by Raine Miller
Once inside, her eyes stared down the hall toward the room where she’d spent the night, and she knew nothing would ever be that exciting again. She’d also wanted to kick Howard’s door on the way past, but had decided against it.
Let him have his happiness. Everyone deserved to be loved. To her surprise, she realized she’d been more insulted than truly heartbroken.
Without checking out of the hotel, she grabbed a cab and headed for the airport. Home would be waiting, and she couldn’t afford to let what had happened last night ever become public knowledge. It could ruin her.
***
Jack came out of the bathroom, expecting to find his little sexpot still there, but she must have left during the night. Disappointment stabbed his chest. While he knew she was a woman for hire, he wished she’d have stuck around for breakfast.
Deciding he had to get some sleep, Jack crawled back in bed and pulled her pillow closer, so he could capture her scent. Just as he dozed off, he heard the door across the hall close and realized in Vegas people gambled all hours.
Later in the morning, Jack woke and looked at the other side of the bed. The mattress and sheets still held her imprint, and the pillow, now on the top of his stomach, held the scent of her hair.
They’d made love all night. He couldn’t remember how many times they had each reached their release. He’d never been with a woman like that before, and now he wanted more. He’d find out how to contact her before the day was over.
He had finished his shower and was picking up his room a little when he noticed the red and black teddy. He grabbed it and brought it to his nose, reliving every image and sensation from last night.
The knock on his door brought him to his senses. With only a towel around his waist, he opened the door. Roger and Spencer stood greeting him with big dopey grins on their faces. Feeling better, Jack pulled them in for a chest bump. Then he saw his shirt on the doorknob, and he tossed it on the bed.
“You guys outdid yourselves last night.”
Roger rubbed his balding head. “You’re right, and I’m paying for it today.”
Spencer dropped into the chair, his eyes as red as the teddy Jack had stashed beneath the sheets. “I’m not hitting it that hard tonight.” Spencer leaned his head back. “It’s going to take a week to get over this hangover.”
“I drank a lot, too, but it didn’t spoil your surprise,” Jack said with a laugh. “You should have warned me, and I’d have bought more condoms.”
Spencer sat up. “Warned you about what?”
Jack waved his hand to his bed. “About the girl, dumbass.”
Roger pulled a cold bottle of water from the minibar. “What girl?”
“The hooker you set me up with. And I want her again tonight. Man, she was a knockout.”
Roger and Spencer exchanged puzzled looks. Spencer shrugged.
Not in the mood for playful banter, Jack said, “Okay, you guys said you had a birthday surprise for me, and you sent this girl to my room.”
“No, no, we didn’t.” Roger’s brows lowered, and his curious gaze slid to the bed.
“Of course, you did.”
Spencer stood. “Jack, we didn’t send anyone to your room.”
“Then where in the hell did she come from? I had that woman wrapped in my arms all night.”
“I don’t know,” Roger said. “But what does it matter? It’s about time you got laid. What a bitch you’ve been lately.”
Spencer nodded.
“Guys, this is serious. Who was that girl? I want to see her again.”
Spencer took the bottle of water away from Roger and took a big drink. “I’m not sure what to do, Jack. You’re the security expert. But, we didn’t have anything to do with it.”
If they didn’t send the prostitute up to his room, where in the hell had she come from? Jack went to the dresser and found his wallet. His change and his gun hadn’t been disturbed. So, she hadn’t taken anything. Who the hell was she?
“Okay, let’s go have breakfast. Afterwards, I’ll check with the front desk. They have cameras everywhere. They’ll have captured her on video, and I can feed her image into a face recognition app. I’ll find her.”
CHAPTER 3
At the airport, Lexi continued to pace the lounge. The flight she’d booked was delayed, and they’d been held up in the terminal for two hours. She couldn’t wait to leave the state and get back home.
Sitting in the flight club, she decided to use the time wisely and get caught up on some paperwork, but she couldn’t keep her mind away from last night’s events. She didn’t want to think it only took a bottle of champagne to make her have wild monkey sex with a handsome stranger.
What would her parents think? Well, in all honestly, at thirty she didn’t much care what her parents thought. She was a big girl with a job, responsibility, and a moral right to live her own life. Yet, if anyone ever found out what had happened, it would be the end of her.
Gazing out at the tarmac, Lexi’s thoughts drifted back to the time she spent in bed with a stranger she’d never forget. One would think she’d at least have gotten his name sometime during the night.
God knows they had a lot to say to each other, although most of it couldn’t be repeated. She squirmed in her seat and heat settled in the lower part of her stomach. In more ways than she cared to enumerate, she wished she’d stayed around for a quickie this morning. But she couldn’t risk him getting too close a look at her or any questions he might have.
Still, her body felt him deep inside her, making her very uncomfortable. Lexi stood and went to a nearby restaurant and ordered breakfast. Maybe if she had a cup of coffee and some food in her stomach, she might feel better.
