The moonlight shone like water, stretching across the night.
The next morning at nine, Zach woke up and went to find Winter. Just as he reached her door and prepared to knock, it swung open from the inside. “Sh–” Uh! Standing in the doorway was a young man, his hair tousled as if he’d just woken up and was about to leave. Their eyes met, and they froze.
Zach stood there, completely stunned.
In contrast, the man seemed much calmer. He gave a slight nod, then put a finger to his lips, signaling for silence as he gestured back inside. “Keep it down. She’s still sleeping,” he said before walking off.
Zach stood frozen in the hallway for a full thirty seconds before finally reacting, “What the–” Winter had actually hooked up with another guy in his hotel! In the room he’d arranged for her, right across from him, under his nose!
Bursting into her room, he intentionally slammed the door, trying to make some noise. But unfortunately, the hotel’s quality was too good, and the door was equipped with soft-close technology. It barely made a sound.
Frustrated, he kicked over a chair, but even that didn’t have the effect he wanted–there was plush carpeting all over the floor. He then yanked the curtains open, flooding the room with sunlight. This finally woke Winter up.
“Liam, what the hell are you doing? You’ve got some nerve!” she snapped while sitting up abruptly, though the glaring light made her squint. She could only make out the vague shape of a man standing in front of her. Thinking it was still Liam, she ordered, “Close the curtains!”
Winter had always been difficult to deal with right after waking up. Even Miranda never dared to mess with her at such moments.
Zach snorted in disbelief. He saw the hickeys scattered across her neck and chest–some faint, some bold. As an experienced player himself, he knew exactly what had gone down last night and probably this morning, too. “Winter Jefferson! You really had fun, didn’t you?”
The voice stunned her. She blinked, finally recognizing that the man in front of her was Zach.
After a brief pause, she quickly grabbed the fallen blanket to cover her chest. “What the hell–why didn’t you knock before coming in?” “There was no need. Someone opened the door for me,” he shot back, looking for somewhere to sit. Finding all the chairs overturned, he had no choice but to sit on the edge of the bed. “Well, Ms. Jefferson, you really know how to live it up. Dumped one guy, picked up another–seamless transition, huh?” “Zach, what’s wrong with you? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Why are you acting all passive-aggressive so early in the morning?” she snapped. “I don’t know how to be any other way!” “Then get lost! Don’t buzz around my ear like an annoying fly…” She pulled the blanket over herself again and lay back down to sleep. “Oh, and close the curtains.”
Zach was baffled!
And with that, she fell right back asleep.
When Winter woke up again, the sunlight wasn’t as harsh, and no one was making noise nearby. She sat up and stretched with a contented yawn. Ah, to be young with endless energy and endless stamina. “Awake?”
She froze. “You’re still here?”
Zach sat in a chair, glaring at her.
Winter casually grabbed a shawl to drape over her shoulders. She was only wearing a thin camisole, and the hickeys were still clearly visible. Just as Zach opened his mouth to say something, she cut him off, “Perfect timing. Could you pour me a glass of ice water, please?”
Her request stunned him.
“The fridge is inside,” she added, noticing his confusion. “What’s wrong with you? You don’t even know where things are in your own hotel…” He was dumbfounded!