by Lucy Robin
Keith doesn’t seem to have paid attention to the meaning of my words. “I should leave you alone. It’s bedtime. Sweet dreams!”
“Good night!” I say, and we hang up at the same time.
I do have sweet dreams after that, and Keith is in every one of them.
Chapter 21
Keith
Although we haven’t signed the brokerage agreement yet, Ricky has more or less finalized our deal after a meeting with Elena and me two days ago. He was, not surprisingly, very impressed with Elena’s expertise. She hasn’t worked with developers in recent years, but she’s perused the rules regarding real estate new development and is familiar with everything from the broker registration process to the calculation of commission rates.
At the end of our hour-long meeting, Ricky informed me he was going to Ignite, an investor-centered real estate conference in Vegas, and asked whether Elena and I were interested in going along. I agreed without hesitation, even though I had just attended another similar conference not long ago. So here I am, flying on a private jet Ricky chartered, on Friday evening.
I had thought the trip was purely business, so I was surprised to see Ricky’s mom Julia and three other elderly ladies, including Elena’s Nonna, boarding the jet. And when I saw the man who had dinner with Elena the other night, I froze.
The guy, Giovanni, turns out to be Elena’s family friend as I correctly guessed, and his grandmother is eager to get them together as she makes sure the two sit next to each other.
I end up sitting next to Mia, who seems to like me. She’s quite a chatterbox. Within just minutes, she’s told me much about herself. She and Elena’s granddad used to live in Hollywood, and then they moved to Pasadena when they got married and lived there ever since. Elena’s grandfather lived to ninety-two before he passed away a few years back. And she has two more daughters besides Elena’s mom.
Although I’m interested in the kind woman’s life, I’m also dying to ask her questions about Elena. Has she had lots of boyfriends before she got married? Is it serious between her and Giovanni? But Mia rambles on and on and avoids mentioning her granddaughter.
While listening to Mia talk, my eyes constantly seek Elena. She looks gorgeous even in leisure attire: a casual, sleeveless paisley print dress with a scoop neck and low cut-outs below the shoulders. The dress isn’t tight, but it has a way to flatter her curves. I feel the heat building up inside me just with my stealthy glances in a distance. She and Giovanni aren’t touching, but their proximity alone makes me jealous.
Nonna must notice my glances as well because all of a sudden, she stands up and walks to her granddaughter, “Elena, honey, let’s swap seats. I need to speak to Gianni.”
Elena glances at me quickly and grumbles. “Why can’t it wait? I’m comfortable here.”
While she’s hesitating, Giovanni stands up. “I’ll move.”
I grin and take his seat eagerly.
Once I’m next to Elena, I can hardly keep my hands from her. My eyes aren’t under my control, though. They roam over her body greedily. The soft material of the skirt shows the curvy outlines of her hips. Her long, bare legs are lightly tan. The dress covers her thighs just below her hips. I imagine caressing her smooth skin, kissing my way up from her calf to her thighs, and bury my face between them.
My boner thrives in these indecent thoughts.
To make it harder for me, she shifts in her seat, crossing and uncrossing her legs, teasing me with inadvertent exposure of her inner thigh. Fuck. I can’t hold it any longer. We’re sitting in the back. No one including the flight attendant can see us, not below our necks, at least.
In the middle of chattering around us, I place my hand on her thigh and hear her breath catch.
She glares at me for a moment, but she doesn’t move or attempt to brush my hand away.
I boldly stroke her thigh just as I imagined earlier, watching her eyes narrowing.
“You’re breaking your promise,” she warns me in a low and husky voice.
Damn. She’s right. I’m reminded what I said over the phone a few nights back when I begged her to come back to work for me. Why did I make that stupid promise? I’m such an idiot. I withdraw my hand and turn to sit partially facing her.
“Would you rather I keep my promise?” I whisper into her ear.
She trembles slightly, and she closes her eyes as if trying to make a difficult decision.
I become bold and restless at her hesitation.
“I can make the boring flight a memorable one, if you allow me,” I say, my lips nearly touching hers.
