When Shane unlocks our room with the electronic key, he opens the door and I step inside. The room is palatial, with floor to ceiling windows, a huge living area and a bar.
I kick off my sneakers and flop down onto the huge sofa. 揟his place is bigger than the house I grew up in.?I smile at him as he tips the bellboy before walking over to me. He lifts my feet and sits down beside me before placing them over his lap.
揃igger than the house I grew up in too.?He cocks an eyebrow as he looks around the room.
揑 thought your family always had money??
He nods. 揗y father always had money, but he squandered most of it on women, fast cars and anything else that gave him a buzz. It wasn抰 until I started earning for myself at fifteen that me or my brothers had any real money.?
揧ou started working for your father at fifteen??
揘o.?He shakes his head and smiles. 揑 started getting paid for it at fifteen. And I made much smarter investments than my father ever did.?
揌ow old were you when you made your first million??
He tilts his head to one side as he considers my question. 揟wenty,?he finally answers.
揥ow!?I stretch my legs over his and he rubs my feet. 揧ou抮e pretty amazing, Shane Ryan.?
揥ell, that means a lot coming from you, Jessie Ryan,?he smiles at me and I feel the heat building in my core, but then I抦 reminded of when we checked in a few minutes ago and I feel a pang of guilt. 揥hat is it??
揧ou think that was a little insensitive before? Checking in as Mr. and Mrs. Ryan??I bite on my lip.
揥hy??he frowns.
揃ecause you and Erin almost were that. She looked really hurt, Shane.?
He reaches over and brushes his fingertips over my cheek. 揝he knows who you are to me. She chose to travel with us. To stay at the same hotel as us. I抦 not going to apologize for being with you, Jessie.?
I swallow hard. This man makes my entire body tremble with need just talking to me. 揙kay,?I breathe.
He stands up and holds out his hand to me. 揥e抳e got a long day tomorrow. I have to go meet with some of my father抯 business associates and fake a smile while they pay me condolences for my loss. I want you to come with me.?
I take hold of his hand and allow him to pull me up. 揙f course. I抎 love to meet some of your old friends.?
揟here won抰 be any friends of mine there, sweetheart, which is why I want you with me.?
揑 will be anything and do anything you need me to this week.?
He arches one eyebrow at me. 揧ou抮e going to do as you抮e told the whole time we抮e here??
揧es.?
揘o attitude? No acting like a brat??
揘o!?I frown at him. 揑 am not a brat!?
He slides one arm around my waist and pulls me closer to him, brushing his fingertips over my cheek with his free hand. 揟hat doesn抰 sound like much fun at all,?he grins before he hoists me up onto his shoulder and slaps me on the ass before carrying me to the bedroom, which is almost as big as the living area outside. He throws me onto the huge super king-size bed and I bounce into the middle with a giggle.
My stomach growls loudly as he holds himself over me and I blush. I didn抰 each much of my meal on the plane, conscious of Erin watching every move I made.
揥e should get some room service,?Shane says as he checks his watch.
揝orry!?I bite my lip and glance down at my stomach. Damn my hunger ruining the mood.
揑抦 starving too, sweetheart,?he says before pressing a soft kiss on my stomach. 揂nd besides, we抳e got the whole week together.?
揑 know,?I breathe as I look into his eyes. The thought of an entire week in this beautiful hotel room with him makes me tremble with anticipation.
揑 am going to enjoy doing filthy things with you, Mrs. Ryan,?he growls.
揑抦 pretty sure I抦 going to enjoy it even more, Mr. Ryan.?
Chapter 7
Jessie
After breakfast in our room the following morning, Shane and I meet up with Erin in the hotel lobby. I could barely hide my disappointment when he told me that she would be joining us today too, but I suppose this is a business thing and that抯 what she抯 here for. Shane has hired us a town car with a driver for the week and when the huge, sleek black car pulls up outside the hotel, he opens the door for me and I climb inside and scoot along to the edge of the seat. Erin climbs in next and sits in the middle beside me and I curse under my breath. I hadn抰 thought that through. Now she抣l be sitting beside Shane instead of me.
Shane pokes his head inside the car and he looks at the two of us. 揢nless you want to sit on my lap, sweetheart, I抎 suggest we rethink this seating situation,?he flashes an eyebrow at me.
I look to Erin beside me. 揅an you scoot over, please??I ask, forcing a smile.
She rolls her eyes so hard I think they may have fallen into her brain.
揧ou really want to sit next to Shane while he抯 feeling me up on his lap the entire way??I ask and that seems to do the trick as she slides along the seat with a deep sigh and I scoot into her place.
揟hank you,?Shane says as he steps inside and sits beside me.
I lean close to him and he rests his warm hand on my thigh. I fidget and pull at the hem of my dress, not used to wearing them, and Shane takes hold of my hand to stop me. This dress is one of the ones Conor chose for me. Shane packed it in his suitcase, knowing full well that all I would bring would be jeans and tank tops, which I am much more comfortable in. I抦 grateful he did though. I would have felt out of place otherwise.
Erin, as usual, is effortlessly chic and stylish. I have to give her that. She is to clothes what peanut butter is to jelly.
I sit back in the seat and we drive to the venue in almost silence. The air is thick with tension and I feel the frustration seeping into Shane the closer we get to our destination. His fingers flex in my hand and his chest is rigid as we drive through the streets of Belfast. From the little he抯 told me, this event today has been put on just for him. A chance for all of his father抯 friends and associates to see him after all this time and pay their respects, but mostly to talk business ?notably, who is going to take over operations in Ireland now that Patrick is dead.
As soon as we get inside the pub where the gathering is happening, Shane is accosted by a group of men who all offer their condolences and push glasses of whiskey into his hands. They try to usher him into a corner of the room which is full of men in suits drinking and smoking cigars. He looks at me apologetically but I smile at him. 揑抣l be fine,?I mouth.
揑抣l look after her,?Erin says coolly.
Shane frowns at her as I almost pass out with shock, but I hide my surprise. 揋o,?I say to him and he winks at me before disappearing into the crowd.
揝hall we get a drink??Erin says as she turns to me.
I look behind me to see if she抯 speaking to somebody else, but there is no-one else here. 揢mm. Yes, okay,?I say and then I follow her to the bar where she orders us each a whiskey. 揑 don抰 have any money with me,?I whisper as I look around the room for Shane.
She rolls her eyes. 揜elax. You don抰 need any when you抮e with Shane. He takes care of everything,?she says and there is a sadness in her voice. As much as she annoys me, I understand how much it must hurt her to see the two of us together.
The bartender hands us each a whiskey over ice and I raise mine to Erin. 揅heers,?I offer.
揅heers.?She actually smiles at me and clinks her glass against mine. 揅ome on, I抣l introduce you to a few people,?she says with a nod of her head and I follow her into the crowd wondering for a second who she is and what the hell she has done with the real Erin.