As she sipped the warm brew, she thought of Howard and Sandy. How he’d betrayed her and led her into a false sense of security. She’d never have thought him a cheater or a man capable of such unfaithfulness. In her mind, Howard had been safe. She could’ve lived with him forever and never had her heart in the relationship. And last night reaffirmed the sex had never been anything like her experience with the mystery man.
Time she admitted that while Howard’s actions stung, they did little else. There would be no pining on her part or long teary nights. Instead, she’d be thinking of the sexy stranger she’d shared a night of passion with.
***
Dressed in black slacks and a white golf shirt, Jack relaxed with his friends in the hotel restaurant for breakfast. He’d need coffee and plenty of it before dealing with the hotel staff.
Cutting into his eggs, Jack’s mind kept wandering back to last night. The woman had knocked on his door, wearing little of nothing. He wondered how she’d got past the front desk dressed like that. Bet she’d garnered a look or two. But, this was Las Vegas. Strange things were commonplace in Fun City.
If the champagne bottle was any indication, she might have been a little buzzed, but not shitfaced. More mellow and calm than inebriated. He tried to remember her exact words when she’d entered his room. She had seemed surprised to learn it was his birthday. So if someone had sent her, wouldn’t she know that?
“I can see your brain working,” Roger said, biting off a piece of bacon. “I wish we could help you out.”
“I’ll find her,” Jack said. “I always do.” He eyed his friends. “As long as you guys aren’t pulling one over on me?”
Spencer set down his orange juice and put his hand on his heart. “I swear to God I don’t know a thing about a prostitute.”
Roger stuffed half a fried egg in his mouth and shook his head. Talking around his food, he said, “I don’t know shit. If there was a hooker involved, I’d be using her. Screwing Dianne is only one step above jacking off.” He swallowed his food. “Hell, half the time I don’t bother to ask anymore.”
Spencer spread jelly on his toast. “I find if I offer to do things around the house, Jen is more willing to put out a little more.”
Roger threw his spoon and hit Spencer on the nose. “Yo
u have to work like a dog to get a little pussy?”
“Ow, that hurt, you little fucker,” Spencer said. “Don’t claim you’re above doing what it takes to get laid. We’ve all done it.”
Jack took a sip of his coffee. “I haven’t and I don’t intend to.” He smiled. “That’s why I had an all-nighter, and you two went to your rooms and passed out.”
Neither looked pleased with his comment. He supposed they knew how close he’d come to doing the same thing. If it hadn’t been for his late night visitor, he’d have watched a little TV and turned in alone, too.
The woman had practically fallen into his arms last night, and Jack’s brain had turned to mush the minute she’d knocked on his door. One look at those pretty green eyes and Jack had been a goner. And now, he wanted a repeat. He grew hard just thinking about her and the way they’d spent the night.
“Let’s go before one of you stabs the other with a fork or something.” He peeled off several bills and tossed them on the table. “And stop dissing your wives. I bet they get pretty sick of your sorry asses too. Besides, who else would put up with you?”
They grumbled behind him as they exited the restaurant. While Spencer and Roger went to the craps table, Jack headed for the front desk and spoke to the clerk who buzzed the manager.
Jack took a chair in the lobby and waited.
A tall, blond man with a reddish mustache came over and shook Jack’s hand.
“I’m head of Trident Security in Dallas.” Jack showed his credentials. “I’ve worked with Mr. Doss of the MGM last year if you need to check me out.”
Tim Truitt appeared more than willing to take Jack at his word. “I remember that case. And in the end, you helped every casino on the strip. How can I help you, sir?”
“I need to check your security cameras from last night.”
Truitt straightened and tilted his head. “Was there a problem?”
“No, I just need to check on a missing person.” He didn’t want to explain about his wild night of the most unforgettable sex he’d ever had.
“Please follow me, Mr. Harrison. I’ll take you to our security room.”
Jack followed Truitt up the back elevator that stopped on the tenth floor. They entered a room rigged with the latest electronics and surveillance equipment. No windows and less ventilation.
Tim put his hand on the shoulder of a heavyset man with his hands on a keyboard. Screens around the room showed various areas of the casino—the roulette tables, craps tables—then panned over the slot galley.
“Sonny, this is Jack Harrison with Trident Security. Please help him anyway you can.”
Sonny offered his hand. “What can I do for you, sir?”
“Do you have the tapes from last night of the floors?”
“We had a couple of glitches and a few floors went down intermittently in the last twenty-four hours.”
“I’m looking for the seventh floor. Late last night and early this morning.”
Sonny typed for several minutes then a blank screen came up. Nothing but scrambled garbage. “It looks like the seventh floor was affected. We weren’t able to get it fixed until this morning.”
Jack pointed to the monitor. “What’s that?”
“It looks like it came back up around 6:15.”
“Is that a woman getting into the elevator?”
“I can’t tell from behind.”
He could. That was her all right. “Can you see what room she came from?”
“No, this is the first image.” He moved to another computer. “Let’s see if we can get her at the front desk or the main entrance.”
They tried, but they weren’t able to due to more glitches. There was nothing Jack could use to identify her.