She inhales sharply as she stares at my lips. “You wouldn’t dare. You’d lose your deal.”
I raise my eyebrows. Is she daring me? I consider the consequences for a moment, but another force inside me is stronger at the moment. Ricky is yards away, while Elena’s hot gorgeous body is right next to me.
I lean closer to her and lick her ear. She gasps, and her eyes widen. She looks at me. Her eyes are smoking hot. Anger or desire? I have no idea. “It would be worth it,” I whisper. “But only if you’re willing to take the risk, too.”
Her eyes turn dark. I wait breathlessly for her to decide, knowing she wouldn’t resist the challenge. A second later, she swallows, and slightly parts her thighs.
I take it as an invitation, slipping my hand between her thighs and sliding it all the way up. Her panties are wet. I stroke her over the fabric, and she lets out a tiny whimper. No one hears us, thanks to the loud engine. I tuck my thumb into the crotch panel and stroke her pussy lips. Elena closes her eyes and clutches her hands tightly over the armrests.
Suddenly Mia turns her head slightly around and asks a question. “Elena, when was the last time you were in Vegas?”
Keeping my hand on Elena, I turn discreetly to look to look at Mia. Elena clears her throat as she smiles at her grandmother. “Mm, I don’t remember, Nonna. It was probably…oh! Over ten years ago…”
“You see, Elena doesn’t gamble,” Mia says to Giovanni.
Giovanni also turns. “Elena is a good girl.”
As Elena chuckles, he winks at her.
What nerve! Winks at my girl in front of me. Wait. Elena isn’t mine…yet. Incensed by the realization, I press her clit hard. She gasps and turns her head sharply at me.
She glares at me. “You’d better stop.”
“Are you sure?” I ask while continuing to rub circles on her clit, alternating my speed and strength, driving her mad.
She doesn’t answer my question, but her eyes soften. The fierce is gone, and now longings fill them.
I ask again, “Do you still want me to stop?”
“No, please,” she whispers as she leans into the seat and gazes at me with her dreamy eyes. She parts her legs wider as if to give me easier access.
Hot streams of juice trickle down her pussy and soak my thumb. I want to thrust my fingers into the hot paradise, but my sitting position doesn’t allow me the luxury. I’m sitting partly facing her, in order to look at her face and shield her from others.
Instead, my thumb swims through the puddle of her desire. I stroke her drenched petals and swollen nub, hearing low, stifled moans escaping her throat and feeling the imminent tsunami making its way through.
When her body tenses, I hold her hand and increase the speed of my strokes, until a gush of wetness squirts right onto my palm.
I pause for a moment until she stops trembling, before discreetly moving my hand away from her, careful not to spill the ambrosia onto her dress. And then I lick my palm and my fingers while she watches me with eyes still clouded with desire.
Chapter 22
Elena
I don’t have the faintest idea when and how we landed at the Vegas airport and reached ARIA, where we’ll stay the night and where the real estate conference will take place tomorrow.
My mind was a foggy mess the moment Keith sat next to me, and I let him fool me into doing what he wanted with me again, against my better judgment
. Shit. Why is it that I can’t say no to that cocky guy!
But what an orgasm it was! It was even better than the last one he gave me, due to the excitement of doing something forbidden.
“Wow, Elena, just look at the tub!” Nonna shouts from the bathroom in our suite and snaps me out of my daydreams.
My jaw falls when I see the jetted tub. Damn. It’s right in front of a glass panel and has a gorgeous view of the Las Vegas Strip. I’ve never seen such a magnificent bathroom. I imagine soaking in the tub on top of the city. It would feel great, especially with adept fingers skimming over my slippery body and masculine arms wrapping around me… Holy shit. I’ve got to stop.
“Keith is going to pay for all these? Wow, he’s quite generous.” Nonna nods approvingly. “It’s the most deluxe suite I’ve been to. Not that I plan to spend lots of time in the room, though.”
