The Troublemaker

by Cathryn Fox

  “You want a piece of me?”

  “No,” I say, and he stiffens at that quick change in attitude. I grin at the worry in his eyes, and address it by adding, “I want all of you.”

  He relaxes. “I like a girl who knows what she wants. It’s hot.”

  His eyes travel the length of me, a slow, leisurely inspection that leaves me quivering from head to toe.

  “Like what you see?” I ask.

  “Yeah, I do.” One arm snakes out and he drags me to him. He cups my face. “Mind if I mess up this lipstick?”

  “I can reapply,” I say, and a second later his mouth is all over mine, kissing with a hunger and passion that zings through my body and settles deep between my legs. I put my arms around him, and he backs me up, presses me against the wall. He bends his knees and the steel rod below his belt presses against my sex. I groan and move against him. The last time I dry humped a guy and nearly got off was…never.

  I’m breathless when he breaks the kiss, and the tortured look on his face matches mine. “You look gorgeous and I’m going to have a hard-on all night thinking about taking this dress off you,” he confesses.

  “Yes, Cason.”

  “Yes?”

  “Yes, I had fun in the stratosphere and the hot air balloon,” I say, letting him know he can have his way with me tonight.

  “Fuck me.”

  “That’s the plan,” I say, and grin as I wipe my fingers over his bottom lip to remove the lipstick. “These smudges might raise questions, though.” I go to the nightstand, and grab my purse. He follows me in.

  “Nice room,” he says as he explores the large space.

  “I told you,” I say but then realize he’s used to big fancy places. The guy owns a damn mansion. I hand him a tissue and as he wipes his mouth, I reapply the ruby red lipstick.

  “Listen I need to tell you something.” He rocks on his feet like a kid who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

  My stomach tightens at the seriousness in his voice, and I recap the lipstick and drop it into my purse. “It’s okay, Cason,” I say and avert my gaze.

  He takes a step toward me, his presence big and overwhelming, even in the huge honeymoon suite. “What’s okay?”

  “You’ve changed your mind,” I say.

  Cason closes the distance, and tugs me to him in a move that is becoming familiar. “Your ex did a number on you, Kins. I am not having second thoughts.”

  “You’re not?”

  “No. If you don’t believe me, believe this,” he says and pushes his pelvis against me.

  “Right.” My heart takes flight as his erection indents my stomach. Dammit, dammit, dammit. Why did my brain go straight for the worst? I guess that’s what happens when your ex tells you you’re not special, just before dumping you, and there is a part of you that believes he might be right. But Cason, he does make me feel special, and I shouldn’t jump to the wrong conclusions. He deserves better than that from me.

  “I wanted to tell you that Liam knows about us. I lied but the bastard could see right through me. I told him to keep it to himself, and I’m sure he will.”

  I shrug. “I guess that’s okay. He’s kind of wild and crazy but I think he’s a good guy.”

  “He’s interested in Emily, actually.”

  I laugh. “Who isn’t?”

  “Me.” He brushes his thumb over my cheek and my knees weaken. God, when he looks at me like that…touching me with easy tenderness. It’s almost impossible to keep my heart out of the scenario. I have to though. I am not going down that road again—it only ends in disaster.

  I try to make light of it and say, “You know all the right things to say, don’t you?” He inches back, his jaw tight as he scrubs his face. Ah, did I hit a sore spot? “Cason?”

  “Actually, I never say the right things, not when it comes to the important stuff.”

  Did he just say none of this was important—that maybe I wasn’t important? I try not to react like I’ve been slapped and quickly remind myself that we’re just having fun together.

  I steal a glance at my phone to check the time. “We should go.”

  He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Wait, I don’t think that came out right, Kins.”

  “It’s okay, Cason. I understand,” I say, because I do. I get what this is, and what it isn’t and I’m okay with that. “We better hurry, they’re all probably holding the bus for us.”

