I feel bad that a room costing a thousand dollars a night will be wasted, but we can have sex in there later so it’s not a complete waste of a room.
Excitement makes my fingers tremble as I collect my key card from the concierge, then wait for the elevator. I check my reflection in the mirror. This is far more than orgasm anticipation, and if I’m completely honest with myself, it’s been more than that since Bora Bora, I just wasn’t ready to accept it. I see him at least three times a week, but the secrecy is becoming difficult to manage. We both struggle to maintain distance from each other when we’re in the presence of our friends and his family.
My heart speeds up as the elevator dings and the doors open. I drop my things in my room, unlock the adjoining door, and knock. The way my lips curve up in a smile that matches his when he opens the door for me tells me how deep I’m in.
I barely have a chance to cross the threshold before I’m in his arms, his lips on mine. Lex tugs on the tie at my waist and quickly unbuttons my coat, parting the fabric. He freezes, eyes sliding hotly down my body. “Fuck, Amie. This is how you left your apartment?”
I’m wearing a demi bra in lilac with matching lace garters, panties, and nothing else. My dress is in the garment bag tossed carelessly on my bed. “I was in a rush, I thought I’d get dressed here.”
“I don’t know whether I want to spank you or fuck you.”
I lace my fingers with his, tugging him toward the bed. “How about you do both?”
*
Sometime later I’m lying on the comforter of the king-sized bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to catch my breath. Lex is using the space between my breasts as a pillow.
“Don’t expect to get a lot of sleep tonight.” He nuzzles in a bit more.
“What time do we have to check out tomorrow?” I attempt to smooth his messed-up hair. I think he’s probably going to have to wash it to fix it with how much my fingers were in it.
“Whenever I feel like it.” He kisses between my breasts. “We could stay here all weekend, order room service, pretend we’re in Bora Bora without the sand and sun.”
“I like that idea.” My bra and garters never came off, and I’m still wearing my panties since Lex only moved them to the side, so it’s just a matter of putting on my dress—although I’m a little dewy from the exertion, so a quick wipe down with a wash cloth might be helpful. “I should probably think about putting some clothes on.”
Before Lex has a chance to respond, there’s a knock at his door.
“Did you order room service?” I ask.
He shakes his head and nabs his phone from the nightstand. “Ah, hell.” It’s blowing up with messages.
The knock comes again, harder this time, followed by grumbling and then, “I know you’re here, Lex. I checked with the front desk.”
It’s Bane. I meet Lex’s gaze, the panic in his expression matching mine.
Suddenly, Lex’s phone rings. “Shit.” He fumbles around to silence it, but it’s too late.
“Get dressed so we can deal with this.” I push him off me and rush across the room, slipping through the adjoining door, grateful I had the foresight to go to my own damn room first, otherwise there would be no way to hide this.
“Open the damn door, Lex. We have an issue with catering and Amie isn’t answering her phone and Ruby’s freaking out. We need one or both of you before my fiancée has a total meltdown.”
Ruby is usually pretty calm in the face of stress, but this whole thing is beyond her comfort zone. I feel horrible as I pull my phone from my purse to find six missed calls and at least twenty messages from her, all in the past thirty minutes. I’m a terrible best friend.
“I have a master key. If you don’t open this door in the next thirty seconds I’m coming in,” he threatens.
“Gimme a sec,” Lex calls out.
I rush to my own bathroom and quickly wipe down with a washcloth, then jab my legs into my dress while texting a panicked Ruby back.
Over the past several weeks, there have been some close calls. More than what’s reasonable for two people who are trying to avoid involving more people than necessary in the secrecy. And if I’m honest, I kind of like that this is our thing. That we don’t have to deal with the gossip and the questions that will eventually come with going public.
I don’t want this to be the way Ruby or Bane finds out Lex and I are sleeping with each other. I hadn’t expected Armstrong to draw the annulment out so long. I thought it would done long before this and that Lex and I would eventually be able to stop hiding from everyone. And now my selfishness and the secrecy are causing my best friend unnecessary stress.
As I shimmy into my dress, I hear Bane and Lex talking, their voices muffled. I’m not even sure I closed the door all the way.
“Why the hell are you half-dressed? What’s going on with your hair?” Bane snaps. “Why does it smell like sex in here?”
“It doesn’t smell like sex.”
“Don’t bullshit me. I know what sex smells like.” Bane sounds incredulous. “Why’s your bed all messed up? You better not be bringing a date with you. Where’s Amie?” I can feel my face heating at Bane’s questions.
“I took a nap when I got here because I’ve been pulling long hours at work. What’s the deal? Why are you all over my ass?”
There’s silence from Bane for a few long seconds. “I don’t know, man. You’ve been spending a lot of time with Amie lately. I hope you haven’t forgotten that she’s still married to our asshole cousin. You remember who he is, right? The same guy who’s spent most of his life fucking with you because he can. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Are you serious with this?”
“Come on, Lex. You can’t tell me I don’t have a right to be worried what with you and Armstrong and the competitive bullshit you’ve pulled on each other. If something’s going on, you better hope he doesn’t find out, or he’s going to make Amie’s life more miserable than it already is—”
Bane is cut off by my phone. It’s Ruby. I start with an apology. “I’m so sorry I missed your calls.” I hate that I’ve done this to her, especially when she’s been such a huge support for me through all of this Armstrong crap. “I’m in my room, do you want me to come to you or do you want to come here?”
“Thank God you’re here. You have all the makeup right? Can you hide tear stains?” Ruby’s on edge.
“I’ll fix everything, don’t worry.”