by Sarah Peis
I did as I was told since he looked like he meant business.
“You’re coming back to the station with me. You’re under arrest for public nuisance.”
“Public nuisance? Is that even a thing? I just wanted to get my flowers out of the fountain,” I said while the grumpy cop cuffed my hands. “You see, they were a gift. They’re morning glories and mean a lot to me. Can you just let me get them before you arrest me?”
He ignored me and instead read me my rights. Guess I was getting arrested. Well, this was certainly a new experience. I wanted to go on an adventure this weekend, and I guess I got my wish.
“Officer, I’m sure we can work something out,” Landon said, following us to the squad car. “She really just wanted to get the flowers out of the water.”
He turned to Landon, his face drawn tight. “She was dancing in the fountain, lifting up her shirt, and singing, ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun.’”
“Well, that was just to get her closer to the flowers. She was wading through the fountain in style.”
The policeman’s expression didn’t change one bit. Oh well, at least Landon tried.
“Sir, step back or I’ll arrest you as well,” Officer Grumpy said.
Landon put his hands up and did as he was told. “Where are you taking her?”
“The station over on Sierra Vista Drive. If you want to meet her there, you can post bail once she’s been processed.”
Landon grinned at me, finding this entire situation too amusing for my liking.
He blew me a kiss and stepped back. “I’ll meet you there, honey.”
“Fine. Whatever,” I said while being led to the squad car that was parked on the curb. “I still don’t see why you would arrest me for dancing. I thought this was Las Vegas. I’m sure you have more important things to do than harass innocent people.”
“It’s your lucky day and we’ve had a slow night,” Officer Grumpy said and put his hand on my head. “Now watch your head when you get in the car.”
I got in without further argument, glad I was drunk. Otherwise I would have died from the mortification. But then again, if I hadn’t been so drunk, I wouldn’t have danced in the fountain.
The two police officers got in, and we drove the short distance to the police station in silence.
The grumpy one of the two processed me, and an hour later I was back outside the station with Landon.
“Don’t you dare laugh,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him. “I just had to give Officer Grumpy my fingerprints. And they took a very unflattering photo. Sandy’s hairstyle is not meant to be used in mug shots.”
That was when Landon lost it and broke out into a full belly laugh. His head was thrown back, and he was holding his stomach.
I elbowed his side. “Shut up. It’s not funny.”
“Oh, but it is. You should have seen yourself. And you could if my phone wasn’t fried. I took a video.”
At least the odds were in my favor for once. No video proof of my stupidity existed.
“You want to keep walking along the Strip? We haven’t seen Austin Powers and Barbara Streisand yet.”
The thought perked me up right away, my ordeal forgotten. Thank you, alcohol-addled brain. “Yes, please. And can we get another one of those neon drinks? The ones with the umbrella. And gummy bears.”
“Since you were just arrested, I guess I can get you another drink. But no more jumping into fountains.”
I nodded emphatically. “Promise. I’m just sad I lost the flowers.”
Landon pulled me into his side. “I’ll get you more.”
I looked up, thinking how perfect my night was. And that was after just getting arrested. Because as long as I was with Landon, nothing could get me down.
“I want to see the Eiffel Tower,” I exclaimed, taking his hand and pulling him with me.
“That’s the other way,” Landon said, laughing at my exuberance.
I changed course, and with his help, I eventually found it. We were lucky the police station was only a few blocks from the main part of the Strip. I even got my neon drink on the way.
“That’s it? Is the real one this small as well?” I asked once we stood outside the Paris hotel, our heads craned back to be able to look up at the replica.
“I’ve never been to Paris, so I can’t speak from experience, but I’m guessing the real thing is a lot bigger.”
“I think you might be right.”
“You want something to eat?” Landon asked, pulling me close. We’d been touching all night. Not a moment had passed where he wasn’t holding my hand or putting his arm around me. Well, except for my short stint at the police station.
And then there were the kisses. It had started as a chaste kiss on my head or cheek. They soon turned into soft touches on the corner of my mouth. After spending so much time with Landon, I was a live wire.
My drunk brain thought I’d died and gone to heaven. I never wanted this night to end. It was perfection. And thanks to my friend alcohol, I wasn’t thinking about anything but the here and now for once.
Even my fuzzy mind recognized this as the first time in a long while that I was living in the present. And it felt fabulous.
“I don’t ever want to leave Vegas,” I declared, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk for dramatic effect.
What I really meant was I never wanted to leave Landon. Because there was no way I’d ever feel this way about anyone again. I’d probably call myself a fool once I could think clearly, but at this moment nobody compared to him.
He stopped when he noticed I wasn’t next to him anymore and came back. “I thought you hated Vegas.”
“Not when you’re here. Then I want to stay forever.”
Landon stilled, and I turned my head, the grin dying on my lips when I saw the look on his face. His eyes were no longer a bright jade but a darker moss green. And he looked hungry.
I swallowed, caught in the devilish look that came into his eyes. That was my only warning before he stepped forward and clasped my body to his. My arms went around his neck of their own volition, and my soft curves melded to the contours of his hard body.
