by Celia Loren
As if on cue, his eyes fluttered opened, his eyelashes battering against his cheekbone. He glanced over to her and smirked.
“You watching me sleep?” he asked, his voice hoarse.
“Yes,” she answered blushing. Addison felt his arm snake around her lower back. She gasped, her body lighting up with desire in response to his touch. He flipped over onto her instinctively, but then his eyes grew wide in concern as he remembered her fragile condition.
“I’m OK,” she reassured him. Cutler had been fussing over her injuries for the last couple days. He was so worried about her.
“Good,” he murmured, trailing kisses from her right ear down her neck as he lay in between her legs.
It was now or never, she figured, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to say the words.
“There’s something I want to tell you,” she whispered, her voice cracking. She felt him freeze, then bring his face up to hers. What was in his eyes? Fear? Hope? She was so full of those emotions herself that she couldn’t read him. What if he didn’t feel the same way about her? Where could she go? What could she do?
“I think I’ll say it back,” he whispered, a shy smile spreading across his face. A smile cracked over Addison’s face in response. Could he really already know what she was going to say?
“I…care about you, I want to be with you, here.” she whispered as she dropped her eyes, unable to meet his gaze. She was full of fear. She had told men that she loved them before, but this was different. She was falling for every part of Cutler, she never wanted him to change. And she felt that he didn’t want her to change either. He accepted every part of her. Parts that men before him had dismissed and wanted her to hide.
A wild grin broke out across Cutler face. “I care about you, too, and I want you here, with me.” he whispered back, and Addison gasped. Before she could draw in a full breath, his mouth was on her, desperately probing hers, needing the connection. “Oh, Addison,” he breathed. “You have opened up the world to me again.”
Her body lit up with affection and desire for him, as she crushed her lips against his. She brought her hips up to meet his crotch, grinding against his erection. She felt a slight pinch to the wound on her thigh, but she ignored it, knowing she was healing fine—and the pain killers would kick-in again in a moment.
She rubbed her cheek gently against Cutler’s scruffy face, and felt him lean against her in response. She knew that this life would never be safe but that she belonged with Cutler, and Cutler belonged with her.
No more running.
THE END
Thank you for reading! Please leave a quick review of the story if you'd like :)
Sign up for the mailing list to receive free copies of my next books and join me and the other Hearts Collective authors on Facebook or Twitter.
Other Books in the Vegas Titans Series:
Crushing Beauty (Harbingers of Sorrow MC) by Celia Loren
Breaking Beauty (Devils Aces MC) by Celia Loren
The following is an excerpt from my next book in the Vegas Titans Series:
Destroying Beauty (Widowmakers MC)
Coming Soon!
Later that evening, Noelle found herself dressed to perfection and ready to hit the casinos with her friends. Quinn, the most fashion forward of the women, had made sure that everyone was dressed appropriately. Hence, the tight black and magenta color block dress that Noelle was now wearing. Noelle had to admit that it showed off her great figure and hugged her curves in all the right places. Her hair was shiny and sleek, resting smoothly along her shoulders and her makeup was artfully done.
Quinn looked stunning in a short white peplum dress, and a high sleek ponytail on top of her head, while Liz showed off her mile-long legs in teeny black shorts and a sleeveless silver blouse.
“Damn, we look good!” Quinn grinned as she looked over at the other women.
“This is ridiculous,” Noelle grumbled, though she had to admit that they all looked amazing.
“So,” Quinn said happily, ignoring Noelle’s comment, “I thought that we could gamble at Caesar’s any night, so I thought it would be more fun to head next door to the Mirage.”
“Fine by me,” piped Liz. “And let’s take a cab because I am not walking over there in these three inch heels.”
The cab ride was quick and inexpensive, and Noelle looked around in wonder as they entered the casino. She had never been to Vegas before, and honestly, she had never considered going to Vegas. She knew Quinn and Liz had gone before, and she remembered a lot of people in college going when they turned twenty-one, but once Noelle became involved with Todd, she was perfectly content to settle down with him and live a quiet, domestic life. It was something she had always craved as a child growing up in a dysfunctional home.
