My Vegas Groom (The Greene Family Book 3)

by Piper Rayne

  Vince puts his hands in the air. “Jesus, Log, I didn’t mean to disrespect her. I’m just taken by surprise. I leave you here for a bit and now you’re so…”

  I release him. “I’m a husband, and I will not tolerate anyone speaking about my wife like that.”

  He nods a few times. “Okay. Okay. I’m sorry.”

  “Better.” I nod.

  “The place is nice.” He forces a smile as he looks around.

  “Yeah, I’ve done a lot of the work myself.”

  “I had no idea you were handy.” He jabs me with his fist in the upper arm.

  I knew he’d change his attitude once he saw how serious I am about Nikki. Vince has always seen my girlfriends as a problem. That somehow they change me and not for the better. But he hasn’t been here to see me with Nikki, so maybe I should cut him a bit of slack.

  I sit down in one of the chairs and nod toward the other two. “Then let’s sit and actually talk business that concerns my manager.”

  Vince sits in the chair across from me. “I’m just watching out for you. That’s part of my job.”

  “Then let’s get one thing straight—anything that has to do with Nikki doesn’t involve you.”

  “Fine.” Vince crosses his arms. “You need to come down to Vegas at least two weeks early. I have promos set. Will you be coming alone?”

  “I’m not sure yet. And I only planned for a week. Why the change?”

  “Because the people paying for you to fight want you there so they can hype it up more. Hype equals dollars, you know that.”

  Craig shoots me an expression to say Vince has got a point. But I’m not ready to leave Nikki early. We still have so many logistics to discuss. I guess tonight is the night to air them out.

  “Fine, but you might as well roll up your sleeves, because I’m not leaving until this studio is done for Nikki.” I stand and open the door to tell the crew to come back in and work.

  For the rest of the afternoon, Vince is on his best behavior—and who would’ve known he can use a nail gun?

  The best news I got all day was that Vince didn’t want to sleep at the Linville house with Nikki and me, so he’s staying in Anchorage. A blissful forty-five minutes away.

  After dinner, Nikki’s chilling on the couch, so I sit down beside her and bring her feet to my lap. I massage them, and she closes her eyes and moans.

  “Keep making sounds like that and I’ll be massaging something else,” I joke.

  “I wouldn’t complain.” She peeks her eyes open and smiles at me.

  “I wanted to talk to you about a few things.” Her eyes open wide now. Maybe I should’ve started the conversation a different way. “Just hear me out before your mind goes crazy.”

  “Okay.”

  “I have to go back to Vegas two weeks before the fight. I thought it was only a week, but I was wrong. Vince told me this afternoon.”

  She relaxes into the couch. “You scared me for a minute.” Sitting up, she kisses me on the lips. “It’s okay, but I can’t come until closer to the fight.”

  “I know and I’ll send a plane for you. Does any of the rest of your family want to come?”

  She shrugs. “I don’t know, but I’ll ask.”

  She shifts to go back to lying down, but I reach for her so she stays on my lap.

  “Not so fast,” I say. “I have one more thing to talk about.”

  Her head falls to my shoulder. “What?” There’s a slight whine to her tone, and I doubt myself for a moment, wondering if now is the time to ask her.

  “I know we’re only dating.”

  She laughs and looks up.

  “But I’d like us to discuss what’s going to happen after the fight.”

  “Me too.” she says, her gaze growing serious.

  “Do I come back here? Do you stay in Vegas? Do we continue to date? Do you change your name finally?”

  “That’s a lot of questions.”

  I nod, not taking my eyes off of her. “Let’s try one at a time. Do I come back?”

  “I don’t hold the keys to the gates of Sunrise Bay.”

  I push a strand of her hair behind her ear. “You know what I’m asking.” My heart is in my throat as I wait for her to answer.

  “I’d like you to come back here, but I understand if—”

  I put my finger to her lips. “That’s all the answer I need.”

