“I should come with you.” Meg arched her eyebrows.
Anne’s gaze went from Finn to Meg and back again. “No. I want you to stay here and enjoy your spring break.”
“But—”
“No buts. I’ll call Karen and have her pick me up from the airport. Julie can go to the hospital in the meantime and give us any updates.” Anne let out a breath. “I want you to stay here and have fun, since I don’t get to. Please?”
“Okay, if you’re sure.” Meg shook her head, knowing exactly what Anne meant when she said fun. She wanted Meg to sex it up with Finn. Even in distress, she was pushy.
Finn’s fingers were flying over his phone, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Okay, there’s a flight to SFO in ninety minutes. If we hurry, you might make it in time. I have the airline’s phone number. Anne, you’ll need to speak to them.” His gaze speared the suddenly quiet group at the table. “Which of you is sober?”
Only Roger raised his hand.
“Great, you’re in charge of making sure a cab is waiting at the curb for Anne so she can get to the airport. The cab lines here can take forever, so figure out a way around it. The rest of you take care of the dinner bill and we’ll settle up later.” He looked at Meg. “Can you get her stuff from your room while I help her deal with the airline?”
“Yes.” Meg fished her key card out of her purse.
Finn nodded, surveying them like he was coaching a team to a win. “Let’s hustle, people.”
At his barked command, they rushed into action. Thankfully, Anne hadn’t unpacked much from her suitcase yet, so Meg had everything back down to the lobby in short order. Finn met her there.
“Anne’s printing out her boarding pass now, and she’ll join us at the curb,” he said.
“Okay.” She let him take the suitcase from her and shivered when he laid his hand on the small of her back to usher her outside.
The chill of the desert night struck her as they exited the hotel, and she shivered again. They joined Roger at the curb, where he’d waylaid a taxi. Anne appeared, her printout fluttering in the breeze. Meg hugged her and Finn handed her into the cab.
Anne rolled down the window. “I’ll text you to let you know what happens.”
“Good.” Finn knocked on the top of the taxi. “Now, go on before you miss your flight.”
The car pulled away, and Roger sighed. “I’m going to go check on everyone else. They’re probably still eating. You coming?”
“Not right now,” Finn replied, and Meg nodded in agreement. She didn’t want to go back. She wasn’t really hungry anymore.
Watching Finn move into action to make sure Anne got home to her sister had made Meg’s insides constrict. He really was a nice man. Sexy as hell and nice. It was an irresistible package. So why was she still resisting? She could have what she wanted—Finn in her bed—and leave out what she didn’t want—a relationship with another teacher. She could try Finn on for size and not take it back to work with her. If he was willing to play by those rules, then she couldn’t think of a good enough reason to keep denying herself the chance to find out how amazing their chemistry really was. She’d had a taste in his room that afternoon, and she wanted more.
The memory of Brandon’s face, contorted with anger and pain, filled her mind, but she squelched it—shoved away the guilt that always came with thinking about him. This was a totally different situation. This time, she called the shots. This time, it was only about what she needed.
“It’ll be okay.” Finn set his hand on the nape of her neck, squeezing gently. Tingles flowed from the spot he touched, and goose bumps rose on her flesh. Her nipples tightened to thrust against her bra.
“She’ll keep us updated.” Meg drew in a slow breath. “I won’t be able to relax until I hear something. I’m going to go for a walk and watch the Bellagio fountains. They’re supposed to be incredible at night. Want to come with me?”
His white teeth flashed in a smile. “Sure.”
Everything that had been churning within her settled into place. Yes. This was what she wanted. The week was all she’d allow herself, but she’d savor every second—cut loose and enjoy herself.
This was going to be one fun vacation.
It was a little chilly as they walked down Las Vegas Boulevard, and Finn saw Meg hug herself out of the corner of his eye. He debated the wisdom of sharing his body heat for about half a second before he reached out to wrap an arm around her shoulders. She didn’t try to move away, but instead cuddled closer, their bodies bumping as they walked.
