Roll the Dice (Vegas Series)

by Author Mimi Barbour

  “How can a guy say no to such an invitation? You always this friendly?” Kai turned towards her; his left arm hugged the steering wheel and the other hand rested on the gearshift.

  “No. Guess you bring out the best in me.” She opened the door and turned back to look over her shoulder as if to say…you coming?

  “How can a guy turn down such—”

  “Yeah, yeah. You said that already.”

  As soon as her apartment door closed behind them, Aurora knew that it had been a big mistake to bring him into her home. From now on she’d picture him here, his big frame sucking up all the space making her feel tiny and needy. Something she’d hated feeling all her life.

  Except that in some strange sense, it worked in a magical way with this man. Dancing with him had broken down barriers. Being held in his arms had felt familiar, achingly necessary. She knew if he made a move, she’d be lost and loving every minute of the sensation.

  Not being a woman who’d normally let herself dream, she hadn’t been able to overcome the hunger he created when he’d appeared in her thoughts. Already, his lips had found their way into her fantasies and the things he’d done with them had left her climaxing and wanting more. So being alone with him, feeling the needs she felt, ranked as a really stupid move.

  He needed to leave.

  Now!

  Chapter Eleven

  “I get he distinct feeling you want me to leave.”

  “No! Whatever gave you that idea?” Probably the fact that she’d moved to open the door again and then had stopped, her back facing him, time passing.

  Gently, he turned her to face him. “Honey, I’m a good detective. When a woman doesn’t let a guy move from her front hall, it could be a sign.”

  “I’m sorry. Look, I think too much…”

  His arms lifted her and his searching lips shut off all the working parts in her brain, leaving only her emotional cells working. And they told her that no one had ever kissed her with such honesty or made her feel that if her heart did stop, she'd die having experienced the ultimate. Her insides were twisting into a big puddle of mush and her heart floated on that soft liquid mass.

  He teased her throat with nips and licks while his harsh breathing resonated in her sensitive ear. Arms, sweeping her body close, held her in such a way that for some strange reason she felt cherished. As if he cared about her, Aurora, and not just the fact that she was a convenient woman willing to scratch an itch.

  With her back against the wall, he captured her hands in his and held them away from her body. While his knee worked its way between hers, he brushed his torso against her aching breasts. Hardness between his legs made its way home to meet with her softness. The two body parts grinding away at each other, aching to meet unclothed and unleashed.

  “You’re a witch. You know that. I don’t want…” Kai’s groan made the words all that more inflammatory.

  “Me either. I have a job…”Aurora sobbed.

  “There’s no room in my life…” The man positively begged.

  “We can’t…” She pushed him away.

  He grabbed her back and kissed her again—his tongue sweeping the insides of her welcoming mouth and sucking the breath from her soul.

  His hands gentled her heaving chest while he fondled her breasts. Then he leaned down and kissed them through the silky material of her blouse, hot and wet, his mouth worked magically so that the heat starting there ignited the drenched folds of her aching body below.

  All the while, she massaged his back and shoulders and eventually held his head in her clutching hands, held him against her writhing body.

  “Good Lord, Kai! Don’t ever stop.” She moaned the words and then heard her own voice as it resonated. But she didn’t care. She meant them.”

  The phone ringing finally broke through her haze. She yanked away from him using every bit of strength she had left in her kitten-weak body. “Someone’s calli… Late, must be emergen… The phone. ”

  Closing her blouse, she stumbled into the kitchen, and after three tries, lifted the receiver all the way to her ear.

  “Debbie’s in labour and wants her coach. Aurora, you hear me?”

  Yanking the receiver away, she held it a foot out. “Yes, Cory. Next door heard you. I’ll meet you at the hospital.” She dropped the handle back into its holder, and then staring unseeingly at the floor, she stood still for a minute, her knuckles fisted. Kai’s footsteps on her hardwood let her know that he approached. She didn’t move. Instead she waited to see what he was going to do.

