Her foot slipped off the step, and her hand towel dropped to the floor. Josh. He was on a bike a couple of rows in front of her. Did he know she was here? Could she sneak out of here without him seeing her?
She stepped off the machine, grabbed a couple of hygiene wipes to mop off her sweat from the machine, then headed for the exit. She didn’t make it.
“Nikki. We need to talk.” Josh grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around.
“I have nothing to say to you.” She pulled away. “You just ruined my life.”
“I had no intention of doing that. You don’t need to worry about me. I’m here for the electronic trade show, and I’ll be working late each night. I’ll stay clear of you. No need for you to tell anyone what happened. You can still get married. Live happily ever after.”
“How do you expect me to do that?” She blinked rapidly, hating the tremor in her voice. “My sister knows. She saw me sneaking into our suite this morning. And my best friend. The secret’s out, I’m afraid. And they want me to come clean with David.”
“That might not be the best plan. Perhaps if you just leave now, go back home, you can make everything right.”
“So that’s your answer? For me to leave? Why don’t you do the gentlemanly thing, and go back to wherever you came from first?”
“I told you last night. San Francisco. And it’s a business trip. I have to stay. I’m the sales manager, and I have my team here with me.”
“They why are you in the gym? Why aren’t you working?” She lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. It felt good to fight. “You should have more to do than follow me around and hassle me. I’ll leave when I’m good and ready, and I don’t want you stalking me either.”
He grabbed her by the elbow, his expression annoyed. “I didn’t come on to you last night. Or if I did it was mutual. This morning too. So don’t get all haughty with me. I have no intention of getting married, so if you’re thinking that I might be a better catch, you can forget it. Not going to happen. Go back to Arizona and marry your sweetheart. Have a good life.”
“You’re an ass, know that? I have no idea why I was remotely attracted to you.”
Her eyes met his then slipped away. Not fast enough, though. That one glance told her what she hadn’t wanted to know. She was still very, very attracted to him. He was addictive, like a damn drug or something. Not that she ever used drugs. After all, she was a respectable school teacher, a church goer, a person who never stepped across the line. Doing what was right was sure a hellova lot better than the consequences. Look at the pickle she was in now.
“Look, Nikki. I don’t know what’s going on between us, but it’s got to stop. My heart is thundering like a racehorse that just ran a minute mile.” He took her hand and laid it on his chest. She could feel the pumping, the hot blood surging through his veins.
“That’s your problem,” she answered haughtily. “I am immune to you. So please, take your hands off me and step away. I don’t ever want to see you again.”
“That’s fine by me.” Instead of releasing her, he placed a finger on her pulse. “But you’re lying. Your cheeks are flushed, your breathing is unsteady, and your pulse is fluttering like a wild bird.” He stepped closer. “I bet if I kissed you right now, you’d let me.”
She pushed at his chest. “That is so not true. Go away before I call someone for help.” But she wouldn’t, damn it. Damn him. She clenched her fists.
“No one can help this ache inside of us.” His eyes slid down the toned muscle of her leg. “Wish it were that simple. My whole body is on fire for you.” Josh spoke as if their falling into bed again was a foregone conclusion, and he didn’t like it any better than her.
“No, it’s not. You just worked out. You’re probably overheated from exercise.” She bit her lip, wishing she could propel herself to walk away. Instead she stood helplessly staring into his handsome face. It was so pitiful she wanted to cry.
She turned to leave, but he slipped his hands around her waist and drew her close. He kissed her forehead, and then her cheeks. “Stop me. Won’t you please stop me?”
“Get away from me,” she answered, but didn’t move. Well, besides lifting her chin the slightest bit for easier access.
“I have to kiss you once. Then I’ll leave.”
“No! It’s too dangerous.” She put her hands on his arms with the intention of pushing him away, instead she held on tight.
“This sucks. I am going to turn around right this minute and walk away from you. You’ll never see me again.”
“Okay. Good-bye then.” Her fingers curled into his biceps.
