Broken Series

by Dawn Pendleton

  I stared after him for a full thirty seconds before I shook myself. I needed to pack at least one sexy dress. Maybe two. I turned to the closet and realized my wardrobe was hardly acceptable. I flipped through each dress, discarding it for one reason or another. I was dissatisfied with every dress I owned. All I wanted was something black, sleek, and clingy. The ones in my closet were flowy and vibrant. I sighed.

  Maybe Aunt Brittney would have something along the lines of what I wanted. Aunt Britt! I needed to call her and let her know that Baker and I were taking off. I pulled out my cell and dialed her work number.

  “This is Brittney,” she answered.

  “Hey, Britt. It’s Rainey.”

  “I figured you and Baker would be hot and heavy by now,” she laughed.

  I shook my head. “No, not exactly. He actually wants to take me to Las Vegas,” I started. “He asked me what I wanted to do, kind of like a bucket list, and I’ve always wanted to do Vegas.”

  “That sounds great! Have fun, kiddo! You’ll be back in what – a week?”

  “Yeah, I think so. Hey, can I borrow a black cocktail dress for the trip?” I asked hopefully.

  “Of course. Go raid my closet! Lord knows I won’t be needing them any time soon.” She emitted another laugh and then turned serious. "Are you safe with him, Rainey? If something happens, will he be able to take care of you?”

  I thought about it for a second. “Oh, yeah. He was handling me with kid-gloves before he even knew about the leukemia. I would say it’s going to be a mellow time in Vegas. And I trust him,” I told her.

  “Good for you. Don’t let him go, girl. Not many men would stick around and watch you fade out of their life. But anyway,” she said with a lighter tone. “Have a great weekend and shoot me a text or two while you’re gone so I know you’re okay. Love you!”

  “I will. And I love you, too, Britt,” I told her. I clicked off and tucked my phone back in my pocket, then hefted my duffel over my shoulder and picked up my makeup bag off the bed. I made my way downstairs and noticed through a window that Baker was outside on the small front porch, on his phone. I dropped my bags by the door and went into my aunt’s bedroom.

  It was a first-floor master suite, with an amazing master bath. The décor was bright, just like the guest room. I pulled open the door to her walk-in closet and just stood there, staring at the wide array of clothes encased inside. She was one of those women who bought clothes and then never wore them. From the doorway, I could count at least ten articles of clothing with tags on them. And that was just what I could see. I entered the closet and moved to the back, where she kept her dresses.

  Britt’s OCD meant that all her clothes were put into sections by the piece of clothing and then further organized by color. She had no less than twenty black dresses, and they were ordered alphabetically by designer. It was sickening and amazing, all at the same time. I went through each dress individually, analyzing them one-by-one, trying to decide which one would drive Baker the craziest.

  When I came across one that had a low scoop-neck line to show off plenty of cleavage and a short hem, I knew I’d found the one. The shoulder straps were about two inches wide, which would leave my arms bare. It was perfect. I gingerly pulled the tag out and realized there was still a price tag on it. I almost didn’t want to look, didn’t want to see how much money Britt paid for this scrap of cloth.

  My curiosity won out, though. I flipped the price tag over and sucked in a breath. Three hundred forty-nine dollars. It was insane to pay that much for a dress, but if I knew Aunt Britt, she would want me to take it anyway. Like she said, she didn’t wear cocktail dresses much anymore. Her VP status at her job meant she didn’t schmooze the clients; she paid people to do that. So I went to the very back of her enormous closet and found a black garment bag to hide the dress in. I gently put the dress inside after removing the tag and carried the bag over my shoulder as I walked into the living room.

  Baker stood there waiting for me by the front door and I noticed my duffel and makeup bags were already gone.

  “I put your stuff in the car. And we’re all set with a hotel.” He grinned at me, gesturing to take the garment bag.

  I gave him a stern look as I handed it over. “No peeking,” I warned.

  “Oh, something good, then. Maybe just a little glance?” He playfully moved his hand toward the zipper.

