“Are you all right?” he asks, like he just read my mind.
Or my face. I know it’s pretty expressive. I can’t count all the times I’ve gotten into trouble after letting my true thoughts shine through on my face. “Yeah, I’m fine.” I force a smile. “Do you gamble a lot?”
“No. Do you?”
“I’ve never gambled before.”
“You’ve never gambled? Not even a lotto ticket?” he teases.
“No.” I laugh. “I haven’t even been legally allowed to gamble for very long, you know.”
“Aww… my baby.” He winks, and takes my hand as we enter the casino.
I blink hard, looking around, taking it all in at once. I don’t know what I expected. Something louder, I guess. Smoky. Seedy. Nothing like what I see in front of me now.
“It’s actually quite beautiful,” I whisper, instantly embarrassed at what a nerd I must sound like. Who says something like that? But it’s the truth. A giant, blown glass chandelier hangs in the center of the room, shining down on the chrome slot machines and their blinking lights. There are banks of them just about everywhere, along with tables with all sorts of games. I only recognize a few of them. I should’ve done a little research last night, instead of wasting all that time trying to sleep.
Brock doesn’t look as though he thinks I’m a nerd. He looks thrilled, in fact, his eyes are shining like the ocean on a bright sunny day again, as he leads me further into the casino. “Come on. Let’s have a little fun.”
“What do you want to do?” I ask, my head swiveling back and forth. There are so many people here, all at once. It’s not even noon, but here they are. And I’m one of them. I never dreamed I would spend this weekend in a place like this. What an adventure this has turned out to be.
“Oh, so many things…” he mutters cynically, and just loud enough for me to hear.
I don’t think I was supposed to hear it, honestly, but I did. And my palms instantly start to sweat. “Why don’t you pick something we could do here, in the casino?” I suggest with a giggle.
“Since you insist.” He scans the room. “We can start on the slots. I’ll take it slow, and be gentle with you. Since you’re a virgin.”
“Shut up!” I squeal, slapping his shoulder with my palm.
He grabs my wrist and holds it behind my back and pushes himself right up against me. “Hey. No shame. We all start off as virgins, right?”
I stare at his mouth as it curves up in a knowing smile. This man is sex on a stick. Why does he have to be so sexy? “Don’t be a jerk,” I croak.
He lets me go with a smirk, and turns toward a bank of machines.
I’m almost relieved for the distraction. My knees are a little weak, and there goes the tingling between my legs again. Stronger than last night, even. I pick a machine at random and sit.
He slips a hundred dollar bill into the machine and I start to play…and darned if this isn’t the most fun I’ve had in forever. How in the world is this so much fun? “All I’m doing is pulling on this arm over and over. Why is it so addictive?”
He chuckles as he leans in over my shoulder, while his hand closes over the one I’ve wrapped around the machine’s arm. “If you think it’s fun to pull on this…”
“Oh, come on!” I laugh, elbowing him even as my heart skips a beat. “Sorry, but unless you’re going to open your mouth and spew out a fortune…”
“I thought I already had,” he murmurs.
I give him my best withering look. “Is that what you think I think of you? That you’re just a slot machine?”
“No. At least, I hope not. And if you do, I’m more than willing to prove otherwise.”
“You don’t need to prove anything. I hope you know me well enough by now to know I would never think that about anybody, especially not you.”
He sits on the stool next to mine, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees until only inches of air separates us. “Maybe I want to prove to you that I’m more than that.”
I must be imagining this. I’m back up in the suite, finally sleeping, dreaming the most vivid dream of my life. But the sound of bells and cheers are real, just like the goosebumps running up and down my arms. I can’t be dreaming them. “And how would you go about doing that?” I ask in a voice that shakes and gives away my nerves.
“I’m sure I could think of something.”
“I bet you could.” I reach for the arm of the slot machine just to have something to do, and pull down. We both jump in surprise when a siren sounds.
“What?” I scream.
“You won,” he says, laughing.
“I won?”
He nods.
“I won!” I scream, jumping up and down, clapping hard enough that my hands hurt.
Brock picks me up and swings me around in a circle, his laughter ringing in my ears as the machine’s screen lights up with, WINNER!
I’m almost excited enough to not notice the way his hands warm my skin even through the sundress between us.
Almost.
A casino employee issues a huge payout slip with my winnings, but Brock and I are too busy staring at each other to even look at it. Everything I told myself last night about protecting my heart just slips away. I don’t even know how much the machine paid out. It sort of doesn’t matter at that moment. There are more important things to focus on. Like the way Brock’s hands linger on my back. The way my breasts are pressed up against his chest. And the way it feels like something is choking me and I can’t quite breathe because of that look in his eyes.
Something is going to happen, and I’m not going to stop it. I want it too badly.
When he takes me by the hand and leads me from the casino, I follow without a word.
Chapter 30
Dani
The doors of the elevator swish close. We are alone. The wall of the elevator car is hard, unforgiving, when Brock pushes me against it. His eyes bore holes into me, staring into my soul. When he speaks, his voice is raspy with desire, “I didn’t sleep all night thinking about you.”
