Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
When I clear my throat, all three of them look my way, and I’m again tempted to hide somewhere. Instead, I say, “There’s a chance my sister might show up. I talked to her, and … she wanted to know where I was. I … I told her not to come, but she was worried about me.”
Rafe and Bron return to their breakfasts, and Conal nods easily, which helps me relax a bit. “I’ll tell security to send her up if she comes.”
His reaction is a relief, because if Conal didn’t want to let Ember in, I can imagine her getting the police involved, or maybe her three men would fight their way in.
Encouraged by Conal’s response, I bring up another concern. “Do you know where my friend is? Bliss?”
“She’s in another room here at the hotel. We assumed you’d want to see her today.”
I nod, and try to act like all this is normal. I probably only missed a few hours of my life last night, but they sure were important ones.
HAZEL
As I continue to nibble on my toast, I sit calmly, but inside, my mind is spinning like a hamster wheel. I have so many questions, but I decide to save most of them for Bliss.
I wonder what her room here looks like. It’s hard to compare spaces, but I think the suite I’m sitting in could contain the entirety of the house where I live with my mom and little sister. I never knew hotels had rooms this large and lavish, and I can’t even begin to imagine how much it costs to stay here.
I manage to finish one slice of toast, and am rewarded with a grin when Conal looks at the plate to check my progress. I smile back at him, as my mind helpfully tells me, He’s your husband.
My phone vibrates with a text that I expect to be Ember, but it’s from Bliss and simply says, “Call me.”
I set my plate on the table, hug the blanket to me, and unfold myself from the chair. “I’m going to call Bliss,” I say to excuse myself before I retreat to the privacy of the bedroom where I woke up.
These rooms are so big that if I sit near the headboard of the massive bed, I should be able to talk quietly without being overheard, but returning to the bed is a mistake. My stomach does belly flops that have nothing to do with the alcohol I drank last night.
The sheets are rumpled and the room is filled with the masculine scent of cologne, or maybe a blend of colognes. What happened in this bed that I can’t remember? That’s a question that Bliss likely won’t be able to answer.
I stab at my friend’s contact and arrange the blanket on my lap as I wait for her to answer. I’m not cold, but covering myself provides a sense of security, however small it may be.
“Hey, good morning. How was your night?” Bliss’s tone tells me that she assumes I had the wildest time of my life. “Has your cherry been well and thoroughly popped?”
“Bliss!” I hiss at her in a low whisper.
“Hey, I know you’re a married woman and all, but you can’t blame me for making the joke. You know … the song?”
I groan. I’d forgotten about “Pop Your Cherry.” It was one of the Pythons’ earliest hits. Did those explicit lyrics play out here last night?
Throwing the topsheet out of the way, I scan the bed for evidence to confirm I lost my virginity, but I don’t see any blood. That’s not proof it didn’t happen, though.
“Bliss, I have a big problem.” I grip my phone tightly and hold it close to my mouth, not that I didn’t already share my secret with Conal. “I don’t remember last night.”
“No?” She sounds surprised and sympathetic. “What part?”
“Everything from midnight on. I didn’t know where I was when I woke up this morning.”
“Oh, shit. I’m sorry, Hazel. I had no idea you were that drunk. You didn’t show it. You just seemed really happy—and with good reason!”
I’m sure the champagne affected my mood, but I do remember being happy to be with Conal long before midnight. It was such a wild surprise when he and his brothers invited us to party with them. It was so surreal actually, that I might not have agreed if Bliss hadn’t insisted we go. She’s much more daring than I am.
“Were you there when we got married?”
“Sure was. Got a phone full of pics to prove it.”
My phone pings with an incoming text, and I tap it to see a picture pop up. Me, in this dress, my face and hair looking much better than they do now. I’m holding the bouquet of flowers that are here on the table, and Conal is lifting my hand toward the camera, showing off the wedding ring. His brothers are on either side of us, and I’m smiling like there’s no tomorrow.