Beautiful Bastard

recognized; it would be great to get out with some friends while we were here. The last thing I needed was to sit alone in my hotel room and fantasize about the man down the hall.
    After receiving our keys and seeing that the bellhop would take our bags to our rooms, I headed to the lounge in search of Mr. Ryan. The welcome reception was in full swing, and when I scanned the large room I found him standing next to a tall brunette. They stood close together, his head bent slightly as he listened to her.
    His head blocked her face from my view, and my eyes narrowed when I noticed her hand reach up and grip his forearm. She laughed at something he’d said and he pulled away slightly, allowing me a better look.
    She was beautiful, with shoulder-length, straight dark hair. As I watched, she placed something in his hand and folded his fingers around it. A strange look crossed his face as he bent his head to examine the object in his palm.
    You have got to be kidding me. Did she—did she just give him her room key?
    I watched for a moment more, and then something inside me snapped as he continued to stare at the key as if he was considering pocketing it. The thought of him looking at someone else with the same intensity, the thought of him wanting someone else at all, made my stomach twist with anger. Before I could stop myself, I was moving across the room until I stood beside them.
    I placed my hand on his forearm, and he blinked over to me, a surprised, questioning expression on his face. “Bennett, are you ready to head upstairs?” I asked quietly.
    His eyes widened and his mouth opened in shock. I’d never seen him look so utterly at a loss for words.
    And then I realized: I’d never said his name before.
    “Bennett?” I asked once more, and something flickered across his face. Slowly, the corner of his mouth lifted into a smile and our eyes locked for a moment.
    Turning back to her, he smiled indulgently and spoke in a voice so smooth it sent a tremor through me. “Excuse us,” he said, discreetly placing her key back in her hand. “As you can see, I didn’t come here alone.”
    The bright pulse of victory in my chest completely overshadowed the horror I should have been feeling. He pressed his warm hand to the small of my back as he led us out of the lounge and down the hall. But the closer we got to the elevators, the more my elation was replaced with something else. I began to panic as I realized how irrationally I had acted.
    The reminder of our constant cat-and-mouse game exhausted me. How many times a year did he travel? And how often would he get a room key pressed into his palm? Would I be there every time to pull him back? If I wasn’t, would he happily skip upstairs with someone else?
    And, truly, who the fuck did I think I could be to him? I shouldn’t care!
    My heart was racing, the sound of my blood rushing in my ears. Three other couples joined us in the elevator, and I prayed I could make it to my room before I exploded. I couldn’t believe what I’d just done. I glanced up to see him wearing a triumphant smirk.
    I took a deep breath and tried to remind myself that this was exactly why I needed to stay away. What happened down there was completely out of character for me, and completely unprofessional of both of us in such a public work setting. I wanted to scream at him, to hurt him and enrage him like he had me, but it was getting harder and harder to find the will.
    We rode up in tense silence, until the last couple stepped out, leaving us alone. I closed my eyes, just trying to breathe, but of course all I could smell was him. I didn’t want him with someone else, and that feeling was so overwhelming that it took my breath away. And it was terrifying, because if I was to be honest, he could break my heart.
    He could break me.
    The elevator stopped and with a quiet ding, the doors opened at our floor.
    “Chloe?” he prompted, his hand pressed to my back.
    I turned, rushing out of the elevator.
    “Where are you going?” he shouted after me. I heard his footsteps and knew there was going to be trouble. “Chloe, wait!”
    I couldn’t outrun him forever. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to anymore.

Thirteen
    A million thoughts ran through my mind in that second. We couldn’t keep doing this. Either this would continue or it had to stop. Now . It was interfering with my business, my sleep, my head—my fucking life.
    But no matter how much I tried to kid myself, I knew what I