by V. K. Sykes
“Lead on, then, Sheriff.” She tossed a chip to the dealer and followed Nick out of the casino and through the side doors of the hotel. He’d parked his SUV under the green canopy.
“You spent the whole day at the hospital?” Sadie asked as he opened the door for her.
Nick helped her up into the impossibly high passenger seat. “Pretty much. I left at about four. She was resting okay by then.”
She reached out to touch his arm, still worried for him. “I’m really glad she’s all right. I just wish there was something I could do to help.”
He propped a booted foot on the runner and leaned his arm on the door frame, smiling down at her. “There is, actually. How about you take a little drive with me out of town? I could stand to unwind a bit.”
A vision of a moonlit drive into the nearby canyons flashed into her mind, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up. “Don’t tell me—there’s a monster truck rally somewhere, right?”
He snorted. “That’s really lame, even for you.” He nudged her into her seat and closed the door. A few moments later he had the SUV in gear and rumbling down the Strip. “Ever been to Laughlin?”
Sadie had never heard of it. “Is that a town?”
“A small city, actually. About ninety miles south of here on the Colorado River. It’s become a pretty big resort destination. Lots of casinos.”
“That’s where we’re headed?” She had no idea why he’d be taking her to another gambling town, especially one an hour and a half away.
“Yep.”
Even in the dusky twilight, she caught a mischievous look in his deep-set eyes as he glanced toward her. “I must conclude that you have a very good reason for dragging me away from a remarkable winning streak so I could spend three hours on a dark public highway.”
He flashed a sexy, wolf-like smile. “What do you think?”
“Would you care to share it by any chance?”
“Why? Don’t you like surprises?”
Sadie shook her head and sighed. “I forgot. Professional interrogators only ask questions.”
He laughed, reaching over the console to pat her knee. The welcome brush of those calloused fingers across her skin was enough to set off a shower of sparks low in her belly and between her thighs.
“Sadie, just stretch out those sexy legs of yours and relax. You can tilt the seat all the way back. We’ll be in Laughlin before you know it.”
He pushed a couple of buttons on the dash and some alt-country music floated out from speakers all over the car. She smiled back at him, hoping she didn’t look as nervous as she felt.
In fact, she loathed surprises. Not that she was a total control freak, but she couldn’t stand not to be prepared—for anything. Nothing gave her more agita than being thrust into a situation she hadn’t had the opportunity to think through and prepare for. It was one of the reasons she loved mathematics so much. It was something that made sense to her, something reliable, something she could control.
Until losing the Eagleton Prize had blown her life to smithereens, that is.
Sadie bit back a groan, frustrated at her inability to stop thinking about work, especially when she was about to head out for a night with the hot sheriff of her dreams. She must be even more tired than she realized.
Jerking upright in her seat, she suddenly remembered Nick had been up all night. “Are you sure you’re okay to drive? You must be exhausted.”
“I grabbed a few hours sleep before I went back to the hospital this afternoon. I’m a Marine, remember? I’m used to long hours and not much shut-eye.” He gave her a mock glare. “Now just put your seat back and get a little sleep yourself. I have plans for you, and they don’t involve you falling asleep on me.”
Sadie rolled her eyes at him, but the tension in her chest began to ease. It seemed Nick had everything under control, just like he had last night. And she was nearly bone-tired, especially since she spent most of the night tossing and turning. Reaching her right hand between the seat and the door, she located the power controls and inclined the seat to forty-five degrees, extending her legs and leaning back into the luxurious leather.
The big SUV arrowed along the desert highway as the dusky sky faded from orange to pink, and then into the gorgeous blue shades of the fast approaching night. As her eyes started to get heavy with sleep, she gazed across the console at the sheriff. It hardly seemed possible, but he looked even sexier than he did in one of his suits, not to mention a whole lot more approachable, with his low-slung, faded jeans, tight black tee shirt, and brown leather jacket so soft it looked comfortable enough to sleep in. He clearly hadn’t had a chance to shave. She’d never been a fan of the five o’clock shadow, but in Nick’s case she was happy to make an exception. The tingling in her breasts and the heavy, soft pulse between her legs told her how much of an exception.
