Private Arrangements

by Brenda Jackson

  But still…

  And there was that but in there, although she wished otherwise. There was nothing wrong with enjoying herself while she was here, if time allowed. Her brother always said if you work hard then you should reward yourself and play harder. Truthfully, she couldn’t recall the last time she’d had some “let your hair down” fun. Maybe it was about time she did.

  Nikki settled back against her seat’s cushion. She had a feeling that before she left Vegas she was going to have an eye-opener as to just how sinful this city really was.

  Gannon Steele stared across the hotel room at his brother. “Now tell me again why Nikki Cartwright is arriving in Vegas earlier than planned?”

  Jonas rolled his eyes as he continued to button his shirt. He wasn’t surprised the youngest of the Steele brothers was questioning why he’d sent for Nikki to come to Vegas early. Gannon was pouting, disappointed that the two of them wouldn’t be hanging together as originally planned. That meant Gannon would have to visit some of the Vegas hot spots on his own, including the Doll House, a gentlemen’s club owned by one of Galen’s friends, Quinton Hinton.

  Gannon, who’d turned thirty a few months ago, was determined not only to blaze a trail for himself, but also to follow in his older brothers’ footsteps by doing the wild and the reckless. Over the years Gannon had heard about their outlandish escapades and exploits, and figured what was good for the goose was also good for the gander.

  “I told you already. She needs to get set up, and I need to make sure Fulton knows we’re on the job,” Jonas replied.

  “Yes, but her flying in means you’ll be working and really, man, nobody comes to Vegas to work.”

  “I did, and you knew that when you followed me here, so stop whining.”

  Gannon frowned. “Hell, I’m not whining.”

  Jonas rolled his eyes. “Yes, you are, so get over it already or I’ll send you back home to Mama.”

  Jonas chuckled when he saw Gannon’s frown. Brother number six hated being reminded he was the baby in the family. Jonas loved his youngest brother, but at times he really wondered about him and hoped to hell he didn’t end up being the worst of the lot where women were concerned. Their mother would never forgive them if he did. Gannon was still easily influenced by his older brothers and Eden had accused them more than once of corrupting Gannon’s mind.

  If only she knew. Gannon might be the youngest and he might be impressionable, but he could hold his own in ways Jonas didn’t want to even think about. Back in the day there was no such thing as social media. And now Gannon had taken internet dating to a whole new level. Hell, he had even come up with his own form of speed dating.

  “Checking out one of those brothels is on my to-do list today.”

  Jonas nodded. He wasn’t surprised and figured that visiting one of those would probably make Gannon’s day…and probably his night as well. He wouldn’t complain if it kept Gannon busy for a while and out of his hair. “Sounds like a good plan. And I’ll give Quinton a call to let him know you’ll be dropping by the Doll House sometime later and to make sure you have a good time.”

  Gannon’s face lit up. “Hey man, that will be great. I appreciate it.”

  Jonas chuckled. “Hey, that’s what brothers are for.”

  It was only after Gannon left that Jonas took a moment to sit down, unwrap a Tootsie Pop and stick it in his mouth as he reflected on the real reason he had asked Nikki to come to Vegas early. As much as he assumed he would have fun in Sin City, he’d discovered that instead he had spent his time thinking about her, counting the days, the hours—hell, even the minutes—when she was to fly in. And for a man who was usually on top of his game, he hadn’t been involved with any woman since the night they kissed. He hadn’t a desire to do so. Hell, what was that about?

  Instead of heeding these red flags, he took an even deeper plunge by summoning her earlier. At one point it was as if he couldn’t get her here fast enough. He was tired of waking up from dreams in which she had a leading role and which had left him hornier and even more frustrated. He could only smile at the depth of his manipulations. He’d seen it as the only way to take care of those pent-up frustrations that had begun taking over his senses. If things went as planned, his photographer would be arriving any minute.

  In all honestly, he had lied. There was nothing they needed to do before the launch party, but there was definitely something he needed to do. Bed her. Get her out of his system. And do it sooner than he’d anticipated.

  He checked his watch. He would give Nikki time to rest up from her flight and then he would seek her out.

  Nikki brushed back a curl from her face as she glanced around the spacious hotel suite. Decorated in the most vibrant colors and prints, it was simply beautiful. She hadn’t expected a suite. A standard room in this hotel would have been enough considering the hotel’s extravagance. But she had no complaints and liked the fact that Ideas of Steele was being more than generous.

  She had a sitting room separate from the bedroom, which had a bed that was bigger than any she’d ever seen. Leave it to Vegas, she thought. But what really caught her eye was the flower arrangement on the coffee table. Thinking it was a gift from the hotel, she crossed the room and pulled off the card.

  Nikki, welcome to Vegas. We need to have dinner later to go over a few new developments. I’ll call you. Jonas

  Her brow furrowed. New developments? Placing the card on the table she headed toward the bedroom to unpack, certain she would find out soon enough just what those new developments were.

