by Ivy Layne
On a scale of innocent to completely evil, how bad would it be to drag this thing out for three more days?
Aiden wasn’t a fool. The Sinclairs had probably found out every detail of my life five minutes after Aiden realized my last name wasn’t Hartwell. It wasn’t much of a deception when the target knew the truth.
Chase wouldn’t be back for another week. He’d never have to know I went away for the weekend with the man who stole his company.
I put my phone on the counter and scrubbed my palms over my face. What was I thinking? I should go get dressed and be prepared to tell Aiden I wasn’t going with him. That was the right thing to do. It was the only thing to do. Anything else would be completely insane.
Taking the job at Winters, Inc. hadn’t been my brightest move, but I was usually fairly smart. Smart enough to know that my brother would be incredibly pissed off if he found out I’d had anything to do with Aiden Winters, much less had an affair with him.
This whole thing had spun out of my control so quickly I didn’t know how to stop it.
No, I knew how to stop it. Aiden wasn’t a monster. If I looked him in the eyes and told him I truly wasn’t interested, he’d back off. And that was my problem. I was a terrible liar, and Aiden could see right through me.
He knew I was interested.
I was so interested I hadn’t been able to sleep the night before thinking about how interested I was.
Interested in getting his clothes off.
Interested in seeing how good sex would be considering the three orgasms he’d already given me.
The person making this complicated wasn’t Aiden Winters, it was me.
I was a liar and I couldn’t bring myself to do the right thing even when I knew what it was.
At that thought, a harsh laugh brought tears to my eyes. Wasn’t that what my parents had said right before they kicked me out? I was a liar who didn’t know right from wrong.
But this wasn’t about my parents. It was about me.
It was about wanting a taste of something I wasn’t supposed to have, something that was out of my reach.
One weekend.
Three days.
I could have three days with Aiden. Three days in a hotel room away from his family, away from Winters, Inc. A moment out of time just for us before I had to make myself walk away. There was no possibility this could go further, but I could have these three days before I had to say goodbye.
Chapter Fifteen
Violet
I was racing to my bedroom before I could think better of it. Twenty minutes left. I could do this. I hit my hair with the dryer for a few minutes, then combed it and twisted it into a loose bun. If I left it like that it would dry in smooth shiny waves by the time we arrived in Las Vegas. I could keep it in the bun for the meetings and then wear it down later.
I did my makeup quickly, going for subtle, dropping everything in my travel bag as I went. Clothes were a little harder. My work clothes were conservative. Dowdy. That was on purpose, but I didn’t want to look dowdy today. I dug into the back of my closet and pulled out an ice-blue linen suit.
It was perfectly appropriate for business, and the shade of blue looked great with my hair and brought out the blue in my eyes. The skirt wasn’t short or tight, but it was fitted through the hips and had a flare right above the knee that was flirty and feminine.
As far as suits went, this was as pretty as I got. I packed it in a hanging bag with a cream shell to go beneath and tucked a pair of thigh high stockings in the toe of my favorite spike slingbacks.
Taking Aiden’s advice, I dressed casually for the plane in jeans and a cardigan. There was no way I’d fall asleep, but maybe I could close my eyes for a few minutes.
Staring at my open underwear drawer, I had a desperate and futile wish for lingerie. Most of my underwear tended toward the practical. I had a few matching lace sets, and Aiden had destroyed the panties on two of them. I couldn’t bring myself to regret that.
I’d sacrifice all the panties in the world if Aiden wanted to tear them off me.
I shoved the best of what I had left in my suitcase, added two cocktail dresses, shoes to match, and a few more low-key options for daytime. I was zipping the suitcase closed when the doorbell rang.
“One second,” I called out as I grabbed my phone from the counter and unplugged the nearby charger, dumping both into my purse. I swung open the door, purse in hand, garment bag over my arm, my suitcase beside me.
Aiden gave me a long, measuring look before his face broke into a devastating smile and he said, “That’s my girl. I knew you’d be ready.”
