by Ali Olson
Jessica groaned, more embarrassed than ever. “I was that obvious? God, Cindy, I’m sorry. I feel like an idiot.”
“It was so obvious, but it’s okay. He’s gorgeous. Seriously, if I wasn’t getting married... Anyway, just as long as you’re sure you aren’t setting yourself up to get hurt.”
Jessica could hear the caution in her friend’s voice, and she smiled at the concern. “Don’t worry, I’m very aware of what’s going on. We’re only here for two days, anyway. It’s just...it’s just fun.”
“Good. Well, are you still with him? What are you up to? You don’t need to tell me if it’s not an appropriate conversation topic.”
Jessica could hear the laughter in her friend’s voice. “We’re at Fremont Street, downtown. Just wandering around.”
“Okay. Well, I won’t bother you. I’m glad you’re finally being irresponsible. The girls and I are going shopping later this afternoon, and you know what we’ve got planned tonight, so if you want to catch up with us, just text.”
More bars and clubs were on the menu again. Jessica looked over at Aaron and guessed she wouldn’t be making it to any of that. She said goodbye to Cindy and hung up, making her way back to where Aaron was standing, waiting and looking at ridiculously glitzy Vegas paraphernalia.
As she approached, he held up a touristy shirt with Las Vegas written across it in sparkles and glitter. “What do you think?” he asked her. “Is it me?”
She laughed and said, “No, but if you get it, I’ll wear it for you in the hotel room. It’ll probably be long enough to cover me.”
She blushed slightly at her uncharacteristically brazen statement, and closed the gap between them, leaning her body against his. It was so much fun to be this version of herself around him that she couldn’t help it.
He raised his eyebrows at her questioningly, but his eyes darkened as his imagination took hold. When he spoke, his voice was low. “It’s a little short, and you’re really tall. I’m not sure it would, but I would love to see you try, Jessica. And I have the thirty dollars you won. We need to spend it on something.”
She could feel the beginnings of his arousal at her hip. Her desire roared fully to life, and she again wished they were someplace a little more private. She leaned in a little closer and kissed him softly on his jaw, rough with stubble. She paused, wanting to kiss him more fully but able to control herself enough to pull away. That moment had been more than enough to make the feeling on her hip much more insistent.
She stepped back a half step, allowing some space, as much to give herself a chance to regain control as for him. He let out a shuddering breath and seemed to be holding on to the shirt rack for support. Jessica looked in his eyes and saw that he was doing everything he could to stop himself from pulling her down onto the ground, and it made her skin prickle with desire.
She leaned in again, close to his ear, and whispered to him, “We don’t need the shirt.”
She had barely finished before he’d tossed it back on the rack and was gripping her hand tightly, practically running back toward the car. She followed behind, laughing at her own strange behavior, except it didn’t seem funny at all. Just wonderful and exciting.
She normally would never say or do anything like that, even with a man she’d been sleeping with. But something about Aaron made her feel sexy, and his immediate reaction only added to her enjoyment. She would never have described herself as sexy until this weekend. Suddenly that was exactly what she was, and she loved how it felt.
The driver was waiting patiently in the car for them, so she and Aaron were hardly seated before they were off toward his hotel. As soon as they were in the relative privacy of the backseat, Aaron pulled Jessica in for a long, deep kiss. She could feel his hunger matching hers, and before long they were barely holding back from undressing each other. The confines of their seat belts and the vague notion that the driver was just a few feet away were the only things stopping them.
When they broke apart, they were both flushed, and Aaron’s pants were bulging with his erection. Jessica wanted to reach for the button on his jeans, but she restrained herself, knowing he’d have to calm down a bit before they arrived at the hotel so they could make it to the elevators and his room without being arrested.
She leaned away from him, taking deep breaths to calm herself. He did the same, but his eyes stayed locked to hers, and she could feel the electricity building in the few feet of air between them. It was too much, to the point where she began to feel claustrophobic, so she looked out the window at his hotel just a few blocks away.
She hadn’t been to his room yet, but he’d mentioned that it was at the Hard Rock. Based on the giant flashing guitar glittering at the entrance, she imagined it was very different from the swanky hotels that had begun to overrun the Strip.
By the time the driver pulled up to the entrance, her heart had slowed down enough for her to at least appear calm when getting out of the car, but Aaron came up next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist, causing it to speed up again. His fingers moved up and down slightly, touching her stomach and hip, and it created an aching sensation in her gut. She wanted those fingers all over her, and the knowledge that they would be in just a few minutes made her nearly lose her balance.
His strong arm around her, she let him guide her to the elevators. She was close enough to him that she could smell the sweat on his skin and feel the heat from his body. His labored breathing made it clear that he wasn’t anywhere near being as cool and collected as he appeared to be. In fact, she was quite sure that a quick graze of her teeth against his earlobe would be enough to drop him to the floor in the middle of the casino.