My jaw drops. “Really?”
“Yes, really,” he mocks. Sinking his hands into my hair, he pulls my face to his, crushing our mouths together.
It’s so much better than it was before because it’s for us—just us. He thrusts his hips, grinding against me, the pressure from his hardening dick a reminder of what’s about to happen. I return the pressure and his groan sends shivers all through me.
He wants me. He wants this.
So do I. Oh, Lord—so do I. I can’t help but wrap a leg around his thigh, pulling him even closer as his kiss leaves me panting. The doors can’t open soon enough. When they do, he lifts me to waist-height and I wrap my legs around him, with his mouth still covering mine. We burst through the door to the suite and he doesn’t take me to the bedroom. Instead, he pushes me against the closed door, and holds me there with the weight of his body.
“God, you drive me crazy,” he groans, his hands now free to slide over my skin.
I lean my head against the door, moaning his name while his mouth skims my throat and his tongue darts out, hot and hungry. “Jesus, Dani,” he rasps, his fingers digging into my thigh before moving further up my leg.
My cries echo through the suite as he caresses the curve of my butt, teasing both of us. He’s right at the lacy hem of my damp panties, stroking the sensitive skin, and my fingers turn into claws as I clutch his shoulders.
“Oh, my God,” I moan as his mouth moves lower, lower. His tongue slides between my breasts and laps at my cleavage. I hold his head close, urging him on, whispering his name over and over, while he grunts like an animal and grinds his rock-hard bulge against my belly. His fingers dip down there, between my thighs, and he groans louder than ever when he feels how wet I am.
And now…he’s on his knees and sliding my panties down. My head rolls from side to side when he buries his face between my legs. God, I’m in heaven. Fireworks explode behind my eyelids as I writhe in
ecstasy. His tongue sweeps up and down the length of my slit, lapping up my juices.
“You taste so sweet…” he moans before going deeper.
When the tip of his tongue touches my aching, throbbing bundle of nerves, my thighs clench, and to my complete shock, an explosive orgasm rocks me to my core. I don’t know whether he’s laughing at how easy it was to get me off, or grunting with need as he continues to probe with his greedy tongue. All I know is, I’m floating in a haze of pleasure and I don’t want to ever come back down to Earth.
He stands and sweeps me up in his arms. Carrying me to my room which is closer and places me on my bed. He peels off his shirt, revealing a body that looks like it was chiseled out of marble. Warm, tanned, glistening, tattooed marble. My hands ache to touch him. I need to feel his skin on mine. I sit up to unzip my dress and he works it over my head. Then his hands are gliding over my raised arms and down to my waist, and back up to where he unhooks my bra. “Your body…” he whispers as he takes my breasts in his hands. “Is unbelievable. I want to worship this body.”
I drape my arms over his bare shoulders, pull him down on top of me, and relish the sensation of his hard, masculine body pressing into mine while we kiss and grind against each other. I never thought it could be like this, so exciting, so breathless and so, so hot. The tension in my core tightens with every kiss, every touch, every taste of his skin or soft moan. My hand brushes against his straining dick.
“I need you. Fuck, how I need you,” he groans.
My fingers close around his length. So thick. I thought I was drunk and dreamed it last night, but no, it is extraordinarily thick. The cotton briefs he’s wearing are still between us, and he practically tears them off. “I need you too,” I whisper back.
I touch him while he searches his pants for a condom, taking him in with my eyes, hands and mouth when he comes into reach. He’s undone me, fully and completely, and I’m not thinking rationally anymore. I’m only feeling and acting on what my body has wanted ever since I first opened my eyes to find him watching me sleep.
The pressure at my entrance is enough to make me grit my teeth. He’s big, thicker than I’ve ever taken before, and I’m torn between anticipation and apprehension.
He kisses me softly, teasingly, and looks deep into my eyes as he pushes forward, watching my reaction as he slowly enters me inch by glorious inch, stretching me until I’m sure I can’t take more.
But I do. I want all of him, and my body adjusts quickly.
He begins thrusting then—deep, sure thrusts. Again and again, until my eyes close and my mouth falls open to allow cries of lust to fill the room. I’ve never been loud like this before, but I can’t be quiet. Not now. It’s like I’ve been playing in the minor leagues before now, and I finally understand what it’s all about.
True passion, true pleasure.
He falls onto his forearms, his weight heavy and welcome, and I wrap my legs around him to drive him further inside me. I want all of him, always. Forever. I know that isn’t possible, but I can’t help wishing this was for always. Gently, I lick away the sweat from his throat and listen as he whispers my name against my neck. It’s all so sweet, so perfect. We work together, moving as one, until we both lose control and dissolve into frenzied bucking, crying out each time our bodies slam together.
“Yes!” I scream, clenching around him as I explode.
He follows close behind.
We hold each other there for a minute as we come back down and our quivering bodies are all that’s left of our tremendous climaxes.
And the memories.
I’ll always have the memories. A single tear trickles down my cheek, and I brush it away before he raises his head from my shoulder.
“Are you all right?” he asks apprehensively, brushing hair away from my face.
