His words to Cory had told her the truth. He might promise her marriage, as a means to further his career. Not because he loved her or had any true feelings. She had fallen for him, but she’d only been a tasty convenience to him. A woman who could help his career path—she’d appeared at the right place at the right time.
She’d do well to remember that!
* * *
The day that had started off so poorly took an uphill swing. The three girls enjoyed the spa, a light lunch, and a few hours shopping before they headed for the pool.
They found available lounge chairs near the far end of the pool, and sat drinking mango daiquiris. They checked out the hordes of people milling about, and listened to the band on stage. Melanie had sat up so she could have a better view, but Nikki was semi-reclined, too exhausted to care if she missed anything or not.
“Whoa. Wait a minute,” Melanie said in a hushed voice. “Guess who just entered the pool? Four o’clock position, heading this way.”
“The bartender, I hope,” Jennifer answered. “Or the Publisher’s Clearing House with my million dollar check.”
“Uh. No. It’s Mr. Hot and Ready.” Melanie glanced at Nikki. “Does he know you’re here?”
“No! When I left I just told him I was spending the day with you two. I acted casual and cool, like we had a good time, but no big deal. I figured he got the picture.”
“He’s seen you, and he isn’t smiling,” Melanie told her. “Oh, oh, he’s making his way over here. You want me to run interference? Tell him you don’t want to see him?”
“No, that’s all right.” Her stomach tightened in a knot, and her mouth went dry. “I can handle it.”
“Okay, then.” She lowered her sunglasses to watch his approach. “He is definitely one sexy man. But I guess you already know that.”
Nikki glanced up when a shadow blotted out her sun. She squinted and pretended she hadn’t known he was coming. “Hey. Hi. What are you doing here? I thought you’d be working. Catching a few rays?”
“Cut the crap. Cory said he spotted you girls here, so I came to see for myself.” He towered over her chair, looking angry about something. What the heck did he have to be angry about? She was the one who had heard his ugly words—the true reason he bothered with her at all.
“So now you see. Do you mind leaving? You’re blocking my sun.” She smiled sweetly, shading her eyes.
He squatted down so he was on eye level. “When you left you seemed upset.” He touched her arm, almost in a caress. “I wanted to clear things up. Figured you must have got the wrong idea.”
“No. Not wrong. I heard what you said.”
He rubbed his jaw, looking directly into her eyes. “I was worried that maybe you had, and I was afraid that you might have high-tailed it home.”
“Nope. Girls and I had a great day. Went to the spa. Did some shopping. Now we’re relaxing before our last big night. We thought we’d go see one of the shows.”
“Were you going to leave without saying good-bye?”
“I thought I had.” She glanced at the girls who were eyeing them both with avid curiosity. She tossed her head, arched her back, and gave him a cool look. Two could play his game. And if he wanted to play this out with an audience, it was his call. “I kissed you good-bye.”
“You did more than that.” He took her hand and yanked her off the chair, until they stood face to face. “Walk with me. We need to talk.”
She snatched her hand away, but he took hold off her arm, not caring how it looked. When Melanie protested, he turned on her. “This will only take a minute. Then you can have her back.”
“Let me go,” Nikki said. What was his problem? When he dropped his hands, she turned to her sister and Jennifer. “It’s okay. I won’t be long. Order me another drink, will you?”
Jennifer spoke up. “Sure. You want one, Josh?”
He didn’t answer, and Nikki realized that he was really pissed off. Why, she had no idea. After all, he could just go out and find himself another sucker. Some pretty young thing he could drag along as he strutted around the globe in pursuit of executive power.
Once they were out of hearing distance she turned to him. “Why are you so mad at me? We had a really great time together, but you told me that you’re a man on the move—and made it clear that you weren’t looking for a relationship.” She squinted at him. “I figured it was better to slip away than to make a big deal out of it.”