The four senior ladies aren’t going to waste any time away from the slot machines. They have already worked out their plan before the trip. Except for the dinner and a show, they’ll plant themselves in the casino for the rest of the afternoon and evening, and a whole day tomorrow until we’re done with our conference.
“I won’t be back until after midnight. So that means the place is all yours, muffin. Enjoy!” Nonna winks at me.
I blush. “Well, I don’t plan to soak that long either… I’ll need to get some sleep.”
“Come on!” she rolls her eyes. “Who comes to Vegas to sleep? Not even my Nonna, not that she had been here a lot. Have fun, Elena. If you want to watch a show, I’ll go with you!”
“Oh, I’m fine, Nonna. Okay, I’ll go to the casino with you.”
“But you don’t have to. Why don’t you spend some time with Keith?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Come on! Stop pretending. You think I don’t know what you did on the jet?”
My mouth falls open. “What’re you talking about?” Did she hear us?
Nonna playfully points to her hearing aids. “Honey, these Super Ears cost me a fortune.”
“You pay extra bucks just so you can spy on people?”
She shrugs. “I didn’t intend to. But boy, am I glad I did, even though most of the time, I only pick up farts and burps!”
“Nonna!” I cover my ears, my cheeks burning.
She chuckles. “No need to feel ashamed, muffin. I’d give anything to have a fingering session inside a private jet! Congratulations on joining the mile high club!”
“Stop it, please!” I say, covering my face in my palms.
I stand next to Nonna and the other ladies and watch them play the slot machine. Giovanni, Keith, and Ricky are at the card table.
Seeing me, Keith leaves the game behind and comes to me. “Are you going to just watch?”
I shrug. I’m not interested in gambling. “Every time I play, I end up losing.”
“C’mon.” He tugs my arm. “Let’s go play Blackjack.”
“I don’t know how.”
“I’ll teach you.”
I follow Keith to a table. He buys in for a hundred. And then he explains the basics to me and while playing, tells me when to stand, hit, double-down, etc. Within just a minute, the stacks of chips rise. Keith lets me try, and I reluctantly do. Soon I lose most of the chips he earned, and I decide to stop.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I should pay for my lesson.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he says. “I’ll win it back.”
He takes me to another table to start a new round. When he buys in for a thousand dollars, I swallow. That seems to be too large a sum. What if he loses?
Keith seems to have heard me. He winks at me with confidence.
While the smiley, skinny Asian card-dealer diligently deals his cards, a beefy guy in a suit that looks like a Russian mafia strolls over as if checking us out. He welcomes us, but his tight smile makes me nervous. He’s probably the manager but looks more like a security guard. His name card reads Rob.
Keith starts betting five bucks, and then he increases to a hundred all of a sudden, and then two hundred. Stacks and stacks of chips pile up in front of him soon. He wasn’t boasting when he said he would win back his money.
Rob starts to pace around us, watching Keith’s every move.
As soon as Keith wins another round, the guy gestures us to the side. “I know what you’re doing, and I can’t allow it.”
Keith’s eyes widen. “What am I doing?”
“You’re counting cards.”
“How do you know? You have proofs for that?”
The big guy gave Keith a dirty look. “I know it because you bet low when cards are in favor of the house and high when they aren’t.”
“Why can’t I do that?” Keith asks calmly. “That’s how you gamble, and it isn’t illegal.”
Rob ignores his question. “You can play other games, but not the Blackjack.”
Keith’s going to argue, but I put my hand on his arm. “Please, Keith. Let’s get out of here.”
His eyes soften. “Okay,” he says to the guy. “You’re lucky because my girlfriend is nice. But I don’t give a damn to your bullshit rules.”
I want to correct him that I’m not his girlfriend, but I swallow back my words.
My mouth falls to the floor when Keith cashes in his chips. He won a total of two grand in less than ten minutes. “Wow! You’re a genius!”
He shrugs. “I’ve done better than this before.”
He looks so cocky I want to roll my eyes, but I smile instead.
As we head out of the casino, Keith asks me, “What to grab a drink?”
