Story Nine
Waking Up in Vegas by Kallie Clarke
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author.
Copyright © 2016 Kallie Clarke
All rights reserved.
Dedication
To the Wenches—the best support group and cheering section there ever was.
Acknowledgements
The Romance the Rock group is a force to be reckoned with. Who knew there was a pack of romance writers just hiding in the wilds of Newfoundland and Labrador? Savvy, energetic and talented are just the tip of the iceberg with this group and while I’m currently floating on the fringes, working on other projects, you inspire me every day to write better and write more.
Thanks to Libby and Debbie, my second and third set of eyes. Without you I would be nowhere, especially considering I push deadlines to the limit. This is my first foray into the contemporary/erotic romance genre and it was a lot of fun!
As always a big thank you to my family, the people who sacrifice the most because my hobby is writing.
Chapter One
Cassie Kennedy buckled her seat belt just as her iPhone buzzed for the twentieth time against her leg. She had turned the ringer off hours ago, but a glance at the screen showed a string of texts and several voice mails waiting. After three weeks she figured he would have given up by now. What could he possibly have left to say? She held the button down and waited a few seconds, sliding the screen into the off position. When the phone went black she sighed. Maybe in the time it took to fly from Boston to Las Vegas she could forget it. Forget him.
Could you really forget five years of your life in five and a half hours?
“Hey girl, you ok?” A hand reached out and patted hers. Cassie looked up into the smiling eyes of Siobhan O’Mara, her oldest and dearest friend. Siobhan had been through nearly everything with Cassie—kindergarten, high school, first break-ups, the death of her mother, and most recently her cheating fiancée just days before her wedding.
She nodded. “I’m sorry Shi, I don’t think I’ll be great company this weekend. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.” As the words left her mouth, the plane surged ahead as it does in that moment before it gently lifts into the air. The landing gear thumped as the wheels retreated into the plane’s belly.
Siobhan grinned. “Too late now, sister!” She squeezed her hand and Cassie’s own belly sunk a little. “How else should you drown your sorrows but by having a wild girls’ weekend with your two besties?”
“Exactly,” said Scarlett Shea, seated just across the aisle from them. She leaned forward so she could see them both. “This weekend is just what the doctor ordered, you’ll see. Maybe you’ll even meet someone new.” Scarlett batted her eyes at Cassie, holding her boarding card over the lower half of her face and raising her eyebrows suggestively.
Tears stung her eyes and Cassie shook her head. “Not a chance. I’m off men for good.”
“Forget about Jack, he’s a jerk and always was,” Siobhan said.
“Jeez, you could have told me that before I agreed to marry him.”
“Who was I to shatter your world if you really believed he was the one?” she asked using air quotes.
“Well the end result was the same, wasn’t it?” Cassie said with a frown.
“Hey, I thought we weren’t supposed to mention Jack or marriage on this trip,” Scarlett said.
“You’re right. We’re not.” Siobhan rubbed her hands together. “This is going to be so great and it’s Halloween! I’ve got us wicked costumes!”
Cassie raised an eyebrow at her friend, who bubbled with excitement. “Oh God. I am not dressing up as a French maid again, Shi.”
“First of all, you looked hot as all get out in that outfit Cass, but, no, I’ve gone for something a little more refined this year. And I wasn’t going to tell you this until we got there, but I have a huge surprise for you guys.”
Siobhan’s enthusiasm was usually infectious and Cassie watched her friend waving her arms in animation, her big blue eyes brimming with excitement. Siobhan was a classic beauty; tall, athletic build, olive skin tone capped off by black hair and piercing blue eyes. Her whole family looked like that. Just beautiful. The black Irish, Cassie’s mother used to call them.
She grinned slyly. “I’ve gotten us an invite to Physer’s Masquerade Ball, only the hottest ticket in town tonight!”
Cassie put her head in her hands while across the aisle Scarlett squealed with delight. “No way, uh-uh.” Cassie shook her head. “Totally not happening.”
“Oh come on, Cass, it’ll be great. Dressing up on Halloween in the town that never sleeps? Wearing a mask and mingling with strangers and nobody knows who we are? It’s so–” Scarlett’s eyes widened. “So, freeing!!”
“That’s the spirit, Scar! Seriously, can you think of anything hotter?” Siobhan nudged Cassie’s shoulder with her own. “Cass, you need this. You need to have some harmless fun. You need to be fun again. It’s been a long time.” She smiled ruefully. “Jack’s a dick. He always was. The way I see it you got a get out of jail free card, girl. Dodged a bullet. I know it hurts now, but that’s just the humiliation of the whole thing. The fact that everyone knows what happened. It’ll pass. Trust me.”
“How can you be so sure?” Cassie asked. “Nothing like this has ever happened to you.”
Siobhan nodded her head in agreement. “You’re right, but we’ve all had a bad break up and you need to make your peace with yours and move on.”
“I know that up here.” Cassie pointed at her head. “It’s just in here that’s taking a little while to get the memo.” Her hand pressed against her heart and her breath caught.
Siobhan put her arm around Cassie and squeezed. “I know, Cass, but you will realize soon enough that Jack wasn't for you anyway.”
