Wild Nights (Vegas Nights #3)

by Karen Erickson

  “I won’t sex him up,” she said. “I’m not looking to get laid.”

  James rolled his eyes. “Well, that’s your fault then, because that man can shake his hips, oh my God. Can you imagine what he might do to you naked in a bed? Against a wall? In a shower?” He fanned himself, which made her giggle. “I’m serious, have you seen him on stage?”

  “I have,” she admitted. “I went and saw him in concert a long time ago, when I was still in high school.”

  “And I bet he was absolutely divine. Made your insides shiver and your panties get wet, and you were left a confused, wondrous mess.” James laughed at her horrified expression. “I know, I just freaked you out, but I’m dead serious. I had about the same reaction the first time I saw him in concert. When I started working for Declan and discovered they were good friends, I almost lost my shit. I practically fainted the first time I met him.”

  “You saved me from swallowing my tongue in front of him earlier,” she admitted with a faint smile.

  “I could see you struggling. That’s why I ran over.” He hooked his arm through hers. “Don’t be nervous. Just…be yourself. You’re adorable and funny, and that slightly snarky humor—he’ll love it. Don’t let him get away with shit. The women he’s been with, they defer to him all the time. Whatever he wants, they agree with. Give him your opinions. Disagree with him on occasion. Just…be you.”

  She lifted her chin, shaming her racing heart, her clammy hands. She needed to listen to James and just be herself. It would get her nowhere, worrying about what Noah thought, what anyone else who saw them together thought. She could do this. She so could.

  “Okay,” she said weakly. “I’ll do it.”

  “That’s my girl,” James said softly, reaching out and cupping her chin. He stared at her. “Now, if we could wipe out the sheer terror that’s shining in your eyes, we’ll be golden.”

  Natalie blinked up at him, putting on her best smile. She could handle this. Even if it killed her, she could so do this. “I’m fine. Really.”

  “Uh-huh, I’ve heard that before,” he said as he released his hold on her face. He turned her back toward Noah, and they both headed in his direction. “No massive fangirling, okay? Just be normal.”

  “Who said I was a massive fangirl?” She was offended he’d called her that.

  “You didn’t have to say a word, I could see it written all over your face. Plus, you were struggling to even speak to him only a few minutes ago, so give me a break.” They stopped directly in front of Noah, who was now clutching a beer bottle. He smiled at her before bringing it up to his lips and she swore her brain just short-circuited.

  James had to nudge her to get her to step forward. “She’s all yours, Noah. You lucky, lucky dog.”

  All yours. He liked the sound of that. Little Natalie might not approve, what with the way she glared at James before returning her attention to Noah, but he could work past that. Throw some of that Noah Wilde charm he was so famous for her way and she’d melt like butter. No problem.

  “I think James just called you a dog,” she said as she went to go stand beside him. She barely reached his shoulder in heels, and that was pushing it. “I’d be insulted if I were you.”

  “Don’t you fret, sweetheart. I’ve been called much, much worse,” he said, smiling at her before he sent a look in James’ direction. “Don’t you have something else you need to do?”

  “I’m dying for a glass of champagne.” James flashed them both a smile. “Toodles, you two. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “Well, that leaves our possibilities wide open,” he called after him as James fled. Noah turned to Natalie to find her watching him, those big eyes as wide and blue as the ocean. “Since your girls’ weekend seems to have fallen apart, at least for tonight, is there anything special you’d like to do while you’re in Vegas? My treat.”

  Those eyes went even wider, if that was possible. “Anything?”

  He nodded. “Anything. I have connections. I could get you into just about any show you want to see.” He’d seen just about every show Vegas had to offer too, even the secret, underground, dirty ones. Strip clubs put on special performances for their finest clients, and he and the rest of Wilde & Wicked had spent their fair share of time wasting tons of money at strip clubs.

  Not his finest hours, he knew this. But the past was the past and he couldn’t change it. Though it might be fun to take sweet Natalie to a scandalous strip club. One where she could get a lap dance and enjoy it while he sat back and watched.

