“You like it rough, Payt? I prefer to start off with gentle lovemaking and then finish it off with some hardcore fucking. That work for you?”
Oh my God. I am about to get fucked on a casino floor by a man who is getting married tomorrow! Holy shit, no. No, Payton. Do. Not. Get. Turned. On. Right. Now!
“Get off me, Tyler, or I’ll scream!” I heard his giggles and felt his hands over my ass. That was so not okay!
“Mmm, I love it when I can make a girl scream my name. Are you loud, baby?” Alright, I was done being nice.
“Tyler. I will find out what room your bride is in and will drop you off at her door if you do not get off me right this second!” It was getting really hard to breathe and the stares we were getting weren’t friendly ones. Even if I was his bride to be, it was not acceptable behavior.
“Fine, fine. You’re so not as fun as Tate makes you out to be. Take me to my room and we can discuss what to do with the rest of the night.” With that, he clumsily made his way to his feet and pulled me up. I was positive I had flashed a few dozen tourists, but at that time of night, most were slightly intoxicated so they weren’t upset. I heard a few hollers and an “atta boy!” from the crowd. I got myself underneath his arm again, positioning myself to guide him through the rows of slot machines and to the hotel elevators, when I saw Tate and Cirque Du Slut making their way in the same direction.
The karma gods must seriously hate me. Like really motherfucking hate me. I hoped Tyler and I were slow enough that we wouldn’t have to stand awkwardly waiting for an elevator cab to arrive.
Tyler had seemingly found his rhythm and we were both at least on our feet, keeping a steady but leisurely pace across the creamy marbled flooring. Tate and the whore were almost to the elevators and we were at least thirty steps behind them so I let out a sigh of relief at dodging that awkward moment.
“Tate! Tate, over here, man!! You remember Payton, right? Yeah, she told me you’re horrible in the sack and wanted to give me a go to make up for your lame ass. Said you were itty bitty and came in under a minute.” Oh, for the love of god, why couldn’t Tyler just shut the fuck up?
Blushing with embarrassment and jealousy, I tried to turn away from the beautiful specimen in front of me. “Get off her, Tyler!” Tate and his slutbag were making their way toward us and Tate seemed livid.
Ugh. Why did he have to notice me? I was perfectly fine hiding in Tyler’s chiseled chest. Images of Tate and her fucking in all sorts of twisted ways entered my mind and I wanted to be sick.
“Who’s your friend, bro? She looks like she’d be hella fun in bed. Details tomorrow, man!” Nothing out of Tyler’s mouth surprised me anymore.
“Anya, this is Tyler and Payton. Payton and Tyler, this is Anya.” While we nodded in her direction, she giggled and began rubbing her hand over his hard stomach. Whore.
“I was just helping Tyler to bed before going back to my room. Don’t let us bother you two and your plans.” He looked confused for a moment, as if he was trying to figure out a puzzle. He kept looking at Tyler’s arm that was swung over my shoulders and his hand that kept grazing my chest. I had gotten used to it during our stroll and hadn’t realized how it looked.
“What happened to the other guy? You know, the one you went upstairs with a few hours ago? Not even five minutes after dancing and hanging out with me?” I didn’t realize he had seen me with Ryder. Was that why he was acting all pissy?
“That was a misunderstanding. He means nothing to me. It was nice seeing you again, have a good night, Tate.” I was tired of figuring out the men in my life and just wanted to get to my room and be alone. Tyler was conscious enough to know that it was time for us to start moving again. I could hear Anya’s squeaky voice telling Tate that she was glad he upgraded from me to her. I knew she wasn’t worth my time but she was such a fucking bitch I couldn’t help but be pissed. Tyler and I left Tate and Anya standing next to the Wheel of Fortune slot machines and headed toward the elevators once again.
“You care about him, don’t you? He talks about you all the damn time. Hell, I figured he made you up since we never met you and his details were quite vivid.” Tyler was rather observant for being inebriated.
