(Someday I’d get over that. I would.)
I glanced up from his lap, the rhythm of his heartbeat steady and reassuring against my back, at the same time he dipped his chin to glance at me.
“Infinity is going to be good to us, Hopp,” I told him, not a trace of doubt in my voice.
“Oh, babe,” he purred, brushing the back of his knuckles over my cheek. “Our infinity is going to be one for the books.”
People were pissing me off.
I wasn’t a hard guy to get along with, not really. Just don’t fucking talk to me. Simple. I only had tolerance for a handful of people in life; the rest could take a flying leap off a bridge.
You’d think with my sunny-side-up persona, people wouldn’t even bother.
People were stupid.
The questions were endless… or rather the question. At first, it was easy to brush off or give a simple reply. After all, I didn’t owe people an explanation for the way I chose to live my life.
Except I did. To those handful of people I considered family. Hence, when they started asking the question, an answer became harder to formulate.
When are you getting married?
I felt those words up there should somehow shake this page, crack the world open, or at the very least come with a drum roll.
They didn’t, but they were pretty close to giving me a rash.
Thing was I didn’t dislike that question. I wasn’t against marriage. In fact, I wanted to get married—something that, quite frankly, shocked the shit out of me. Yet when I glanced across my Lotus to the woman riding shotgun or woke to her skin sliding over mine like silk, I wasn’t so shocked.
I loved Josie, and I knew in the deepest part of myself I would love her forever. My loyalty to the dark-haired, green-eyed vixen was unshakable.
I bought a ring. Something too flashy, probably too big, and one she probably would think I was nuts for. She’d get over it, and I’d get off every single time I saw it glistening on her finger, shouting to all the world (all the world = assholes who wanted to look at my woman) she was mine.
That over-the-top ring sat in the box for months. Sometimes in my pocket (a lot of times in my pocket), in my glovebox, at home in a secure hiding place. The secure hiding place being a closet we shoved the shoes we never wore, and Josie never went in there because she was convinced spiders bred in our old shoes. I asked her why, if she was never going to wear them again, we couldn’t just toss them.
She looked at me like I had ten heads, and I never asked again.
Women.
I’d been waiting for the perfect moment, a time when I knew asking was absolutely right. Then people started asking the fucking question. Gamble wanted to know why I hadn’t made an “honest woman” out of his daughter.
I felt if I pulled out the ring now, it would look like I was caving under pressure.
I did not cave under pressure. If anything, I thrived.
I didn’t want Josie wondering if I asked because I thought it’s what I was supposed to do, not what I wanted. Then Hopper announced he wanted to marry my brother.
Focusing on Arrow’s happiness for a while seemed like the thing to do. I wanted him to be happy. He deserved it. And seeing him settled would make me feel less guilty for settling my own life.
Yeah, there it was. The guilt.
I thought only parents had that kind of guilt, but he did tell me more than once I’d been more like a Dad to him than a brother. Guess I felt the same.
I hadn’t been able to fully settle into the life I wanted until he did the same. It was the reason I kept two houses, the one near our airstrip and the one with Josie on the other side of the state. I split my time between the two, never wanting to be away from Arrow too long.
It was fucking exhausting. But it was necessary, and I would do it for the rest of my life if I had to. I hadn’t been there the night he needed me most. If I had only answered my phone… If only…
I shook off the thoughts. I couldn’t change it. But I could make sure I was there from here on out.
When A moved down to Gamble Speedway, it was like a big fucking sigh of relief, even though I’d had my reservations about that, too. Still, he was growing. It was a fucking amazing thing to watch. I was so proud of my brother, the kind of pride that filled me up inside and left me sort of in awe.
I’d almost popped the question after that, but Hopper beat me to it. Arrow came first, his wedding and his future. Josie and I were happy, and she knew I loved her.
Enough was enough, though.
Arrow was married, and Josie’s enthusiasm for their wedding was kinda adorable. And also kinda catching.
I was tired of waiting. I was tired of the question, and considering we had a phone interview with GearShark in the morning, I wanted to be able to give an answer, one they might not be expecting.
What was he up to?
Slipping out of our room in Vegas, not saying a word… Was he trying to give a girl a complex?
He would argue obviously not. He answered my text after all.
Only to give me no solid answer and to boss me around.
This required some sort of payback. In the form of a red dress. Jace wanted sexy. Well, I would give him sexy. Then I’d tell him to keep his seductive hands off me until he let me in on whatever he was up to.
Marching into the large closet in the suite where our suitcases were up on large white dressers, I reached for the garment bag hanging on the rack. It was black and contained more than the dress I wore to Arrow and Hopper’s wedding. I’d bought two dresses the day I went shopping, an unusual occurrence, but I couldn’t decide.
I figured it would be a good thing to have something in reserve anyway, since I wasn’t sure what else we’d be doing in Vegas. Now the wedding was over, my brothers were on their way to Seattle, and Jace and I were spending an extra couple of days here for a little R&R before real life resumed.
Pulling out a dress made of red lace, I smiled. This will do nicely.
