I didn’t sleep with him. As Tess would tell me, it was an amateur move.
In fact, I didn’t do anything more than kiss him and get felt up a little on that club chair in the library room, and I’m okay with that. We danced until our feet hurt, and the idea of going home with someone I hardly know seemed less appealing than it did earlier in the midst of a vodka haze.
I wake up to the sound of my phone notifying me that I have a new text.
Brian: I need to see you again.
Me: Texting me this early isn’t the way to get into my good graces.
My phone rings a second later, and his name flashes across my screen. I clear my throat before I answer. “Hello?”
“You do realize it’s after ten, don’t you?”
“No, I didn’t.”
He laughs. “It’s not early. I wanted to call you four hours ago when I got up, but I decided to be a gentleman.”
“You should’ve waited another hour.”
“You’re grumpy in the morning,” he teases.
“And you’re a little too chipper. What can I do for you?”
“When can I see you again?”
“Any weekday after eleven in the morning.”
He laughs again, and I like the way his laugh warms my chest. “Do you have plans next Saturday?”
“I don’t know.” I’m muttering into my pillow and he’s laughing at me. I’m not normally such a bitch in the mornings, but I may be a little hungover on this particular morning.
“I’m renting a cabana at Mandalay Bay and I want you there.”
I sit up a little straighter and focus on what he’s asking me. A day at the pool at Mandalay sounds like a day in heaven.
“Bring your friends. Beck and Jason haven’t stopped talking about them.”
I laugh. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“I wish I could see you sooner than Saturday, but I need to head out of town this week for work.”
“That’s okay. I’ve got big plans.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“Sleeping in.”
* * *
I’m having lunch later that afternoon with Tess when I bring up Brian’s proposition. “Would you be interested in hanging out at a cabana at Mandalay Bay next weekend?”
“Hell. Yes. Have you been to the pool there?”
I shake my head.
“It’s only like the best pool in all of Vegas. It has a beach and no shortage of delicious men.”
I roll my eyes. “You should probably know that Brian is the one who asked me, and Becker and Jason will be there, too.”
“So?” She takes a sip of her diet Coke. “We’re just screwing. We’re not official or anything.”
“Wait.” I hold up both hands as if I’m telling her to stop. “What?”
“What?” She looks at me with innocence.
“You slept with Jason?”
“Of course I did. I told you, it’s practically payment for a night out.”
“When? Where? And…what?”
She laughs. “I invited him back to my place. You were busy sticking your tongue down Foxy Fox’s throat saying goodbye.”
“Well, how was it?”
She lifts a shoulder. “Good.”
“That’s it? Usually you have a lot more adjectives.”
“It was amazing, okay? But we’re keeping it casual.”
I can’t tell if that’s by her choice or his, but she doesn’t seem thrilled about it. She changes the subject.
“Noteworthy is playing the Hard Rock Hotel pool Saturday night. It’s sold out but I can probably score a few tickets. You wanna go?”
“Do you think you can get six and we can just go after the cabana?”
She looks a little uncomfortable. “I don’t know.”
“What’s wrong, Tess?”
She shakes her head. “Nothing. I just don’t want to spend the whole day with them and then the night, too.”
“Why not?”
“Because we don’t know them. It’s a lot of time with people we don’t know.”
“We’ll be together. Besides, don’t you sort of know Jason pretty well after last night?”
Her eyes narrow in my direction, and I think I’ve hit a nerve.
* * *
In the political game of seeing someone new, I decide to hold off texting Brian about the Noteworthy show until tomorrow. We decide Saturday night is girls’ night at our house.
With the newest Ryan Reynolds movie pulled up on Netflix and enough nail polish to fill a salon, Jill and I get to work on our nails while we gossip about last night. Jill’s already gushing about next weekend and we haven’t even finalized plans yet.
“I like him, Reese.” She picks up three pink polishes that are all nearly the same color as she tries to choose which one to use.
“You got to know him all of one night.”
“Maybe that was all I needed.” She avoids eye contact as she sets down the polishes, like she’s embarrassed that she has such strong feelings after one night.
Her words hit me hard. All she needed was one night? I brush off the thought. “Do you think you’re ready for something new?”
She lifts a shoulder. “I think so. It’s been six months since Adam.”
“There’s no time limit either way.” I pick up one of the bottles she set down and study it.
“I know. I just want to move forward. I’m sick of being stuck in this weird place where I don’t trust men because one guy cheated on me. I think Becker might be the right guy to move forward with.”
“After one night?”
“We’ll see. He’s cute, he’s smart, and he’s funny. And he’s a good kisser.”
I giggle. “Well he’s got all the bases covered then.”
“What about you?”
It’s my turn to avoid eye contact. “What about me?” I ask, filing a nail that doesn’t need filing just so I have something to focus on.
“How are things with Brian?”
“I’m not sure. One minute I’m ready to burn the sheets with him, and the next I’m pulling myself back.”
“Why?” she presses. She knows the answer, and I hate when the investigative part of her personality forces its way into our talks.
“You know why.”
“Mark?” She says his name quietly, as if it’ll soften the blow of hearing his name.
It doesn’t. “Yeah.” I study my nails, refusing to look in her direction.
