Mad About Meg, Mari Carr [book recommendations for young adults txt] 📗

Shegiggled lightly before her smile turned to a grimace. “I saved up all myvacation days for this trip, and truth be told, I’ll be paying this ill-fatedadventure off my credit card for many years to come.”

“Ill-fated?” He recalled that for all intentsand purposes, she was homeless for the night.

“Youcouldn’t believe my last twenty-four hours.”

“Tryme.”

“Where to begin?” Her laugh was strained. “Due tomechanical problems, my first flight was re-routed to Houston and delayed long enough that I missedmy original connecting flight in Florida.My scheduled seven hours of travel time turned into twenty-one.”

“Ouch.”He thought guiltily of the ease of his trip here on his private jet.

“Ibroke my cell phone, my luggage is somewhere in Timbuktu, the sporty littleconvertible I reserved weeks ago was downgraded to an ancient mini-van thatyour chauffeur left in a ditch a half a mile down the road. My sunny paradisehas turned into hurricane hell and I have nowhere to stay tonight as thisso-called luxury resort lost my reservation. Please bear in mind that is justtoday’s run of bad luck and doesn’t include the fact that I am alone in thisdamned lover’s paradise because I caught my fiancé cheating on me on ChristmasEve and my plane fare was nonrefundable.” She spoke with a lightheartedness hecouldn’t understand given her horrible experiences.

“Wow.”He wasn’t sure how to respond and was shocked further when she simply laughedat his reply.

“My sentiments exactly.”

“So.” He looked at her calmly sitting inthe hotel bar and wondered at her poise. “What’s your plan?”

Sheseemed to consider his question before replying. “That’s actually what I wastrying to work out when you came in. I thought I’d drink a little courage.” Shelifted her drink to her lips again.

“Courage?”

“Well,I figure the liquor will serve two purposes. One, it will warm me up on theinside before I have to run back out into the freezing cold rain again. Andtwo, hopefully it will get me drunk enough that it won’t bother me to sleep inmy lousy rental car by the side of the road.”

“That’syour brilliant plan?”

“Idon’t remember calling it brilliant. Simply a plan.”Her humor in the face of such a dreary and potentially dangerous night begangrating on his nerves. “I only have to make it through the next few hours andthen I’ll call the car rental place about towing me out of the ditch and I’llcatch the next flight out of here. Guess that will teach me for trying to livelike the rich and famous for a few days.”

Robsat silently for several minutes brooding over the fact he was one of the richand famous she was referring to and feeling incredibly guilty as he pictured inhis mind the luxurious penthouse suite awaiting him. One ofthe perks of owning the hotel.

“Youcan’t sleep in your car.”

“Idon’t think that guy out there,” she pointed toward Pierre at the front desk, “would like it if Isacked out on the couch in the foyer. This place doesn’t exactly strike me asthe type that would cater to vagrancy.”

“You’llstay with me.” The words came without thought, but Rob found himselfimmediately warming up to the idea of spending more time with her.

“Oh,now hang on a minute.” She threw her hands up. “I appreciate the drink, butthere’s no way—”

Hedidn’t let her finish her protests. “Hear me out,” he said quickly. “My companyowns the penthouse of this hotel. It’s a two bedroom suite. You can have theother room for tonight. It even has its own bathroom. You can lock the door andpretend like it’s your own hotel room. There is simply no way I’m going to letyou sleep on the side of a busy road in the middle of a storm.”

“Thereisn’t much traffic out there now with all the rain.”

“I’mserious. You’ve had a hell of a day and an unbelievably long string of badluck. Why not give yourself a break?

“Well,I have to admit with my luck such as it is,” she added, “I’d probably getrear-ended by a tractor-trailer.”

“Exactly,”he answered. “My plan is better than yours and a hell of a lot safer.”

“Thatremains to be seen.” Rob considered the fact that she was seriously debatingturning him down. He’d never had to beg a woman to share a room with him. Hell,most nights he was the one having hotel keys thrust at him. After all, he wasRob Madison, owner of this and a string of other luxury hotels all over theworld. He had topped Fortune’s list of most eligible billionaires the lastthree years running.

Hewatched as she chewed on her lower lip, clearly nervous about his propositionand offered her what he hoped looked like a friendly grin. “If it makes youfeel any better, you can ask that man at the front desk to call every hour tocheck and make sure I haven’t ravished you yet.”

Risingslowly, she nodded her agreement. “Well, okay, but just for tonight.”

Incrediblypleased with her response, he reached for her hand and she let him pull herforward a few feet before he suddenly stopping. “You know. I don’t even knowyour name.”

“MegWilliams”

“Short for Megan?”

Shecrinkled her nose. “No, actually it’s short for Margaret, but don’t you darecall me that.”

“Family name, Margaret?”

“Mymother’s favorite book was Gonewith the Wind and for some unknown reason she selected my name inhonor of Margaret Mitchell, the author.”

“AndI’m assuming from your tone that wouldn’t have been your choice?”

“For Pete’s sake! Of all the names associated withthat book, she lands on Margaret? What’s wrong with Melanie or Katie Scarletteven?” Meg asked with a laugh. “Of course, it could have been worse, Isuppose.”

“How so?”

“IfI’d been a boy, she was going to name me Mitchell.”

Laughing,Rob took her hand again leading her to the elevator before she pulled him upshort.

“Aren’tyou forgetting something?”

Lookingaround, Rob shrugged, wondering what he could have forgotten.

“Your name?”

“Ah,Rob.” He paused for only a moment before adding a little white lie. “Mason. RobMason.”

Fromthe corner of his eye, he caught Pierre’sstartled glance, but he ignored him and the guilt associated with his look.

Megoffered her hand in introduction. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rob Mason.”

Chapter Three

Megtried to persuade herself she wasn’t making a huge mistake trusting thisvirtual stranger