“Thank you for helping Anne.” She tilted her head back to give him a smile. “You really like her, don’t you?”
“No problem.” It seemed like an odd question, but he’d roll with it. “She’s probably one of the best people I’ve ever coached with, so yeah, I like her a lot.”
The sound of Sinatra belting out “Luck Be A Lady” reached them before they passed the final overhead walkway that blocked the view of the massive fountains. Water sprayed up in huge bursts that were timed with the music.
“Oh, it is cool!” Meg’s smile was luminescent, but they couldn’t get close to the fountain with the thick crowd. Once the song ended, a loudspeaker boomed out that the next show would start in fifteen minutes.
“Want to wait for the next one?” He squeezed her closer. “Or is it too cold for you?”
“I can hang in there.” She stepped forward to weave her way between the departing people and grabbed his hand to pull him along behind her. It was a tight squeeze, but he managed to make his way to the rail with her. It was gratifying when she leaned into him. “You’re warm.”
He slid his arm around her again. “You’re welcome.”
Laying her head on his shoulder, she chuckled, and it was pretty damn sweet. He liked the feel of her against him. He’d like it to be in a more sexual situation, but this was good too. At the moment, he was happier about a cold night than he’d ever been before.
They stayed like that for several minutes, just resting against each other. She stirred. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.” Though a bit of wariness surfaced in his mind. Whenever a woman prefaced a question like that, it tended to be weird or awkward or both.
“Why haven’t you ever asked Anne out? You said you like her, so…”
And that one fell into the both weird and awkward group. Fantastic. There went his buzz. “She’s just a friend.”
“So, what, you don’t think she’s pretty?” She frowned at him, as if a negative response would offend her personally. This defined a no-win situation.
He blew out a breath, trying to find an answer that would not get him busted and derail his plans for the week. “She’s very pretty, but I don’t ask out every pretty woman I meet. Pretty isn’t the only thing I’m interested in, and there’s just nothing there with Anne and me. We’re friends and that’s all we’ll ever be.” Then a horrifying thought occurred to him, a wrench he really didn’t want thrown in the works. “Why? Is this your way of telling me Anne is interested in me?”
“No!” She burst out loud enough that the people around them turned to look. She cleared her throat and lowered her voice. “No. She’s never mentioned it, anyway, and Anne usually does the asking if the guy doesn’t get to it fast enough for her. I think you’d know.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds like Anne. What did you say? Subtle as a sledgehammer?”
“Right.” She laughed, warmth in her tone. “I just…wasn’t sure if asking me out was standard operating procedure for you. Like you swing at every pitch until there’s a hit.” She made a pained face, rushing to continue before he could speak. “That’s sounded worse than I meant it. I’m sorry. Forget I asked.”
Women were insane. All of them. He loved them for it, but he would never understand it. He had to work to keep the smile off his face. “I don’t swing at every pitch. Or ask out every pretty woman. I haven’t asked out all of your friends or every available teacher a
t school—I’m sure you’d have heard about it if I did.”
“Probably.” She nodded.
The opening chords of “Singin’ in the Rain” poured from the speakers, and Finn and Meg were silent for a moment as the choreographed water and music show got underway. The fountains were made up of racks of spigots that swiveled and changed the direction of the spray. The bulk of the Bellagio lit the background, and streams of water arced through the air to look like a graceful dance; it was pretty impressive.
She turned her head to speak to him above the noise. “How long do you think it takes to choreograph one of these things?”
Fighting a shudder as her lips brushed his ear, he felt a rush of fiery heat. She was near enough to touch and smell, and he wanted her. He always wanted her. He swallowed, forcing himself to focus on her question. “Months, probably.”
There was a short pause between songs before Elvis came on with “Viva Las Vegas”.
“It’s too bad Anne had to miss this. She was looking forward to a week in Vegas.” Meg dropped her chin to his biceps.