I’d worn the silver dress to the wedding instead of this one because I thought it might be a little too sexy for a wedding. Plus, it was red, which seemed a little flashy for their big day (not that they were traditional).
This dress was sexy in a classy way. At least it was compared to some of the stuff I’d seen women waltzing around Vegas wearing.
The garment was a beautiful, true shade of red, sleeveless, and had a higher neckline that stopped right at the base of my throat. The bodice was fitted so it hugged my ample curves, but then the skirt flared out a little at the hips. The skirt itself was short. It showed almost all of my leg. What was sort of the saving grace for the tiny hemline was the way the lace overlay fell just past the red under-layer in a scalloped pattern.
It was a timeless dress really. The lace was thick, not dainty, and it zipped up the back. It didn’t dip low and reveal my skin.
Of course, as was the case with almost every dress I bought (with the exception of that bandage silver number I wore to the wedding), this one had to be tailored. Curvy girl problems. My chest was big compared to my waist. I had to have this one altered so the zipper would close without making me look like I had a uni-boob.
Attractive, right?
I wasn’t much into clothes, especially ones that had to be altered to fit my womanly body, but I was more into them this past year than ever before. What could I say? Jace brought out the girly side I apparently never knew I had. I wanted to look good for him. I wanted him to be proud to have me on his arm and to look like I belonged there.
Hanging the dress on the rod overhead, I grabbed a pair of red stilettos and set them nearby. I might not be much of a “girl,” but I did love a good pair of heels.
To me, a woman looked powerful with high heels on her feet, and even more, they made me feel powerful. Plus, these things would do wonders for my legs in this shorter-than-short dress.
In the adjoining bathroom, I applied some makeup (something else I’d been getting a lot of p
ractice at this past year), selecting a light cushion foundation for a natural look. But then I defeated the purpose of that “natural” look by smoking out my eyes with shadow and black eyeliner. Topping it all off, I chose a red liquid lipstick and coated my lips.
I didn’t have to worry about it getting on him because, well, he wasn’t getting any. Ha!
I’d found a blow-dry bar the day before, so of course I went there. I loved those places. They tamed my curls better than anyone. So today, my hair was long, straight, and glossy. I thought about curling it into beachy waves but decided against it. Mostly because I was lazy.
After brushing it out, I slipped on the dress. I felt a little self-conscious because it was so short and hugged the rest of me in all the right places (It better! I paid a lot to have it tailored!), but once I slipped the heels on and stepped in front of the mirror, I smiled.
For a finishing touch, I added the cuff bracelet Hopper and Arrow gave me, even though the stones were yellow and the dress was red. I didn’t care.
It hadn’t been an hour when a knock rapped on the door. Puzzling over who it was, I made my way over, my heels clapping over the tile. Jace had a key, so I knew it wasn’t him.
I didn’t bother looking through the peephole. I liked to live dangerously.
Pulling the door open wide, I gasped. “Jace!”
“Hey there, beautiful,” he drawled.
He looked mouthwatering leaning in the doorframe in a pair of black jeans, black boots, and a white button-up. The shirt was untucked, and over it was his leather jacket… But there was a tie.
He was wearing a tie. Without me telling him to.
“Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?” I demanded, looking him up and down.
“Like what you see?”
Butterflies burst into flight in my belly. He was so arrogant, but damn, it was sexy.
“You’re wearing a tie, with a leather jacket and an untucked shirt.” I sniffed, tearing my eyes away.
“Bitchin’, right?”
I laughed. “Something like that.”
He gave me a look that said he knew damn well I thought he looked like sex on a stick, straightening out of the doorframe. A low whistle blew from between his lips. “Well, I made plans for us, but seeing you now, I think we should just stay in.”
Reaching for me, I moved fast, lunging out of his grasp. “Oh no you don’t.”
His eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
I smiled, straightening so he could catch all of me. “You’re letting me in on whatever secret you have going on.” I waved my finger around in his direction as I spoke.
Jace’s chuckle was warm and rich. “All right, baby, let’s get this show on the road.” He offered me his arm.
With a yeah right sound, I moved past him to strut to the door. I made sure to sway my hips a little extra just for him. The intake of breath behind me was my reward.
Inside the limo (yes, a limo), he turned his body toward mine. “You look absolutely gorgeous, Josie.” He surveyed my body with great care, but it wasn’t slimy; it was appreciative. “I’m a damn lucky man.”
I softened a little. I mean, seriously, who wouldn’t?
“Thank you,” I replied softly, grabbing his black tie and tugging it toward me. “I like the tie with the leather.”
“Only for you,” he drawled, coming in for a kiss. I turned my head, his lips brushing over my cheek instead.
“Where are we going?” I asked, gazing out the window.
He laughed. “It’s a surprise.”
“I’m not much for surprises,” I told him, though he already knew.
“Humor me.”
Glancing back at him, all the lights of the strip fell away. “Only for you.” I echoed his earlier sentiment.
Jace curled his hand around mine, and I entwined our fingers. Clearly, whatever this was, he’d put some thought into it.
Again, butterflies erupted in my stomach, making me feel slightly lightheaded. I wondered if perhaps tonight would be the night.
The night Jace would ask me to be his forever.