But he confused her. So powerfully, resolutely masculine, and still so dark and dangerous even now that she knew him, Nick Saxon was not the kind of man to pick out someone like Sadie Bligh for a fling. But pick her he did, and for the life of her she couldn’t figure out why.
Not unless he really did have a hankering to discuss particle physics after all.
* * *
“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. We’re here.” Nick gently shook Sadie’s shoulder. She’d looked so damn cute snoozing, with her sweet lips softly parted, open and vulnerable. Of course, if she knew she’d slept with her mouth open she’d probably be mortified, but he’d found it strangely endearing.
She sat up, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs. “I slept through the whole trip?”
Then she noticed her little red skirt had ridden up to within an inch of dangerous territory, so she wriggled her behind and tugged it down. He’d been glancing over at those gorgeous bare legs every few minutes, wanting nothing more than to run his hand up her smooth thigh until he again found the ultra-feminine warmth he’d explored so thoroughly last night. “Only for the last hour or so. I think you need more stamina, ma’am.”
“We can’t all be Marines, soldier-boy,” she huffed while she stared out the window. “I’m guessing this is Laughlin?”
“Sure is.” A few seconds later, he stopped, hopped out, and strode around to help her down from the SUV’s high seat. He’d deliberately parked at an angle away from the building so she wouldn’t see their destination immediately.
Holding her shoulders, he turned her to face in the opposite direction. “There’s where we’re going.”
Her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes grew big with surprise. “Lord, save us. What in heaven is that?”
The ocean of rainbow neon that assailed their eyes had been Mac Morgan’s pièce de resistance when he built the Moroccan Spa near downtown Laughlin. Sadly, the usual good taste of Nick’s best friend had decided to take a leave of absence when it came to designing the exterior of the building. To Mac, it had been a spectacular success, but Nick thought the outside of the two-storey structure, with its garish tiles and pointy Arabic arches, might have been somebody’s idea of a Middle Eastern whorehouse. Fortunately, the inside looked a lot better.
“I know it’s over the top, but believe me, you’re going to love this place.” He put a hand behind her back and gently pushed until she started to move forward of her own volition.
Sadie scanned the building. “Kind of Mecca meets Vegas, isn’t it? But it looks closed. The parking lot is completely empty.”
“It is closed. To the general public, that is. But not to us.” He pulled on the heavy double door whose polished wood was stitched horizontally with heavy iron bolts.
“Finally. I thought you were going to keep me waiting here all night.” The gruff voice of Mac Morgan boomed across the foyer. As he strode up to greet them, his gaze latched onto Sadie like a missile locking onto its target. “Ah, Nick. This is the lovely young lady you told me about.”
Nick tamped down his irritation as the other man let his gaze linger far too long below Sadie’s collarbone. Unfortu
nately, his friend could be a bit of a sexist dick when it came to women.
“Knock it off, Mac,” he growled under his breath. Sadie was turning five shades of pink, but also looking kind of flattered under Mac’s admiring gaze. “Sadie Bligh, meet Mac Morgan, spa keeper extraordinaire. And formerly the best damn weapons specialist I ever worked with.”
Sadie reached out a tentative hand, then gave a startled squeak when Morgan reached his gorilla arms around her and hugged her to his chest. “Give Mac a hug, darlin’,” he bellowed, giving her a squeeze and a couple of hearty slaps on the back before releasing her.
Nick had to repress a laugh at Sadie’s stunned expression. “When I told Mac I’d met someone interested in having some special experiences during her vacation, he offered to let us use the spa for the evening. We’ll have it completely to ourselves.”
Mac leered the way guys do when one of them is about to score. Thankfully, Sadie didn’t seem to notice. “We closed up at eight tonight, as usual, Nick. But I’ve left everything up and running for you two. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like. Even overnight, though the cleaners will roust you at six.”
