Page 90 of Perfect Liar

“No one has ever done anything so meaningful like this for me, Will.”

He pulled my fingers to his lips and held his mouth against my skin.

Several unexpected camera flashes went off from the opposite side of the street. Will wasn’t bothered by the intrusion, so I dismissed it as well.

The hotel’s doorman approached us.

“Mr. Hastings?” he asked.

Will nodded.

“The two cars behind me are with us as well.”

“Shall we park the cars for you?”

“Not this time. We’ll park and manage our bags. Thank you.”

The young doorman bowed his head and opened the door.

Joe Turner sprinted over from one of the other cars.

“Sir, I’ll park your car, so you can get Miss James inside. We’ll set up and see you later.”

Will rested his hand on my lower back and led me through stately columns into the red-brick building, a beautiful boutique hotel with a trendy restaurant.

After we passed through the door, Will paused and put cash in the doorman’s hand, but not for service…for his silence. They nodded at each other.

Then we crossed the lobby’s marble floor and entered a lounge styled in rich woods and earth tones. Will seemed to know his way around…he gestured for me to sit on a leather sofa.

“I guess you’ve been here?” I asked.

“Yes, this place belongs to one of our clients. It does quite well, so it gets busy. One of us will be with you all the time, even on our floors. No exceptions. No wandering.”

He pulled out his phone and read a text message.

“Our floors? What do you mean?”

“Ethan cleared the fourth and fifth floors. Sleeping rooms are on four, and five is one large suite that we’ll use as our private lounge.”

“Oh. Well, is all that necessary?”

He leaned in close and inhaled against my hair.

His voice dripped with the same deep, gravelly tone he used in bed.

“Yes, it’s necessary. Because I say it is.”

My breath quickened in response.

“Elle, don’t be con?—”

The server coughed to draw our attention, and Will turned on him midsentence.

“Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Macallan. Thank you. And don’t clear your fucking throat like that again.”

“Sorry, sir.”

Will’s focus jerked back to me.