by K. C. Wells
“Ready?” Without waiting for a reply, Chris pulled him to the entrance of the ride.
“What does this one do?”
“Think centrifugal force and you’ve got a good idea.”
Jase arched his eyebrows. “It spins around and the force sends you up and out? Cool.”
It wasn’t long before they were seated, along with the other passengers. Before the ride began, however, the railings around them slowly lowered to the ground and the arm swung out until they were suspended in the air above the strip, nothing below them.
Jase glared at Chris. “You forgot to mention this part.”
“Must have slipped my mind.” Chris snickered.
“Anything else you forgot to tell me?”
Chris peered heavenward. “Only that we’re sixty feet over the edge, and we’re gonna be circling at a speed of forty miles per hour.” The claws began to rotate slowly, each one rising into the air a bit at a time. “Oh, and we end up at an angle of seventy degrees, so we’re basically staring at the ground.”
“We are going to talk about this lack of communication!” Jase yelled as they moved faster, picking up speed, until he found himself flying, nothing below him but air. He tried not to think about the nuts and bolts that secured them, which could give way at any moment. Adrenaline pumped through his body once more, and he was left shaking as the ride slowed down, the claws folding back in to return their occupants to an upright position. When it came to a stop, he turned to face Chris.
“That’s it, right? I know you said there were three rides, but you weren’t serious, were you? We’re going to eat now, right? After I’ve puked up my guts once I get outta this contraption.”
Chris sighed. “Maybe you’re right. Let’s go eat.”
Jase raised his eyes skyward and sent up a silent prayer of thanks. As they climbed out of their seats, he peered at Chris. “Go on. You can tell me now. What was the last ride?”
Chris pointed to the needle on top of the tower. Jase glanced up and stilled as a platform filled with seated people shot up toward the pinnacle of the tower. “Dear God. How fast are they traveling?”
“They’re covering 160 feet in about 3.5 seconds, approximately forty-five miles per hour. They’re actually pulling 4 g’s on the way up, and negative g’s on the way down. It’s sort of a reverse bungee jump.”
Jase speared him with a look. “Saving the best for last, were you? Heaven knows what you have planned for dinner.”
“Someplace far more down-to-earth, I assure you.” When Jase continued to stare at him, Chris chuckled. “I promise. You’ll love it.”
“And you think I believe you after this?” Jase snorted. “You’re going to have to pull off a small miracle to achieve that.”
Chris’s eyes twinkled. “One small miracle, coming up.”
Now Jase was intrigued.
Chapter Fifteen
“ISN’T the Bellagio the one with the famous fountains?” Jase asked as they strolled through the casino.
“Correct. And before you ask, that’s the last thing on our schedule for today. I couldn’t bring you on a sightseeing tour and not show you the fountains, now could I?”
Jase snickered. “‘Sightseeing tour’? In the loosest sense of the term, sure.”
“Well, you saw the sights, didn’t you?” Chris said with a smirk.
“Yeah—from over a thousand feet up.”
“Then what are you complaining about? You got to see everything—all at once.”
Jase’s eye roll said it all. He glanced at their surroundings. “Are we eating in the casino?”
Chris pointed to a doorway. “We go through there, and then we’ll come to the cafe.”
Jase widened his eyes. “You’re taking me to a cafe for dinner?”
“What did I say about trusting me?” He guided Jase through the open doorway and into a high-ceilinged space. The hitch in Jase’s breathing told him all he needed to know.
“Oh, Chris, this is beautiful.” They were standing in what resembled a garden, with flower beds laid out and marble walkways between them. In the middle stood a mock ruined castle covered in ivy and climbing flowers, and the trickle of water could be heard. Here and there were artistic structures: tall herons, hanging baskets, ceramic flowers, and all of it eye-catching. The ceiling was made of glass, curved at the corners and lit with blue lights. Every strategic place had a bench where passersby could sit and admire the view.
Bowed marble balustrades lined one side of the garden, behind which stood tables where diners looked out over the floral beauty while they ate.