“The earth moved for me.” I grin, trying to keep it lighthearted. “Or couldn’t you tell?”
He smiles, relieved, and rolls away even though I want nothing more than to hold him forever. All I can do is try to put myself together and wonder where we’re supposed to go from here.
Propping himself up on one elbow, he looks down at me tenderly. “You have no idea how much I’ve been wanting to do that.”
I blush all over. “Really?”
“I wasn’t just playing at flirting with you, you know.”
“I thought we were—umm—pretending.” My heart feels as if it’s about to burst when he draws me into his arms. We’re on the cusp of something amazing. I can just feel it.
His phone buzzes, startling both of us.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake. It’s okay. They’re just texts.”
“No, look at them. They may be important,” I say softly.
He looks as if he is about to say something else, but then just sighs and reaches for his phone.
I have to extricate myself from his arms to allow him to do so. I sit up against the pillows. I watch as he reads his messages, his expression darkening.
He looks out the window for a moment, like he’s weighing his options.
My heart sinks. “What is it?”
“It’s Mark. He needs a little sanity. Apparently, the bride has been a terror all day. She’s been screaming and cursing at the wedding party, and even threatened to back out of the entire event and go to the chapel in town. The wedding planner is in tears. He just made it out of the rehearsal.”
“Imagine that,” I say dryly.
“After the stunt she pulled last night, I don’t care if I never see her again.”
I shrug. “But it’s not her who wants some moral support, is it?”
“Mark’s a big boy. He can handle his own shit.”
“It’s okay. Go on. Be a good friend to him. We can catch up later.”
He stares at me with an inscrutable expression. “You sure?”
“Absolutely,” I say firmly.
“Do you know that you are incredible?”
“I do. But you are allowed to remind me occasionally.”
Grinning, he sprints out of bed and goes to his room. He returns after having put on a black t-shirt and jeans, looking more casual than I’ve ever seen him. It’s a good look. Then again, he could wear anything and look good.
“Buy him a drink for me, huh?” I grin, settling back against the pillows. I can handle him leaving me to help his best friend.
“What about you? Will you catch up on some sleep?” He sits on the edge of the bed, suddenly tender and intimate.
It feels like every dream I’ve ever had just came roaring to life. My insides feel all gooey. I make a mental note to pinch myself when he’s out of the room. Just in case. “I don’t think I have the time. I made an appointment at the salon. Gotta look my best tonight, right?”
His smile is sweet as he runs a strand of my hair through his fingers. “You look pretty damn good to me right now.”
“I’m glad you think so, but I doubt this ensemble would be considered acceptable for a fancy Vegas wedding.”
We both chuckle softly before he plants a passionate kiss on my waiting lips. My fingers claw into his hair.
He pulls back, his eyes dark. “Damn, but it is so hard to leave you.”
I smile at this. “Go on. I’ll see you this evening?”
He kisses me again, and stands up. “Okay. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”
“Ha, ha,” I say.
He walks to the door and blows me a kiss.
I catch it. It feels so natural, normal. Like we could be an actual couple in another life, another world in which things like that actually happen to people like me.
Then again, maybe this is that world.
When Brock turns to throw me one last look before leaving—there’s something in his eyes that wasn’t there before. I sternly tell myself not to get carried away. It could be my imagination. Or a trick of the light.
Chapter 31
Dani
I kind of hope to run into Brock and Mark downstairs. Or just Brock.
I wouldn’t mind another kiss. If we were convincing before, I can just imagine how much more we’ll be now.
The thought of it makes me smile, biting my lip in anticipation of what might happen. I don’t want to believe this could ever go further than it already has, but my heart’s already miles ahead of my brain. Nobody can make love the way he made love to me without feeling something, can they?
I’m so busy recalling what just happened upstairs and wondering what else we might do later, maybe after the wedding, that I don’t notice Charlotte until she’s practically standing on top of me.
And she’s still in full-on Bridezilla mode. I’m surprised there aren’t flames shooting from her eyes as she glares at me. “What are you doing down here by yourself?” she demands, like she’s accusing me of a crime.
I look at her closely. She really has some balls. There’s no remorse at all for what she did to me last night. Well, I won’t give her the satisfaction of knowing I suffered last night. Let her think her plan didn’t have any success. “What do you mean?” I ask with a friendly smile.
She rolls her eyes. “I mean, it isn’t like Brock to let his woman wander around on her own.”
“You make him sound like a caveman.” I chuckle. What I really want to do is slap the smug look off her face, but a catfight in the middle of the lobby probably wouldn’t bode well for the rest of the weekend. And something tells me nothing would make her happier than seeing me break down and lose my cool.
“Well? Isn’t he? I mean, if he’s serious about you, I would imagine he’s got you on a pretty short leash.” She eyes me up and down with a smirk, not even trying to fake niceness any more.
Truly, I like it this way. I always prefer to know exactly where I stand with a person. “Maybe he just trusts me,” I suggest with a shrug.
Her eyes darken and narrow into thin slits. Yeah, that got her. But she’s not just giving up and going away, she’s just warming up. She leans in. “Or maybe he doesn’t care enough to get jealous.”
The Promise Page 27