Something about the pulsing energy of Vegas invigorated Noelle, while also frightening her at the same time. Something about it’s undercurrent reminded her of her tumultuous childhood in Hoboken.
But those days were behind her now.
She was thinking far too much about her childhood lately, and she blamed Todd for that, too. Clearly, Todd leaving her had brought up some memories from her past that she did not want to revisit.
Instead, she focused on Liz’s voice.
“What should we do first?”
“Let’s do a lap,” Quinn said matter-of-factly, “We can check out the scene, see what games are going on, and admire the eye candy.”
Noelle snorted. Only someone as beautiful as Quinn could get away with such ridiculous language. Nonetheless, Liz and Noelle followed Quinn, checking out the slots and ringing machines, and then peering over at the table games led by beautiful dealers.
Liz spoke up first. “I think we should start with slots. Actually, I think we should start with a drink, then with slots. We can work our way over to the table games.”
“I don’t think I can do table games,” Noelle said fearfully, “I’m clueless.”
“They’re really not that bad,” Quinn assured her. “You’ll see once you get the hang of it. And you can sit back at first and watch Liz and me. If we can do it, you can do it.”
“Yeah, but you guys are teachers. You know math.”
Liz burst out laughing. “Yeah, first grade math has really prepared me for blackjack odds.”
Noelle bit her lip and smiled. “Okay, you might have a point.”
Quinn grabbed the women by their elbows, and led them towards the bar. Once they all had drinks in their hands, they made their way to the slots.
Noelle was much more comfortable here, and after she finished her cranberry and vodka, she felt slightly better. However, she definitely needed more alcohol. Not just to help her relax, but also to forget about why she was in Vegas in the first place.
The second cranberry and vodka went down even more smoothly than the first, and Noelle didn’t even put up a fight when Liz led them towards the table games. Of course, Noelle had to stop for another drink.
“Once we get to the tables, we’ll get free drinks,” Liz whispered, guiding her forward. Noelle hung back and watched as Liz and Quinn played craps and roulette.
“Come on!” Quinn cried, “Let’s find blackjack!”
“You can totally do this one,” Liz promised Noelle, and she nodded quietly, hanging back and watching Liz and Quinn play a few rounds. Once she felt comfortable enough, she took a seat next to Liz when it opened up.
She was hesitant at first, but then the cocktail waitresses began coming around, and two more vodka and cranberries later, she was feeling pretty confident.
“Don’t drink too much,” Liz whispered, “You’ll lose more money that way.”
Noelle nodded, thinking it was too late for that. Surprisingly, she was doing well and she thought that maybe gambling was more fun than she had first believed.
Noelle became so immersed in the game, that she didn’t notice the seat vacate next to her or the new man who filled it.
“You’re doing well,” a deep, rich voice sai
d next to her.
Surprised, Noelle looked up and found herself face to face with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Slowly, she took in the man who was now seated next to her, and she felt a warming sensation run over her body.
Desire like she'd never experienced before.
The man next to her looked to be no older than thirty, and he was the sexiest man she had ever laid eyes on. Aside from his gorgeous baby blue eyes, he had thick, dark, cropped hair and full lips. There was an undeniable air of mystery about him, and as she continued to check him out, she noticed he was impeccably dressed in a dark suit. The suit alone looked like it probably cost more than Noelle’s mortgage payment.
As Noelle unabashedly ogled the stranger, she realized he was doing the same thing to her. Her mouth went dry and she reached for her drink, quenching her thirst as her eyes peered over the edge of the cup at the mysterious man.
The man laughed a soft throaty laugh as his eyes met Noelle's. Coming to her sense and completely mortified, Noelle quickly put her cup down and averted her eyes.