“Imagine eating in there,” Jase said quietly.
“We don’t have to imagine.” Chris pointed to the blue sign below a semicircular panel of intricately carved marble.
“Cafe Bellagio.” Jase’s eyes lit up. “This is the cafe? We’re having dinner here? That’s perfect.” He gave Chris a warm smile. “Thank you.”
“I wanted you to see this before it’s too late.”
Jase frowned. “What do you mean?”
“They’re closing this place in August. It’ll be a completely renovated space by the time it reopens. And I doubt what replaces it will have as much charm.” He paused at the door. “After you.”
Jase stepped into the cool interior, and a man in a suit came over to them. “Do you have a reservation?”
“Tyler, for two. Eight o’clock.”
The man checked his list, smiled, then signaled to a server. “Antonio will show you to your table, gentlemen.”
Antonio turned out to be a young man dressed in black, with dark hair, even darker eyes, and a dreamy smile. “Follow me, gentlemen.” He led them into the cafe, and Chris was relieved to see it looked just as he remembered it. Gold swirled on a rich red carpet, and the red-and-gold theme was picked up by the chair backs, wall decorations, and the drapes. Pale green plush cushions covered each seat, the same green as the ornate window arches. Beyond lay the gardens that surrounded the pool, and lush green foliage proved a beautiful foreground to the cream parasols, white marble, and blue water. The sky was tinged with shades of red and orange as the sun set.
Antonio led them to a table in the center of the cafe, but when he came to a halt, Jase spoke up. “Excuse me, but… do you think we could sit there?” He gestured to an empty table at the outer edge of the cafe, looking out over the garden beyond the curved balustrade.
Antonio looked at them, and his smile widened. “I think we can manage that.” He walked over to the table and stood to one side while they seated themselves, before handing them their menus. “Now, what can I get you to drink? Or do you need a little time to decide?”
“Some time would be good,” Chris told him. Antonio departed after giving them a half bow. “I think it’s time for a cocktail, don’t you?”
“I think I could have done with a cocktail before you got me on that last ride.” Jase’s eyes sparkled. He scanned the list and smiled. “Okay, I have to try the Bella Peach cocktail.” He regarded the menu with obvious interest. “I thought it would be a pricey place, given the location, but it really isn’t.”
Chris glanced at the menu. “In these surroundings, what I’m about to choose feels out of place, but I don’t care. I need a burger, and theirs are really good.”
Jase wiped his forehead in mock relief. “Thank God. Me too.”
Chris laughed. “Well, that was easy.” He signaled to Antonio, who had just shown a couple to their table. He hurried over, and Chris gave him the order.
Antonio grinned. “Good choice.” Then he walked off briskly.
Jase leaned on the balustrade and gazed at the cafe’s interior. “This is like finding a hidden treasure. All those epic surroundings out there, huge ceilings, marble mosaic floors, columns, statues… and then there’s this place.”
Chris could understand that reaction. “I remember stumbling across the cafe for the first time. I felt just like you.” He leaned back in his chair. “So… have you seen e
nough of Las Vegas? We still have time to go for a taxi ride along the strip so you can see all the lights.” He kept mental fingers crossed. The memory of the look in Jase’s eyes, his nose almost touching Chris’s crotch, his lips, soft and warm….
No more sightseeing? Not tonight? The only sight Chris wanted was that of Jase in his bed, naked, his lips parted as Chris slowly filled him to the hilt.
Jase sighed. “While I’m sure that would be wonderful, I think I’m done. In fact, once we’ve seen the fountains, I’ll be more than happy to call it a day.”
Thank God for that. “Sounds like a plan.” He smiled as Antonio approached with their cocktails. Once he’d deposited the glasses on the table and beat a graceful retreat, Chris raised his glass. “To a memorable convention. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a con so much.”