Giving him my best ice queen look, I handed over the garment bag and stepped into the hall, pulling the keys out of my purse as I waited for him to retrieve my suitcase and shut the door. With a wry smile, Aiden took my luggage and waited while I locked up the condo.
Aiden was quiet on the ride to the airport. I decided he was saving any argument until we were in the air and I couldn’t change my mind. I forgot to be nervous as he followed me up the stairs into the private plane. It hadn’t occurred to me we’d be flying in his jet.
I’d forgotten he had a jet, because, well, who had a jet? People like Aiden Winters. The inside looked more like a living room than an airplane. An attendant told us we were about ready and asked us to take one of the oversized leather seats and fasten our safety belts.
I was snapping mine when Aiden asked, “Tired?”
“A little, yes,” I admitted, though you could drag me over hot coals before I’d admit the reason. “Why?”
Aiden lifted a finger and traced a half circle beneath my right eye. Oh, yeah. I’d tried to cover the circles with makeup, but Aiden saw right through it. Of course, he did.
The plane gave a jerk as it began to move. We taxied to the runway, and the attendant popped her head in to let us know we were third in line. She gave a discrete glance at our fastened seatbelts and retreated.
“I know why I didn’t sleep well,” he said in a low, teasing voice, “but that shouldn’t have been a problem for you.”
I cursed my fair skin as the heat of a blush hit my cheeks. Tartly, I said, “Yes, well, I would have been more relaxed if I hadn’t had to sneak out of the building like a criminal.”
Aiden winced. “I apologize for that. It won’t happen again.”
“No, it won’t,” I agreed, and though I sounded composed as I said it, the words made me a little sick.
It wouldn’t happen again because I wouldn’t be working for Aiden after this weekend. I’d already decided I couldn’t cash my last paycheck. Bad enough that I’d lied to get the job and spent half my time there trying to find dirt on Aiden. Getting paid for sleeping with the boss was a whole new level of wrong. Even if we hadn’t technically slept together yet.
The plane eased forward and stopped. I leaned my head back against my seat and tried to close my eyes. I hadn’t thought to bring anything to do on the plane during my hasty packing job. More movement, another brief wait, and the attendant appeared one last time to let us know we should prepare for takeoff.
I closed my fingers over the armrests and braced. I didn’t enjoy flying. It wasn’t so much the up in the air part as the takeoff and landing. Aiden nudged my arm and wrapped his fingers around mine. I looked up in surprise, squeezing tight and he said, “You don’t like flying?”
“I don’t like takeoff,” I clarified. “Or landing.”
“It’ll be okay. I promise.”
I clamped my fingers on his with bruising pressure as the plane picked up speed and smoothly lifted into the air. I kept my eyes squeezed tightly shut until I felt the plane level off. Once we were above the clouds I forgot we were suspended in a metal tube thousands of feet in the air, and I relaxed.
Aiden lifted our joined hands to his mouth and kissed my knuckles. Separating our fingers, he stroked his over my jaw and leaned in, pressing his lips to mine in a soft, slow kiss. I was a little dizzy when he lifted his head and
said, “There’s a bedroom in the back. Why don’t you go lay down and take a nap? I’ll wake you up in time to change before we need to buckle up for landing.”
“There’s a bedroom on the plane?” I asked, appalled at how naïve I sounded. Aiden’s answering grin told me he didn’t mind.
“Go,” he said, “before I decide to join you instead of prepping for this meeting.”
I unfastened my seatbelt and stood, taking a moment to get my balance before I looked to the back of the plane. Sure enough, there was a dark walnut door in the center of the rear wall. I made my way there and opened it to find a queen-size bed and a flat-screen TV. A small closet on the wall beside the door held my garment bag.
Fatigue dragged at me as I stared at the bed, the dark gray coverlet folded neatly down beneath two fluffy white pillows. Before I could second-guess myself, I toed off my shoes and climbed under the sheets. I lay there thinking that I’d never be able to sleep, wondering if Aiden would change his mind and walk through the door, telling myself I should have stayed home before my eyes fell shut and I was out.
