What Happens in Vegas: A BWWM Alpha Male Romance

by Stacey Mills

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Bonus Book

  Chapter 1: The First Meeting

  Chapter 2: First Date

  Chapter 3: Something New

  Chapter 4: The Tour

  Chapter 5: The Millionaire

  Chapter 6: Taking the Plunge

  Chapter 7: Getaway

  Chapter 8: The Event

  Chapter 9: Choking

  Chapter 10: No Guarantees

  Chapter 11: Breakfast

  CRISTINA GRENIER PRESENTS

  What Happens in Vegas

  Stacey Mills

  Want to receive a FREE copy of this

  full length BWWM Romance by bestselling author Cristina Grenier?

  Click the cover below.

  Chapter 1: The First Meeting

  “There will be plenty of your type there,” her friend, Michelle, giggled as she poured herself another drink. She took a sip and looked meaningfully at Shauna over the brim of her glass. “You’ll have your pick,” she added before taking another, longer sip. Shauna observed her while wondering why she continued to drink if she was already in good spirits and also what exactly she meant. She had an idea but it was not an insinuation she was too happy with.

  “My kind of men,” she said flatly despite the sour taste in her mouth at the thought of what her friend might say next. The reason it bothered her so much was she knew Michelle spoke honestly so whatever she had to say was the way in which she viewed Shauna.

  “You know, rich men. Those real successful types you’re always chasing after,” she said as she reached for the bottle of liquor again.

  Shauna snatched it up and moved it away while staring at her friend right in the eyes, willing herself not to show too much of the anger she felt welling up inside her. She almost felt betrayed. “I don’t chase after anyone and I don’t single out rich men,” Shauna retorted with clear anger in her voice. She turned on her heel and walked away, taking the bottle with her. It was best to leave it alone and go cool down in order to avoid an argument and awkward situation. After all, there were more people around and the rest of the night was still ahead of them.

  Unfortunately, her friend was not going to let that bottle escape her sights so easily. She marched right into the room behind Shauna and snatched it from behind, not bothering to mask her annoyance. “What the hell?”

  “Is that what you really think of me?” Michelle stared at her blankly and then it dawned on on her that only she knew the reason she was upset. Her friend thought she had made a harmless comment. This seemed to tick Shauna off more and she shook her head. “Never mind,” she muttered before walking away. She felt Michelle’s hand grab her arm and stop her. “Tell me what is going on,” she said. Shauna sighed and knew it would be much harder to get out of this than to just talk about it. She rounded on Michelle and began talking with all the anger she had been holding back. “You think that’s all I am? Some helpless woman that just goes chasing men for the dollar signs attached to their names?”

  Michelle gaped at her and stepped back. “That’s not what I meant,” she replied honestly. It was very clear she was concerned by the way Shauna had taken it.

  “Then what the hell did you mean? That’s pretty much what you said. I’m not really drawing any conclusions here.”

  “I said it the wrong way. I just… we all talk about types, you know? And the men you’ve dated, the men you seem to be attracted to-”

  “It doesn’t matter. I know what I am. It just sucks that the person who is supposed to be my good friend doesn’t know any better. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” She walked away from Michelle and out onto the balcony where three of their friends were laughing and talking. She reached over and grabbed one of the open bottles to pour a drink into her own glass. She heard footsteps approaching quickly but before she had a chance to turn around, she felt thin hands grasping her shoulder and pulling her inside. She tried her best not to stumble and fall as she was being dragged backward.

  “Don’t just walk away from me like that,” Michelle’s voice reached her ears from behind once they had reached a corner of the living room that was quiet. “I really didn’t mean it the way you thought. I know I said it in a shit way but seriously, that’s not what I meant. But, come on, don’t try to act like you don’t have a type.”

  Shauna pulled away from Michelle and sighed, reaching up to massage her temples. She suddenly felt foolish. She was blowing all of this out of proportion and was about to ruin what was supposed to be a fun night out with her group of friends. They rarely all managed to get together like this and tonight was special because they had a VIP table at a new and exclusive lounge, all thanks to Michelle’s connections. The invitation had actually come unexpectedly and got everyone excited. She did not want to be the reason the night would be unforgettable for being ruined. “I’m not denying I have a type but I don’t pick them out for their net worth.”

  Michelle reached forward and placed her hand on Shauna’s shoulder saying, “Oh honey, I know that. Now let’s go get some more drinks in you before we head out.” She winked and grabbed Shauna’s hand, pulling her back out onto the patio. “Time for shots before our ride arrives,” Michelle announced enthusiastically to the group. They all cheered and began passing around shot glasses followed by the alcohol, pouring and spilling and laughing. About forty minutes later, Michelle announced their ride had arrived and the group left the room in a flurry of laughter, stumbling, and trying to carry personal belongings. They piled into the limo the club’s organizer had sent for them and opened a chilled bottle of champagne despite none of them needing any more alcohol in their system. This was a rare occasion for all of them to be available at the same time, to be free and open to such an experience, and to have the type of invitation they did. “This night, it’s one for the ages!” Michelle raised her glass and the others all cheered before downing the champagne.