  I replace my finger with my lips. We get carried away, and soon I’m lying over her on the couch.

  “I think that made Logan Stone happy.”

  I draw back and stare into her eyes. “Very happy. Now we have to figure out where we’re going to live and how long it will take for you to change your last name.”

  She laughs. “We’re still dating, Mr. Stone.”

  “Not according to the world.”

  She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “You have an answer for everything.”

  “That’s right, I do. Oh, and I have some news for you. I solidified your first guest for your podcast.”

  She shoves at my chest in a playful way. “You know you don’t have to do that anymore now that we’re… you know…. a real couple.”

  I hold up my hand. “I’m a man of my word.”

  “That’s very sweet.” She opens up her legs and my hips fall between them.

  “I’m a sweet husband.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “Are you going to ask who it is?” I kiss her neck and my lips move down to her collarbone.

  “Who?” she asks a little breathily.

  “Gavin Price.” I draw back to see her expression.

  Gavin Price is an actor and a friend. He agreed to come up here and let Nikki interview him. It helps that he just got blasted in the magazines for not being easy to work with and the press is saying he’s washed up. She could do the interview remotely, but he said he’d be happy to get away from Los Angeles for bit and come visit.

  Her mouth falls open. “But he’s so famous. He’ll come up here?”

  “Try not to hurt your husband’s ego.” I pretend I’m hurt, but I understand her feelings. Gavin is pretty famous, and luckily, he loves coming to MMA fights, which is how I met him. “Now how could you make it up to me…”

  “I can think of a few ways.” She unbuttons her blouse, teasing me with a glimpse of her bra. She almost has it completely open when her phone rings on the coffee table.

  “Forget it,” I say, my head dipping to her cleavage.

  “It’s Mandi, give me a second.” She snatches up the phone and answers.

  I don’t stop my exploration of her body and she smiles, swatting me away with a giggle, but we both know she loves it.

  “What?” She bolts up and I fling back across the couch. “Seriously?” She’s quiet for a second. “How do you know for sure?” She gives me these wide eyes like I’m not going to believe it. “Okay, thanks for letting me know. Yeah, he’s here. I’ll tell him. Bye, Mandi.” She hangs up and her head falls in her hands.

  “What is it?” She doesn’t answer, so I pry her hands away. “Nik?”

  She lets me see her face, and she looks as if she might cry. What the hell happened? “Mandi said she had two people from the press check in. They were asking questions about you and me. Whether she knew me and where they might find us.”

  I close my eyes. Why the hell did the press wait this long to come here? And of course, just as I’m making progress with Nikki. I wish I knew for sure she’ll take this okay, but I’m not sure she will.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “Nik, this family has weathered worse storms than this.”

  Nikki

  I should’ve known the press would eventually find us. We’ve been in this bubble for so long after our marriage that you’d think someone paid them off not to bother us. Why are they just now showing up in Sunrise Bay, and why didn’t they do enough of an investigation to know that Mandi is my sister?

  “Hey.” Logan pries my hands away from my face. “We
can handle this. We’re happy and that’s all they’re gonna find.”

  “It’s not us I’m worried about. It’s me, my family. They’re gonna be digging around.”

  He sits back on the couch. “Are you sure it’s only your family?”

  I don’t need him doubting my feelings for him right now. “Yes, Log. Let’s remember my mom married her husband’s cousin. That can be twisted in a lot of different ways.”

  He looks me straight in the eye. “Your mom and Hank are in love. They’re not gonna care about that. I promise they’re only here for me and you.”

  I blow out a breath. “The night we met, did I tell you why I wanted to start this podcast?”

  This isn’t the ideal time for us to delve into our deep dark pasts, but this will help Logan understand that I am only concerned about my family and not what they’ll find between the two of us. If it means opening up to him, well, I have no choice, and he’s more than proven I can trust him.

  “So they can tell their own side of their story.” He smiles at me. “It’s a great idea. A lot of people just believe what they’re told.”

