The Troublemaker

by Cathryn Fox

  While those are two very hard choices, and I wouldn’t complain either way, I say, “I never gave you my answer.” I kind of like that he doesn’t think I’m a sure thing—even though I totally am. I’d have to be the village idiot to turn down that offer.

  “Yeah, I know, and I don’t want your answer until the end of the day actually.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because I’m going to do everything in my power to convince you it’s a good idea.” He puts his hand on the small of my back and stretches out his fingers, until they’re stroking the swell of my ass. He does not play fair.

  “You’re trouble, Cason,” I say, interested to see how he plans to seduce me back into his bed, or my bed. Actually, it was Emily’s bed, and that reminder momentarily fills me with unease. I shut it down quickly. He might have gone to her bed, but Cason is here with me now, because last night was fun.

  He takes my hand and gives a gentle tug, leading me outside. A rush of air whips my hair from my shoulders, and sensations clutch my throat as he slowly walks me to the edge.

  “I’ve got you. This is safe,” he says as every muscle in my body squeezes tight. “Kinsley,” he says so sharply my head jerks up and my gaze shoots to his.

  “What?”

  “For God’s sake, breathe,” he says laughing, and tension eases from my body as I take in a big breath of fresh—or rather polluted—air. Still, it helps relax me, and I get to lean on Cason, and that’s not so bad either.

  “I’m breathing, I’m breathing,” I say, and put my arms around him, under the guise of being frightened, which I am, but this has more to do with copping a feel of his deliciously hard body.

  “Want to walk around it, it’s a great view of Vegas.”

  “Yeah, okay. Just don’t let me go.”

  “I won’t.”

  His arm wraps around me, and I absorb his strength and comfort, as we walk and he begins to point out landmarks. After a while, I relax even more.

  “It is kind of cool up here,” I say as I snuggle into Cason and take in the sights.

  He wags his eyebrows playfully. “You know what that means.”

  “No, what?” I ask.

  He stops walking, and turns into me, his hands on my shoulders. He casts a glance around, to make sure no one is paying attention to us, I assume, and then says, “You’re having a good time, Kins. That means, you’re mine tonight. Anything I want.”

  Oh, God, that sounds so awesome. I lift my chin an inch, bringing my lips closer to his. “But I still haven’t said yes yet.”

  His grin is cheeky, and playful. “Not with words, but from the way you’ve been looking at me, and copping all the feels, your body is telling a whole different story.”’

  “I am not copping all the feels.” He arches a challenging brow. “Okay, much,” I say and burst out laughing with him. His eyes narrow in on me, and he touches my chin, angles my mouth, and before I even realize what’s going on, he’s kissing me one-thousand feet above the ground. Technically it’s not that high, it just feels it. But his kisses are leaving me breathless, like I am soaring into outer space. I moan into his mouth and his tongue plays with mine. Warmth bombards me, the pulse at the base of my neck climbing, and for the briefest of seconds, my stupid heart tries to get involved. But I am not allowing that. No way am I going to ruin our friendship by thinking this could be more. He’s a known player, and I am not looking for any kind of relationship when I have a business that needs all my attention. Plus, guys suck.

  Oh, how you loved when Cason sucked.

  He breaks away and steals another glance around. “Shit, sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. Not if you want to keep this a secret.”

  “We should don’t you think?” I don’t know why I’m asking that. Do I really want, or expect, him to say he wants to tell everyone what we’re doing—because this might be more?

  “Yeah, I do,” he says and air leaves my lung in a hiss, leaving me feeling like a deflated balloon. Which is ridiculous! I don’t want to start anything with him, and he clearly doesn’t want to start anything with me. This is a brief Vegas affair…and what happens in Vegas. Well we all know the answer to that.

  “Want to look through the viewfinder,” I say, a little upset that my thoughts went down a road they had no right going.

  “Sure.”

  We step up to the viewfinder, and I look through. It’s hard to concentrate on anything though, especially with Cason standing so close behind me, his pelvis area nearly pressed against my backside.