“Hey,” I whispered, our lips almost touching.
Instead of responding, he leaned down, caressing my lips with his. The kiss was gentle, almost as if he was scared I’d reject him.
What a ludicrous thought.
The touch of his lips was a delicious sensation, and I lost myself in the feel of his tender kisses. I gloried in the moment, burning it into my memory for eternity. This was what a kiss should be like. An all-consuming experience you never wanted to end.
But since we were making out on a crowded sidewalk, someone eventually started whistling, and we reluctantly pulled apart.
“I’m never letting you go,” Landon declared, his face holding an intensity and determination that made my eyes widen. And all I could do was nod. Because I didn’t ever want to be apart from him again either.
The rest of the night was a blur. I remembered we went in and out of buildings. I met Barbara Streisand and she looked exactly like the real thing. It was freaky but great. In a freaky way. I remembered Landon handing another bunch of flowers to me. And then he was holding my hand while talking to Elvis.
And there was kissing involved. A lot of kissing. I definitely remembered that part. And the alcohol. By the end of the night, we were holding on to each other partly because we couldn’t keep our hands to ourselves but also because we needed the support.
When we stumbled back into Landon’s hotel room, I was holding an envelope and a bunch of morning glories. I remembered Landon giving me the flowers but couldn’t recall where the envelope came from.
As soon as we entered, both items became a distant memory. All that mattered was Landon. Who was kissing me, touching his lips to mine with an intensity that stole my breath away.
I didn’t know how I had ever existed without him. The dizzying sensation that raced through me intensified with every kiss and e
very stroke of his hands.
He seemed to want to learn every part of my body, not leaving even an inch of skin untouched. Before I knew what had happened, I was standing in front of him in nothing but my underwear.
Landon had lost his shirt during our kiss, and I found myself frantically undoing his pants. The need that overtook me was all-consuming. I couldn’t get enough of him, didn’t think I would survive another minute without having him inside me.
The button finally sprang open, and I pushed his pants and boxers down in one move. His hands went into my hair, and I winced when he got stuck.
“Sorry. Your hair is like a cement wall,” Landon said, untangling his hands from the sticky mess. I bought hairspray to style myself like Sandy, but I went a bit overboard and used nearly the whole bottle.
“Shower,” I moaned when he started kissing his way from my jawline to my neck and down. I was not only covered in dirty fountain water but also had used enough hairspray that I’d go up in flames at the smallest spark. Not to forget that I also reeked of whiskey. There was no way this would go any further unless I scrubbed myself clean.
He stopped with a groan and lifted me into his arms. Once we were standing in the small bathroom, Landon turned the water on. He slowly removed my underwear, his eyes never leaving my body, his breathing accelerating.
Once I was standing in front of him naked, he ripped his own clothes off, not caring what he damaged in the process. We squeezed into the shower, ignoring the lukewarm water and the lack of space.
He was so compelling, his magnetism so potent, I didn’t stand a chance. The water pelted down on us, finally warming up. We didn’t care, both of us too frantic to get closer to each other.
He lifted me as if I were weightless. My back met the wall, my legs went around his waist in a tight hold, and my arms wound around his neck. I dimly thought there was something I meant to tell him, but it was gone as soon as I felt his lips teasing one of my nipples.
The cold wall at my back and the heat of Landon at my front caused a heady sensation. His demanding lips traveled back up, his kisses growing more urgent.
My breasts tingled when his chest rubbed against them. His lips devoured mine in a hungry kiss. He briefly pulled away and fumbled with a condom wrapper that he magically found somewhere. A few seconds later, he lifted me and lined himself up, entering me in one swift stroke.
The pain momentarily took my breath away. I clung to him, hoping this wasn’t how it would feel the whole time he was inside me. I had always imagined my first time to be with my husband, but this felt so right that I didn’t care about my vow to get married before having sex.
Landon was unmoving inside me, seemingly trying to catch his breath. The pain eased, and I tentatively kissed his shoulder.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, wondering why he’d stilled.
“You are everything I have ever wanted,” he whispered against my ear before tugging my earlobe with his lips. “I just need a minute, or this will be over in about two seconds.”
“The feeling is mutual,” I said, scared by the gravity of my feelings for this man. This stranger. I desperately needed more of him and started moving tentatively.
My skin prickled from his expert touches, a moan slipping through my lips. Soon the pain was forgotten, and I met him stroke for stroke. My senses were in overdrive, my body aching for more.
He stroked the heat in my body until I was on fire, a passion I had never known overtaking all my senses. I think I called out his name, but the details were hazy. I clung to Landon, burying my head in his neck, breathing him in.
He followed me into oblivion, holding me to him like he never wanted to let me go.
We stayed connected for a while, but then the water started going lukewarm once more and we separated. An unhappy squeak left my lips when we disconnected.
Landon got rid of the condom, and I shampooed my hair while I had enough room. I noticed a small drip of blood on my thigh and scrubbed it away. Guess having your first time in the shower has its advantages. I was opening the conditioner when Landon came back.
