by Rosanna Leo
“You look nervous.”
“I am nervous,” she replied.
“Why?”
“You’re sort of an intimidating person.”
He didn’t dispute it. “You weren’t intimidated the first time we met.”
“Yeah, well, things change.”
“I don’t want you to be intimidated.”
“It’s hard not to be.” She glanced around the VIP suite. Everywhere she looked, she saw wealth and ease and perfection. Everyone was smiling, showing off straight, white teeth, the kind you buy. There wasn’t a single blemish in this crowd. They all seemed to be enjoying life to the fullest, because they could. Not a single thing could stop them.
She wanted to be one of those carefree, perfect people, if only for a while.
“What are you thinking?”
“Just that everything here is so luxurious. I keep worrying I’ve got spinach between my teeth. You have some fancy friends, Alex.”
“They’re not fancy. Some of them just work in the public eye.”
“So does my pharmacist, but it’s not the same thing, is it?”
“I want you to be comfortable with me.”
“I’m trying, but it’s sort of hard here.”
“It’s just a club.”
“Right.” She rolled her eyes. “And you’re just the boy-next-door.”
“In fairness,” he said, moving an inch closer, “I’m probably not that guy.”
Warning, warning.
Last year’s headlines flashed before her eyes. The family of his dead girlfriend had tried to implicate him in her death. Although there had never been any charges or indication that Alex was guilty of anything, it was hard not to wonder.
There was clearly more to him than she realized.
Unfortunately, the air of mystery surrounding him lured her far too easily. She couldn’t shake the sensation she was a mouse, distracted by a savory hunk of cheese, and that Alex was the skulking cat in the shadows.
His continued appraisal set her even more on edge. He didn’t say anything else and just waited. The cat in her mind put forth its claws.
Lord, you’re having fantasies now. What was the alcohol level in that Golden Oblivion anyway?
“Is that who you’re looking for? The boy-next-door?”
His direct question shocked her even more than the display outside. “I’m not looking for anyone.” Don’t sound so defensive.
“Something then. Everyone comes to the Vegas Strip looking for something.”
“Not me. This getaway was just something my sister needed.”
“And what do you need?”
“What makes you think I need anything?”
“Dana, I’m not an idiot.”
For the first time since learning who Alex was, Dana began to feel a sense of futility. The man partied with starlets and socialites. And she thought she could seduce him just by slapping on a tight dress and some makeup?
Of course, he hadn’t brought any starlets into the nook with him.
The music from outside took on a primal beat, almost echoing the throb in her chest, beat for beat.
Would any of those seemingly perfect people look at her and realize she wasn’t quite right?
Would any of them glimpse the hole in her heart?
Just like that night at the tiki bar, Dana wanted to forget. So far, she’d only found one thing that helped her forget.
Alex.
So many negative thoughts had insinuated themselves into her inner dialogue and she was trying as hard as possible to combat them. Some days, it worked and she functioned like a normal human being.
Other days, not so much, and this was one of those days.
She needed to up the ante.
“Can I ask you another question?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“Why did you decide to come to my party?”
“Curiosity. Plus I figured the drinks here would be better than at the joint down the street.”
He unleashed that Zeus smile again. “I like you, Dana.”
It was time to channel her own inner deity. “I like you too.” She licked her lips. “But you know what would make me like you a lot better, Alex?”
“I’m all ears.”
“If you shut those curtains, you’d be so much more likable.”
“Well,” he said, his voice scratchy, “I’d hate not to be likable.”
Alex stood and walked over to the curtains. He released one curtain panel and then the other. When they met, there was only a sliver of space between them. People moved in front of them, outside the nook, but they might have been shadows. Sitting there was like being in her own world with him, one with the other partiers, but somehow apart.
Dana leaned back on the couch. She uncrossed her legs and then crossed them to the other side.
Alex’s gaze followed.
“There,” she said. “Isn’t that better?”
He nodded, lips tight.
“You know, Alex. I often think of that night at the tiki bar. Do you?”
“It’s all I fucking think about.”
“Is that so?”
“I think you already knew that.”
“Are you going to stand there all night long?”
“Tell me what you want me to do.”
“Hmm. What would you like to do?” Dana was enjoying this dynamic. She hated playing the mouse. She was happier playing the cat.
“Honestly?”
“Honestly.”
“I want to make you come again. I want to watch your face as you unravel. I want to hear your moans. I want to hear you whisper my name.”
“I want the same things. What if I told you I wanted them right here?”
A tendon tightened in his neck. “I’d give them to you.”
“Sit down, Alex.”
He sat. This time, his posture turned rigid with anticipation.
Feeling a surge of power, Dana stood and moved in front of him, turning her back to him. As he spread his legs wide, she moved closer to him.
“Do you want to touch me?”
“Fuck, yes.”
“Then touch me.”
He traced her hips with his hands, squeezing the flesh of her thighs and ass. His fingers crept under the hem of her dress and he slowly rolled it up toward her waist.
Dana sucked in a breath.
