Chapter 76

She should have known not to trust Adam Collins! This is exactly what happened when she did.
She thought back to the conversartion they’d had in the car when she’d almost fallen asleep, while they had been stuck in traffic. He’d suggested that she grab some shut-eye! That he would wake her up once they arrived.
And like an idiot, she had believed him. She had even thought that the moment the car stopped, she would naturally wake up and wouldn’t need him to wake her up.
And now, here she was… in some strange room, in bed.
Slowly, Melanie pushed herself up, blinking against the dim light as she took in her surroundings trying to make out the room beyond the light of the night lamp. A hotel room. She could see that now. The white sheets around her, thick curtains drawn shut and a bedside lamp—it was definitely not her bed, not her room.
She exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over her face. How had this even happened? The last thing she remembered was Adam pressing in too close, making her stomach twist uncomfortably just before they got into the car. She had been too focused on putting distance between them. Sleep had seemed like the perfect way to shut everything out.
She turned her head and grabbed her phone from the nightstand, flicking on the screen. Her breath caught.
Six in the morning.
She blinked. Then blinked again before falling back onto the pillows.
She’d slept through the entire night.
Just how exhausted had she been? Gratned, she had been functioning on next to no sleep for the last week but to not even know when the car had stopped and then to be carried into a room…
Melanie didn’t waste another second. Heart hammering, she shoved the blanket aside, ready to scramble out of bed and go home…
But before her feet could even hit the floor, the door swung open. And there he was.
Looking entirely too smug, as if he had been expecting this exact reaction from her. His eyes flicked to the bedside clock before returning to her, a slow, knowing smile tugging at his lips. “Right on time,” he mused, nodding slightly. “I guessed correctly—you’d wake up with your natural clock.”
Melanie scowled. “What the hell am I doing here? Why am I in here instead of at home? Why did you bring me here?”
Adam didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he stepped inside and shut the door behind him. His hands slipped into the pockets of his robe as he strode toward the bed, his eyes never leaving hers.
Then, to her utter annoyance, he sat down beside her. No—he didn’t just sit. He stretched out, leaning back against the headboard as if this was his bed and he belonged here. Melanie tried to move over but then, the jerk pulled her so that she fell back on the bed and then, he rolled over so that he was halfway on top of her body.
“What do you think a hotel room is for? Hmm?” Even as he said that, he settled more of his weight against her so that she could feel his hard chest against her breast.
Melanie let out a sharp breath and pressed her hands against his chest, feeling rhe soft robe under her touch as she tried to push him off. “Get off me, Adam!”
“You’re awfully feisty this early in the morning. You sure you don’t want to go back to sleep and catch some more shut eye? We have this big, comfy bed all to ourselves.”
Her jaw clenched as her fingers curled against the soft fabric of his robe. He was warm. Too warm. And he smelled like fresh soap and something deeper, something entirely him. It was irritating. Distracting.
“You’re insufferable,” she ground out.
Adam grinned, lowering his head just enough that his lips hovered near her ear. “You always say that.”
She made a sound of frustration, turning her head away before he could see the heat creeping up her neck. “Because it is the truth! Can you please stop invading my personal space and move over?”
“Personal space?” He chuckled, shifting so that his nose brushed against the side of her cheek. “Sweetheart, we’re married. Your personal space is my personal space.”
“That is not how it works!” she hissed, trying again to shove him off. Why did she put up with him always… taking liberties! Dam* it! Next time, she would kick him in the ba**s!
This time, as if sensing her thoughts, he let her go, rolling onto his side with a lazy stretch, his head propped up on one hand as he watched her. Amusement danced in his eyes, as if he found her flustered state entirely too entertaining.
Melanie sat up quickly, dragging a hand through her hair. “I swear, if you don’t start explaining—”
“Alright, alright. I’ll explain. I actually came to your office because of this.”
She blinked. “What?
He sat up as well, his expression turning slightly more serious. “You didn’t think that I would just come to your office to play the jealous husband or be your chauffeur, right?”
Melanie had actually wondered about that- his reason for sudden appearance but then she had been distracted by other things…
“There was a leak. A pipeline burst and caused a flooding and a short circuit. Power’s out, and the whole place is going to be unlivable for the next few days.”
Melanie stared at him, processing the words. “You’re joking.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?” He gestured at his face. “You think I brought you here just for the sake of irritating you?”
“Yes,” she said flatly, giving him a stare.
His smirk returned full force. “Well, that was only an added bonus.”
Melanie groaned and pressed her fingers against her temples. “This is just… great.”
“Hey,” he said, nudging her, “Look on the bright side.”
“There’s a bright side?” Melanie asked slowly.
Adam grinned. “We get a little getaway. Just the two of us… Just me, you, and this hotel bed.”
The next minute, he groaned as his stomach was met with an elbow…