Jase mimicked his gesture. “To my first con. Thank you for making it so easy for me, and so special.” They drank, and Chris tried not to stare at Jase’s slim throat as he sucked on his straw, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
Jase set down his glass and stared at the white tablecloth. “These last four days have flown by. It’ll be Sunday before we know it. Time to go home.”
Chris did not want to think about that. “Have you got any more auditions lined up?” That felt like safer ground.
Jase bit his lip. “Can we not talk about that? It only gets me thinking about—”
“Of course,” Chris replied. He thought quickly. “What have you enjoyed most about the con so far?”
“I’m not sure ‘enjoyed’ is quite the right word, but I’ve been amazed by the readers. They get so enthusiastic about their books and their favorite authors. I’ve overheard more than a few heated conversations where they were discussing characters like they were real people!”
“Maybe that’s the mark of a good book,” Chris mused. “Where the author describes the characters so vividly that you feel like they’re alive.”
“I think my best part has been spending time with you,” Jase said quietly. “Despite working with you all these years, I knew so little about you.” He chuckled. “A photo shoot isn’t the time to have a chat, is it? We’re too busy getting it right, capturing the mood. But having all this time has been awesome. I feel… comfortable with you.”
“Let me guess. I feel like a well-worn, well-loved pair of slippers,” Chris said with a snicker. The humor was the only way he could think of reacting without betraying how much Jase’s words had meant to him.
But tonight is all about that, isn’t it? Telling him the truth? Showing him how much he means to me?
Before Jase could respond, Chris dove right in. “I’ve loved sharing so much time with you too,” he said in a low voice. “It… it’s meant a great deal to me.”
Jase stilled, his beautiful blue eyes focused on Chris. “Really?”
Chris nodded slowly. “And some parts of it will stay with me for a long, long time.”
God, the way the light caught in Jase’s eyes, how it glinted on his lips….
“Like our impromptu photo session this afternoon?” Jase’s breathing quickened a little.
Just like that, Chris’s dick reacted. “That was pretty… memorable.”
Jase’s eyes sparkled. “I thought so too.”
“But I’m also not going to forget your dancing, or that costume you wore in the contest….”
“I sense a theme here.” Jase’s lips twitched. “Me in sexy boots.”
Chris laughed. “Well, duh.” Then he reconsidered. “But it’s not just the way you look. It’s the whole package. You’re amazing. You’re intelligent, funny, generous… and I love that you haven’t given up on your dreams.” He raised his glass. “To you, Jase Mitchell. May you achieve your heart’s desires.”
A flush stained Jase’s creamy neck and cheeks. “Thank you.” He took a drink from his own glass, then looked over Chris’s shoulder. “And here’s our dinner.”
Chris was thankful for the respite. A few minutes more, and heaven knew what he might have said.
What encouraged him was Jase’s reaction. For the first time, Chris dared to hope that things might actually go the way he wanted.
“IS that the fountains?” Jase pointed down to the expanse of water on their right as they exited the casino. Lights surrounded it, and along one side was a wall where people were standing, gazing out over the still waters.
Chris led them over the bridge and down the steps to the sidewalk that ran alongside the water. “Yeah. They run every fifteen minutes or so at night.”
Jase glanced up at the darkening sky. “We’ve timed it well. What kind of music do they play while the fountains are on?”
“It depends. Sometimes it’s classical, other times it’s Frank Sinatra… you never know what’s going to come out of those speakers.”
Privately, Jase was hoping for something… romantic. Not that Frank couldn’t be romantic, given the right circumstances. “Where are we going to stand?”
“Wherever we can find a space.”
They hurried along, and Jase was dismayed to see how many people had already gathered. “It’s pretty popular, isn’t it?”
“Probably the most iconic thing to do in Vegas, apart from eloping.” Chris pointed to a spot several feet ahead. “There! Quick!”
They ran to where a space had suddenly opened up at the wall, and both of them placed their hands on top of it, as though the act of doing so somehow made it theirs. Jase stared out over the water to the walls that ran around its perimeter. Beneath them, blue light spilled out from under stone arches.
