by Various
Every head turned toward her, their eyes questioning.
“Everyone. I have an announcement to make.” She made her way to the altar and turned to face the crowd. The priest for the ceremony looked up from his notes, his brow furrowed, but said nothing. Their friends and family, all waiting, all shocked to see her in her wedding dress standing in front of them before the ceremony.
Alex lingered at the back, keeping his eyes averted. Coward.
“Everyone. Alex has informed me that after eight years together, he no longer wants to be with me.” Gasps and murmurs erupted within the church. “Apparently he wants to explore other possibilities and has just recently made this decision. And I guess our wedding day felt like the right time to inform me.” The crowd’s stares shifted from her to Alex, and back to her.
She was humiliated, but at the same time, she wanted him to feel part of this humiliation and by the redness in his face as he sulked at the back of the church, she was certain he got a small part of what he deserved.
Alex’s mother leapt from her seat and she hurried over to her son; his father followed behind. A look of shame and disappointment was evident in both their expressions.
She looked to her own parents and her older brother. She could see her parents were still trying to digest the information, but her brother Brian had already processed it and by the look of fury in his dark eyes as he stood and began to make his way down the aisle toward Alex, she knew what he intended to do. He and Alex had been friends up until that moment, but Genevieve was his baby sister and he was nothing if not protective.
A part of her wanted to see Alex hurting, like she hurt, but not like this. Her wedding had already become a circus; she didn’t want it to turn into a brawl in addition. Kicking off her shoes she raced barefoot down the aisle in pursuit of Brian, but she wasn’t quick enough. Brian grabbed her former fiancé by the front of the shirt, pushed him against the wall and slammed his fist into the other man’s jaw.
Brian’s hand pulled back a second time and his fist again made contact. Alex slumped against the wall, his knees buckling under him. Brian was about to hit him a third time when Genevieve grabbed his arm, stopping him.
“Don’t Brian. Please.”
Brian looked over his shoulder and caught her gaze, indecision filling his eyes.
“He’s not worth it. Just take me home. Please.” Genevieve held her breath, waiting.
Brian looked back at Alex, hesitated, and after what felt like an endless second released him. “Fine.”
They both looked down at Alex, his nose and lip bleeding, cowering on the floor. His mother had begun fussing over him, but when she looked up and her eyes locked with Genevieve’s there was only sympathy. Alex had such a wonderful family, they’d welcomed her into the fold and treated her as if she were their own. She was going to miss them and she was sure they would feel the same. She and Alex had been and should be perfect together; this made no sense. But it was.
“He’s not worth it anyhow,” Brian growled, placing an arm around her waist and ushering her away
“No, Brian, he’s not.”
Once they were out of ear and eyeshot of the onlookers, Brian stopped and pulled a handkerchief from his suit jacket pocket and passed it to her. “For what it’s worth, you make a stunning bride, little sis.”
Accepting the handkerchief, she took a deep breath in, and slowly released it, fighting back tears. No he’s not worth it, she told herself. He doesn’t deserve my tears. However, despite her efforts to keep back the tears, they had a mind of their own as they began to flow down her cheeks, smearing her perfectly applied make-up along their trails. All she wanted to do was go home, get out of the blasted dress and try to forget Alex Cane ever existed.
Chapter 2
Two Weeks Ago – Genevieve
Genevieve looked around as she entered the honeymoon suite. She was in Las Vegas a week after she was stood up on her wedding day. As it turned out, the hotel was prepaid and the price was non-refundable. They’d gotten an awesome deal with the non-refundable pre-purchase of the suite; it hadn’t even crossed her mind there would be a reason to cancel when she booked it. The honeymoon had been scheduled a week after the wedding to take advantage of the awesome deal Alex had snagged them. So the choice was either go to Vegas and make use of the room or waste the fifteen thousand it cost to spend the week there. So she hopped the plane – alone – and now here she was.