  A short while later, after she had unpacked and taken a shower, she stood looking out the huge floor-to-ceiling window in the sitting room. Already she was anticipating nightfall when she would see the Strip light up. She figured she should have an awesome view from her suite on the thirtieth floor.

  She tightened the belt of her bath robe—courtesy of the hotel—and was about to go back into the bedroom when the hotel phone rang. Crossing the room, she picked it up. “Yes?”

  “Nikki, this is Jonas.”

  She drew in a deep breath. Why did he have to sound so darn sexy? And why did the fact that that sexy voice also belonged to a man with a sexy body and a drop-dead gorgeous face have her heart beating like crazy in her chest? She didn’t even have to close her eyes to envision the tall, dark and handsome mass of sensual masculinity on her phone. Just once she would love to run her fingers through his wavy hair, nibble at the corners of his lips before sliding her tongue between them.

  Feeling overheated and knowing those thoughts were out of line, she cleared her throat. “Jonas, thanks for the flowers. They’re beautiful.”

  “You’re welcome and I’m glad you like them. I felt it was the least I could do for having you come out sooner than we discussed. I appreciate your flexibility.”

  “No problem. You mentioned something about new developments.”

  “Yes. I’ll cover everything over dinner. Is six o’clock okay?”

  “Six will be fine. Do you want us to meet in the lobby?”

  “No, I thought we could have dinner in my suite.”

  She paused and immediately the intimate setting flashed right before her eyes and sent feathered sensations down her spine. She forced her heart to stop pounding while she tried to restrain her thoughts. The thought of just the two of them in his hotel room was—in addition to everything else—causing heat to form between her thighs.

  “Nikki?”

  Girl, get that head of yours out of the gutter. Can’t you tell by the sound of his voice he’s all about business and nothing else? He’s gotten two kisses off you and figures that’s enough, so chill. He hasn’t been the least bit unprofessional since you and he agreed on your terms. He probably wants to have an early dinner with you so he’ll have time for some hot date later tonight.

&nb
sp; “Yes, I’m still here,” she said, finally responding to her name

  “Will dinner in my hotel room at six work for you? If not, I could squeeze some time in for us to go out if you prefer.”

  Squeeze some time in? Please. Don’t do me any favors. “Dinner in your suite will work fine, Jonas. That way I can get out and tour the city later.” She stayed on the line long enough to get his room number before hanging up.

  She glanced at her watch. She had four hours and figured she might as well take a nap. After she had dinner with Jonas she would take a stroll down Las Vegas Boulevard. It was bound to be a long night and she wanted to be well-rested.

  Jonas paced his hotel room while sucking on a Tootsie Pop. He glanced at his watch again. He had another fifteen minutes and he didn’t know any woman who would arrive early to anything, so why was he tripping?

  Oh, he had an easy answer for that one. He wanted Nikki. Now if the evening would only go according to his plans. They would enjoy dinner and then enjoy each other—all night long. He was no longer worried about the outcome of any type of vulnerability on his part. Since seeing her in Phoenix he had convinced himself he was dedicated to bachelorhood, and there was no woman alive who could make him think differently, no matter how deep his desire for her went.

  Then what was with the flowers, Steele?

  “So okay, I sent them,” he muttered under his breath to the imaginary mocking voice he heard in his head. He had played on her romantic side in sending those flowers but didn’t feel the slightest bit of regret doing so. When it came to women the only time he played fair was when she belonged to someone else.

  So as far as he was concerned, the lines were free and clear with Nikki. A few months ago, without giving anything away, he’d gotten Galen into a conversation about her, figuring Galen and Brittany probably told each other everything. He’d been right.

  Although Galen didn’t know a whole hell of a lot, he was positive Nikki wasn’t seriously involved with anyone. Jonas had figured that much out on his own after they’d kissed that first time. And the second time, he hated to admit he hadn’t really thought about whether she’d gotten involved since then or not. Her dating status had been the last thing on his mind that night when he’d all but begged her for that kiss.

  He paused in his pacing to toss the finished pop in the trash. And speaking of that kiss—hell, not just one but both—he couldn’t get it out of his mind. It didn’t take much to remember the feel of her enticing curves plastered against him while he took her lips with a hunger that he could remember even to this day, at that very moment. His gut clenched and his heart began beating like crazy in his chest. There had to be a reason he wanted her so badly, and why even now his heart was racing while he waited for her arrival.

  He was about to start pacing again when he heard the knock on his hotel room door. He checked his watch and saw Nikki was seven minutes early. His mother, who was the epitome of punctuality, was seldom early. She would use every single minute to make sure she was well together, as she would say.

  Inhaling deeply he moved toward the door, feeling the way his heart was kicking with each step he took. He tried to prepare himself, figuring he was making a big deal out of nothing. Nikki probably wasn’t wearing makeup—not that she needed any. More than likely she was wearing jeans—although he thought she looked good in them, too. And chances were she had her camera around her neck since he’d only seen her without it a few times.

  He opened the door and swallowed deeply as his gaze ran all over her. She was wearing makeup, a skirt that showed off her beautiful legs, and instead of a camera, she had a beaded necklace around her neck.