  The hands he used to massage her shoulders soothed her troubled spirit and calmed her nerves. Her life had run amok and her first instinct was to go into the bathroom, rip everything off the walls and shriek until all the raging emotions inside emptied out. How the hell had she let life get so crazy?

  Being a birth coach hadn’t seemed so bad when she’d promised months ago. She couldn't refuse with Debbie’s pleading eyes full of tears and need. She’d tried to talk her into doing this with Cory, to strengthen their relationship, but Debbie had broken down and begged.

  “He can’t see the bitch I can be—not yet, Aurora. He has no idea that I’ve got this hard woman inside of me. The pain will drag her out of hiding I just know it. You gotta be there with me. You’ve already seen her and you still like me.”

  “Who says?” Aurora had teased. She hated to let down the one person she considered as her best friend. On the other hand, being in the hospital room while they delivered her baby…? It wasn’t listed anywhere in the BFF manual.

  The one Lamaze class she’d agreed to attend had been tough enough. Sitting in the same room with all those expectant mothers—glowing, chattering, unconsciously bragging.

  On top of that, Rhondo’s case ate away at her more than any other in her career. Most days it was all she thought about. Other files were worked on and the tasks got done as a matter of course, but every spare minute and all her resources had gone into finding that one monster. The person she hated above all. The man who’d attacked someone she loved.

  Now Kai had entered her life with a blast—literally. He’d shot her for God’s sake and she still had the hots for him. How could she let that happen? He was one mixed up dude, had his own demons, and she didn’t need this added burden.

  Especially now! Life had smoothed out for her. Old patterns had changed, and carrying her past hurts around had become passé. Working hard on her inner battles, she’d begun to think that maybe one day, she could live a normal life.

  Chapter Twelve

  In the wee hours of the morning, the hospital’s waiting room was empty except for him the prowling expectant father whose style of verbalizing had deteriorated to grunted exclamations. Kai sat back in the uncomfortable chair with his head propped in his hands and his ankle balanced on the opposite knee. Unconsciously he rubbed his gut and tried to settle more comfortably. Poor Cory! He’d never seen his friend so messed up.

  Always immaculate, the man wore his suits, dress shirts and matching ties with a flair that bordered on neurotic. Tonight, his wrinkled shirt hung loose. The creases in his pants proof he’d grabbed the first pair closest when he’d dressed earlier. And wearing dress shoes without socks had to be a new low. The guy was screwed up royally.

  Thinking screwed up—he had no room to talk. Still didn’t know if he should be feeling relieved or pissed at missing out on making love to with the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. One who turned him into a dithering idiot whenever her sapphire beauties connected with his hungry gaze. He wished he could get stinking drunk and just forget about everything.

  He switched legs, crossing his left over and hoped the discomfort in his nuts would soon ease. He hadn’t felt this way in years. Must have been the dancing! They’d danced most of the evening, having fun and making each other crazy.

  Then later her off-hand invitation to come up to her apartment had been so typical of the hard-assed woman he’d gotten to know that he hadn't been able to ref
use. Realizing he should have thanked her then sped away and saved himself this hassle didn't help whatsoever. He guessed it was that ornery chip on her shoulder he felt attracted to. It would warn off most guys, but he loved challenges.

  Though he had to admit, if they’d carried on into her bedroom, he’d never have been able to walk away. It wasn’t hard to see that hooking up once with her wouldn’t have been enough for any man. Guess the phone call had saved him from making the biggest mistake of his life.

  Remembering back to when he’d followed her into her kitchen, the décor had registered, big time. This chick wasn’t a party girl at all. Her kitchen spoke volumes about the little miss homemaker she hid inside. Herb plants had decorated her windowsill and bottles of fancy oils her counter. He’d spotted a bread-maker in the corner and scads of recipe books tucked away on a shelf.

  The woman who lived there expected a lot more than he could ever provide. Right now his future held little that could be considered positive. He had a date with a killer, and he fully intended that only one of them would walk away. So getting involved in anyone’s life would be a huge mistake. He should thank his lucky stars they’d been interrupted.