“Thank you,” she gave the bellhop a ten dollar bill as he placed her two suitcases inside the door of the room.
“Thank you ma’am.” He gave her a friendly, sexy smile and pocketed the bill. “Would there be anything else I can assist you with?”
Genevieve look a moment to look the handsome Latino man over. He was very good-looking and oozed charisma. He was one of those men who you spent a wild night of passion with and went home completely satisfied never to see or talk to again.
A part of her wished she was the kind of girl that did things like that. In truth, she didn’t know what kind of girl she was without Alex in her life. Alex had been her first love and partner. Her only love and partner when it came right down to it.
Would he be better in bed then Alex? Her sex life with Alex was okay, not mind-blowing like what she read in erotica and romance novels, but she doubted sex was that explosive in real life anyhow. But as she continued to look at the bellhop she found herself interested in finding out.
“Ma’am?”
She gave her head a shake at her foolish ideas and gave him a tight smile. “That’s all. Thank you.”
“If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
She watched him leave and then went about inspecting the room. Champagne was sitting on the table in the kitchen, chilling on ice. As she wandered into the bedroom, she found rose petals scattered over the bedspread and a bouquet of roses and box of chocolates sitting next to it. She picked up the flowers, brought them up to her nose and inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet scent.
Her mind drifted back to the bellhop. Would it be so bad for her to indulge in a night with someone? God knows, it had been suggested to her by numerous friends before she left. But no. She wanted a connection with someone, needed a connection. Could sex even be satisfying without that loving bond established beforehand?
She huffed, disgusted at herself. Yeah, ’cause that worked out so well with Alex. Maybe her friends had it right. No strings attached – just sex – taking pleasure in the strength and heat of a beautiful man you barely knew.
If only I were that type of girl…
Placing the flowers back next to the bed she went over to her suitcases and began rummaging through her clothing until she came to a beautiful, cream coloured Gucci dress. Stripping off her jeans and t-shirt she proceeded to change, slipping into the dress and spending the next half an hour primping until everything from her accessories to her make-up was perfect.
Once done she walked over to the mirror and examined herself. Her straight, black hair fell to the small of her back. It had a glossy shine that most women envied. She was about twenty-five pounds overweight, but it was in all the right places, giving her soft feminine curves. Her emerald green eyes were accented with rich black cat-eye make-up. She looked good, sexy. But instead of making her feel good, it only made her feel more confused. If Alex didn’t want her because of the way she looked then what was it? What about her made him not want to be with her? She shook her head, grimacing; she hadn’t a clue.
With a sigh, she gathered her golden Chanel double-flap handbag, stuffed her wallet and casino vouchers in it and exited the room. The casino gave her five hundred in casino money as part of the honeymoon package, so she figured she might as well use it while she decided on her next course of action.
~*~*~*~*~*~
~ Dane ~
Between poker hands, Dane Porter watched the raven-haired woman as she played the slot machines across from him. He’d been winning until she showed up, however, now he was los
ing virtually every hand. Disgusted with himself for allowing the vixen to distract him, he decided to give the cards a rest – for now.
His dick was taking over his mind and there wasn’t much he could do about it – except find a way to satisfy the urge she was provoking within him. And what better way than introducing himself?
Walking over to her, he leaned over her shoulder. “Anyone sitting here?” he motioned toward the seat next to her.
She paused with her hand on the lever, about to pull down and spin the wheels. She looked from the vacant chair to him. Releasing the lever she spun her swivel chair around to face him, nibbling on her lower lip as her eyes did a more thorough inspection of him.
Not quite expecting her to be so brazen, Dane found himself slightly uncomfortable. “…But if it’s taken…”
A smile formed on her lips, amusement in her stunning green eyes. “Is that what constitutes a pick-up line around here?”
He clucked his tongue off of the roof of his mouth and shrugged. “Not sure, I’m vacationing here from New York.” He extended his hand to her. “Dane Porter.”