“I hope Cami’s really okay.” He ran his hand up and down her back, enjoying the chance to touch her. “Anne talks about her sisters a lot.”
He did like Anne, and Meg’s question about asking her out came back to him. He realized his answer hadn’t been the whole truth—just diplomatic enough to keep him out of trouble. But he’d promised himself that he’d lay it all out this week, show Meg the real him and hope she could appreciate what there was to him besides his profession. Time to put up or shut up.
“Just to be clear, when I first got to HMB, before Anne and I became friends, I might have asked her out just to see if anything was there.” There wasn’t. He’d figured out within the first month that while Anne was a beautiful woman, there was no sexual chemistry between them. A relief, considering he was jonesing for one of her best friends. “But I didn’t, because I knew it would completely ruin any slim chance I had of dating you.”
She was quiet for a moment, resting her head against his shoulder. It was nice to hold her this way, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted more from her. He wanted everything. Half-assed wasn’t his style.
“Finn?”
“Yeah?” He leaned a little closer to hear her over the music.
She pulled in a deep breath, then met his gaze squarely. “I’m thinking straight right now, and I really want to sleep with you.”
His cock jerked at that announcement, and all the blood in his brain rushed south. He cleared his throat. “I’m not in this for a quick lay, Meg.”
Biting her lip, she glanced at the fountain, then back to him. “I can’t promise anything beyond spring break. My reasons for turning you down last year haven’t changed. It can basically be a very short affair. If—if you’re willing.”
This he hadn’t expected. Meg wasn’t a short-term fling type of woman. Not that he’d ever heard of, and he’d definitely asked around. On one hand, she was offering free sex for a week. On the other hand, she was offering free sex for a week. “Well, why don’t we try this out for spring break and see how we feel at the end of it?”
“You’d be okay with that?” The look she gave him was hesitant and hopeful all at once.
“As long as we can also hang out and have it not be a straight-up fuckfest…” He’d be taking a risk, betting that sharing the intimacy of sex and spending a concentrated amount of time together would make her move beyond the fact that he was a coworker and make her willing to go for something longer than a fling. But if he was going to gamble, Vegas seemed like the right place to do it. “I think I can handle it. What about you?”
She was quiet so long, he wasn’t sure she would actually respond, but then she gave him the answer he needed.
“Yes.”
Chapter Four
He wanted to take his time with her. He meant to savor the experience, but the moment they got back to his hotel room, he hauled her into his arms and his mouth slammed down over hers. She met him with equal fervor, and it only fired his need. Shoving his tongue into her mouth, he groaned when she bit down lightly. Her fingers slid into his hair, holding him near, and there was nowhere else he wanted to be.
His heart hammered, his breathing picking up speed as he ran his hands over every inch of her he could reach. Soft, female curves he’d soon have stripped and spread beneath him. The very idea made his cock harden until it chafed against his fly. Jesus, he needed to get inside her.
She reached to drag his shirt out of his pants, and the scrape of her nails made him shudder. Her hands on his flesh was beyond erotic, and goose bumps broke down his limbs. He backed her toward the bed, knowing this first round wasn’t going to be as slow as he wanted, but he didn’t need to drag her to the floor to fuck her. His self-restraint held on by the thinnest thread. Pushing her, he watched her bounce backward onto the mattress. A little grin curled her lips—lips that were swollen from his kiss. He liked that. A lot.
She propped herself up on her elbows, lifting her eyebrows. “Hurry up, Walsh.”
“You’re wearing too many clothes,” he pointed out. “Let’s fix that.”
“You first. I’ve been wanting to see you naked for months.” She ran her tongue along her bottom lip, her gaze sliding over him from head to toe. The desire in her expression was enough to short-circuit his brain.