“He cheated on me, obviously he wasn’t the one for me. But, it doesn’t make it any easier. I had a whole life mapped out with that asshole.”
“You will meet someone who will make you feel something totally different, I promise. Something you never felt with Jack. Something better. And he’s out there Cass, just waiting for you. You can map out a whole new life then. For now, think about a room full of strangers and us dressed in black leather.”
Scarlett blinked. “We’re going as bikers?”
“Nope. Way better than that. Dominatrixes!”
“Oh Jesus Christ.” Cassie said under her breath.
Scarlett whooped. “Shi’s right. This is going to be a great weekend!”
“Of course it is! The three musketeers together for one last weekend in Vegas before Cassie leaves us behind.” Siobhan frowned. “I still can’t believe you’re leaving us.”
Cassie cast Siobhan a side-glance. “You found me the job,” she said. “And besides, I need to make a clean break. It’s not forever, it’s just for now.” She looked into her friend’s eyes.
Siobhan sighed. “Yeah, I know. The only reason I agreed to find you something in New York is because one of our biggest accounts is there and I’ll be in the Big Apple at least three times a month. So, get used to me crashing on your couch.” Siobhan nudged Cassie’s shoulder playfully.
Siobhan was a director with one of the largest head-hunting firms in the United States and offered to help Cassie relocate. Cassie’s credentials had spoken for themselves and a number of companies had expressed a keen interest once Siobhan began the search. New York appealed to her maybe because she didn’t know anyone there. She wouldn’t have to catch pitiful glances from friends and acquaintances like the ones she got after she returned all the wedding gifts. Jesus, that had been so humiliating. She should have
insisted Jack be the one to return them.
But most of all she wouldn’t risk running into Jack.
“I cannot wait for this party!” Scarlett declared as she and Siobhan coordinated details around make-up and props.
Cassie shuddered. She rested her head back on the seat and closed her eyes. She’d been feeling sorry for herself long enough now. Maybe this weekend would be just what she needed. After all she’d been through, it couldn’t possibly hurt.
***
The atrium of The Bellagio was colorful and decorative. Large columns gave the place an almost gothic feel, but the kaleidoscope of carpets, paintings, and floral arrangements oozed elegance. There was some serious money in this place. Fortunately for them, Scarlett worked in hotel management and got a suite for the weekend at minimal cost through some business contacts.
“Will you look at this place?” Siobhan’s eyes darted over every surface as they made their way to the elevator and their suite on the 35th floor.
Scarlett slid the key into its slot and the door opened to reveal a spacious suite with a wall of windows looking out over the Las Vegas skyline. The lights of the strip twinkled in the late evening sky against the orange silhouette of the Spring Mountain Range.
“Sweet Jesus in the garden picking apples! This place is off the hook!” Scarlett said, dropping her bags in the middle of the floor and running to the window.
“We each have our own room!” Siobhan yelled over her shoulder as she skipped down the hallway.
The girls followed her inside one of the bedrooms and she collapsed back onto a bed with her arms outstretched. She raised her head and glanced to the corner of the room. “Is that a hot tub over there in the corner?” she asked, raising her eyebrows suggestively at the girls.
Cassie hoped some of their excitement would rub off on her. Instead, she wanted to put her pajamas on and order room service, but she couldn’t tell them that. They’d put this weekend together specially to get her out of this funk and she owed it to them to be a team player.
“We still have a few hours before we need to dress for the Masquerade Ball so why don’t we head down and try our luck in the casino?”
Cassie raised an eyebrow. “I’m not much of a gambler, Shi.”
“Oh come on, Cass, it’s only a bit of fun. You don’t need to be good at it.”
“I don’t even know how to play anything.” Cassie was trying really hard to drag herself up by the bootstraps.
“You can put money in the slots,” Scarlett said, “but that’s boring.”
“Let’s find a roulette table,” Siobhan said. “That’s where the real fun is.” She grinned. “Come on.”
Ok, she could do this. For them, she would do anything. Cassie grabbed her purse and followed her friends back into the elevator and into the casino.
“Drinks?” a waitress asked as they stopped at a Blackjack table.
“Yes, please!” Siobhan said. “Champagne please. Three. We’re celebrating!”
“Be right back,” the waitress said.
“Look at that.” Siobhan nodded toward the table. “See that guy there? He just placed a five-thousand-dollar bet.” Cassie’s eyes widened and she held her breath as the cards turned up.
A collective groan sounded at the table.
“What happened?” Cassie asked Siobhan.
“Ouch is what happened. The dealer’s fourth card came up to make a twenty-one, which beat his inferior King-Queen hand.” It was gobbledygook to Cassie, but the man slammed his hand on the table and cursed just as the dealer swept away all his chips for the house. The table was deflated and everyone grumbled and disbursed.
The waitress returned a few minutes later with their champagne. “So, what are we celebrating ladies?” she asked, accepting the bills Shi stuffed in her hand.
“Freedom!” Siobhan and Scarlett said at the same time, clinking Cassie’s glass.
