I shook my head in exasperation. “Haven’t you heard me at all, sunshine? When you get home, you’re mine.” I began leading her to the door, finished with this conversation and she didn’t protest. As we rode the elevator down, I held her hand tightly in mine, constantly lifting it to brush my lips across her knuckles.
In much too fast a time, I was helping her into the black town car with my personal driver at the wheel. I kissed her one last time, putting every bit of my need, possession, and determination into it. Then I forced myself to let her go. As the car disappeared into traffic, I realized I hadn’t given her my phone number. She didn’t even know my last name. But she’d told me when she was due back from her year with Doctors Without Borders.
When the time came, I would find her.
8
Autumn
Working for Doctors Without Borders was everything I had ever hoped and dreamed it would be, but the next two months were brutally hard. They were also deeply rewarding. The conditions the villagers lived in were abysmal by most American’s standards, with extreme poverty. But I rarely heard any complaints from the people we were helping.
Seeing their struggles and listening to the stories they shared with me was both eye opening and awe inspiring. It taught me the value of living for each moment of happiness we found—like the time I spent with Drew in Vegas. Memories of him fueled my dreams each and every night.
I also learned skills that would serve me well when I got back to the United States. We had such limited resources and had to rely on physical exams instead of the technology I’d been trained to use back home. I didn’t have access to a twenty-four-hour MRI or ultrasound machines. There was no neurosurgeon to call in for a consult. Chest X-rays and CAT scans were diagnostically better tools, but it was just me and my stethoscope in many cases. It was super challenging but also so very gratifying and taught me to rely on my eyes and what I’d learned during medical school and my residency. Working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo made me a better clinician because it forced me to be creative, and gave me more balance.
I just never expected my return to the States to be quite so soon, no matter how much I’d missed Drew. But eight weeks in to my year long stint, I began to struggle with nausea and vomiting. A week later, the weight I’d lost was noticeable and my boss insisted on running some blood tests to make sure I hadn’t picked anything up that could be easily treated before it caused too much harm. When the results came back, I was stunned. The only thing that would help me get past my symptoms was time...as in thirty more weeks because I was pregnant.
A week after the blood test turned up positive, I shook off a feeling of déjà vu as I stood in front of the Lennox Hotel and Casino. I was even more tired than I’d been when I’d last walked through the doors because this time around it had taken me almost twenty-four hours of travel to get here. The jeans and T-shirt I was wearing were much more comfortable than they had been before, but I still could barely wait to get out of them and into a shower to rinse off. Flying halfway across the world while pregnant had brought my usual post-travel weariness to a whole new level.
“If only I had a reservation they could lose again so I could insist they put me in that luscious suite I stayed in last time,” I sighed as I entered the lobby of the hotel. “Then I could take a bath in that killer tub before I try to track down Drew.”
I didn’t have a reservation, but that wasn’t the worst part of what I was lacking this trip. Getting a hotel room in Vegas in the middle of the week would be easy. Finding Drew when I didn’t know his last name and didn’t have his phone number? That was going to be the hard part. And most likely horribly embarrassing because the only plan I’d come up with so far was asking the Lennox Hotel concierge if he could put me in touch with Drew since it had seemed like they knew each other fairly well.
I silently groaned as I walked through the lobby. This was even worse than the walk of shame. Luckily, the guy working at the concierge desk was the same one who’d given Drew the Griffith Thorne tickets and backstage passes on our date two months ago. Before I reached him, I felt a tingling at the back of my neck like someone was watching me. It was exactly how I’d felt when I first spotted Drew in the casino while I’d been playing the slot machines. When I glanced over my shoulder and didn’t spot him, a wave of crushing disappointment crashed over me.
Of course it couldn’t be that easy. It was only fair that I had to put some effort into finding him since I let myself get knocked up by a guy without knowing his last name or how to get in touch with him.
The time we’d spent together had been such a whirlwind that I hadn’t even thought about getting his phone number until I’d gotten through airport security and wanted to send him a quick text. There wasn’t much I could do about it by then, other than leave the airport to head back to the hotel and find him, which wasn’t possible at the time. I’d forced myself to shrug it off and made a promise that the first thing I’d do when I got back home was head to the Lennox Hotel and track him down. Which is what I was there to do now, eight months earlier than I’d figured and a whole lot more pregnant than I’d planned on being.
I laughed softly at that since there weren’t degrees of being pregnant. You either were or you weren’t. But I wasn’t thinking like a doctor at all. I was an exhausted pregnant woman who was scared to share the news with the father-to-be because they’d only spent two, short days together and hadn’t spoken at all since then. Holding on to the memories of how Drew had treated me and the way he’d called me his, I marched over to the concierge desk. His dark eyes swept over me quickly, and he offered me a soft smile before greeting me. “Hello, miss. How can I be of service today?”
I twisted my hands together, feeling incredibly awkward as I tried to think of the best way to word what I needed from him. “Hi. Umm, this is probably going to be the strangest request you’ve ever gotten.”
His smile grew wide. “I doubt that. You wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve been asked to do over the years.”
