Endless Nights: Vegas Nights, Book 3

by Karen Erickson

  Oh God. His fingers were terribly close to her lady bits, and they were tingling, practically begging for him to touch them.

  “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Her voice was a whispery mess and she cleared her throat, wondering what in the world was wrong with her. She needed to get herself together. Big deal. So she kissed a pro football player. A gorgeous pro football player.

  A gorgeous pro football player whose hands just slid beneath her skirt and were touching the underside of her butt.

  “It’s definitely a good thing,” he murmured, his fingers dancing along her skin.

  Okay, she was seeing double. Little white dots blurred her vision. His touch was blinding her, and she’d certainly never heard of that condition before—and she worked in the medical field. She closed her eyes, a sigh escaping her when he slipped a finger beneath her silky panties, gently tracing the curve of her backside, and then he was kissing her again. Soft, coaxing, lingering kisses with gentle flicks of his tongue and nibbles on her lower lip.

  “Your mouth should be illegal,” she whispered against his lips, her eyes flying open when she heard him chuckle. “Did I just say that out loud?”

  His chuckle deepened. “You did.”

  No use denying it. “Well, it’s true. I don’t normally do this sort of thing.”

  Luke pulled away so he could stare down at her. “Do what?”

  “Kiss strangers in darkened corners.” She lifted her chin, trying for dignified, and surely she was failing miserably. Hello, his hand was beneath her dress. His fingers were still skimming her butt. She should tell him to unhand her immediately.

  Didn’t that sound like something out of a historical romance? Not that she’d read any in a while. She had no time. She missed reading. She missed lots of things. Like going out and having fun and getting wrapped up in a man’s arms and letting him kiss her and…

  Luke was kissing her again. Silencing her thoughts, shutting down her brain so all she could do was kiss him back. She clamped her legs around his hips when he stroked the interior of her mouth with his tongue, his hand curving around her butt to squeeze and knead her flesh, getting her all worked up in no time.

  God, in no time whatsoever.

  She was wet. She could feel her panties dampen and her skin was tingling everywhere, but especially between her legs. She shifted against him as subtly as possible, rubbing herself on his erection, and she swore she saw stars.

  She pulled away from him, trying to calm herself down. Keeping her eyes closed, she tried to think of something else. Anything else to take the focus off how close she was to start grinding on Luke like he was her own personal sex toy and she was desperate to get off.

  Okay, no, she never, ever did things like this. It was so wrong. Rubbing on a strange man she just met. Letting him put his hands and tongue on her. She wasn’t that kind of girl. She was quiet and reserved and hardworking, and she didn’t like a lot of attention either. She preferred to stay in the background. She was tall, and growing up she’d been so awkward. Gawky, with thick glasses and braces at one point, the cliché biggest nerd in middle school. In high school it got a little better. Bye-bye, braces. Hello, contacts. She filled out a little—she lacked in the boob department but made up for it in the leg department—and boys started to notice. Girls started to hate her.

  She could never win. Ever. Only until she met Reagan and Natalie did she feel like she had real, honest to goodness friends.

  “Hey.” Luke Nelson’s deep, way-too-sexy voice snapped her out her thoughts, made her remember that she was still in his arms, her legs still wrapped around him, his hand still on her butt. “You okay?”

  “Um…” Would he think her cheap if she told him no, she wasn’t okay? That she really wanted to take this further and maybe find somewhere private where they could get naked together?

  Yes. Yes, he would think she was cheap. She felt cheap just thinking it.

  “I’m moving too fast, huh?” He removed his hand from her butt and she loosened her legs, which allowed him to set her down on her feet. He stepped away from her, and the hollow pang that echoed within her at the sudden loss was stupid.

  Stupid.

  But it remained.

  “Sorry,” he said, his expression contrite. Almost…pained. He swallowed hard and ran a hand through his hair, as if he were trying to get a hold of himself. “I don’t grab random girls and kiss them in dark corners.”

  She stood a little straighter, liking how that hollowness filled with hope. “You don’t?”

  “Hell no. I’m not a total asshole.” He dropped his hand from his head, staring at her. “You felt it too, right?”

  She nodded, all the words she wanted to say drying up and disappearing. She knew what he referred to. The attraction between them was strong. There were no explanations for it either. It was just there. She could feel it now, swirling between them, drawing them closer. He stepped back into her, his hand going to her waist, fingers gathering the fabric of her dress and hiking it up just the slightest bit.

  “Tell me to fuck off. You probably should, after what I’m about to ask you,” he said, his voice so deep, so low she almost couldn’t hear him. “But…I want you to come back to my room with me.”

  Words completely failed her now. She should definitely tell him no. No, no, no. She wasn’t that kind of girl. What, did he think she had the word slut etched across her forehead? She didn’t go to a man’s hotel room, a man she just met, because that meant she was easy.

  And she wasn’t easy. No way. She was a good girl. She’d always been a good girl. Good girls didn’t mess around with strange men, no matter how famous, how gorgeous, how good they smelled, right?

  “Yeah, you’re going to say no. That’s the smart thing to do.” He started to step away but she reached out and grabbed him, her fingers going around his wrist. Well, trying to because it was so thick, goodness.