“You figured wrong. Unless you’ve changed your mind and still plan to marry this guy. If that’s the case, well, good luck to you both, because you’re really going to need it.” His jaw was set, and damn, if that didn’t make him look hotter than ever. Guy needed a warning signal around his neck.
“I haven’t decided on anything. I’m going home and will tell him everything. This is going to break his heart. My parent’s too. It’s not easy, but I made this mess, and I have to face the music.” She glanced down at her flip-flops, noticing her blue nail polish. She’d never worn anything but pink or red her entire life. Another first.
“Look at me, dammit.”
“I don’t want to. You know what happens when I look into your eyes. I lose myself.” She folded her hands together at her waist so she didn’t touch him.
The tick in his jaw started up again. He ran a frustrated hand through his long, dark hair. She wanted to kiss him so bad she could hardly stand it.
“Why do you say things like that? You know it drives me wild.”
“Wild in a good way?” she asked in a soft voice. At the look in his eyes, she gave a heavy sigh. “Josh, it’s going to be hard to forget you, but I will.”
“After you tell David that you can’t marry him, there’s no reason why we can’t keep in touch. You and I need time to explore these feelings between us. I meant it when I said that last night.”
She rolled her eyes. “Give it a rest. I heard you talk to Cory this morning. You just need a woman so you can get a promotion to London. It wasn’t me you wanted. Never was, never will be. So have a nice life, and I’ll try to do the same.”
He grabbed hold of her hand. “Damn it! I figured you’d heard something and got it all wrong. What I said to Cory wasn’t true. It’s just the way guys talk. Bullshit. You should know that. The truth is—I really want to get to know you better. You’re not just a casual fling. What we feel is real and you damn well know it.”
“I know nothing. Not about you, not about what’s going to happen in our immediate future. You’ll eventually find someone more suitable for your needs. After all, you’re a man on the move, and I’m a PTA and soccer mom just waiting to happen.” She hugged her middle, feeling almost sick to her stomach. “If David forgives me and is willing to work on our relationship, then I feel that I have to give it a shot.”
“Why? You don’t owe him anything. And we have something undeniable.”
“I do owe him something. We were planning a life together. We’ve dated for five years. If we did a little counseling, it could be good again. I know it.” She’d convinced herself of this all through the Swedish massage.
“What changed between last night and today? You weren’t feeling all this concern over him when you were in my bed.”
“That’s despicable.” Her head shot up. “You were only thinking about your career plans when you were screwing me.” She wasn’t a hundred percent on that, but she needed to be strong. “Besides, how do I know that I won’t forget all about you once I’m not under your spell? Maybe this is just a holiday romance. I might go home and fall in love with David all over again.”
“That’s wishful thinking.”
“My life is all topsy-turvy and it’s half your fault.”
Ignoring all the hot babes in bikinis dancing around them, and people jostling them every few minutes, he seemed determined to have this conversation.
He pulled her close and whispered in her ear, “Look, I didn’t want this anymore than you. I’ve never had any inclination to marry, and
I’m not suggesting we should, but it’s likely that sometime in my near future I will want a wife. And it would be logical that if you and I continued to see each other, that wife would be you. Don’t you want to take a chance on that?”
“No. I don’t.” She glanced back at the girls who were sitting on the edge of their lounge chairs sipping fresh drinks, and watching them. She gave a little wave and a bright, brave smile.
“Why the hell not?” He glowered at her, and shifted his weight toward her. He was so close that she could feel his body heat, and that magnetic pull.
“Because I’m a very practical person, and I know that long distance relationships don’t work. Also, once you get back to work you’ll forget me, and focus on what’s important. Climbing that corporate ladder. That’s what really makes you happy.”
“It does, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make time for you.” His gaze ran over her face. “That scares me a little.”
“You’re scared of liking me?” She looked up at the clouds rather than at his handsome face, her heart starting to hum.
“Not of liking, but of loving. It might already be too late.”