  Five minutes later, we’re downstairs being ushered onto the bus. Rider and Jules are in the limo in front of us. Energy and excitement fills the space between us as we head to the chapel, but my thoughts are on Cason, and the way he has casually thrown his arm over the seat and is lightly brushing his thumb over my neck. The soft caress stimulates every erogenous zone in my body, and I squeeze my thighs together.

  I angle my head to see him, but he’s in a conversation with Cole about some hockey play they did last season. I get the sense that he’s fully aware of what he’s doing to me though. I take in all the smiling faces, and grin when I see Emily and Liam laughing easily together. The bus stops in front of the chapel, and my breath catches when we enter.

  “It’s beautiful. Classy and elegant,” I say, and Cason puts his mouth near my ear.

  “You were expecting Elvis?”

  I laugh. “No, but I…I guess I just didn’t know what to expect. Although I have to say, my grandmother loves Elvis.”

  “You’re smiling.”

  “I love my grandmother.” I take a deep breath, and let it out slowly, as I think about Gram. “She’s the only one who never gave me a hard time when I left school.” He frowns at me, and needing to lighten things up I say, “My parents would be mortified if I ever had a Vegas Elvis wedding, but Gram,” I stop and chuckle. “She’d love it.”

  “She sounds like she marches to the beat of her own drum.” He nudges me lightly. “Like you.”

  “She’s a character. I bet you’d love her.”

  “How could I not love her, when she’s just like you?”

  My smile falls. Wait, what did he just say?

  “I mean…uh.” He tugs on his hair, clearly reading the shock on my face. “I don’t mean I love you. I mean like a friend, yeah.” He shakes his head, and says. “Let me try this again. If I like you, I’d like her, and hey, maybe when you get married you can have it in Vegas. If it makes you and your grandmother happy who cares what anyone else thinks.”

  My heart squeezes. “I care, Cason.”

  He frowns like that takes him by surprise. “How come?”

  I purse my lips and toy with the lace on my dress as I consider my answer. “I’m such a disappointment to my family. I was supposed to follow in their footsteps and when I quit they were all pretty upset with me, they still are, actually.”

  His head rears back like I just slapped him, which stops me from telling him about my trust fund. My God, I’ve already said too much as it is. We’re friends, but he’s not my confidant, and he doesn’t need to know about my problems. We’re here to have fun, and I am not going to drag him down.

  “Kins, that’s crazy. I—”

  He doesn’t get to finish when a middle-aged lady claps her hands, effectively cutting off whatever it was Cason was going to say.

  “Let’s all get organized now,” she says, directing Rider to head to the altar. I turn to see Jules enter, and my throat squeezes tight as she stares at her soon-to-be husband, the two sending secret messages to one another.

  I step up to Jules and give her a big hug. “You’re beautiful.” She squeezes me, and the music starts. I was originally paired up with Liam, the two of us were supposed to walk down the aisle first, but Cason bumps him out of the way.

  “My guess is you want to pair up with Emily,” he says, and Liam gives him a knowing smirk.

  I make light and turn back to Jules. “They’re kind of hooking up. Do you mind if I walk with Cason?”

  “Actually, I think that’s a much better pairing,” she says with a
grin. Jules never did like my ex, and after we broke up, she was constantly trying to set me up, but I had no time or inclination to date.

  “It’s not like that,” I say, and her grin widens.

  “Oh, but it’s still early. Plenty of time for it to be like that.”

  I roll my eyes, and slide my arm into Cason’s. As we head toward the altar, the scent of his freshly showered skin reaches my nostrils. I inhale to fill my lungs, and the strangest image of Cason standing up there waiting for me, races through me. Wow, where the heck did that come from? Must be all the pumped oxygen in this place. It’s messing with my brain.

  We part when we reach the front and turn to watch the others make their way. Emily and Liam come, followed by the others until Jules is standing there with Kane, who’s giving her away. Jules and Rider both come from big families and instead of everyone flying here, they opted to get married with friends and have a big party at home.

  Tears fill my eyes as Kane walks her to her best friend and lover, and I have to say, I’m a little envious of them. I catch the way Cason is studying me, and I sniff back the tears, as the two exchange vows. My throat is raw, tight when the two of them leave the chapel married, and we follow them out.

