“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s on me.”
“No.” Denora’s voice was firm. “I happen to know how much the rooms cost here. There’s no way I’m letting you pay for me.”
“Denora, I own the hotel,” Max said with a sigh. “There is no room charge. Now why don’t you get your purse while I go see about the rooms?”
He ignored her wide-eyed look as he steered her back to the table and went over to the reception area. A few minutes later, he returned with two key cards.
“Max, thank you,” Denora said as they left the restaurant. “I really wish you would let me pay though. I can write you a check when we get back to the city.”
“Denora, I know you’re an independent woman and I respect you for that,” Max said as they stepped into the elevator. “But this is my gift to you. I want to make it up to you.”
“Well, you kind of did.” Denora smiled. “The helicopter ride, dinner and now this.” She gazed around the lavishly decorated corridor as they walked over to her room. He opened the door and handed her the key. “I had an amazing time, Max,” she said softly.
He held her gaze. “Me too.”
He hovered in the doorway and for a split moment, and she thought he was going to ask her if he could come in. But all he did was to lean over to gently press his lips to hers. Denora closed her eyes as his mouth softly coaxed hers in a brief, chaste kiss, the very tip of his tongue stroking her inner lip.
“Good night, Denora,” he whispered.
And then, without another word, he turned around and left. Denora’s heart sank as she watched him step into the elevator. He didn’t turn around to look at her.
It’s for the best. He’s your boss.
Chapter 6
She couldn’t help but feel disappointed as she walked into the luxurious hotel room and kicked off her heels. She walked over to the massive king-sized bed and ran her fingers across the sheets, mentally visualizing how they could have messed them up. With a sigh, she fished inside her purse for her phone and punched in Grace’s number.
“Hello?” Her friend’s voice was hushed.
Denora frowned. “Why are you whispering?”
“Hold on.”
There was some rustling and then Grace spoke again, louder this time. “Sorry. There’s this divine man asleep in my bed so I slipped into the bathroom to talk to you.”
Denora’s eyes widened. “A man? You don’t mean…?”
“Yes!” Grace exclaimed. “Sam from accounting. He asked me out and we drank way too much and then I somehow mustered the nerve to ask him back home and…well, you can guess. I was trying to call you from the restaurant bathroom earlier. Damn, I had no idea Sam was so good in bed. ”
“Yeah,” Denora said sourly. “Better you than me.”
“Oh gosh, I’m sorry,” Grace said quickly. “You left so quickly after work today that we didn’t get the chance to talk about Max. The new CEO, huh?” She paused. “Are you okay? About that, I mean.”
Denora twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “Actually—”
“I mean, you didn’t know, right?” she interrupted.
“No, I didn’t.” Denora inhaled deeply. “I’m actually with him at the moment. Well, not right now,” she hastily added. “But I had dinner with him. Now I’m in the hotel room. Alone. I mean, I’m in my hotel room and he’s in his hotel room. I’m in the Hamptons, actually. His helicopter flew us here,” she blurted in one nervous breath.
There was a long pause.
“Hello?”
“Are you telling me that you flew to the Hamptons with the new boss and now you’re both in a hotel together?” Grace asked.
“Well, not together, together,” Denora amended. “We each have our own rooms. But yes, that’s kind of what happened. I just couldn’t stay away. I wanted to. But I couldn’t.”
“I see,” Grace said flatly.
“I was pretty pissed at him for not telling me that he was going to buy the company,” Denora found herself explaining. “And I did want to break things off with him. I told him so this afternoon. He cornered me in the corridor to the restroom.” She flushed at the memory. “Anyway, it was supposed to be over. But then he showed up with this giant plush panda and chocolate and asked me out. I had no idea it was going to be at the Victoria, though.” She laughed. “Grace, are you here?”
“I’m here.” There was no mistaking it this time. Her best friend’s voice was glacial.
Denora frowned. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked.
“Nothing,” Grace snapped. “It’s just that I think you’re being extremely irresponsible. You can’t go around and jet set with him now that he’s in charge of the company.”
“I know, but I told you, I couldn’t stay away from him,” Denora explained patiently.
“Please,” Grace scoffed. “You hardly know the guy.”
Denora felt a stab of annoyance. “What is it to you, anyway?”
“Well, you’re already Darren’s little pet at work,” Grace said bitterly. “Where does that leave the rest of us if you start sucking up to the new boss too?”
Denora’s jaw dropped. “What are you talking about?”
“Sorry,” Grace said. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” Denora snapped. “That was a seriously low blow, Grace. Is this what you think of me? That I’m screwing my way around the company to get to the top?”
“Of course not.” Grace sounded genuinely contrite. “Look, just ignore me, alright? I’m just jealous.”
Denora didn’t reply. It was no secret that Grace had always envied Denora’s soaring success at the magazine. They’d both joined the company within one week of each other and Denora had had two promotions since then. Grace was exactly where she was three years ago, and for some reason, Denora had always felt guilty about that.
“Dee, I’m really sorry,” her friend said in a small voice. “I was being a bitch. I know you don’t screw your way to get to the top. Heck, I’ve seen firsthand how hard you work. I’m just super envious of you. I mean, you’ve landed yourself an Irish billionaire for god’s sake.”
“Nothing’s happened between us, Grace,” Denora said. Yet, she added to herself.
“Forgive me?”
“Of course, sweetie.”
“Look, I’d better go back to bed before Sam wakes up,” Grace said. “See you Monday.”
“Night, girl,” Denora said, and hung up.
She was deep in thought as she walked over to the bathroom. That was exactly why the saner part of her wanted to keep a distance from Max. She didn’t work everyone at the office to think that she was sleeping with him to get ahead. Darren had said that she was up for promotion, and if she got it, everyone would automatically assume that it was because of Max. Years of hard work, long hours and all-nighters would be swept under the carpet.
Maybe it was a good thing he went back to his own room after all.