I hear the rough scratch of a nail file come from her direction. “It’s only been a week. There’s no need to rush into something else.”
“I keep thinking about this dress I wanted,” I muse.
“A dress? What dress?”
I finally set down my file and blow out a breath. “I lusted after this dress for weeks. Every time I was at the mall, I went to the store to visit it. It was gorgeous, perfect for summer. I thought of every possible event I could wear it to. The price tag was a little heavy, and I was waiting for my next paycheck to splurge on it and treat myself. When I went to get it, my size was sold out. They checked online for me, and they were all gone. None in stock. Discontinued.”
“What does that have to do with Brian?” She sets down her file and picks up one of the pink polishes.
“What if I wait for this great guy until I’m ready and then he’s not there anymore?”
“If he’s the right one, he’ll still be there.”
She’s right, but this conversation has made me realize I don’t have time to waste. I’m not seeing him until next weekend, anyway, but I shoot off the text I’d promised myself I’d save until tomorrow.
Me: Do you, Becker, and Jason have plans Saturday night after the cabana?
Brian: I’ll check. Why?
Me: Noteworthy is playing Hard Rock Hotel. Tess is trying to get tickets.
It takes a few minutes for him to reply, so I assume he’s checking with his friends.
Brian: We’re in. Tell Tess not
to worry about getting the tickets. I’ll get them.
Me: It’s sold out.
Brian: I know. I’m on it.
The mysteries continue to build. Money isn’t an object to him and he has access to sold out concerts. Who is this man and why is he so interested in me?
Chapter Ten
As we walk through Mandalay Bay to meet the men on Saturday morning, my traitorous thoughts go immediately to the last time I was at this hotel. Posters advertising upcoming bands adorn the walls. I stared at one of those posters not so long ago and felt the man in the center of the image staring back at me, just like I felt his eyes on me as I stood against the stage gazing up at him.
Vail isn’t in any of the advertisements now that their concert date has passed, but his image is still burned in my mind.
I keep thinking I’ll spot him sitting at one of the Blackjack tables or walking out of one of the bars. That night I spent with him brought him from this inaccessible rock god down to human level, if only for a few hours.
But now he’s back to the inaccessible rock god, the man every woman would love a night with, the man who works a stage unlike anybody else, the man who was on a reality television show and became a household name.
We spot the men near the entrance to the pool, and I force the unhealthy thoughts away.
“Why don’t you all head to the pool while I get us checked in?” Brian suggests.
“I’ll come with you,” I say. I’m back to this weird dynamic of wanting to be with him versus extreme hesitance to get into something I’m not ready for.
A week away from him made me realize something, though: I really like him.
I’m afraid to admit it, but part of me feels like he’s exactly what I need to move on from that night that’s still so fresh in my mind two weeks later. I don’t want it to be fresh. I want the memory to fade, yet I’m holding onto it like a lifeline. I’m a walking contradiction.
Brian snags my hand in his as we make our way toward the check-in desk. The clerk taps a few keys then says, “You’ve reserved a sun villa on our third floor. It has a private pool for villa users and six lounge chairs. The covered portion has a daybed, television, counter, and small refrigerator. Your total comes to nine seventy-five for the day.”
Brian hands over his beautiful, black AmEx while I try not to choke on that total.
The hostess taps a few more keys and then shows us a map of where to go. “The villa has towel service, and anything you need will be there.”
It better freaking have towel service for almost a thousand bucks. I’m in awe that this is my life for today, and as I allow my gaze to settle on Brian’s muscular calves, I’m thrilled that I get to spend the day with this sexy man who’s already starting to help me forget.
We follow the directions to our paradise for the day, an oasis in the desert.
As soon as we set down our bags, a waitress who introduces herself as Joelle appears to take our drink orders.
Brian glances at me. “You drinking?” he asks.
I shrug and smile at Joelle. “Mimosa.”
“Bloody Mary for me,” he says.
She nods and scampers off, and I start tapping a text on my phone to let Jill and Tess know we’re all checked in.
Brian is suddenly inches from me. “What are you doing?” he asks.
“Texting Jill and Tess.”
He places his palms on my biceps and leans in toward me. “Now why would you want to do that?”
Nerves rattle around in my belly at his proximity. “Because I don’t want you to waste your money.”
“Don’t worry about that. Put your phone down.”
I listen to the command in his voice. I don’t send the text, and he pulls his shirt over his head and tosses it on one of the chairs.
He wears swim trunks that are navy and have some striped design on them, but who can pay attention to all that when he’s not wearing a damn shirt? My eyes center squarely on his abdomen, the hard cuts of muscle begging for my touch. I eye each individual muscle and count. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
That’s definitely an eight-pack he’s got going there.
My mouth waters and my body roars with an intense ache for him. I know he sees me staring at him, but there’s little I can do to mask it.
“Why don’t we take advantage of the privacy?” He slides his big, strong hands along my sides and around my back before he presses his lips to mine.
I pull back. “Are you suggesting we finish what we started last weekend on the chair in the library room?”
“I’m suggesting we start over.”
“What about Joelle?”
