“I’d like that,” she said and slipped out of his room and into the hallway.
He tried to ignore just how much he liked it, too.
Chapter Fourteen
Friday
Bring Your Own Hero to Dinner Event
This was one of the weirdest things he’d ever been to in his life.
Micah stood beside “his” table at the dinner in the ballroom. The entire room was covered from top to bottom with lurid red and gold decorations. Hearts, big smoochy lips, photos with couples holding onto each other in an almost-kiss while in the ever-present windstorm, and nearly-hairless, naked cover model man chests visually assaulted him everywhere he turned.
He’d spent some time talking to the men earlier in the day at different workshops, and they were pretty great guys. Most of them had other jobs or owned their own businessesusually in the fitness fieldand they worked their asses off to get the biggest covers. He had no idea how they didn’t freeze to death walking around shirtless in the subzero temperatures of the hotel, but he fought the urge to offer to buy them a sweater.
“Am I supposed to wax my chest? Is that a thing?” He leaned over to whisper in Kelsey’s ear as she rearranged the goody bags at each place setting. Her skin was warm against his lips, and her spicy floral scent surrounded him. His mind immediately recalled damp skin, tangled sheets, and Kelsey wrapped around him. Damn. Micah shifted to make room for the way his cock reacted to the memory.
She snorted and gave him a narrow look over her shoulder. “Do you want to wax your chest? If you do, I’ve got a girl…”
Of course she did. She had somebody in this town to do everything. He laughed and backed up a couple of steps, reaching in his pants pocket to subtly adjust his erection. “I’m not saying that I want to do it. I don’t think anyone in Bridger Gap waxes their chests…I can’t say I’ve thought about it all that much.”
She straightened up and looked him over, her assessment making him glance down to see what she saw. He was wearing a black suit with a crisp white shirt, and he left it open at the collar instead of wearing a tie. It had been Kelsey’s suggestion so if she didn’t like it, he was going to be no help with any other option. If it weren’t for his sisters, he’d only have jeans and T-shirts in his closet.
She reached up and tugged on his lapel, smoothing her hand over the fabric before grasping his shirt collar and giving it a tug. Kelsey looked into his eyes, her full lips tilted with a hint of a smile. He matched her expression, exhaling deeply to settle the butterflies in his stomach. The girl gave him goddamn butterflies. She also made him hard and needy. Jesus.
She leaned in closer and pitched her voice so he could just hear it. “Personally, I like the way your chest hair rubs against my nipples when we’re naked. It’s hot.”
He blinked, unable to stop the grin or the blush on his cheeks. “So, no waxing for me.”
“Good call,” she said, running a fingertip along his neck before putting some distance between them. He would have said she was cool, that she wasn’t as impacted by the heat they generated, but her hand shook a little when she reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. Good to know.
“Your table guests were chosen by the convention organizers. They all requested your table and then there was some kind of lottery to see who will be here. They are true fans and excited to be here, so don’t be nervous. Just let them talk, listen, and respond to what they say. It’s okay to get them to talk about themselves if that’s easier for you.”
“Are you staying with me?” He hated that he sounded so needy, but the table was set up for him to have a plus one, and he liked how they worked the crowd together. She set him at ease and when he relaxed, he did fine.
“I can. My job is to be your go-to girl for this week.”
A shout went up from over at the double doors that the event was on and they swung open and the rumble of sound wafting across the big room was like a train approaching from a distance getting closer and closer as the excited attendees spilled into the room.
“Smile, Micah. They already love you,” Kelsey murmured as she walked forward to greet his first dinner guest. They spoke quietly for a couple of minutes, and then she turned to make the introductions.
“Micah, this Ellie and David Sewall.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” he said, shaking David’s hand and leaning down for Ellie to give him a kiss on the cheek. She didn’t cling, so it was easy for him to pull back and get the space he needed.
“Mr. Holmes,” Ellie said, her voice a little shaky.