She wasn’t exactly fully in her right mind, either, she had to admit. She hardly registered the loud music and dark atmosphere that was more akin to a club than a hotel, and it was only when they’d gotten to the elevators that she realized she had no idea what the area she’d just walked through actually looked like. She’d been too focused on the man by her side, his arm curled around her back, his fingers dancing along her side.
She was hoping to continue from where they’d left off in the car the moment they got inside the elevator, but they didn’t have the same good fortune as the previous night and ended up standing in a small crush of people. He was slightly behind her, and she could feel his breath on her neck. It was so distractingly delicious that it was all she could do to hold herself together, and she knew he was doing it on purpose. He was trying to drive her wild and succeeding.
In a move to torture him back, she leaned back slightly, pressing into him just enough to feel his entire body harden against her. His breathing became slightly more ragged, and she felt her stomach twist, her legs lose all strength. By the time the last person left the elevator, she was leaning against him as much for support as anything.
After what felt like ages, they were finally alone. His hands gripped her waist and spun her so she was facing him, and his lips found hers. Before she knew what was happening, she was pressed up against the side of the elevator, his strong body enveloping her. She wrapped her arms around his waist, untucking his shirt so she could feel the skin beneath.
The elevator dinged, causing Aaron to groan, either in excitement that they’d arrived or exasperation that they had to separate at all, or possibly a mixture of both. The sound vibrated deep in his chest, sending more slivers of pleasure through her heightened senses.
She grabbed his arm and slid sideways, making her way out of the elevator and pulling him along with her. His biceps felt large and muscular in her hand, and she felt small and delicate compared to his brute strength. She relished the feeling, as rare as it was for a woman who was pushing five-ten. On the landing she hesitated, unsure of the direction toward his room. He took over then, wrapping his arm back around her waist and moving impatiently.
As he opened the door, she nibbled on
his neck, causing him to groan again, and he tightened the arm around her, pulling her into the room with him. The daylight streamed in through the large window, illuminating the massive room. If Jessica had looked around, she would have been impressed at the size of the suite and the view out the window, but she was too busy working on Aaron’s shirt. It was the same shirt he’d worn the night before, and she was enjoying pulling it off his body once again.
“I think you might kill me,” he said as her hands worked to unbutton the shirt.
“Does that mean you want me to stop?” she asked, already knowing what his answer would be.
“That would definitely kill me,” he answered, making her smile.
When she’d exposed his chest and placed her hands on his warm, muscular skin, he growled her name and leaned down to kiss her neck. They had backed up against the wall just inside the door, and she was pinned there delectably by his strong body as his hands roved over her still-clothed front, grazing any bare skin he could find until she was panting with anticipation.
She had unfortunately decided to wear a pair of jeans for their outing. “This would be easier if I was wearing a skirt,” she lamented, squirming with impatience.
It apparently wasn’t an issue for Aaron, however, as he’d unbuttoned and pulled them down all while kissing her neck and down along the scoop neck of her blouse.
Jessica grabbed desperately for the bottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head, catching his chin a little in the process.
He smiled at her as she rushed out a quick apology and raised one eyebrow. “You’re sorry because you took your shirt off?”
Before she could respond, his hands had found their way to her bra, undoing the front clasp and teasing her erect nipples. She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. “Definitely not sorry,” she gasped, making him chuckle.
She moved one foot out of the jeans that were pooled on the floor and wrapped her leg around him, enjoying feeling the jump of his muscles and the added pressure of his fingers as she broke down the last of his control.
He stepped away for only a moment, moving purposely to a drawer to pull out a condom and back before she’d fully gotten out of the last of her clothes. His jeans were still clinging to his body, but the zipper was undone and his penis stood at attention. She kicked off her panties just as he sheathed himself and pressed her once again to the wall. She kissed him long and hard, wrapping her leg around him once again.
“You sure about this?” he asked, the throaty pitch to his voice showing just how much effort it was taking to hold back.
“Absolutely, cowboy,” she said without hesitation.
Without moving from their vertical positions, he slid into her, and her mind exploded with pleasure. He pressed harder against her, his hands holding her up as she closed her eyes and gave herself over to the sensations running through her body.
She felt the pressure building inside her, and as she felt the sweet release fluttering through her, she could hear in his moans that he had lost control, as well. They melted together, her passion giving way to satisfaction and a warm fuzzy glow. After a few moments of leaning against the wall, spent, he stepped back and lifted her, carrying her to the couch nearby.
She curled in his arms, happy to feel small and light in his embrace. He set her down carefully, kneeling in front of the couch as he did so. She looked in his eyes and heard her heart thump loudly. It felt as if it was doing somersaults in her chest.
The night before, and even that morning, had been all physical attraction, all raw need. She felt that this was somehow different. It was still physical, but the time together had turned him into a real person for her, not just a fairy-tale mystery man, and that added another dimension to their lovemaking that was wonderful and a little frightening.
If she had met him in New York and spent more than a couple of days with him, she’d definitely have to worry about falling in love with him as well as falling for the unbelievable sex, and she wasn’t ready to trust another guy with her whole heart.
