by Lynn, Sandi
Chapter 30
Allison
I stepped into my hotel room, shut the door and slid my back all the way down until my butt hit the ground. Bringing my knees up to my chest, I hugged them as I sat there and thought about what I’d done. What we’d done. I gulped as I could still feel the trembling of my skin. Nathan was incredible and now my head was clamored with mixed emotions. Fuck.
After showering and slipping into my evening dress, I met the girls in Caitlin’s room, and we headed down to the restaurant for dinner. The guys were already down there waiting and as we approached the table, I nonchalantly took the seat next to Nathan. We ate, drank and then parted ways as Caitlin took us to a club and the guys hit up the poker tables.
It was two a.m. when I had just stepped into my room and my phone dinged. Pulling it from my purse, there was a text message from Nathan.
“Are you alone or are you still partying it up with my mother?”
“I just got back to my room. Heading to bed.”
“I like the sound of that. Care for some company?”
“Only if you promise to make it worth my while.”
“Love, I promise you won’t be disappointed. See you in a few.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
I quickly stripped out of my dress and slipped into the hotel robe that was hanging in the closet. The flutters in my belly went into overdrive the moment I heard a knock at the door. Opening it, Nathan’s eyes raked over me from head to toe. He stepped inside and shut the door as his mouth smashed into mine while his hand rested on the nape of my neck. The smell of scotch on his breath was intoxicating as was the taste of his tongue in my mouth. My fingers deftly unbuttoned his casual white shirt as I slipped it off his broad shoulders. After untying my robe and letting it drop to the floor, he picked me up as I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he carried me to bed.
* * *
I lay there in his arms with my head against his chest after another round of glorifying sex.
“Your mother is one wild and crazy woman.”
“I know and I hope she didn’t embarrass you too much.”
“Not at all.” I smiled as I lifted my head and stared at him. “She’s such a flirt. Now I know where you get it from.”
“Me? I’m not a flirt at all.” A smirk crossed his lips.
“Yes you are.” I gently smacked him on the chest.
“Okay. Maybe I am. But I can’t help it. I love beautiful women.” The back of his hand stroked my cheek.
“Why are you still single?” I blurted out.
“I’m single because I choose to be. It’s called freedom, love. I can pick up and go on a moment’s notice without having to worry about anyone else. I can go anywhere I want, do whatever I want and who I want.” A smirk crossed his lips. When you’re in a relationship, all that isn’t possible.”
“That’s true to some extent. But when you fall in love with someone, none of that matters. The only thing you can focus on is that one person and how you’re going to build the perfect life with them.”
“I hate to break it to you, love, but there’s no such thing as perfect. And this fantasy people have about their perfect life aren’t living in the reality. Listen, as much as I would like to stay, I better go. I’m sure Elijah will be banging down my door in a few hours and if I’m not there he’s going to come looking for me,” he spoke as he let go of me and climbed out of bed.
“Sure. I understand,” I said as I held the sheet up against me.
He slipped into his clothes, grabbed his shoes and leaned over and kissed my lips.
“Thanks for tonight. I’ll see you later.” He gave me a wink.
“Sleep well.”
“I will now.” He grinned as he left the hotel room.
* * *
Nathan
As the elevator doors opened on Allison’s floor, I saw Mason standing there with some chick.
“Hello there.” I grinned as I stepped inside. “And who is this lovely lady?”
“This is Claudette. Claudette, meet my brother Nathan.”
“Hello, handsome. Perhaps you’d like to join us.” She ran her finger down my shirt.
“Ah, no thanks. He’s all yours.”
“Where did you just come from?” Mason asked.
“It’s a long story and one we will talk about in the morning.”
“Okay. Sure.”
The elevator doors opened, and Claudette and Mason stepped out first.
“Have fun, you two.” I smirked as I opened the door to my suite and stepped inside.
After stripping out of my clothes, I climbed into bed. Placing my arm behind my head, I laid there and thought about the conversation we’d had about relationships. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so blunt about it, but it was better she knew exactly where I stood and why. Not that she’d want anything more than just sex. She’d just lost her husband a year ago and I was sure another relationship was the furthest thing from her mind. I had nothing to worry about.
I had only been asleep for a few hours when the knock on my door jolted me out of bed. Slipping on my pajama bottoms, I opened it to find Mason standing there with two coffees and a brown bag.
“Don’t tell me you weren’t up yet,” he spoke as he stepped inside.
“Of course I wasn’t. You saw what time I got in. What the hell are you doing up already?”
“Couldn’t sleep. Too much excitement here in the land of Vegas.”
“What about Claudette? You kick her out or something already?”
“She left after we had sex. Which was fine with me. I didn’t want her to stay anyway. I brought coffee and pastries from the shop downstairs. Sit down and tell me what the fuck happened last night and who you were with.”
I grabbed a coffee from the carrier and took it to the table. Mason reached in the bag, handed me an apple fritter and took the seat across from me.
“I slept with Allison yesterday. Twice.” I brought the cup up to my lips.