Red hot.
Josie was red hot, not only in that fucking sexy as shit dress, but her attitude as well. Oh, she was pissed I disappeared, pissed I wouldn’t tell her where we were going or what I had planned.
More than that, she was intrigued. It was obvious in the way her eyes scanned the strip, the way she crossed one long leg over the other, then reversed. The green in her eyes was glowing, suspicious but also excited.
I loved this side of her. Lucky for me, it was her most prominent side.
I had to admit I was sort of nervous. Asking a woman to marry me wasn’t really ever on my lifelong to-do list. I never thought I’d find anyone I trusted or loved enough to take that leap.
Then Josie came literally speeding into my life in that damn yellow Skyline of hers and pissing me off plenty of times. She was everything I thought I despised yet somehow everything I always wanted.
The boxes in my pocket were burning a hole. I felt as if I were being branded by the promise of them but also the unknown. To me, Josie was a woman, all woman, and treating her any other way seemed wrong.
However, that woman side of Josie wasn’t a side she showed many people. She was too proud, too strong, and too damn stubborn. Sometimes it was a fine line with her… But tonight, I was taking a chance.
I just hoped it didn’t backfire.
“Isn’t that so beautiful?” Josie murmured, a bit of whimsy in her voice as she stared out the wide window of the limo. She was fucking adorable like that, momentarily forgetting she was dressed all sexy, her nose literally pressed against the glass as she stared out. “Even though it’s half the size of the real one, it still has all the romance and presence.”
Releasing her hand, I scooted across the seat so my body was pressed along hers. Resting my chin on her shoulder, I glanced out at the Hotel Paris and the giant replica of the Eiffel Tower.
“It’s all right,” I said, cheeky.
She gasped and elbowed me, light enough it didn’t hurt and it didn’t dislodge my body from hers. “You’re stupid.”
I laughed. The limo curved into the entrance of the Hotel Paris, gliding to a stop. Josie turned from the window. Light from the tower and all the other features outside glowed behind her, giving her a halo.
Without thought, I leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. She smiled softly.
The limo driver was already moving around to open the door for us when she asked, “This is where we’re going?”
“I guess even stupid people have good ideas sometimes,” I quipped.
Excitement lit her eyes. “Really?”
The door opened, and a rush of warm summer air filled the interior of the car. “How about we get out and see?”
Her red-painted lips curled up. I wanted to tug them between mine and kiss her until all that red was on me, nothing left on her.
Josie scrambled out of the limo. I stared at her ass while she did it. That damn dress was so short I actually got a panty shot—or rather lack thereof.
Vixen was wearing a thong.
I almost grabbed her naughty ass and tossed her back in the limo.
My arm slid around her waist at the curb, tugging the hemline down as I went. Leaning close to her ear, my voice rumbled. “What the hell do you think you’re doing romping around Las Vegas with no damn underwear?”
Glittering emerald eyes flashed up to mine. “I’m not romping anywhere. And I am wearing underwear.”
“Newsflash, baby,” I drawled, letting my lip rub over her earlobe, pausing to smile when she shivered. “If I can see your entire luscious ass, it ain’t drawers.”
“Just text me when you would like me to return,” the driver said, interrupting my foreplay.
I nodded and thanked him because I figured snarling wouldn’t inspire prompt service when I signaled later.
Josie’s attention went back to the Eiffel Tower, which glowed with
golden light. “Can we go up there?” she asked.
I scoffed. “Baby, we’re having dinner up there.”
It wasn’t often she looked at me as if I’d hung the moon, but when she did, I felt I could.
Placing my palm to the small of her back, we went into hotel (which was pretty fucking impressive), and I steered her toward the elevator leading up to the Eiffel Tower Restaurant.
The gold double doors opened a few short moments later to a huge open dining room with sweeping views of the strip.
The carpet was red; most of the tables were round and draped in white cloths. There was a giant curved bar to one side, while the other was literally a wall of windows showing the illuminated night.
“Mr. Lorhaven,” a man said, stepping up to us immediately. He was dressed to the nines in a black and white suit. “Right this way, please.”
I felt Josie’s gaze. I glanced at her and winked. Taking her hand, we followed along behind the man until he stopped at our special table.
I heard Josie’s intake of breath when the man gestured for us to be seated.
The table was more private, in the corner of the restaurant, where two large walls of glass met. It afforded an even grander view outside. The round table was draped in white and set with red plates and lots of glassware. In the center were two dozen red roses arranged low so they didn’t block the view. There were also a few flickering candles.
I pulled out a chair for Josie, and she slid in. Then I did the same right beside her. Both of us faced the window, the rest of the room at our backs.
I’d like to point out I don’t normally sit with my back to the room, quite the contrary, but tonight I was willing to make an exception.
“Look at that!” Josie said, grasping my hand beneath the table and pointing with her other toward the floor-to-ceiling windows.
We had a perfect view of the water show outside. Both of us watched for long moments as the water shot into the sky, seeming to dance around and change colors all at once. The tall buildings and hotels behind it were also lit up, giving an even better show.
#FinishLine (GearShark #5) Page 19
