Beating Hearts [Knight's Rest #1]

13

The breeze tickled her nose and blew her hair into her face. She rolled down her sleeves so they covered the entirety of her arms.

Looking up from her laptop screen for the first time in around an hour or so, Darcy was met with a pair of striking blue eyes whose owner was currently taking long strides towards her, walking with a purpose. Her breath hitched in her throat at the sight of him; almost as if forgetting that she had only seen him a few hours ago.

His smouldering gaze didn't waver nor abate as he got closer to her. Rather, it intensified and his pupils dilated as a slow smile crept up on his face. She wasn't even sure he was aware that he was smiling.

Her skin tickled. The warmth of his gaze caressed the exposed skin of her face, neck and collarbone, leaving behind a sizzling sensation.

Her stomach twisted and her throat felt parched as he leaned forward on the receptionist's desk that now separated them. His head hung just above the screen of her laptop.

She didn't complain when he shut it slowly and her eyes didn't dare leave his.

"Where's Romeo?" He asked, his not once wavering from hers.

She sat higher up in her chair. "He said he was meeting someone."

Thelonious scowled at her answer but leaned it closer, putting more weight on the desk. Angling his head, a pleasurable shiver passed down her spine as his breath fanned out against the side of her neck, only travelling upwards. "He left you here by yourself?" His lips pressed against the shell of her as he whispered the words into them. There was a hint of annoyance in them, though she knew it wasn't directed at her.

She shrugged and tugged at one of her sleeves to pull it up slightly. It was starting to get hot all of a sudden. His lips brushed just under her ear at the sudden movement and she felt her core pulsate in wanton need.

"I hung out with Max and the others in the kitchen for a bit." She explained, her voice quiet. He was so close that she could have whispered and he would have heard her perfectly. "But then Romeo asked me to stay at the desk until he got back."

He pulled away slightly, just enough so that she could see his face. She wasn't sure if she was grateful for this or if she should demand he return to his previous position.

"So, now you're doing his job for him?" He raised a questioning brow.

"I guess," she replied nonchalantly, her eyes fleeting across his face, lingering on his plump, bottom lip. "There was only one person that checked in."

"A walk-in?"

"Yeah," she nodded. She turned the work computer slightly so he could view the entry she had put in for the guest. He finally pulled away from her to lean over to get a clear view of the computer screen. "He paid upfront for a week. Mac told me to put him on the second floor. Did I do it right?" She looked up at him, eager for reassurance.

Thelonious' eyes dances across the screen as he inspected her work. "You've done it perfectly." He sounded aloud, impressed. Usually he was the one who handled the guest log, not fond of the manner in which others filled it in. "You didn't carry his cases up there by yourself, did you?"

She shook her head. "He only had one with him and one of the kitchen staff offered to do it for me."

"That's Romeo's job." He pursed his lips, annoyed again, though made a mental note to thank that particular kitchen staff later. It was difficult finding good, loyal employees that were willing to do more than what their job description entailed.

She shrugged, not really bothered. "Where were you?"

Thelonious didn't answer her straight away as he walked around the desk so now he was standing behind, the desk no longer acting as a barrier between them. He leant forward again but this time bent his head; essentially resting his head in the crook of neck. He didn't move at first, cautious that she would push him away; afraid of rejection. But when she didn't refuse him, a tired sigh escaped him and he nuzzled his face further into her neck, his arms crawled around her waist, pulling her back flush against his chest.