Free Public Secrets (Artificial Intelligence Book 1) by Liza O'Connor Page A

best you could do?” she teased as he lifted his bags out of his car and joined her.
    “I know it’s no YHA.” He shrugged apologetically. “It belongs to one of the All Sports executives I had breakfast with on Monday. He was more than happy to let me use it.”
    “I wondered how you found a room so easily. Lake Taupo books up very fast, you know. You couldn’t have gotten a room at the hostel at such late notice.”
    He smiled. “Thank God for little cabins.”
    A woman opened the door and welcomed them inside. “I’m Anna, the housekeeper. I stayed late tonight for your arrival. I normally leave at four. The cook always leaves at six. I had him prepare a cold plate of sandwiches in case you’re hungry.”
    “Starved,” Carla replied.
    “Well, when you’re ready, the kitchen is right through those doors.” She pointed to the right wall of the expansive living room. “I’ll show you to your rooms now.”
    Chad grabbed the luggage, despite Carla’s insistence that she could carry her own. They followed Anna up the stairs and down the hall.
    “The pink room will be yours, miss. And your room, Mr. Tyler, is right here, across the hall. If you find you need anything, write it down on the tablet in the hallway, and I’ll do my best to acquire it.”
    Carla put her luggage on the bed and sorted through it looking for clean underwear. In the morning, she would hunt down the laundry room. But right now, please God, let me have one set of clean, preferably nice-looking underwear.
    Having successfully located some white cotton panties and a bra, she laid them out on the bed with stretch pants and a T-shirt. She wished she had something sexier, but she hadn’t planned for seductions while she was here.
    Locating her shampoo and razor, she entered the attached bathroom and turned on the hot shower. When she turned around, Chad was looming in the doorframe.
    “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, stepping inside.
    Suddenly her spacious bathroom seemed very small.
    “I just wanted to let you know that Anna has left for the night.”
    “Thank you,” she said, grabbing a towel from the rack and holding it in front of her, even though she was still wearing her bathing suit. Suddenly it just didn’t seem enough.
    Chad smiled. “Am I making you nervous?”
    “Maybe a little.”
    “I’ll go take my bath. See you downstairs.”
    “You’ll find me in the kitchen, eating,” she called out.
    “Better leave me some,” he warned.

Chapter Fourteen
     
    Chad had yet to leave Carla’s bedroom when he heard the stall door slide open and closed. He imagined her naked inside the shower. A part of him said to go in, a part cautioned patience. He remembered the way she’d held the towel in front of her, so young and fragile. Take it slow , he advised himself. Take it slow.
    He turned to walk out, but his eye caught sight of her computer. Why would a college student bring a computer on vacation? He smiled as he remembered she was a computer science major. She’d probably take the computer into the shower if it were only waterproof. He felt a great need to power it up and peek inside, but he didn’t dare. He suspected she wasn’t the type to dally. If he wanted to see any of those sandwiches, he had better get moving.
    ***
    Sure enough, he found her in the kitchen, munching on the second half of her sandwich when he came downstairs. He had taken the time to blow-dry his hair, thinking she would expect it. However, looking at her long, wet strands, he realized she lacked even the simplest of pretensions. She was definitely a “come as you are” girl.
    “Did you leave me anything?”
    She shook her head no . “You shouldn’t have spent so much time primping in front of the mirror,” she scolded between bites.
    He opened the refrigerator and was amazed at the quantity of sandwiches inside. “Did the cook think I was bringing the entire football team with me?”
    He heard Carla start to laugh and then