by J. Saman
“I can live with that.” The Vegas skyline is now visible in the distance. “You ready to sin, Mr. Grant?”
“Oh, Katie, I’ve been ready to sin since I first laid eyes on you.”
Chapter 14
Ryan
As the lights of the Vegas strip get closer and closer, the more I fear Katie is going to be pissed at me. She is not impressed by money. I get it. I respect the hell out of it actually, but I still want to treat her like a fucking princess.
So I did something I’ve never done before.
I enlisted my PA, Claire, to make dozens of reservations, and not just here in Vegas, but for the remainder of our trip.
Claire is really good at shit like that, and she got a sick thrill out of me asking her to do it. I’m still holding Katie’s hand as we drive down Las Vegas Boulevard towards the Four Seasons. She’s letting me, and anything she lets me do, I’m going to take advantage of.
Like kissing. I plan on kissing her constantly.
I have no idea how long I’ll be able to keep up the middle-school, only-kissing thing, but I’m willing to give it my all and find out. Something tells me she won’t last long with it either.
As for the no relationship crap?
Well, I’m hoping that also changes when this trip is all said and done.
I’ve got two more weeks to make her realize that she cannot live without me.
Two weeks before our forced time is up and she has a choice to make. Stay or go. I’m hoping for stay. I don’t think I could ever get enough of her, and I’ve only kissed her. I haven’t even begun to explore her, and doing that the way I would like could certainly take an entire lifetime at least.
But it is way more than the possibility of sex with Katie.
It’s the thought of Katie herself.
I have to admit, when Katie first told me that she and Eric had been together since they were twelve, I was shocked in a total guy way. I mean, the idea of only one woman your entire life?
Fuck, that is unimaginable.
But after just kissing Katie, I get it. Eric realized at a very young age that there was no chance in hell of him finding something better than her, because it simply does not exist. I get it now. I absolutely do.
But she is still stuck on him.
I see it in her eyes, and I see it in the way she holds onto that pendant like it is her reason for living. I have to wonder if it’s guilt that is driving it.
I know she loved him. I’m sure she still does and that a part of her always will, but it’s more than that that is keeping her from living again. More than just losing Maggie too. It’s like she won’t allow herself to be happy because they’re dead and she’s not.
I’m no expert on survivor’s guilt, but I’d say she’s got it in spades.
She is trying, though. I’ll give her that.
Maybe she just needs more time to work through all of her shit. The boxing certainly helped, and it’s something I plan to do with her again.
Katie is oddly quiet as we drive, her eyes glued to the giant hotels and the masses wandering the excessively bright streets. The sun is shining high in the cloudless sky, adding to the Vegas desert mystique.
“What have you done, Ryan Grant?” she whispers, more to herself than to me as we pull into the Four Seasons.
Yeah, she’s gonna be mad, especially when she sees our room. Too late now. The valet opens our door and the second we’re out of the car, our bags are being removed by the bellhop.
“Mr. Grant. Welcome to Four Seasons Hotel, Las Vegas. My name is Sarah and I am your personal concierge during your stay.” A woman in a sharp black suit comes over to me and shakes my hand firmly. “Your suite is ready for you, sir, and I’ve made the arrangements you’ve requested.”
“Thank you.” I take Katie’s hand and pull her along into the building towards the private elevator for the upper floors. I can feel her staring at me, but she’s remained silent while Sarah leads the way.
Sarah swipes the key for our room and then hands it to me. “The penthouse, sir,” she says, opening the door for us to walk in first.
It’s perfect.
There are sweeping views of the strip, and the mountains in the distance from every window. There is a large living room, dining room, multiple bathrooms and a huge bedroom with a walk-in closet. A bottle of champagne is chilling on ice—which I did not order, but certainly won’t complain about—as well as everything I purchased for Katie. I palm Sarah some money and she graciously takes the hint and leaves us alone.
And then I wait for it.
Katie is walking slowly through the space, touching everything she comes across. The fabrics and wood of the furnishings, the drapes, even the glass of the windows that showcase the strip.
But she’s eerily silent and I’m terrified of the explosion to come.
Finally, she walks over to the bedroom and like a good little boy who is hoping for more kisses, I follow her in. Her bright blue eyes take in the entire room and then she walks into the closet.
There is a black garment bag hanging inside along with a pair of shoes and a purse.
She doesn’t touch them, just stares, blinking a lot, and I know I’m in trouble now.
“I don’t know whether to yell at you or kiss you.”
“If I get a choice, I opt for kissing,” I say, lingering in the door of the closet, my hands up on the wood frame above my head.
“Why did you do all this?” She turns to face me, her hand waving to the stuff I bought and then over to the large suite.
“Because I wanted to,” I say simply. I really don’t have much more of an explanation that I am willing to give her. “I want to take you out for dinner tonight, and then after that, I want to go dancing with you again. The dress and the shoes are for that. If you don’t like them, we can go to any of the shops and pick something else out.”