  Who was he trying to kid? His body still ached and rubbing his stomach didn't come close to settling the knots. He hadn’t gotten so worked up in years, and to be left unfulfilled sucked big time.

  Most of his life he’d been lucky with the opposite sex. Women tended to throw themselves at him and it wasn’t because he looked for the attention. Truth be told, most times he could care less.

  Sure, when he’d been a rookie, living the life of a cool dude had its moments, but that grew old over the years. Once his tomcatting days stopped, he’d become particular and tended to be more monogamous. Things had been just fine until Rhondo wrecked his world and blasted his carefree life into smithereens. No more fun and games. And absolutely no more women, especially Aurora.

  His sister getting attacked shouldn’t have happened. That kind of crap only happened to other people. Ones he’d sworn to protect. But not to his happy, well adjusted, secure family. Not to him…

  “What the hell is taking so long?” Cory stalked over and threw himself into the chair next to Kai’s. “It’s been hours.”

  “Hey, cool your engines. Far as I know this could take a lot longer. It’s her first baby, isn’t it? For some women, it takes days.”

  Seeing his friend’s face change from red and bothered to white and terrified made him wished he’d run his thoughts through his brain first before voicing them.

  “Hey man, chill! She’s healthy and young. And they have the best of the best in this hospital. Plus Aurora’s in there with her. What could go wrong?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “For chrissake! Stop telling me to breathe. I’d be dead if I wasn’t breathing. ” The fiery-faced, crazy woman lunged towards Aurora and puffed in her face. “See!”

  “Calm down, Debbie. You know what I meant. You need to breathe like they showed you in Lamaze class. It relaxes your stomach muscles.” Aurora wished she’d paid more attention when the redheaded termagant of a teacher had drilled them in their roles. “In through your mouth and then puff it out…or some bloody thing like that. Hell, you should have been paying more attention. I’m not the one having the baby.”

  “Sure, now you’re blaming me for getting pregnant. Like you’ve never gotten caught for screwing up? Screwing up, that’s funny.” Her laughter sounded close to hysteria and Aurora knew she had to calm her.

  “Hey, that’s not what I meant and you know it. It wasn’t your fault.”

  “You’re right. It was Cory’s fault. He had to try and make me feel better. Sure—take away the bad memories and replace them with good ones. How the hell could I have fallen for his bullshit?”

  “Because it wasn’t! You know he was sincere, that he’d loved you for years. And you loved him.”

  “If he loved me so much, why didn’t he use a condom? The bastard!” She screamed the last two words, her face contorting almost beyond recognition.

  The older nurse, who’d been in and out of the delivery room, returned and set a bowl of cool water and a clean cloth down next to where Aurora leaned over the bed. On the same tray lay a dish of ice chips. “Listen darling, Let the contraction happen. Stop fighting. Go with it.” Her voice rang with authority from being in hundreds of deliveries.

  “You go—” Debbie’s muffled words couldn’t be heard from behind Aurora’s hand.

  “She’s not herself, nurse. Truly, she’s normally a levelheaded sweetheart but having a baby doesn’t seem to agree with her much.

  The nurse chuckled and said. “You wouldn’t believe what I’ve been told to do to myself since I began working the maternity ward. I don’t take it personally. You can let her go.”

  Aurora had eased the pressure almost immediately, and with her eyebrow raised, she spoke to the sweating, flushed woman on the bed. “You gonna settle down?”

  “Bite me!” Debbie’s tone had lessened and her eyes had shifted from hysterical to merely pain filled.

  Another contraction began that took all of her concentration and most of the fight out of her. This time she let Aurora wipe the sweat from her face and neck. She even turned her cheek into the gentle hand as if seeking reassurance. Without any hesitation, Aurora smoothed her hair back from her forehead and caressed her. You’re doing great, Deb.”

