Vegas Knights

by Maddix, Marina

  He smiled at her reaction and tipped his head back. "Damn, why do I love sassy women so much?" he asked the universe.

  Facing her again, his sea foam green eyes bore into hers. "You don't get it, do you? From the moment you landed on me at the cabin, I knew I wanted you to stick around for much longer. Much, much longer."

  Her brow knit with confusion. "But you said..."

  He growled and raked his fingers through his hair. He seemed to do that a lot around her. "You need to listen to my words, woman. Are you listening?"

  Her mouth pursed stubbornly as she tipped her head, waiting.

  "Kelly Saunders, I'm crazy about you. I know this was supposed to be short-lived, but I don't want that anymore. I want you. I want you to stay. Not just for a week, not just for two weeks. I don't know about you, but I think we might have something here, but we need time to know for sure. So stay and we’ll find out together. Please."

  Kelly's mouth went from a defiant purse to hanging open in disbelief. 'Please,' he'd said. It was the same thing he'd said when he asked her to come to Vegas with him. She gazed into his eyes and saw nothing but the truth of what he was saying. He didn't think she was his whore, he wanted her to be his girlfriend. Tears welled and threatened to spill down her cheeks. Not wanting him to see her cry, she launched herself into his arms and tucked her face into his neck.

  Clutching her body to his, Rick said, "I'll take that as a yes."

  Her heart was bursting. She wanted to scream "YES!" at the top of her lungs, but only managed a squeak of agreement while she nodded frantically into his neck.

  They sat entwined under the stars, swaying slightly with the rhythm of their own bodies. Rick's hands moved slowly from her hair down her back. Shivers of anticipation rippled through Kelly. They were going to make love under the stars. It had always been a fantasy of hers but she'd never imagined it would come true. But a lot of things she'd never imagined were happening lately.

  Feeling the need to show him she wasn't some precious flower that needed tending and special care, that she was an independent woman, Kelly took control. His eyes never left her body as she moved to stand over him, legs spread, hands on her hips.

  "Strip." The single word brought a knowing smirk to Rick's face. Without a word, and still never taking his eyes from her, he eased his off his jacket, throwing it aside. His gaze was positively smoldering as he loosened his tie and started to pull it over his head.

  "Leave it." Kelly commanded on impulse. His hands paused, then dropped to the front of his charcoal Armani button-down, his eyes burning into her flesh like a brand. His fingers worked slowly, deliberately, intensifying her need for him. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her impatience. Cocking her hip, she let him tease her with his leisurely pace.

  When the shirt was lying atop the leather jacket, he looked up expectantly, awaiting her next instruction. When she nodded toward his pants, triumph flashed across his face. She realized her mistake as he moved to stand. Once on his feet, he would tower over her, emphasizing her vulnerability and his dominance.

  "On second thought, scratch that.” One of his eyebrows shot up, and exasperation took the place of triumph. She knew the score and she wasn't going to give him an advantage if she could help it. He leaned back on his elbows — shirtless and irresistible — and studied her.

  She couldn't afford to make a misstep or show any hesitation. This had become less of a game for her and more of a demand for equality in this relationship. He may be rich, but that didn't mean he was in control here. Either he accepted that they were in this together, as equal partners, or he would be taught that lesson. Of course, she suspected that would be a lesson he might enjoy learning.

  Instead of kneeling down to undo his pants, Kelly reached back to unzip her dress. The silk tickled her skin as it shimmered around her bare shoulders. She let one side slid down her arm enough to let Rick see there was no bra strap. She'd been irritated that her bra hadn't dried by the time she got dressed for dinner, but now she was happy it hadn't. Her nipples tightened at the silk's touch, making it even more evident the 'girls' were on the loose.

  Rick's eyes widened as they fixated on her breasts. She caught movement in his pants and slow smile graced her lips. He'd be begging for it very soon.

  Kelly whipped her soft curls around, Charlie's Angels-style, distracting Rick, pulling his dazed eyes up to meet her own. Her tongue peeked out from between her lips, moistening them. Biting her lower lip, she let her gaze follow her hands as they slid up her waist to just under her breasts. She glanced at Rick from beneath her lashes, but he didn't notice. He was too occupied by what she might do next.