“It’s fucking Valentino, Ryan!” Now she’s yelling. “You bought me a black sequin mini dress and it is Valentino. The shoes are Louboutin. The purse is Prada.” I won’t even mention the earrings I got her. I think it might be too much at this moment. “I’m sure I’ll fucking like them, Ryan. What the hell on earth were you thinking? All of this has to cost ten thousand dollars, at least.” Thirteen, but I won’t go there either. “Then there’s the massive penthouse at the motherfucking Four Seasons we are staying in for the next two nights and whatever other ‘arrangements’ you have made,” she puts air quotes around the word the concierge used.
“Do you want to leave?”
I’m smiling. I shouldn’t be smiling, but I can’t help it.
She is too damn adorable when she’s angry, and since I’ve never really seen her like this, I’m enjoying the show far too much for my own safety.
She sighs, taking a deep breath and then walks over to me slowly, her hands reaching up to touch my chest. Eyes boring into mine. “I would have been happy in a regular room in a regular hotel. I would have been happy sleeping with you in my car.”
“I know,” I smile even bigger because she means it. “Please don’t be angry with me. I really want this to be special. Memorable.”
She shakes her head like I don’t get it. “Everything with you is memorable.”
Damn. She always says the most perfect things. I lean down and kiss her, because I absolutely have to.
“Are you okay with this? I can return the dress and shoes and bag.”
“I’m okay with this.” Her fingers glide through my beard and I’ve never felt a sensation like it before. “Have you always had a beard?” she asks and I love how she just changed the topic like that.
“No. I grew it after Francesca because she hated beards,” I grin. “Do you not like it?”
“I do like it. I just can’t figure out what your face would look like without it.”
I laugh, leaning down to kiss her again. “Do you want me to shave it so you can see?”
She bites h
“We could open the champagne that’s chilling, and drink it in bed while we kiss a lot.” She’s smiling her sweet smile at me.
“You don’t want to go get lunch on the strip and walk around?”
“If I get a choice, I’m always going to go for the kissing, Katie. You should have figured that out by now.”
“You are sort of a glutton for punishment, aren’t you?”
“A masochist to the core,” I grin. “But you do know that there are other things we can do that aren’t technically considered sex.”
She smiles seductively with widened eyes. “Oh, and what would those be?”
Damn, she’s playing with me now. “I’m just saying that there are other places I can kiss if we’re sticking to this kissing-only rule.”
“I see. Like my neck?”
“That’s definitely one place, but not the one I was thinking of.”
“Hmm.” She places both hands on my shoulders, pulling me down to her so that she can bring her mouth to my ear. “As much as I think I would enjoy you kissing other places,” her tongue and teeth graze along the shell of my ear, making me shudder. “For now I think we should stay above the clavicle.”
“You really are trying to kill me,” I say with certainty. All I can think about right now is ripping her clothes off and doing a hundred dirty things to her.
“Maybe,” she smiles sweetly, “but not until we feed me. After that I’m all for killing you for a while.”
I have never seen such a small woman eat as much as she does. She’s constantly packing in the food, and I think it is amazingly sexy. Francesca never ate anything more than a sprig of lettuce once a day. It was boring as hell to go out to eat with her, and the other women before and after her? Well, let’s just say we skipped over meal time in favor of other ventures.
Katie is eating the hell out of a burger right now, and enjoying every bite. We did end up going out—much to my dismay—and after this, she wants to go walk around the strip.
I can’t really say no to her.
Tomorrow I figure we’ll hit up the pool or the spa, but today we can go exploring.
“I can’t get over how they hand out flyers for hookers.” She really can’t. That’s probably the third time she has said that. “We should totally get you one.”
I practically choke on my fry. “Um. I’m not really a prostitute kind of guy.”
“No. I guess if you wanted to get laid, you could just go out and meet someone.” Shit. I wonder if she knows about New Orleans. She wipes her mouth with her napkin and then looks up at me through her dark lashes. “I would understand, you know.”
“Understand what, sweetheart?” She can’t be suggesting what I think she is.
“If you wanted to go out and meet someone who could give you what you want.”
I reach over and take her hand. “I don’t want another woman, Katie,” I tell her hoping to convey my sincerity. “I want you. Even if it is just the killer kisses.”
She smiles softly, nodding her head, seemingly liking my answer. “I’m kind of crushing on you, Ryan Grant. Maybe even a lot.”
I lean forward and kiss her sweet lips, wondering how in the hell I’m ever going to be able to let her go when these two weeks are up.
We end up spending hours walking up and down the strip seeing the crazy bullshit that accompanies it. Rollercoasters, giant candy stores, novelty and touristy shops.
Everything is in freaking neon.
By the time we get back to our room, it’s almost five, and dinner is—as usual—at eight.
“Nap?” I ask, since she looks exhausted.
“Lead the way.”
I do, and when we reach our bed, I turn to her. “Do you trust me?”
