Chapter 043

43.

The day finally came for Samantha and Aiden to leave for Detroit for the car show. Samantha had submitted an application, and luckily, they were given a spot.

Linda and Seth were coming with them as well. They arrived at the airport, and Samantha looked around with a smile on her face. Everything was ready and according to the advice Aiden gave her, the model would first be seen at the car show, that way their ideas wouldn't get stolen or revised.

“Why must you come with her? She should have taken her Secretary instead.” Seth scoffed to Linda's hearing, and she glared at him.

The two of them have been at loggerheads since day one, and she wouldn't mind putting him in his place like she always does.

“You should have been placed in the car booth. I have no idea why you talk a lot. You're a man for goodness’ sake!” she scolded him, but he rolled his eyes.

“Can't you two just get along? What's with the bickering?” Samantha asked.

“There is no way I am getting along with this… this dude!” Linda snapped.

“I don't wanna get along with you either, so we're even.” he huffed, and she huffed as well before they looked away from each other.

Samantha and Aiden exchanged looks and sighed. As they boarded the plane, Samantha couldn't help her excitement. This was the first time she was going to a car show, and she was determined to take the car world by storm with her and Aiden's latest designs.

She hoped that things actually worked out for them. Aiden booked the whole first class section for them. Samantha was shocked.

“It's only a less than six hours journey and you booked first class? You sure know how to waste money, huh?” Samantha questioned as they were led into the VIP section of the plane.

Aiden smirked. “This is nothing to me. I just want you to have a comfortable flight to Detroit.”

Samantha smiled. “I appreciate that. Though I'm not one for fancy things, this is quite a treat.”

She took a seat and Aiden smiled, sitting beside her. Linda and Seth took a seat as well, and Linda busied herself with her phone to avoid speaking to Seth.

Seth knew she didn't want to talk to him. He looked at Samantha and Aiden and saw that they were busy going over the details of the car show. Seeing that there was no one to talk to, he leaned his back on his seat since he wasn't in the mood to use his phone and closed his eyes.

A few minutes later, Linda looked up to see him sleeping and rolled her eyes. “Very lazy human being. Just a few minutes into the flight and he has already dozed off. So weak!” she spat as she watched his chest go up and down evenly.

She took a closer look at his face and couldn't help but admit that he was actually good-looking. She looked away from him, returning her focus to her phone.

****

Soon, they arrived at Detroit and Aiden drove them to the hotel he booked in advance for them. Linda and Seth were given separate rooms, but Samantha was shocked when she realized that Aiden and her were to share a room.

“What the fucking hell?” she turned to look at Aiden, who had a mischievous smirk on his lips.

“What? It's not that bad. After all, we're going to be living under the same roof soon. When we get married, we wouldn't need to stay in separate rooms, so why don't we practice that now?” he asked, but Samantha wasn't taking any of it.

There was no way she was going to share the same room with him. Putting up with his flirting and overbearing attitude was enough. She can't stay in the same room with him for the three days they were going to spend here. There was absolutely no way she was letting that happen.

“I'm going to book another room for myself, so you can stay here and have this bed all to yourself.” she turned and left the room, while Aiden shook his head.

“Goodluck booking a room!” he yelled after her but she only scoffed.

Samantha stormed out of the halls, determined to get her own space. She approached the hotel staff at the front desk, putting on her best smile.

“I need a room, please,” she said sweetly; anything to not share a room with Aiden.

The brunette lady with Susan as her name tag, looked up at Samantha, her expression apologetic. “I'm so sorry, miss, but we're fully booked. There are no more rooms available.”

Samantha's eyes widened in disbelief. “What do you mean? This is a huge hotel! How can you be fully booked?”

Susan shrugged and sighed. “I know, I know. It's just that we have many events happening in the city right now, and we're at maximum capacity. I'm so sorry.” she apologized sincerely.

Samantha's face fell, her disappointment evident. She had been looking forward to having her own space, away from Aiden's constant flirting and teasing, but now…

“Is there anything else I can do for you?” Susan asked, trying to be helpful.

Samantha shook her head, defeated. “No, that's okay. I'll just… I'll just have to share with him, then.”

Susan nodded sympathetically. “I'm so sorry again, miss. Maybe you can try looking into other hotels in the area?”

“No, it's fine,” Samantha sighed, feeling frustrated and trapped. She didn't want to share a room with Aiden, but it seemed like she had no other choice. As she walked up the stairs, she couldn't help but wonder. How can the hotel be fully booked? Why now when she was here with Aiden?

And why didn't Aiden pick another hotel, knowing fully well that there was no longer space in this one?

“Something is fishy,” she tapped her chin. “And I think I know what is,” she returned to the room and threw the door open to see Aiden, casually seated on the chair with a glass of wine in his hand. “You… What did you do? You purposely made all the rooms unavailable, right?” she asked, glaring at him.

Aiden shrugged. “Maybe I did, maybe I didn't.”

Samantha's fists tightened. “You!” she snapped.

“Save your energy for the show, please. I don't want you looking all stressed when I haven't even touched you yet.” he winked at her, and she gasped.

“You pervert! This is why I don't want to share a room with you.”

“But you have no choice, darling,” he dropped the glass cup of wine on the table before him and stood to his feet, walking to where Samantha stood. She could swear she saw something glint in those blue orbs of his, but she stood there, staring into his eyes as he approached her. She was daring and she knew it.

He stopped in front of her and leaned in close, his breath whispering against her ear. “You're going to have to get used to being close to me, Samantha. We're going to be spending a lot of time together, and I'm not just talking about this trip.”

Samantha's heart skipped a beat as she felt his warm breath on her skin. She tried to step back, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot.

“I don't think so,” she said, trying to sound firm, but her voice came out barely above a whisper.

Aiden chuckled and pulled back, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Oh, I think so,” he said, his voice low and husky. “This time, you are going to play by my rules.”