by Opal Carew
She smiled. “Okay, but just because I like you so much.”
His eyes turned serious, and he cupped her face, then tipped it up until their gazes locked.
“You like me?”
She felt her cheeks heat. From the look in his eyes, he wanted her feelings to be more than that.
“I … it’s more than that. But—”
“So what’s going on here?”
Quinn’s voice startled her, and her gaze jerked to the doorway to see him standing there with a grin.
“Am I missing out on something?” he asked as he strolled into the room.
Austin’s expression lightened as he turned to Quinn, a smile spreading across his face.
“Not much. She’s just going to strip off her panties for me. I need a good-luck charm.”
Quinn chuckled. “Not likely, but if you’re going to have one, that’s a brilliant choice.”
The two men turned to her expectantly.
The skirt on the dress didn’t have a lot of extra room, so she shimmied it up, revealing a lot of leg. She tucked her thumbs under the fabric and slid the panties down her hips, then dropped them to the floor. She smoothed the skirt back down and retrieved the panties from around her ankles.
“Here you go,” she said, pressing them into Austin’s large hand.
He grinned as he stroked them over his cheek. “Ah, still warm.” He slid them into his jacket pocket. “Even if they don’t bring me luck, they’ll remind me of the big win I’m looking forward to later on.”
Quinn glided his hand over her hip, then across her behind.
“And all afternoon,” he said, “I’ll be thinking of you wandering around in public with nothing on under that sexy dress.”
He pulled her in close, his hands cupping her ass firmly, and kissed her. She was intensely aware of her breasts crushed tightly against his broad chest. Delighting in the feel of his hands squeezing her round flesh. Her insides ached, and she could feel a melting heat build between her legs.
“Break it up, you two,” Austin said. “If I don’t get down there soon, I’ll run out of time.”
Quinn eased back, then pressed his hand to the small of her back and guided her toward the door.
“Have fun,” he said as April and Austin walked across the living room toward the door.
Moments later, they were riding the elevator down to the lobby.
“I take it you talked to Quinn this morning about his strange mood last night?”
“I told him you were worried that he was jealous of you being with me, and he definitely wanted to straighten you out on that.”
“Yes, he made it abundantly clear that he loves watching us together.”
“And I’m sure if we wanted to be together when he’s not around, he’d have no problem with it. As long as we told him about it. In detail.” Austin grinned. “Thought I’d mention that in case you’re craving some kinky elevator sex.”
Austin was such a wonderful, caring man, and he was such fun to be around. She could fall for him. Hard. And he seemed to be developing feelings for her.
“Austin, I just want to be sure…” She drew in a breath, not sure exactly what to say.
“Sure of what?” he prompted at her hesitation.
She turned her gaze to his. “Quinn may enjoy the sharing we’re doing, but he would not be okay with anything continuing between us. He made that clear. I just want to be sure you understand that once the month is done, this is over.”
Austin’s expression grew serious, and he took her hands. “Well, maybe things will change.”
She shook her head. “No. I want to be really clear because I don’t want to lead you on.”
He squeezed her hands and released them, his gaze flicking to the floor number lit up above the door. They were almost at the lobby.
“You’re not leading me on. I just prefer to keep a positive attitude.”
The doors whooshed open, and he guided her out of the elevator before she had a chance to respond.
“Have a nice walk,” he said. “I’ll see you later in the suite.”
He strolled away, and she sighed as she walked to the doors leading outside. She was sure Austin wouldn’t do anything to hurt Quinn or their friendship. She just hoped Austin wouldn’t get hurt along the way.
* * *
April sat in the hotel garden listening to the birds twittering in the trees. She’d walked around outside the hotel for about a half hour, then returned to the hotel and the lovely garden where she could sit quietly and enjoy the sunshine and beautiful flowers and greenery.
Her phone chimed. She pulled it from her purse.
“Hi, April,” Austin said on the other end when she answered. “I’m leaving the casino now, and I wanted to let you know that I cleaned up.”
She smiled. “That’s great.”
“It is. And to thank you, I’ve made an appointment for you at the spa in twenty minutes.”
“But, Austin—”
“I know, you’re going to say you’re uncomfortable with me spending the money. But it’s money I wouldn’t have without the delightful lucky charm you gave me. And … if you don’t go, the money will go to waste. So don’t even think about fighting me on this.”
“Austin, you are—”
“A sweetheart? The man of your dreams?”
“Exasperating,” she interjected. Then she laughed. “But yes, also a sweetheart and exactly the type of man any woman would dream of.”
“Good. And if that argument hadn’t worked, I would have pointed out that it’s our one-week anniversary, and as your husband, I should be able to treat my wife to something special.”
The wistfulness in his voice when he called her his wife melted her heart.
“I’d better get a move on if I’m going to find the place in time,” she said.
