Thirty-four ~ Evelyn

I admire the magnificent white stone building standing before us.

Each alcoved window leads to a balcony sheltered by a tilted rouge parasol.

The twisted railings are draped in red blossoming flowers to match the shades.

I float over to the grand entrance until Ade catches my wrist and pulls me in another direction.

"Where are we going?" No amount of self control could mask the confusion plastered across my face.

"To the suite." Ade's nonchalant tone leads me to question my sanity.

"But, don't we need to check in first?"

"Or enter the hotel?" Heidi chimes in.

"There's no need to check in." Ade squeezes my hand, smiling brightly. "The suite has its own entrance for privacy and security."

"Of course it does!" Heidi mutters a little too loud under her breath, sending giggles shimmering up my spine.

A security guard opens a door to welcome us, revealing the magically concealed entrance.

"Welcome back Sir." The guard addresses Adrian, "I trust you had a pleasant journey."

"We did, thank you." Ade tilts his head in our direction before continuing, "Paul is my head of security at the hotel. He'll be overseeing the suite during our stay. Paul, this is my girlfriend, Evelyn, and our friends Heidi and Adam."

The words ricochet around my skull, the sound foreign to my ears.

My bumble bee swiftly buzzes to life, bucketing heat into my cheeks.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." I force a smile to overshadow my barely audible voice.

"Please let me know if you need anything." He nods back at me before escorting us down the carpeted runway laid across the marble floor, "I'll leave you to get settled in."

Paul punches a code into a keypad and the lift doors glide open.

Inside the panelled compartment await only two floor buttons labelled "Royal Suite" and "Foyer".

I feel my excitement and expectations rise with the lift until they burst through the dam as the doors reopen.

The decadent reality smothers all of my untameable fantasies.

High ceilings boast intricate mouldings and crystal chandeliers of varying sizes. The walls are block colours, amplifying the timeless artwork they're dressed in.

A short corridor leads to a roundabout with an ornate vase and fresh flowers as a centrepiece. The ring branches off into four corridors, each one beckoning to be explored.

I gaze up Ade, swaying our clasped hands.

"Go on. Come find me on the balcony once you're done." Ade's cheeky wink is all the encouragement I need before embarking on my adventure.

The suite is never ending.

So far, we've found a fancy kitchen, a large dinning room, two living rooms, a gym, an office and four grand bedrooms.

One of the bedrooms alone would equate to the size of two, if not three, of my flats.

Each one is equipped with a king-sized bed backed against a wall draped in silk curtains. A decorative halo, hanging over the pillows, supports a contorted waterfall of silks to the bedposts on either side.

Just in case you wanted to barricade yourself inside a bedroom, they all include a dressing room, a couple of walk-in wardrobes and an en-suite. But do not fear, the bathroom would be embarrassingly incomplete without the jacuzzi and steam room.

'Is someone else staying with us?' A pang of guilt courses through me as I stumble across women's clothing in one of the colossal wardrobes. Surely Ade would have mentioned another guest to avoid us intruding in their space.

Unsure, I hurry into another room.

"How much do you reckon this all costs?" Heidi wonders as she openly gawks at her surroundings.

"For a night, or to furnish?" I question back,

"Probably our combined annual salary for a night, and more money than we'll ever earn to furnish this mansion."

I run my hand over the gold stitching of the intricately handsewn quilt. I've only seen places like this in princess films and gossip magazines, it's not from my world.

"I'm going to find Ade." I excuse myself from the heavily golden bedroom.

Ade is sitting on an iron garden chair at a mosaic table brimming with delicate pastries.

"You really weren't kidding when you said there was plenty of space." I joke as I wander over to loop my arms around his neck.

"You like?" His eyes drink in my expression, waiting to analyse my response.

"Is it possible to not like it?" I ask, genuinely intrigued.

I feel Ade's shoulders melt under my arms.

"Which room would you like? We can use whichever one you want."

The bedrooms mirror the suite's pink, gold and purple theme in a greatly amplified way, with each room dedicated to a specific colour.

"Hmm…the raspberry room." The room is the least colourful bedroom, featuring white carpets, walls and furniture with raspberry ornamentation and feature pieces. It reminds me of a raspberry ripple ice cream. The occasional hints of gold are a tasteful treat like an additional flake.

"Nice choice." Ade purses his lips as he slowly nods his head, "Which room do the others prefer?"

"The lemon sorbet." I blurt before backtracking, "The gold room."

Instead of drowning the guest in gold, the designer has chosen a lemon base colour with gold trim.

Ade's dimples battle with his serious facade upon hearing my answer.

"But, why put our luggage in allocated bedrooms if we were to choose?" My mind stumbles over the memory of finding my bags resting amongst the raspberry.

"Lucky guess." Ade shrugs. "Besides, Heidi now has a room to match her makeup, hair and outfits!"

'Heidi's undoubtedly my subtle queen', I laugh to myself, concurring with Ade's observation.

Ade runs his thumb over my knuckles, causing my heart to quiver, jolting the pulse in my wrist. He lifts my hand to his lips, letting it linger there as he presses a kiss to my tingling skin.

Pulling away, he raises my hand over his head and walks me around to his side.

A gasp escapes me as a swift tug has me tumbling onto his lap, a devious smile marrying his darkened oceans.

My resident bee sings as I laugh at his impatient disposition.

Ade's free hand skitters over my cheek before combing though my tousled hair. Gripping a gathered section at the back of my neck, Ade angles my head back before crashing his lips against mine.

The hand gripping my hip slides south to squeeze my ass, eliciting a soft moan. Ade bites my lip to encourage another.

As the sparks of pain blur into please, he gets his wish, using the opportunity to deepen the kiss further.

Oak and lavender squeezes my heart until it's freestyling.

I thread my fingers through his shirt buttons to explore the sculpted muscles underneath. Searing heat is expelled upon every touch.

A sprinkle of stars sway in front of my closed eyes, spurring my spare hand to claw at the bulk of his biceps for support.

Ade's chest heaves as his erratic heart works overtime. The muscle pounds relentlessly against my splayed hand.

"Boo!"