Five

With the soft rhythmic music playing on the radio, Anelia rubbed the lavender flavored soap onto her head. She massaged her hair while humming along to the soft tune of a Bruno Mars song playing on the stereo.

Mrs Hally had swatted away her concerns, convincing her to take a bath in the guest room. She had once again overruled her decision to get back to work. The woman could not really take no for an answer.

And now that Anelia thought about it, she had had an extra gleam in her eyes when she had instructed her to take as much time as she wanted. She had been particularly persuasive. Maybe she was just reading too much into it. Mrs Hally was just being her good-old-natured self.

Anelia stepped out of the tub and rummaged through the cabinets in search of a towel. To her utter surprise, there was not a single body towel. Well, that's weird. She filled them up last week and since Mrs Hally didn't really get guests, she had assumed that they would be some towels in the bathroom.

How silly of her not to check beforehand. With a huff, she made her way into the bedroom, whilst wiping her face with a face towel. She walked towards the bed and was about to reach it when she heard the door open softly.

She turned in the direction of the door, for some reason the face cloth was still covering her face.  

"Oh! Mrs Hally, I can't seem to find any body towels."

Problem was, it was not Mrs Hally standing on the threshold. Rather, a tall, brooding male who could not believe the scene before him.

Anelia, upon being on the receiving end of Mrs Hally's silence, pulled the small towel away from her face and froze. It was him. The man from the penthouse, standing a few centimetres from her. 

His scorching gaze moved all over her body making her feel exposed. Naked. That's when it finally registered. Anelia suddenly jumped and tried to cover herself. One hand went her C-cup breasts and the other covered her mound.

She felt like the world had to have something against her. Two whole times that she had embarrassed herself in front of this man. Firstly, he found her perched on his chair. Secondly, he sees her butt-naked. She winced at the last thought.

Looking anywhere but at him, she stuttered.

"W-who are y-you?" For a moment there was silence. "I-I mean what're y-you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that," he grunted so suddenly in a deep baritone voice that she flinched. Guess he really disliked her.

"I'm s-sorry Sir, but if you could please just turn around, I'll wear my clothes," she said calmly looking at him smack in the eyes despite the storm of anger that she felt was barely on the edge.

However, she instantly regretted mentioning her nakedness when his gaze fell over her breasts for a moment too long. She suddenly felt hot tingles where his eyes scorched her skin.

"What are you doing here?" he spoke slowly, taking slow calculated steps towards her. 

"You're the one who walked in on me naked!" she stressed loudly before she could stop herself. She bit her lip but it was already too late.

"Is it?" He taunted. "Or you are the one who was waiting for me to come and find you in this...state," he eyed her with disgust.

Disbelief flashed across her face until finally it turned into full-blown anger. She was just about to yell at him when she reigned in her anger at the thought of losing her job over verbal assault on a guest.

She clenched her jaw suddenly feeling helpless and vulnerable. She gulped loudly. In the blink of an eye, she grabbed her clothes from the bed and made to make one torturous walk of shame past the man to the next room.

She had just about passed him, her nakedness forgotten when the next thing she knew, she was pressed against the door with a very angry man breathing heavily in her face.

•••

Dexter Black was busy going through his paperwork when his phone rang.

"Yes?" He grunted a reply, without checking the caller I.d.

"Don't use that tone with me, young man," he heard the voice of his grandmother. 

Suddenly he had the urge to cut the call but he knew that would not go down well with her so he took the safer choice.

"My apologies Grandma Hally. I thought it was one of my associates...," he did not get to finish his statement.

"You're telling me that I'm saved on your phone as one of your business associates?" She said incredulously.

"That's not what I...," he paused and sighed into the phone. He was not very familiar with explaining himself. He did whatever he saw fit and nobody dared to question his actions. 

God knows this woman was the only woman who somehow managed to make him want to. Otherwise, he was yet to meet a person who would bring out that side of him. Never mind a woman. He was willing to bet that he was never going to in his lifetime.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of being called?" He drawled knowing very well that his Grandmother was a woman who did everything with purpose. When she called, she definitely had a reason why.