  Each hand lazily kneaded a mound, scooping and sliding and cupping. Kelly tipped her head back, her locks flowing away down her back, as her hands worked. She took each nipple between her index fingers and thumbs and tugged. She wasn't sure if the gasp she heard had come from her or Rick. There was no denying the sensation was wonderful, but what was really causing the dampness to flow between her legs was knowing what her little show was doing to him.

  "Mmmm," she moaned, then sucked in air between her teeth.

  A rustle from the blanket caught her attention. Rick was moving to unbuckle his belt to give himself room to grow. "Did I say you could do that?" she asked sharply.

  His hands stopped and he looked up at her, pleading. She slid one hand up her chest, allowing her breast to jiggle and bounce freely under the silk, and slipped her fingertip between her teeth. Lightly biting it while peering at him from beneath her lashes, she shook her head slowly.

  Rick growled in frustration but leaned back on his elbows, no trace of his trademark cocky smirk. Kelly's gaze traveled easily down his chest and abs to the bulge in his pants. It pulsed defiantly as her gaze settled on it. One side of her mouth tilted into a wicked smile. We'll see about that.

  She sucked her finger into her mouth, closing her eyes and moaning as it slicked in and out. The fingers of her other hand continued pinching and tugging at her nipple, sending shots of electricity to her core. Imagining her finger was Rick's cock, she nipped and laved and flicked, letting saliva dribble down her hand. His eyes weren't wavering from her mouth, so he didn't notice her other hand had pulled the bottom of her dress up until her finger moved from her lips to the hem of her dress.

  Besides not wearing a bra, Kelly had thought it would be sexy to not wear panties that night, so when the edge of her hem lifted just above the apex of her thighs, Rick had a full view of her nakedness. He tensed and leaned forward like a puma ready to pounce. Her dripping digit slipped along the edges of her mound, then up the middle before disappearing into her folds.

  She moaned again and gyrated her hips against her hand, coaxing herself into a frenzy. She hadn't planned on making herself come, but the risquéŽ show had turned her on so much that she felt herself nearing the precipice. Her half-lidded eyes sought out Rick's gaze. The open hunger on his face sent her over the edge and she shouted his name as she climaxed.

  Suddenly his arms were around her and he was pulling her down to the blanket with him, his lips crushing hers. He hurriedly pulled the top half of her dress down as he simultaneously pushed the bottom half up, until it was bunched around her waist. His hands fumbled with his belt and slid his pants down just far enough for his erection to pop free of his pants.

  Tugging hard on the tie brought his lips to hers. She wrapped her legs around him as he feverishly plunged into her again and again. The orgasm hadn't had time to die away and she felt herself contract and release around him as he continued his onslaught.

  His cock was hot granite inside her, and another climax was closing in on her. As their bodies clenched and tightened around each other, as they cried out the other's name in unison, as love for this man surged through her, Kelly's eyes flew open and she witnessed the moon rising above the hills.

  Chapter Ten

  Rick woke her the next morning with tiny kisses peppered down her neck and shou
lder. "Mmm..." she moaned. Rolling onto her back, she squinted against the light shining in from the bathroom. "Morning," she mumbled.

  He grinned like he'd just returned from a run. "Yes, it is, beautiful. I'm sorry for waking you but I just wanted to tell you how happy I am you're sticking around. Wish I had time to show you how happy I am, but I've got to get going. Afraid I'll be late tonight, so don't wait up, okay?"

  She moaned her displeasure, both at how late he would be and that he didn't have time to make love to her again. He dipped in and gave her a sweet kiss, despite what she presumed was hideous morning breath. His hand cupped a breast and lifted it to his mouth. Kelly's breath caught as he gave the tip a quick suckle and light kiss.

  "Have fun at the gallery." He winked and his weight shifted off the bed, leaving her alone in the giant bed. She glanced at the glowing clock next to her. She barely took in that it said 5:15 before drifting back into sleep.