“I guess in a way I do. Nothing would ever come of us two being together, though, so it’s a casual caring if that makes sense. Maybe the girl he’s with right now will be better for him than me. He deserves better than me.”
I pushed the button, waiting for the next available car, and felt Tyler’s fingers massaging my shoulder. It was a kind gesture that wasn’t at all sexual. “That boy has it bad for you. He tries to compensate by finding other girls to occupy his time, but the only girl we ever hear him talk about is you. Why do you think he picked this hotel? He was hoping to see you again.”
Wow, I didn’t realize Tate had feelings for me. A few hours ago was the first time I found out he had talked about me with his friends. He was a sweetheart but I couldn’t be anything more to him than a hook-up. “Thanks for filling me in, Tyler. I had no idea. You’re going to be a handsome groom tomorrow, you know.”
We stepped into the elevator and he pressed the thirty-fourth floor without me having to ask. He seemed to be sobering up some.
“I wasn’t done trying to have my chance with you, Payton. It’s my last night of freedom and I’m dying to know if Tate was true to his details. That little tongue thing you do? I want that.” His smirk gave him away to let me know he was kidding, sort of.
I walked him to his room and laid out some aspirin and a bottle of water next to the bed, followed by shutting the curtains and setting his alarm clock for nine in the morning. I wasn’t sure when he had to be up but hoped that was early enough. Tyler had made his way to the bed and was already snoring. I took off his shoes and set his phone and wallet on the nightstand as well. One of his friends was in the room but was taking a shower so I didn’t disturb him. Before shutting the door, I looked back to make sure everything was okay in the room and smiled at how peaceful and innocent he looked.
When I finally made it to my room, I was drained physically and emotionally. Giving up on boys and turning into a lesbian or a nun seemed more appealing than it had a few hours before. I hated that I liked cock so much.
Stupid penises and the men attached to them.
Ryder and Tate both seemed to be decently nice guys who I could have a good time with but now they were both gone. Tate made it clear that while it was nice seeing me again, I shouldn’t get my hopes up for another go around with him. He apparently already had his fill of me and found something new and more flexible. I wondered how many different positions that chick could maneuver into. I instantly saw her in an inverted donut position with her neck and chest against the ground and her thighs and pussy in the air, waiting patiently for Tate.
I hadn’t felt so alone in a while. Vegas was usually the place where I felt at peace and didn’t have to deal with any of the bullshit that had occurred over past twenty-four hours. I took the hottest shower I could stand to wipe myself clean of the day, followed by a luxurious bubble bath while I drank the bottle of Moscato I had bought to be shared with someone other than myself. I submerged myself under the water, holding my breath for as long as I could while I floated back to the top. It felt liberating being able to only hear the roar of the water, without noises from the real world getting through. I must have repeated the process six or seven times until it lost its fun. I didn’t want to go home and I didn’t want to stay there. Both places reminded me of Ryder. I can’t believe he ruined Vegas for me. I had no idea where I would go the next day.
After the water started to turn lukewarm, I hopped out and air dried as I packed my bags. It felt nice to walk around my room, feeling the air against my cool skin. I was high enough that no one would see me when I walked close to the windows and the feeling of possibly being seen was highly erotic. I was packing my heels in my bag when there was a weak knock at the door. Turning suddenly, I had to wonder if it was meant for my door
or maybe I was hearing someone knock next door.
I threw on a t-shirt and thong and stepped closer to the door. Just as I got on my tippy toes to see through the peep hole, I heard and felt another knock. Looking through the hole, I saw Tate walking away from my door. I opened the door without another thought and followed him, tapping on his shoulder.
Tate stopped, turned toward me, and then looked back at my door. “Were you planning on going back out like that?” He had a hint of amusement in his eyes.
“No, I heard you knock and threw the first thing I saw on to see who it was.”
“So you weren’t dressed?” His smile was full force.
“I was just packing to leave and hadn’t decided what to wear for the rest of the night. Why aren’t you with whore-face?” I didn’t need to tell him I wasn’t sure when I was leaving or where I was going. I hadn’t quite figured it out.