  “No!” I slapped his hand away from the zipper and took the bag back. “I’ll just carry it. Are we ready?”

  “Yeah. Do you need to leave a note for your aunt or something?”

  “I called her. So we are all set,” I confirmed.

  Baker led me out of the house and waited patiently while I locked the front door behind us. I turned to look at his car for the first time and had to laugh.

  “A sports car, really?” I exaggerated a sigh.

  “What? It’s fast. We’ll get to Vegas in no time,” he promised with a glance at his watch. “I say we make it in less than three hours.”

  “Three hours? Do you have a fever?” I reached up and put the back of my hand against his forehead. “Even in zero traffic, it’s a four-hour trip.”

  “How would you know? You’ve never been,” he taunted.

  “Touché.”

  “Just get in the car and let me drive. Three hours,” he predicted again. I laughed, turning back to the car.

  It was a bright red Challenger, brand new. The leather seats were cozy and surprisingly cool. Baker must have started it while I was inside. He opened up the trunk to put my garment bag in the back.

  “I’ll put it in the back seat,” I told him.

  He nodded and pushed the trunk lid closed. I tucked the bag behind my seat and let it rest on the hook near the roof of the car. I sat on the cool leather and adjusted my shorts before turning back to Baker just as he climbed into the driver’s seat.

  It was like watching a clown try to fit himself into a clown car. At six-three, Baker was hardly a little guy. Add to that his bulging muscles, and watching him get in was comical. I covered my mouth to stifle a laugh.

  “Something funny?” he asked once he was inside.

  His eyes met mine and I felt the heat rise between us. “Not a thing,” I whispered.

  He slammed his door closed and then leaned over to me. “I have to tell you something,” he said in a serious tone. Baker was usually so playful and full of jokes, I was actually scared when he stared intently into my eyes.

  “Yes?” I answered with baited breath.

  “You are so fucking hot,” he said, snagging his hand behind my head and bringing me close to him so he could kiss me.

  It was a hot, searing kiss and I knew I was much too close to the flames. By the end of this, I was going to get burned. But I couldn’t find the will to pull away. Instead, I put both my hands on his chest, in an effort to bring him closer or push him away, I don’t know. His tongue sought entrance into my mouth and I opened for him, eating up every hot touch. His hand on my neck rubbed encouragingly and I moaned into his kiss.

  He ended it long before I wanted him to, and we were both out of breath. “Hot damn,” he whispered against my lips.

  I laughed, this time actually pushing him away. “Let’s get going,” I suggested.

  He seemed to be in a hurry as he pulled away. He strapped his seatbelt on while I put mine on and then turned the key. A loud, grinding noise emitted from the car and I had to hold back my laughter as I realized the car was already running.

  “Damn thing,” he mumbled and then shifted into gear. He looked at me. “Not one word.”

  Then he gunned it and we were off to Vegas.

  Fourteen

  Baker

  I thought for sure we would make it to Vegas by noon, but traffic was much worse than I anticipated. The trip took almost five hours and Rainey was driving me crazy. She didn’t do or say anything upsetting, but those short shorts were distracting as hell, and it was more than once that I had to grip the steering wheel with
both hands to get focused on the road.

  But we did get to Vegas. Eventually. Even with her long legs calling to me. We hit the strip and she lit up. It was early afternoon, so it wasn’t as dramatic as coming in at night, but Rainey was still animated as she eyed all the casinos and show places. Her smile was wide and I knew this was a great idea. She deserved to feel some happiness before she started to deteriorate.

  When she turned that amazing smile to me, my gut clenched. “This is amazing, Baker.”

  “Yeah, amazing,” I agreed, but I stared directly at her, letting her know I thought she was amazing. I didn’t care about Vegas, but seeing her, all smiles and truly enjoying herself, made me happy. I was so in love with her. There was no mountain I wouldn’t move to make her smile.

  She blushed and turned away, getting my meaning. She looked out at our surroundings and when I pulled into Caesar’s Palace, she turned her wide eyes back to me.

