2. Emily

Chapter 2

Emily

Embarrassed beyond belief, I keep my eyes forward, my head held high, and count each step as I slowly make my way back to the counter. I still can't believe what I've just said.

I want a man.

Not on my life! I'd rather have my teeth extracted without anesthesia.

A man is the last thing I want.

Or need.

Ever.

"Miss Taylor, there's a small problem with your reservation."

My head snaps up. "What?"

"Mr. Martin has already checked in…" The clerk drops her eyes. "…with his wife."

Every ounce of blood drains from my head straight into my feet. "Please say that again."

"I'm very sorry. But Mr. Taylor checked into the honeymoon suite this morning with his wife." The wide-eyed clerk stares at me in complete panic. "I've called the manager for you and he's on his way right now."

This can't be happening. I grab onto the counter to keep from falling. Joshua is here? Impossible. "Are you sure? Please recheck the reservation."

"I checked it three times already, se?orita . We will find you another hotel. Do not worry."

"Another hotel? No. This is where I'm staying." The shock I feel at hearing Joshua is here is now a boiling rage.

My turd of an ex-fiancé left me a little over a year ago for our wedding planner. A tall, stick-thin, blue-eyed Barbie doll named Peaches. After I pushed past the hurt of being cast aside for a cartoon character, I realized that Joshua had actually given me a gift. He'd saved me from spending an eternity with a gigantic horse's ass.

But that doesn't mean all is forgiven.

How dare he come to Madrid and steal from me?

I was the one who planned the honeymoon. And not only did I plan it, I paid for it. Every penny came out of my bank account. Every blessed red cent. Which was why I made the decision not to sell it after we called off the wedding.

Madrid was my dream vacation. And I deserve to have this dream.

I shouldn't be flabbergasted. But I'm. How my ex could have the audacity to bring the woman he replaced me with to where we were supposed to have our honeymoon is mindboggling. Then again, a man who would have an affair with his wedding planner is capable of anything.

"We have arranged for a car to take you to our sister hotel on the other side of town." The manager slides a brochure across the counter. "It is a smaller hotel, but it is just as beautiful. You will be happy there."

"No." I shove the brochure away. "I paid for this hotel, and I'm staying here."

"But we have no more rooms, se?orita . We are sold out."

"I have a room." I point out. "It just has the wrong person in it. I didn't spend thousands of dollars and fly thousands of miles to stay anywhere else."

"Can I help?"

I spin around to see none other than the devastatingly handsome Alejandro Garcia grinning down at me like the Cheshire Cat.

"Is everything alright?" he asks.

"No," I declare. "Everything isn't alright. My ex married our wedding planner and is now staying in my room. Can you believe that? My room! The one I paid for! Now they're telling me I have to go to a different hotel because there aren't any more rooms." I have no idea why I'm telling this man my troubles. Fatigue? Jet lag? Who knows? "I want to stay here. I paid to stay here."

Alejandro's smile fades as he turns to the manager. He says a few quick sentences in Spanish, which has the manager turning redder than a beet. Before I can ask what he said, a bellhop rushes over with a cart.

"Give him your suitcases." Alejandro nods.

"You got me a room?"

"Yes."

"Thank you!" I rush forward and throw my arms around him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You might want to wait a moment before you thank me." Alejandro takes money out of his pocket to tip the bellhop and then ushers me across the gleaming tile floor to a bank of elevators.

"Wait, I don't have a room key."

"I do." Alejandro's eyes drop to my lips.

Suddenly, my mouth goes dry. What is happening? I swallow past the lump in my throat as Alejandro quickly looks away and then walks to the last elevator on the right. He takes out a card and swipes it through a slot. The elevator door opens.

And I gasp.

I've never seen anything so decadent. The walls are covered in a rich, warm wood. There is a seat with tufted emerald green cushions and a chandelier casting soft lighting across a plush ivory carpet.

"Get in."

My heart races as I hesitate. I have the strange feeling that if I step across the threshold into this elevator, my life is going to change.

"You are safe with me, mi vida . I will never hurt you."

"Said the big, bad wolf to Little Red Riding Hood before he tried to eat her," I huff.

"I'm a wolf, yes." Alejandro steps into the elevator and holds out his hand. "But I'm your wolf, mi vida . Come."

I take his hand, ignore the bolt of lightning charging up my arm at the contact, and my feet sink into the carpet as the door closes us in. I stare straight ahead, refusing to look at the size of his big hands or the size of his feet. The man is huge.

"I can hear your heart beating." He turns to face me.

"I'm not going to sleep with you," I blurt. "Ever." I slap a hand over my mouth, horrified I said what I was thinking out loud.

Alejandro smiles, a lazy hot smile. "You are thinking of sleeping with me? I'm honored."

"I shouldn't have said that." I sigh. "I'm nervous. I'm tired. And I don't have any idea what's happening."

"You are staying with me."

"In your room?" What have I done?

"In my suite."

I turn to look up at him. "In your suite?"

" Sí . I'm staying in the penthouse. It is six thousand square feet with four bedrooms. You will have plenty of space all to yourself." I find it hard to breathe as his eyes roam down my body and then snap back up to my face.

"Why are you doing this?"

"You are far from home, mi vida , in a strange country, all alone. It is my honor to help you." He winks. "Besides, you did say you wanted a man. And I'm here for you." He smiles wide, showing off his perfect teeth.

I inhale deeply and turn back to stare at the elevator door.

And pray I haven't just made the second biggest mistake of my life.