“What?” He shook his head in shock. “How the hell did that happen?”
“I had just gotten out of the shower before dinner and she came to my room and threw herself at me. She said she wanted sex. So, being the gentleman I am, I gave it to her. And then again last night in her room after she got back with the girls.”
“Wow. Why the sudden change of heart on her part? That explains why she asked me in the lobby what room you were in. Damn. She told me she forgot to ask you something about Ruby. I didn’t think she was coming here to have sex with you after what you told me.”
“Honestly, bro. I have no clue what happened or why she changed her mind. I asked her and she just told me to forget what she said and then I took her to bed.”
“Well, how was she?”
“Great,” I nervously replied.
I got up from the table with the cup in my hand, walked over to the window and stared out into the busy city.
“Why am I sensing something isn’t right?” Mason asked.
“Everything was perfect. She was exactly how I imagined she’d be. No big deal. Veni, Vidi, Vici.”
“So now what? You better hope Elijah doesn’t find out.”
“I already talked to her about that and she agreed to keep it a secret. She asked me last night why I was still single, so I had to explain to her my views on relationships and where I stood.”
“And what did she say about that?”
“Not much. She just told me that when you fall in love with someone none of that stuff matters.”
“Sounds to me like she may be falling for you, bro.”
“Nah, I think she realized that a life without sex isn’t a life at all. Who knows, maybe being in Vegas made her horny. All I know is I’m not complaining.”
“Are you going to have sex with her again when we get back to New York?”
“I don’t know. If she wants it, of course. If not, I’m covered.” I turned and gave him a smirk.
Chapter 31
&nb
sp; Allison
I pulled my hair up in a high ponytail and threw my sunglasses on to mask the hangover I was sporting. Yesterday was a full day of partying without the guys. They went off and had their own party. I hadn’t seen or heard from Nathan at all. I pulled my phone out several times to text him, but then decided against it. I had hoped that maybe we could’ve had one last hoorah before we left Vegas. Obviously, he didn’t feel the same way, or he had one last Vegas hoorah with someone else.
Stepping off the elevator, I met the girls in the lobby at eight a.m. and we all climbed into the limo and headed to the airport. As much fun as I had, I missed Ruby and couldn’t wait to get home to see her.
The plane finally landed, and we were back in New York City. We were all tired including Nathan who chose to sit away from the group and get some sleep for the duration of the flight.
“I called ahead and got a car for me and Allison since we’re going to the same building,” he said to his mother. “No need for us to keep making different stops. I just want to get home.”
“Good idea, darling.” She smiled as she placed her hand on his cheek.
We said our goodbyes to everyone and climbed into the back of the car. To be honest, I was surprised he did that since we’ve barely spoken two words to each other since he left my hotel room the other night.
“Did you have a good time?” he asked.
“I did. But I miss Ruby and I can’t wait to see her.”
“Understandable.”
I wanted so badly to ask him what he did last night, but I couldn’t bring myself to. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know.
“I’m going to be gone all next week,” he said as he glanced at me. “I have a full flight schedule. Tell Ruby as soon as I get back, I’ll teach her a few chords on the guitar if she’s still interested.”
“Sure. I’ll tell her. Where are you jet setting off to?” I casually asked.
“My first flight is to Los Angeles and from there I’m heading to London. I’ll be there a couple of days to rest and then it’s back to Los Angeles and then home the day before Elijah’s wedding.”
“Do you do a lot of international flights?”
“I do. But I pick and choose where I want to go.” A smirk crossed his lips.
“It has to be tough sometimes being a pilot.”
“For some pilots it is. For me it’s not. I love what I do and like I told you before, it gives me the opportunity not to stay in one place too long.”
The car pulled up to the building and we both climbed out as the driver grabbed our luggage. The moment we walked up to the elevator, the doors opened. Stepping inside, Nathan pushed the button to the twenty-second and twenty-fifth floor. As soon as the elevator stopped on my floor and the doors opened, I went to step out and Nathan lightly grabbed hold of my arm.
“I had a good time with you, and I hope things don’t get awkward between us,” he spoke.
“I had a good time with you too. No awkwardness here.” I gave him a soft smile.
“None over here, either. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Have a safe trip, Nathan.”
I opened the door to my apartment and took my suitcase straight into the bedroom. My parents ended up taking Ruby to the Hamptons for the weekend to go on the boat and they weren’t dropping her off for another four hours. Just as I laid down on the bed to take a nap, my phone dinged with a text message from my brother Rick.
“Hey, sis. I’m in the neighborhood and wondered if you were home yet?”
“I just walked through the door about ten minutes ago. Come on over.”
“Great. I’ll be there in five.”
As much as I needed a nap, Rick’s timing couldn’t be better. The fact that I hadn’t and couldn’t talk to someone about what happened with Nathan was destroying me mentally. I needed to talk to someone about it.
“Good to see you, sis.” Rick smiled as he kissed my cheek.
“Good to see you too. Come on in. Coffee?”
