-JOANNE
I woke up the next morning to meet the chilly air and my naked body buried inside the roughs of sheets and Hardy’s body.
I tried to move, but his grip around my body was crazy.
I tapped his hand multiple times to let go, and when he finally did, I broke through and hurried to the bathroom.
I was feeling extremely tired and needed something to eat.
We both hit it off last night without even having dinner.
If I had known we were going to have such amazing sex that would take every ounce of energy in me, then I would have eaten like a python.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror in front of me and breathed out a smile.
Why was I smiling?
It was somewhere because I was feeling good about myself and the sex, or maybe it was because Last might keep replying in my head.
I was being shameless, and I didn’t mind it.
The man holding me hostage, who could basically ruin my future if he wanted to, had one great sex with me, and suddenly I was feeling great about myself.
I picked up one of the spare toothbrushes and started to brush my teeth.
The door burst open, and Hardy walked into the bathroom, naked.
I clutched the sheets around my body even tighter.
We both didn’t say anything and quietly brushed our teeth.
We didn’t like each other.
But there was something about the silent atmosphere that screamed. ‘We don’t entirely hate each other.
I was slow with brushing my teeth because I was so concentrated on the amount of beat my heartbeat was having that Hardy was done with brushing his teeth and left me there.
He walked into the shower booth and immediately turned the warm water on.
I turned back to my reflection and heaved a sigh.
“Dang.”
–
After breakfast alone, with Hardy running off to somewhere I could never know, I strolled around the small apartment, looking at every wall detail or anything to derive my boredom.
I walked out onto the balcony, and the fresh smell of after-rain air hit my nose, which caused me to smile.
The room’s balcony was facing the other side of the huge hotel building. And I was getting a pretty good view of the rest of the hotel and the other nearby building facing it.
Below the hotel building, there was a pool almost covering the entire land. There was a bar counter near the pool and some sort of chair swing you would like to sit in and swing while you bask under the sun.
I raised my head to look at the building facing the hotel room, and that’s when a heavy shiver ran down my spine because I immediately saw the silhouette of a man behind a glass door watching me, who immediately closed the door. I immediately took notice of them.
My hand sitting on the balcony railing immediately became lost, and I slowly stepped back into the room.
My heart was still trying to calculate its beating when Hardy walked into the room, ending another call.
“Are you okay?” He somehow managed to detect the distressing look on my face immediately.
I swallowed.
“A minute ago, I caught someone staring at me from the neighbouring building.”
Hardy took a step forward. His heavy boots around the room made me a little less creeped out.
He looked out the door and then turned to me.
“It’s probably nothing. Do not think about it that much.” He brushed it off. Which crazily surprised me.
“What are you talking about?” I
Scoffed. “After what happened last time with the Leilani lady, I should be careful.”
“I know that!” He snapped, and then sighed.
“What I am trying to say is that no one can get you in here. You’re good”.
Yet his words sounded nothing near assuring.
“What?” He sighed, looking at me and staring at him.
“I’m scared,” I scoffed. Making it clear.
“Yeah, you should be. But I am assuring you that there’s nothing to be scared of; we’re here on vacation. Ignore every negativity and just have fun.”
I paused.
I couldn’t tell if he was joking or if he meant it. Hardy was the one speaking, but it didn’t feel anything like Hardy.
I continue to gawk at him.
“Have fun,” he breathed out.
His eyes flashed under the lights, and a glimpse of last night danced at the centre of my mental screen.
I really wasn’t supposed to be thinking of anything but the man who had been watching me.
“You really brought me here to ‘Have fun?”
I knew he had a motive.
“You do not question me.”. He nodded.
I ignored him and just breathed out a sigh. My life was in his hands, and so was his child’s. If anything happens to me, Well…
–
I spent the entire day in the hotel’s lounge, which was quiet and had everything I needed. Being in that small room with Hardy was suffocating.
Not in a bad way, but in a way that when he made his stressful call with Theo, he pulled different body movements and gestures. I found my eyes pulling to his body, and at every angle and part, I wanted my lips to touch.
It was making me heat up, and the moment room service was brought in, I asked the server if there was a quiet place for me to go after dinner.
She listed multiple places the hotel had for me. She gave me a hotel manual, a tour guide, or whatever she called it.
I had asked Hardy if it was okay for me to go, and he said yes.
The evening was drawing nearer to darkness, and sitting in this lounge after visiting almost every place the server had suggested, I didn’t feel very good. I felt like throwing up and felt heavily disoriented.
Because while I had moved around, it felt like someone had been watching me every bloody time.
Keeping tabs on me like I was some little experiment.
It felt deeply uncomfortable.
I could see it; I could sense it. I could feel it.
But I had feigned perfect ignorance.
I had gone to the spa and decided to close the mirror door behind me, not knowing the hotel had two men to shut the door for you already.
I caught a glimpse of someone disappearing into another hallway immediately. Someone who was dressed in all black.
I thought that was creepy until every slight headturn that I made required me to see this person dressed in black, always adjusting his hat.
Henry had told me not to worry or panic. But who wouldn’t?
In a darn situation like this.
I didn’t know what Hardy had up his sleeves, but I could tell my life was at stake here.
–
Like nothing could get any worse, the entire hotel lights went out, leaving the darkness to cause everyone to murmur and cry about the sudden blackout.
A feminine voice immediately took over the place.
“Good evening, everyone. Please, let’s be calm and not panic. The lights will be restored immediately; a few errors have occurred. But we will get it fixed as fast as possible.”
Being the only one in the open lounge. I immediately got on my feet and froze.
I didn’t have a phone or any gadget that would radiate light. It was extremely dark at this point.
I could literally get kidnapped by my stalker!.
It was like the perfect opportunity for them.
Just like I was predicting in my head. I suddenly forgot how to breathe when I felt a presence behind me, followed by a quiet footstep.
And quietly, a hand pressed to my shoulders.
-*