* * *
April stepped from the spa feeling more relaxed than she had in months. In her hand was a small, fancy gift bag the receptionist had handed her when she’d arrived, saying that her husband had left if for her.
She’d opened it when she was in the changing room getting ready for her massage, and inside was a lovely bra and panty set with a note from Austin. He’d decided to keep her lucky charm, so this was a replacement.
She smiled broadly as she walked through the hotel, looking forward to getting back to the suite so she could thank him. Maybe even model it for her two husbands.
“April, you look good.”
Her back stiffened, and ice ran through her veins as she turned around to come face-to-face with Maurice.
Her relaxation and happiness disintegrated.
22
“What are you doing here?” April kept her expression calm and indifferent, despite the roiling emotions inside her.
“Looking for you. When you didn’t respond to my messages, I decided to come and talk to you in person. I asked the manager to help me track you down, and he found that you had an appointment at the spa.” His expression turned contrite. “April, I know I’m the last person you want to see. What I did to you was totally inexcusable. I was an idiot.”
“I won’t argue with you there.”
“I know what I did hurt you, but I’m hoping you’ll give me a chance to make amends.”
Anger spiked through her.
“Maurice, there is nothing you can do to make amends. You left me with a huge hotel bill, which I have no means to pay. I’m lucky I’m not in jail. Then you took away my job, my town house. Everything.”
She wouldn’t even bring up the fact he’d had sex with another woman.
“I know. And I regret all of it.”
He stepped closer, and she stiffened but forced herself not to back away.
“At least have a drink with me so we can talk.” He gazed at her with big brown eyes that at one time had held her enthralled and made her heart thump loudly … but now left her cold.
She frowned, but considered. Every time he contacted her … every time she saw another m
essage from him … she went into a tailspin. She didn’t want him to have that much control over her life.
And seeing him now, the man she’d spent the past two years with, brought back a lot of memories. And aside from what happened last weekend, which had caught her totally off guard, they had all been good memories. Times when she’d felt safe and secure. A part of her wanted to believe that the whole fiasco had been a big misunderstanding.
Except that the memory of him humping that woman against the wall was still too fresh in her mind.
She sucked in a deep breath, driving the image from her mind.
No matter how they’d arrived at this point, it was time to listen to what he had to say. Only then could she put this chapter of her life behind her.
“One drink,” she said firmly.
* * *
Before April sat down, she subtly slipped off her wedding ring and slid it into her purse. She didn’t want Maurice asking any questions about it.
As she sat back in the chair watching him order their drinks, dazzling the waitress with his boyish charm, she wondered what he was up to. She knew better than to think Maurice actually cared about her.
So what did he want from her? She didn’t believe for a minute that he was actually in love with her and wanted her back.
Once the waitress was gone, he turned to her, his expression serious.
“April, I know it’s not enough, but let me start by saying I’ll pay the hotel bill and tell them it was all a misunderstanding and that I take full blame. That way, everyone will know it wasn’t your fault.”
Appearances were important to Maurice, so of course he’d think she cared about that, too. And unfortunately, she did worry about what people thought of her.
One thing she’d learned in the system as a child was that it was important that people like her. She’d had no control over who took care of her or how well. But if she acted the way people wanted her to, and did what people told her to, things went better than if she didn’t.
But she was grown up now and knew she shouldn’t care what the hotel manager and staff believed about her. Nor should she care that Maurice’s friends thought she had cheated on him. It only mattered what the people close to her thought. Unfortunately, although Quinn protected her and was extremely generous with her, she was sure he still had doubts about her.
“What about my town house?”
He nodded. “I’ll give it back for you. With the mortgage paid off so you’ll own it outright.” He took her hand, and she tried not to cringe. “But if we get married, you won’t need it.”
“I don’t want the town house anymore,” she said, ignoring his comment about getting married. “All I want is that you give me the equity I’d built up.”
“Of course. And if you come back to me, I’ll give you a generous allowance once we’re married. I know you said you wanted to keep on working, and you can if you want to, but this way you won’t have to ask me for money if you want something. I know how you hate that.”
She drew her hand back, needing to be free of his touch. “How can I trust you to follow through on any of this?”
He pulled out his phone and tapped a few times, then showed her the screen. It was his bank app.
“I’ll transfer the money for your town house to your bank account right now. Then I’ll send an email to the hotel manager to move the bill payment to my credit card. I understand an old friend lent you the money, so your friend should get notification tomorrow morning.”
“So you’re telling me you regret sleeping with that woman? And that it won’t happen again?”
“That’s right. I’ll be totally devoted to you.”
“And why do you think I won’t just take the money and walk away?”
“Because I’m also offering you a big fat signing bonus. The minute you become Mrs. Maurice Dubois, a half a million dollars will be put into your account.”
She kept her expression even, but inside she was reeling. Just like Quinn, Maurice obviously thought she only cared about money.
