Free Decked with Holly by Marni Bates Page B

it.”
    â€œYou can’t steal someone’s clothes while they’re sleeping!”
    â€œI have never stolen anything in my life!” Her glare made it clear that I was irritating her almost as much as she was me.
    Good.
    â€œNo stealing. You just restrict yourself to breaking and entering then.”
    She rolled her red-rimmed eyes. “Will you let that go, already? I became seasick. Obviously, I would’ve been better off puking in anyone else’s bathroom!”
    I saw red. “Oh, really? You would have been better off. I bet you think someone else would applaud your screeching at this ungodly hour too! You’re mental.”
    Her back straightened. “I don’t screech!”
    â€œTrust me, I know music. The sounds you were making? That was not music.”
    Holly shot me an intense glare. “I don’t know what your problem is, but for the record, you’re being a total jerk right now.”
    There was a flurry of knocking at the door and her scowl darkened even as understanding appeared to sink in. “Oh, I get it! You’re mad because you invited girls over and don’t want me around. You could have said as much.” She shouldered her backpack. “It’s been . . . interesting, Nick. Have a nice life.”
    And before I could say a word about how, yes, I wanted her out but not because I had a harem of women coming, she jerked open the door.
    She wasn’t even able to cross the threshold of my suite.
    The hallway was crammed with girls. Dozens of them, varying in ages, shapes, and sizes—but all uninvited—crowded in the doorway. Holly froze, dumbstruck in amazement, as they blinded her with camera flashes and shrieked some version of: “DOMINIC! I LOVE YOU! MARRY ME! OH, MY GOD, DOMINIC, I WANT TO HAVE YOUR BABIES!”
    I think one of my fans might have even fainted.
    Sprinting to the door, I grabbed onto Holly’s backpack, yanking her back into my room, and slammed the door shut. It locked with an audible snick .
    Shit.
    Holly stared at me for a long moment. “Who the hell are you, Dominic? ”
    And that’s when I knew I was officially screwed.

Chapter 9
    Holly
    Â 
    O kay, rewind. What on earth just happened?
    I remembered waking up on the couch and feeling slightly better, with the nausea from yesterday lingering like the vague threat of exams at the beginning of the school year—unpleasant but not imminent danger. At least I no longer felt immobilized by my seasickness. That was a vast improvement, especially since waking up in a stranger’s room was highly disconcerting. Although, I could think of worse ways to start my day. Especially since Nick, unarmed with pepper spray, was exceedingly fun to look at.
    Something I distinctly recalled mentioning the night before.
    I sat bolt upright, lurching out of the makeshift bed. Instead, all I accomplished was twisting the blankets around my feet, tripping myself up, toppling over . . . and landing ungracefully in a heap.
    Well, that was one way to make an entrance.
    Not that Nick seemed to notice. He just grumbled something into his pillow and then told me to get out. Real nice. Then again, considering the way I had barged into his life, I hadn’t expected him to order breakfast and insist that I share it with him.
    But we could at least try to depart on good terms.
    And politeness dictated that I ask permission to use his shower instead of just helping myself. Not that I had any experience with morning-after etiquette. Maybe I should have just slipped out and returned to my cabin, but I hated the clammy layer of sweat that lingered on my skin. I seriously needed a shower before I turned my makeshift bed back into a couch. I even considered calling in for coffee as a thank you before leaving as a way to eliminate potential future awkwardness.
    And maybe after a real conversation we’d even want to hang out. It would be nice to have someone to spend time