  “You go,” I say.

  “Nah, I’ve already seen it,” he says. He throws his arm around me. “Besides I like the view up here on the deck better.”

  As his gaze moves over my face, I laugh. “How many times has that line worked for you?” I ask, even though I am a sure thing.

  “Once?” he questions, an adorable grin on his face.

  “No.”

  “Damn, I guess I’m going to have to pull out the playbook this time, huh?”

  “You better bring your A-game if you want me in your bed tonight, pal,” I say.

  His cocky grin is back. “Are you sure you can handle my A-game, Kins?”

  Lord, if he was playing with B-effort, then his A-game might just do me in—physically and emotionally. But I’m not about to tell him that. I want this.

  I want him.

  “I guess we’re going to find out,” I say.

  5

  Cason

  I like her. A lot. I always have actually. She’s funny and sexy and I love that she came here with an open mind. I never stopped to think about how hard she works, or how many hours she spends on her truck, but she’s always behind the window cooking and serving up food. If I can help her have fun while here, then I’m all about it. When we return back home, things go back to the way they were. Kinsley doesn’t want more than this, and I’m okay with that.

  As the ropes holding the hot air balloon to the ground are released, and we begin to climb, she sinks to the floor. I squat with her. “Maybe a drink will help,” I say and lift one of the bottles of champagne provided. The others are all looking over the edge, but Kinsley is looking a little pale.

  “Liquid courage. I think that’s exactly what’s needed,” she says. I grin, pop the cork and give her a generous amount. She sips it, and when it’s gone, she holds her glass out for another. “You don’t have to be down here with me,” she says.

  “I know, but I’m trying to seduce you into my bed, and I’m not going to win points if I just let you sit here in fear.” That’s not the entire truth. I am worried about her, and want to make this easier for her, but sometimes the words just don’t come out right.

  She chuckles. “Right, forgot about that.” She takes another big drink.

  “Want to get up?”

  A big breath fills her lungs, and she lets it out slowly and nods. I stand and hold my hand out to her.

  “Thanks,” she says as I lift her and tug her into my side, securing her to me and hopefully giving her a sense of security. She wobbles a little. “This is insane,” she says, and glances up into the balloon.

  “But fun.”

  “Not yet,” she says, and I laugh.

  Emily shifts closer to us. “How you doing, Kins?” she asks, her gaze going back and forth between the two of us as I hold her. I think she’s starting to get the idea that Kinsley is the biter Liam was talking about.

  “I’m good,” Kinsley says and grips the woven wicker edge.

  “You have a mark on your neck,” Emily says, and brushes Kinsley’s hair from her shoulder.

  “Curling iron,” she says quickly. “I was super tired this morning when getting ready.”

  “You might want to put something on that,” she suggests, and I bite back a grin, because yeah, I plan to put something on that again tonight—my mouth.

  “I will, thanks.”

  Another bottle of champagne is popped and glasses are handed around. Kane holds his glass up a
nd we all do the same. “To the couple who are tying the knot in…” He checks his watch. “Oh wow, less than five hours.”

  We all drink to that and Jules throws her arms around Rider and hugs him. The public display of affection is sweet—like a toothache. I groan. But seriously I’m so happy for them.

  “What’s the matter buddy?” Rider asks me. He obviously heard me groan.

  I lift my glass and take a sip. “Nothing, I’m happy for you guys.”

  Cole pats me on the back. “Your turn is coming, my friend. Just wait and see.”

  “Nope, not happening,” I say.

  “Well I hope I catch the bouquet,” Lindsay, Jules’s best friend says, and smirks at Kane. They’ve been together for a long time now and that guy had better make his move soon. She’s a great catch.

  “Wouldn’t it be funny if Kinsley caught it,” Emily pipes in giggling.

  Kinsley stiffens beside me.

  “Why do you say that?” I ask.