  The more he thought about it, the better he liked the idea.

  “Or we could go gamble for a bit. Have a couple of drinks,” he suggested when she was silent for too long. He didn’t want her to overthink this. And he wasn’t looking to get laid…though if she volunteered, he’d say yes, he couldn’t lie. She was beyond tempting, but he just wanted to spend the evening with a pretty woman and enjoy her company.

  Getting naked with her would be an unexpected bonus.

  “Ooh, let’s gamble. I saved up all year so I could splurge,” she said, her entire face lighting up at the possibilities.

  “How much did you save?” he asked as he took her elbow and turned her toward the front doors so he could steer her out of here. Sparks seemed to fly where they made physical contact and he wondered at that.

  “Three hundred dollars,” she said proudly. “Some of it is Christmas and birthday money. Most of it is from my you-don’t-need-a-latte fund. Instead of buying a latte, I’d put the amount I would’ve spent in savings,” she explained.

  He pushed open the door and led her out into the hushed quiet of the hall. “Lattes are fucking expensive, aren’t they?”

  She burst out laughing. Damn, she had a sexy laugh. One he wanted to hear again. “Yes, they are. I don’t need them anyway. All that sugar goes straight to my hips.”

  Noah let his gaze drop to her curves. “You have very nice hips,” he murmured.

  A blush stole across her cheeks. “Thank you.”

  They stopped in front of the elevator and he pushed the down button. They waited in silence, and all he could think about was her saving three hundred dollars for a year just so she could gamble it away. He could easily blow three hundred dollars in one hand, probably more.

  Fine, definitely more.

  “What do you do for a living, Natalie?” he asked when they walked into the elevator. “If you don’t mind my asking.”

  “Oh, I don’t mind. I’m a nurse.” She smiled, her features softening. “I work in pediatrics. With sick kids. It’s tough sometimes, but so rewarding.”

  She had a tender heart. He could appreciate that. From the little he knew about her, he could tell Natalie was a good girl who gave up lattes for meager gambling money and tended to sick children as her profession. While he was an egotistical singer who made millions just shitting out a dumb song that didn’t come close to saving the world or anything monumental like that.

  He wasn’t worth the gum stuck on the bottom of her shoe.

  “Sounds fascinating,” he said, his gaze never leaving hers.

  She stared at him for a long, quiet moment, then seemed to shake herself. “It is,” she said, her voice clear and true. “I love my job, but I needed the vacation, to get away from it all if only for a few days. That’s why my friends and I decided to come to Las Vegas.”

  “Yet they ditched you,” he pointed out, noting the offended look crossing her pretty face. The last thing he wanted to do was irritate her. “Not that I think less of them, but they did leave you all alone.”

  “Yes, well, I guess I can forgive them for it, considering who they left me for,” she said, her lips curved into the faintest smile.

  Huh. Was that all he was to her? A famous guy she could spend the night with? He had the feeling she wasn’t that type of girl, but he’d been fooled before. Plenty of times, too numerous for him to count.

  The elevator dinged and the doors slid open, the loud constant
hum from within the casino floor hitting them full force. He rested his hand on the small of Natalie’s back and escorted her out of the elevator, steering right when they should’ve steered left.

  “The casino’s that way,” she pointed behind her.

  “I’m looking for the concierge,” he told her, noticing the discreet desk only a few feet away. “There’s a special service within the casino for their more…” His voice drifted.

  “Famous guests?” Natalie supplied for him.

  He chuckled. “Yes. They can take us to a private room where no one will disturb us.”

  “Does that happen a lot?” she asked. “People constantly approaching you, asking for autographs and photos and stuff?”

  “All the time,” he answered with a nod. “I’m used to it, but sometimes I don’t want to deal, you know what I mean? I just want to relax.”

  “Well, you do dress the part.” When he frowned, she continued, “You look like a rock star with your hair and your eyeliner and the leather vest. Oh, and the necklace and the tattoos and the rings on your fingers.”