  I nod. “Yeah, but the reason it’s so important to me is that when my dad cheated on my mom, all these rumors started spreading. How my mom knew and turned a blind eye for years because she didn’t want to give up their lifestyle. Other people said my parents were swingers and they’d host orgies. The worst rumor was that they’d pimp us out at their parties.” I roll my eyes just thinking about it.

  “Kids are assholes.”

  “That’s the thing—it wasn’t just the kids, it was the adults too. Once my family was torn apart, my mom had no choice but to return to Sunrise Bay because our lives were becoming a living hell down there. The people we thought were our friends turned out to be the most vicious of all.”

  His hand lands on my thigh. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

  I shrug. “It was a long time ago, but let’s not forget that even here in Sunrise Bay, when my mom and Hank got together, not everyone was happy about it. Some kids called them kissing cousins even though they’re not blood related. At least up here, people aren’t so hung up on making sure they’re on the top of the pedestal that they kick anyone who gets close in the face to tumble back down. It’s not Arizona, but I’m concerned that all the press is gonna focus on is that you married a girl who’s related to her stepdad.”

  He takes my hand, tugging me up from my position to straddle him. His hand molds to my ass and our eyes lock. “I’ll take care of this, Nik. You’re my wife, which means it’s my responsibility to make sure you’re safe and secure.”

  My forehead falls to his shoulder. “You can’t be sure, and you can’t control what they’re going to say. They’re gonna have a field day.”

  His hands land on either side of my cheeks, and he pulls me away from his shoulder. “I can be sure, because I won’t stand for anyone making up lies. I have a platform and I’ll use it if we need to, but we’re in this together.”

  Never in my life did I think I’d fall for a man I married immediately after meeting him, but I have fallen for him. So much so that I’d take his last name and truly see where this marriage could go. He might just be one in a million.

  “Trust me?” he asks.

  I still for a second, then nod. He exhales, letting out a relieved breath because he understands how hard it is for me to be vulnerable and hand over my heart. Then he stands up.

  I yelp as I try to hang on. “Where are we going?”

  “We’re going to bed,” he whispers in my ear. “I want to make love to my wife.”

  Goose bumps travel down my spine as he carries me up to the master bedroom where the majority of my stuff has accumulated. I hold on to his neck as though I could lose him at any time. Once we’re in the bedroom, he lowers me to the bed and climbs up and over me.

  “Shouldn’t we talk about the press?” I ask.

  He puts his finger over my mouth and shakes his head. “They’ll be there tomorrow. Tonight, it’s just us.” He unbuttons the rest of my blouse, his palms push the fabric away from my skin. “You’re so beautiful, Nik,” he says with awe in his voice.

  I arch, allowing his hand to mold to my breast, needing to feel him more in this moment than ever before.

  Reaching back on the neckline of his T-shirt, he tears the shirt off his body. My fingers outline the tattoo on his chest. He doesn’t tear his gaze away as I’m transfixed on him.

  “God, Logan,” I murmur.

  “What?” he asks, his fingers unbuttoning my pants and sliding the zipper down.

  “You. I never would have thought…” I struggle to finish my thought when he slides his hand down my pants, playing with my clit over my soaked silk panties.

  He kisses the hollow of my neck. “Thought what?”

  “That I’d…”

  He straightens out and smirks at me. “You don’t have to say it.”

  I shake my head. “I want to.” I swallow past the dryness in my throat and lock my eyes with his. “I’ve fallen for you, Logan Stone, and it scares the crap out of me.”

  He chuckles. “Join the party, but it’s all going to be okay. I promise to never break your heart.”

  For the next hour, we slowly touch one another, our lips exploring each other’s bodies. And in that bedroom, Logan makes love to me while promising no one will ever harm me on his watch. By the time I fall asleep naked beside him, wrapped up in his arms, I’ve never felt safer or more loved in my entire life.

