“I’m sorry, sis, I don’t hate on you. I’m happy for you and Amar. He’s a good guy.”
Rylee glanced over at her husband, who was entrenched in another conversation nearby. “That he is.” She turned her attention back to Caleb. “Working with Uncle Duke agrees with you.” She sized Caleb up in the designer suit he wore. It was very stylish and worlds away from his glory days in jeans and a T-shirt riding bulls at the rodeo.
Caleb nodded. “Yeah, well, I had a lot to get through.”
“I know.” Rylee’s eyes misted just thinking about the terrible period that Caleb had endured to walk again. She’d wanted to be there for him, but he’d pushed everyone in the family away.
“I’m sorry for how I was back then.”
“You’re my brother, and I hold no ill will,” said Rylee. “Anyway, that’s in the past. Your future is bright now. I mean, who would have thought you’d be an oil executive?”
“Not me, but Uncle Duke did.” Caleb stared over at his uncle, their mother’s brother. “He gave me a new lease on life.”
“Then perhaps it’s time you reclaim it,” Rylee said.
“What do you mean?”
“Addison.”
Her name made him blush. “Yeah, I saw her.”
“And? Are you going to go talk to her?” Rylee asked.
“How can I? You do remember how I treated her?”
“I do, but so much time has passed and she’s probably moved on, but you should clear the air. If I learned anything from the death of Amar’s father, it’s that you can’t leave words unsaid. Don’t wait. Go talk to her.”
“I don’t know.”
“Trust me. How bad can it be?”
Addison could not find Raphael anywhere, even after searching the country club, where guests were milling all around. Dammit! She didn’t want to go back in there without reinforcements. She would just stay outside on the patio until she got ahold of herself.
Caleb Hart. How can he be here? It was just too surreal that after four years he would pop back into her life just as quickly as he’d disappeared from it.
Why did he have to show up now when she’d finally figured her life out, when she’d finally found a way, or should she say someone, to help her get over him? Raphael had been a godsend three years ago when they’d met in Paris, a sojourn she’d taken away from Dallas to forget Caleb. They’d started out as friends, with him listening to her pain over losing Caleb. But eventually that friendship had turned into something more, something deeper. And one night over a year ago, they’d given into the passion that had been steadily building between them.
Had it been fireworks like it had been with Caleb, her first lover? No, but it had been memorable, and they’d fallen into an easy relationship.
Addison didn’t hear the footsteps approaching until they were behind her. She didn’t need to turn around to know who they belonged to. She could smell him. He still wore the same cologne as he had all those years ago and probably still had the same swagger that went along with it. Taking a deep breath to gather her strength and willpower, she slowly turned around.
“Addison.”
She exhaled and then finally spoke. “Caleb.”
“It’s been a long time.”
“Not nearly long enough,” she muttered.
“What was that?”
“Oh, nothing.” She shook her head to clear the memories. “Why are you here, Caleb?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” His dark-brown eyes roved over her.
“No, it isn’t.”
“I’m here to win you back.”
Chapter 1
Four Years Earlier
“This weekend is going to be unforgettable,” Caleb Hart said to all the guys as they boarded his soon-to-be brother-in-law Amar Bishop’s private jet. “It’ll make you all regret ever giving up the bachelor life.”
Along with Caleb and Amar were Caleb’s brother Noah, Amar’s right-hand man Sharif Khoury, and a family friend, Lucas Kingston; they were all headed to Vegas for Amar and Lucas’s bachelor party. The two men were having a double wedding in Tucson.
“I couldn’t ever regret meeting your sister,” Amar said, glancing in Caleb’s direction. “She’s an amazing woman.”
“Even if it meant dealing with her overprotective brothers?” asked Noah.
“Well, that certainly wasn’t a walk in the park,” Amar snorted, “especially when you clocked me in the jaw the first time you met me.”
Noah’s head fell back as he roared with laughter. “I’d forgotten that.”