  “This is where we’re staying?” she asked, incredulous.

  I grinned and pulled up the valet. “Yes, ma’am.”

  I popped the trunk, got out, and tossed the keys to the young guy waiting nearby. I slipped him a ten-dollar bill and then walked around the car. A bellhop opened the door for Rainey and she sat there, still amazed. I directed the bellhop to our bags, including the garment bag behind Rainey’s seat, then walked over to where she was still rooted in the passenger seat and tugged on her hand.

  “Come on.” I helped her up. “Lots more to see.”

  She walked forward with me, still in shock. We entered the lobby and the architecture was stunning. I’d never been to Vegas, either, but I figured we should go in style. I wanted this to be the best time of her life. I led her over to the check-in desk.

  “Welcome to the Palace. Checking in?” the young woman at the counter asked us.

  “Yes, we have a reservation under Christopher Baker,” I explained.

  The woman’s eyes lit up. “Yes, Mr. Baker. Your suite is ready for you. Here is your key, and if you need anything at all, please just dial zero and we’ll be happy to help you with anything at all.” She handed me a set of keys. “You will need to go all the way to the end of that hallway.” She pointed toward the far end of the lobby. “There’s an elevator and you’ll have to use your key to get to your floor.”

  I thanked her and led Rainey down the narrow corridor.

  She looked nervous as we walked, hand-in-hand. I stuck one of the keys into the slot at the elevator and the doors opened for us.

  “This is surreal,” she finally said when the elevator doors closed behind us. I smiled down at her.

  “It’s pretty cool, if you ask me. Although,” I said, looking down at my belt, “I’m not getting a sig on my beeper.”

  She burst into laughter. Quoting one of the movies we watched together in our early days of sleeping together was a perfect icebreaker.

  “Promise me I won’t have to come find you on the roof tomorrow, okay?”

  “Nope. I can’t make that kind of promise. But I’ll tell you what – if I end up on the roof, you will be right there with me and we will get crispy in the sun together.” I grinned.

  She shook her head and the elevator stopped, the doors opening into a small foyer with a single door. We stepped off and walked to the door.

  I held up the key to our room. “Ready?”

  She nodded.

  I slipped the key into the slot and pushed open the door. I let Rainey go in first, knowing she would be shocked.

  Aside from several columns in the space, the suite was wide and open, with floor-to-ceiling windows that gave a great view of the city, even in the daytime. There was a circular couch in the center of the room that faced the window, as well as an extra-large flat-screen television on the far wall. The flooring was granite, as were the countertops in the kitchen. A stocked full bar graced the kitchen, along with a complete set of dishes and cookware, not that we would be doing any cooking.

  My plan was to keep Rainey busy in the casinos until late at night so that when we got back to the room, she was exhausted. As much as I wanted her, I didn’t want to take the chance of hurting her again. The memory of bruises along her body tormented me. I didn’t want to be the one causing them. And aside from my slip that morning in her aunt’s kitchen, I had been able to keep my hands off her. Mostly.

  That kiss in the car before we left was pretty hot. I felt myself get hard just thinking about all the things I wanted to do to her. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I needed to gain some control. When I opened my eyes again, Rainey was standing in front of me, just staring at me.

  “Hey, stud.” She licked her lips provocatively, running her fingers across my shoulders, causing the skin under my T-shirt to ripple. I wanted her so damn much.

  “Hey, yourself,” I said as casually as I could.

  “This is a great suite,” she said. “Should we check out the bedroom?”

  Rainey grabbed my hand and led me to the corner of the suite, opened up an extra-large door, and we both stopped, stunned by the room. Aside from its enormous size, the best part of the room was the monster of a bed that sat in the center. It was a four-post, king-size bed decorated all in white. It was a symbol of purity, to be sure. But more than that, the white down comforter was covered in fresh rose petals.

  “What the hell…” Rainey turned to accuse me.

  I shrugged. “It’s the honeymoon suite.”

  “Honeymoon?” she squeaked

  “Oh, relax. I knew it would be a nice room, and I wanted you to have a good time.” I grinned at her.