  “Never thought I’d be a mom. This should be happening to you, not me. You’re the one who’s always going ga-ga over the kids at the centre. Hell you go nuts when there’s a family dispute involving children. Not me. I’m the career woman.”

  “Yeah, yeah! A real professional.”

  “I mean it! I never cared if I had kids, never exactly wanted them.”

  “So why’d you keep this one? You had good reason not to go through with the pregnancy.”

  “Hell if I know. On the chance it’s Cory’s baby and I couldn’t hurt anything that belongs to him, I guess….arrgg shut up and help me…”

  The contraction lasted longer than the others and Aurora could see her friend losing strength with each episode. She seemed to slip into a dazed semi-conscious state that worried Aurora.

  Whispering in a harsh voice, she questioned the nurse who’d stayed in the background, fiddling around with her charts.

  “Why isn’t the kid coming out? She’s really tired, Nurse.”

  “Last time I checked, she still had a way to go. She’s doing just fine, my dear. It’s not an easy process for lots of young women, but they make it through, trust me.”

  Aurora kept wiping Debbie’s forehead, trying to cool her down and make her more comfortable. She held her hand and fed her ice chips from time to time when her eyes opened, foggy and disoriented.

  Half an hour passed before she panicked. “Why isn’t she having more contractions? They’ve stopped.” Stomach tensed and with a headache clamouring, she turned to the nurse. “What’s wrong?”

  Just then Debbie thrust into a half-sitting position as if whatever in her tummy had pulled on chords like a puppet. “I have to push. Help me, the baby’s coming. This is it.”

  Within moments, the nurse had rung for Dr. Montgomery and set up a delivery kit. Aurora stayed near Debbie’s head to help support her when she bore down, and the others nonchalantly took their places.

  “Three hard birth-pushes later; the baby entered the world with a boisterous cry. The doctor took care of the umbilical cord, then passed the child to the waiting nurse. Quickly, she cleaned and enshrouded him in a blue-sided blanket. Then while Aurora looked on in amazement, the satisfied caregiver thrust him into Debbie’s waiting arms. Both women surveyed the wizened little male while tears rained down their faces.

  “He’s gorgeous, Deb, such a handsome baby.” Wrinkly, red-faced and complaining loudly, Aurora knew she'd never seen anything more beautiful.

  Lips quivering, Debbie looked into Aurora’s eyes with a warning glint in her own. “Get Cory
for me, okay? It’s time he met his son.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  The next morning, Cory paced around his office—behind the chair Aurora sat in and past where Kai leaned against the wall. A business card he held in his hand was being flicked back and forth on his palm.

  “You didn’t get anything from the clinic. No one talked to our man Rhondo, or had an appointment with him. Did you show them his mug shot?”

  “Yes! We all but begged. Not one person had anything to say. They wanted to help us, but you can’t get what isn’t there.” Aurora used Cory’s own favourite phrase back on him.

  “Have you gone through the case files to see if any of his victims worked there? Or any other links to the place?”

  “Nothing! I checked.” Again Aurora answered.

  A knock on the door had everyone turning to see Detective Hampton enter. The big Irish officer, working follow-up on the case, wore an expression of puzzlement. “Just found something. Not sure if it’s applicable. It says here that the clinic had a break-in last month. But it was almost a week before the day we figured Rhondo arrived back in town.”

  Kai leaned forward, his face lit up with interest “What date?

  “The twenty-third of June.”

  “It could have been him. He went to ground in the second week of the month. We lost all track of him in L.A. He could have been here.”

  “We picked him up last week. If he’d returned to town, he kept a low profile.” Aurora’s mind shot back through the relevant dates she’d stored in her mental file cabinet.

  “What doctor’s office?” Cory perched his big body on the edge of his desk, his hand reaching for the sheet.

  Ham passed it over and said. “A GP called Montgomery. She was the bitchy one who wouldn’t give us the time of day. Said when she'd needed us, we ignored her.”

  Cory scratched the back of his head. “The name sounds familiar. We wouldn’t have been called in for a robbery. “What went missing?”