“It’s too late,” he whispered huskily, “I already saw you checking me out.”
Noelle’s eyes widened with shock at his forward comment, and then her face flushed bright crimson.
“Now, don’t be embarrassed,” he said kindly, “though you’re even sexier when you blush.”
“Oh my god,” Noelle whispered, mostly to herself. Liz and Quinn were so engrossed in the game that they didn’t hear her.
“Too forward?” he teased, and Noelle looked up at him to see he was smiling with just a hint of cockiness. Normally, Noelle never went for the guys who knew they were smooth and good looking, but something about this man was too appealing to ignore.
“I’m Blaze,” he said in his deep voice, holding her gaze.
What kind of name is Blaze? she thought. It took her a moment to regain her composure, but she finally spoke up.
“Noelle.”
“That’s a beautiful name.”
“Thank you. And your name is very—unique.”
Blaze laughed at himself. “That’s a polite way to say it. My parents had a thing for dangerous names,” he explained, a flash of something quickly moved across his face, and then it was gone.
“So it's a family name?” Noelle joked boldly, surprised at herself. The alcohol was clearly taking effect.
“Well, not exactly. My dad's name was Bob.”
“Well I think Blaze suits you well.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You should.”
“Now tell me, Noelle. How often do you play blackjack?”
Noelle let out a small giggle, and then took a sip of her drink before meeting his gaze. “Honestly? This is my first time. I have no idea what I’m doing.”
Blaze looked at her pile of chips. “It certainly doesn’t seem that way.”
“Well, it must be beginner’s luck because I promise you, I have no clue.”
Blaze looked at her again, as if he was seeing her in a whole new light. “Have you been to Vegas before?”
Noelle took another sip of her drink, and shook her head. “This is my first trip. Actually, this is my first night!”
“Really?” Blaze’s eyes seemed to burn into her, and she had to look away finally, unable to hold the gaze.
Noelle shifted in her seat, bringing her focus back to the game. Yet, she could still feel Blaze’s eyes on her. And even though she wasn’t looking at him, she felt exposed in a way that she had never felt before.
Her time with Todd had thrown off her ability to talk to other men, or pick up cues from them. She couldn’t tell if Blaze had been flirting with her, or just making small talk. Of course, the alcohol surely wasn’t helping either.
“Hot damn! Who is sitting next to you?” Liz suddenly whispered in her ear.
Noelle turned to look at her friend, raising her eyebrows. But before she could respond, Blaze leaned over, dazzling them all with his smile.
“Hello ladies. We haven’t met yet. I’m Blaze. Noelle here was just telling me that she has never played blackjack before, which I find hard to believe.”
Quinn, the consummate flirt, batted her eyelashes at Blaze and smiled. “Oh, it’s true. This is Noelle’s first trip to Vegas, and her first night in a casino. In fact,” she said, a devilish smile spreading across her face, “This is actually Noelle’s first night out as a single woman in three years.”
“Quinn!” Noelle cried, but Blaze seemed to perk up at the small revelation.
“Really? Then maybe we need to make this night memorable.” He raised his hand and a cocktail waitress was at his side instantly. He whispered something to her, and she nodded before quickly scampering away. “She’s going to bring us something better,” he explained.
The game continued, and a few minutes later the waitress returned with four clear drinks.
“Try it,” Blaze said, passing glasses around, “I promise you’ll like it.”
“Will there be anything else, sir?” the waitress asked breathlessly.
“No, that’s all for now, thank you.”
The waitress looked wistfully at the three women and then walked away.
Noelle sipped at the drink, and found it surprisingly delicious. It was both sweet and strong, and it had a hint of something tropical.
“What is it?” Noelle asked curiously.
Blaze grinned. “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”
The game began to pick up from there, and Noelle quickly realized that Blaze was a high roller. He was dropping two and three hundred dollars a hand as if it were nothing, and when he took a hit, he simply smiled and pulled out more cash from his bottomless pocket.