  Emily giggles some more, the champagne obviously getting to her. “After what her ex did, she’s anti-marriage.”

  Kinsley chuckles uneasily, and I sense it’s not something she wants every member of this wedding party to know. Jules reaches out and puts her hand on Kinsley’s arm, giving it a little squeeze. “You can sit it out, Kins,” Jules says, her eyes sympathetic. She obviously knows what happened between Kinsley and her ex. I remember when they broke up. It was right around the time she left Harvard and changed her outward appearance. The way she looks now much better suits her personality. But I didn’t ask questions about her personal life or school. None of it was my business, and clearly something she wasn’t interested in discussing.

  “Come on, this is a party. So let’s party,” Kinsley says and takes another big drink. The mood switches back to a happy one.

  “You okay?” I ask quietly as she turns to look out over the strip, her knuckles white on the hand gripping the basket.

  “Embarrassed, maybe. I love Emily but sometimes she says things before engaging her brain. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body, and didn’t mean to embarrass me, but…”

  “Your ex did a number on you, huh?”

  She snorts, and shakes her head. “Let’s just say I’m better off where I am.”

  “I agree,” I say, and she smiles up at me, this time it reaches her eyes.

  “You want me to take care of him for you,” I joke, slamming my fist into my palm.

  “It’s okay. I’m so over him.”

  I go quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry he hurt you, Kins. I never really knew. If I’d known—”

  “Would you have taken me out for ice cream?”

  “Yeah, sure if that’s something that would have made you feel better.”

  “Let’s just say, last night was the only thing that has made me feel good in a long time.”

  “There’s more where that came from,” I tease, and move closer. Heat arcs between us and I glance around. Can the others feel this intense attraction growing between us? I hope not. My friends would be all over that, and Kins is a good friend. I’m not going to get involved any deeper, only for her to end up hurt because I can’t seem to open myself up or say the right things.

  “There’s the Bellagio fountains,” she says and points downward. “So pretty from up here.”

  “Then you are having fun,” I tease.

  “It’s okay, I guess.” She smirks at me, and maybe she doesn’t want to admit it, maybe she wants to have her way with me tonight after the evening wedding ceremony.

  Game on.

  For the rest of the ride we all drink champagne, smack talk each other, and just relax and have fun. Most of the women are tipsy when we pile back into the party bus, and I make room for Kinsley to sit by me. She’s smiling and happy, pushed through her fears, and ended up having a good time. I’m glad I could help with that. I spread my legs, until our thighs are touching and her little intake of breath doesn’t go unnoticed. Her body is warm and soft next to mine, and my dick twitches, wanting a better viewing.

  Liam stands on the seat and sticks his head through the moonroof and starts yelling at all the ladies walking down the street.

  “Get back in here, you fool,” Cole says. He tugs him in and jumps up himself to look out and we all laugh at his antics. Back at the hotel, everyone starts to go their own way to get ready for the ceremony.

  I tug on Kinsley, keeping her back. “What room are you in?”

  “Honeymoon suite,” she tells me and I frown.

  “You’re kidding me.”

  “Nope, a screw up in my reservation and they bumped me up to high roller status,” she says and pretends she’s tossing the dice. “It’s gorgeous, bigger than my condo.”

  “I’d like to see it.”

  She grins. “Is this your way of trying to get into my bed?”

  “Well, yeah,” I say and she laughs. I grip the hem of her T-shirt and bring her closer. “I’ll come get you before the wedding.”

  “Like you’re my date or something?”

  “Or something,” I say and when she wets those lush lips of hers, it’s all I can do not to kiss the living fuck out of her. But I can’t. Not here in the lobby, with far too many people watching. “Go,” I say.

  “What?” She blinks up at me, confusion in her big blue eyes.

  “If you don’t go right now, I’m going to ravage you.”

  She chuckles, but I get that she likes how crazy she makes me. Honest to God, I’m not sure what her ex did, or why they broke up, and it’s his loss, but I’m glad I’m getting to spend this time with her.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” she asks.

