by Brandy Blake
“How have you been?” she asked, her smile wide and her dark eyes bright.
He gave a slight shrug. “I’m good. I’ve just been really busy. I’m looking forward to this time with you, though,” he said, turning the conversation back to her.
She realized that he had deflected the question, and she decided to try another tack with him. “What have you been up to that’s kept you so busy?”
Michael smiled lightly. “Oh, I had things to take care of with my family and some meetings to go to; things like that. What about you? What’s kept you busy this week?” he asked, his expression softening as he gazed into her eyes. “I missed you.”
She considered his answer. “Well, I had work, of course, and I had a few meetings as well. I guess we were hit and miss this week. What family do you have here in the city?” she asked, prying a little deeper into his ever protected personal life. She told herself that it was fair game if he brought it up, and he had brought it up himself.
With a shake of his head, he took her hands in his and lifted them to his mouth, kissing her fingers as he gazed steadily at her. “Do we really need to talk about this right now? I have been looking forward so much to seeing you and being with you, and to the two of us just getting away to be alone with each other. I don’t want small talk, I don’t want personal talk about our lives, not right now. Right now I just want to be close to you and kiss you, and think about everything we’re going to get to do when we get to Vegas.”
His words untangled all the questions and concerns and thoughts that had been knotted up inside of her, and she sighed in resignation. Leaning toward him, she lowered her voice and spoke honestly. “You know, you’re right. I’ve been looking forward to it, too. I can’t stop thinking about you, and all the things that we text about. I’ve never done anything like that with anyone before, and even though it’s new, it’s definitely becoming addicting! I love all the messages that you send me.” She gave him a sly grin and a wink, and he closed his palms around her face and lifted her mouth to meet his.
They kissed long and slow, and when he finally let her go, her mind and her heart were all steamed up, and nothing was clear any longer.
“That’s my girl… nothing but fun for us, right? Leave everything else behind? That’s the plan. Let’s just go have a good time.” He kissed her again once more and leaned back a little.
“You know, I forgot to ask you, have you ever been to Las Vegas before?” she asked, realizing that this trip might also be a first for him.
He chuckled and nodded. “Oh yeah, I’ve been there several times. I love Vegas. It’s one of my favorite cities. I had my birthday there last year and a bunch of my friends went with me. It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it.”
She was surprised that he had volunteered more personal information about himself, but she knew that it was more about him telling her about the times that he had been to Las Vegas, rather than him revealing more of himself to her.
“I’ve been there before, too, but since you’re so familiar with the city, then I’m going to let you show me around this time.” She smiled at him with a teasing tone and he took her up on her suggestion.
“I’d be glad to! We’re going to have a lot of fun,” he promised her, kissing her fingers. She had no doubt whatsoever about that.
They were called to board the plane, and again she had purchased first class seats for them. He seemed to act as though sitting in first class was something he was swiftly becoming accustomed to, and he was glad to be there. His childlike enthusiasm that had charmed her on the first trip, had been replaced by a suave coolness that gave off an air that he was exactly where he was meant to be, right at home in the best place on the plane.
She didn’t mind it. She was still learning about him, and she knew that it was easy to be taken in by luxury, and to want to become accustomed to it. She didn’t allow herself too much in her own life, as she tried to keep most of her own life as simple as it could be, rather than living too extravagantly, though she did go a little off the deep end once in a while when entertaining friends and hosting social functions. She enjoyed making things special for other people.
They landed in Las Vegas and went to their suite at the Venetian. Their view of the city was spectacular from their lofty position near the top of the hotel. He admitted that it was the nicest hotel room that he had ever stayed in, and he marveled like an excited child at the amenities that were provided in the room for them. She was pleased to see him so thrilled about being in a place that he loved so much.
Once they had gotten settled and unpacked, Michael took her throughout the hotel, showing her the Italian themed shops and the indoor Venetian canal where they were able to ride a gondola together.
They spent a little while taking it all in at their hotel, and then he took her out on the strip, and they walked along through crowds of people and show hawkers, gazing at the sights. They stopped at the Bellagio and he ducked into the little gelato store there and they each got an ice cream cone before going back out to watch the fountains and see the carefully choreographed sprays of water dancing and shooting around to the music that played out over the area.
After they had stayed for a few songs, they strolled down the street until they got to the mini Arc de Triomphe and the mini Eiffel tower. He stopped walking when they came upon it, and looked at her with a smile.
“You know, I’ve always walked right past this and I’ve never gone up the tower. Would you like to go up with me?” he raised one eyebrow curiously.
“Absolutely!” she told him, as she looked up at it and giggled softly.
He took her hand and they walked toward it. “What’s funny?” he asked, eyeing her with a sidelong glance.
