by L. P. Dover
When I left the room, Jason was already dressed in a pair of dress slacks and a polo shirt, holding his phone. He hadn’t seen me yet so I approached slowly. “Yes, that would be great. We’ll be down in fifteen minutes,” he said into the phone before hanging up.
“Fifteen minutes? Where are we going?”
He turned around and his eyes went wide. “Damn, babe. You’re so beautiful.”
“Thanks. You don’t look bad yourself.”
“You ready to go? I figured we could eat dinner in the restaurant downstairs. It’s actually supposed to be one of the best places to eat in all of Vegas.” Holding out his arm, I took it.
“Let’s go then.”
We walked to the elevators and rode it all the way to the bottom. The lobby was gorgeous with its flower display on the ceiling. I could stare at the colors for hours if I had the time. When we got to the restaurant, it was packed. “How did you even get a reservation?” I asked as he pulled us through the crowd.
He looked back at me and winked. “I have my connections, firecracker.”
Luckily enough, we didn’t have to wait and were seated at a private table. “Would you care for a cocktail?” the waitress asked.
“I’d like a glass of Riesling, please,” I said.
Jason handed her the drink menu. “And I’d like a gin and tonic.”
“Sounds good. I’ll be right back.”
As soon as she sauntered off, Jason reached over for my hands, his expression grim. “Are you ready for Saturday? We’re down to our last suspect.”
“I know. I can tell you I’m not looking forward to it. I was sure Mark was who we needed.”
He nodded. “So was I, but then after what happened the other night I don’t think he’s our guy. Not after what you told me.”
“Which leaves the one I’m dreading the most, Mr. Handsy.”
His eyes turned dark. “How do you think I feel? I’m the one having to let you go with him even though deep down I want to rip the bastard in half.”
I squeezed his hand. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to let him do anything. I’ll have you close, plus, I’ll have my own kick ass ninja skills. You have yet to see what I can do.”
“Maybe you should show me then,” he insisted with a smirk.
“I think I will. You just won’t know when I’m going to strike.”
He winked. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”
The waitress came by with our drinks and we ordered our food. I sipped on my wine, my mind reeling. Sooner or later, these fun evenings with him were going to end. “Jason,” I murmured.
“Yeah?”
“Have you thought about what you’re going to do when all of this is over?”
He shook his head. “Not really. You?”
“Probably go back to Maine and help out at the B&B when I’m not working in the lab. I just wanted to make sure we don’t cut off all ties. I know we’ll be thousands of miles away from each other, but I still want to keep in touch. I can’t imagine never talking to you again.”
I was hoping he’d say something to clarify what we were doing, but he didn’t get the chance. The waitress brought our food and set it down, just as we got company. “Well, hello, you two,” Chazz announced, sitting beside me. “I thought I saw you both walk in. At first, I didn’t recognize you,” he said to me.
“Why? Because I’m not dressed like a whore?”
He tilted his head back, bellowing. “That and you actually look like a normal woman without all that shit on your face. You look much sexier like this.”
Jason glared at him. “Do you have a point to all of this, Davies? If not, I’d like you to fuck off. We’re in the middle of something here.”
He lifted his hands in the air. “No need for hostilities. I’m sure if my girl wanted to be fucked by other men, I’d be that way too. Speaking of which, I have a proposition for you,” he stated, facing me.
“Let me guess, you want me to play another round this weekend in hopes that you win?”
“Nope.”
I glanced quickly at Jason and then back to him. “Then what do you propose?”
“I’m a persistent man, Ms. McFadden. When I want something, I get it. Instead of gambling for you, I’d like to just offer you the money myself. But you’re a hard girl to find.”
“It’s all part of the allure. I’m sure you’d agree. So, how much are we talking?”
His eyes gleamed. “A hundred grand for you and twenty for Avery.”
Jason rolled his eyes. “And you think twenty would be enough for me to let her go with you? Have you lost your fucking mind?”
“How much then?” he countered. “Name the price.”
Jason narrowed his gaze. “I want fifty. You give me that and you can have her for the night.”
“Done,” he said happily. “You’ll have your fifty grand when I pick her up Friday night.” He laughed and ran a finger down my bare arm. “I’m looking forward to it.” Jason clutched his steak knife. I had no doubt he’d use it on some part of Chazz’s body if I didn’t get him out. Thankfully, Chazz got up on his own. “Until then. Enjoy your dinner.”
As soon as he left, I breathed a sigh of relief. “What a prick.”
Jason let go of his knife and clenched his hand into a fist. “Whether innocent or guilty, no matter what I do, before I leave Vegas I will fuck him up.”
“Not unless I do it first.”
“Doesn’t matter. I will break his fucking face.”
“I have no doubt.”
Leave it to that douchenozzle to ruin what started out being an amazing date. We ate in silence, Jason seething the entire time. “I never would’ve thought I’d be this helpless in the goddamned case. You’re the one doing everything and there’s nothing I can do to help.”
“You are helping, Jason. I couldn’t have done all of this without you. You needed me, but now I need you.”