Suddenly the jets of water rose gracefully into the air, and as soon as he heard the first five notes of music, Jase knew Someone up there was definitely on his side. Violins led into “Time to Say Goodbye,” and the white jets arched and undulated in an unhurried manner, in perfect harmony with the music. When Sarah Brightman’s beautiful voice filled the air, the jets moved in time with her, falling in soft waves, creating intricate patterns in the air as they crossed and recrossed.
“I love this song,” Jase said quietly, unable to tear his gaze away from the gorgeous spectacle before him. His heartbeat quickened when Chris’s hand curled around his, squeezing it gently. Then the jets disappeared, only for a coronet of jets to rise into the air, accompanied by the rich voice of Andrea Bocelli. The beat of drums, perhaps emulating the march of soldiers off to war, provided the background to his wonderful music.
Two voices mingled in harmony, rising in a crescendo as the jets leaped high into the air, and the rising curtain of water started at each end of the lake, rushing to meet in the middle, where they rose in one final circle of light before disappearing into darkness.
Chris’s hand still held on to his. “It isn’t time to say goodbye yet,” he said into Jase’s ear.
Jase turned gradually to face him. “No,” he agreed. “Not yet. There’s something I have to do first.” And before Chris could utter a word, Jase leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips, his hand curving around Chris’s cheek.
No music. No dramatic lights. No triumphant jets of water. Just the beating of his heart as he poured himself into that kiss, not wanting it to end. And when Chris moaned softly, his arms going around Jase’s waist, pulling him in, Jase knew his wish had been granted after all.
Chapter Sixteen
THE silence that fell between them during the shuttle ride home could have been oppressive or awkward, but it was none of those things. They sat together, their linked hands resting on Chris’s thigh, and it felt like the most normal thing in the world.
Chris’s heart was soaring. Oh my God, that kiss….
As if he could read Chris’s thoughts, Jase turned his head to gaze at him with such a serene smile that it shook Chris to his core.
This is real. This is happening. And as to what happened next….
Chris was suddenly relieved he’d visited the hotel shop. It turned out they were ready for every eventuality.
His mind w
as still locked on that kiss. He recalled Jase’s lips against his, the way Jase had pressed up against him, as close as it was possible for two people to be while still wearing clothes. The muttered “Get a room, for Christ’s sake” from someone nearby hadn’t mattered one bit. There was nothing that could rain on Chris’s parade that night.
The night lay before them, filled with the promise of intimacy, fueled by that kiss. Chris didn’t do one-night stands. Chris never fucked on the first date. But this situation was so far removed from his experience that his rules didn’t apply. This was no date with a stranger. Chris knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted Jase in his arms, in his bed, making love, sleeping, dreaming, waking—the first night of what he hoped would be many, many more.
Chris was playing for keeps. The bus shuddered to a halt and disgorged its passengers onto the sidewalk beside the hotel. Once they were off, Jase retrieved Chris’s hand, and they entered the hotel.
As they approached the elevator, Jase leaned in close. “I don’t know about you, but I need a shower.”
Chris managed a nod of agreement. “Want to use mine?” This was no time to be coy, not when they both knew what was coming. The elevator doors slid open and they got onto it, the only two people in there.
“It’s not that I don’t like the idea, but… I need to go to my room anyway. I’ll be five minutes, ten tops.”
Chris grinned. “I’ll be counting.” They arrived at their floor, got out, and Jase kissed him on the mouth, sending Chris’s heartbeat racing. Then he headed to his room, leaving Chris standing there.
Chris let himself into his room, shrugged off his clothes, and headed for the shower. As he stood under the pummeling stream of hot water, he played the evening over and over in his head, recalling Jase’s looks of amazement and wonder, his gasps, his laughter… and that kiss by the fountains.
He stroked his dick, feeling it harden beneath his fingers as he remembered the feel of Jase’s lips on his, the warmth of Jase’s body against him. I’m not imagining this, am I? We have something going on here.