  “I need a drink,” I mumble to myself.

  “Good, because I need ten,” Cason says.

  “Really?”

  “Weddings.”

  Wow, he really has something against weddings. That thought evaporates and a thrill goes down my spine as he steps closer to me. “Good thing it’s an open bar, then,” I tell him.

  We all pile back into the bus and we’re taken back to the hotel, to a private room with tables full of hor d’oeuvres. A server walks by with a tray of champagne, and Cason removes two glasses. He hands me one, we clink, and he drains his glass.

  “You know what that tastes like?” he asks.

  “No, what?”

  “Another.”

  I grin and take another sip.

  “Actually,” he says. “Let’s go for the hard stuff.”

  “Hard stuff, huh?” I joke and shift my body so I can lightly run my hand over his cock without anyone seeing. He jumps beneath my touch.

  “Jesus, woman. Is that all you think about?” he scolds, even though he’s pushing against my palm and growing thicker by the second.

  I laugh. “When I’m with you, yeah, and you’re one to talk.”

  He puts his hand on the small of my back. “Come on.” He walks me to the bar, and orders shots of tequila.

  “Are you trying to get me drunk?” I ask.

  “No, I’m trying to get me drunk,” he says, and for a brief second I spot something in his eyes. Something sad and dejected, something that wraps around my heart and squeezes tight. What is going on with him? He’s usually light and playful but I’m suddenly sensing something deep and serious. What kind of demons does this man have?

  “So you’ve never thought about marriage?” I ask.

  “Nope,” he says quickly, so quickly I can’t help but think he’s not being truthful, with me or himself.

  “What do you have against marriage?”

  Instead of answering, he holds his fingers up, gesturing for two more tequila. They come and he hands me one.

  “Were you hurt?” I push, wanting to know what makes this man tick.

  “Let’s just say I don’t have what it takes to do long-term, Kins. I’m pretty much a two-week kind of guy.”

  “You bail after two weeks?”

  “Something like that.” This man has so much to offer. What the hell is he afraid of? He doesn’t seem commitment phobic to me, but if he’s telling me he bores after two weeks, who am I to say otherwise? I’m about to ask why, what it is about long-term that frightens him, but he takes a big drink and gestures to the dance floor.

  “Dance with me,” he says and I close my mouth. If he’s redirecting the conversation by dancing, it’s definitely a conversation he doesn’t want to have.

  We hit the dance floor, joining our friends, and soon enough the hours disappear, so does the tequila. By the time Jules is ready to toss the bouquet, I’m so buzzed and having so much fun, I’m game.

  I muscle my way through the girls, and they all laugh and throw their arms around me. Jules looks over her shoulder, and grins when she sees me. She tosses the flowers and if a scout from the NBA was here, I’d be their first draft pick, because let me tell you, forget energy drinks, tequila’s what really makes you fly. I jump high and snatch the bouquet right out of the air and everyone laughs and claps when I land and take a bow.

  “And here you said you were afraid of heights,” Cason says when I saunter over to him, all proud of myself.

  “I got air, huh?” I ask, smelling the flowers. The room spins a little around me.

  “Want to get some air, for real,” Cason says. “Jules and Rider are leaving, and it looks like everything is settling down.”

  “Fresh air, yes, please,” I say and he puts his hand on my back to lead me out to the strip. The heat of his palm seeps under my dress and curls around me. I shiver.

  “You cold?” he asks.

  “Hot,” I say.

  “Yeah, you are,” he says and nibbles his bottom lip.

  “I think we might have had too much tequila.”

  “It’s possible,” he says with a laugh.

  Cheers break out down the block and I snatch his hand. “Let’s go see what’s going on.”

  We practically skip down the strip, dodging pedestrians. Our feet come to an abrupt halt when we spot Elvis. “What’s going on?”

  A girl leans into me, and says, “Impromptu marriages. I don’t think they’re real though. Just for fun.” She looks at my flowers. “Is that a bridal bouquet?”

  “Yup.”

