Page 1 of Corrupted Bride

1

MARI

It’s Thursday night and the hottest man in the world is back at my hotel.

“Can I get you anything else, Mr. Bass?”

I’m pretty sure that isn’t his real name but it has been drilled into my head over and over that we don’t ask questions.

Especially not to any special guests.

And Mr. Bass is special, that’s for sure.

“No, thank you.” He glances at me a moment longer. I fiddle with the computer even though I’m not using it anymore. I wish I were wearing something low cut and sparkling instead of this cheap polyester shirt and black trousers. Even my hotel name tag is ugly. My dark hair’s in a nice, tight, professional bun, the perfect size for his big fist to grab and⁠—

Careful, Mari, get it together.

Without speaking, he slides a piece of gum in my direction. His dark lashes are surprisingly long. He’s got a square jaw, sharp nose with a slight scar on the bridge, and the faintest hint of gray at his temples. Tattoos peek up at the edges of his charcoal dress shirt. His black jeans fit tight around his athletic body.

He is the most attractive human I’ve ever seen.

I hesitate before taking it. “Thanks,” I whisper.

The ghost of a smile. “Always looking out for you.”

It’s our ritual. Ever since I asked him for a stick two months back, he always gives me one, like he’s thinking about it all week.

Which is silly, right? I mean, it’s gum. Who cares?

But I can’t remember the last time someone made a gesture like that for me.

If they ever have.

Mr. Bass walks away from the front desk and I lean on my elbows to watch his ass recede around the corner, the gum disappearing into the pocket of my black work pants.

“Mari? Are you eye-fucking the guests again?”

I flinch and turn. Sara stands with her hands on her hips, grinning huge. Her blonde hair falls in rings around her face. She blows it away and dances back as I swat at her lightly.

“I was not eye-fucking him. Maybe eye-fondling at most.”

“That’s sexual eye-assault! I’m pretty sure that’s a violation.”

I purse my lips and gaze toward the elevators. “Go ahead and report me then. We both know there’s no HR anywhere near this place.”

“Thank God for that.” Sara joins me. We stare at where Mr. Bass was standing moments before. I swear, it’s like even the air he leaves behind is sexier than normal.

The evening shift is slow at the Skyvale Hotel. There’s not much exciting around this part of Austin. If I didn’t know better, I’d wonder how a high-end, luxury establishment like this kept in business when sometimes the parking lot is straight up empty.

“You ladies keeping busy?” Hector the cook pauses on his way back to the kitchen after his dinner break. He’s twenty-eight, six years older than me, with curly dark hair and a broad smile. We’ve both been working at Skyvale for the past three years.

“Oh, you know, Mari’s obsessing about her handsome penthouse guest again.”

“Sara!”

Hector cracks up and throws me a boyish grin. “Girl, you got problems, you know? That guy’s serious bad news, yeah?”

“He’s hot,” Sara says simply. “I’m pretty sure that’s all Mari cares about.”