“Oh. Well”—my eyes darted around and I leaned forward as I lowered my voice so nobody could overhear us—“I was a guest here two months ago, and you were able to get my date and me a pair of last minute tickets to see Griffith Thorne, along with backstage passes.”
He straightened in his chair, his smile turned more professional, and he seemed more...alert somehow. “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember helping you during your stay.”
“Don’t worry,” I rushed to reassure him. “No matter how good you are with faces; you couldn’t possibly remember me because I wasn’t the one who asked for the tickets. My date did.”
His gaze drifted over my shoulder as he echoed, “Your date?”
“Yes, it seemed like you and Drew knew each other fairly well, so I was hoping you could help me find him.”
“You won’t have to look very far.” He pointed behind me. “Mr. Lennox is headed this way right now.”
“Mr. Lennox? Can he help me find Drew?” I guessed that made sense if Drew worked for the hotel. The owner would have access to information on all their employees.
The concierge’s eyes widened. “No, Drew is Mr. Lennox.”
“Shit!” a familiar, masculine voice growled before I felt a strong hand on my shoulder, turning me around. “Autumn? Are you okay? You’re supposed to be in the Congo for another ten months.”
His crystal blue eyes filled with concern as they searched my face for any sign that I wasn’t okay. I was so relieved to have him standing in front of me that it took a moment for my brain to catch up with what the concierge had just said.
“You’re Andrew Lennox?” I shook off his hand and waved mine in the air. “Owner of the entire hotel and casino?”
He glared at the concierge, clearly pissed off that he’d let that piece of information slip. “We’re not having this discussion here where everyone can listen in.”
He clasped my hand and I let him guide me over to the elevator and
waited until we were inside and the doors slid closed in front of us. When he slid his key card into the slot and pressed the button for the penthouse level, I cocked an eyebrow at him. “So it wasn’t a coincidence that my reservation was lost and I was given a suite on the top floor?”
When he heaved a deep sigh and ran his fingers through his dirty-blond hair, I knew I was right. I was stunned, but at least I could take a little comfort in the fact that we were both going to shock each other today...although my surprise was going to wait until he explained everything he’d kept from me during our time together.
9
Drew
It had shocked the shit out of me when I’d glanced at the security feeds on my office wall and spotted Autumn at the concierge desk. Even after not seeing her for two months, I’d instantly known it was her.
Something had to be very wrong for her to be in my hotel when she was supposed to be in the Congo. Fear had constricted my chest as worst-case scenarios flashed through my mind. She’d looked even more gorgeous than I remembered, but she’d also looked exhausted.
I’d walked from my office to the lobby with single-minded focus, ignoring anyone and everything along the way. Her health was my main concern, but I’d also wanted to reach her before someone let it slip who I really was. When I got to her, she looked dead on her feet, but her beauty still stole my breath. Concern overpowered my desire though and my eyes swept over her, looking for signs of injury.
Then she’d asked me if I was Andrew Lennox, and I’d wanted to ring Juan’s fucking neck. This wasn’t how I’d wanted her to find out. I’d expected to go to her when she returned and explain everything.
The lobby certainly wasn’t the place to have this discussion, so I hurried her onto an elevator and headed for my penthouse suite.
Autumn’s eyes were narrowed on me, a mixture of anger and suspicion swirling in the dark orbs. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. I didn’t even know how to start this conversation.
“No, it wasn’t a coincidence.” I brushed a few pieces of her wild curls back from her face and was relieved when she didn’t flinch or pull away. “When I saw you in the lobby that first time, I was immediately captivated. I had to know you. So, I orchestrated the whole thing to make sure that we met.”
Autumn’s face softened for a second before hardening again and glaring up at me. “While I find that surprisingly sweet, rather than ‘creepy-stalkerish’ as you put it, it doesn’t explain why you lied to me about who you are.”
I scratched my beard as I tried to think how best to explain. “Sunshine…” I started, only to be interrupted.
“Don’t ‘sunshine’ me right now, Andrew Lennox,” she snapped.
I knew it was the wrong time to be amused, but she was just so fucking cute. So full of fire. I ran a hand over my face to hide my smile.
The elevator reached our floor and the doors whooshed open. With my hand at the small of her back, I steered her towards the large double doors that led to my living space.
The pad next to the entrance lit up when I pressed my thumb on it, then it beeped, and the doors unlocked. Autumn’s eyebrows rose but she didn’t comment as she brushed past me to enter the room. My gaze was drawn to her perfect ass as she walked into the large living room. I took a deep breath and willed my dick to back the fuck off. Now was not the time to be fantasizing. He limped a little, but I still had to adjust myself so my lustful state wasn’t so obvious.
Autumn plopped down onto one of the plush, beige couches and leaned back into the soft pillows. Her face betrayed her fatigue and concern creeped back in.
“You look spent, baby. Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked as I strolled over to her. She watched me warily, so I took a seat at the opposite end of the couch, rather than right next to her, where I wanted to be.
She waved her hand with a careless shrug. “It was a long trip. Now, let’s get back to the important stuff.”