  Noah glanced down at himself before shooting her a rueful grin. “I am pretty obvious, aren’t I?”

  “Well, at least you’re aware of it,” she muttered, making him laugh. “Have you ever thought of shedding your Noah Wilde rock star persona and just act like a normal guy for once?”

  “Never,” he said firmly. What a lie. “I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I did.”

  Chapter Three

  There was something sort of sad about Noah’s admission. He had no idea what it was like to be a regular, every-day guy. Maybe he didn’t want to know, but Natalie had to think he was somewhat curious. She couldn’t imagine maintaining the superstar persona day in and day out. Didn’t that sort of thing get exhausting?

  It had to.

  He’d spoken in low tones to the concierge, nodding and pointing at her a few times, making his requests in an almost secretive way. She let him have his secrets because she was curious to see what he set up for them. Half the fun with gambling was being with the rest of the crowd in the packed casinos and hearing the machines with their constant music and the flashing, colorful lights. The ladies in the sexy costumes who offered up cocktails, and the occasional gambler shrieking, “I won!” loud enough to be heard for miles.

  Yeah, she’d come to Vegas for that experience, but she was game for the experience Noah was putting together too. Would anyone even believe that she was out gambling with the Noah Wilde on a Friday night? Probably not. She wanted photos so she could remember, but she didn’t want to intrude on his privacy either.

  What to do, what to do.

  She knew one thing—she planned on enjoying every single minute of this. She liked the way he looked at her. Every time they made eye contact, a hot shiver moved through her, setting her blood on fire. And when he touched her? It was like electricity was in his fingertips and he sent currents of energy streaming just beneath her skin.

  “You ready?” Noah’s deep voice washed over her and she turned to find him standing there, a smile on his face. A large man in a black suit stood just behind him, his expression stony.

  “Where are we going?” she whispered as he took her arm and the giant man hurried ahead of them.

  “The high rollers section,” Noah murmured close to her ear. So close, she wondered if his lips might touch her skin. “Not many people know about it. The machines with the highest bet limits are there, along with various tables.”

  Natalie came to a halt, making Noah do the same. “I can’t play in there.”

  Noah frowned. “Why not?”

  “I can’t afford it. I only have three hundred dollars, remember?” She could be wiped out with one play, and where was the fun in that?

  “Don’t worry about it.” Noah’s voice was easy, as was his smile. “I’ve got you covered.”

  “Oh, no.” She shook her head. “No, no, no. You are not paying for this experience.”

  “Nat.” His tone was gentle but firm. She could reluctantly admit she liked the way he called her Nat. They started walking again. “Let me do this. It’ll be fun.”

  “Where’s the fun in playing with your money?” She couldn’t do it, couldn’t take his money from him. She barely knew him. It wouldn’t feel right.

  “Trust me, it’ll be a lot of fun, because I’ve arranged for you to play with a lot of money.” He grinned, but when she continued to scowl at him, the smile faded. “Come on, don’t be stubborn. Let’s make a deal. You win, you get to keep your winnings and you pay back what you spent to win it. Whatever’s left is yours. You lose? We call it even.”

  “This is a great deal for me,” she said wryly, making him chuckle.

  “I know. That’s why you should just give in and say yes.” He stopped walking and so did she. Reaching out, he touched her cheek, his fingers caressing her skin and making her shiver. “Come on, Nat. Give in.”

  She wanted to give in at the hypnotic sound of his voice. Desperately. Taking his money, though…it didn’t feel right. Who cared if he was rich and what she lost in gambling would be no big deal to him? It would still weigh heavy on her conscience. “I don’t know…”

  “Do I need to kiss you in order to convince you? Would that work?” His dark eyes smoldered as he slid his hand into her hair and cupped the side of her head. His grip was firm, the look he sent her set everything inside of her ablaze, and she blinked up at him, searching for the right words.

  Was he serious? He really wanted to kiss her in order to convince her she should gamble away his money? That was sort of crazy. Perhaps it was just an excuse to kiss her, which meant he might really want to kiss her, and if that was the case…

  She needed to quit thinking and start encouraging.