“You’d need to step back and stop clinging to me.”
“I’m not clinging.”
“Oh, hell.” He grabbed her face and lowered his head, taking her mouth in a hungry, demanding kiss. He sucked the breath right out of her and she leaned her body into his.
“There! Satisfied?” he growled, and kissed her again. Hard. After a few seconds, he pulled back, wiped his mouth and walked away.
Nikki staggered and held on to the wall, sucking in deep painful breaths. Not out of shame, but unrequited desire.
“You all right?” someone walking by asked with concern. “Need me to call 911?”
“No. They can’t help me. Nobody can.” She ran into the women’s shower, sat on a bench and cried.
CHAPTER THREE
Josh couldn’t get away fast enough. He high-tailed it back to his room as quick as his legs would carry him. Then he jumped in the shower and tried to scrub whatever the hell he had off him, and get back to being Josh, the cool guy, who kept his relationships on an even keel. For the most part he would date a woman for eight or nine months, and when he started seeing stars in her eyes, or she hinted about moving in, then ever so gently he’d let her know that he wasn’t ready for that next step.
Usually that led to them breaking up with him, and he would pretend to be disappointed, but actually it was more of a relief than anything.
He wasn’t an asshole. He was very generous and affectionate with women in his life. But he was twenty-nine years old, and focused on his career. Josh was a sales manager for an international company, making six figures a year—with his bonus package—and had a three year old Lexus paid off, with a little money in the bank. He had goals, and getting married was not one of them. One day, sure. He’d love to have a wife and kids, and family trips and an SUV, but he was young and those things could wait.
He didn’t get feverish over women. He didn’t want to devour them in single bites, but this particular doll-face named Nikki had gotten under his skin, and he damn well wanted to exorcise her before she got a firmer hold.
Working a trade show was not easy; it meant long hours on his feet, chatting up people, always maintaining an upbeat appearance, always on show. He also had four salesmen with him from different territories. They looked up to him, and aspired to one day stand in his shoes.
He was the youngest sales manager in the country for his company, and that made him something of a “golden boy”, winning sales awards and making quota month after month. Josh knew he was being groomed for top management, and by hell or high water he intended to make it happen.
So, Nikki and her hot lips were not a part of his foreseeable future. He’d best stay clear of her, let her live it up in Vegas for a few days, then go home and marry the cuckold, David. Guy could have it a lot worse. She was here getting it out of her system before getting married, not waiting until after. David should probably thank him for his help.
She’d said she never came like that, and well, now she did. He’d done the couple both a favor. Now he’d do her another one, and keep the hell away.
Showered and dressed, he went down to the lower level where the trade show was set up. Thousands of vendors and all the latest technology was on display. It was a lot of hype, a lot of bragging rights and hot air, but he loved his business and the energy it generated.
“Hey, Cory. How’s it b
een this morning? Much action?”
“Yeah, it’s been busy. Steady stream of traffic coming through.” Cory gave him a sly smile. “So how was your night? That was one hot dame you hooked up with. Bride, huh?”
“Not a bride yet, and something tells me she’s not going to be.” He felt uncomfortable talking about Nikki, and didn’t want to get into that whole kiss and tell kind of thing. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a small twinge of shame.
“How about you and the sister?” He steered Cory away to a different subject. “She was a cutie too.”
“Yeah, but I had my eye on the friend, Jennifer, who wouldn’t give me the time of day.”
“Oh, well. Win some and lose some.” He stepped around the booth. “Go take an hour off. Take John with you. Ted and I can cover until you two get back. It’s going to be a long night. We’ll have to take plenty of breaks.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Cory walked over to John and nodded his head. “Boss said we have an hour. Let’s take a walk around the casino.”
He watched them leave, then got down to business, handing out pamphlets, talking about their latest merchandise. He was a born salesman, and had a gift for gab. His conscious triggered up, and he wondered if that had been the instrument he’d used to get Nikki into his bed. And yet, there had been something stronger pulling them together. An unrecognizable force that had triggered a reaction from both of them. He knew it, and feared it too.