The next thing I knew, Aiden was sitting beside me, brushing my hair off my face. My eyes opened and he said, “We have about fifteen minutes before landing if you’d like to get changed.”
“Okay,” I whispered. A soft smile curved his lips. Aiden didn’t smile enough. When he did his dark eyes lit with warmth. I lifted a finger and traced the fine lines beneath those dark lashes.
“What?” he asked.
Still half asleep, I said, “I like it when you smile.”
His lips pressed to my temple and he said, “Wake up, sweetheart, before I call Dylan and bag the meeting completely.”
He was gone, the door clicking shut behind him. Sleep fell away and my brain came back online. I sat up, half of my hair tumbling out of my bun. Shoot. My hairbrush was in my suitcase. At least it was mostly dry. I scavenged for the hairpins that had fallen out while I’d slept.
Turning my head upside down, I roughly finger combed it, stood back up, shook it out again, and twisted it into a low bun at the nape of my neck. It was the best I could do for the moment.
A few minutes later my suit was on and I was stepping into my sling backs, carrying my neatly folded jeans and cardigan. I packed them and my discarded sneakers in the garment bag and left it hanging in the closet.
I took my seat beside Aiden and busied myself with the safety belt. With a glance at my suit, he said, “You’ve never worn that before.”
“Not to work, no.”
“Why not?”
I didn’t know how to answer that. I settled for, “The color feels a little…frivolous.”
“It’s not,” Aiden disagreed. “You look beautiful.”
There was nothing to say but, “Thank you.”
I thought I looked nice, but the heat, the intent in Aiden’s eyes made me think I might look just a little bit better than nice.
A dark SUV was waiting for us at the airport. The driver stowed our luggage in the back as Aiden opened my door for me. Once he was seated, he checked his watch and made a quick phone call. “Just got in the car. Are you ready for me or should I check in first?” A pause. “Sounds good. See you soon.”
With the time change, it was barely noon, still early in the workday. I thought it was time to ask, “What exactly are we doing here?”
“We’re meeting with Dylan Kane, the owner of the Delecta casino. Do you remember me telling you about our project? The mixed-use with a casino, retail, and residential?”
“I remember, but I didn’t know it included a casino. That seems kind of random for Winters, Inc.”
“It is, a little,” Aiden said. “We’re friends, Dylan, me, and Jacob. Jacob’s real estate company is actually the third arm in the investment. He couldn’t make it to this meeting, but he went over most of his issues a few weeks ago when he was here. I probably could have handled my part over the phone, but everyone keeps telling me I need to take more time off work so…”
“And when did you decide to schedule this meeting?” I asked, suspicious.
“Last Saturday,” he said with a straight face.
Last Saturday. The day after the ball and the limo. I didn’t know what to make of that, so I kept my mouth shut. Instead of saying something stupid, I looked out the window and took in the sight of the desert and the mountains surrounding the city.
“Have you ever been to Vegas before?” Aiden asked.
“No,” I said, dragging my eyes from the vista. There was something about the way the mountains rose from the flat desert, as if they’d broken their way through, stabbing up to the sky in an abrupt incline. There didn’t appear to be foothills or a gradual rise. It was just desert and then—boom—mountains. “I’ve only been out west twice. Once to San Francisco in college, and to Phoenix in high school when my father had a business trip during spring break. I forgot how dramatic the desert is.”
“So did I,” Aiden said, but he wasn’t looking out the window. His eyes were on me.
Chapter Sixteen
Violet
Aiden had been here before, because he led me through the casino to the elevators in the back, tugging on my hand a few times as I got distracted by the flash of lights and ringing bells. I’d never been inside a casino before. Not a real one. I went on a cruise with my parents once and had snuck into the casino on the boat, but it had been nothing like this. This was pure elegance, sleek and decadent on a grand scale.