“Call me Micah.”
“Really?” she asked and looked at her husband with an excited smile that made Micah relax. “Oh my God, you’re my favorite author. I have books for you to sign, if you don’t mind.”
He glanced at Kelsey, who nodded and held up a Sharpie. Damn, she was perfect.
“You bet, Ellie. I’d love to.” She was dressed up for a fancy dinner, and her husband was wearing a flight suit. It was clearly a costume, and Micah had no idea why he was dressed that way. “Great costume.”
David nodded in thanks and cast a tolerant but loving glance at his wife. “It’s that guy from your book about the pilot who crashes and everybody thinks he’s dead. I’ve never read it but it’s her favorite, and she wanted me to dress like him.”
“You’re a good husband, man.”
“Thanks for not writing about a ballet dancer or something because there was no way in hell I was wearing tights.”
He laughed, placing a hand on his shoulder in solidarity when Kelsey interrupted them with another couple. Well, a lady and her…blow up doll.
“Micah, this Sarah and…” Kelsey trailed off, looking at a complete loss for the first time since he’d known her. He didn’t blame her.
The newest guest smiled and hoisted her doll further up on her hip. “I don’t have a date, so I made my own. He’s Caleb Mattwell from Safe Harbor. I love that book so much.”
“That’s awesome, Sarah. Thank you.”
He reached out to squeeze her hand in thanks, and she clung to him, her fingers damp and shaking just a little bit with the emotion also pooling in her eyes. She blinked hard, forcing back the tears that clearly threatened her smile. He braced himself for her story, glancing over to Kelsey for reinforcement. She smiled at him, giving him a little “go ahead” motion.
“I lost my husband, and your books helped me while I sat at hospice with him.”
“I’m really sorry for your loss, Sarah.” He squeezed her hand, letting her know that he was listening, ready to hear whatever she needed to say. “Tell me about your husband.”
“Ned was a lot like Caleb,” she said. “Strong and quiet and really sweet, but with enough of the bad boy to keep it interesting.”
Micah chuckled when she waggled her eyebrows, and she did too, her own laugh clogged with the weight of her emotions.
“Your books, all your books, were like the love we shared, and now that he’s gone I can read them and remember. I can dive into your books, and it takes me back to when Ned and I met and fell in love.”
Micah had listened to something similar from other fans in other towns a million times before, but this time he heard her. He heard the meaning his books—his words—had on her life, and he was humbled by it.
He cleared his throat of the emotion clogging it. He glanced at Kelsey who was watching him closely. She was close enough to hear the conversation and she cocked her head at him, clearly wondering what he might do. But he didn’t need her coaching tonight; this one was pure instinct.
“Sarah, I don’t have a date for tonight. Would you like to be my date?”
Her eyes flew open, and she slapped a shaky hand over her mouth, nodding with frantic enthusiasm.
“Yeah? Is that a yes?” he asked, grabbing the inflated doll and handed it off to Kelsey who gave him a discreet thumbs-up. He returned his attention to Sarah, guiding her over to the table. “Come on over. I think we’re going to have a g
reat time tonight.”
To his surprise, they did have a good time. His dinner companions were all friendly and fun and very relaxed after the initial awkwardness wore off, and the time flew by. Kelsey sat across the table with the blow-up doll, giving him a smile that told him he wasn’t fucking this up.
Her approval meant a lot to him, and he wasn’t so quick to push it away like he had before. They were a great team, in and out of bed. There was a reason why she’d been the first person he wanted to tell earlier when he finished the book. It was the same reason he kept seeing Sunday on his horizon like a big, red-flashing beacon that kept getting closer and closer. He just hadn’t decided if he was going to do anything about it or not. Kelsey was hard to read and every time he thought about bringing it up, he chickened out.
He was saying good-bye to Sarah, Ellie, David, and his other guests when Kelsey took a phone call and wandered away from the chatter of the table. His attention was torn between the good-byes and the expression of concern on her face as she exited the ballroom and headed toward the lobby.