She bit her lower lip gently and then shrugged, looking down as she laughed. “Nothing really, it’s just… it’s cute.”
He stopped and looked at her fully. “Cute?”
Raina gave another half shrug. “Yeah, it’s cute. It’s so little. It’s about four times smaller than the real one.”
His mouth twisted thoughtfully then. “Oh, and I suppose you’re going to tell me that you’ve seen the real one?”
Her voice was soft as she looked up at him through her lashes. “Yes, I’ve seen the real one,” she answered sweetly.
“And you went up to the top of the real one?” he asked with one eyebrow cocked.
“Yes, I’ve been up to the top of the real one,” she answered coyly.
He pursed his lips a moment, watching her. “Well, you haven’t been up to the top of either of them with me yet, so let’s go!” He gave her a wink and a grin, and took off with her as if he was on a mission.
Half an hour later, they were standing at the top of the mini Eiffel tower, just in time to see the sun setting. The sun was a blazing ball of orange and pink, and red. The sky was clear pastel blue above them, but the low lying smog in the city had created a filter that enabled them to look at the sun as it set, while the sky burned in brilliant warm hues.
She stood at the edge of the platform, and he stood behind her, at first only near her, but then as they watched the sun begin to sink slowly, he wrapped his arms around her waist and nestled his nose and mouth against her neck. His warm breath tickled her skin in a delicious way, and she closed her eyes for a moment and smiled, covering his hands with her own as she enjoyed the tender moment they were sharing.
When the sun had gone, and only fiery embers of color remained, he turned her in his arms and kissed her softly and slowly, tasting her and savoring her as if he had never tasted anything so fine in his life.
She felt as if her center of gravity was going again, almost as if she could rise up off of the ground, she was so light, and she tried to steady herself from the swoon. He was as beautiful and charming as he could be, and it was so easy to get lost in it. She told herself that she needed to be more careful with him; he was a steamy affair and a fun new friend, and that it should not become more than that.
As
the sky around them darkened, and his kisses deepened, she began to feel much more than lightness. The embers of fire in the sky were echoed in a rising heat low in her belly as her body began to yearn for his. She knew it was the same for him as he pressed his hardening erection against her and pulled his mouth from hers, moving it to her neck and ear.
“I need you…” he whispered quietly, with a hoarse whisper. “I need you so much, right now…” he trailed off, his lips moving over her neck, his hands moving subtly over her body.
She felt his thumb gently graze her hardening nipple and a quiet gasp escaped her.
She knew they had to leave, and she turned, taking his hand in hers and going back down through the casino. They walked swiftly through it, and she was surprised when he began to pull her in a different direction than the one they were walking in.
“What are you doing? Where are we going?” she asked in confusion, looking around them and then up at him.
“Come with me,” he said quietly.
He led them to a darkened corner near a restaurant that wasn’t open. She couldn’t believe it, but there was a hidden corner just behind a wall where some thick plants were placed.
He looked around and, seeing no one near them, pulled her into the corner and pressed her back up against the wall, closing his mouth over hers, kissing her hungrily. Raina gasped as her heart began to race. There was no question in her mind about what he was intent on doing, and she was sure that it wasn’t a good idea.
“Michael! What are you doing? We’ll be caught!” she whispered as quietly as she could in between his kisses. He took only a quick moment as he looked at her and grinned wickedly.
“We won’t get caught if we’re fast and quiet…” he answered, “besides, the danger of getting caught makes it all the hotter, don’t you think?” he asked, sliding his hand up her thigh and under her dress until his fingers moved over her panties.
In what seemed like an instant, he sheathed himself in a condom.
She held tight to him, feeling panic and passion and fire tangled in a torrent inside of her, and all she could think was that she was going to let it go, and lose herself in him. He slid her panties from her and in moments he’d wrapped her leg around his waist. She knew there was no going back. She closed her eyes and gasped as she felt him enter her, sliding his erection into her fully, making everything in her burn more for him.
He began to move inside her and she wrapped her arms around his neck tight and pressed her face to his neck, willing herself not to cry out from the pleasure that blazed through her. She couldn’t let herself think of the possibility that they might be caught or that they were very likely on some camera somewhere. Instead, she let herself burn with sensual release as his hips moved faster against hers, taking her breath away.
Michael closed his hands over her breasts, squeezing them as he kissed her hard, and both of them came in a furious, breathless storm. They shuddered together, holding one another with a solid grip, as they caught their breath and stared at one another. Without a word, he closed his pants and she pulled her panties back up, straightened her dress and they walked out of the corner quickly and silently.
He placed his hand at the small of her back and steered her toward the restrooms, telling her he’d meet her in a moment, and they each went in and took care of themselves. When she came back out, he was waiting for her, with a cat-who-ate-the-canary grin on his face.
