by Cathryn Fox
He gripped a fistful of hair. “Keep it up and I’ll bend you over this table and take you right here.”
Her lips thinned into a fine line as a tortured noise crawled out of her throat. “You wouldn’t,” she murmured.
“Try me. This is Vegas. No one would even care.”
Her glance went from him, to her brownie, back to him. Christ, was she actually debating it? Okay, time to change the subject.
He pushed back in his chair, and turned his neck from side to side, giving it a good hard crack. “Do you remember my sister, Allie?”
She looked up, like she was searching her memory banks. “Vaguely. She was a lot younger, right? I also vaguely remember your older brother, Jack right?”
He nearly choked on his éclair. He cleared his throat and took a sip of his coffee. “Yeah, Jack. Anyway, I was just going to tell you that she’s having another baby. I’m hoping to get back before she goes into labor.”
“You two are close?”
“Yeah, we’re all close. Things changed a lot after mom and dad died.”
She reached across the table and put her hand over his. “I’m sorry. I never did tell you that in person.”
The warmth of her hand, the care in her voice tugged at his heart. “Thanks. It was a long time ago, and we’re all doing okay now.”
She gave his hand a squeeze before she pulled it away and reached for her coffee. “Is Cedar Point still where you spend most of your time? When you’re not flying, I mean.” She crinkled her nose and looked at him. “Shoot, that’s personal and we have this whole stranger thing going on between us.”
He was glad that she kept forgetting, and while he really wanted to reveal his true identity, he didn’t want to ruin this moment with her. She was finally opening up to him.
“It’s okay. You can ask whatever you want.”
“Okay, is Cedar Point where you spend most of your time?”
Anything but that. He shifted, and hoped it hid his discomfort. “Yeah. It’s home base. I bought a house there a few years back.”
“Oh, yeah. Which one?”
“Do you remember the old house at the end of Five Mile Road?”
Her cup stopped at her lips, and it hovered there for a moment as her eyes widened with something that resembled unease. “You’re kidding? Isn’t that place haunted?”
“Not really.”
“Not really? Either it is or it isn’t? I don’t think there’s any ‘not really’ about it.”
He grinned. “I think it was just a way for old man Keller to keep kids away. He probably started the rumors himself.”
She shivered at the mention of Mr. Keller. “He was a mean old bastard.”
He took his last bite of éclair, chewed, and swallowed. “It kind of backfired on him, though. Everyone wanted to get a peek at the ghost.”
She shivered. “Not me.”
“Afraid?”
“Yeah, I’m afraid.” She took a sip of her coffee and set it down. “What is it with you and haunted places, anyway?”
He brushed the crumbs from his hands onto his plate. “Meaning?”
“Your room at the hotel is supposed to be haunted.”
“I don’t know about that, the only moans I ever heard in there were coming from us.”
“Ryan,” she warned, and glanced around to see if anyone had overhead them. “You are so bad.”
“I believe you’re the bad one,” he teased, loving all her contradictions. Wild and brazen one minute, shy and demure the next.
She lowered her head and mumbled into her cup. “Can we talk about something else?”
“So, uh, what do you remember about Jack?” he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
She pursed her lips, continued to stare into her coffee cup and then said, “Just that he was mentally slow and the kids on the playground called him some pretty politically incorrect names.” She shook her head. “Believe me, I know his pain. I had my fair share of bullies, too.”
He sat up straighter, feeling the need to defend Jack…or rather, himself. “He wasn’t mentally slow he had dyslexia. It took a while for a proper diagnosis.”
“Ah, so that’s why you’re a huge advocate of literacy. I don’t remember you ever being a big reader.” She bit into her brownie, chewed, and added, “I remember Jack being a fighter, though. I always admired him for standing up to those bullies.” She finished off her brownie and wiped her mouth. “How’s he doing now? Has he completely overcome his dyslexia or does he still have symptoms?”
“Only when he’s nervous. Then, everything comes out jumbled. Especially when he’s trying to read out loud.”
She nodded, and said, “So, why a pilot?” shifting the topic completely.
His mind raced for an answer as she turned the conversation back to him. “A last-minute decision.” Shit, he really needed to tell her the truth, but now he was in so deep he wasn’t sure how. She arched a brow, waiting for more of an explanation, and he said, “It was the right thing at the right time.” She drank the last of her coffee and yawned. “Bored?” he asked, taking that opportunity to change the subject.
She shook her head. “No,” she said quickly. “Book signings always wear me out. Even with the coffee, I’m just beat.”
He pushed his plate away and gestured toward the hotel with a nod. “We should head back. We can get some real food at the hotel restaurant if you want.”
He put his arm around her back and he noticed how easily she moved in closer to him as they sauntered back to the hotel, both walking slowly like neither were in a hurry for the night to end. Being with her like this was easy, comfortable, and he enjoyed talking to her, enjoyed having a real conversation with an intelligent woman who cared about more than her hair and nails.
When they reached the lobby, they heard a huge commotion in the casino.
“Should we go check it out?” he asked.
She nodded. “Sure. So far I’ve done a lot of things in Vegas, but I’ve yet to play the machines.”
