The Tycoon Meets His Match by Barbara Benedict Page B

in a room together? The way they argued, they’d never survive the night.
    Turning to Rhys to express this opinion, she had a sudden, vivid mental picture of climbing into that single queen bed with him.
    “I don’t…” she started to say, but Rhys, speaking at the same time, cut her off. “Can we at least get a cot?”
    “Certainly.” Chad’s oily tone implied that he didn’t believe for a second that they’d actually use it. Looking from the unruffled Rhys to Trae’s heated face, Chad grinned broadly. “So you’ll be wanting the room, then?”
    Rhys turned to Trae. “What do you think?”
    In truth, she couldn’t think at all. Not with him staring at her like that and her mind spinning around the fact that she’d be alone with him all night. Absurd to get so rattled by it, especially after spending hours in a car in far closer proximity, but the prospect of falling asleep with this man not ten feet away made her insides turn to jelly.
    “Thanks, we’ll take it,” Rhys said at last, turning to Chad and Lisa. “Just tell me where to sign.”
    “Lisa, why don’t you help Mr. Paxton get registered while I make sure the room is ready for check-in. It will only be a few minutes.”
    Watching him fill out the form, Trae noticed he knew the license number of the rental. Had a head for facts, that Rhys Paxton. In some ways, he might actually be handy to have around.
    Not that she wanted him around, she quickly amended.
    When he was done, he reached into his back pocket. “That’s right,” he said distractedly. “No wallet.”
    “It’s okay,” Lisa said brightly. “We can bill your office.”
    Yes! Trae thought with a spurt of excitement. Then there would be no doubt that she’d won the bet.
    “Uh, no, thanks. I’ll pay cash.”
    Lisa wore a puzzled expression, as if wondering where he’d get the money if his wallet was stolen. Answering her unspoken question, Rhys turned to Trae, impatiently holding out his hand.
    So much for her theory that he’d be too proud to take money from a woman. “How much?” she asked, not bothering to mask her irritation.
    “Two twenty-one.”
    It was all Trae could do to keep her eyes from bugging out of her head. Carefully counting out the bills, she wondered how on earth they were going to eat.
    Leading her off with a grim smile, Rhys took the backpack off Trae’s shoulders and carried it for her. Weaving through the maze of the casino, he found a door to the back of the property. Once outside, though, they became hopelessly lost. He knew his way around the tower, Rhys admitted after they’d gone in and out of the casino twice, but until tonight, he hadn’t even guessed that a back building existed.
    Asking directions, they discovered why they couldn’t find their room. The back building stood off by itself, hidden behind the pool area, fronting the alley. Normally, the hotel didn’t rent the room, they were told. The manager used it for nights he worked late.
    Icing on the cake, Trae thought. Stuck for the night in Chad’s cozy little love nest with Rhys Paxton. How was she ever going to get through this night?
    When they finally located the room, they found the maid hadn’t left yet. From the sound of her voice, mumbling fiercely in Spanish, the “preparing for guests” involved a good deal more than changing the sheets.
    “Let’s wait by the pool,” Rhys said, gesturing to some tables just inside the gate. “It should be more comfortable than hanging out here.”
    Inside the gate, Trae went straight for the first table, but before she could sit, Rhys stepped up to pull out the chair for her. Again, he did it so effortlessly, so seamlessly, she could tell that this was how he acted with every female, yet somehow he still managed to make her feel special.
    As she sat, he grabbed the arms of her chair and slid it into the table. Momentarily held captive, Trae was intensely aware of his warmth behind her, the controlled power in the arms surrounding her