He thanked Sonny and headed back to the front desk. He couldn’t be sure she’d been on the same floor as him; it was just a guess. But since they hadn’t caught anything on her entering the hotel lobby, he figured she had to be staying there.
Then he remembered the woman in the picture had a suitcase.
She had left.
Did she check out early this morning? That was a start. He asked the front desk staff member what women customers had checked out last night.
The clerk behind the counter checked. “I don’t show anyone checked out who was a female. Could she have been traveling with a companion?”
“No, I think she’s alone.”
The clerk shook her head. “Two women checked out this morning, but they didn’t fit the description. They were older.”
Disgusted, Jack headed back to his room. On the way to the elevator, he walked around to the housekeeping room, where the staff stood folding sheets and towels.
“Excuse me, ladies, but did any of you see a young lady this morning who seemed unusual?”
Silent stares greeted his question.
No one replied. These women were professional enough to know not to discuss customers with other customers. It could probably get them fired.
“Your boss, Mr. Truitt, has given his permission for all the hotel employees to answer my questions.”
A slim brunette stepped forward. “I had a lady on seven that locked herself out of her room.”
His heart sped up. “Was she wearing a man’s shirt?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What room is she in?”
“733.”
He headed for the elevators. Stepping inside, he stopped at seven and hurried to the room. He knocked, waited a few seconds, and knocked again.
A couple moved toward him. The pale-faced man sported a frown and an attitude. “Why are you pounding on that door?”
“I want to speak to the person inside,” Jack replied.
The guy knocked then said, “It’s me, Howard. Sandy and I feel we owe you an explanation.”
Jack tapped the man on the shoulder. “Do you know the name of the person who has this room?”
“I certainly do.”
“Who is she?”
Howard stepped back and took the hand of the tall redhead wearing heels that made her eight inches taller than him. “I’m not giving out any information.”
“I’m with a security company.”
“And I’m an attorney. Unless you have a warrant, I suggest you go away.”
“Why don’t you leave?” Jack squared his shoulders. “Obviously, she doesn’t want to answer the door.”
“She’s probably not in her room.”
The woman spoke to Howard. “Maybe she left.”
Howard nodded in agreement and walked away with his lady friend. “I’ll talk to her Monday. Don’t worry, she’s fine.”
Jack waited until the couple entered a room down the hall. Then he went back to the front desk. “Who’s in room 733?”
After clicking on the keyboard a few times, the clerk picked up the phone and called the manager. Truitt looked at the computer screen and then at him. “I’m sorry. We have a confidentially clause with this client, and we’re not allowed to give any information without a butt load of paperwork.”
That only made Jack’s curiosity grow. He wanted to know who he’d spent last night with. “Can you tell me who’s in room 720?”
“A Mr. Howard Newman.”
If he planned to talk to her Monday, they must live in the same state. Although, Howard could call her.
“Where is he from?”
“Dallas, Texas.”
Jack grinned. “Thank you. I won’t need any other information.”
***
When her plane landed, Lexi had her friend Carolyn pick her up at the arrivals gate. They no sooner had the suitcase in the trunk and had settled inside the air conditioned car than Carolyn began her cross-examination.
“Why did you come home early? Did Howard pop the question? Are you getting married? When?”
“Stop,” Lexi said, rubbing her temples. “It was all one big nightmare.”
Maneuvering around the airport that was designed by an idiot, they finally passed throug
h the toll gate onto 183 and headed west.
Carolyn shook her head. “I didn’t like this idea from the start.”
Lexi slumped back and released a tense breath. “I know.”
“You can drag a horse to water…”
“I know, but you can’t make him drink.”
“Right. And I told you all along Howard wasn’t the marrying kind.” Carolyn turned off at the Central exit. “He loves his mother too much.”
“He married Sandy.”
“What?” Carolyn gasped and almost wrecked the car, but she managed to swerve past a giant orange barrel and miss it by mere inches.
Lexi held on to the door handle and the console. “Where are you going?”
“This damn construction.” Carolyn glanced at her. “He married who?”
“Ex-girlfriend, Sandy.”
“The same bitch that dumped him two years ago?”
“Same bitch.”
“What a shitface.”
“My thoughts exactly.” But actually, that wasn’t her thought. Since awakening this morning, she’d had only one thing on her mind—that steaming hot stud she’d spent the night with. God, she wanted to be wrapped in his arms so tightly he’d never let her go.
His scent still surrounded her even after an early morning shower. Why had she run? It was almost worth the embarrassment to stick around and spend the following day together. But she couldn’t do that. If word got out, her career would be over. People in her line of work couldn’t make mistakes.
Still, something in her wanted to at least know his name, where he lived. She sat up straight.
“What’s wrong,” Carolyn asked. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” But she wasn’t. What if he had a wife, maybe a couple of kids? She covered her face with her hands.
Oh God, what have I done?
“Just what happened in Las Vegas? And don’t give me that crap about what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
Closing her eyes, Lexi knew she could never come clean. Never admit that she had the most wonderful night of her life in bed with a complete stranger, who probably had a boring sales job, a mortgage, and struggled to make ends meet.