And why was he willing to throw so much money her way to convince her to come back?
He leaned toward her and gave her the smile that had once charmed her but now turned her blood cold.
“You see, darling, I do care about you,” he said.
Then he pulled something from his pocket, which she immediately recognized as the box for the engagement ring he’d given her. He opened the small black velvet box, displaying the dazzling diamond ring inside.
“Just put this on again, and I’ll start everything in motion.”
* * *
Austin watched in horror as the man who’d been having a drink with April presented her with an engagement ring.
Austin had been sitting in the lounge having a drink while he caught up on his email. He’d noticed April come into the bar with a strange man. She hadn’t seen Austin sitting there, so he left them to it. He assumed this was a friend who’d come to Vegas for the wedding. Austin kept an eye on them, though, in case the guy said anything to upset April. If that happened, he was ready to step in.
Never in a million years did he think the guy would propose.
And never in a million years did he expect that she would allow him to slip the ring on her finger.
As she gazed at her hand, Austin realized two things. She was no longer wearing the wedding ring. And the engagement ring she now wore was the same as the one she’d worn last Saturday when he’d met her.
Goddamn! This guy was her sleazy ex-fiancé, Maurice.
He lifted his phone and snapped a picture of them, then texted it to Quinn.
* * *
Quinn enjoyed the sun warming his skin as he relaxed on the outside deck by the pool. His phone vibrated on the table next to him. He picked it up and opened the text Austin had sent him. He clicked on the image, and a photo of April sitting at a table with Maurice filled the small screen.
His heart pounded, and he jabbed the quick dial.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Quinn demanded as soon as Austin picked up.
“No, I’m looking straight at them.”
Quinn stood up and paced, his blood racing through his veins.
“I’m coming down there right now.”
“Not a good idea,” Austin said. “You don’t want to cause a scene. And it looks like they’re leaving anyway.”
“Well, fucking catch up to her. I don’t want her going back to the guy’s room.”
“Not a problem. I heard her say she has to go but she’ll talk to him tomorrow. Just in case she’s heading back to the suite, I’ll try to beat her up there. If I don’t make it, please don’t say anything to her until I get there.”
“I make no promises,” Quinn said through gritted teeth.
* * *
April slowed as she approached the suite door. How was she going to tell Quinn and Austin why she was wearing Maurice’s engagement ring?
She could just stroll in and say, “Hey, guess what? I ran into Maurice, and we’re now officially engaged again.”
She sucked in a deep breath, then slid the key card into the slot and opened the door. When she stepped into the entrance, she saw that both Quinn and Austin were sitting in the living room staring her way.
“Oh, hi. It’s really nice outside. Sunny and warm.” She took off her shoes and dropped her purse beside them. “I had a nice walk and then sat in the garden for a while. Then I went to the spa. Did Austin mention about the spa?”
She realized she was babbling, which she did when she was nervous.
She walked into the living room, sensing a tension she hadn’t noticed before because of her own anxiety.
Austin’s expression was guarded, but Quinn’s rippled with displeasure. She sat down in the armchair between the couch where Quinn sat and Austin’s chair.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
Quinn scowled, then picked up his phone and tapped it. “I hear you ran into an old friend.” His voice
was tight and hard. He held the phone up facing her, revealing a photo of her and Maurice talking in the bar.
Her back stiffened. “Yes, as a matter of fact. I ran into Maurice while I was leaving the spa.”
“And you went out on a date with him,” Quinn accused.
“It was a drink, not a date. And yes, I accepted his invitation. He wanted to talk about what happened.”
She wanted to say more. Like he had no right to interrogate her like this. She could talk to whomever she wanted. But she didn’t want to inflame the already tense situation.
“So are you going back to him?” Quinn’s midnight eyes were somber.
Shock and anger surged through her at his question. She could feel her cheeks burning with it.
“No, of course not. Do you think I’m an idiot?”
He grasped her hand and jerked it up, glaring at the diamond on her finger. “Then why are you wearing his ring?”
She glared back at his angry face, but said nothing.
“And last night, you murmured his name in your sleep. Then you said you loved him.”
She felt the blood drain from her face. That’s why he’d been upset. She’d babbled out loud. God, she couldn’t tell him that her proclamation of love in her sleep had been to him. Not when he didn’t return those feelings.
“I see you just ditched our wedding ring without a thought.”
“It was for a fake wedding.”
“The wedding was real,” Quinn countered. “You are my wife.”
“But the feelings are fake.”
She turned and stalked off toward the bedroom. Once she reached the door, she turned.
“By the way, tomorrow my debt to you will be paid off in full.”
Then she slammed the door behind her.
* * *
Quinn stared at the door to the bedroom, his heart hammering in his chest.
“I really screwed that up, didn’t I?” he said.
“Yeah, I’d say so.” Austin stood up and poured them both a drink, then handed one to Quinn.