Stephanie padded barefoot into the room and strode toward him as he poured a glass of bourbon. She caressed his face with her soft palm, wordlessly. Taking her hand into his, he gently kissed the inside of her wrist and planted a daisy chain of kisses up her arm. Stephanie led him into the bedroom. Her knack of unspoken communication tore at his heart as he stripped her of her dress and laid her on the bed.
Chapter Sixteen
Jason woke early and grabbed his cell phone on his way to the pool patio. He didn’t want to risk Stephanie overhearing the conversation.
“Hello, Jason. Now you want to talk to me?” the irritating voice squeaked through his cell phone. He couldn’t believe he used to think her high voice was cute.
“What the hell are you doing, Jess? Leave Stephanie alone. In fact, get the hell out of Vegas. Get on a plane and go back home. Now.”
“I’m not leaving so fast. I have some information you’ll want to know about. Meet me at La Luna at twelve. If you don’t, not only will I find your girlfriend again, but the Salt Lake authorities will also be very interested in what I have to share.”
“Salt Lake authorities? You really have gone crazy, haven’t you?” Jason took a deep breath. “Okay, fine, I’ll meet you there, just to put an end to this.”
Jason stabbed his finger at the “end” button on his phone and ran his fingers through his hair. Salt Lake authorities? Why would she bring that up? He spent months and at least one hundred thousand dollars defending the payoff scandal. In the end they had no evidence to charge him with.
****
Jason marched through the lobby and scanned the room for Jessica as he entered La Luna. He spotted her at a table close to the entrance and took the seat directly in front of her.
“You’ve got ten minutes.”
“So nice to see you too, Jason.”
“Stop fucking around and tell me what this is about.”
“I have proof that you were involved in the zoning official payoff scandal along with the other two Salt Lake builders who went to jail.”
“You have nothing on me, sweetheart. I wasn’t involved with that and you know it,” he said, pounding his fist on the table.
Jessica leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. “I do have proof: recorded telephone conversations.”
Jason shook his head and chuckled. “Look, you don’t have a leg to stand on. I had nothing to do with the payoff so there were no conversations to record.” Jason reached into the inside pocket of his sport jacket. He placed a thick manila envelope on the table and pushed it toward Jessica. “Look, I don’t owe you anything. However, there’s ten thousand dollars cash in this envelope. I want you to take it and leave Las Vegas. I want you to leave Stephanie alone.”
Jessica opened the envelope and looked at the cash. “I need more than this, Jason.”
“More? You don’t even deserve this. You lied, cheated and stole from me. You’re lucky to even get this from me. Think of this as winning the lottery, Jess.” He leaned closer to her. “Take it and leave.”
“I’ll take it, but you better watch your ass and your little girlfriend’s as well. I’m not finished with her or you. What’s her name again? Stephanie?”
His eyes bore into hers. “Yes, you are finished. If you as much as touch her, I will kill you.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Stef...Stef!”
Stephanie was about to go for a swim when she heard him shouting from the villa.
“Jason, I’m down here, in the cabana. What’s wrong?” Stephanie asked, alarmed at the tone of his voice. She stepped out of the cabana as Jason rushed to the patio from the villa and pulled her into a bear hug.
“I just need to touch you. To make sure you’re safe.”
“Jason, what’s going on? You’re scaring me.”
“Nothing’s wrong. Everything’s fine,” he said as he stroked her hair. “I know I said we would see a show and go to that new club but do you mind if we have a quiet dinner at the hotel tonight?”
“Of course not, whatever you want to do.”
Jason traced his fingers down her face and neck. His thumb hooked under her chin and their eyes locked. Jason’s mouth was upon hers, his tongue hungrily intertwining with hers. With a fluid swoop, he picked her up and gently laid her on one of the cushioned cabana lounge chairs.
“Don’t move.”
The low rustling of the cabana curtain behind her filled her ears as the room darkened. Jason was immediately back at her side and knelt beside her. He surveyed her body before raking his fingers through her hair until his hands cradled the back of her head. He lifted her head to meet his hungry kiss. Their tongues intertwined and his moan vibrated in her mouth. Stephanie fought for air as his impassioned need traveled to the pit of her belly and drenched the bottoms of her bikini. He hastily untied the sash of her paper-thin cover up and exposed the red string bikini she’d just bought at Caesars as a surprise for Jason. He growled and showered her stomach with kisses. His rough beard abraded her skin and she moaned at the vision of his day old stubble rubbing against her nether-lips and sensitive clit. Stephanie bolted up and shimmied out of her cover-up and pulled the ties on her bikini top. Jason buried his face in her breasts, taking a nipple between his teeth while kneading the other breast with his hand. Passion erupted from deep within. Her fingernails raked down his back and found the edge of his shirt. She yanked it over his head and dropped it on the floor.
“You’re mine. I’ll never let anything happen to you, Stef.”
His possessive words should have scared her. She should have stopped and calmed him. Instead, the ambush on her body drove her desire. She wanted to be his and his alone. She wanted to belong to Jason Royce.
Jason stood and felt the outside of his front pockets.
