Sweetest Kisses - Ella Goode Page 0,2

to get myself out of tough spots without stoking the fire more. The days of her messing with my head are over now and I am proud of who I’ve become. My success is my own and no one is going to take that from me.

“Are they booked in?” I ask Nate as I come around the front desk. I click away on the computer. They booked the penthouse along with the whole second floor. They aren’t even filling all the rooms they blocked off but they want privacy. No other guests are allowed to be on their two floors and it has to be the same housekeeper and butler for their entire stay. An odd request but it isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with one. Someone obviously has control issues as well as privacy issues. Maybe a mix of both.

You really never know what you’re going to get with a bachelor party weekend. Some can be tame and some make my skin crawl. Either way it is clear this crew has the money to do anything they want.

“I’m going to pop up,” I tell him.

“Need help?” Nate wiggles his eyebrows.

“They that cute?” I ask with a laugh.

“I wouldn’t call them cute.” His voice drops for only me. “Fucking hot.” I shake my head. “If they go down to the pool or beach the ladies are going to be crawling all over them.”

I scrunch my nose at that. I get it’s a bachelor party but I hate when I see the groom doing things he really shouldn’t be. Things that would likely make him remain single. Cheating has always twisted my insides. My own mother was a cheater. She went from one husband to the next. She was already in the bed of whoever the new one would be before she was out of the last one’s. I saw a trail of broken hearts in her wake. Some of them I felt bad for, the others not so much. I swear that woman is a real-life siren. I don’t know how she manages it but she’s always had men eating out of her hand.

“They have a whole area blocked off just for them,” I remind Nate. They even brought their own security to ensure everything stays private. The man who put this all together—or rather, his assistant—has gone all out. I’ve also heard the word ‘private’ five million times now.

“Yeah.” Nate mock-laughs. “I’m sure they’ll send all the girls in bikinis trying to go over there away.” Truth. They all could be married though. Except the groom. Who knows? You really never know how these larger parties will conduct themselves. I am about to find out.

Violet appears a moment later as I close out my screen. “One drunk, a few others are tipsy.” Her voice drops like Nate’s did, for only my ears. “One is glued to his phone. Might have a stick up his ass.”

I snort. A terrible habit of mine. It makes Violet laugh. “All handsome.” She wiggles her eyebrows like Nate.

“Up I go,” I say, heading for the private bank of elevators and hitting the button. It opens instantly for me. I check my emails as it rides up, wishing they contained my new guests’ names. They booked everything under John Smith. I don’t understand the need for so much security. I know no one in the group is famous. Violet or Nate would have said something. There is no way that either one of them would be able to hold that little bit of information from me for any extended period of time. If they knew, then you could bet your last dollar I did too.

I pocket my phone as the elevator dings, announcing that I’ve reached the top floor. When the doors slide open I see an older woman standing there in a suit. She looks up at me from her phone.

“I’m Anna.” The woman holds her hand out. I step forward, taking her hand in mine. I recognize her voice instantly from having talked to her on the phone. Her cool blue eyes roam over me for a second as our hands stay locked. I can tell she’s sweet but maybe has a hard edge to her. I immediately like her.

“Selena.” I give her a warm smile. She gives my hand a small squeeze before letting it go.

“I was going to let you know they were in for the night but I think maybe I should introduce you.”

“It isn’t necessary. I’m sure they