Her face brightened at the mention of New York. “That so? I’m also from New York. What are the chances?”
He winked as he sat down next to her. “I think it’s destiny.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Okay, that was just cheesy. I expect more from a New Yorker, you’re disappointing me.”
“Oh, come on! Give a guy a break here. I’m trying to get to know you.” He shot another smile her way. Usually women swooned when he turned on the charm. It was evident she was going to be a little harder, but there was nothing he liked more than a little challenge.
Her expression softened. “I apologize.” She extended her hand to him. “I’m Genevieve Fennel.”
“Genevieve? What a beautiful name.”
“You can call me Ginny.”
“Staying here at the hotel?” He popped his member card into the machine, slipped in a fifty-dollar bill and waited for the credits displayed on the reader.
“I am. You?”
“I am. A suite on the top floor.” He pulled the lever and the wheels began to spin. “So what brings you to Vegas?”
She shrugged. “I’m on my honeymoon.”
He froze for a moment. Well, shit. His smile fell. He was really hoping she’d be available. He cleared his throat and pulled the lever again. “Well, congratulations.”
“No need. It’s a solo honeymoon.”
His brow furrowed, confused. Solo honeymoon? He turned his attention back to her. “I don’t follow.” His eyes lowered to her left hand where a wedding ring should be, but her finger was barren of said ring and he noticed a faint white mark where a ring used to be.
“I was stood up at the altar and the reservations were non-refundable. Being that you’re also staying in the suites you can imagine the amount of money that would go to waste if I didn’t come.” She shrugged, her smile turning rueful. “So here I am.”
Dane was struck speechless for a moment. What do you say to a newly jilted bride-to-be? “I’m sorry to hear that.” Yup, that was the best he could come up with.
She laughed softly. “Don’t be. You had nothing to do with it. It was for the best.”
“Were you with him long?”
“Eight years. High school sweethearts.”
“Oh, ouch.” He turned back to the slot machine, focusing on that a moment as he tried to decide on the best course of action. Stay and try to score, or let her go. It was a tough one.
He watched her out of the corner of his eye as they played, listing the pros and cons in his head. Pro, she was fucking hot. Stunning. And the ache in his groin was becoming a nuisance. Con, she’s fresh out of a relationship. She could be vulnerable and maybe a little too needy for a one-nighter at this point. She was young, he guessed early twenties. If she was with her former fiancé for eight years she may have only ever been with one man so she was virtually a virgin.
Dane clucked his tongue off the roof of his mouth. Was her being inexperienced a con? Nope, nope it wasn’t. He switched that over to the pros list.
“What, is there something in my teeth or something?”
“Huh?” He was so engrossed in his mental list-making that he’d stopped playing completely and discovered he was staring at her.
“You’re staring. I won’t lie. It’s kinda creepy.” Despite her words, there was a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her perfectly painted lips.
He could feel himself flushing. He wasn’t one to get embarrassed easily, but being caught ogling her did it. Maybe because she didn’t appear like the average girl he would go for. Looking at her, he could tell she had class. Everything from her poise, to her clothing and how perfectly made up she was screamed it. Nope, she wasn’t the typical club hooch he had a tendency to gravitate to.
“Your ex must have been an idiot.” He didn’t mean to say the words, but seeing her smile widen and her cheeks turn an alluring shade of pink made him glad he did.
“Wanna hear something crazy?”
“Sure, I love crazy.”
“He’s a lawyer and it was with one of his co-workers. Cliché, huh?”
“Very. And the fact he’s a lawyer just confirms my opinion that he’s a douche.”
“Not a fan of lawyers, huh?” She’d lost all interest in the machine in front of her and her complete attention was on him – just how he liked it.
“I’m a cop; it’s in our nature to hate lawyers.”
“He was a defense lawyer.”
Dane groaned loudly, making a show out of his mock displeasure, pleased to see her giggling at his antics. “Those are the worst kinds. He did ya a solid.”