  “Well, I do plan to have a good time,” she whispered, pressing herself against me.

  I groaned in satisfaction, the feel of her breasts against my chest driving me crazy. The woman was an enigma.

  * * * * *

  Hours later, the bed was a mess and we were both hot and sweaty. Not that it wasn’t awesome. Rainey was insatiable. With every touch, every tender kiss, she demanded more. It was hard to keep my control with her. I tried not to hurt her, but I had a feeling I would be kicking myself later when I saw the new bruises. And they would appear; there was no doubt in my mind.

  I lay on my back, staring up at the mirrored ceiling, something we hadn’t noticed until we got into the bed. It made for some interesting positions, that was for sure. A fit of giggles beside caused me to turn to Rainey. I turned on my side and propped up my arm on the pillow, resting my cheek against my fist.

  “What’s so funny?” I demanded.

  “Look at yourself,” she suggested.

  I glanced down and realized I was covered in red and white rose petals. Each delicate piece was stuck to the sweat that still clung to my body. There were three on my torso and several hanging precariously off the only part of my body that extended.

  Surprisingly, knowing she was looking at that part of me caused me to want her again. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take, but I wanted her.

  “Baker…?” She lifted her beautiful green eyes to mine and raised a brow.

  “Ready for round four?” I asked.

  “No! No more,” she squealed and tried to get out of the bed. I flung an arm around her waist and dragged her back to the plush mattress, hefting myself above her.

  “This is my domain,” I said with a scowl. “And I will have you.”

  She erupted in more giggles and then managed to buck me off her. I wasn’t expecting her to push me, so I ended up on my ass on the floor. I sat there, staring at her as she peeked at me above the comforter.

  “Apparently, it’s not your domain as much as you thought,” she teased.

  I growled and moved to get up. She was off the bed before I could catch her and she ran to the bathroom. I was one step behind her, and when she stepped into the shower stall, I knew she had nowhere to run. Instead of covering herself and hiding, though, she surprised me. She turned on the water, got the temperature just right, and then turned on the showerheads, one on each side of the stall.
She crooked her finger at me and then ran her hands down her body, the water creating beautiful imagery for my growing erection.

  “Get in here,” she muttered when I didn’t move.

  I grinned and went after her, pinning her gently against the wall and kissing her passionately. I didn’t let up on my assault, either. Her blonde hair was wet in my hands and I held her still for my kiss. She squirmed but seemed to enjoy herself.

  “I’ve never had sex in the shower,” she admitted when I finally let her breathe.

  I felt myself grow harder at that.

  “First times are my specialty,” I said, referencing the fact that I took her virginity years ago.

  And just like that, we were both ready for round four.

  Fifteen

  Rainey

  Sex in a shower was a new experience, but I quickly learned that no matter how much stamina I thought I had, Baker had more. The man was a sexual beast! If I even hinted at sex, he was ready. It was enlightening and oh, so sexy.

  After our romp in the bathroom, I pleaded with Baker to leave me alone in the amazing shower for just a few minutes. He hesitantly agreed with the promise that we would have more shower fun tomorrow. I asked him to bring my bags into the bathroom, too, which he did without a complaint.

  With soaking wet hair, I wrapped a towel around my body and used a hand towel to wipe away some of the fog from the mirror. I clicked on the hair dryer attached to the wall and waved it over the mirror, watching as the fog cleared. Once I could see myself, I flipped my head upside-down and turned the dryer to my hair. I ran my fingers through my hair to help the process, but it took forever. Once it was mostly dry, I shut it off and stared at myself in the mirror. There was still a slight fog, but I noticed a few bruises right away.

  Baker was going to flip. Luckily for me, they were all in places my dress for the night would hide. I smiled in anticipation. Baker was in for a real treat. I pulled out my makeup, deciding not to wear too much. There were a few love bites on my neck that needed covering, but other than that, I only applied eyeliner and mascara, going for a more natural look. The dress was going to overpower any makeup I could put on, anyway.