  The man was thick everywhere.

  Luke glanced down at where she touched him, then lifted his head so his dark eyes found hers. She parted her lips, tugged on his arm, and he came closer, so close he was invading her space and her thoughts, and she knew, without a doubt, she wanted him invading her body too.

  “Yes,” she whispered as she slipped her other arm around his neck and brought his mouth down to hers. “Yes, I’ll go back to your room with you.”

  She felt his smile against her lips right before he kissed her.

  Thank Christ he was staying in the same hotel that Declan’s little gathering was being held at. The faster he got Andrea back to his suite, the faster he could get her naked.

  They left the party without saying a word to anyone, not that he could find anyone to say goodbye to. It was like they all scattered. Andrea texted her friends, letting them know she was all right, and then she dropped her phone into her little purse, smiled up at him, and it was like his world titled on its axis.

  Damn, she had a pretty smile. A pretty body. Pretty lips. Pretty everything.

  He escorted her through the casino area, the musical sounds of the machines loud, the cheering at the tables on the other side of the room even louder. It was a busy Friday night—the floor was packed, and he noticed numerous women giving him the eye, men doing double takes because he was familiar.

  The men were also doing double takes because of the gorgeous woman walking beside him in the sexy-as-fuck dress. Where did she find it anyway? It clung to her body almost lovingly, covering her in all the right places that set his imagination wild.

  He was going to have a good time taking it off of her, that he could guarantee.

  “People are staring at you,” she murmured, smiling up at him when he glanced down at her. He liked how tall she was. He still towered above her, but at least she was in manageable kissing distance.

  “I think they’re staring at you,” he replied, tearing his ga
ze from hers so he could walk like a normal human being and not do something stupid like trip over his own feet because he was too entranced with her.

  “No.” She laughed. “You’re the famous football player. Didn’t your team go to the Super Bowl recently?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, we did. And we lost too, unfortunately.”

  “Thought so. Not that I really paid attention. I usually only watch it for the commercials.”

  The more she talked, the more he liked her. And the more he touched her, kissed her, the more he really liked her.

  “You’re not a football fan?” he asked, steering her out of the way of a large group of guys headed straight toward them. They all leered at her, every single one of them, and when they looked up, he shot them a murderous glare.

  Their eyes widened, and one of the men pointed at Luke, muttering, “Aren’t you…”

  He ignored them and kept walking, slipping his arm around Andrea’s waist and pulling her close to his side.

  “See? They recognized you,” she said, seemingly oblivious to the way they just stared at her with their tongues practically hanging out.

  “Yeah, after they undressed you with their eyes,” he said, his voice tight. Maybe the dress wasn’t so great after all. It drew a lot of unwanted attention.

  “They did not.” When he sent her a look, her eyes widened. “They did?”

  “Oh yeah. I told you that dress should be illegal.” He guided her to the left, down the hall where the bank of elevators up to the rooms was. “It’s fucking lethal.”

  She giggled, sounding uncomfortable. “Yeah, I swear my butt is going to fall out.”

  “That’s what everyone’s hoping for.” Including me.

  “Really?” She sounded shocked. Completely unaware of just how sexy she was.

  “Uh-huh.” He slowed down, smiling and nodding at the man who watched over the guest elevators.

  “Good to see you again tonight, Mr. Nelson,” the employee greeted. “Having a nice evening?”

  “I am,” Luke said with a smile, turning toward the right and stopping in front of the first elevator, hitting the button for the highest numbered floor.

  He’d reserved one of the best suites at the hotel, never expecting he’d bring a girl up to his room. Declan had the penthouse suite, and the plan had been for he and Noah to hang out in his suite tomorrow night, create their own party with a few friends.

  That was the last thing Luke wanted to do now, not if Andrea was still with him by tomorrow night.

  “Tell me you have a great view of the city,” Andrea said, resting her hand on his chest.

  He smiled down at her. “I can do better than that. I’ll show you the great view I have of the city.”

  She glanced around, stepping closer to him when a laughing group of women pushed past them, heading for another elevator. “This hotel is gorgeous.”

  “You’re not staying here?”

  “No, we’re down the street. Our hotel is nice, but not as beautiful as this one.”

  He squeezed her waist, his hand resting possessively on her hip. She was thin. Didn’t have much on top, but he’d always been more of a leg and ass man, so that worked for him. “Wait until you see my room. It’s ridiculous.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  Damn. Seeing the glow in her gaze, the way she was snuggled up so close to him, he couldn’t wait either.

  The elevator doors slid open, and they stepped inside, Luke never letting go of her, so Andrea had no choice but to remain by him. The moment the doors closed, he moved fast, pressing her against the wall, kissing her because he couldn’t resist. She responded easily, her lips parting, tongue darting out to caress his, and he groaned, his hands full of her ass as he brought her in close.

  He broke away from her lips to rain kisses along her jaw, down her neck. She gasped and shuddered, her hands clutching his shoulders as she tilted her head back.

  “Oh God, I’m dizzy,” she murmured. “I think it’s the elevator giving me a head rush.”