Micah waved a final good-bye, only blushing a little when Sarah pressed a kiss to his cheek before he headed off to look for Kelsey. He found her walking toward him across the lobby, her expression still clouded by concern.
“Are you okay?” He reached out, cupping her face with his hand as he leaned in closer to hear her over the din in the vast open space of the hotel. People’s voices rumbled, raucous laughter, and the ever-present electronic noise of slot machines filled the air.
He knew he should step back. They were in full-view of the other guests and the hotel staff, and his actions could get Kelsey in trouble, but he didn’t care. She was clearly upset, and his only thought was to see what he could do to make it right for her.
“I have to go. The nursing facility called about my mom.” She looked down at the phone in her hand and he saw it for what it was, the time for her to compose herself. He gave her the time, and when she looked up he acted like he didn’t see the tremble in her bottom lip. “She had a bad night and my dad is on duty for a while.” She looked up at the ceiling, her voice betraying her frustration. “I need to go. I’m sorry about tonight…”
He cut her off with a hug, his arms wrapped tightly around her until he felt some of her tension ease away from her body. Micah debated his immediate reaction to her words, knowing that following his instinct would definitely cross the line that existed between two people who were parting company in a couple of days. What the hell. He was in Vegas, and if he was ever going to gamble, this was the place.
“Can I go with you?”
Kelsey pulled back. “I can’t ask you do that.”
“You didn’t.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “If we get there and you don’t need me, I’ll take off.”
She started shaking her head, and he cut her off, not really wanting to accept no for an answer. Yeah, they were having fun, but he liked her. They connected, and he really needed to do this for her.
“Look, you’ve helped me out way beyond your job, and I’d like to return the favor.” He nudged her with his elbow. “I’m more than a pretty face and a big penis.”
Kelsey laughed at that, and the clench of tension in his belly released. God, the look of stress on her face when she talked about her mom had not sat well with him at all. He was a fixer, he liked to actively tackle things and do what he could to make them right. It was why he joined the Marines and also why he loved to write. On the page he was the master and commander, and his actions mattered. He liked to take care of the people in his life as well, and right now that included Kelsey.
“I’d like it if you went with me.” She nodded as if to convince herself as she spoke the words. “Please.”
“I’ll meet you in the same spot with your car, I need to run up to my room to get something, okay?”
She nodded, and he subdued the urge to kiss her on the lips. They were in the lobby, and while a concerned pat on the back or a hug could be explained away, his lips on any part of her anatomy would require a lot of explaining.
He settled for a squeeze of her hand, watching as she walked in the direction of the staff area of the hotel knowing that the ache in the vicinity of his heart wouldn’t go away until he saw her again.
...
Desert Rest Nursing facility was a good place.
Kelsey led the way as they navigated the too-familiar halls, past the quiet of the patient rooms and the subdued activity at the nursing stations. Many of the staff nodded and smiled at her their eyes shining with their ever-present sympathy that she had to be here. Her mom was young to have dementia, and the folks around here appreciated the tragedy of it all.
“This is very nice,” Micah said as he kept pace with her down the corridor. He’d come down to her car on the street still in his suit but carrying the messenger bag he now had draped across his chest. His big hand was around her own, giving her silent support and needed warmth as she fought off the chill of the air-conditioned building.
“It is. With my dad and I both working, we can afford to pay for her residency. The staff is excellent, and they’re experts in dealing with people with dementia. We spent a lot of time looking around and this was the best, and we were lucky to get her here.”
“I would guess that to know she was with the best makes it a little easier to leave her here.”
“You have no idea, and I hope you never do.” Her words were clipped, but hopefully full of the sincerity behind them. She really wouldn’t wish this on anyone.