  She woke with a start two hours later when the house phone started chirping. Unsure if she should answer it, she let it roll over to voicemail. A few seconds later, it chirped again. Hoping it was Rick, she answered tentatively.

  "Hello?"

  "Have you seen the paper?" She breathed a sigh of relief at his voice. She wasn't completely sure what she would have done if it had been someone else.

  "Oh, it's you. I wasn't sure if I should answer..."

  He cut her off. "Have you seen the paper?"

  "No, I was still asleep..."

  Once again interrupting her, he said, "Good, don't read it, okay? Promise me. Just go to the gallery and paint, okay?"

  A cold hand clenched and twisted inside of her. "Why? What's in it? Omigod! It was that photographer, wasn't it? What's it say?"

  "Nothing, nothing. It's just a stupid gossip column. Nobody reads it and it's always full of lies anyway. Just forget about it and go paint. Promise me, Kell."

  She gave a weak agreement, knowing she'd do no such thing. Rick rang off, and she grabbed a robe as she sprinted for the door. She vaguely recalled seeing a paper outside the door yesterday, but she had other things on her mind then. Sure enough, there it was, lying there like a bomb.

  Don't do it. She tried to talk herself out of it, but the longer she stood there staring down at the thing, the more she needed to know what it said. She snatched it up and slammed the door.

  Fear coursed through her. It had to be bad if Rick had called to tell her not to look at it. What could they have possibly said? Trembling fingers pulled the pages apart, fumbling through each section as she shuffled into the living room.

  It was on page three of the Lifestyle section, way down on the bottom right, but there it was. A photo of her big, fat face leaning in toward Rick, only his face wasn't visible, just the back of his head. Her stomach lurched at the headline: WHO'S CHUMMY WITH CHUBBY?

  Granted, it wasn't the most flattering photo. The angle and lighting, paired with how she was holding her head at the moment the photo was snapped, gave her an embarrassing double chin. And the sleeveless dress she'd been wearing accentuated her big upper arms a little more than she'd thought. But to call her chubby? In print? She nearly cried.

  If that was the title, she knew she shouldn't read the story but she couldn't stop herself.

  Word on the street is that a certain wealthy playboy businessman who has graced this column on more than one occasion with far more svelte companions was seen out on the town with this buxom beauty last night. Who is she? Sources say she's an aspiring artist who enjoys spending time at a funky downtown co-op, when she's not speeding around the desert on the back of a motorcycle. We knew he liked hogs, but isn't this taking it too far?

  Kelly stared at the page with horror. Had they really just called her a pig? Nausea welled inside her. Tears spilled from her eyes unheeded, splattering on the bad photo of her. Just when she'd started to believe Rick might want more from their relationship, this. How could anyone be so cruel? Weren't they afraid she'd sue them for libel or slander or something? But that would probably require their claims to be untrue, and look at her. She was chubby, and she was no stranger to the word 'pig', sadly.

  Tears still flowing, Kelly carefully folded the paper and set it on the coffee table. She sat there staring at it for several minutes, trying to understand why they attacked her, wondering if Rick would be embarrassed to be seen with her now.

  The chirp of the phone startled her. She moved her watery eyes to it but didn't pick it up. It was Rick, she was sure of it. The chirping died and then started again. She ignored it again, but he wouldn't stop until she picked up.

  She tried to sound cheerful when she answered, but even she could hear the pain in her voice. "Hello."

  He paused a beat. "Shit, you read it." It wasn't a question.

  "Yeah. Sorry, couldn't help it."

  "No, I'm sorry, Kell. I should have known they'd catch wind I was in town, I just never imagined it would happen so fast. Listen, don't move. I'll be there as soon as I can. No longer than a couple hours."

  A shake of her head snapped her out of her stupor. He didn't need to rush back like she was broken. She was just taken by surprise, that's all.

  "No, don't worry about it, Rick. Really, I'm fine. I just wasn't expecting...that. Sort of a slap, you know?"

  "I'll say. Fucking asshole. If I ever see him in a dark alley..."

  Kelly offered a weak laugh. "You'll grab my arm and usher me in the other direction is what you'll do, because you don't want me going to jail for beating a gossip columnist to a pulp."