She nods and I know she means it, but at the same time, she looks a little apprehensive. I reach down and lift her tee-shirt over her head, revealing her fucking amazing tits encased in a white lace bra.
Holy mother of hell.
“Ryan—”
I shake my head. “I’m not going to take advantage. I just want to sleep next to you like this.” It’s true. She can see that in my eyes. So I reach down and undo her shorts, slipping them down her legs before an involuntary groan forces its way out of my throat.
“Ryan—”
She tries again, but I stop her. “I promise to be good, it’s just the matching white lace bra and panties.”
She smiles in a way that tells me she knows exactly what she is doing to me.
I take off my own shirt and shorts, not caring if she sees the tent in my boxer briefs.
I want her to see it. I want her to know the effect she has on me. She sinks her teeth into her full bottom lip when she notices and then her eyes scroll up my chest to my eyes.
“Nap time?” she asks and I nod, taking her hand and leading her to the bed. When I pull her down next to me and wrap my arms around her warm soft body, she giggles. “Did you know that I have never slept in as many clothes as I do when I’m next to you?”
“What do you mean?”
She rolls over so that we are face to face on the pillow. “Normally I only sleep in my panties.”
My eyes snap shut and I lower my forehead to hers. “Are you trying to torture me?”
“Maybe a little,” she admits, and a laugh huffs out of me.
“Well, it worked.” I look down at myself, raising an eyebrow.
“I thought you said we were napping before we have to get ready for dinner?”
“We are, sweetheart. We are.” I fold her into my chest, wrapping my arms around her and burying my nose into her hair.
Fucking heaven.
She sighs deeply, allowing her body to sink into mine. Her soft perfect chest pressed up against mine.
“In case I haven’t told you,” she raises her head so our eyes meet. “I’m having the best time.”
“Me too, love, me too.” I realize too late which endearment I used, but she doesn’t comment, just sighs contentedly, closing her eyes.
I, on the other hand, do not go to sleep yet.
Instead I snap a picture of her in my arms with my phone. Once that is done, I allow myself to surrender to her pull and close my eyes, never wanting to wake up from this perfect dream.
Chapter 15
Ryan
I’m asleep maybe a half an hour when my phone rings on the nightstand behind my head. Reluctantly, I pry myself away from a beautiful and comatose Katie and slink into the living room. I swipe my finger across the screen to answer the call.
“What’s going on, Luke?”
“Ah, finally. The man himself,” Luke’s enigmatic voice fills the phone.
“Cut the shit, man. I just sent you the code the other night. Don’t tell me you’ve gone through it already?” I ask, sitting myself down in one of the large chairs that faces the windows and the view.
“Oh, but I have my friend, I have, and it looks really fucking good.” I smile at that. I knew it was right on, but having Luke confirm it just makes it better. “How on earth did you come up with this? It’s going to be killer and get a lot of hype, which is not really your thing, man. I’m surprised you want to do this.”
I run a hand through my hair because he’s right, I don’t like hype or publicity. I like to remain under the radar, but I want to do this, so it is what it is.
“I’ll manage it, and we have Claire to field a lot of the extra bullshit.”
“True.” He’s silent for a minute. “Where are you anyway?”
I hesitate, but only for a brief moment. Luke knows pretty much everything there is to know about me. He’s one of the very few people I trust.
“Vegas.”
He laughs out loud and hard. “Shut up, really?”
“Yup.” I look out at the evening sun as it sets over the mountains.
“What the hell are you doing there? Is this all part of your road trip?”
The way he says road trip sounds a bit condescending. Like he thinks I’m being childish for doing it in the first place. That doesn’t surprise me though. Luke has lived in his own small bubble since college. Since the FBI came knocking on his door. That was enough of a scare for anyone, so I get it.
“I am, but I’ll be there for the meetings that you graciously set up on the eighteenth.” I look over at the dark bedroom, wondering what things will be like for me by then—looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time.
“You’ll thank me after the meeting. It’s a big time name, and if we can penetrate their system, which the dude tells me is impenetrable, then we’re looking at big things.” He’s excited. I know he is.
Luke’s a scrapper and he needs this. I don’t. I’ve made all that I’ll ever need and this new software that I created is only going to add to that. I do it for the fun of it now. For the challenge. So I say, “Sounds great, man. I told you about Tommy’s new app bullshit, right?”
“No,” he draws out the word because he knows as well as I do what dealing with Tommy entails.
“He’s got something new I promised to take a look at. He’s giving us twenty and a favor.”
“For real?” he blows out a breath into the phone. “Damn.” He’s silent a moment like he’s thinking this over. “I guess we can’t really say no to twenty, and certainly not to another favor.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
I hear movement to my right and as I look over I see Katie hovering by the bedroom door wearing what looks like only my tee-shirt. Fuck that’s all kinds of hot.
“I gotta go, Luke. I’ll call you.” I hang up without waiting for a response and set my phone down on the small table next to the chair I’m sitting in, unable to remove my eyes from the vision that is now walking towards me. “Did I wake you?”
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