“Well, you certainly came prepared tonight,” Noelle commented, the alcohol making her feel more loose and relaxed than she had felt in a long time.
Blaze shrugged. “I like to go big or go home.”
“I can see.”
“So, tell me how this came to be your first single night out in three years.”
A look of sadness crossed Noelle’s face momentarily, and then it was gone. She rolled her eyes. “It’s not really a fun story.”
“Fun is boring.” He winked at her.
“Here’s the abridged version...my live-in ex-boyfriend and I were planning on spending a week in Aruba starting today. And I foolishly thought he was going to propose on the trip. However, last night he told me that he was moving out, that he was seeing someone else, and by the way, he was taking the other woman to Aruba in my place.”
Blaze’s eyes widened, and he sat back in his chair and let out a low whistle.
“Well, fuck. You need another drink.” He raised his hand to signal the cocktail waitress, and she nodded before hurrying off.
Noelle gave him a small smile. “Thanks.”
“What a douche bag. I hate to say this, but it sounds like you’re better off.”
“So, I’m realizing. I’m just stressing out now because our condo is in my name, and I don’t know how I’m going to pay the mortgage by myself every month.” She groaned. “Not to mention my ridiculous student loans.”
Blaze laughed. “Something will work out, you seem like a smart girl.”
Noelle shook her head bitterly. “That’s something people who have never had to struggle say.”
Blaze gave her a piercing look. “I’ve had to struggle plenty, but I can tell you're not a quitter.”
The way he said it was so dark, that Noelle was taken back at first. Blaze with his pocketful of cash, and expensive suit certainly didn’t strike her as someone who was struggling, but she shrugged.
“So tell me then,” Blaze said, leaning towards her, and Noelle felt pulled in by his deep gaze. “Tell me about your struggles.”
Noelle laughed again. “There isn’t enough alcohol in Vegas for that.”
“Of course there is,” Blaze teased, raising his hand to signal the waitress, but Noelle reached out and yanked his hand down.
“I’ve had enough for now,” she giggled. “No one wants to hear my sob story. I shouldn’t have mentioned my money problems either. That was silly of me.”
“Don’t you have any family who can help you out?”
Noelle shook her head. “No. No family. Well, I do have a sister,” she corrects, “but she doesn’t have money to help me out, and even if she did, I couldn’t take a dime from her.”
“Why not?”
Noelle stared at Blaze, unsure as to why this rich, sexy stranger seemed so interested in her boring life, and wondering why she was so willingly sharing her past with him—what was in those drinks anyway? She rarely spoke about her past to anyone, and here she was opening up to this stranger.
And maybe that was just it.
It was easy talking to a stranger. Who cared if he judged her? She was never going to see him again, and truthfully, she probably wouldn’t remember half the things she said once she woke up in the morning.
“My sister practically raised me. She saved up for years so that she could get us out of my parents’ house. When I was twelve years old, my sister and I moved into an apartment a couple hours away from my parents. My sister worked, went to college at night, and took care of me. She made sure that I did well in school so I could get into college and get scholarships.”
Blaze nods, taking this information in, while they still continued to play blackjack. “She sounds pretty selfless.”
“She is. That’s why I can’t ask her for anything else. She already gave up enough to help me. I can’t ever repay her.”
Blaze leaned over and took her hand. “What was so wrong with your parents?”
Noelle pulled her hand away and took a sip of her drink to delay answering the question.
“If I answer that, it will certainly ruin the night,” she said lightly, trying to make a joke. There was only so much she was willing to share. No way was she about to tell Blaze that her father ran a sex trafficking ring and that her mother lived on a steady diet of prescription pills and vodka.
Blaze seemed to sense Noelle’s discomfort and he let the subject drop. Self-conscious, Noelle ran her hand through her hair, pulling at it gently as it fell across her shoulders. She could feel Blaze’s eyes on her, and she wasn’t sure if she was teasing him or not.