Once her ass was exposed, along with her lacy black thong, Alex cursed again. He plumped each cheek, as if measuring how they fit in his hands. Then, gripping her hips, he pulled her close and kissed the spot right above her crack, licking her skin. He hooked one finger in her thong and slowly dragged it downward.
Even as desire pooled low in her belly, the most wonderful numbness overcame Dana. She stared straight ahead, unseeing. The interior of the nook became a wash of color. The music from the club was nothing more than a hum. All she knew was the heat of Alex’s fingers and tongue. She surrendered to it, let it beat her into submission, even as she sought to reclaim her power.
As her thong reached her ankles, she stepped out of it.
Alex kissed every inch of her ass, dragging his tongue over her cheeks, stroking lazy circles on her skin. His hands moved up and down her jelly legs. Little by little, he eased her legs apart.
When his hand snaked between them, she sighed.
Yes. This.
Utter oblivion.
She didn’t even care about the shadows beyond the curtains anymore. She might be almost completely exposed but she didn’t have a care in the world when Alex touched her. Anyone could walk in at any time, but she wasn’t bothered.
If anything, it heightened the sensation.
Alex really was dangerous. Maybe she was too.
His middle finger dipped inside her on a wave of new moisture. Spreading her juices, he circled her clit. She could come, just like this, but didn’t want to.
“I want you on your knees.”
His hand stopped moving. “Anything you want.”
>
Dana stepped aside and sat on the sectional, laying back at one of the ends. She hooked one leg over the side of the couch and let the other fall open. To tease him, she touched herself.
Alex stood at the end of the couch. “Do you have any idea how hot you look right now? You’re a goddess.”
“What should you be doing in the presence of a goddess, Alex?”
He fell to his knees. “Worshipping her.”
Alex clutched at her hips as if receiving life from her body and buried his face between her thighs.
“Yes!”
His tongue flicked. His fingers explored. The steady rhythm of his head produced shudder after shudder in her. In a daze, she let her head fall back on the upholstery and her gaze landed on the curtains. Only a piece of fabric protected them from the outside world, but in that crazy moment, she dared the world to look at them.
Look at us! We’re incredible.
His hands crept up her body to twist her nipples. Even under her dress and bra, they stiffened. Her breaths started to sound ragged, echoing the equally ragged breaths coming from him.
“You taste…” Lick. Nibble. Lick. “So good.”
Dana wiggled, desperate for release.
He knew it too.
“What do you want from me, sweetheart?”
Abandonment. She wanted abandonment. “Make me come.”
It was the only thing that would numb the pain that never quite went away.
His face set in furious determination, he suckled and suckled until her body seized. As the orgasm devastated her, it washed away her earlier reticence and softened the pain.
Her mind reeled. She wasn’t sure if Alex had the power to help her feel better, but he definitely had the ability to take her out of herself.
She liked it on the outside. Nothing could hurt her out there.
It was the inner darkness that terrified her.
He licked until her body issued its last quiver and even beyond. He licked until her deflated pile of nerves pricked into awareness once again.
Looking like a vengeful god, he seemed bent on making her come again, but she wasn’t ready.
His touch had brought emotions and she didn’t want any of those. They had no place here.
Dana tugged on his shoulder. “Thank you. I’m good.”
Alex pulled away but looked at her sex with longing. “I’m not sure I am.”
She wriggled away and reached for her thong. “Could I just have a minute?”
He nodded and moved in front of her. Surprising her, he took her thong and helped her into it, easing it over her ankles. Dana stood. With Alex on his knees before her, he slid the undergarment up her legs and over her hips. He took his time, adjusting the elastic as he went, making sure it sat perfectly on her. With gentle hands, he pulled her dress down. Only then did he look up. “Does it feel okay?”
Something about seeing him like that, catering to her, made her throat itch. The little gesture of tenderness set her off balance. Her inner goddess fled, her cover blown. All that remained was Dana. Damaged and all too mortal. “Yes, thanks.”
“Can I sit with you?”
“Of course.”
They sat together and he put his arm around her shoulder. Neither of them said anything for a while.
When he did speak, his voice cracked. “I liked doing that for you.”
“It was amazing. I want to reciprocate.”
“I want that too.” Alex stared ahead, his gaze just as glassy as hers must have been a short time ago. “But not here. Not now.”
In that moment, his inner god fled as well.
Had she ruined the moment by taking control? That couldn’t be it. She might not know him well, but she didn’t think Alex was the sort of man who had issues with strong women. Still, maybe she shouldn’t have been so demanding.
His girlfriend had only been in the ground for a year. He was probably still hurting. It was entirely possible he hadn’t been with anyone else since her. No doubt, Alex had plenty of women volunteering to help him take the edge off here and there, to say nothing of many men, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still going through a period of grief.
What if they weren’t ready for a relationship? She knew she wasn’t, and yet she still wanted to feel his fire, his breath, his awe.
Whatever this was between them, she needed it.
Alex removed his hand from around her shoulder and lay it between them on the couch.