  It took two days for them to dig up my parents’ past. Obviously, we’re not talking about the best in their profession here. All they had to do was talk to the townspeople and someone would’ve spilled the beans.

  Logan and I are at my mom and Hank’s, and I look around the group gathered in the kitchen.

  “I’m sorry, guys,” I say, thinking about what they have to endure because I married an MMA fighter on a whim.

  “They’re gonna get bored,” Xavier, my stepbrother, says. He’s a professional football player and the person taking the most heat since the public cares more about him than any of us. It’s not that Xavier’s never had press about our family before, but they didn’t spin it in a negative way back when he started playing pro. “They’ll move on and no one will remember this. Trust me.” He squeezes my shoulder.

  Logan takes my hand. “He’s right. Eventually they won’t find anything else they can try to spin and move on.”

  “Still. You’re all under a microscope because of me.”

  “Nik, this family has weathered worse storms than this.” My mom places small cucumber sandwiches on the table. All the boys reach in at once.

  “I get it,” Presley says on the other side of me.

  I smile at her. “Thanks.”

  My family all seem to understand, and as a consensus, we’ve all decided to remain quiet and not to talk to anyone—a united front.

  Everyone disperses from the table, leaving Logan and me with my mom and Hank.

  “I think I should go back to Vegas early. They’ll follow me there and leave you guys alone.” Logan takes my hands. “You can come down closer to the fight. I have to be down there for promo soon anyway.”

  “But—”

  He shakes his head. “It only makes sense. They’re intruding here, and I imagine it will only get worse. I’ll leave and they’ll follow. I know it.”

  “Are you suggesting we’re boring, Logan?” Hank asks, laughing.

  “Not at all.”

  Hank raises his hand. “I’m fully aware I live what some might think is a boring life and I’m proud of it. I have everything I’ll ever need.”

  He looks at my mom with that expression he has since they got together. They have a love I’ve always been envious of, the same love I’m sometimes certain Logan and I hold for one another. Only we’re like a new bud that’s just blooming and they’re an entire rose garden.

  Cade comes back into the kitchen to grab a drink from the fridge
.

  “What do you think?” Logan asks me.

  “I don’t want you to go early.” I frown, knowing I’ll miss him.

  “You shouldn’t have to change your life for them. I hate all these people who make a living off of poking their noses into other people’s affairs.” My mom grabs her iced tea, leans back in her chair, and sips it.

  Cade was leaving the kitchen, but he stops and turns around when he hears what my mom says. “You mean like Nikki?”

  I narrow my eyes on him. “I report the truth and you know it. And I don’t put a spin on things to suit me or make it sound juicier.”

  He puts his hands up in front of him. “I’m just saying… it’s kind of like karma got you on this one, Nik. Do you realize how much it sucks now?”

  “I can handle it. But this is about my mom and Hank, who have nothing to do with my marriage.”

  He nods. “True enough.” Then he leaves the kitchen.

  “He’s always hated my job,” I mumble to Logan before turning to look back at him. “Anyway, like I was saying, I don’t want you to go early.”

  “I agree with you, but as of right now, we don’t have a choice. After the fight, they won’t care about me or my relationships.” Logan squeezes my hands. “I’ll head back to Vegas and they’ll leave you and your family alone.”

  I sulk in the chair. The thought of us trying this long distance scares me down to my bones. All my insecurities creep back in, even though I’m certain I can trust Logan. He’s never shown me I can’t, but then again, we haven’t been together that long and he’s been living here, not the lifestyle he usually does.

  But then there’s my family… I can’t put them through this. It’s tourist season, and bad rumors or outright lies could hurt all their businesses.

  “Okay,” I say, and my heart immediately feels as if a bulldozer rolled over it.

  “It won’t be long. Plus, you’re kind of a distraction.” He winks. I playfully shove him, and he boomerangs back, giving me a kiss on the temple. “Just kidding.”