She wanted to believe him, but how could she? Too much had already happened between them in record-breaking time. They needed time out.
“You don’t mean that. I am still officially engaged and we’ve known each other for what? Forty-eight hours?” She sighed. “Look, I’m not sure what’s going to happen tomorrow when I tell David, but I know that I need time to sort through all these feelings and try to figure it out.”
“End things with him, and meet me back here in a month.”
She almost laughed. Did he really think she’d do something as crazy as that? “No way. You already ripped my world apart, and now I have to go home and piece it together. We’ve suffered from Vegas craziness. Nothing genuine, nothing solid. It will disappear the moment we get out of Nevada. I promise.” She stepped away. “I’m so sorry, Josh. You wanted a good-bye, then here it is. Good-bye.”
Afraid to look at him, she rushed off, picked up the frothy drink on the table between her sister and Jennifer, and took a big sip. The immediate brain freeze brought tears to her eyes, or at least that’s what she told herself.
“Are you okay?” Melanie asked.
“I will be,” she answered.
CUPID
“You gin-sodden idiot!” Cupid shook his smaller cousin by his thin shoulders. “You can’t let him walk away! What if she leaves and never sees him again? All this would have been for naught. We are supposed to make their lives better, not destroy the ones they’ve got.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know all that, but what am I supposed to do? Knock him over the head with an empty bottle, or tie her up with a pair of pantyhose and keep her here? You heard her. She thinks he’s a lying jerk. She wants to go home and marry that other guy. Not sure why, since the poor thing couldn’t get off for years from the sound of things. And with this dude here, she’s had the best sex in her life. All things considered, weekend could’ve been worse.”
“You are not only an idiot, you know nothing about love. How many times do I have to tell you? Making love is not falling in love. They had great sex. So what? It’s not much more than a really good sneeze.”
“How would you know? You’ve never had any.”
“I’ve sneezed plenty of times, and it felt pretty darn good.” He sneezed right then, just to show his young cuz’ how deeply satisfying it could be. “We’ve got to do something to keep them together. Help me out here. Don’t just sit ogling the girls in bikinis.”
Vinnie wiped his sleeve and glared at his older, wiser, and highly decorated Cupid cousin. “What would you have us do?”
“A plan. We need a really good plan.”
“Best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray,” Vinnie murmured. “No point getting excited. Let’s just cool our jets and enjoy the view. We can follow Nikki and her friends when they leave. Make sure she doesn’t bump into anyone else and get emotionally attached.”
Cupid rolled his eyes, wanting to shoulder Vinnie right off the tree. “Why don’t we get off our fannies and do something to jinx the sister’s departure. Perhaps we could sneak into their suite and discover the key to their car, and hide it somewhere or take it with us. No key. No leave. Simple but brilliant.”
“What if they have it in their handbags?” Vinnie asked. “You could distract them and I could sneak up to them and have a peek. Nobody sees me anyway. I’m like the invisible man.” He sniffed. “It’s highly insulting.”
“Oh, stop your whining.” Cupid rubbed his jaw and nodded. “It could be done. The two girls are snoozing right now and Nikki is pretending to read a book. You think you could do this and not botch the job?”
“Look…you think you’re so smart, you go ahead and try it. I’m happy sitting right where I am. I’ve got a good vantage point. I can spot at least half a dozen near naked women who are a solid ten.”
“Off you go, you young horny toad.” Cupid shook the branch his cousin was sitting on and watched him tumble to the pool deck. He landed in a lady’s straw hat and Cupid had a chuckle watching him climb out of it. The youngster had a lot to learn, but with his expert coaching and a lot of luck, he’d make a fine Cupid one day.
Cupid might have nodded off because when he opened his eyes the young women were gone, and a band was warming up. The afternoon sun was fading and Vinnie was nowhere in sight. He hopped down from the tree, eager to find out if his young cousin had been fruitful in his search. After a loop around the pool area he discovered Vinnie cuddled up in an empty Margarita glass. Lying on his chest was a set of keys.
