by Jessica Gray
“Mexico?” Karen’s pulse spiked for a split second. “Sure, email me the files, I’ll get started in the morning.” Then she waved her fingers at Sheila and almost skipped out of the building.
She decided to take a stroll through downtown and do some window -shopping before she drove back to Rachel and Peter’s place, enjoying the sunshine and feeling happy inside for the first time in weeks. Karen left one of the shops with a small gift for Rachel as a thank-you for her extended hospitality.
Just when she stepped onto the sidewalk, she spied Robert walking toward her and hesitated for one moment. He looks good. Oh god, how much I’ve missed him.
Missing him while he was out of sight and she was immersed in her work was an entirely different thing than seeing him in the flesh walking toward her. She was at loose ends, and the emptiness and solitude she’d tucked away hit her with full force.
Moments later he glanced up and recognized her, and her heart skipped a beat when he cast her a full-blown smile. A smile that had her heart racing and her body humming in anticipation. But she wouldn’t go there. No, she wouldn’t.
More than a week had passed since their fight and while his presence – and that smile – reminded her why she’d fallen for him the first time around, she also remembered how ugly their fight had been. It was better not to go there. She waved at him and accelerated her steps. I have to get away. Fast.
A hand on her shoulder stopped her and she knew it was his big hand before she turned and saw him. Robert had covered the distance between them in record time and looked at her with pleading eyes. “Karen. Please. Don’t leave.”
“I should…”
“…go get coffee with me…” He flashed her another smile and then slid his hand down her shoulder until he had hold of her arm. “…and give me a chance to apologize.”
Her arm had tingles racing up and down it, and suddenly her legs went wobbly. If his unique scent didn’t cloud her brain so much, she might be able to come up with an appropriate response. “Okay,” she said breathlessly, despite her best intentions to stay away from him.
“I missed you so much, babe,” he said with an expression on his face that she couldn’t quite give a proper name. “I’m so sorry, I behaved like the worst Neanderthal. But when I saw you with that other guy, I freaked out. I suddenly become aware that I could actually lose you.”
He moved his hand to the small of her back as they made their way across downtown to her favorite coffee shop. His touch was warm and familiar, yet exciting and new.
“You were jealous.” Karen couldn’t hide a smug grin.
He didn’t take her up on her teasing; he answered, “Hell, yes, I was. I hadn’t thought it possible but I wanted to strangle that man with my bare hands. Babe, I don’t want to lose you and I don’t want that fight to stand between us. Do you think you can forgive me?”
Robert guided her into the coffee shop and held the chair for her while she sat down. She’d missed his attentiveness. So much. “I can forgive you for the fight, it was partly my fault too. But for lying to me during all those years? That will be much more difficult. Right now, I’m not sure if I can. I do love you, but I don’t know if that’s enough.”
His eyes locked with hers and she felt all her resolve swimming away as she looked into those deep blue pools. The waitress interrupted them, and they ordered coffee and a double chocolate chip cookie. Karen leaned back, immersed in her thoughts of what had been and what might be in the future.
“What’s going through that pretty little head of yours?” he asked, watching her eyes carefully.
“I was just thinking about us.” She paused, and then added, “And what’s been missing.”
“So, you’ve felt it too?” he asked, twirling a stir stick between his fingers.
Karen nodded, her conversation with Rachel coming to mind and causing her to blush. She swallowed and tried to keep the conversation focused. “It’s like we just became boring. I was unhappy and didn’t even recognize it.”
He nodded. “That’s my fault. I should have spent less time at work, and more time with you. After you moved in, it was like we became an old married couple overnight.”
“Yes, and it scares the hell out of me. I’m far too young to be old and boring.”
Robert laughed out loud. “That’s for sure, babe.”
“But it’s not just that. I don’t know what to do with the fact that you broke my trust. Will I have to worry every day that you’re hiding something from me?”
“You won’t. I promise.” He reached for her hands as he finished speaking. “Karen, Marcela agreed to the divorce. She signed the paperwork today.”
“Really?” she asked, feeling a spark of hope that maybe they did have a future together. She sobered when she remembered why Marcela had fled Mexico. “She’s not going to get deported, is she?”
“No. And the lawyer who’s handling the divorce has already been instructed to help her and send me the bill if she has any problems.”
“You’re a nice guy,” she said.
“Being a nice guy is what got me into this mess to begin with. Maybe I need to try not being quite so nice.” He winked at her and Karen blushed in return.
“Hmm.”
“So, are you willing to give me a second chance?”
Karen nodded, as he leaned toward her. Before her brain could make sense of his move, he sealed his lips over hers. Ohmygod. She’d forgotten, just how good his kisses felt. And he didn’t kiss nicely either; no, he nudged her lips open and ravaged her mouth with a passion they hadn’t experienced in a long time. His big hands cupped her head and pulled her tighter against him. He licked and sucked and bit, his teeth and tongue exploring every last corner of her mouth. Every last ounce of her that had resolved to keep her distance from him evaporated like a mist in the sunshine.