Amar moved his jaw around in remembrance. “I did not.”
Caleb patted Amar’s shoulder. “You’re lucky it was Noah and not me. Considering how upset Rylee had been after she’d returned from the Kentucky Derby last year, I might have pummeled you.”
“Then I will consider myself lucky. But the start of our relationship was nothing like Lucas’s and Kenya’s.” Amar inclined his head toward his fellow groom.
Lucas nodded in agreement. “Very true, but I’m thankful Kenya and Chynna decided to switch places. Otherwise we would have never met.”
“Ah, yes.” Caleb rubbed his goatee. “You two did meet auspiciously. If you don’t mind my asking, how did you ever get past the betrayal?”
Caleb wasn’t sure he could have gotten over it. Kenya and Lucas met when she traded places with her twin, pop superstar Chynna James Hart. At the time, Kenya had been a low-rate actress hiding in the shadows until she’d expertly fooled everyone, including Lucas, into believing she was actually Chynna. And now look at her—she was an Oscar-winning actress. She’d won the award for the movie she’d been filming while imitating Chynna.
“I wish I could say it was easy,” Lucas replied, “but it wasn’t.”
“What got you through it?” Caleb asked.
“Love,” Lucas and Noah answered at the same time. Both men turned to each other and laughed aloud.
Lucas gave Noah a fist bump. “He knows what I’m talking about.”
Caleb shrugged. “Must be some powerful shit if it can convince two otherwise sane men to shackle themselves under the bonds of matrimony.”
“What’s your beef with marriage?” Amar asked. “Your parents have been married for years. I would think you would want the same for yourself.”
“I love my parents,” Caleb responded. “But I don’t know ... I get restless ... I need my freedom.”
At twenty-eight, Caleb was the youngest of the Hart brood, and he wasn’t content on settling down into married life anytime soon. Life as a bull rider on the circuit guaranteed that he would never stay tied down to any one woman. Variety was the spice of life, and he loved variety. And to keep it coming, he had to keep all of his six-foot frame in prime condition for the ladies, and he had the six-pack abs, bald head and a touch of mustache and goatee to prove it.
On the other hand, there was his brother, Noah, the eldest and most stalwart of the family. He manned the Hart family’s dude ranch, Golden Oaks in Tucson. It had surprised Caleb when Noah managed to snag Chynna James. But his brother was a smart man. Within their first year of meeting, he’d married Chynna and made sure she had a bun in the oven. Chynna was expecting their first child in a few weeks.
Meanwhile his older sister, Rylee, a veterinarian, had gone to the Kentucky Derby six months ago and fell right into the arms of a sheikh’s son, the billionaire playboy Amar Bishop. Hell, they’d only been together a short time before his firecracker of a sister had convinced the interminable bachelor to put his player’s card on the shelf.
“Eventually, you’ll have to settle down,” Noah said to Caleb.
“Says who?”
Amar gave him a sly grin. “I promise you, Caleb, when the right woman comes along, she’ll knock you off your feet and you’ll gladly get down on your knees and beg her to marry
you.”
“We’ll just see about that.”
“Girl, this suite is phat,” Collette said to Addison as they admired their accommodations while their other friends, Emma and Violet, oohed and aahed over the surroundings.
“Yeah, well, Daddy has no idea I used his name and clout to get us this room,” Addison replied. Even though she was twenty-three, she still lived at home and her father treated her like a child and gave her an allowance. But this weekend, she intended to spend what she pleased, which is why she’d taken her father’s credit card when she’d left the house earlier that day.
“And here’s hoping he never finds out.” Collette popped the top off the champagne that had been waiting in an ice bucket for them when they arrived to the suite.
Addison rushed over to the pantry to pull out two champagne flutes so Collette could pour the drink. When the glasses were full, she handed one to her best friend and took the other for herself.