Toeing his shoes off, he jerked his shirt over his head. He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and fished out the condom he’d put there earlier that day, then tossed both onto the nightstand. He flicked the button on his fly and wrenched the zipper open before he shoved his pants and underwear down in one motion. She didn’t bother with her own clothes, just watched while he stripped. Having her gaze on him turned him on even more. His erection was a hard arc, and he felt a bead of precome slide down his shaft.
“Now you,” he growled.
But he didn’t wait for her to comply. Bending forward, he yanked off her flats and tossed them aside. He slid his palms up her legs and cupped her hips for a moment before he opened her jeans, hooked his fingers in the top, and dragged them down. Her panties came with them, and that was just fine with him. The thatch of tight curls at the juncture of her thighs was almost irresistible temptation. Would they be soft or springy? He was going to find out. He was going to explore every centimeter of her body before the night was over.
She pulled her shirt over her head, dropped it on the mattress, and reached behind her to unhook her bra. Then she was nude. And in his bed. It was the fucking hottest thing he’d ever seen. He straightened so he could take her in. Rosy nipples topped breasts that were the perfect size to fit his palms, and her skin was pure cream. Her dark hair was a sharp contrast to her pale curves. “Beautiful.”
“Come here.” Crooking her finger, she beckoned him near.
He shook his head. “I need to enjoy the view for a second.”
“Maybe you need a little encouragement.” Pressing her palm to her stomach, she slipped her hand down until she could dip her fingers between her legs. She let her thighs fall open so he could see her toy with those slick lips and tease her hard little clit.
“Holy shit, Meg.” He’d known she had fire underneath that cool, calm exterior, but this was like a powder keg igniting. Boom. One second, it was harmless, the next it was lethal.
He grabbed the condom, sheathed himself, and dropped to the bed next to her. She rolled toward him until they were on their sides facing each other, pressed together from chest to knee. The feel of her against him made him groan. He cupped her breasts, and the tight tips stabbed his palms. He lifted the small globes and sucked one crest between his lips, batted it with his tongue, and shoved it against the roof of his mouth.
“Yes, yes!” Her fingers speared into his hair and she pulled him closer.
Switching to her other breast, he offered it the same treatment. She writhed against him, and the sensation annihilated what was left of his control. He skimmed his hand down her side, pulling her
thigh up and over his hip. She was open to him, moaning his name, and arching her hips in offering. He sank deep within her, and the feel of her sleek channel closing around his cock made his heart stop.
Perfect. So fucking perfect.
Her breath caught, her arm going around his waist. He pulled back a bit, then filled her again, the glide of his sex inside of her enough to make his skull explode. The way her gray eyes lost focus while little whimpers spilled out of her mouth did nothing to slow him down. He thrust into her pussy, harder and swifter, picking up speed and force until the slap of flesh echoed in the room.
The mattress squeaked beneath them, their panting breaths and low groans a carnal symphony. Her breasts sliding over his chest, the feel of her soft, soft skin, was the closest to heaven he’d ever been. Hitching her leg higher on his hip, he opened her wider, shoved his dick into her tight, wet sex. God, yes. He pushed them both to their limits, his muscles burning as he moved faster, trying to fuse their bodies together. He could feel the tension, the need, humming in his limbs and knew he wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer.
She clutched him closer, her fingers digging into his skin. “Please, Finn. Please. More.”
The desperate moans that fell from her lips told him she was right on the edge of coming. He wanted to send her flying. Thrusting deep—deeper than before—he rotated his hips and ground his pelvis against her clit.
“Oh, God. Finn!” Her nails raked down his back—a little pain to sharpen the pleasure.
The clench and release of her inner muscles around his cock was enough to send him spinning into orgasm. It hit him with the force of a freight train, and come jetted out of him. Shudders racked his body, stars bursting behind his eyelids. He worked his dick inside her sweet heat, dragging out the climax as long as possible. That she kept rocking her hips into him, increasing her own pleasure, just added to the intense rush.
“Meg,” he groaned. Just her name. The only thing that mattered at that moment. Meg.
Vegas Vacation (Destination Desire) Page 4