“Then, we should rectify that. It’s not as fun as playing with heavy equipment, but it’s something you should experience at least once.”
They walked into the casino and her eyes widened as she took it all in. Bells and whistles and the sounds of coins being dropped into machines engulfed them.
She looked up at him. “I have no idea where to even begin.”
He pointed to the slot machines. “Want to start there?”
“Sure.”
They pushed through the crowd and grabbed two machines side by side. Andi dug through her purse and came out with a handful of change. She looked over the buttons and all the instructions. “Now what?”
“Drop your quarter into the slot, or you can use dollar bills.” He pointed to the upper right hand corner where she could slide in paper currency. “Then, press the button.”
She did as he said, and Ryan pushed a five-dollar bill into his slot. Loud bells and whistles sounded, clanging like symbols, and a moment later he was staring at a mish mash of bars, sevens, cherries, and diamonds. He looked over at Andi who was jamming more coins into her machine. He laughed, loving her enthusiasm.
“Hey Jack, buddy. How have you been? Jesus, I haven’t seen you since college. How are you, man?”
Ryan looked up to see his old college pal, Conrad Green standing, or rather swaying, over him. Shit. He jumped to his feet.
“Conrad,” he said putting his hand on the man’s shoulder to still him. He shot a glance over his shoulder to Andi and found her staring at him, her brow crinkled. No doubt she was waiting for him to correct this man who had him mixed up with his brother. “Conrad, this is Andi. Andi, I’ll be right back.” He squeezed the man’s shoulder and turned him, leading him around the corner, out of Andi’s earshot.
“What the hell was that all about?” Conrad asked, taking a sip of his whiskey and letting it spill over his glass.
“I’m a writer and I don’t want everyone knowing my real name.
So, just call me Ryan okay?”
“Ryan?” Glassy eyes moved over Ryan’s face, assessing him? Conrad hiccupped and said, “I think you’re up to something and I’m guessing it has everything to do with getting into that girl’s pants. She looks like a wild one.”
Ryan cringed, suddenly wanting to punch his old college pal in the face for talking about Andi like that. “Don’t say things like that about her. She’s a nice girl,” he said.
“Yeah, then what’s she doing with you?” he countered, his big boom of laughter rising over the pings of the slot machines.
Andi came up behind him and put her hand on his back. He flinched and turned to her. She pulled her hand back like it had been burned. “Ryan, is everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything is fine,” he said. “Conrad was just leaving.”
“That’s right,” Conrad said, “Nice to meet you Andi, and catch you around, Ryan.” Wobbling, he gave a feeble wink and sauntered off.
Andi had a perplexed look on her face when he focused in on her. “What was that all about?”
“He’s drunk. I didn’t want him around you.” That much was true.
“And he thought you were Jack?”
“Yeah, that happens a lot.”
She cocked her head, her gaze moving over his face a little too slowly, a little too carefully, but then her phone beeped, and she reached into her purse to grab it. Thankful for the distraction, Ryan almost exhaled a relieved breath.
She read her message and frowned. An uneasy feeling moved through him. All this talk about ‘Jack,’ had him worried that she’d found out the truth from someone other than him. He needed to tell her, he just needed to figure out how and when. The longer he waited, the harder it was going to be.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“It’s Jan. She’s at the lobby bar with Lauren and they were hoping I could come by.” She dropped her phone into her purse. “Apparently Lauren’s fiancé just came clean and admitted he’s been cheating on her.”
He scrubbed his hand over his chin. “Shit. You better go.” This would give him the opportunity to make sure his buddy was out of there, and not able to let anything else slip.
“Yeah.”
She stood there for a second. “Thanks for tonight. I had fun.”
He brushed her hair back and rested his hand on her shoulder. “Me, too. And it’s nice to see you recharge and let someone entertain you for awhile instead of the other way around.”
Her brow bunched. “What do you mean?”
“You give a lot to your fans and that can take a lot out of you.”
He used to do the same, until the stalker incident and his need to go incognito. Now he didn’t do book signings or public events, but he did know how hard they could be to introverts like Andi.
She narrowed her eyes, and he could almost hear the wheels spinning. “You sound like you know what you’re talking about.”
He shrugged. Now was not the time to reveal his identity to her. “I’ve seen you with your fans. You adore them as much as they adore you and you gave a little piece of yourself to everyone who came up to get a book signed. That’s exhausting.”
She nodded. “When did you get so insightful?”
He leaned in and dropped a kiss onto her mouth. She didn’t jump away, and instead kissed him back. He broke the kiss, then turned her toward the lobby bar. “Go check on your friend.”
He watched her until she disappeared, then looked around for Conrad. When he was nowhere to be found, he hightailed it back to his room. He quickly called his sister to check on her, then jumped in the shower, turning the water to cold. Too bad it did little to help marshal the erection that had been plaguing him since first setting eyes on Andi earlier.
After drying off, he called room service for himself. He pulled on a pair of jeans, jumped into bed, and grabbed the novel she’d autographed for him, still grinning at what she’d written. Andi might have missed the show, but obviously someone had filled her in on the events. Room service came and he brought his sandwich to bed, not wanting to put the book down. He read for a long time, then dropped the book. When sleep wouldn’t come, he jumped from the bed and decided a good long run on the treadmill was in order.
