by Renee George
Viva Los Regalos: Double Down
Reneé George
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2007 Reneé George
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ISBN: 978-1-59596-053-5
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Publisher:
Changeling Press LLC
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www.ChangelingPress.com
Editor: Chrissie Henderson
Cover Artist: Reneé George
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Viva Los Regalos: Double Down
Reneé George
After shy, hard-working Maxine Simms inherits a small chunk of money from her grandmother, she decides to be frivolous for once in her life. She books a dream weekend at Los Regalos, the world’s only city run completely by paranormals and catering strictly to humans. The best thing is, Los Regalos prides itself on complete anonymity for their guests! Maxine is determined to have her every fantasy fulfilled, even if it goes against her nature.
Nigel Tennon and Pacer Prism are blackjack dealers at the Platinum Nugget Casino and Hotel in Los Regalos. Both Hume-Shapeshifters from the same clan -- Pacer, dark-haired and mysterious, Nigel, blue-haired and outrageously fun -- were childhood friends until a misunderstanding drove them apart. When Maxine shows up at the Nugget, her quiet, conservative demeanor attracts the shifters, and they are both determined to have her. They get the surprise of their lives when Maxine takes a chance and tells them she wants to “double down” and have them both.
All bets are off as the two shifters decide whether they can put their differences aside to make Maxine’s fantasies come true, and they discover there is more beneath the surface anger they feel for each other than either one of them could have imagined.
Chapter One
Friday…
“Viva Los Regalos gonna set my soul, gonna set my soul…” Maxine Simms stopped singing when the male passenger sitting next to her in aisle 36, seat B started staring at her. Rubbing her hands together, she smiled nervously. “Sorry. First time I’ve ever flown.” She shrugged. “I’m kind of scared.”
The guy pushed his thick glasses up on his nose then inclined his head toward the window. “We’re almost there.”
Maxine leaned over him, only slightly aware her boob brushed his arm in the process. “Holy cow! Would you look at that?”
In the midst of a huge expanse of desert stood a lone city. Obviously circular but it took Maxine a few seconds to realize the main roads formed the shape of a five-point star. “Just weird.”
“Excuse me, miss.” The man shifted slightly beneath her, and Maxine turned to him, startled.
“Oh, pardon. I’m Maxine. Maxine Simms.” She held out her hand and gazed out the window again.
“Meyer Keagan,” he said, shifting once again. “You’re on my nuts.”
Sitting up sharply, Maxine realized her elbow had slipped down to his groin while she’d been taking in the view. “Oh, God, sorry. I… uh… do you want me to ask the stewardess for ice?”
“Just relax, Maxine.” He smiled. His hazel green eyes were kind and tolerant. “You’re going love Los Regalos.”
Maxine sat back and closed her eyes. She couldn’t wait. She never took vacations. Her life had been about two things, work and taking care of her grandmother. Grandma Simms had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease a decade before, but only the last two years had been really bad. The disease had taken over her body to the point where she became immobile, and Maxine had moved in to keep her grandmother out of the nursing home. In January, just nine months earlier, Grandma Simms had died.
The death hadn’t come as a shock to Maxine, but the money her grandmother had left her did. For months, she’d agonized, wracked with grief and guilt. It felt awful profiting from the death of someone she loved so much. When the lawyer read the will, he had also given Maxine a sealed letter her grandmother had written shortly after Maxine had moved in.
Dear, dear Maxi-moon (her grandmother’s pet nickname for her),
I have spent my entire life working in one form or another, never stopping to just enjoy life. I never knew how much I wanted to do, to experience, until I could no longer do anything. I see you, dear. You are a near incarnation of myself at your age. Shame on me for not taking life by the horns while I had the chance. Don’t make my mistake in thinking there would always be enough time. I want you to take this money that I spent my entire life saving. Forget practical. Be frivolous, Maxi-moon.
Live for the both of us.
I love you, always.
Grandma
Maxine took a deep breath and fought against tears as she folded the letter and put it back in her purse. It had taken her four months after the death to read the letter for the first time. Scared to see her grandmother’s parting words, it seemed so final. But death always is. After she received the settlement check of 56,000 credits, she agonized over all the things she could do with the money. After two months, she finally put the check in the bank and called Hot Spot Destinations Travel Agency.
She hadn’t planned on spending as much as she did, nearly all but 6,000 of the inherited credits, for a three-day weekend at Los Regalos, but the agent had made the place sound magical. Which, Maxine supposed, it really was. The small red-haired lady behind the desk described Regalos as “a place where dreams come true and fantasies are fulfilled.” No questions and no consequences.
Butterflies flipped around her stomach as the plane landed on the tarmac in a small airfield just outside the city limits. “I hope this place is everything it’s promised to be,” she whispered.
Meyer Keagan smiled. “It hasn’t disappointed me yet.”
“Not your first time, eh?” Maxine reciprocated the smile.
“Nope.” He brushed back his thick, brown hair, his face eager like a jonesing junkie ready to get his next fix. “Not my first time.”