  “It might work,” she finally whispered, feeling daring and bold for even suggesting such a thing. She couldn’t believe he’d mentioned it either, though maybe she shouldn’t be so surprised. He was a known player. “A kiss. Or maybe two…”

  He silently swooped in and settled his mouth on hers, capturing her top lip with his teeth and giving it a gentle tug before releasing it. She gasped in surprise, her mouth dropping open, and he took advantage, his tongue sliding in and tangling with hers. She stepped into him, her arms automatically going around his neck, his hands dropping to her butt and giving it a squeeze. He was so tall and she was a total shrimp, but somehow, they seemed to fit perfectly together.

  And he kissed perfectly too. Oh good Lord, she should’ve expected it. The man had a reputation for being a consummate lover, and his tongue alone was sending chills racing down her spine. His big hands kneaded her ass and she moved even closer to him, molding her body to his. Her nipples came to life at first contact with his muscular chest and she whimpered low in her throat, heard Noah growl as he somehow deepened the kiss even more. His tongue moved in a sensuous rhythm that mimicked sex. Thrusting. Made her think of naked skin and messy sheets and sweaty bodies coming together again and again…

  The discreet coughing finally drew her attention, and she broke away from Noah to find the man in the black suit glaring at them, his mouth thinned into a straight line. Guess he wasn’t big on public displays of affection.

  Normally, neither was she, but the first touch of Noah’s lips on hers and she’d lost her head.

  “Sorry about that,” Noah said, not sounding sorry whatsoever. She glanced up at him, noting the cocky smile on his face. His hands still rested on her butt and he caressed her there, his fingers gathering up the fabric of her skirt the slightest bit. If he didn’t watch it he’d flash the man her thong underwear and she couldn’t have that. “Got a little carried away there.”

  “Are you ready to go?” the man asked, sending them both a pointed look. One that said keep your hands to yourself.

  What a spoilsport.

  Heat spread across Natalie’s cheeks and she disentangled herself from Noah’s grip, making sure there was plenty of distance between t
hem. She could hardly look at him she was so embarrassed. Her legs were shaky and her lips tingled, all from one stupidly awesome kiss. Tossing her head back, she started to walk, only to have Noah grab her hand and stop her.

  “You upset by the kiss?” he asked, his mouth right at her ear, his hot breath wafting across her neck.

  She jerkily shook her head. “N-no.”

  “Good.” He paused, his teeth nipping at her earlobe, making her suck in a harsh breath. “Because I can guarantee that’s going to happen again. Soon.”

  Oh. My. She couldn’t bother to utter a word of protest.

  Not that she wanted to.

  Well, holy fuck. Noah had no idea he could be so affected by a little kiss. And in his world, what he and Natalie just experienced should’ve been just that—a little kiss. A simple kiss. Nothing major. Lips pressed together, tongues curling around each other. He’d done it countless times. Hundreds of times, too many to count. No big deal.

  But it was a big deal. He kissed her and everything faded. She parted her lips and he slid his tongue in her mouth, and boom. It was like a thousand fireworks exploded inside of him, lighting him up from the inside, setting him ablaze. He wanted more. He wanted her, naked and writhing beneath him.

  Problem was, he forgot they were in the middle of a hallway in a very public casino on a hot Friday night in Las Vegas. Anyone could’ve seen them. A few years ago he wouldn’t have given a shit. He’d been all about the public display. He believed himself—and his band members—untouchable. They could do whatever the hell they wanted, wherever they were.

  Until their record label came down hard on them. They didn’t mind the rebel bad boy image Wilde & Wicked was going for, but when it involved constant boozing and drugs and womanizing, which led to fucked up performances that ended in bad press, they had to put their foot down.

  So Noah had straightened up, along with the rest of the band. But now they were slipping again. Drinking too much. Drugging too much. Partying all the time with a bevy of women. Noah couldn’t take it. He’d cleaned himself up, wanted to act like a mature adult with a successful business instead of a strung out kid who only cared about drugs and women.