He pulled on his gym clothes and made his way to the mezzanine level. His presence was met with stares and a few friendly waves, as the convention goers sat around chatting late into the night. He looked for Andi, but she was nowhere to be found. He cut down a long hall and found the gym was empty. He wasn’t up for making conversation and simply wanted to run until exhaustion put him to sleep. An hour later, soaking wet, he ran the five flights of stairs back to his room.
He peeled his clothes off, in need of another shower before bed. He climbed in, rinsed off, and was about to put his towel on the hook when a soft knock sounded on his door. It was well past midnight, and he was sure Andi would have been asleep by now. He tied the towel around his waist, crossed the room, and looked through the peephole. When he saw her standing there, still in the evening’s clothes, he pulled open the door. Her eyes met his, tired eyes that looked like they’d been full of tears.
“Hey,” he said pulling her in. “You okay?” He ran his hands through her hair and kissed the top of her head. Even though she was shivering, she melted into him and went silent. He didn’t press. Instead, he just held her, offering his strength and warmth until she was ready to talk.
She rested her head against his chest and yawned. “I didn’t wake you did I?”
“No. I went to the gym and just finished showering.”
She looked up at him, the warm mint on her breath washing over his flesh. Her face was scrubbed and her teeth were brushed, like she was ready for bed, but she was still fully dressed.
“I should go,” she whispered, sagging into him even more. Even though her mouth was saying one thing, her body was telling him another.
“No, I think you should stay. You’re exhausted, mentally and physically. Just crawl in with me. Let me take care of you, okay?” She was always giving and giving, loyal to her friends and fans, but when was the last time someone had taken care of her?
She nodded, her hair tickling his flesh as he led her to his bed. He looked her over. She couldn’t sleep in the clothes she wore all night. He pulled open his duffle bag and grabbed one of his T-shirts. “Here,” he said, tossing it to her, then grabbing a pair of boxer shorts for himself.
“Thanks.”
“Have you eaten?”
She nodded, and he darted to the bathroom to brush his teeth and pull on his pants. He stepped back in the room, and found her wearing nothing but his shirt, looking sexy as hell. He damn near bit off his tongue. Christ, he wanted her, but tonight she needed more from him than sex.
He jumped into the bed and tapped the mattress. “Come here.”
She slid in beside him and he slipped his arm around her, pulling her back against his chest. He pushed her hair from her shoulder and kissed the soft hollow of her neck. She exhaled slowly, and he just held her tight.
A long time later, she broke the quiet and said, “Lauren was really hurt. It broke my heart to see her in so much pain.”
He waited to see if she was going to continue, but when she went quiet he said, “This might be too soon to say this, but isn’t it better for her to find out now, before she got in too deep and actually married him?”
Her hair brushed over his face as she nodded. “I know you’re right, and in time she’ll see that.” She yawned again. “I just wish there was a way I could have made her feel better.”
“You’re a good friend, Andi.”
“Thanks.” A beat passed and then, “If he wanted to be with someone else he should have just came right out and told her. But apparently it wasn’t that he wanted someone else. He wanted both of them. What a jerk. A person who lies to get what they want is the lowest form of life, don’t you think?”
Ryan swallowed. Hard. “Yeah, but it never would have worked anyway.”
She turned to him. “Why do you say that?”
“I’ve just seen it my whole life. Volatile relationships where everyone cheated. Mom and dad. Their parents. Now I’m waiting for the ball to drop with my sister and her boyfriend.”
“So, I take it that’s why you don’t believe in happily ever after.”
“Yeah, and it’s a pattern I’m not going to perpetuate.”
“You think you’ll cheat.”
He gave a hard shake of his head. “No. If I were in love with someone, I’d never cheat. Ever.”
“So, you think she’ll cheat.”
“I guess.”
She touched his face. “Not everyone cheats, Ryan.”
“Says the romance writer who believes in happily ever after.”
“I’m not saying marriage is easy. I just think people have to work hard for what they want, because in the end it’s worth it.”
He snorted. “You sound like Wayne from the dig site.” As he mulled that over, she yawned. He gave her a nudge to turn her. “Let’s get some sleep, okay.” She snuggled in and he threw one arm around her, his heart racing so fast he was sure she could feel it against her back.
It was true, anything worth having was worth fighting for. But what if he took a chance on her and asked for more, only for her to follow the pattern he knew so well?
What if she didn’t?
Not that he’d have to worry about that. When she found out who he really was, shit was going to hit the fan. Technically, he hadn’t lied to her to get what he wanted. He wanted to come clean but she stopped him, wanting the fantasy.
Bloody hell, who was he kidding? She was going to hate him.
Chapter Eleven
A strange noise pulled Andi awake. Still half asleep, she blinked her eyes open and looked around, trying to orient herself. When she found Ryan asleep beside her, emotions bombarded her. Last night he’d been so sweet, holding her tight and comforting her when she was so upset. Her heart swelled and she tried to fight down the things she was feeling. But she didn’t have time for that battle at the moment, not when the tortured sounds grew louder…came closer.