“It’s getting harder and harder each time to keep my cool. What would you do if the situation was turned and you had to watch me leave with beautiful women who could possibly kill me?”
I ate the last bite of mashed potatoes and set my fork down. “I’d be furious. But it is what it is. These men want me and I have to find out who’s killing these girls. We’re lucky nobody else has gone missing.”
He scoffed. “That’s because they all want you.”
Taking his hand, I held it tight. “Can we please not talk about this tonight? I want to spend time with you and get to know you, not talk about the case.”
“Would you like for me to take your plates out of the way?” the waitress asked.
I let go of Jason’s hand and sat back. “You can take mine.”
“Sir?”
Jason nodded and handed her his plate. “I’m done. Thank you, it was delicious.”
“Would either of you like dessert?”
My eyes lit up and Jason laughed. It was good seeing a smile on his face again. “What do you want, firecracker?”
I looked up at our server. “I would love to have one of the lava cakes. But is there any way to order it for us to pick up later? I want to go out for a walk and then come back. How about two hours from now?”
“Of course. Would you like one too?” she asked Jason.
His smile grew wider. “Why not? Whatever I don’t eat, I’m sure she will finish.”
“I’ll put it in and have it ready for you in two hours. In the meantime, I’ll get your check. Have fun on your walk.” She sauntered off and came back with our check, which I stole out of Jason’s hands.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Closing the booklet, I set it on the table. “Paying. Have you seen the insane amount of cash I have? My uncle’s going to freak out when I give him his birthday present.”
“Are you going to give him the money?”
“Most of it. He deserves it after putting up with me for the past seventeen years. I never had to pay for anything, not even my first c
ar. It’s time I paid him back.”
“What was your first car?”
“It was a ninety-three, metallic blue Acura Legend. It was also a manual transmission. Learning on those hilly roads by the B&B almost gave my uncle a heart attack.”
“Why does it not surprise me that your first car was a stick?”
“Probably because you know I like things difficult,” I laughed. “It was a good car. I drove it until it had over two hundred thousand miles on it. What was yours?”
“It was an old Mazda 626. The paint was even chipping off the hood because it was so old. I begged my parents for a truck, but they made me take that. My sisters got the better deal.”
“Oh yeah? How so?”
Standing, he reached for my hand. “Why don’t we go for that walk and we can talk as much as you want?”
Holding his hand, he helped me stand. “I’d like that. I’ve been dying to watch the fountain light show.” We walked outside and since it was getting dark, the heat wasn’t as bad. There were people everywhere, walking around, laughing, and talking just like us. For a moment, I wanted to pretend everything was normal and I was there on vacation—not risking my life.
“Where were we?” he asked.
“I was inquiring about your sisters. You said they got better cars than you.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right. I got the old paint chipped car and they got a brand new Nissan Sentra. They did, however, have to share it for awhile. So I guess I can’t complain too much.”
“I would rather have the beater car than have to share.” I laughed.
Letting my hand go, he put his arm around my shoulder. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Anyway, you already know what happened to Braylen. Brooklyn is the feisty one. You and she would get along great.”
“Do you ever talk to her?”
“Occasionally. She knows I’m out here working so her incessant phone calls have calmed down a bit. For the longest time, she was all I had.”
“I wish I had a sister or even a brother. It would’ve been nice to not be so lonely over the years. I miss my mother more than anything. I guess that’s why I latched onto Diane so easily. She reminds me of her.”
“You two have gotten close. She’s called you more in the last three days than my mom has in the past three months.” We walked over to the rail and it was about time for the light show. He leaned up against the post and pulled me to him, holding tight. “Are you going to miss her when you go home?”
“I’m going to miss a lot of things, you being the main one. I never thought I’d say this, but you’ve really grown on me.”
“Right back at ya, firecracker,” he murmured, kissing my head.
“Do you think we’ll ever see each other again?” My heart hurt just thinking about it. I couldn’t demand anything from him since we hadn’t known each other long, but dammit to hell, I wanted to hold onto him as long as I could. He made me feel things I never thought possible. I didn’t want to give that up.
He sighed. “I don’t know, baby. I just don’t know.”
About that time, the fountains started to light up and the water shot up in the air. I pulled out of Jason’s arms so I could see it, but I really wanted to hide the hurt on my face. Maybe I was expecting too much from him.
Once our two hours were up, we ventured back to the hotel and picked up our lava cakes. Chocolate could always help mend a hurting heart.
“You ready to play some games tonight?” he asked as we made our way to the room.
I smiled. “Are you?”
He winked, opening the door. “More than ready.”
I set my lava cake box down and retreated to my room. “I just need to change. Give me a minute.”
“Okay, I’ll get the cards ready.”
Shutting the door, I opened my bag and got out a pair of shorts, my sports bra, and a fitted T-shirt. I had to be able to move around. I took off my dress and carefully laid it on the bed before joining Jason in the living room.
He was sitting at the table with both lava cakes and a deck of cards. He looked back at me and whistled. “I bet you could put on a potato sack and still look sexy as hell.”