  She looked simply gorgeous.

  Chapter 7

  “You did remember we had a meeting, didn’t you?” Nikki asked Jonas when he stood there and stared as if he hadn’t been expecting her. He was wearing dark dress slacks and a crisp white shirt, as if he was about to go out for the evening.

  “Of course. What makes you think otherwise?” he asked, stepping aside for her to enter.

  “You’re all dressed up.”

  His gaze roamed her up and down, then returned to her face. “So are you.”

  No, she wasn’t really, she thought, glancing down at herself. Little did he know the few times she did get dressed up, she cleaned up pretty well. “I’m checking out the Strip after our dinner meeting.”

  He closed the door and leaned back against it. “You do that a lot, don’t you?”

  She lifted a brow. “Do what?”

  “Go out alone. Why? I’m sure getting dates isn’t an issue for you.”

  They’d had this conversation before so why was he bringing it back up again, she wondered. Evidently he’d forgotten their discussion. “I like male company, don’t get me wrong, but once in a while I like just doing things solo. I don’t have to impress anyone or—”

  “Play the kind of games you think men like me are so good at playing,” he broke in to say.

  So he had remembered. “Um, yes, something like that.” Not wanting to get into a debate with him about the tactics he used with women and just what she thought of them, she glanced around. “I thought my room was nice—thanks, by the way—but this one is even nicer. But that’s expected since you’re the man.”

  “Am I?”

  She grinned. “Yes, my bank account will definitely proclaim such in six weeks.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. The sound was both surprising and heartwarming, sending hot shivers escalating up her body. In addition to the busy zipper on his pants, it seemed Jonas knew how to let down his hair and he had enough locks on his head to do it. “Glad to know I’m doing my part to stimulate the economy,” he said when he finally stopped laughing.

  She fought back the urge to tell him that he was doing his part in stimulating other things as well. Like that inner part of her that was feeling arousing sensations just from listening to his voice. And her eyes were appreciating the sight of him as well. His slacks covered muscled thighs, long legs and a trimmed waist, and his shirt couldn’t conceal well-defined abs and broad shoulders.

  She drew in a deep breath and then released it slowly. “Your note said something about a new development, which is why you wanted me in Vegas earlier than planned.”

  “Yes, we need to talk about that. Dinner will be here any minute.”

  She followed him to the sitting room, and when he gestured to the sofa, she sat down. Then she watched him ease his body into the chair across from her. He picked up a folder from the coffee table. It was then she noted the bag of Tootsie Pops. Evidently he liked the things.

  “It’s nothing major, just a change in how we’re presenting Velocity this weekend,” he said. “We’re still providing the brochures as planned, but I’ve come up with something I think will add dimension to our presentation.”

  “What?”

  “The use of JumboTrons, strategically located at different places in the ballroom, running simultaneously to give attendees an idea of what to expect when they board the Velocity.”

  She immediately envisioned such a thing in her head and could see it working to their benefit. “But will we have time to work on the video?”

  “Yes, my videographer, Rick Harris, is in Los Angeles now, putting together everything on his end. It’ll arrive on Friday. I’d like you and Rick to make sure everything is ready by Saturday night’s launch party.”

  He paused a moment and then asked, “What do you think of that idea?”

  “I think it’s fantastic. Rick and I have worked together before on other projects and he’s good.”

  Adding those JumboTrons really wasn’t a big deal and wouldn’t account for her having to drop everything and fly in to Las Vegas three days earlier than planned. There had to be more “new developm
ents” they had yet to discuss. She tilted her head to the side and gazed over at him. He had unwrapped one of those Tootsie Pops and placed it in his mouth.

  The muscles between her legs clenched at the way Jonas was sucking on the lollipop. You could tell he was getting sheer enjoyment out of doing so. And there was something about how the pop was easing in and out of his mouth, being worked by his tongue, leaving a sweet glaze all over his lips.

  He caught her staring and held her gaze. “Would you like one?”

  She swallowed. “No, thank you. Is there anything else to discuss?”

  He shook his head and put the unfinished pop aside. “No, that’s about it.”

  “You seem to like those,” she said, motioning to the bag of Tootsie Pops on the table in front of him.

  Jonas smiled. “Yes, they have definitely grown on me. They started out as a supportive measure from my brothers when I quit smoking some years back. They figured the pops would replace the cigarette. Basically they have.”

  He checked his watch. “Dinner should be here soon.”

  Nikki nodded. If the JumboTrons were the only new development then her coming to Vegas early made no sense, especially when Rick wouldn’t be arriving until Friday. That meant she had two whole days to do practically nothing.

  She was about to point that out to Jonas when there was a knock on the door. He stood. “I’ll get that. I think that’s our dinner.”

  Jonas took a deep, steadying breath while watching Nikki leave to go to the powder room to wash her hands. He had seen the look in her eyes when she’d asked if there were any other new developments. She was an intelligent woman and was probably wondering why he’d sent for her three days before she was actually needed. Adding those JumboTrons was no big deal. She knew it as well as he did.

  “Will there be anything else, sir?”