“Damn. I left my wallet in the villa,” he said in a husky voice.
Stephanie realized his wallet wasn’t the issue, but he needed what it contained. “I’ll be right back.” Stephanie caught his arm before he left and he looked down at her questioningly. “It’s okay, I’m on the pill. I want to...” She gulped for air. “...make love with you without any barriers between us, Jay.”
Jason knelt down beside her once again. His fingers caressed her earlobe. “Are you sure?”
She nodded and smiled. “Very sure.”
“You have no idea how happy you make me,” he whispered.
He kicked off his pants and boxers before sliding her bikini bottoms down her long legs. Parting her thighs with his knees, he drove his cock into her. She cried out as he ravaged her with insatiable need. The sounds and scent of sex filled the room. They were truly one. Her ex-husband was the only other man she ever made love to without a condom. It was a big step for her. With every thrust and every stroke Jason wore down a piece of the wall she built between them. She made herself vulnerable to Jason and her heart swelled with love and trust. She dug her fingernails into his back as she climbed the mountain of her climax with each relentless thrust.
“Stef, baby, come for me. I can’t hold on.” Jason growled in her ear.
His words were enough to send her over the top. Her entire body shuddered with her climax and her pussy tightened around his thickness. Gripping his shoulders, she reveled in the way his muscles strained and hardened as he came.
Afterward they lay quietly while he was still inside her. He lifted his head and brushed the hair out of her eyes.
“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
“I know there’s something going on, Jason. Why won’t you talk to me about it?”
“I will – just not yet.”
“Am I in danger? Are you?”
He ran his fingers through her hair. “No, no danger, as long as you’re with me.” She gave him a suspicious look and his eyes softened and crinkled at the edges. “Really. Now go for a swim. I’ll make dinner reservations.”
****
Thankfully, Jason relaxed after their tryst in the cabana. It
was a side of him she hadn’t seen before. It was a dangerous, intense part of Jason that scared and excited her at the same time. He canceled his meetings for the rest of the afternoon and they spent the day lounging at their private pool. This was a life she could very easily get used to living, she imagined as she looked over at him on the adjacent lounge chair.
“What are you thinking about, sweetheart?” he asked.
Her heart fluttered for a beat. She knew at that moment she was in love with him. She wished she could tell him, but she wouldn’t dare. Not until she knew the complete story about Jessica and the reason he wouldn’t talk about her.
“Nothing in particular. Just about what a great weekend this has been.”
Chapter Eighteen
Stephanie rummaged through her purse, in search of her favorite lipstick and she came up empty. Then she recalled her small handbag fell off the table during dinner at the hotel the night before. The little silver cylinder must have rolled under the table. Stephanie hated going without lipstick, especially when meeting clients. She didn’t have a spare with her but it occurred to her that the hotel’s salon carried the brand she liked. She peeked into the bathroom and squinted through the steam at Jason’s near perfect form in the shower. Her eyes danced over his tanned skin as she knocked on the shower door. Jason held his hand against the glass exactly where Stephanie placed her hand.
“Did you decide to join me after all?” he asked as he raised his eyebrows.
Stephanie laughed. “No, I can’t be late for my meeting. But I must have lost my lipstick last night. I called over to the salon at the hotel. They’re open and they carry my brand, so I’m just going to run over and grab a new one before I head to the convention center.”
“Why don’t you call valet services? They’ll bring it right over.”
“I don’t have time, plus I’m not sure what it’s called, but I’ll know my shade when I see it.”
Jason looked at her with a trace of concern in his face. “Wait a second and I’ll have Sam take you.”
“Don’t be silly. I’ll see you later.” She smiled at him and blew him a kiss through the glass. Jason had suddenly become overprotective and she doubted it was due to their incredible lovemaking in the cabana. Their passion brought them closer but at the same time, it added more distance between them. His change disturbed her. Was he simply protecting her or was this an ultra-possessive Jason she’s just now getting a full glimpse of? She wondered if his business was illegitimate; or perhaps he was involved in organized crime. Her mind went into many directions as she grabbed her credit card from her wallet and slipped it into her jacket pocket. She only took her thin laptop sleeve with her and didn’t have room for her large wallet. Donning her sunglasses, she hustled to The Castillo just a few yards away.
****
As Stephanie flipped her sunglasses to perch on the top of her head, she looked over the lipstick shades at the makeup counter. Suddenly, she felt a presence standing just a little too close. She didn’t make eye contact but gave the person a sideways glare and moved to regain her personal space.
“I’ll take this one.” Stephanie told the clerk.
“I guess you like taking things,” said a voice to her right.
“I’m sorry, are you speaking to me?” Stephanie asked.
Stephanie turned to see Jessica staring at her with her hand on her hip.
“Jessica. I seem to be bumping into you a lot this weekend. Somehow I don’t think this is a coincidence, is it?”
“You know you’re just his flavor of the week, don’t you? He wines and dines all of his women at his fancy villa at The Gates. You are just the latest in the string of many, honey. He’ll drop you flat, when someone new walks into the picture, the same way he dropped me.”
