Free Indelibly Intimate by Regina Cole Page B

Dean.”
    Quinn’s stomach sank as if she’d just swallowed a barrel full of lead nuggets. Close quarters. His words bounced around in her skull. He’d been telling her then and she hadn’t fucking paid attention. “Oh no, that won’t work. I’m sorry, there’s been a misunderstanding. I guess I’ll have to get my own room.”
    The line was growing behind Quinn, and the woman’s expression became strained. “I’m sorry, but we have no vacancies for the weekend. With the convention, we’re completely booked.”
    “Oh.” Quinn bit her lip. “Damn it. Okay.” Her palms grew sweaty as she gripped the keycard and her ID. “Room 795.”
    “Yes. You have a nice stay.” The woman nodded and leaned to the side. “Yes sir, can I help you?”
    Quinn was shocked the elevator could lift her to the seventh floor. Her feet were made of lead. She could barely keep upright, as anxious as she was. She wanted to be pissed at Hammer but she couldn’t. He’d given her every opportunity to back out of this weekend and she hadn’t. What a fucking idiot she’d been.
    The wheels of her suitcase clack-clacked over the metal edge of the elevator on the seventh floor. Quinn blew a breath out, trying to slow her pulse before finding her way to Hammer’s room. It didn’t work. Her body remembered how good it felt to be near him. She’d have three nights of that temptation to live through.
    She froze in front of the door marked 795. Three nights? Why hadn’t she asked the woman at the desk if it was a king room or a double? Why hadn’t she gotten in her car and hauled ass back home? And then the door swung open.
    Why’d he have to be so goddamn gorgeous?
    “Hi, Sparky. Glad you could make it.”
    She swallowed. He leaned against the doorjamb, not quite smiling but his face was relaxed, pleasant.
    “Hi. Do I have the right place?” She stood her suitcase upright, only to rake her bangs out of the way. They flopped back instantly.
    “Yep,” he said, one corner of his mouth curling upward. “Home sweet home for the next few days. Here, let me get your suitcase.”
    “That’s okay,” she protested, but he’d already picked up her bag as if it didn’t weigh anything, and he took it into the room.
    She held her breath as she followed him inside, deathly afraid of the sleeping arrangements. When the two double beds met her gaze, she sighed aloud in relief.
    “Everything all right?” He set her suitcase atop the luggage rack and turned at the sound of her sigh.
    “Oh yeah, fine,” she said with a nervous nod. “No problem at all.”
    He snorted in obvious disbelief. “Okay. Well, if you want to get settled, I need to go get the booth set up downstairs. I picked up the registration packet already. Your badge is on the dresser.”
    She looked over to where he pointed. An ID badge lay atop a manila envelope.
    “If you want to come check out the floor, we’re booth number sixty-five.”
    She nodded, swallowing hard as he walked past her to get to the door. He smelled good, as if he’d just showered. Her eyes slid shut.
    “And Sparky?”
    Her lids flew open. “Yeah?”
    He gave a positively evil grin. “I’m in the bed on the right. You can sleep wherever you want.”
    The door shut with a clang and it took Quinn’s strength with it. She sank on the end of a bed. His words echoed in the empty hotel room.
    Sleep wherever you want…
    She knew exactly where she wanted to sleep. And it sure as hell wasn’t alone. Shaking her head, she crossed over to the suitcase he’d so thoughtfully placed for her. He was really going to have to stop being so damn wonderful if she was going to have a shot at coming out of this weekend unscathed. Fear that she stood in imminent danger of losing more than her head with Hammer refused to let her relax. Talented, gorgeous, considerate bastard.
     
    Hammer’s tension eased as he left the hotel room. He hadn’t believed she’d actually show up. When she did, it had been all he could