"Can't I call my Grandson without my intentions being questioned," she asked feigning hurt. Such drama he thought to himself.

"Grandma Hally," he started. "Need I remind you that I know you."

She chuckled. A sound that made him produce a smile of his own. Man, despite her endless attempts at getting him snatched and married, he knew that she had his best interests at heart. 

However, that still did not change the fact he was a full grown man who could make his own decisions and did not need his match-making Grandmother interrupting with his sex life.

"I'm not going to deny that there's a reason why I called you Dex. Actually, this is of great importance. I have found you the perfect bride, dear," she exclaimed heartily. 

The excitement in her voice was almost palpable. This never got old. It truly felt like she was out to get him. The last time he had caved in and entertained her, he had ended up on a date with a woman whose brain was possibly the size of a peanut. If not less!

The woman had wanted to talk about nothing save for his fortune, his love life and his plans in regards to his choice of a bride. That had been the longest, boring night of his life. Well, except for the hours he had, Kelly or Carly was it, underneath him writhing and moaning in the throes of passion.

Dexter was one man who prided himself when it came to his sex life. He was one hot-blooded alpha male who knew exactly what he wanted. He might not have been in a hurry to marry but when it came to sex, he got more than his fair share of women coming and going through his bed.

"Grandma," he sighed out. "I do not need you to find me a bride. I swear it feels like you won't let me breath."

He stood up and went to pour himself a glass of whiskey. Sitting down in his chair, he laid back on it like a King would on his throne.

"This one is the one, Dex. I have faith in her. She is beautiful, calm, sweet and kind-hearted. She's perfect for you," she spoke as one would a person they have known for a long time.

So were the ones you introduced to me in the past he almost grunted out. Gulping down the remainder of his whiskey, he placed the glass on his mahogany desk.

"I'm really busy Grandma Hally. I don't have time for these," looking for any other word that was not gold-diggers, he finally settled for a neutral term. "Women." 

"Alright, have it your way," she said offhandedly. "But, you have to come and have breakfast with me. I mean that's the least you can do since you refuse to give me great-grandchildren before I die."

"You're not dying Grandma," he dragged out. "Fine. I'll come around later after I settle these contracts."

"That can wait, my boy. These pancakes aren't getting any hotter. Unless of course if you're saying that I can't even bake for my grandson. Is that it?"

The woman really had a thing for putting words in his mouth. 

"Alright! I'll be down in a minute."

"Make that a second," she exclaimed in an excited voice.

He cut the call and looked at it for a second in suspicion. Well, that was easy! She didn't fight him on going out on a date with whoever she had found now and if there was one thing he knew for a fact. Grandma Hally never gave up without a fight.

Standing up from his chair, he suddenly thought back to yesterday and smirked. It was almost unbelievable the things women would do to get his attention. He thought back to the woman he had found standing on his chair.

He shook his head each time he thought about it. Each time he came to La Vida, he avoided his staff like the plague. He had come to learn about the rumours that rose concerning him. That the workers came to clean his penthouse in the hopes of seeing him. It was futile effort.

He had been successful in coming and going through La Vida in all the past years he came on his business trips, without ever running into any of the Hotel's staff. However, for the first time in never, one of them had had an encounter with him. He remembered how she had her uniform tucked in, leaving her thighs on display.

If there was one thing he hated, it was workers who thought that they could seduce their way forward. Yesterday was an unmistakable display of that notion. A woman trying to use her body to get to him. Why else would she have been there in his office and falling onto him like that.

That innocent act she had had going on was just a play at snaring him. None of the women he had met in his adult life had innocent intentions or interactions with him. Nevertheless, if the woman thought that he would take interest in a mere woman who cleaned after him, then she was really dense. 

Again, he really would not put it past her to do something like that. He had to give it to the little girl though. Her plan was catchy. Different. He snorted, suddenly amused at the way she had pretended to be a timid little mouse, in shock and all.

Still, he was going to have to talk to his manager concerning the matter. He had been clear about his privacy. While he was in his den, he wanted nobody around and nobody was to know that he owned and run the entire Hotel. 

With that thought in mind, he had made his way to Grandma Hally's suite.