“Sure. That’ll be great,” he spoke as he took a seat at the island. “How was your trip?”
“It was good.” I gave him a soft smile. “Exhausting, but good. I really needed that little getaway.”
“I agree and I’m happy you decided to go.”
I set his coffee cup down in front of him and sighed.
“Something’s wrong. I can tell.”
“I had sex this weekend.” I bashfully turned around and popped another k-cup in the Keurig.
“What? With who?”
I turned and looked at him as I bit down on my bottom lip.
“Nathan Wolfe.”
“Allison, seriously?”
“Listen, Rick, don’t judge me.” After the coffee was done brewing, I grabbed my cup and leaned over the island. “Between the atmosphere, all the excitement, the alcohol and his hot muscular body, I just snapped, went to his suite and practically threw myself at him.”
He let out a chuckle as he brought his cup up to his lips.
“So you initiated it?”
“Basically. But he eluded he wanted to have sex with me since the moment we met.”
“And?” A sly smile crossed his mouth.
“It was incredible, and it happened twice—in one day.”
“How are you feeling about it now?”
I took a sip of my coffee.
“I don’t know to be honest. I feel like I’m on a Nathan Wolfe high.”
“Do you have feelings for him?”
“I don’t think they’re real. You know how women are. We tend to attach to the emotional side of sex. He’s the first guy I had sex with since Jared and the fact that he wanted me, made me feel good. He made me feel sexy again. So, that’s the high I’m on right now.” I let out a sigh.
“If you want my opinion, I think you did the right thing. You took the first step towards healing. You opened yourself up to someone else and I think it’s great. I probably would have dated someone first before jumping right into bed, but hey, to each his own.” He smiled and I lightly smacked his arm. “What I’m actually saying is that the scary part is over.”
Chapter 32
Nathan
I grabbed my tux and my bag and headed to the limo downstairs where Mason was waiting for me.
“It’s about time, bro.”
“Considering I didn’t get in until midnight after a long work week, you’re lucky I even remembered to set my alarm.”
“I had a tough week too at the station. It was one damn fire after another.”
“I can’t believe our brother is getting married today. Who would have thought?” I spoke.
“I know. It’s crazy. But him and Aspen are perfect for each other. They’re the perfect balance. Don’t you think?”
“I guess.” I furrowed my brows at him.
“How’s Allison doing?” Mason asked.
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen her all week.”
“You didn’t text her while you were away?”
“No. Why would I?”
“I just thought maybe with her being one of Elijah’s key lawyers, you’d be a little more sensitive. I’m sure she’s probably wondering why she hasn’t heard from you after you fucked her two times in Vegas.”
“To be honest, I don’t think she thinks anything. She knows how I am. And besides, I told you what happened between us was just sex and nothing else.”
“Yeah. Yeah. I know.”
We arrived at my mother’s townhome and when we stepped inside, Elijah was walking down the stairs in a pair of gray sweatpants.
“Why aren’t you dressed yet?” I asked.
“Because I was waiting on you two douchebags to get here.” He smiled as he gave us each a light hug.
“You ready for this, brother?” Mason asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Where’s Mom?” I asked.
“Upstairs with Ricky. He’s finishing up her hair and makeup. Let’s go and get ready. W
e have a photoshoot in an hour.”
The three of us stood at the bottom of the stairs as my mother walked down in her elegant Valentino dress.
“Wow, Mom. You look gorgeous.” I smiled as I kissed her cheek.
“Thank you, darling.”
She stood in front of us and I could see the tears filling her eyes.
“Look at you boys. You’re all so handsome.”
“Mom, don’t,” Mason said.
Elijah turned away and I knew it was because he was tearing up. Wuss.
“Okay. Let’s not ruin your makeup before pictures,” I said. “Where’s Eloise?”
“I’m right here.” She grinned as she walked into the foyer. “Hello boys. Caitlin, you look stunning.”
“Thank you, darling. And thank you for doing this for me.”
“You’re welcome. It’s my honor to photograph what’s going to be the most talked about wedding in New York.”
“How’s Christian, Eloise?” I asked. “I haven’t spoken to him in a while.
“He’s good. He said you all have a lot to catch up on later.”
After taking some pictures with our mother inside the townhouse, me and my brothers headed to Central Park for a few more.
* * *
Elijah wouldn’t pick just one of us to be his best man, so we both were. Since I was the second oldest, I was chosen to stand next to him while Mason stood next to me. As for the ring, both Mason and I would hand it to him together as well as give the speeches at the reception.
The ceremony was about to begin as I glanced over at Elijah and noticed the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
“Bro, you’re not nervous, are you?” I asked.
“About marrying Aspen, no. I’m nervous about getting a boner when I see her coming down that aisle.”
“Seriously? Shit.” I chuckled.
“Bro.” Mason lightly smacked my arm. “Look who just walked in.”
I glanced over and saw Allison on the arm of some dude. Instantly, my stomach twisted in a knot. Not just because she looked sexy as hell, but also because she was with someone.