The dark-haired beauty laughed. “You think?”
“I know.”
~*~*~*~*~
~ Genevieve ~
“Splatterzone!” the ticket taker who was dressed up like some sort of zombie-demon cried out, waving their tickets in the air.
Genevieve frowned as she looked down at her cream-coloured dress and Chanel handbag. Splatterzone didn’t sound very good to her. “What’s the Splatterzone?” she asked.
“You’re going to get fucked up,” the zombie-demon man explained. “Here’s your t-shirt. And go over there and smile or scream or whatever for the camera for your before pictures.”
What the fuck? She looked up nervously at Dane, who merely grinned as they stood in front of a wall featuring the cast of The Evil Dead Musical.
“Don’t forget to look scared!” a demon behind the camera instructed.
She didn’t have to try to act scared, she was scared – terrified. Her Chanel purse retailed for close to five thousand dollars. Dane wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight, leaning into her as the camera flashed.
“Come with me and I’d suggest putting your t-shirts on otherwise your clothes is goin’ ta get fucked up,” a female zombie-demon said.
“Yeah, the first zombie mentioned that,” she muttered, pulling the t-shirt over her head. Luckily it fell to her mid-thigh, covering her purse as well as most of her dress. Thank God for small miracles.
How did I get myself roped into this? She looked to her left, caught Dane’s eyes and smiled. My hormones, that’s how. Guess this is what happens when you have a fiancé who has more sex than you.
After an hour of small talk while losing their money at the slot machines, Dane announced he had a brilliant idea for a fun evening out. Now here they were, at The Evil Dead Musical being seated in the first row center by a female zombie-demon, preparing to be “fucked up.”
“Just so you know, please turn off and put away all cell phones,” the zombie-demon usher stated, motioning to their seats.
“Or they’ll get fucked up?” Genevieve offered, giving her a half-grin.
The zombie-demon grinned, or at least grinned as well as the prosthetic covering her face would allow. “That’s right. We consider those glowing screens targets.”
�
��For what?” Her grin faded.
Not answering, the zombie-demon turned and skipped off.
“What are they going to do to us, Dane?” Genevieve crossed one leg over the other and squirmed in her chair, attempting to get comfortable and finding she was squirming closer to Dane, until her body was pressed against his.
“Don’t worry, it’s not scary. It’s all in good fun.” Dane slid his arm around the back of the chair, allowing her to get even closer. She took the invitation, drawn in by the warmth of his body and the spicy smell of his cologne that carried citrus undertones. It smelled good – really good. The urge to bury her face in the crook of his neck and shoulder and bask in the smell was nearly undeniable.
“Scary I can handle.”
“Oh, you mean the Splatterzone thing.”
She nodded.
He chuckled. “It’s just fruit juice. It won’t stain or anything. At least I don’t think it will.” He looked down at her legs, noticing the beige hem of her dress. “Oh shit. I never thought about your dress. So sorry. I’m pretty sure it’ll come out.”
Her eyes widened, making him laugh a little harder.
“I’m very sure it’ll come out. If it doesn’t I’ll owe you a dress.” His hand around her arm grasped her shoulder and gently squeezed it, attempting to reassure her.
He was charming, she’d give him that. Charming and oh-my-God sexy. She didn’t bother to hide her examination of him. She had no doubt he was a NY cop. The black button-down shirt hugged his lean, muscular torso. Someone didn’t get a body like his without being a physical person.
Alex was naturally lean, but not all that muscular; he always said he was too busy to work out. And she figured that with the few extra pounds on her, who was she to criticize? He was still a good-looking man, but he didn’t ooze sexuality like the man sitting next to her did. And he certainly couldn’t cause a stirring between her legs with a simple look, like Dane seemed to be able to. It was at that moment that she came to a conclusion: Sex with Alex had been mediocre. Sex with Dane would be mind-blowing – an experience unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. Her body’s reaction just being near him confirmed it.