CHAPTER FOUR
Nikki returned upstairs, and the girls were gone. She showered, iced her eyes, and then dressed in a casual pair of knee length shorts and a tee. She sat down and ordered room service, an indulgent eggs benedict. She was a bad person who didn’t deserve to stay in this beautiful suite and eat wonderfully delicious prepared meals. After breakfast she’d clear out and go home. Face the music, for better or worse.
While she waited for the food to arrive, she pulled out her small bag and began to pack her belongings. She fingered the pretty dresses she’d brought with her and would never get a chance to wear. If she was lucky she could eat and leave before the girls got back. She’d rent a car and drive herself home. No point in letting her sister down anymore than she already had.
Once her bag was organized, she locked it and put it beside the door. She called down to the front desk and arranged for a Hertz rental car to be delivered. She wrote a note for Jen and Melanie and put it on the big square coffee table in the living room, knowing that she’d ruined the weekend. The girls would have more fun without her.
She answered the knock on the door and gave a healthy tip to the waiter who delivered her breakfast. He beamed at her, and acted as though she were a very nice person. Little did he know. She sat down at the dining table, facing the massive windows and ate slowly, enjoying every bite. In a lot of ways it was her last meal. She would never be the same again. Her life as she knew it was over. Things got around in a small town. She might even lose her teaching position at Pleasant Hill Elementary. They wouldn’t want a woman with loose morals, a cheater, on their staff.
Melodrama had never been her strong suit, but right now she relished it. It helped her feel better to emotionally clobber herself over the head, and if that’s what it took, then so be it. It wasn’t a pity party. More like a castration.
She pushed her plate away as her tummy rumbled with indignation. She was inside the bathroom brushing her teeth when she heard the girls return.
“She packed her bag,” Melanie said in alarm. “Oh, my gosh. This is terrible.”
“Nikki, are you still here?” Jennifer called out, racing down the corridor.
Mouth full of toothpaste, she couldn’t answer.
“Shit!” Jennifer swore. “What idiots we were to give her such a hard time.”
“Yeah, like we’ve never made a mistake in our lives,” Melanie grumbled.
“Besides that, I’ve always thought David’s a dweeb,” Jen said. “Never could understand why she stuck with him so long.”
“I don’t. I think he’s wonderful,” Melanie answered. “I used to have the biggest crush on him.”
“Well he might be available if you wait a little longer,” Jen said.
Nikki had heard enough. She spat in the sink, then marched out of the bathroom and found the girls outside their rooms. “I’m here, and I heard everything. But don’t worry, I’m not sticking around. And Melanie, as much as I love David, I’m sure he’ll dump my ass the second I tell him what I did.”
Melanie blinked and sniffled. “We don’t want you to go. We went out for a really nice lunch, but it wasn’t the same without you. Both of us agreed that it’s going to be our little secret. No one outside this room needs to know.” She grabbed Nikki’s hand. “You can bet that if a guy did this, and thousands have and will, they certainly wouldn’t be crying over it. They’d be high-fiving each other.”
“That’s because they’re men. Banging chicks is kind of expected during a stag party.” Nikki hadn’t even wanted the drama that came with a bachelorette party, and yet here she was.
“Do you really believe that?” Jennifer asked. “That’s just ridiculous!” She didn’t smile. “In this day and age, what’s good for the goose, is certainly good for the gander. You want to screw around, go right ahead. Vegas isn’t called Sin City for nothing! Might as well have a really good fling. You’ll be stuck with boring old David for a long, long time.”
“He’s not boring,” she said on David’s behalf. Nikki pushed aside the image of his coin collection. “And I don’t want to screw around. What I did was terrible. How can you forgive me, when I can’t forgive myself?”