“Thanks. What game are we playing? Or better yet, what game have you managed to come up with?”
He shuffled the cards, smirking. “Come over here and find out.”
Kneeling down on the other side of the table, I watched him shuffle the cards, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. I wanted to tell him that he could pull off a potato sack too but I was pretty sure he already knew. Jason Avery was an arrogant ass, but he was mine; at least, for the next few days.
“Give me one sec,” I said, getting to my feet. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. “Are you thirsty?”
“Yeah, could you bring me a beer?”
I grabbed him a beer and set it on the edge of the counter, leaving it there while I walked back into the living room. Setting my water on the table, he looked at it and then at my hands. “Where’s mine?”
“Oops, I left it on the counter. Sorry.”
“Why do I not get the feeling you are?”
I shrugged. Maybe if he told me he was going to miss me, I would’ve been a little nicer. “I don’t know. It was an honest mistake.”
“Yeah, right,” he mumbled under his breath. As soon as he turned his back on me, I struck low and hard, swiping his feet from under him. He let out an oomph sound when he face planted on the floor.
“To be one of the best around, you sure do drop your guard a lot.”
Still lying on the floor, he flipped onto his back so he could face me. “Only around you. I’ll know not to make that same mistake again.” He tried to snatch my ankle – his hand a blur as it moved – but I jumped back, narrowly escaping. My retreat didn’t last long because he was on his feet, ready to attack. “All right, firecracker. Show me what you got.”
“Gladly.”
We faced off but he attacked first, lunging for my legs. I dodged and slapped him upside the head, only to have him come around and grab me from behind. “You gotta be much faster than that, baby.” He grabbed my breasts and squeezed, growling his satisfaction in my ear.
As much as I wanted to stay like that, I couldn’t let him beat me. Taking his arm, I twisted and he let go, hissing in pain. I pushed him away. “Not fair, Mr. Avery.”
He cracked his neck. “I don’t play fair. Now stop wasting time and show me you can fight. I have to know you can handle this.”
Clenching my teeth, I attacked and wasn’t about to stop. He blocked my punches and kicks, not even attempting to fight back. My muscles burned and my body ached, but I couldn’t give up, not until the pain in my chest went away. I wanted to hit him, to smack him over and over until he could give me a fucking answer. Just a simple few words was all I wanted to hear.
Grabbing my waist, he knocked me down to the floor and flipped so he took the hit. We rolled around, him trying to get a hold of my arms and ended up with him on top. I knew I could escape, but I gave up, lying there while my heart and lungs felt like they were going to explode.
“You’re not half bad,” he said, holding my hands above my head. His fingers laced with mine and he leaned closer, but I turned my head. “Aylee, what’s wrong?” When I wouldn’t answer him, he let my hands go and grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him. “What the fuck? Talk to me.”
“I don’t have anything to say.”
Eyes wild, he searched my face. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”
I pushed against his chest. “It doesn’t matter. You wouldn’t understand.”
Clutching my wrists, he sat up and peered down at me, his face softening. “You may think I don’t understand, but I do. You may not be an open book, but I’ve been around enough to get a good read on you.”
“Doubtful. All you know is what positions I like in bed.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it.”
“D
o I?”
“How can you say that? You make me out to be this arrogant ass who only wants to fuck you. Have I not made myself perfectly clear with my actions?” He lifted his brows, waiting on my answer, but I couldn’t speak. “No comment? Well let me tell you, out of all the missions I’ve been on, this one is by far the worst. I don’t mind being in the line of fire, but watching you head straight into the flames is almost unbearable. I had never been so goddamned afraid and pissed off in my life.” His green eyes blazed and it took my breath away.
“Why do you feel that way?”
“Are you seriously going to ask me that? I care about you, Aylee. You asked me earlier what was going to happen when all of this is over and I saw your face when I didn’t answer. The answer is this . . . I don’t fucking know. I have feelings for you, much deeper than I ever thought possible. I want things to work out between us, but I don’t know what’s going to happen when we go our separate ways. All I do know is that I’m going to miss you. I’ll miss everything about you, even your stubborn ass temper.”
Ripping my hands from his grasp, I grabbed him around the neck and pulled him down to my lips.
“I guess that made you happy,” he said between kisses.
“Very.”
He trailed his lips down my neck and nipped my collarbone. “Then let’s see what else makes you happy.” Taking my hands, he pulled them away from his face and jerked me to my feet. Lifting me over his shoulders, I squealed when he threw me down on the couch, spreading my legs with his body. “Do you see what you do to me?” he growled, thrusting his body against mine. He was hard and bulging behind his fuck me jeans.
Ripping off my shirt, he threw it and my bra across the room; his mouth everywhere, tasting, biting. When I tried to unbutton his jeans, he grabbed my hand. “Not yet. There’s something I want to do first,” he murmured huskily. Sliding back, he pulled my shorts and underwear off, leaving me completely naked. His gaze raked over my body and he moaned in satisfaction. “You know what else would be perfect?”
