“But-”

“Stay here and don’t get dressed,” he said firmly as he grabbed his tee shirt and backed up towards the door. “Stay naked.”

“Umm, okay?” she said, watching as he reached back, opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

“Naked!”

Sighing, she walked over to the bed, picked up the remote and dropped down onto the soft mattress with a groan, wondering how long it would take before Danny realized the he’d left his wallet and shoes behind.

Chapter 31

“That will be twelve dollars, sir,” the front desk clerk said with a warm friendly smile as she placed two packs of condoms on the short counter.

“Shit,” he growled, startling the clerk as he frantically searched his pockets for his wallet. “I forgot my wallet in my room.”

“If you have your ID or your room key, I can charge the purchase to your room,” she offered, smile back in place.

“I don’t have any of it,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

“If you’d like to go back upstairs and get your wallet I can set these items aside for you,” she suggested, already picking up the small boxes and placing them on the counter behind her.

He stood there, staring intently at the condoms, already knowing that if he went upstairs to get his wallet that he wasn’t coming back down. Jodi had given him the go-ahead and he was too tired to fight it anymore. He wanted her so fucking badly and he couldn’t wait any longer, but he couldn’t give in without a condom.

Unless……

Maybe she was on birth control, he wondered hopefully, but just as quickly dismissed the possibility. She’d only been with one man before him, a fucking loser, but it had been a while since she’d had sex and hadn’t had much of a reason to use birth control. He also didn’t think that he had enough self-control to walk away if she wasn’t.

“Hey, asshole!”

He sighed with relief as he turned around and found Aidan coming his way. “Thank fucking God,” he said, moving to meet his brother halfway.

“Everyone’s been calling you since yesterday. You were supposed to meet us at the park-Hey! What the hell are you doing?” Aidan demanded as Danny grabbed him by the arm, turned him around and snagged his wallet.

“Thanks,” he said, pulling out two twenties before he tossed the wallet back to his brother.

“Danny!”

He ignored his brother and returned to the small hotel store and grabbed a couple bottles of water, a few protein bars and a couple of cereal bars for Jodi and headed back to the small counter. He placed the items on the counter and stood there, waiting impatiently for the clerk to finish with the couple that she was checking in so that he could pay and get upstairs to Jodi.

“What the hell are you doing?” Aidan asked, coming over to stand next to him while he glared at the bastard asking the clerk about the shuttle service to the parks.

“Getting supplies,” he said, glancing back at the small store, wondering if he should buy Jodi that overpriced stuffed teddy bear and box of chocolates. After a minute he decided that it couldn’t hurt. He grabbed the bear and chocolate, ignoring his brother’s questioning look and placed them on the counter, and returned to glaring at the annoying bastard holding the clerk up.

“Supplies?” his brother murmured with a cocked brow as he picked up the teddy bear.

With an annoyed sigh, he grabbed the teddy bear away from his brother and placed it back on the counter. “Supplies,” he said tightly, glaring at the bastard now asking the hotel clerk about brochures.

“We’re supposed to be on a family trip,” Aidan said quietly as he leaned against the counter.

“Don’t start,” he said, drumming his fingers against the marble countertop as he waited for the bastard to hurry up.

“Mom’s upset.”

“No, she’s not,” he said, knowing his mother well enough to know that if she was upset she would have come here to tell him instead of sending Aidan to do her dirty work. His mother didn’t work like that. She didn’t use messengers or guilt. If she had something to say, she said it.

“Fine. We’re all worried about you,” Aidan said, toying with the teddy bear’s foot.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” he said, wondering just how many fucking questions one man could have about brochures.

“Really? Then explain why you’ve been skipping family dinners lately, why you don’t return phone calls and why none of us have been able to get a hold of you in the past two days.”

“Because I have a girlfriend now, asshole. I haven’t been going to dinner every other night because I spend most nights with her now. I don’t return all of your phone calls, because I don’t have that kind of time. You assholes call me at all hours of the day with whatever bullshit excuse you can come up with to check up on me. I’m fine, more than fine and as soon as you assholes realize that things will be even better.”

Aidan sighed, “We’re just worried about you.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. I’m fine.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Aidan said with a chuckle when the hotel clerk picked up the boxes of condoms with a smile and placed them on the counter.

“Would you like these items as well?” she asked, gesturing to the items on the counter.

He nodded, struggling not to think about what was waiting for him upstairs. With a smile and a slight nod, she began scanning all the items as he stood there, shifting anxiously.