“We’ll be heading back tonight,” Nick said. “But thanks, anyway.”
Mac gave him an obvious wink. “I’d love to chat, but I expect you two have better things in mind. Here’s a key for the front door. You can hold on to it. I’ll get it back next week when I’m in Vegas.” He gave Sadie another overly warm hug, shook Nick’s hand and headed toward the back of the building where he kept his car.
“What a nice man,” Sadie said with a warm smile.
“Sure, but you don’t know him like I do. If he’d hugged you one more time like that, I’d have had to kill him.”
She blushed again, but gave him a reproving look. “Nick Saxon! You’re jealous of your kind and generous friend?”
“Hell, yeah. Mac’s never seen a good looking woman he didn’t want to get flat on her back.”
Sadie ducked her head and let out a little gust of laughter. “Men. You’re all such pigs. But I must say that you two are doing wonders for my fragile ego.”
Nick slipped his arm around her waist. “Well, I’m about to boost that ego some more. Come with me, little lady. It’s time to explore the casbah.”
Sadie was going to love the Moroccan Spa, and he couldn’t wait to throw some fuel on the bonfire they’d started last night.
* * *
With Nick’s arm around her, Sadie strolled through the foyer examining the collection of ornate lanterns that hung from the ceiling. She knew her mouth was hanging open, but she’d never seen any place like the Moroccan Spa. Part of her—the nerdy math professor from Chicago part—still couldn’t believe she was here.
“These lanterns are amazing,” she marveled. “Every one of them is unique. Such beautiful stained glass and delicate metal work.”
Nick nodded. “Mac was posted for a couple of years to the American Embassy in Rabat. It seems he developed a taste for these fancy lamps.”
“I can see why—they’re utterly gorgeous.” She couldn’t take her eyes off a particularly fine piece with eight multicolored, stained glass suns surrounded by fields of delicately pierced metal. Eight golden tassels hung below the lantern.
His hand tightened on her waist. “You’re utterly gorgeous.” He leaned down and brushed a kiss on the side of her neck, sending a delicate, delicious shudder through her body. She turned her face toward his, hoping for more, but he pulled back to gently guide her to their right. “This way, honey. There’s still a lot more to see.”
She could only hope.
They moved down a wide hallway featuring spectacular Moorish tile on both walls in geometric patterns of white and green. On one side, a tall armoire in wrought iron filigree stood beside a wood door painted with Arab calligraphy in a kaleidoscope of cream, blue, brown and russet. On the other, engraved copper plates lined a shelf at eye height.
Nick pulled the heavy door open and nudged her through. “The pools are in here.”
A blast of humid air enveloped her as she entered the cavernous room. Four small hot pools surrounded a full-size swimming pool. Deep-padded lounge chairs and day-beds were scattered poolside. The lighting had obviously been designed to simulate an outdoor pool at night. A fake but well-done starry sky overhead, with strategically placed pot lights, provided just enough illumination for an atmospheric creation.
Nick came right up behind her as she scanned the pool, and his hands settled lightly on her hips. Though their bodies barely touched, aggressive male energy surrounded her and penetrated to her very core. She leaned back and felt his erection, thick and solid, against her bottom. Whatever he had in mind for tonight, it had clearly turned up his hormones to full throttle.
She wriggled a bit, increasing the contact. He muttered a curse as he pulled her into his groin, holding her tight. Heat seemed to spark and flash wherever they touched.
“We didn’t bring suits, but apparently they won’t be necessary.” She sighed, dropping her head back to rest on his shoulder.
Nick spun her around and drew her hard against him, kissing her with an intensity that poured liquid fire through her veins. Sensations rocketed through her entire body, melting her bones and making her limp with desire, able to remain standing only because he held her in a tight embrace. The moist heat of the pool combined with the incendiary kiss to make her breathless and dizzy, and eager for him to take her right there.