  They were escorted straight to their VIP booth at the club, completely ignoring the scowls appearing on the faces of the people standing in the horrendously long line. The table was laid out with premium alcohol and mixers and they even had a personal cocktail waitress. They were truly experiencing the epitome of Las Vegas nightlife. They immediately poured a shot and cheered to the night ahead before Lisa, the rowdiest friend of the group jumped up and started dancing to the song that had started playing. It was not long before they were all up and dancing with each other, tripping, and laughing at each other. The club was packed and, as a result, was hot but their group was lucky enough to be on a platform and have enough space to dance. Shauna almost felt as if she, along with her friends, were on display or entertaining those below them. Many people, particularly men, continually glanced at them and made approving nods or gestures at their dancing. When she kneeled onto the booth and reached over for a glass of water, she noticed him for the first time.

  He was standing at the far end of the bar, removed from everyone around him, and looking straight at her. She pressed the rim of the cool glass to her lips and tipped it back, the refreshing water hitting her tongue and waking up her senses. She continued to stare back at him wondering if he would break their eye contact any time soon. Instead, a small smirk played at the corners of his lips, a smirk that was soon covered by his own glass of alcohol as he took a drink. He was drinking some sort of liquor straight up but he did not make any sort of grimace when he tasted it. She imagined it must have been smooth going down. She surveyed him from head to toe, taking in his deep red shirt with the top two buttons undone and his black, fitted slacks. He seemed so conf
ident and the way he just stood there, staring her down, commanded attention. She knew right when she laid eyes on him he was the kind of man who took charge and everyone knew it, nobody questioned it. She stood up straight and flashed him a smile, hoping it was charming and not drunkenly sloppy, feeling a brush of confidence when he smiled back. It was a small but genuine smile followed by a nod of the head before he started making his way through the crowd toward her.

  She felt her pulse and breathing rate pick up as she walked forward toward the railing, leaning over as soon as he arrived to talk to him and exposing a view of her ample cleavage in the process. His tongue darted out quickly to moisten his lips before he smiled again and leaned up to whisper a soft “Hello” in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. She leaned back and looked around until she spotted the cocktail waitress. She held up a finger to signal he should hold on before she walked away to ask the cocktail waitress to bring him into the booth. She immediately went around and escorted him back to meet her. “Hi,” she said in an out-of-breath voice, “I’m Shauna. And you are?”

  “Nick. Nice to meet you.” He took the hand she had extended and shook it but instead of letting it go, he pulled her toward him and planted a soft peck on her cheek. She felt the warmth of his lips spread across her entire cheek and reach down to her neck. It was completely unexpected and captivating, just like him. She held onto his shoulder and looked up into his eyes, giving a small jump when she felt his hand land on her small waist. He slowly moved it down the curve of her wide hips until he let it rest there, looking back into her eyes. Something about the way he looked at her implied he was asking for consent while letting her know exactly what he wanted, something that was incredibly rare in people. He took charge without force and it was insanely attractive. She could not help but notice the intense draw she already felt toward him.

  He brushed one of the strands of hair away from her forehead and kept his hand on her hair, looking down at her face with admiration. He did not tell her she looked beautiful in words but she could see it clearly in his eyes. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Michelle walk past them, staring with a knowing smile on her face. “Your friends won’t miss you?” He ran his hand down her arm until he rested it on her waist and pulled her closer, close enough so her body was slightly pressed against his, and he shook his head. “They’re used to me disappearing,” he told her. He tilted his head and asked, “And your friends? They won’t mind I’ve invaded their space and cornered you here?”

  She looked over his shoulder at her group and saw they were all still dancing and having a great time. It was mainly Michelle who stole occasional glances over at them. She raised an eyebrow when she caught Shauna’s eyes and nodded before looking away and rejoining the laughing group of girls. Shauna pulled back and met Nick’s eyes before replying, “Not at all.” She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “For the record, you don’t have me cornered.” He suddenly turned her slightly and walked her backward until she was wedged between the corner of the booth and his body. He smiled smugly and said, “I do now.” He leaned forward to give her a soft peck on the lips and, after pulling back to see her reaction, he bridged the gap and kissed her more firmly. He swept his tongue across her lips and she opened her mouth so he could deepen the kiss by sliding his tongue against hers. She tilted her head and grabbed the back of his neck, eyes shutting so she could focus only on kissing him. It was the most amazing kiss she had ever gotten or given. There was something about him, something that she found so undeniably alluring and unique.

  He finally broke the kiss and they both drew in a deep breath before grinning at each other. He was about to say something when his eyes darted to someone on the dance floor area and back to her. In that second, his expression completely changed. She tried turning to look in the direction he had but he cupped her chin and said, “I have to go. May I have you phone number?” She jerked her head back and narrowed her eyes in confusion. What had just happened? Of course, her mind went in the worst direction and assumed he was involved with someone or even married. He must have seen his girlfriend or wife in the crowd and had to make a quick escape. He ran his hand over her cheek and said, “It’s not anything bad. Not whatever you may be thinking. It’s sudden but I have to go. I want to see you again. I hope you would like to as well.” She hesitated but gave in quickly, muttering the numbers in his ear as he programmed them into his phone. She did not know him enough to assume the worst and he was someone she truly wanted to get to know.