I frowned, ready to point out that her health was the most important, but she still looked pissed and she did deserve an explanation. She kicked off her shoes with a deep sigh and brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.
Gently, I pried her arms loose and pulled her feet into my lap. My fingers dug into the arch of one foot, and her groan of pleasure went straight to my cock.
“As I was saying, I was determined to meet you and”—I shrugged and grinned—“I’ll be honest, to fuck you.” Autumn’s lips pinched but I saw the barely-there up tick at the corner of her mouth.
“Once I approached you, I was awed at how easy it was to talk to you. You were so fun and energetic and even sexier up close. It was so relaxing to have fun without worrying that you were working any angle to get to my money and connections.”
Autumn stiffened and glared at me, clearly affronted. There was also a spark of hurt in her eyes, so I hurried to reassure her. “It was clear that you were nothing like that after only a few minutes with you, sunshine.”
“Then why didn’t you trust me enough to tell me?” she asked crossly.
“It wasn’t about trust, Autumn. I knew you didn’t want anything from me except my company. But, I didn’t know if you would look at me differently when you found out. I’d already decided to keep you, and I wanted to stay in our tranquil little bubble for as long as possible.”
“Keep me?” she repeated with a stunned and slightly indignant face.
My eyes narrowed and I lifted my chin in a show of resolve. “You’re mine, Autumn. I told you when we first made love that it was a point of no return. I’ll admit to my error in judgement and work hard to gain your forgiveness, but make no fucking mistake, baby, you belong to me.”
I moved my hands up her legs in slow circles, working the muscles and helping the blood flow. I was playing fucking dirty, and we both knew it. Her eyes were getting heavy, though she was trying desperately to stay alert.
“Sunshine, why don’t you get some sleep, and we can talk more after you’ve rested?”
She shook her head adamantly and pointed at me. “Keep going. You still haven’t convinced me that I shouldn’t kick your ass for lying to me.”
I started to laugh but swallowed it and resumed rubbing. “I’d just like to point out that technically, I omitted…” I stopped that train of thought when she scowled, and her expression became livid. I didn’t want to piss her off any more, so I cleared my throat and continued. “After that, there were several opportunities to tell you, but I always talked myself out of it.”
I looked directly into her eyes and let her see the raw emotion on my face so she would know my next words were sincere. “In only two days, you’d grown to mean more to me than anyone ever has, sunshine. I was torn up inside at the thought of you leaving me for a year. I couldn’t stomach the idea of doing anything to lose you forever.”
To my utter relief, her face softened and she smirked. “You wanted me to be your nothing, huh?”
I chuckled at her reference to our talk of pickup lines. Taking a chance, I removed her feet from my lap and scooted closer. When she didn’t get mad or back away, I grabbed her hips and lifted her so she was sitting sideways across my legs.
“Sunshine”—I touched my forehead to hers—“I want you to be my everything.” Autumn gasped and tears filled her eyes, causing me to panic. “Baby? What’s wrong? Did I say something to upset you? Please don’t cry.”
She shook her head and buried her face in my chest. “I’m just emotional,” she said, her voice muffled. “Nothing is wrong. What you said was perfect.” She sniffed and lifted her head, a watery smile on her pretty lips.
I clasped her chin gently and lifted her mouth to mine for a tender kiss. “Do you forgive me, then?” She ran the fingers of one hand through my hair and nodded. Her puffy lips were tempting as hell but when I leaned in for another taste, I ended up kissing the back of her hand. She’d covered her mouth as she released a huge yawn.
“Sorry,” she mumbled sleepily.
“Time fo
r bed,” I announced with a look that made it plain that I wouldn’t put up with argument. Keeping her in my arms, I stood before stalking toward my bedroom. By the time we reached the bed, she was already asleep. Carefully, I kept her cradled against me as I reached down to turn down the duvet. Then I laid her down and removed her shoes. I was going to stop there, but I wanted her to be comfortable, so I also took off her jeans before covering her with the blanket.
I wasn’t tired, but I needed to hold her. So I stripped to my boxers, climbed in on the other side of the bed, and scooted to the center. I pulled her close and shifted her so her back was to my front. A contented sigh escaped my lips as I wrapped her up in my embrace and buried my face in her neck.
Part of me couldn’t believe she was there, in my arms. I’d dreamed of this every night and I was afraid that I would wake up any second. It was then that I realized I still didn’t know what had brought her back to me. It was tempting to wake her and demand answers, but she obviously needed rest and she looked so peaceful, I decided against waking her.
I would find out tomorrow and figure out how to fix whatever the problem was. She was finally back where she belonged, and I wasn’t ever letting go again.
10
Autumn
For the past two months, I’d gone from asleep to fully alert in the blink of an eye. It was just the way of things when I’d been in the Congo, between never feeling one hundred percent safe and the endless amount of work that needed to be done. Waking up in Vegas was the complete opposite—it was a gloriously gradual process. I savored the feel of the luxurious sheets beneath my body. If there was such a thing as a million thread count, then I was lying on them right now. But as amazing as the sheets were, they didn’t compare to the man who held me in his arms.
Vegas, Baby: Complete Series Page 5