“Excellent! Can you tell me what to expect?”
“It’s different for everyone. Or so I’ve heard. But I don’t want to go into too much detail. Los Regalos has to be seen to be believed. Take my word for it.”
She wanted to believe. Very much so. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had a good time. A man in her life had not even been a possibility with all her responsibilities. She hoped she would meet someone who could break her renewed virginal status. Yes, it had been that long.
“You can undo your seatbelt now.” Meyer pointed to Maxine’s waist.
She stared dumbly for a moment before realizing he was in a hurry to get out. “Sorry!” In moments, she unbuckled the restraint and moved into the aisle, along with a hundred or more other passengers shuffling out, eager to start their vacation.
The bus ride into Los Regalos was not the most pleasant experience. Cramped and crowded, the only saving grace was it didn’t last long. Passengers were dropped off at the gates of the city and picked up by luxury cabs to take them to their destinations. Maxine sat back and let the air whoosh from her body to take the edge off her jitters. She had no idea what to expect from this s
trange and wondrous place.
From the bird’s eye view, the place had looked like a pentagram; from the street, it just looked fabulous. Statues, fountains and buildings seemed to take on a life of their own. She’d booked a room at the Platinum Nugget. The brochure promised affordable luxury, and Maxine couldn’t wait. She tapped the window between her and the driver. “How much farther?”
“Just two more blocks, miss.” His voice was growly, low, and kind of sexy.
And she noticed, for the first time, he had the looks to match. Dark black hair, blue eyes -- “Things are already looking up.”
The driver smiled, seemingly aware she was gawking at him, fangs flashing from beneath his lips. “Anything I can do for you?” He grinned wider as Maxine paled.
“Uh, no. Nothing I can think of.” Quickly, she turned her head and stared out the window. They had just passed The Luxy Lady. A statue with the body of a woman and the head of a cat graced the front of the hotel casino, and a large expanse of river surrounded the building which extended for an entire block. It stretched as tall as it was wide. “Wow, gorgeous,” Maxine whispered.
“Thank you, miss.” The driver smirked.
“I… I… the hotel you see…”
“No worries.” He waved his hand and laughed. Up on the next block he pulled over.
The Platinum Nugget was a long building, about half as high as The Luxy Lady, but just as beautiful. It actually looked like it could be made out of platinum. In front, a large fountain with a fan of platinum cards, a royal flush, sprayed water in single jumping leaps weaving in and out of the cards.
“That is so cool!”
After her bags were out of the trunk, a hotel porter came to assist Maxine. The driver tipped his hat, flashed fangs again, and said, “Enjoy your stay, miss.”
He was tall, very tall, at least six feet seven inches. She couldn’t be sure, but felt almost certain he had a tight build under his black jacket and slacks. He turned and placed his hand on the driver’s side door. Fantastic ass. “Uh, thanks… thank you.” She smiled, shyly. Very cute man. A part of her wanted him to stay, wanted to say something clever to draw his attention. He kept watching her. The tip of his tongue slid across his lower lip.
“Thanks,” she said again, turned and tripped, falling hard across her luggage. The porter came rushing over, but the driver waved him off. He held out a hand. Maxine could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment, but accepted his offer of help. She slipped her hand into his and he lifted her. “Thank you, again.” She sighed.
“My pleasure.” His voice swept over and through her body; it felt like having a sauna inside and out. He cupped her hand with his free one and placed a card in her palm. Maxine fought hard to keep her knees from buckling. He was quite likely the sexiest man on earth. And all she could do was watch him walk to his cab and drive off.
After he’d left, she looked at the card. The card had the name Pacer Prism centered in big bold letters. Under the name was an extension number. “Oof dah. What a man.”
“Ms. Simms,” the porter said. “If you’ll follow me.”
Maxine numbly nodded. She turned away from the luxury cab as it made its way around the corner. The porter walked just ahead with her bags. She hadn’t really looked at him while Pacer had been there, but she noticed from the backside he appeared mighty fit in his tight black pants and black cotton T-shirt. He kept his white-blond hair short cropped and spiky, setting the whole image off. “Oo la la.” She whistled low. Two gorgeous men within minutes.
Inside the hotel casino slot machines rattled from the back. There were plenty of tourists of all shapes and sizes, but she noticed every employee (all of them dressed as the porter, black pants, black T-shirt) were unusually beautiful or handsome. The men, the women, it didn’t matter. They all wore badges, very shiny silvery-white, their names printed in black in the center along with their job title. She fluttered her eyelids. “Major sensory overload.”
“Ms. Simms? Would you like to go straight to your room? Or I can take your bags up if you’d like to check out the casino.” His voice carried a slight accent she couldn’t place, and it had a singsong quality that made Maxine feel, well, good. Like nothing could bother her. She’d been tired when she got off the plane, but suddenly she felt rejuvenated, relaxed.
“Amazing.”
“Excuse me?” The porter smiled. The color of his eyes was nearly as white as his hair. A little disturbing, but kind of cool all the same. The name on his badge read “Jacques.”