  Chapter 2: First Date

  “So he just left?” Michelle was over a couple days later for breakfast. She was looking at Shauna intently over the rim of her teacup, her finger rubbing the handle up and down. “That’s pretty weird,” she said before taking a sip of tea and setting it down. She reached out for a scone and paused, her hand hovering over it. “You’re right. Let’s not assume the worst.”

  Shauna swiped the scone Michelle was about to grab out from under her hand and took a bite of it. Michelle gaped at her in disbelief. “I’d been eyeing since before you chose it!” The two of them laughed and Michelle settled on another scone, grabbing it quickly before it was snatched away from her. She took a bite and looked off into the distance while thinking. “Are you going to contact him first?”

  “No,” Shauna replied quickly, causing Michelle to snap her head and look at her with surprise. “I already decided on that.” She took another bite of her scone and finished it off. She then drained her cup of tea and stood up, beginning to clean up. This was her clear sign it was time for Michelle to leave. She was not rudely kicking out her friend but she needed to be alone now. She had some thinking to do and, quite frankly, felt exhausted. She could not properly rest with company around regardless of who it was. Michelle cleaned up after herself, gathered her things, and left the apartment in less than five minutes. Shauna walked to her bedroom and undressed, grabbing the sheer robe hanging from the back of the door and wearing it before heading back out into the living room where she settled on her favorite armchair. She stared out her window and admired her view, thankful as always to have such a great house in such a wonderful location. She drifted off to sleep with the gentle breeze floating in through the open window and settling on her skin.

  Less than an hour later, she was woken up by the alert tone of her phone. She yawned and stretched before standing up and crossing over to the dining table to check who sent her a message. Her breath caught in her throat when she read Nick’s name on her screen. She did not even bother with looking at the preview and immediately opened up the message. Hello, are you busy? She bit her lip and tapped the screen of her phone. As much as she did not want to seem overly eager or come off as too available, she also did not want to bother with playing any of the usual dating games. She replied simply with Not at the moment. Why? Not even a minute later, her phone lit up in the palm of her hand as it rang. It was Nick. She drew in a breath and answered, “Hello.” She did not fail to notice her voice sounded a bit higher than usual.

  “Hello, how are you?”

  “Good. You?”

  “I’ve had a good day so I can’t complain. Do you happen to be free tonight?”

  She paused in surprise. She was not used to someone being so forward. She did not register any hint of hesitance in his voice. It was strong and steady, almost as if he were confident she would agree to go out with him. Actually, he seemed more like the type who would understand if she had prior plans and not take it personally. Once again, she appreciated these mature qualities because they definitely stood out from the crowd. “I am free tonight,” she said. She wanted to say more but she could not seem to locate the words she was wracking her brain for and actually speak them.

  “Great. Dinner?”

  It was so simple and straightforward. “Yes,” she found herself saying in a way that was a tad too submissive for her taste. She did not want to fall so deeply under any man’s spell, much less a man she hardly knew. “Would you like me to pick
you up or meet there?”

  “Let’s meet there,” she said coolly. After all, she had no idea who this man really was so she thought it might not be the best idea to give him her address right off the bat. They agreed on a time and place and hung up, sending Shauna running into her room to figure out what to wear. As she rifled through her closet, she suddenly stopped and looked at her hands that were gripping a turquoise cocktail dress. This was so unlike her and she was not sure she liked what was going on. She was not one to be so giddy over a date. She wondered what it was about Nick that brought this out in her. In fact, he had brought out a different side of her from their first meeting. There had been something inexplicably intimate about their encounter and kiss at the club, something she did not usually engage in. She did not even give out her phone number easily when she went out so she was much less prone to suddenly engage in that way with someone who flirted with her. She shrugged it off and started getting ready, settling on the turquoise dress she was already holding.

  Before stepping out, she looked at herself in the mirror from head to toe. She had her hair flipped out as she usually did and wore winged eyeliner and clear lip-gloss, but nothing more than that for makeup. The turquoise dress was a V-neck that showed off her ample cleavage but not too much and the way the dress draped on her truly accentuated her wide hips. She tilted her head and nodded in approval, feeling confident in the way she looked. She especially liked the way her warm, medium-brown skin and its orange-red undertones glistened and contrasted with the bright color of the dress. She picked up her purse and left her apartment, intent on arriving a few minutes early at the restaurant to scope it out. What she did not know was that she would find Nick waiting already with a table set for the two of them. He stood up and greeted her with a wide smile followed by a kiss on the cheek, his hand landing gently on her forearm. “You look great,” he told her earnestly. She smiled and gave a nod before taking a seat and opening up her menu.