Free Notorious by Vicki Lewis Thompson Page B

adult-video arcades!”
    â€œThen you should be delighted to have this chance to see some,” she said sweetly. “Whoops, is that a phone ringing somewhere?”
    â€œIt sure as hell is, and I’ll bet it’s Brandon. God, I was supposed to meet him at—” He checked his watch. “Ten minutes ago. A fitting for the tux.” He scanned the area frantically. “Do you see anything in this jungle that resembles aphone, or should I go answer that trumpet-flower thing? That’s where the ringing’s coming from.”
    â€œI’m sure that’s a flower.” She moved the petals aside and saw nothing but lava rocks behind it.
    â€œThis is ridiculous. We can’t even answer the—”
    â€œOh!” With sudden inspiration, she looked at the remote in her hand. “Here’s a button marked phone. Let’s see what happens if I push it.”
    His eyes widened in panic. “Don’t! It might be a video phone or something.”
    â€œOkay, then take it.” She thrust the remote at him. “You push those little buttons and I’ll leave the room.”
    â€œAnd go where?” he asked, sounding even more agitated.
    â€œTo the bedroom.” She winked at him. “Maybe I’ll slip into something more comfortable.”
    â€œBut you don’t have any other clothes!” He sounded very worried.
    She glanced over her shoulder. “I know.” Then she crossed the footbridge with her best eye-catching walk. Poor Noah. When she decided to make her move, he wouldn’t know what hit him.
    Â 
    W ITH TREMBLING HANDS Noah turned off the power to the big-screen TV, finally erasing the erotic images that had nearly driven him to do something he’d regret. Glancing uneasily toward the bedroom, afraid of what Keely might be up to in there, he pushed the button for the phone. Once again motors whirred as the rock wall parted and a shelf slid out, presenting him with a cordless phone.
    Setting the remote on the shelf, Noah picked up the phone and turned it on. “Hello?”
    â€œNoah!” Brandon sounded relieved.
    â€œListen, I’m sorry I’m not down there like I’m supposed to be. There’s been—”
    â€œI heard about that. I dialed your room and couldn’t getyou, so the guys and I decided to go up there, because it’s not like you to be late. That’s when we found yellow crime-scene tape everywhere. Man, we went on a rampage, finally got ahold of the manager, Ames, and he told us what happened. I rescheduled the fittings for thirty minutes from now. Can you make that okay?”
    â€œSure. I could come down now if you want.”
    â€œThey have another wedding party in the rental shop right now, but we can go have a beer if you want to. Or we could all come up there and see your new room. Is it pretty cool?”
    â€œIt’s okay.” Noah didn’t want to describe it because his friends would be up in a heartbeat to check it out. “The usual.”
    â€œIt must at least have a hot tub or something, right?”
    â€œWell, yeah, it does.” Noah picked up the remote to find out what else it controlled besides the TV and the phone cabinet.
    â€œWhere? In the bedroom? Our honeymoon suite has a hot tub in the bedroom.”
    â€œUh, it’s on the terrace.”
    â€œThe terrace? Damn it, son, we don’t even have a terrace, let alone one big enough for a hot tub. What’s your view like?”
    â€œUm, you know—town, the mountains, stuff.”
    â€œI gotta see this. What’s your number?”
    â€œWell, I don’t know if you can just come up. There’s a special elevator.” In his agitation Noah’s thumb clamped down on one of the buttons on the remote. Another rock panel slid back to reveal a completely stocked wet bar backed by mirrored glass.
    â€œA special elevator?” Brandon cried. “Shitfire, you’re on