“Ahh, the more important question is how you’re going to get back in your room, doll. Seeing you strut downstairs to the front desk with your tight little ass peeking out from under your very thin t-shirt might gather even more looks than you and Tyler got on the casino floor earlier. You do know he’s getting married tomorrow, right?”
“You think I messed around with Tyler? That’s pretty low, Tate. Since his good friends left him at the club wasted, I figured he’d need help getting back to his room before he passed out. Luckily, one of the other guys was awake in his room when we got there so I didn’t have to babysit your friend all night!”
Looking back at my completely closed door, I thought to myself that I really had hit rock bottom. I didn’t even mean to walk out in the hallway; it was more involuntary than anything. I was done making decisions and had no idea how to get back into my damn room.
He must have seen me pondering what to do. “Stop biting your lip, hun. I’m right down the hall. Let me call the front desk and see if they can help us out. Unless you wanted to just come over to my room with me?”
“I need to pack, sorry. Thank you, Tate.”
Ten minutes later, I was introduced to Elijah, a decent looking hotel worker who appeared to be extremely nervous but was very polite—then again I was almost naked.
“Miss, I’m so sorry y-you got locked out-t of your room la-like this. Can I help you w-with anything else?” His eyes kept moving to my chest and I couldn’t help but feel exposed in my shirt and panties. He got my door open quickly and checked my ID to make sure I really was the guest checked in to the room. In the meantime, Tate was staring him down and trying to keep Elijah’s attention off of me.
“Thank you for your help, Elijah. I’ll be able to take it from here.” Tate shook Elijah’s hand and gave him a tip. He then proceeded to shut the door and deadbolt it. “I would have tipped him more if he would have stared a little less at your rack.”
I gave him a curious look. “Just in case he works up the nerve to ask you out. I wouldn’t want him interrupting your, uhh, packing.” Ugh, he was such a flirt!
I slid on a pair of shorts but that didn’t stop him from staring at my chest. As I put my arms over my hardened nipples, I remembered why I was supposed to be mad at him.
“Was she a one and done girl?”
“You don’t get to ask that. You went off with another guy without so much as a goodbye, and then I see you with Tyler an hour later! What the fuck, Payton? I sent her off in a cab, for your information. She had nothing on you.”
He shouldn’t care that much. From what I knew, he still thought about me but I wasn’t what he needed or craved.
“Tate, we have fun. I care about you but we aren’t supposed to be more than that. I’m so surprised you haven’t settled down with little mini-Tate’s running around lifting little baby free weights.” At least that got him to smile. It didn’t make me feel any less like shit, though.
“You’re not out of your phase, huh? I had hoped the last two years had allowed you to heal from whatever happened to you. Guess I was wrong.”
“It’s not a phase. Everyone I loved has died. I have one friend who has been with me through everything and I can’t handle letting myself fall for someone then lose them. We can’t get any closer than what we are right now. I’m sorry I didn’t make that more clear initially.” I was so done with feeling vulnerable.
“I’ve dated other women. The problem is that I compare all of them to you. I caught myself pretending they were you while I fucked them. You’re different, Payton. You’re confident, yet behind those dark blue eyes I can see the pain you try to hide away. I knew you weren’t ready for anything serious back then, and neither was I, but you’ve changed. I am drawn to you and only giving me a taste of you back then only made my thirst for you grow. You need to let yourself fall and not be scared of getting hurt along the way.”
“You deserve someone who can give you everything. I’m too broken and fucked up to be what you need and you’ll see that someday. Tate, I just let the only guy I remotely saw myself changing for walk away from me. I pushed him away and he’s gone now. Maybe I do deserve to be alone.”
He walked closer to me and held me close to his chest without saying a word. Feeling comforted, I let myself sink into him and began quietly sobbing. I hadn’t cried in…I couldn’t remember how long. He didn’t press the issue any further and seemed to know exactly what I needed.
