The Essential Bride

The Essential Bride (15)

In my opinion, the hotel looked outrageous, I couldn't help but continue throwing Leon judging looks as we entered the glass elevator to ride up to our room. I didn't get the name of the place, because I thought Leon was joking when he pulled up the covered entrance where a man met him to take his keys to park the car for him. There was also bell hops, waiting to carry our luggage to our room for us as well, but we didn't have any of that. 

This hotel was massive, way too fancy for me and what I was wearing. The skin tight tube top dress was clinging to me uncomfortably, I didn't even want to wear it for the few hours I was planning on when I went to the club and now I was stuck in for as long as I was with Leon. I just wish I had a different bra and a new change of undies to wear. I felt disgusting. Leon looked like he had just pampered himself twenty minutes prior, I hated admitting it, even to myself but he always looked so perfect. My hair was probably a rats nest in the back of my hair, and my skin was sweaty and grubby. 

The elevator had golden buttons for each floor, all ten of them, and the glass elevator looking the entire lobby. The whole place was buzzing, even at ten o'clock at night, people racing over the tan marble floors, getting from once place to another, finally I just stared down at the carpeted floor until it dinged to floor six, for us. 

"You know, those bell hops didn't look nearly confused enough for me. I would be confused, if I had their job and we were spending the night here and had no luggage. What are we wearing? Why aren't they confused?" I huffed, grumpy that I would be forced to sleep in this dress, again. 

Leon smirked, "I'm sure they don't think we're spending the night, Ma Cherie..." I stopped following him down the long elegant hallway, to glare at him, feeling my cheeks heat up. "I mean, with the dress you're wearing? I'm sure they think you wont be wearing that dress for much longer." I groaned, mortified at Leon's words.

"Enough." I growled, finally picking my feet up again to meet him where he had stopped to wait for me. 

"You brought it up," Leon muttered, guiding me to our room. 

Behind the forest green door was a massive penthouse apartment style hotel room, I tried to hide the fact I was so impressed with this place. It was gorgeous, entirely unnecessary for what we needed it for, but gorgeous. Everything was white granite, and the cabinets to the kitchen were a pearly white. There was a living room, with a tan carpet and a bright white couch with a massive TV mounted above the gray rocked fireplace. I found myself gravitating towards the bedroom though, my body hurting from the long day. 

I stopped in the doorway though, I felt Leon's eyes from me from the doorway to the bathroom that lead into the bedroom but I ignored him as I fumed silently. One bed, this man has a lot of nerve assuming that I would be comfortable enough to sleep next to him, in the same bed, under the same covers. I can't believe him.

"Can I get in there?" I asked, not mentioning my anger towards the bed, too tired to put up much of a fight. He could think he won, I would let him think he won this one and I will enjoy crushing his home when I go sleep in that massive living room. Jokes on him, that couch looked comfy, heck, that carpeting looking more plush than my bed at home. 

"Of course Ma Cherie." Leon said quietly, obviously confused and quickly got of my way.

I closed the door softly behind me, making it a point not to slam it. Let him think he won this one, I kept telling myself.

I peeled the dirty clothes off me, thankful to finally rid myself of them. There was a floor length mirror on the opposing side of the colossal Jacuzzi tub, and I stopped to stare at myself in it, completely breathless. I would never be able to rid myself of last night, the way that that creature touched me.

Zackary... I shuttered remembering how he pulled my clothes off of me, ignored my pleads, the dark bruises that danced across my ribs suddenly ached as I realized they were there from when he went to bite me. The bruises stood out more on my arms. My skin looked paler than usual, and I didn't think it was the bathroom lighting because this bathroom was gorgeous. It was I that looked lackluster in comparison.

I walked to the tub, and fiddled with the knobs until the perfect temperature of water started to fill the tub. I wished suddenly that I had a bath bomb to enjoy with this massive tub, but all they supplied me with was shampoo, conditioner, body wash, a thin hard bar of soap, and a tiny thing of bubble bath. I helped myself to it all, selfishly. I can't believe with how expensive this place looked, they really skimped on the free stuff. 

Once the tub was full, and the bubbles looked lush; I let my sore body sink into the hot water and groaned at the feeling. This whole tub effortlessly encased me, letting me sink all the way in to cover my entire body. My tub at my home would not do this for me, it was either chest in the water and my knees were exposed to the air or vice versa. I plunged my head into the warm water, soaking my hair before running the floral shampoo and conditioner through my hair. I didn't realize how badly I needed this until now. 

In the middle of scrubbing my body of the sweat and dirt, there was a knock on the door and I plunged into the tub all the way up to my collarbones, scared Leon would help himself to a view. He never entered though, "yes?" I finally said into the silence. 

"Ma'am, I don't mean to disturb your bathing time, my apologies." An unfamiliar woman's voice said, muffled by the thick door. "Master wanted me to instruct you though, after your bath, you have fresh clothing to change into for your slumber." I felt confused, I was confused.

"Who is this?" I whispered, mainly to myself.

"Oh! My apologies!" I jumped in the tub, amazed she had heard me. "I'm your chambermaid. Your clothes are laid out on your bed, just press the button on the nightstand if you have any further questions, my apologies, thank you Ma'am." She spoke so quickly, I hardly understood her through the door. 

"Thank you?" I said back, unsure if she was still there or not, but knowing she had probably heard me.

I was confused though, because if a chambermaid had to explain to me that I had fresh clothing in my bedroom, where was Leon? I pretended I didn't feel the panic flower in my stomach, but it was definitely there. I hurried in the tub, hoping I would come out to a comfy pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, with the comfiest pair of boy short undies ever... but most importantly that Leon was out there as well. 

A few hours ago, I would have been thankful to rid myself of him but now? I had no money on me, no form of identification, if I even existed still and no home to run back to. Leon had successfully made me need him. 

I wrapped a jumbo, plush, white towel around my body and took a deep breath at the door. Yes, I hoped Leon was here somewhere. No, I didn't want him in that bedroom to see me in just a towel. Luckily, as I cracked the door open, I was in the clear. I raced out to the bed, grabbed whatever was folded on the bed and ran back to the bathroom to lock the door.

I groaned. No undies, no sweatpants, no giant t-shirt. Oh no. Pink, silk, girl boxers and a matching silk button up short sleeve top. Not exactly what I had in mind for comfort, but definitely better than the tube top dress. 

I got dressed, and explored the hotel room, only to find myself completely alone.

I refused to let myself feel worry or panic for the missing Leon. Instead, I made myself feel lucky. Since Leon wasn't here to claim the only bed, looks like it was mine. I closed the bedroom door, as I pranced back to it, and climbed into the luxurious king size bed. I sunk into the plush bed, smack dab in the middle, my head being swallowed by the pillows. The silk sheets made me slip and slide all over them, due to my nightgown attire but when I finally settled under the sheets and feather down comforters, away from the cold AC air, I was instantly comfortable. My heavy body happy in bed, I wouldn't let myself worry about Leon, wherever he was. 

I reached over, and shut off the night stand light, the only light from underneath the bedroom door from the living room and dining room lights that I refused to shut off. 

....I'll be honest and say it took me nearly two hours to drift to sleep, fighting thoughts of Leon. 

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