  “What?”

  She reaches into her purse, and pulls out her extra key. “See you soon.”

  “Yeah, you will.” She starts to walk away but turns back.

  “Oh, and Cason. You still have Emily’s key card. Try not to mix them up, unless…”

  “Your room is the only one I want to go to, Kinsley,” I say, my tone a bit harder to drive that point home.

  She smiles. “I’ll be waiting.”

  I take a few deep breaths and will my cock to settle as she saunters off toward the elevator. It’s all I can do not to go after her but I have to get showered, shaved, and into my suit. As she stands at the elevator, I note the way some people stare at her. Why wouldn’t they, she has bright pink hair and tattoos, but the truth is she’s beautiful. She gives me a sexy little finger wave and climbs onto the elevator when the doors slide open.

  “You doing her?” A voice asks from behind.

  Shit.

  I spin and find Liam standing there, a shit-eating-grin on his face.

  “No,” I say, a little put off by his choice of words. Technically I am doing her, but it’s not like that between us. Well it is like that between us, it’s just…

  Fuck, I don’t know what it is. All I know is I have a hell of a lot of respect for Kinsley and I don’t want anyone dissing her.

  “Yeah, right.”

  “You’ve got something to say, Liam?”

  “Just that you might want to roll your tongue back into your mouth before you trip on it.”

  I exhale slowly, giving up the ruse. I know I promised to keep it a secret and I don’t talk bedroom with the guys, except maybe Cole, but for some unknown reason, I want to talk about Kinsley, I want her name on my lips and that’s a little messed up.

  “Fine, I slept with Kinsley but keep it quiet okay. It was a mistake.” Shit, wait maybe that was the wrong word to use.

  “A mistake? You slip on a banana peel and fall in?”

  “No, and never mind. Just keep this to yourself okay.”

  We head toward the elevator, and many heads turn our way. Lots of whispers and finger pointing, as people recognize us.

  “You’re saying Emily’s fair game?” he asks, as he raises his hand and waves to some teenage boy staring wide-eyed.

  “I never had any claims to Emily.”
>
  “Fine. I kind of like her.”

  “Of course, you do. What’s not to like?” I ask.

  “Exactly, my man,” he says as we climb onto the elevator, people piling in behind us.

  What’s not to like?

  Well, she doesn’t have pink hair, tattoos, or piercings. She doesn’t work her ass off running her own business, showing up seven days a week. She doesn’t put her fears aside and climb the highest tower and float over the city to make sure her friend is having her best wedding experience.

  Basically, she’s not Kinsley.

  Well, hell.

  I get off on my floor and head to my room. I tug off my clothes, shower, and shave, and thirty minutes later, I’m back on the elevator on the way to Kinsley’s suite. Her keycard is in my back pocket, but I think it’s best if I knock. For some strange reason a burst of nervousness wells up inside me, but I can’t make sense of it. One thing I do know is how anxious I am to see her, just to be around her again.

  I rap on the door, and when it swings open and I spot Kinsley in her bridesmaid dress, the light blueberry fabric hugging her sweet curves to perfection, I nearly bite off my fucking tongue.

  Well, hell is right.

  6

  Kinsley

  My heart flutters as I take in the tall, gorgeous man before me. Wow, he cleans up nice. I let my gaze drop from his freshly shaved face, to his broad shoulders, and down to his tie and dress pants, which hug him to perfection. My ovaries take that moment to quiver. This man is every woman’s fantasy come to life, and tonight he’s mine. How did I get so lucky?

  “Like what you see,” he says, and my eyes go to his. He leans against the doorjamb, that adorable grin on his face again.

  “Yeah, I do,” I say, and tilt my head in a cocky manner.

  “Am I a big fat snack, Kins?” he teases

  “That and more,” I admit.

  “Still off snacking?”

  I wave a dismissive hand and joke, “Diets are so yesterday.”