“Hold up, don’t we get some too?” Skylar, her friend from finishing school, replied with a pout and her arms folded across the new breasts her father had just paid for. They boomed in the Bebe mini-dress she wore.
“Of course.” Addison handed Skylar her flute and walked back to the pantry to fish out two additional ones.
Collette rolled her eyes at Addison as she held out the flutes.
Addison was sure Collette was wondering why she’d invited Skylar, but it wasn’t like she had exactly. At the Dallas Country Club, Skylar had overheard the three of them talking about their trip during Sunday brunch and had insinuated herself into an invitation like she always did. Meanwhile, Addison wished she could be more spontaneous. She hoped this trip would do just that for her. She was determined to do something daring and outside of her comfort zone while in Vegas.
As all the women held up their flutes for a toast, Addison cheered, “Let the fun times begin!”
“I know it may not appear to be enough bedrooms,” Amar said when the men arrived to the elegantly decorated, three-master-bedroom duplex with floor-to-ceiling windows, “but the Wynn Hotel has put double beds in two of the rooms, per my request.”
“Doesn’t matter to me,” Lucas said when he saw the billiards room enhanced with a flatscreen high-definition LCD television.
“Do you see this bathroom?” Caleb yelled from the first- floor master bedroom. “It’s sick!” It featured a steam shower, whirlpool deep-soak tub, dual sinks and a separate water closet. He could picture a woman enjoying it all with him. Who knew what the weekend would bring?
Caleb came out from the master suite. “Do you mind if I have this room?”
Amar raised a brow. “Because it has a king-size bed?”
Caleb chuckled. He was known to be a ladies’ man. “Well, you won’t have much need for it.”
“Caleb!” Noah admonished. “Amar arranged this entire weekend, and he’s one of the grooms. He should have the main room.”
Amar held up his hand to Noah. “It’s okay. Caleb’s right. I don’t intend on sowing my wild oats this weekend, so if he can put it to better use, by all means ...”
Noah shook his head, but Caleb didn’t care. It meant that whatever happened tonight, he wouldn’t be alone.
“What’s on tap?” Lucas asked, walking over to the wet bar. He poured himself a Scotch.
Caleb rubbed his hands in glee. “Well, I have dinner and then cigars at Caesars Palace, followed by poker, then an exclusive invite to one of the best gentlemen’s clubs in Vegas, and who knows ...” He purposely let his sentence dangle. They had no idea what he had in store for them.
“And can we assume there will be strippers at this gentlemen’s club?” Amar inquired.
Caleb shrugged. “You know the old saying ...”
“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” the men all chimed.
A couple of hours later, after they’d had time to get settled and showered, a stretch Hummer limousine pulled up for them outside the Wynn. There would be no party bus. Caleb thought that was played out and overdone. They were grown-ass men who’d been around the block and should be treated as such.
“Thanks,” Caleb said to the driver, who held open the door so they could hop in. He slid into the seat and looked across at Amar and Lucas. As was their style, they were expertly dressed. Amar had finally lost the suit and had replaced it with trousers and a silk shirt, while Lucas had opted to play it cool. He wore all black, from his suit jacket to his pants.
Caleb shook his head. All this sophistication was overrated. He’d dressed comfortably in jeans and had opted for a chambray shirt instead of his usual plaid. Noah was similarly dressed, then there was Sharif. He had a style all his own, in a linen trouser outfit that looked like he’d come straight out of the Sahara Desert, but then again he was from Nasir, Amar’s native homeland somewhere outside Dubai.
Caleb reached for the bottle of Dom Pérignon in the ice bucket, then poured each man a glass and held it. “Men, let’s turn up!”
The night went exactly as Caleb had planned. The group started with an amazing dinner at the chef’s table at Guy Savoy’s at Caesars Palace and the most expensive wine he’d ever imbibed, courtesy of Amar. And if that wasn’t enough, they’d retired to an exclusive gentlemen’s club where they partook in poker and cigars.