It was as if he’d taken all the heat out of the room. She wanted to snuggle against him and absorb his warmth again.
His eyes were vacant.
Was it possible he’d come to Vegas looking for something too, something he hadn’t yet found?
Dana squeezed his hand. “Alex, are you okay?”
“Yeah. Just thinking.”
“About your girlfriend?”
He turned to her, his mouth open. “I’m sorry. Shitty timing, huh?”
“Grief can be like that. It has its own schedule and it doesn’t usually respect ours. I never told you, but I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you.” His voice was soft. “I thought I had stopped missing Shannon but, in some ways, I still do. She was actually my ex by the time we went on that trip, but most people wouldn’t know that. Our relationship was stormy from day one. There was so much I liked about her, but we spent all our time either arguing or fucking. There were never any peaceful moments. I could never sit here quietly with her, the way I am with you. She was always on the lookout for the next grand gesture. It was exhausting at times.”
“I can imagine. Why do you think she needed grand gestures?”
“She had some bad relationships before I met her. They made her lose her trust. By the time I came around, she was ready to lump me in with the other guys. She constantly needed proof of how I felt and I got tired of having to prove myself. Things soured. Taking Shannon to Bermuda was a last-ditch attempt to make things better but it only made things worse. What we did just now…well, it’s been a while since I’ve done that. I forgot how much I enjoyed it. I feel guilty for enjoying myself sometimes.”
Maybe they had more in common than she thought.
Something shifted in Dana’s chest. The fragmented pieces of her heart moved, seeking to reassemble. There was a hole there. She knew Alex would never fill it, but perhaps, given more time with him, she could throw a tarp over it and work around it.
“I want to get to know you better, Dana.”
“I’d like—”
Viola’s voice sounded from outside the nook. “Mr. Markov?”
Alex sighed. “Yes?”
“I’m so sorry to disturb you, but Wade is outside. He needs to speak to you. He says it’s important.”
“Okay. Thanks.” He brushed Dana’s hair from her face. “I should probably go, but I hate to leave you alone.”
“I’m hardly alone here. Besides, I’m a big girl. Duty calls.”
“Yeah.” He stood. “I won’t be long. Will you wait for me?”
“I’ll wait.”
“Good.” Alex leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. It was quick and soft and it made her want to lean in for more. “I’ll be right back.”
As Alex left, her emotions crowded once again. She’d had one goal tonight, to flirt with him and feel better about herself. She hadn’t planned on learning his story or feeling his pain.
She wasn’t sure she had room in her soul for anyone else’s right now.
And yet it sat there, like an unchecked lump, making her worry.
Dana’s head swam. She put a hand to her forehead. “What is happening here?”
She couldn’t deal with this right now.
It was time to return to her plan.
Her plan demanded she have another drink to forget everything that had happened. She wanted to be hazy around the edges. Another Golden Oblivion was the trick.
Rather than wait for Alex in their nook, she made her way over to the VIP bar and checked
out the bartender’s nametag. “Nathan, I don’t suppose I could get another Golden Oblivion.”
“You sure can.” Nathan prepared the cocktail and moved it toward her. “Enjoy.”
When she reached for her evening bag, he began to walk away.
She waved. “Wait. What do I owe you?”
“Nothing. Mr. Markov made it clear your money’s no good here tonight.”
“But that’s not fair. I don’t feel right accepting free drinks all night.”
“Sorry. I like my job. I want to keep it.”
Dana thanked the man and left him a fat tip. Resigned, she took another healthy sip of Golden Oblivion.
Just as sweet and spicy as the first. Nathan deserved that tip.
Happily drinking, Dana began to sway to the music but it wasn’t loud enough in the private room. The DJ had just started playing one of her favorite tunes and she wanted to dance. She could wait for Alex in the club.
Seeking another sort of oblivion, she headed down the dark hallway and joined the mass of bodies on the dance floor.
When the pulsing music threatened to sweep her away, she let it.
***
“You sure this couldn’t wait until morning?” Alex fell into stride next to Wade. Although he tried to keep the frustration out of his voice, his grunt gave him away.
Why did he have to mention Shannon to Dana? He knew his relationship with Shannon had been fucked up. Did he have to act like he was too?
He still tasted Dana on his tongue. He’d never known such bliss as when he was between her legs, eating her to orgasm. After his shameful display back there, he’d likely never get another chance.
“No. You’re gonna want to see this.” Tight-lipped, Wade led the way back toward the massive main lobby of Vice and then across the casino floor.
“Let me guess. Are we having an Ocean’s Eleven moment?”
“I wish.”
Wade headed down the hallway leading to the dining room where the morning buffet was always held. This part of the hotel was closed off at night once the restaurant stopped serving. Away from the hub bub of the casino, it was quiet, almost eerie.
“One of my guys was on patrol in this area earlier and saw something you need to see,” said Wade. “It’s usually dead here once the restaurant closes, but people still wander down here to use the bathrooms.” He stopped short at the closed men’s room door.