  He smiled against her neck, licking her there, and she jolted at first contact of his tongue.

  “And you,” she whispered. “You’re making me dizzy too.”

  He liked her honesty. Most women fed him a bunch of lines. Not that he wasn’t guilty of that sort of thing too, because he was. He fell into a pattern, a rhythm with every woman he encountered. After a while, that pattern, the rhythm felt unnatural. Forced.

  Boring.

  There was nothing boring about Andrea. He liked the little sounds she made in the back of her throat when he kissed her. He liked how she touched him, clutching him close, like she wanted him and wasn’t afraid to show it. More than anything, he liked how she tasted. Sweet and heady and sexy as hell. He wanted to taste her everywhere.

  The elevator came to a stop and he stepped away from her, taking her hand as the doors opened. Without a word, they exited through the doors and he led her down the hall that stopped at the wide double doors of his suite.

  “Your room is one of the only ones on this floor?” she asked, sounding shocked.

  He remained silent, offering a quick nod as he withdrew the card key from his back pocket and opened the door. He pulled her inside, shutting and locking the door behind him, and she wandered deeper into the quiet suite, her head whipping around as she took it all in.

  “Oh. My. God.” She stopped in the middle of the living area and turned to face him, her mouth hanging open in seeming shock as she threw up her arms before letting them fall at her sides. “This is bigger than my apartment.”

  Slipping his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, he stopped and stood on the edge of the rug, smiling at her. “You like it?” It was a little too sleek and modern for his tastes, but he wasn’t living here, so he could deal for the weekend.

  “It’s freaking amazing.” She went to the wall of windows that overlooked the city, pressing her hands tentatively against the glass. “Your view is way better than mine. And I thought we had a pretty good view.”

  The city was spread out before them like a blanket of twinkling jewels winking in the dark night. There was absolutely nothing like Vegas at night. Everything lit up as far as the eye could see.

  Luke approached where Andrea stood, her back to him as she gazed out at the city. He let himself take her in since she wasn’t paying him any mind. Those smooth shoulders, her long, glossy brown hair which was soft to the touch. That fucking dress his hands were itching to take off of her and her legs…

  He’d had those legs wrapped around him only minutes ago, and they felt good. Damn good. He knew they’d feel even better wrapped around his hips while he was balls-deep inside her.

  His cock stirred, reminding him that he had a purpose here, and he closed the distance between them, resting his hands lightly on her waist, startling her.

  “I don’t know what I like better,” she said, sounding nervous as she quickly looked at him from over her shoulder before returning her attention to the lights. “Your suite or the view.”

  “I know what I like best,” he said, dropping a kiss to the top of her ear. She shivered and he did it again, letting his lips linger as he whispered, “You.”

  She lifted her shoulder, almost as if she tried to push him away, but he knew better. He felt the subtle tremor move through her beneath his hands. “Please,” she said shakily. “You just met me.”

  He slipped his arms around her completely, pressing his hands against her flat stomach and resting his cheek against hers. “I know. It’s crazy, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.” She nodded, her hair brushing against his face. “It is.”

  Luke turned his head and kissed her neck, inhaling deep. She melted against him slowly, her body relaxing into his, and triumph surged through him. He wanted her trust. He wanted her to lose herself in him tonight and he wanted to d
o with the same with her.

  Forget about everything else. All he wanted to focus on was her.

  Chapter Three

  Luke’s mouth felt so good on her neck. He started at her ear, kissing down, down until his lips blazed a trail along her throat. Lingering, damp, open-mouthed kisses that had her knees buckling, and her head leaned back against the broad expanse of his chest.

  The man was solid as a rock. Wide and firm and so tall, despite her height and the heels she wore. He made her feel tiny, and she’d never met any man who made her feel small. Not until this one.

  She liked it.

  His hands moved away from her stomach and slid down the outside of her thighs, grabbing the hem of her dress and tugging up. She stiffened, shock coursing through her veins along with a heady mixture of lust, and the dumb question tumbled from her lips before she could stop it.

  “What are you doing?”

  Andrea felt him smile against her neck. He did that a lot, smile. She found it sweet. What his hands were doing, though, that was not so sweet. More like dangerously hot.

  “What do you think I’m doing?” The fabric slid up her legs in a sensuous caress, his fingers branding her skin, and she swallowed hard, wondering if she could come just from his hands on her thighs.

  Yeah. Maybe. She’d look like an idiot and he’d be impressed or possibly even…horrified?

  “Trying to take off my dress?” She tried to sound nonchalant about the entire matter, but her voice was shaky and her hands trembled where they rested against the window. “Someone could see, you know,” she added.

  “We’re too far up. No one is paying us any attention,” he murmured against her neck, just before he dragged his tongue along her skin.

  A squeak escaped her and she curled her hands against the glass, grasping at nothing. Not that she was going anywhere. Luke had a firm hold on her, her skirt bunched in his hands, almost to her waist now. Cool air rushed over her thighs, the center of her legs, and she wobbled on the high heels she wore, her eyes flashing open to stare unseeingly at the city before them.