Chapter 9

Celine knew Adam would think she’d asked about the "chargeable items" on purpose. She grabbed the blanket, buried her head inside, and felt mortified. Adam smirked, amused by her adorableness.

The noise from next door continued, growing louder and more unrestrained. How was he supposed to sleep? He knocked sharply on the wall. The noise subsided immediately. He closed his eyes, but sleep eluded him. His youthful vigor, usually dormant, was now ignited. With Celine sleeping alluringly beside him, his mind drifted back to that fateful night in the Westwood Villa master bedroom, where he'd pinned her against the wall.

The noise from next door resumed. Adam's eyes snapped open in annoyance. He sat up, threw back the blanket, and got out of bed. A delicate hand grasped his sleeve.

He turned to see Celine peeking out from under the blanket. Her face was flushed; her eyes sparkled enticingly. She tiptoed toward him and asked timidly, "Where are you going?"

She knew he was angry; he looked ready to confront their neighbors. She'd never seen him fight before. She hadn't expected such mercilessness from such a refined man, and she disliked it. He'd been in a terrible mood all day. Had she wasted his time?

She'd reasoned he'd rush to her aid—she was still Mrs. Alvarez, after all. He wouldn't abandon her; he was a good man.

Seeing her lying on the bed, Adam felt a sudden, intense thirst. A fire burned within him. He quickly withdrew his sleeve. "Go back to sleep," he said, then left.

He knocked on the next-door door. A man's voice called, "Who is it? I'm coming." Ryan League opened the door.

Adam's face was stormy. "I'm staying next door. Look at the time! Even if you two aren't resting, other people need to sleep too."

Ryan pulled Adam aside, offering him a cigarette. "Sorry for disturbing you, man. My wife and I just got married, and we couldn't help ourselves."

"Who are you calling 'man'?" Adam thought resentfully. He refused the cigarette.

Ryan asked curiously, "You're here alone?"

A soft voice called, "Adam."

Ryan turned to see Celine's exquisite face peeking from the slightly ajar door of room 503. Her bright eyes glistened as she called to Adam.

Ryan gasped. What a beauty! She looked like an angel.

Adam frowned at Celine. "Who said you could come out? Get back inside!" He started to turn away.

Celine quickly shut the door.

Ryan tried for another glimpse of Celine, but Adam glared at him. Ryan chuckled nervously. "Man, you've got a beauty there, and you're knocking on my door?" He paused, then added, "Say, you're not having trouble…raising your flag, are you?"

Adam was speechless, about to explode, when Celine's faint but melodious voice called again, "Come back quickly, Adam!"