It’s a good thing we both know this is just one weekend, then, Jessica told herself with a shrug. She could let herself enjoy her time with him, and maybe use it to help mend her self-confidence a little. She had to admit, she had never felt sexier or more confident than when she was with Aaron, and that was huge for her. She’d always felt a little too tall, too closed off, too proper with Russ. This feeling was so very different, and she wanted to soak up every moment of it she could get.
Aaron flopped next to her on the couch, lost in his own thoughts. His jeans were still on, but his torso was bare. For a second, she felt too naked and considered grabbing her clothes, then smiled to herself. Sexy Jessica 2.0 didn’t need clothes.
Instead she moved herself until she was stretched out on the couch, her head resting on his lap. “So, what else should we do today?” she asked, enjoying the calm of her body after all the intensity.
He looked down at her, and the edge of his mouth turned up into the small crooked grin she’d started to realize was habitual and incredibly attractive. “What do you want to do?” he asked, giving her the reins.
She stretched, feeling the looseness of her muscles. “Well, the girls are going shopping, but I wasn’t planning on joining them. We could go see some other area of Vegas, but I’m a little tired of the glitz.”
She left it open, seeing where he would take it. He raised one eyebrow and did his small smile, and she knew he was going to suggest staying in, which brought butterflies to her stomach. This was her one chance, after all. It was like a story from back in wartimes. He’d be shipping out tomorrow, or sometime soon at least, and this was it.
Before he could say anything, his phone started squawking. He rolled his eyes and adjusted himself enough to get the phone out of his back pocket without disturbing her. She appreciated the gesture and settled in, comfortable.
She could feel his eyes grazing her long body stretched out on the couch, naked, and she enjoyed knowing he would like what he saw. He flipped open the phone.
“Jeremiah. What is it?...Damn, I forgot...I know, I just got distracted. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it. Listen, it’s fine, just go without me...Jeremiah, you need to listen to me. Go. With. Out. Me...All right, bye.”
“What was that all about?” she asked, curious about the side of the conversation she couldn’t hear.
Aaron sighed. “Jeremiah and I are supposed to go to a thing for the rodeo in, like, a half hour. Our ranches are in this competition, and we always have a big bet to see who wins. But it’s fine if I don’t go. He can just tell me about it later.”
She sat up with a slight groan, regretting the need to move from her relaxed position, but she knew that Jeremiah was not happy, and Aaron’s friendship with him was far more important than the dalliance they were having. At least, it absolutely should be.
“That’s fine, you go,” she said in a lighthearted voice that she hoped didn’t sound too forced. “You’re here with your friend for this reason, right?”
He looked unhappy. “Well, yeah, but—”
“Then you need to go. I’ll head out and spend some time with the girls. Cindy will probably have a conniption fit if I just disappear the entire weekend, anyway.”
She hopped up and began putting her clothes back on, turning away from him so he couldn’t see her disappointment. It’s fine, she told herself. I’ll see him again tonight. Or tomorrow. Or I won’t. That’s the way flings go.
It wasn’t very convincing.
Once dressed, she turned toward him. The downcast look on his face would have made her smile if she hadn’t felt a bit of the same. He was clearly unhappy she was wearing clothes again, and so was she.
“Go,” she reiterated. “Have fun. Meet up with me tonight, if you want.”
He looked at her, his eyes flas
hing, and the thrill of them on her reawakened her senses again. She couldn’t believe it to be possible that she wasn’t over that yet, but there it was. He said, “You couldn’t keep me away.”
“Okay, then. What about dinner? Where should we meet?”
“Here.”
“Is there a good restaurant in the hotel?”
“Not in a restaurant at the hotel. Here. My room. I’ll give you a key card and you can come in whenever you want. I’ll be back by eight.”
She was surprised he was willing to just give her a key to his room, but she managed to react nonchalantly. “Great. I’ll just come by sometime after that.”
She laughed internally at her coolness, knowing that she’d have to fight herself to not be at his door at eight o’clock on the dot. He gave her the card, she slipped it in her purse and with a little wave that made him jump off the couch for one last soul-melting kiss, she walked out the door. As soon as it closed behind her, she leaned back against it and breathed in and out deeply.
Jessica couldn’t even begin to believe what had happened during the previous twenty-four hours, and she didn’t know if she was ecstatic and woozy from it or disappointed that she wouldn’t be getting more.
She decided to try and just stay happy. It was temporary and that was all there was to it, she had to remind herself, so there was no point in being disappointed. That would just cause more hurt later, and she wasn’t about to let herself get burned on such a short-term arrangement.
Her heart danced as she pictured his reaction when she told him to go, however, and enjoyed the fact that she now knew he actually owned a ranch, despite her previous opinion that real-life details shouldn’t be a part of all this.
Realizing she was still leaning against the door, she moved away quickly and headed for the elevators. It would be incredibly awkward if he opened the door and found her still outside his room.