With heated cheeks she broke their kiss and came up for air. But one look into his darkened eyes and she sobered enough to know he hadn’t told her everything. “What? What haven’t you told me?”
He flinched and squared his shoulders, before he said, “I’m moving to Las Vegas.”
“You’re what?” she shrieked, remembering they were in a public place when several customers looked over at them and shook their heads in disapproval. “Sorry,” she whispered back. “You’re what?”
“I have to live in Las Vegas for six weeks before I can file the divorce papers.”
“Why not here? Why Las Vegas, of all places?”
He looked at her with pleading eyes. “Babe. I hate moving to Las Vegas as much as you do, but Mr. Matthews, the attorney, said it was the best place for a quick and quiet divorce, no questions asked. Marcela doesn’t even have to show up, and the risk of either of us being investigated for fraud marriage is minimal. Unlike here in California.”
“And your job?”
“I’ll work remotely from there as much as I can, and will probably travel once a week to Santa Clara. Babe, you probably have a ton of questions, and honestly, I don’t have all of the answers worked out yet. But I do have a suggestion I want you to consider.”
He paused and she nodded, trying to bring a structure into the jumbled mess of her thoughts.
“We should use these next six weeks as a cooling-off period. It will give us both a chance to re-evaluate what we want out of our relationship. The day I file for divorce, I’ll call you and we’ll take it from there. Wherever there may be.”
“Cooling off?” Karen echoed.
“Yes. You told me you can’t be with me while I’m still married; I’m just honoring your request.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Remember what happened the last time we were alone.”
Karen flushed furiously, thinking back to the wild night of after-breakup sex. He flashed a sexy grin. “Not that I didn’t like it. I liked it a lot. And if we see each other again, I can’t guarantee it won’t happen again. But that’s not what you want, babe.“
She had no idea what she wante
d, but she was sure what she hated: not seeing Robert for six weeks.
“It’s really not that long. You’ll see. This will be a good thing for our relationship.”
Where the hell does he get that pearl of wisdom from? “If you say so.”
After he left, she wanted to scream. Six weeks. It seemed like forever, and she already missed him.
Chapter 9
Karen had moved back into the house she’d shared with Robert since he’d moved to Las Vegas. Five weeks and six days ago.
Every single day, she’d missed Robert a little more. Rachel had filled her in that Robert travelled to Santa Clara two days every week to take care of business matters that couldn’t be handled remotely.
But she hadn’t seen or spoken to him since that day in the coffee shop, and she was going stir crazy. She wanted to see him, touch him, hear him, smell him – heck, she wanted all of him.
Her cell phone rang and she answered it reluctantly. “Hello?”
“Karen, this is Sheila.”
“Hi, Sheila,” she replied, wondering why her boss was calling her that late in the afternoon?
“I hope I’m not disturbing you, do you have a minute?”
“Sure, Sheila. Shoot.” Karen put the Bluetooth headset into her ear and set the phone on the kitchen counter. With Sheila a minute could be anything from five minutes to an hour, and she had dinner to prepare. Later this evening Rachel would come over for a girls’ night. She took up the knife she’d put down when the phone rang.
“I have a new author who has specifically requested you to translate several books in his series.”
“He requested me?” Karen almost chopped off her finger.
“Yes. Evidently you come recommended from the author whose bestselling thriller you translated several weeks ago.”
“That’s nice to hear.” Karen continued chopping veggies for a Chinese wok dish she wanted to try. “And you couldn’t tell me this tomorrow in the office?”
Sheila chuckled into the phone. “Caught me here. There’s a caveat.”
“And that is?” Karen asked. Something smelled fishy here. Had everyone else turned down the work already and so Sheila was trying to schmooze her into saying yes?
“The author insists on meeting you in person before signing the contract.”
“He wants to meet me? Why?” Karen put the chopped veggies aside and started to boil water for cooking the rice.
“I don’t ask those types of questions. I only tell them what the job is going to cost and ask when they would like it completed. Besides, it’s a free trip to Las Vegas – don’t complain.”
Las Vegas? “No, Sheila, I cannot go to Las Vegas.” The rice tumbled all over the kitchen counter.
“Of course you can. You go to the airport, get on the plane, and when it lands, you get off. Easy peasy.”
Karen was torn. In her experience, authors who behaved weird from the beginning only tended to get weirder and more difficult to work with. They tended to request change after change after change. She’d done a few jobs like that, and it seemed like those manuscripts took ages to get finished.
“Sheila, I don’t know. This sounds like a problem job.” She picked up dustpan and broom to chase after the scattered rice grains.
“So, the author is a bit unorthodox. I need you to take this job. It could mean a lot more work for the business and for you. He even offered to pay your expenses, which includes two full nights in one of the best hotels in Vegas. You’ve been so lovesick lately, you can certainly use a good distraction.”
“I don’t know…”
“I’ll even throw in one day off and if you count the weekend, you’d have five days away from work and worries.”
Five days off in a row? That doesn’t sound so bad. “Okay, I’ll do it.” The water was boiling, but she had to go to the pantry first and get new rice.
“Great. I’ll email you the particulars. You leave first thing in the morning.”