Minutes later, he lifted me up, held me while he undid the covers, and laid me gently in the middle of my king size bed. My eyes were closed but I could hear him unbuckling his pants and felt the bed dip as he slid in beside me.
I fell asleep with his arms around me, murmuring how beautiful and amazing I was. It would have been easier if he didn’t care so much. I didn’t want to leave the feeling of his warm arms around me but knew I needed to figure out my next plan of action. Tate knew what he was to me but he was still there, even after I confessed to caring about Ryder.
Chapter 8
Ryder
I ended up staying in Vegas for another night in hopes of her texting or calling me to meet up. When I didn’t hear a thing from her, I decided to head back to Los Angeles to resume living my normal life, determined to find a new author. Lorelei had run everything so smoothly while I was gone that I didn’t have much to go through before diving into the handpicked manuscripts she had laid on my desk.
“There are three authors I really think you should take a look at. One is a steamy new adult book with a billionaire and a librarian and the other two are love triangles of sorts. This is the stuff people are reading these days. The sex scenes in them are hot! I mean, they are very well written, sir. Please let me know if you need anything else.” That was why I loved her as my assistant so much. She knew what was trending and jumped on it. She also had a habit of being brutally honest with things she liked or disliked, which I found amusing.
The new stories were good and would sell. The librarian one caught me off guard when the male character turned her on to a whole new world in the bedroom. I liked the idea of a shy yet beautiful woman becoming comfortable in her skin and exploring new desires. It would be my next concentration but I couldn’t get Payton and Reece’s story out of my damn head. I’m talking as if there are two of them now. I was starting to slowly lose my mind.
*****
Three weeks later, I still hadn’t heard a word from Payton. I held on to hope thinking that maybe she just needed some time apart to see that I’m not a horrible guy. Granted, I was known for being a dick at times and did call her out about her sex book while having sex with her. I wasn’t the worst of them out there and wanted to prove it to her. The problem was that I had already run to her twice and wasn’t about to again. If we ever saw each other again it would have to be on her terms.
I was walking out of my office for the day, my mind already set on hitting the gym, working a bit at home, and then crashing early. I had been up late the last week working until my eyes stung and I was forced to go to bed, alone. I had too much time on my hands and the distraction work gave
me was necessary at the moment. Once I was alone, my mind would wander to thoughts about Payton and how her beautiful body felt against mine. I was running myself sick and needed a night to catch up on sleep.
I had been looking down at my phone, checking how my stocks were doing for the day, and didn’t even see the blonde at the bottom of the stairs. I ran straight into her, sending us both off balance but her being the unfortunate one to fall. She cursed as she landed on her ass, purse falling right along with her and the contents spilling onto the cold marble.
I apologized profusely, quickly trying to gather the contents of her bag without being too nosy. I picked up her wallet, wintergreen mints, pink pepper spray, and a couple business cards that noted “Kylie James- Realtor” in addition to her company and personal information. “Kylie, I presume?”
As I helped her off the ground, she looked up and I then realized how hot she was. She was young for a realtor, maybe twenty-five. My normal vision of a realtor was a woman who clearly looked like a mom or grandma with stuffy clothes. She had on black dress pants, black peep toe heels, and a white silk blouse. It was simple yet sexy and it worked on her.
“Yes, have we met before?”
“Your business cards gave me a hint. I’m Ryder Strom, Warrington Strom Publishing, on the tenth floor.” She looked at me for a moment, as if she was still processing our encounter.
“You live in the same building as me—off Pearl Street and Jefferson. I’ve seen you jogging in the morning.”
“Small world! I need to pay more attention to my surroundings apparently. Were you headed that way?” She was cute and could be a new type of distraction that I could find myself taking a liking to.
“I’m waiting on a buyer to show him some new construction right now, actually. I’m in 14A if you ever want to stop by. I wouldn’t mind getting to know my neighbor a little better.” Her smile was genuine as she turned to walk further into the lobby.
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