He took the bottle and squirted the conditioner in his hand. When he started massaging my head, all I felt was bliss. I sank into him, my back meeting his front.
The hot water was finally running out a few minutes later, and we hastily finished our shower.
Landon grabbed a towel and proceeded to dry every inch of me. I was so taken with his action that I stood in the bathroom like a rag doll, letting him move me as he wished.
“I love your tattoo,” he said, then kissed the morning glory I had tattooed on my side, winding around to my back. I’d gotten it in honor of Maimeó, my tribute to her.
Once he was satisfied I was dry enough, he hastily wiped himself down. The towel landed on the floor, and he followed me to the bedroom. We fell on the bed together, unable to keep away from each other. I feared I would never get enough of Landon.
When we weren’t busy exploring each other, we talked. I had never felt more connected to another human. When I finally fell asleep in the early morning, it was with a smile on my face.
“Good morning,” Landon rumbled, his voice heavy with sleep.
I melted into the bed, wishing he’d talk more. His voice was enough to make my body sing.
I peeled the sheet back and blinked at him from the safety of the other side of the bed.
“Morning,” I said. It came out croaky, and I cleared my throat.
The corners of his mouth tilted up, and his eyes darkened. Uh-oh, I remembered that look. I immediately shuffled back. Too bad I was already at the end of the bed and slid right off the edge.
I landed with a loud slam. I’d barely caught my breath when a head appeared above me.
“Everything okay?” he asked, and I nodded. “Need a hand up?”
I shook my head, because if I remembered correctly, touching him led to other things.
“What happened last night?” I asked, instead of reaching out and confirming my memories of how nice touching him felt.
His hand went to his neck, and his grin wobbled. “Well, snowflake, I guess we got married.”
My head obviously wasn’t functioning properly yet thanks to my night of debauchery. I thought I’d heard him say we got married.
“Pardon? I think I didn’t catch that,” I said.
“You now have the pleasure of calling yourself Mrs. West. Congratulations.”
His endearing grin almost made me forget what he’d just said.
Almost.
This can’t be happening. Way to turn into the biggest cliché, Kinsley.
“You look a little pale,” Landon said just as I shot to my feet and ran to the bathroom. I barely made it to the toilet before I emptied my stomach contents into the bowl.
He was right behind me, holding my hair back.
“Oh God, I’m dying. This is the end, isn’t it?” I wheezed, collapsing on the floor.
Landon picked me up from the floor and put me in front of the sink, holding on to my waist. “You’re not dying, just hungover.”
I rinsed my mouth out and used half the toothpaste to do it. After I was done abusing my gums, I lifted my head, my eyes meeting Landon’s worried gaze in the mirror.
“Can I get you anything? Water? Cracker?” he asked.
I shook my head; the movement made my brain take a tumble. I braced myself against the sink and closed my eyes, willing my vision to return to normal.
Landon’s warmth enveloped me when he put his arm around me.
“Let’s get you back to bed. You’ll feel better after you sleep more.”
I waved him off and stepped out of his comforting embrace. “I’m okay. I just need to—”
“Get your lazy ass out of bed,” Clay’s voice sounded from outside the motel room. “And answer your motherfucking phone.”
Landon studied me for a moment, and when he must have decided I was okay to be left on my own, he went back out into the room, pulled on a
pair of boxers, and opened the door.
“What the hell are you still doing here?” Clay asked, stepping into the room.
“What’s your problem?” Landon asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe that we’re here for work? And that you were supposed to be at the convention center over three hours ago?”
“Shit,” Landon swore and went to his bag. After he pulled a T-shirt and jeans out, he hastily got dressed. “My phone fell into a fountain last night.” He pointed to the nightstand where the device sat. “It’s fried.”
I was standing in the bathroom door, watching Landon rush around the room, collecting his wallet and keys.
Clay’s eyes fell on me, and he raised a brow. I waved at him, aware I was only in one of Landon’s T-shirts and my panties. Lucky for me, Landon was tall, and his clothes covered all my important bits.
“I hate to leave you like this, but I have to go, snowflake,” Landon said once he was dressed.
I nodded, not moving. He closed the distance between us and placed a regretfully short kiss on my lips.
He stepped back, but I took his hand and stopped him. “What about you know what?” I whispered.
Landon tilted his head at me in question.
“The marriage?” I tried again.
“What about it?” he asked.
“We have to get an annulment.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because we got married while we were blind drunk.”
Landon brushed his thumb over the back of my hand, making my skin tingle. “Doesn’t change the end result. And we consummated the marriage. Many times.” He grinned at me. “Can’t get an annulment now.”
“Then a divorce.”
A muscle flicked angrily in his jaw before he took a deep breath. “If that’s what you want.”
“It is.”
It definitely isn’t. But it’s the right thing to do.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Okay. Good. Thank you.”
I released his hand, and he leaned in, placing another soft kiss on my lips, his eyes holding mine the whole time.