“Surely there’s some sort of do not disturb sign around here somewhere.”
I watch him for a few beats as he looks around. My eyes are automatically drawn to the muscles in his abdomen that stretch and flex as he moves around the three hundred square feet of our villa.
This is the life. A hot guy in a villa overlooking the pool. Privacy and sunshine just for us.
I force my eyes off his body as I pull off my cover-up and set it on a table, and then I kick off my flip flops. I glance up and see Brian watching me, his eyes glazed with lust.
It’s sort of nice that I can see I’m having the same effect on him that he has on me.
Joelle returns with our drinks, sets them on a counter, and leaves. Brian stalks toward me. I’m bent over a lounge chair, spreading out a towel, when I feel his fingertips gripping my hips. He gently bumps his hips to my ass, sending a tremor of lust through my stomach and landing squarely between my legs.
I straighten and he does it again. I can feel his rock-hard length against my backside. My only primal thought is there are too many damn clothes separating our bodies.
He grunts when he does it a third time, and I turn around. His chest is warm against mine. His hands remain on my hips, and he yanks me against him. He bends to kiss my shoulder, the hairs of his stubble rubbing fire against my skin.
“I’d guess we have a few minutes of privacy,” he says, his voice soft and meaningful, his fingertips digging into my flesh. My fingers seem to have a mind of their own as they trail up the muscled planes of his arms and link around his neck. I want to touch those gorgeous abs, but our bodies are pressed together, and my hunger for the feel of him against me is stronger than my need to touch his abs.
I glance over his shoulder nervously. “What if Joelle comes back?”
“Then she’ll get a show.”
I giggle. I’ve never been an exhibitionist, but lust takes over. I want this. I want Brian.
He drags his lips from my shoulder to my neck and finally up to my mouth. He opens his mouth to mine, and he reaches down and cups my ass, squeezing and massaging. He yanks my body hard against his and thrusts toward me, eliciting a moan from me as his body roughly connects with mine. All that separates us is his swim trunks and my flimsy bikini.
I’m painfully turned on, my body aching for him, needing him. He kisses me with need, with intensity, with desire. He backs me up until my ass hits the counter inside, his lips attached to mine as we move. We’re out of sight for anyone who might be looking in our direction.
“Hook your leg around my waist,” he whispers, and I do. He easily lifts me up and sets me on the counter. My leg is still around his waist, and we’re at the perfect height for sex.
His hand trails up to my breast, and he slips his fingertips into the cup of my bikini top. My nipple hardens into a tight bud under his touch, and he backs up and looks at me with eyes so full of lust that I know I’ll let him do whatever he wants to me in this moment.
He pinches my nipple between his fingers and grunts. “God, I want to taste it,” he murmurs.
“Taste it,” I say.
He trails kisses down my neck, down my chest, and stretches the cup of my top around the globe of my breast. He laps once with his tongue then drops his hand and touches me on the outside of my bikini bottoms. My hips jerk, but he u
ses his other hand to brace my hip and hold me still.
With my nipple still in his mouth and my leg still wrapped around his waist, he tugs my bikini bottoms aside. He runs a finger through me, gliding easily in its slick path, and then he pushes his finger inside. I groan at the entry as he tugs on my nipple with his teeth, and I’m already about to fall apart beneath his touch. I need to feel him, need to touch him, and as he starts pumping his finger in and out of my body, I reach down between us. I massage him on the outside of his swim trunks, and he grunts against my breast. My thoughts are jumbled, focused solely on his body, so big, so hard, and his touch, so good, so perfect.
I move to reach into his shorts, but he bucks his hips away from me. He wants this to be just about me, so I grip onto his shoulders. The pleasure mounts as he sucks my nipple back into his mouth, and then he adds a second finger down below as he works my clit with his thumb.
It’s too much pleasure all at once. I fall apart on the counter, my body quaking as it uncoils, my fingers digging into his flesh, my nails scratching his skin. He lets go of my nipple as I come, his finger still working me until at last my body stops shuddering.
“Gorgeous,” he whispers, and then he presses a soft kiss to my lips. He pulls his fingers out of me and readjusts my bikini bottoms. He fixes my top while I hunch back breathlessly on the counter.
He backs away and I clear my throat.
“Your turn,” I say softly, my eyes on the obvious erection tenting his swim trunks.
He grins and reaches for our drinks, handing me the mimosa. He touches his glass to mine. “I’ll get mine. Later.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “So I get to be the exhibitionist?”
He chuckles. “Something like that. You didn’t seem to mind.”
“And you seemed like you knew what you were doing.”
He shrugs and shoots me a wicked grin. “I have many talents.”
“There you are!” Jill’s familiar voice calls from the entrance to our villa. Tess, Becker, and Jason trail behind her.
I let out a breath of disappointment and take a sip of my mimosa. I was hoping for more one-on-one time with Brian.
“Wow! This is awesome,” she says.
We get to work arranging our chairs and ordering more drinks while we enjoy the heat of the sun and our private pool. And even though Brian just took care of my needs, I can’t help the burning desire flaming in my veins every time I look at him in those gorgeous, unneeded swim trunks.
Love Triangle: Six Books of Torn Desire Page 50