Cassie smiled despite the black hole in her heart and sipped her bubbly. They were great friends and were trying so hard to lift her spirits. She had to come around on this trip—had to. She could get back to moping when she got settled in New York. No one would even know the difference.
Some commotion a couple of tables over caught their attention. Siobhan craned her neck to see what the fuss was about.
“See they’re playing roulette over there! That’s where we want to be, it’s so exciting. Come on.” She grabbed Scarlett by the hand and headed in the direction of the excitement. Cassie downed the rest of her champagne and followed along.
Scarlett brought up short. “Sweet God, will you look at them?” She grabbed Cassie by the shoulders and peered around her.
“Mmmhmm,” Siobhan said. “Men gambling in general is a turn on, but those three are hot.”
Cassie eyed the crowd gathered around the roulette table. Three well-dressed and very handsome men commanded the roulette table while people piled around to watch. Two high-fived each other and were intensely invested in the game. They were doing well by the satisfied looks on their faces. The third was much more subdued, but equally well dressed and much more striking in appearance. His square jaw was accentuated by just enough stubble to be sexy and his dark hair was short in the back and just a touch longer in the front. As Cassie assessed him from across the table, he looked up slowly and met her gaze. A jolt shot through her as his steel-grey eyes looked directly at her. She blinked and looked away.
“Let’s move closer,” Siobhan coaxed, pushing Cassie and Scarlett forward.
They reached the roulette table and Siobhan and Scarlett sidled their way through the crowd to get a front row view of the show and quickly became part of the cheering section. Cassie didn’t know what to cheer about since she wasn’t even sure what was happening in the game. It appeared like they placed chips on random numbers and placed a bet in the hopes that when the dice was rolled one of the numbers came up. Surely, there had to be more skill involved than that? How could anyone waste money so frivolously? Must be nice. Judging by the cut of their clothes and Rolex watch the quiet one wore, money probably wasn’t much of an issue.
“Hey,” one of Mr. Steely Eyes’ friends said to Siobhan.
Cassie chuckled. That didn’t take long. Siobhan was like sex on a stick. It never took long before guys swarmed around her. Cassie had once witnessed a brawl break out at their local in Boston one night between a soccer team who had all claimed to have had eyed her first.
Siobhan shifted her way through the bodies until she reached the three men, who had been commanding the roulette show. Scarlett moved gracefully behind her, while Cassie bumped her way through the cluster of bodies and poking elbows.
“Hey yourself. Looks like your lucky tonight?” She smiled at him and then nodded at the table.
“I certainly hope so.” He smiled, his eyes never leaving her.
Cassie’s cheeks warmed at the suggestive nature of the comment, but Shi never missed a beat as he called the waitress over to order some drinks.
In no time Scarlett was engaged in conversation with the other friend and Cassie was left standing next to the table without a wing man. She hadn’t dated in well over five years. Not that she wanted to date mind you, but everything that had just happened with Jack shattered her self-confidence until there was little left. She didn’t even know how to look up at Mr. Steely Eyes and offer a simple greeting.
Come on Cassie, it’s just a hello.
She dragged her eyes from the green felt roulette table and up over his black pants, noticing how they clung to his hips. Her gaze trailed up over his fitted, charcoal coloured dress shirt until she finally met those penetrating eyes. She coughed. “Ahem…hi.” She offered a tentative smile.
His eyes crinkled as he watched her. “Hi,” he said, and offered her a gentle smile as if sensing her discomfort.
She shifted nervously and looked away. This was painful. The girls were laughing with his other companions. The cute blond one touched Shi’s arm and whispered something into her ea
r. Oh Cassie hoped the walls of their suite were sound proof. There was nothing worse than lying in bed listening to one of your friends have mind-blowing sex in the next room.
Cassie sucked in a breath and turned back toward him. “So, do you live here?” It came out a little higher pitched than she would have liked.
A hint of a smile threatened to curl his lips. “Here in the casino? No. You?”
Her face grew hot. “No, of course not. I meant here in Las Vegas. I live in Boston.” She had lived in Boston, previously, until her cheating fiancée broke her heart, but this probably wasn’t a good time to bring any of that up.
His full lips parted, revealing a perfect set of white teeth. God he was a work of art. The line of his jaw was square, almost as if it was drawn with precision, and when he smiled a dimple appeared in his right cheek. She bit her lip until it hurt. This was crazy. She had just met this man and her heart fluttered wildly in her chest like she was sixteen again.
She shook her head trying to shake the feeling that had come over. It was a feeling she had felt before, but it was a distant memory now. Attraction.
“Are you ok?” he asked.
“Of course. I’m fine. I just—I’m sorry, I need to take this.” She fished in her purse for her iPhone, which was still switched off from the plane earlier. She held up a finger and said, “Nice to meet you, but I really need to take this.”
Cassie was desperate to get away. She looked around, but the roulette table was still crowded as another group of gamblers had picked up where the others had left off. His friends appeared preoccupied vying for her friends’ affections. Mr. Steely Eyes leaned against the roulette table with his body stretching back to allow some small space for her to slip by.
Tricks & Treats: A Romance Anthology Page 19