  Rick laughed, relieved her humor was back. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

  "Definitely. I've been called a lot worse than that. Do your thing, loverboy, and come home to me as soon as you can. I'm going to head down to the Pinyon anyway."

  "Okay, it'll probably be late. I'll try not to wake you."

  "I'll pretend you didn't just say that," she said with a sexiness she didn't feel.

  ~ * ~ * ~

  Kelly spent the day at the studio working on the second in her Knight Fall series. It was impossible to put the article out of her mind at first, especially since it was obvious everyone there had seen it. No one brought it up but their sympathetic smiles gave them away. Even Syndee, who'd been a little frosty toward her, made an effort to set up next to her.

  "Bad day, huh?" Syndee was the only one who'd even come close to broaching the subject.

  "Not a great start, but I'm planning to turn that around."

  They spent a pleasant day painting and chatting, sharing tidbits from their past. Syndee had been appropriately outraged at Kelly's gallery rejection back home, and Kelly was in turn surprised that Syndee had worked as a stripper for a time.

  "We always insisted on being called 'dancers', like that somehow made us legit," she shrugged. "Most of the girls were okay but some liked to party a little too much, and others were just bitches. But I guess it's the same anywhere, right?"

  Kelly reflected on several artist friends who'd suffered with drug addiction, and others who would do anything to anyone to get ahead in the game. "Yeah, I guess it is. Why'd you get out of it?"

  Syndee threw her a grim sidelong look. "It's a young girl's game, ya know? Besides, it's not like there's a lot of room for growth. You grow in that biz and you're doing porn or hookin'."

  She was silent for a moment, then added, "I've thought about going back. Money's good, but I dunno. Tough gettin' a decent gig at my age. But I haven't really been fighting off buyers here, ya know? Girl's gotta eat and to do that, sometime's ya gotta do shit you're not exactly proud of."

  Kelly nodded. She of all people knew how hard it was to say no to a paycheck when things weren't going well. And whoring yourself on a stage wasn't all the much different than whoring yourself in a cubicle, as she suddenly realized. Like Syndee had said, a girl's gotta eat.

  At the end of a long day, Kelly stepped back to eye her newest work. She was pleased. The pale, dusky colors and soft strokes contrasted the previous on
e, but also complemented it. The sense of accomplishment she felt almost pushed all thoughts of the snarky gossip column out of her head.

  "Yin and yang," said Greta as she glided up behind Kelly in a cloud of dusty rose silk. "Nice choice, Kelly. You really are a great talent. I could easily see you making a name for yourself here very quickly."

  She blushed at the praise. "You think?"

  "Indeed. Too bad you won't be here much longer. I could start setting up some meetings for you."

  Kelly tried to hide her grin, but failed miserably. "Well, it looks like I might be sticking around a little longer than originally planned."

  "Oh?"

  Greta and Syndee both looked at her with interest but she didn't want to jinx anything so she merely nodded and started clearing up her station. Syndee followed suit while Greta moved off to another artist.

  "Wanna get a drink?"

  Kelly was surprised at Syndee's invitation, but thought it would be nice to make a new friend. "Sure."

  "Okay, I just need to make a call. Ready in five!"

  Greta floated back up to Kelly after Syndee scurried away. "I meant it, you know. I could make some calls, maybe even organize a show, if you're going to be around a while."

  Kelly was floored. "I'd love that, Greta! I really only know that I'm staying for at least a couple more weeks, but...," she blushed as she spoke. "You never know, do you?"

  Greta had a knowing smile on her face when Kelly finally met her gaze. "No, you never do." She gave her a pat and moved away, and Kelly turned to see Syndee standing next to her, her face blank.

  "Let's bolt.”

  ~ * ~ * ~

  She had half-expected Syndee to take her to some seedy dive, but the wine bar they ended up at was classy yet casual. The patrons were dressed in everything from business suits to jeans to paint-splattered overalls, in the case of Syndee.

  "What can I get you ladies?" asked a very handsome bartender.

  "Shot of Jack for me. Kelly?"