“Look, I’m not sure what you want but you’d better stop stalking me.” Stephanie handed the clerk her credit card.
“He broke our engagement, Stephanie. All because of you. I loved him. I wanted to have his children. He came back from meeting you and threw me out of the house without as much as a warning. I have nothing now. No house, no job, no husband and I have you to thank for it.”
Stephanie couldn’t hear anymore. She grabbed the bag from the clerk and briskly left the salon, lowering her sunglasses to her eyes to hide her tears.
“Hey Stef! Give Jason a message for me. Let him know they’re coming for him!” Jessica called out behind her.
Stephanie couldn’t ignore her feelings any longer. Her heart pounded. She loved him, damn it, she allowed herself to love him even with the knowledge that she was just another passing fling. Jessica was right. If he did that to her, he was capable of breaking her own heart, too. She couldn’t torture herself any longer. The only thing to do was to leave Las Vegas as soon as possible. But first, Stephanie had to attend the client meeting or she could lose her job. The only thing worse than a broken heart was having a broken heart while unemployed. She grabbed a taxi from the entrance of The Castillo and went directly to the convention center.
Somehow, she made it through the meeting without breaking down in front of the client. She answered all of the client’s questions and explained that she needed to leave that day due to a family emergency. She planned to take a cab to the airport from the Convention Center. Then it occurred to her that she couldn’t get on the plane without her identification. The only thing she had on her was her room key, debit card and her brand new lipstick. She was willing to leave everything else, but she wouldn’t be able to board the plane without an ID.
She needed to put as much space as possible between Jason and herself. She had to leave fast, but she had no chance of getting on a plane without her driver’s license. What were her options here? She could call the valet, but whom was she kidding? They would tip Jason off in a second; he built and owned the damn place. No. She had no choice but to return to the villa for her wallet and hope like hell he wasn’t there. She remembered him mentioning that he had a meeting while she was working. If luck were on her side she would be out of there in a matter of seconds. If he was in the villa, she would deal with that, but it would cause further damage to her already broken heart.
God, she had to get out of Vegas and back to what was safe and comfortable. How did she even pretend there was something more with Jason? How could she ever entertain the thought that they had a future together? She wiped a tear from her eye. “Angry tears, nothing more,” she whispered as she slipped into the cab.
****
There was no way of knowing if Jason was in the villa until she was inside herself. Stephanie slowly opened the door, crept inside and quietly shut the door behind her. All was quiet. She relaxed slightly and hoped she was home free. She marched straight to the bedroom, grabbed her suitcase and packed the clothes she came with. Jason told her that everything there was hers to keep, but she didn’t want it. She didn’t want anything that would remind her of him. No. She’d just chalk this up as a beautiful dream—a beautiful dream that turned into a nightmare. Stephanie grabbed her wallet and rolling suitcase and headed towards the door.
She took one last look around before reaching for the knob. The door swung open, hitting her hand. He immediately looked down at the suitcase. “Where are you going, Stef?”
Stephanie narrowed her eyes. “I’m leaving. It’s been fun, but it’s time for me to go now.”
“You’re leaving? Now?” he asked softly.
Stephanie choked back tears, but she stood firm. “Yes. Good-bye, Jason.” Turning, she reached for the doorknob.
“Going back home to your husband? You miss him, don’t you?” He spat out the words with such anger it surprised her.
Stephanie spun around and threw her hands in the air. “Yeah, that’s right, Jason. I miss him. Hey, bonus for you! You can spend the night with that sweet young thing who’s been stalking me all over Vegas. Or I guess she’s yesterday’s news like I will be soon. Don’t worry; I’m sure you can troll the casino for a new one.”
&nb
sp; “Stephanie, back up a moment, did Jessica approach you again?”
“Yes and I’m glad she did. She filled in all of the gaps you wouldn’t. I opened myself to you, Jason. I put my feelings on the line for you. But I was just one of the many notches on the Jason Royce bedpost, wasn’t I?”
“Jessica? Shit! I should’ve known. Sweetheart, let me explain.”
“Don’t call me that! This is all a game to you, isn’t it? Well, I will not be played with.” She turned the doorknob.
“A game, huh? It’s funny you mention game, Stephanie, because you’re the game player here, not me.” Stephanie stopped in her tracks, but didn’t turn around. Jason’s words were low; almost a whisper and she could feel his eyes boring into her head.
Jason let out a deep breath. “That’s right, Stef. I know you’re divorced. I’ve known it since we left Miami. I was waiting for you to come clean this weekend and you never did. This is all a game to you. For me it’s been one hundred percent real.”
Stephanie’s eyes began to well up with tears as she fought to keep them back. She wouldn’t allow another man to screw with her the way her ex-husband did. She wouldn’t be hurt that way again. “Good-bye, Jason,” she whispered and opened the door. She took a step outside but he followed close behind.
“Don’t go,” he pleaded huskily.
Jason’s simple plea was enough to open her floodgates. Tears streamed down her face. “Damn you, Jason! I have to leave. You’re going to hurt me just like you hurt Jessica. I will not get hurt again. Just leave me alone,” she said as she turned to leave.
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