Cash

by Vanessa Devereaux

  “Okay and do I have to tell you or do I keep it to myself?”

  “To yourself. That’s another one of our traditions. If you share it, it doesn’t come true.”

  That was just perfect because Cash didn’t have to think twice about what he was going to wish for. He wished and hoped that Katy would accept him for everything he was.

  ****

  Katy’s sex shop sold books and one of them was on the topic of foods to get you in the mood. Chocolate was on the list so it wasn’t too surprising that she was feeling like having sex and having it soon. She and Cash exited the elevator and walked toward their rooms. Their adjoining rooms. He might have insisted on separate rooms but when she’d booked, she’d made sure they were next to one another with a connecting door. Once she got him between the sheets, he’d want their adjoining door definitely open for the remainder of their stay.

  She had it all worked out what was going to happen tonight. First she was going to kiss him. Not just let him peck her on the cheek like he always gave her when they said goodnight. This one would be the sort that was a prelude to sex.

  They arrived at Katy’s door.

  “I guess I’ll see you around seven and we can hit one of the breakfast buffets. I’m told they’re cheap and…’

  She didn’t let him finish before she put her lips on his. Now she really was taking the first step by throwing her arms around him and crushing her body into his. He kissed her back, nudging open her lips and letting his tongue slid over them and into her mouth.

  Yeah, this was more like it. She pushed her body into his some more, feeling that old familiar pull in her pussy, knowing that the wet patch in her panties was growing by the second.

  Katy ran her hand up Cash’s back feeling his erection pushing against her belly. Maybe waiting had been a good thing because when he slipped his cock into her she’d see more lights than even Vegas had to offer. However, he did something she wasn’t expecting. He pulled away from her and yawned. He damn well yawned.

  “I need to get to bed because I’m about to fall asleep. See you tomorrow,” he said. He slid his room card through the slot faster than she thought possible. He was inside before she had a chance to respond.

  Tears formed in her eyes as a couple holding hands and looking very much in love walked by. She looked away, not being able to stand other people’s happiness right now. She hurried to the door of her own room, pushing the card through the slot faster than Cash had but not having as much luck at getting into the room as he had. She dropped it twice and then the red light blinked back at her as if to mock her in her agony.

  Finally the green light appeared and she turned the handle and went into the room, putting her back toward the door. The way he’d kissed her back had told her he found it thrilling, found her thrilling. The hard-on told her he was as excited as she was. So why the sudden exit?

  Maybe he was married and having second thoughts about cheating on his wife.

  Maybe he was gay. Maybe he just wanted to be friends and hadn’t worked up the courage to tell her yet.

  Maybe he was a lost cause.

  Katy sat on the bed. The maids had been in and turned down the covers and left chocolates on each pillow. Comfort food. Yeah, she needed comfort food right now. She grabbed both of them. She unwrapped them and popped them into her mouth. She burst into tears. Why were men and relationships so fucking complicated?

  She heard Cash moving about on the other side of the wall and then heard him switching on his shower. She liked him, liked him a lot, wanted to sleep with him, wanted them to be a couple but he clearly had other plans.

  She burst out crying and threw herself face first into the pillow.

  ****

  Cash looked down at his broken body. He was still aroused. It hadn’t subsided. That’s how much she’d turned him on. He stroked his cock, feeling it pulse against his palm. He needed to jerk off just like he had after every time he’d said goodnight to Katy. The other occasions had been easier. Tonight, she’d kissed him. Tongues had been involved, bodies had joined and rubbed against one another.

  The kiss had been the first of its kind with Katy. He’d taken in her perfume, felt her breasts pressing against him, her lips and sweet breath, and he’d wanted her so bad. Nothing he’d rather do than make love to her but he wasn’t ready. Didn’t know if he’d ever be ready. Katy was the first woman since his accident.

  Cash stroked his cock, his hand getting a stronger grip on it with each pass. He closed his eyes now visualizing Katy. She was naked. Her legs were outspread and her pussy was on full display.

  He knew it would be beautiful like the rest of her. Would she ever allow him to make love her to her when she saw what he looked like without his clothes on? Would she scream and run?

  No, he shouldn’t think about the negative right now. He’d see her beauty and enjoy a good jerk off because maybe that was the only way he’d ever get to experience the pleasure of her body.

  He moved his hand faster, sensing he was on the verge of coming. He bit his lip knowing he could get vocal when he did. He didn’t want her to hear him and think he was in here with another woman. He found his release and then sat down on the stool in the bathroom and wrapped the towel around him.

  He turned his head to listen to the noise. Shit, someone was crying. He looked at the wall behind him. It was coming from Katy’s room. Katy was crying. He’d made her cry with his abrupt exit.

  He hung his head in shame. He really was a bastard.

  Chapter Three

  Katy’s hand hovered near the bottom of the door. She’d written the note to Cash first thing when she’d woken up that morning. She’d cried herself to sleep and then woken up, thought about what had happened, and then been unable to get back to sleep. When she’d finally dozed off the alarm on her phone had woken her. She looked a disaster with her face all puffy and her eyes red from the enlarged veins. She’d decided to go to the hotel breakfast buffet on her own and then head straight over to the convention without Cash. She didn’t want him seeing her like this. Bottom line, she didn’t quite know what to say to him after last night.

  She slipped the note telling him where she’d be under his door, just in case he wasn’t awake yet. She hadn’t heard him up and about this morning. Katy hurried along to the elevator, got on, and rode it down to the first floor.

  The all you can eat breakfast buffet sign pointed to the left. She wasn’t that hungry, which was very unusual for her. Guess being this upset really did things to your stomach. In fact, apart from the day she’d learned that her dad had cancer her insides hadn’t felt this shaky ever. She headed into the restaurant.