  She lifts her hand. “Over here,” she says, getting Elvis’s attention.

  “I do have the honeymoon suite,” I say to Cason.

  He arches a brow, and he’s so damn hot, I could melt at his feet. “Think we should put it to use?”

  7

  Cason

  I roll over and peel my tongue from the roof of my mouth. Jesus, how many shots did I have last night anyway? Kinsley moans in protest as the bed dips and I climb from the sheets, tuck her in and make my way to the bathroom.

  I take one look at my sorry self in the mirror and if I had pants on, I’d have jumped straight out of them. I wonder if Kins got the license plate of the truck that ran me over. Probably dinged her, too. We both work super hard at our jobs, and I haven’t really drank in a long time—neither of us has. I guess we both made up for that last night.

  Brain still foggy, I brush my teeth, rinse with mouthwash, and climb into the shower. The hot water is glorious against my aching body and deep between my legs my cock twitches, a reminder of all the sex Kinsley and I had last night after getting…married?

  Wait, what?

  Right, right, we went through with that fake ceremony as a joke. I reach for the shampoo and that’s when I notice my college ring is missing from my finger. Shit, did I lose it? I pour a generous amount of shampoo into my palm and soap up. As I wrack my brain to retrace my steps from last night, the fog finally clears and I grin. I gave Kinsley the ring last night. Put it on her finger during the ceremony. It was kind of big for her, so I hope it hasn’t slipped off.

  A noise behind me gains my attention, and I turn to see Kinsley brushing her teeth. My dick instantly hardens, despite the sex-a-thon last night.

  “Want to join me?” I ask.

  “Yeah, right after I take something for this headache.” She reaches into her cosmetic bag, pulls out some pills, and swallows them. “You?” she asks.

  “No, I’m good. The shower helps.”

  She comes toward me, reaches her hand up to her face, and goes perfectly still when she finds my ring on her index finger. “Wait, why do I have this?” she asks. I give her a minute and she smiles. “Oh, right.” She steps into the shower. “Move over fake husband,” she sa
ys. “You’re hogging all the hot water.”

  “Nagging wife already.” I chuckle softly, not wanting to jolt her headache. “I thought the honeymoon stage would be longer.”

  “It’s your fault I feel like someone drove over me with my food truck.”

  I tug her to me. “Poor baby. I bet I can make you forget all about that headache.”

  With her back to my chest, she lays her head against my shoulder and excels a soft sigh as I cup her breasts and rub them gently. Her nipples pucker under my touch and Jesus, I love how responsive she is, always so open and eager.

  “That’s so nice, Cason,” she murmurs.

  I stroke her lightly. “Headache easing?” I ask as I slide one hand lower to part her damp lips.

  “Yeah…” she says.

  “Are you too sore for me?”

  “Probably,” she says, “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you again.”

  “I want you, too,” I say, and she wiggles against my thick cock.

  “I can tell.”

  “Today is our last full day in Vegas,” I say, and I’m not sure why I’m reminding her of that. Is it because I want her to know when we leave, it’s over, or is it because I want her to tell me that it doesn’t have to be over?

  Shit, I can’t go there with her. She’s my good friend, and I don’t want to hurt her, the way I always seem to hurt every woman I’m with. I’m emotionally closed off, can never say the right thing at the right time. Kins is the last woman I ever want to hurt.

  “Yeah, life goes back to normal,” she says, reminding me she’s sticking to the timeline we set out, which is a good thing. Then why do I feel like I’ve been hit in the gut with a runaway puck? “Well, sort of normal.”

  I lightly stroke her clit and she moans. “What does sort of normal mean?”

  I run my hand over her wet pussy, petting her softly, soothing the soreness of last night and she relaxes even more in my arms.

  “I’m looking to open a restaurant. It’s my dream, actually.”

  “That’s great, Kins. I never knew that.”

  “Yeah,” she says but it holds a measure of sadness.

  I put both hands on her shoulder and turn her until she’s facing me. There is so much uncertainty in her eyes, it momentarily catches me off guard. “What?” I ask.