She could make the last turn with her eyes closed, several visits each week had made her intimately familiar with every scuff on the wall, every flower in the pretty wallpaper border, and every blip and beep from the sundry medical equipment lining the rooms and hallways. She didn’t even smell the antiseptic odor anymore; it was now part of the landscape of her life.
Her mother’s door was closed, and she pushed down on the lever gently, hoping that she was asleep and scared to wake her if she was. It usually took her mom quite awhile to come down after she had an episode, even though you’d think the physical outburst and emotional ups and downs would wear her out. They didn’t like to drug the patients here if they could let them calm down naturally, and that was one of the things that drew Kelsey and her father to Desert Rest. It was bad enough that her mother was a shadow of what she had been without reducing her to a drugged-out mess.
Her mom was sitting up in bed, her fingers plucking at the covers, chattering randomly and far too quickly to be understood. Sylvia, one of the night nurses, sat by her bed, stroking her mother’s arm as she made soothing sounds. She looked up as Kelsey entered the room and smiled, only a slight twist to her mouth betraying her regret at the situation.
“Kelsey, she’s doing much better. You didn’t need to come down.”
“I know, but you knew I would.”
“That I did.” She rose from her chair, her curious gaze looking at where Micah stood by her side, her eyes not missing their joined hands.
“Sylvia, this my friend, Micah Holmes.”
“The author?” The nurse’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Your mom will be excited to meet him, I bet.” She directed her next comment to Micah with a wave of her hand at the bookshelves covering one of the walls and full of books. “You’re one of her favorites. I was just going to read to her, try to get her to go back to sleep.”
Micah cleared his throat next her and Kelsey turned as he dropped her hand, reaching into his bag and pulling out a large stack of paper, secured with an oversize rubber band.
“I remembered you telling me that she liked to have people read to her.” His cheeks and necks darkened a little with his next words. “I brought my new book. I thought I could read to her if that’s okay…”
His voice trailed off as she reached up and hugged him hard around the neck.
“Jesus, Micah Holmes. Stop being…”
“Being what?” His arms came around her, the one hold
ing the book against her back the other cupping her head, and he pressed a kiss to her temple. “Stop being awesome? Sorry, I can’t do that.”
She laughed, wiping at her eyes with the back of one hand and smacking him lightly on the chest with the other. She was never going to tell him the rest of that sentence. He was leaving on Sunday and so those wordsamazing, kind, terrific in bed, funny, smart, sweetthose words would go to her grave.
“Yeah, yeah,” she said, looking up at him and loving the way his smile carried that edge of wicked. “So, Mr. Awesome, you want to meet my mom?”
“I’d like that.”
Sylvia nodded at them both as she exited the room, and Kelsey made a mental note to get her and the other staff a fruit basket or something for everything they did so well. She turned to the woman on the bed who still looked like the same person who’d tucked her into bed, helped her with algebra, bought her a dress for prom, and laughed and cried with her as the moment required. Now that woman was gone, and it was a challenge every day for Kelsey to reconcile the memories she carried deep in her heart and the woman who was here now.
“Mama, it’s Kelsey.” She sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to touch her mother’s hand, giving it a soft stroke to help soothe her. “It’s Kelsey.”
“I don’t know you,” her mother said, her voice firm but also shaky on the edges.
“Yeah, you do. It’s Kelsey. I bring you the books. I read to you, and brush your hair.” She reached up and touched the tangled strand sitting on her mother’s shoulder. “It’s Kelsey.”
“Kelsey.” Her mother’s face softened, the tone of confusion easing as she nodded. She didn’t fool herself that she remembered who she was, remembered that she even had a daughterher father was the only one who had breakthroughs at this pointbut she knew her as her reading buddy, and that was enough. “You’re Kelsey.”
“This is my friend Micah.” She turned to look at the man standing over her shoulder, his gentle smile calming her nerves and making this whole thing seem right. “Micah, this is my mom, Caroline Kyle.”
Her Secret Lover (What Happens in Vegas) Page 13