“Because we love you. We get it. Kind of.” Jennifer shrugged. “Even if we don’t, we’re going to put it behind us and move on. You wanted a girl’s weekend, you’ve got it. We’ll hang together and have the time of our lives.”
“Really?” Nikki wiped her nose with a tissue from the counter. “You’re going to stand by me?”
“Of course. You want to screw your brains out, we’ll look the other way. You want to party hearty, we’re right there with you. The only thing you can’t do is go home, or mope over something you can’t change. We’re in this thing together. Like three musketeers.”
“Melanie?” Nikki asked.
“No moping,” her sister said in a determined voice.
Nikki took two steps and threw her arms around both girls. “Okay, I’m over it. Let’s forget my one night of craziness and blame it on the champagne. That’s off limits for me, but I can drink martinis, can’t I? And Mojitos, and wine.” She laughed, relieved to have made a decision. And a part of her was happy she didn’t have to face David just yet. “Let’s get the party started. How about we go down to the pool and see what’s happening? Got a feeling everyone is down there partying like rock stars.”
Melanie grinned. “Then we should too. Let’s get our bikinis on and show them how to do it!”
“Right. I have to call downstairs and cancel the car I ordered. I was going to drive myself home, but now I’m glad to wait.” She placed the call, then went in to change.
When the three girls arrived at the beach club the place was a mob scene, and they couldn’t find lounge chairs. They did manage to get a waiter’s attention and snag some drinks, then stood around, eyeing the men who were eyeing the women. The pulsing beat coming from the stage created excitement and they were soon grooving to the music like the other hundreds of people.
“Hey, there’s Cory,” Jennifer said, pointing him out in the crowd. “He’s wearing a shirt and tie. Guess he’s still working. That’s a new guy with him. Kind of cute.”
Melanie glanced at the two men. “Neither of them are as hot as Josh, but I wouldn’t kick either one of them out of bed,” she said with a laugh.
Nikki rolled her eyes. “You go right ahead. Have fun. I’m in rehab. The first of twelve steps.”
“What’s that?” Melanie asked.
“Admitting my addiction, or that I have a problem.”
“And do you?” Jen asked, giving her a quizzical glance.
“Uh. Maybe.” She blushed. “I saw Josh again this morning as I was leaving the gym. It was weird. But I felt the same attraction as I had last night. So yes. Guess it is a problem.”
“That’s why you came upstairs and packed your bags? You decided to run away from the problem, instead of addressing the issue?” Jennifer took a sip from her frothy pink drink. “I get it, but since when did running away ever solve anything? The fact you did it once, and felt the same physical desire again today, should tell you something.” Jen, taller than Nikki, peered down over the sunglasses on her nose. “Like, good-bye David.”
“Wrong. It tells me that I’m a little crazy, and should get home to be faithful with David.”
“David is the wrong man for you.” Jen looked into Nikki’s eyes. “I know you. You would not sleep with someone else if you truly loved him.”
“I don’t know why you dislike David so much. He’s a very thoughtful, kind man. A gentle giant.” Nikki’s dance had slowed to a side-to-side step so she could talk with Jen.
David was all-star quarterback when she met him, and he’d been quite a catch. Now he worked for his father’s construction company, minding the books as well as getting his hands dirty. He was physically strong, six foot four of solid muscle, and didn’t need a gym to keep in shape.
Jen bumped her hip against Nikki’s. “You know what they say. All brawn and no brains…”
Melanie jumped in, defending David before Nikki got the chance. “Not everyone is brilliant like you,” she said, her eyes flashing fire. “His father’s business was in trouble. If he hadn’t helped, his father was going to lay off all his people and probably go into bankruptcy. I think it showed character, and what a fine man he is. No need to badmouth him.” Melanie stopped dancing.
“I’m sorry, Melanie. Nikki.” Jennifer shrugged and twirled. “But I told you about the time he got drunk and came on to me. I never forgave him for that. He knew you were my best friend.”
DOUBLE TROUBLE: TROUBLE IN VEGAS series Page 3