Aiden hit the number of the floor and the elevator rose smoothly. We walked out into a lobby that could have belonged in any high-rise office building. Approaching the attractive blond sitting behind the front desk he said, “Aiden Winters for Dylan Kane.”
She gave a sharp nod and rose to her feet. “Yes, sir, if you’ll follow me? You can leave your bags here. I’ll see to them.”
I don’t know what I expected of Dylan Kane. I thought he’d be older, for one thing. He looked like he was about Aiden’s age and he carried the same aura of absolute authority. Confidence. And handsome. Not as handsome as Aiden, but with his dark hair, tanned skin and eyes the same fresh, crisp green as a Granny Smith apple, he was striking.
He and Aiden shook hands and patted each other on the back of the shoulder in that weird half hug thing men did with their friends before Aiden introduced me. Dylan shook my hand firmly, looking me in the eye, not bothering to hide his curiosity.
Not once did his gaze stray to my breasts or my legs. Young, powerful, and not a creeper. This guy must be beating them off with a stick. Then I noticed the wedding ring on his left hand and had to wonder what kind of woman he’d married.
Dylan gestured for us to sit. “Are you free for dinner? Leigha made reservations and Axel and Emma are coming too.”
“Sam and Chloe?” Aiden asked. Dylan shook his head.
“Out of town. So, do you need anything to eat, drink? I know it’s past lunch time for you.”
“Lunch would be great,” Aiden said. “I didn’t eat on the plane, and Violet took a nap. She could probably use some coffee and I think we’re both hungry.” He looked at me and I nodded.
“I’d love coffee,” I said with fervor, making both men laugh. “Someone called me before I had time to get breakfast or caffeine, and told me I had twenty-five minutes to get packed for the weekend.”
“I’m surprised he’s not dead,” Dylan said with a laugh.
“So am I,” I said, smiling back at him.
Aiden made a disgruntled sound in the back of his throat. “If I gave you too much advance notice, you would have found a way to get out of it.”
Dylan’s eyes bounced between us, intrigued, and I raised an eyebrow in assent. “Probably. I was about to email my resignation when you called.”
Dylan laughed, thinking I was kidding. Knowing that I wasn’t, Aiden said, “Don’t even think about it.”
Dylan was charming and funny, and it was interesting to see Aiden with a friend. We were here for business, but he was
more relaxed with Dylan than he was in the office. It helped that they’d hammered out most of the details of their agreement and were past the negotiation stage. I took notes when Aiden needed me to, and tried to pay attention, but I was bored by mid-afternoon, buzzing a little after multiple lattes, and restless from sitting.
Dylan’s assistant had checked us in at some point during the meeting, and as we rose to leave, she handed us key cards and told us a room number. I wasn’t ready to be alone in a hotel room with Aiden. Not when we were expected to go out to dinner in a few hours. He must have felt the same way because he pocketed the key cards and suggested, “Do you want to see a little of Vegas?”
“Sure,” I said. “I’m not much of a gambler.”
“Neither am I,” Aiden said, “unless it’s poker. I like to put my money where I can control the outcome.”
“Then what is there to do?” I asked.
What I knew about Las Vegas could fit on the back of a postage stamp, and it was summed up with one word. Gambling.
“I was thinking we’d go shopping,” Aiden said.
I wasn’t going to argue with shopping. The black SUV was waiting for us when we walked out of the hotel. Aiden helped me into the back and we were off.
I was no stranger to high-end window shopping. Buckhead had almost every premier store you could imagine. Dior. Fendi. Gucci. Armani. Tiffany. I didn’t actually buy things in those stores, but I’d walked past them enough that seeing them here in Las Vegas didn’t faze me.
Not until Aiden came to a stop in front of Agent Provocateur. My eyes went wide, and I said the first thing that popped into my mind.
“You can’t tear underwear from this store. Do you have any idea how much it costs?”
Aiden’s dark eyes slid to me, and he said under his breath, “I think admitting that I do know how much it costs is a bad idea.”
“Probably,” I mumbled. “I don’t think—”