CHAPTER TEN
That evening the girls celebrated their last night together at the famed Cirque Du Soleil, but Nikki could have saved herself the money. For all the excitement and glamour, her heart was heavy, her mind clearly not in the present. But Jennifer and Melanie enjoyed it enough to make up for her lack of enthusiasm.
The following morning, the girls were preparing to go their separate ways, and Jennifer made Nikki promise to call her after she spoke to David. “I’ll be thinking about you, and I know how difficult the conversation will be. You’re sure this is the best thing to do?”
Nikki gulped. “I’m not sure of anything. We might work this out, but I doubt it. What man would respect a woman who’d do such a thing? He deserves better than me.”
“Honesty is not always the best policy,” Jennifer told her. “But I suppose if it were the other way around, you’d want to know.”
“You bet I would. I think.” She squinted and rubbed the crease between her brow. “Or maybe not.” She laughed, although the subject was anything but amusing. Putting her arms around her friend, she gave Jen a big hug. “Thanks for everything. Your generosity, and for not turning your back on me. I know I was a huge disappointment this weekend.”
“Are you kidding me?” Jennifer patted her back. “That’s what friends are for! To support each other when we make terrible mistakes, and to love one another through good times and bad. This may not have been a mistake. Time will tell.”
Melanie glanced at her watch. “Gotta go. Bye, Jen. Thanks again for everything.” Their car was waiting in the circular drive and their bags were packed. “See you in a few weeks.”
“You bet. Drive carefully. Big hugs to everyone.”
After a final wave, the two sisters drove away. Melanie attempted a conversation during the first half hour of the drive, but gave up quickly. They listened instead to loud, blood pumping music on the satellite radio. The five hours passed quickly enough. Nikki was in no hurry to get home, and each mile increased her worry.
As Melanie shared a two-bedroom apartment with another nurse, Nikki dropped her off before heading back to her own second-story apartment. She noticed the flashing light on her phone, indicating she had a message. In fact she had several. She listened, and deleted them all, saving only the last one from David, who said he missed her. He was pickin
g her up after work, and celebrating her home-coming by taking her out for dinner.
With a heavy heart she dragged her bag onto her bed and started unpacking, hanging her pretty dresses in the closet, sifting through her clothes to be washed, and those that didn’t. She felt at least ten years older than a few days ago when she left.
What was supposed to be a fun filled weekend had turned into anything but.
She sat on the bed, and hung her head. She had cheated on David. After five years of not looking at another man, she had not only looked, but gone ape-wild for some stranger at a bar. What had gotten into her, and why now? She felt sick to her stomach, and had a headache that stabbed repeatedly, like a hammer to her brain.
She wished she’d never gone to Vegas. How perfect it would be if she could undo the past couple of days and wipe the slate clean. No cheating. No guilt, and no gorgeous, sexy man named Josh. The sad part was that she longed for him with everything in her soul.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. She had thought that mile by mile, the spell he had cast would have grown weaker, and that the lure of returning home to David would be much stronger. It hadn’t happened. Instead, all she felt was dread.
How could she tell him? They would have to sit through dinner, and she’d have to pretend that everything was the same as when she’d left. Would he see it in her eyes, in her face? She had changed, and she’d never again be the sweet young woman, the honest, prim and proper teacher of young minds. She was a wild, orgasmic woman who’d discovered a raw new talent in Vegas.
And she almost liked that person more.
She took a long hot bubble bath, shaved her legs and washed her hair. She might wear her new red dress tonight for dinner. It was a little dressy for an ordinary night in Mesa, but hey, the hot siren who’d worn it in Vegas might as well show her true colors. No use now to be modest. Honesty was the best policy, and if David wanted to forgive her, well then she might find a way to forgive herself, and become the adoring wife he deserved.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: TROUBLE IN VEGAS series Page 7