“As in tomorrow? Why so soon?” The rice could wait. Karen leaned against the kitchen counter and focused on the conversation.
“Because that’s what the client wants.”
“And we always give the clients what they want,” Karen finished Sheila’s mantra and rolled her eyes. “You really expect me to drop everything and rush to Vegas to meet some unorthodox author?”
“That’s why I called so late. You can thank me later.”
Thank her? She does have some nerve. “Okay. But just because you threw in a day off.” Sheila laughed and disconnected the call.
The bell rang and Rachel stepped inside. She hugged Karen and waved two bottles of red wine in her hands. “Look what I got us.”
“Merlot. I’m sure we can make use of it.” Karen giggled and told Rachel to follow her into the kitchen.
The moment Rachel stepped into the kitchen, her eyes widened, “What happened here? Someone dropped a bomb?”
Karen glanced at the mess she’d only half-cleaned and said, “One could say so. I’m going to Las Vegas to meet an author.”
Rachel cast a questioning glance at her and Karen repeated the conversation she’d just had with Sheila, ending it on a question: “Do you think it’s a good idea?”
“Sweetie, it’s fantastic. A few days in a posh hotel will do you wonders. You should take advantage of the in-house spas and go all out.”
“I don’t know about that. But I’m worried I’ll run into Robert…”
“In Vegas? Are you kidding me? The place is huge. I can’t imagine you’d met him down there. When do you go?’
“Tomorrow morning,” Karen said.
“Girl, we need to get you packed.”
“I can…”
“Thankfully I arrived at your place just at the right time. It’s Vegas, and left to your own devices you wouldn’t pack the right stuff.”
“Okay. But can we have dinner first?”
Rachel giggled, and together they cleaned the kitchen and finished preparing dinner. By the time they’d finished their meal and the first bottle of Merlot, both of them were in a boisterous mood.
“Come on, let’s get you packed,” Rachel said and dragged Karen behind her into the master bedroom. Despite Karen’s feeble protest she helped her pick out several serviceable business suits, and then she started pulling out sexy little dresses and sheer shirts to be paired with leather leggings.
“Why do I need these types of clothes?”
“Because you’re going to Vegas. People go there to have fun and show off. Why not live a little while you’re down there?”
Karen smiled, thinking that was exactly the attitude she would have had three years earlier. Before meeting Robert. But to do so now? She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
Rachel took her silence as agreement and tossed in a sinfully sexy black dress, four-inch heels, and a handful of decadent lingerie and undergarments.
The next morning Karen boarded her flight, amazed to see she was seated in first class. She’d never flown in such luxury, and when the flight attendant brought her a fluffy omelet filled with flavorful cheeses and a mimosa, she leaned back and enjoyed being spoiled. Thank God Sheila talked me into making this trip.
A limo was waiting for her as she exited the terminal, her name written neatly in chalk upon a black chalkboard the driver was holding.
“Hi. I’m Karen Prescott.”
“Allow me to take your bags, Miss Prescott,” the driver offered, opening the door for her and then closing it once she was seated. Karen settled back against the leather seat, wondering who this author was who could afford such luxury for his translator.
Her wonder and excitement only became bigger when the limo pulled up in front of the Mirage Hotel. She spotted the famous waterfall, and remembered the pictures she’d seen of the volcano erupting. Wow. She had to come down one night and see the full show during her stay in Vegas. Double wow. She was supposed to stay in this hotel? The whole trip felt more like a fairy tale than a business tr
ip.
Karen floated across the glitzy lobby to the reception desk and checked into her room. The uniformed clerk escorted her up to the eleventh floor, where he opened the door for her that read Tower Suite, and set her bag inside. “Enjoy your stay, miss.”
She attempted to tip him, but he assured her it had already been taken care of. This author sure knows how to treat people.
She stepped inside the room, closing the door while her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. When she opened them again, she moved into the room and stopped in shock. Sitting on the couch was the best sight she’d seen in six weeks. Robert.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, launching herself into his arms.
“I had to see you,” he murmured into her hair, hugging her close.
Karen stepped back, “I thought we weren’t supposed to see each other…”
“…until I filed for divorce.” He nodded and then reached for a large sheaf of papers. “I filed them this morning.”
She accepted the papers, reading the heading and feeling tears fill her eyes. “So, you’re almost divorced.”
He shook his head. “Not almost. I am divorced. There’s no waiting time in Nevada. As long as both parties are in agreement, it becomes official the day the county clerk records it. That would be today.”
Karen looked from him to the papers and back again. He’s free to be mine!
Chapter 10
“Karen, I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too.”
“This time apart showed me just how much I really love you.” He watched her eyes soften and stepped closer to her, encroaching on her personal space, anxiously anticipating whether she’d shy away and breathing a sigh of relief when she didn’t. “I want to kiss you.”
“Just kiss me?” she asked with a teasing lilt to her voice.
“To begin with,” he murmured, taking her lips with his own in a gentle exploration that lasted all of five seconds. The sweet and tantalizing taste of her was like drinking ambrosia, and he needed more. A lot more.