He broke the kiss, leaving her trembling. But a little burst of satisfaction shot through her when she gazed into his eyes and found them burning with a lust that mirrored her own.
They stared at each other, panting, until he let out a hoarse laugh. “At this rate we’re not going to make it through the full tour of the facility. Let’s head upstairs. There’s something I want you to see.”
He draped his arm around her shoulders, and they returned to the foyer where an ornate marble staircase in a vivid shade of pink took them to the second floor. Here, too, Moroccan tile covered both the hallway floor and walls in patterns of gold, blue and white. A four-foot high Arabian urn grabbed Sadie’s attention with its delicate, hand-painted blue and white ceramic, while a collection of pots in various hues of blue had been strategically placed on antique tables outside each door. Leather poofs and deep brocaded cushions completed the decadent casbah effect.
“In here.” Nick pushed open another heavy wooden door, intricately carved but incongruously bearing a modern-looking gold metal plate with bold, black lettering announcing it as “Massage Room One”.
Sadie glanced up at Nick, unsure of what he intended. But whatever plans he had in mind, her old life—careful, familiar, and safe—couldn’t possibly seem more remote than it did right now.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Strip. Completely.”
Nick’s curt directive made Sadie jump. She’d been scanning the lavishly decorated massage room, still trying to make sense of the fantasy landscape. And now that they were actually going to have sex—this time with no interruptions—she couldn’t help feeling a little rattled. She suddenly realized that when she and Nick had ended up in bed last night, the margaritas she’d consumed had bolstered her sexual courage. Now, she was stone-cold sober. As much as she wanted him, she couldn’t help being aware of how strange the evening had turned out to be. Alone with a man she barely knew, in a totally over-the top version of a sheikh’s palace? She was hardly anyone’s idea of a harem girl.
Recovering her wits, she turned to face him. “You first,” she challenged.
He leaned against the closed door and crossed his impressively muscled arms over his even more impressively muscled chest. He watched her with a predatory gaze that made the nerves in her stomach dance.
“Sorry, ma’am, but the masseur keeps his clothes on during the session. It would be unprofessional to do his job naked.”
And here she thought he might have brought her to this room simply because it had a bed—of so
rts. Now it appeared he had something in mind other than immediately jumping her bones, which, given his impressive erection, she thought would have happened sooner rather than later. The fact that the agenda had changed made her even more nervous. Both nervous and excited. “Actually, I’ve never had a massage,” she confessed, too embarrassed to admit that getting a massage had always seemed like a waste of time. Work had always been her antidote to stress, at least until recently.
His eyebrows shot up and he looked as stunned as if she’d just said she’d never had sex. When she scowled back at him, he laughed. “Well, Ms. Bligh, you really are in for a treat. Now, I repeat—take off all your clothes. Then slide in between these sheets and try to relax. I’ll be right back.” He quickly left the room, closing the door with a soft click.
She stared after him, slightly off-balance again. One thing was for sure, the sheriff had a talent for pushing her out of her comfort zone. But that was what this Vegas week was all about, she remembered. Leaving her old life behind, finding some courage, and exploring new horizons. More than anything, she wanted to do that with Nick.
Sadie stripped, carefully hanging her white cotton shirt and red skirt on one of the plastic hangers she found on a hook on the back of the door. The room felt soothingly warm to her bare body. She hoisted herself onto the table and pulled the sheet up to her neck before turning over and resting her head on the padded face cradle. Ultra-smooth cotton sheets caressed her skin. The softly-lit room had only one incandescent lamp, set on the counter that lined the wall behind her—the same counter where a row of opaque plastic bottles rested.
Massage oils. The ones Nick would presumably be using on her body in a few minutes.
Her skin prickled. The anticipation of his deft fingers all over her, like they had been last night, sent a zing of sexual heat straight to the flesh between her legs, releasing a little slick of moisture. This time, though, with her head stuck in a pillow ring, she wouldn’t be able to see him as he touched her. That made the whole thing seem even more outrageous and sexy.