I hesitate, glancing at my watch. It’s only about ten, but I should get a good night’s sleep before tomorrow’s conference, besides, I want to soak in that opulent bathtub. But it’s hard to say no to Keith, especially when he’s staring at me so intensely and eagerly.
“Sure,” I mumble.
He grins, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and directing me into the bar next to the casino.
I’m surprised by how cozy the place is—someone is playing soft jazz music on a grand piano.
We sit down at a table for two against the wall. I order a Piña Colada, and Keith ordered a martini.
“So, are you a professional gambler or what?” I ask as soon as we’re alone.
“I wish,” he smiles. “Gambling was my passion when I was in college. I played online since I was in high school, using my mom’s ID. I actually paid for my own college tuition with my earnings.”
I nod. He told me that the first time we met. “Why didn’t you become a pro?” I ask.
“I wanted to. It was actually my dream.” His expression changes suddenly.
“So what made you give up your dream and become a real estate broker? Because of your parents?”
He pauses for a moment and nods. “I did it for my mom.”
I nod. Despite our last unpleasant exchange, I still remember Mrs. Brook as a kind woman. “How did she…err, pass away?”
“Breast cancer,” he whispers. “They found out late.”
I reach out to touch his hand. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’ve gotten over it, more or less.”
We hold our hands for a moment longer in silence.
“How’s your dad coping?” I ask the question and instantly regret it, remembering that Mike Brook was a playboy.
His jaw tightens. “He’s still around. But we aren’t in touch.”
My mouth opens. From our last conversation, I got the feeling that he and his dad weren’t that close, but I now detect an unmistakable resentment he holds toward Mike. I recall seeing Mike on top of a woman during the party in his house, and sympathy rises within me immediately. I would feel the same toward a dad that behaved badly. My hold on his hand tightens.
The Piña Colada is the best I’ve ever had, and I finish the whole glass while listening to Keith talk.
“Would you like another one?” Keith asks.
&nb
sp; I’m tempted to say yes, but a glance at my watch makes me realize I shouldn’t linger. I shake my head. “I should get ready for bed.”
He agrees and pays the tab. When we stand up to take leave, I feel giddy, and my legs wobble. Keith catches me in his arms. “Are you all right?”
He asks in a soft, low voice that makes me even weaker. I giggle. “I’m fine. Sorry!”
When my eyes meet him, I stop laughing because he’s staring at me intently, with his piercing blue eyes. Suddenly I forget how to breathe and wait nervously for his lips to touch mine. I nearly liquefy into his arms when I feel the feathery touch a second later, and I don’t hesitate to return the kiss. My lips graze over his, tracing over the firm texture. My thighs clench and a whimper escapes my throat. If it weren’t for a pair of customers walking past us, I would go on kissing him as if I owned the place.
I pull myself away and take a deep breath. And then, with my heart pounding madly in my chest, I walk out of the bar holding Keith’s hand tightly, worrying if I let go of him, I would trip and fall.
We reach the elevator in silence. It’s crowded, and Keith and I stand close to each other. His hand naturally drapes around my mostly bare shoulder, my hip pressing against his thigh. The air feels stifling around us. I shift slightly and hear a low groan in his throat. I stiffen, wondering why, and then I realize there’s something hard against my ass cheek. Oh my. It’s his boner. As I recall how good it tasted last time when it was in my mouth, my center aches for it.
The rest of the ride feels like an eternity, I stand stiffly in his arm, afraid of moving and yet aware of his heat. When the door of the elevator opens, I push my way out in a hurry, not waiting for him to catch up with me.
I fumble in my purse for the card key, but the moment it’s out of my purse, it drops onto the floor. Keith picks it up and slides it for me.
“Good night, Keith,” I say to him, without looking up.
But he doesn’t respond. Instead, he takes my hand as I’m about to step into the room, and pulls me to him. He grasps my waist with his other hand, presses me against his hard center. “Don’t run away, Elena, please,” he says in his low voice, against my ears. “I won’t bite.”