He laughed as he took her in his arms and kissed her softly. “You are amazing,” he told her in a quiet voice. “No one turns me on as fast or as much as you do.”
She knew that it was a compliment, but as they walked out of the casino, she furrowed her brow wondering just how many other women were turning him on that she should be at the top of some list. Raina only let it bother her for a minute as she reminded herself that he was a paid escort, and that she was probably not his only client. He was not her boyfriend, and neither of them wanted him to be her boyfriend, so she told herself to take the compliment and not look back.
She’d just gotten away with having a super-hot quickie in a dark corner in a casino in Las Vegas with a beautiful man six years younger than her. Things could be worse, she told herself.
They went for cocktails and gambled a little before going out to dinner. Neither of them spoke about what had happened in the casino until they were seated and alone, eating their meals. Then it was quiet and subtle conversation about it, and Michael kissed her cheek and told her that he loved the way that they were with each other.
They spent a long hot night in bed together, and finally fell asleep in each other’s arms. When she woke in the morning, Raina looked at him, sleeping next to her, and wished with everything in her that she could kiss him, but she didn’t want to wake him.
Instead, she carefully pushed herself out of bed and went to take a steamy shower, giving herself time to think about what was happening between them. Whatever it was, it was happening fast, and it was catching fire, like a match to a haystack. Blazing and hot and sexy as hell, just like he was, and she wondered how it was going to go between them.
Simply by being with him, she was learning things about herself that she never knew existed in her; the hot texts, the boundaries that he gently and carefully pushed, opening her up to new ideas so that her inhibitions were pushed away. She was discovering that there was a much wilder side to her than she ever suspected or knew, and though it was a surprise, she was intrigued by it, fascinated with the idea that so much passion and excitement had been in her all along, and it had taken him to bring it out in her.
She trusted him, and she felt as if they were growing closer, and somehow she wasn’t sure how she felt about it, or what it might mean to either of them, or where they may end up. All she was certain of was that he had turned every bit of her attention toward him, drawing her out of her shell and setting her on fire, and she was swiftly becoming addicted to him and to the way that he made her feel. She knew she wanted more, but the question was how much more.
They gambled and played and drank and wore each other out between the sheets for the remainder of their time in Las Vegas, and on Sunday they went home, kissing goodbye at the airport. She left him there at his car, part of her not wanting him to go, part of her wanting some time to herself, some space and room to breathe.
Monday morning found Willow parked at Raina’s desk, ready for an update on the weekend away with the hot new man. Raina knew that it was coming, but she took it stride and chuckled when she saw the cup of her favorite coffee sitting on the desk waiting for her, just as it had been before.
“Well?” Willow asked with some urgency when Raina finally sat down across from her and wrapped her hands around the hot cup.
Raina took a sip and smiled at her assistant. “We had a great time. We played hard and we… enjoyed each other quite a bit. You know what they say, Willow, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”
Willow laughed and shook her head. “No, what happens in Vegas goes on social media!”
With a shrug, Raina winked at her. “Not this…” she answered with a steady tone.
“So, how are things between you two, really?” Willow asked.
Raina thought about it. She had been thinking of nothing but that, for days. “They’re good. Things are good. We’re definitely growing a good friendship, and I like that. We’re great as far as intimacy goes… and I guess that’s it.” She trailed off and took another long sip of coffee.
Willow frowned slightly. “How are you feeling about him?” she asked, peering carefully at her boss. There wasn’t much that got past Willow.
With a sigh, Raina set her cup of coffee down on the desk before her. “You know… I’m trying to keep a handle on that. There are some strong emotions building, and I never expected that. I was so sure that we could keep things just… intimate and not get into emotion at all, but I can’t seem to stop it, and I’m not even sure what the emotions are. I just… I want to be sure that I keep things simpl
e with him. I absolutely don’t want any complications. This is just for fun and it needs to stay that way.”
Willow nodded and kept her eyes on Raina. “Well then, I hope that’s what happens for you. Just… take your time and be honest with him about what’s going on between you, and be careful. You can have fun without getting into trouble.”
“That’s exactly what I’m hoping for,” Raina answered, thinking to herself just how true that statement really was.
Chapter5
Raina did everything that she could to focus on her work and on any other aspect in her life, but Michael continued to text her constantly throughout the day, every day, and sometimes even late into the night, and she continued to answer him, wanting that connection with him when he wasn’t around her.
She went to sleep after they had texted goodnight, and when she woke up in the morning, there were texts waiting for her telling her that he was thinking about her and that he wanted her. She would try to work, try to shop, try to do the errands that she had to do, but at nearly every turn, he was there in her mind, on her phone, and in her dreams.