“Thank you, Jacques.” Maxine shook her head. “I think I’ll look around a bit.”
“Very well.” He handed her a key card. “You’re on the ninth floor, just use those elevators.” He pointed to the back of the lobby. “Room 910. Enjoy your stay at the Platinum Nugget. And welcome to Los Regalos.”
* * *
Nigel Tennon flipped his under card on top of the showing queen of clubs. “Jack of spades. Dealer has twenty.” Two players pushed, the rest of the table lost their bets. He flipped the pole light to get a replacement dealer so he could take his break.
He glanced up and noticed a woman walking toward the table -- curvy, short, only five-three if he had to guess, with short blonde hair. Her clothes were neat; brown slacks, pale pink blouse, conservative in appearance. She glanced at him, making brief eye contact, her green eyes bright with curiosity, but she quickly looked away.
Outwardly, nothing extraordinary stood out about the new tourist. Sure, she was pretty enough, but there were dozens of attractive tourists. Only… something about her struck a chord with Nigel. Women, and men, ogled him constantly, so forward with their intentions. Nigel played along, and why not, it’s what he got paid for. Some wanted conversation, some sex, and some just wanted to play blackjack.
But this woman seemed different -- shy, almost painfully so -- and he could feel her instant curiosity and desire for him, yet she hadn’t looked back in his direction. It made Nigel want to catch her attention, draw her to him. Over here, his mind whispered, his gaze never veering from the lovely creature. The new dealer tapped his shoulder, and he didn’t bother to look at his tips as he raked them up and put them in his pocket.
She began to bite her fingernail -- nerves, as if she could sense him coming toward her. But still she would not glance in his direction. When she did finally turn, he was standing close, so close her breath grazed his chest.
“Oh!” Her eyes grew wide as she stepped back, her elbow catching a tray of drinks held by an unsuspecting waitress. The drinks splashed over onto her as she yelped. “Oh, lordy. Christ. Sorry. Sorry.” She bent to pick up the glasses from the floor, her pale-pink blouse, damp from the sweet liquors, clinging to her left shoulder and breast.
“It’s all right, miss.” The waitress smiled and handed her a clean towel. “Better get those clothes changed and sent down for laundering. The Red Bird drink is a bugger to get out of fabric.”
“Thank you,” the woman said meekly.
Nigel grinned. “Better do what she says, and get out of those clothes.”
His voice startled her, and she stammered when she spoke. “I… uh… yes. I mean…” Her shoulders slumped. “Forget it. I’m going to my room.”
Have mercy, she was charming! Absolutely. Nigel wasn’t ready for her to leave, at least not without him. “Would you like some company? I’m on break.”
“I’m a mess.” She shook her head, a quiet smile forming on her lips. “I think I’m just going to go take a nap.”
“The most exciting city in the world and you want to nap? Come on now, Ms. --”
“Simms, Maxine Simms.” She dabbed at her blouse with the towel.
Nigel could see her bra through the damp fabric -- white, nothing fancy, no lace, practical. It shouted purity! Innocence! “Ms. Maxine Simms, then.” He held out a hand. “At least let me escort you to your room.”
“No,” she answered quickly. “I think I’ll…” Maxine stared at him, lost for a moment, heat and de
sire pouring from her body. She flushed, her pale skin turning a bright shade of pink. She pushed the towel into his hand, and rushed out of the casino area.
“What an intriguing woman.” Nigel determined he would find out more about Maxine Simms, her reasons for being in Regalos, and how he could help make her deepest fantasies come true. He decided to let the concierge know he’d be more than willing to personally take care of all Maxine’s needs. Exclusively.
Chapter Two
Maxine’s heart pounded in her chest as she slammed the suite door shut behind her. “Holy cow! I’m a total goof!” She stripped the wet shirt off and flopped on the bed. The man had been utterly fantastic -- long blue hair, tall, leanly muscled, with multicolored eyes almost like circular rainbows.
She felt humiliated. She’d come to Los Regalos for an adventure, excitement, fun, for Heaven’s sake, and twice now, she’d been fairly propositioned by two hunka-hunkas, and both times she’d acted like a complete babbling idiot.
She sat up and looked at her reflection in the wall mirror. “You are a confident, intelligent, attractive woman. You will claim your life back. You will not live in fear.” She repeated the mantra her shrink had given her then shook her head. “Oh, who am I kidding?”
She hadn’t had a relationship with a man in twelve years. Not since Dr. Byron James broke her heart. No, not a medical doctor. He had been her math professor in college. She’d started to date him during her undergrad program, and they’d lived together the last year of her masters -- until she’d caught him in bed with another undergrad.
Since the breakup, Maxine had dated a few times, but mostly she’d thrown herself into work. She’d worked her way up from ICU nurse to nurse administrator for the University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri. Maxine had spent so much time in the service of caring for others, she had forgotten how to care about herself. Taking care of her grandmother had given her the push she needed to try and “reconnect,” as her shrink called it, with herself.