Poor Noah had been completely out of his element and chose to watch along the sidelines with Sharif, while Amar and Lucas, the sharks they were, went in for the kill at the table with professional gamblers and, in Caleb’s opinion, other suckers. He’d never seen such a meeting of the minds before as the two men went toe to toe.
Lucas and Amar couldn’t be more different. Lucas was imposing at six-foot-five with his football player build and midnight eyes; on the other hand, Amar was nearly as tall as Lucas—he had an athletic build and a fair to olive-toned complexion and looked like he was of Mediterranean descent, but it was his bushy eyebrows, a broad nose and full lips that spoke of his African ancestry.
Caleb wasn’t much of a gambler, but he wanted a front row seat to see the standoff between the two men. His cards were on Amar, but then Lucas surprised him and Amar when he bluffed his way to a win with a flush over Amar’s Four of a Kind.
Amar was not fazed. He turned to Lucas and offered his hand. “Good game. Not many people can beat me or at least not any that I would agree to spend time with.”
Lucas returned the handshake and then reached for all the chips to cash out. “I was a hustler on the streets of South Central before I was the owner of R & K Records.”
“Ah, I will have to do my homework a bit better the next time I enter the ring with a worthy opponent.” Amar turned to give Sharif a knowing glance.
“As entertaining as it was watching you guys get your guns off,” Caleb said, “how about we turn up this evening and go party with some dancing and—”
“You mean strippers?!” Sharif said, aghast.
“Is this a bachelor party or are we having girls’ night out?” Caleb said.
“Strippers it is,” Lucas stated with a grin. “Where to next?”
The liquor was starting to get to Addison. She was feeling more loose and carefree than she ever had in her life. It had started with the two bottles of bubbly she and the girls had polished off before leaving their hotel suite. Once the liquor had spread through her veins, she’d allowed Collette and the others to fancy her up in one of their party dresses that barely reached her thigh and to curl her hair until it hung in spiral waves down her back.
Addison hadn’t even recognized the sexpot in front of her. If she were a man, she’d want to do her! She smiled back at the reflection in the mirror of one of the nightclubs that had been one of many they’d frequented that evening. Collette had expertly done her makeup. Addison was staring at herself so hard, she didn’t see Collette watching her.
“Are you okay, girl?” Collette asked. “Yo
u’re not about to hurl are you? Just let me know, because I don’t want any accidents, but I’ll hold your hair back.”
“No, I’m okay,” Addison replied, turning around to better admire her backside in the dress.
“If you’re done looking in the mirror, are you ready to get back out there?” said Collette. “I’m dying to see if this club has any better hotties than the last club, because the last two spots were sorely lacking.”
“I am. Let’s go.” Addison grabbed her clutch and followed Collette out of the bathroom.
In this getup, Addison was ready to meet a hottie. Matter of fact, she was ready to do all sorts of naughty things with one. She was determined to rid herself of her virginity and her squeaky-clean image. Only Collette knew of her status, which she’d always kept quiet even when Emma, Violet and Skylar were regaling the group with their sexploits. Usually the women were so caught up in their stories that they never seemed to notice that Addison didn’t contribute any of her own to the mix.
Addison had decided that tonight was the night. There was no reason for her to keep waiting for a Mr. Right who might never come along. If nothing else, losing her mother at four years old had taught Addison that life was too short. But it had been pretty hard to have a social life much less a sex life when her overprotective father kept a watchful eye on her; but now she was in Vegas with the opportunity to finally cut loose and live life on her own terms.
Addison followed Collette under the flashing lights through the throng of scantily clad female and male bodies. They arrived at the VIP section, where the rest of their group had congregated.
“Hey, girl, where have you been?” asked Skylar.
“Just freshening up,” Collette answered. “I didn’t realize you had a stopwatch.”
“Jeez, Collette, chill out!” Skylar said. “I was only asking because a six-pack of sexy men just walked through the door, and I wanted everyone in attendance before I call first dibs.”
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