  “Table for one?” asked the hostess.

  How lonely and awful did that sound, especially in Sin City?

  “Yes, one, maybe someone will be joining me later.”

  She didn’t want to appear all by her lonesome so added that to save face. She followed the hostess to a booth at the side of the restaurant.

  “You can go up to the buffet whenever you want and the waitress can bring you coffee if you want?”

  Coffee, that should wake her up.

  “Sure, that will be great.”

  “So I should leave the other flatware here?” asked the hostess, her hands hovering over the place setting.

  “Yes,” said Katy. At least people wouldn’t walk by her table thinking she was here all by herself.

  Katy took a few minutes to look around. The buffet was huge and everyone in the place seemed to be one half of a young couple.

  She got up and headed over to the cereals and grabbed a bowl and helped herself to some granola and yogurt. She’d start with something healthy and something that would keep her energy level high for walking around the convention hall all day. She returned to her table where the waitress had already placed the coffee. Her cell phone rang and she saw that it was Connor calling.

  “Hi Connor,” she said.

  “What’s happening in Vegas?” he a
sked.

  “Not much right now?”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope, just having breakfast.”

  “In bed with Cash maybe?” asked her brother.

  Only in my dreams.

  “No. In fact, I don’t think he’s up yet so I’m eating alone in the restaurant.”

  “Late night with lots of action?” asked Connor.

  She bit her lip. How could she tell her brother what happened? They were close but she didn’t feel like discussing her relationship or sex life, or rather the lack of it.

  “We went to see Cirque du Soleil and then went to eat.”

  “Sounds like fun.”

  “Yeah, it was. So how’s the last minute campaigning going? I really should be there helping you out.”

  “It’s fine. Mom, Dad, me and Jennifer are going to do one final door to door meeting and greeting, and Aunt Betty’s arranged for a bus to pick up the folks who live out of town and take them to the polling station on Tuesday.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like something she’d do.”

  “Hope you’ll be back on Tuesday to put an X next to your brother’s name.”

  “You can count on both me and Cash doing that because our flight gets back late Monday afternoon.”

  “Okay, I better let you finish your breakfast and watch out because lots of people come back hitched after a stay in Vegas.”

  “See you Tuesday morning,” she said.

  She usually had something snappy to throw back at her brother but not today. She felt so down in the dumps. She even felt jealous that he was now a married man with a baby on the way.

  Katy took a sip of her coffee, glancing to the right and seeing Cash heading into the restaurant. He pointed over to her when the hostess was about to show him to a table.

  To make things worse, he looked gorgeous again. Almost edible. Damp hair that made it look like he’d just gotten out of the shower. And he hadn’t shaved. She always liked stubble grazing against her cheeks, nipples, and yes, thighs. Top three buttons of his shirt were open, and the muscles of his chest showed through the thin white material. Oh how she wanted him. In fact, she’d never wanted a man so much in all her life. Maybe he was making her wait for a reason. Maybe he thought she’d enjoy fucking him even more after this dry spell.

  “Good morning to you. I got your note,” he said, sitting down.

  “Yeah, I woke up starving. Hope you don’t mind.”

  Liar, liar pants on fire.

  “Can I get you some coffee sir?” asked the waitress.

  “Yes, that would be great and some cream too.”

  “I’ll be right back with that and help yourself to the buffet.”

  “You already been up there a few times?” asked Cash. He nodded at her plate.

  She hadn’t touched much food so he probably assumed as she’d claimed to be hungry that she’d just about reached her limit. Truth was she was hungry but the bile in her throat made her almost want to throw up rather than eat.

  “Yeah, everything looked so good,” she said.

  More lies. And she would need to get something besides the yogurt and granola or she’d probably pass out while making her way around the booths.

  “However, I’m going back for some more bacon and scrambled eggs,” she said, thinking she’d probably have to push those items down her throat.

  “I’ll join you.”

  She followed Cash to the section with the bacon, sausages, eggs and hash browns. He loaded up his plate, so high that two sausages balanced on top. She’d always loved a man with a great appetite. She took a scoop of scrambled egg and two slices of bacon. Cash still hovered around the waffles and French toast so she got back to the table a few minutes before him.

  He now had a second plate, and it too overloaded with toast and waffles. “I thought I might as well take everything I need in one shot so I don’t have to walk back there again,” he said.

  “Guess you won’t need much lunch.”

  The waitress returned with Cash’s coffee and cream. “You folks want this put on your room account?”

  “Sure,” said Katy. “Room 456.”

  “Right you are,” said the waitress. “Let me know if you need anything else and if not, have a fun day.”

  “I hope you’re going to let me pay for my food and room here,” said Cash.

  “I invited you as my guest and it’s a tax write off for the store,” said Katy.

  “I know but let me contribute something.”

  “Okay, you can buy dinner tonight, how’s that?”

  “Sounds good to me. So will you be shopping at the convention?”

  “Of course. I’m looking for something really bad and naughty to put in the store window to shock the folks of Grantsville. Maybe an oversized cock.”

  Cash, almost spilt the coffee he was drinking.

  “I guess you and my ancestor Gracie Doyle would have gotten on so well,” said Cash.

  Katy would love to travel back in time, meet her own ancestor Sarah, and yes, Gracie too. Such brave ladies and way ahead of their time in knowing what they wanted and not being afraid to go get it. Maybe Katy should take a note from their lives.

  “Connor found Sarah’s grave. She’s buried between Jon and Shaun as was her request.”

  “I should look for Ryan and Gracie’s too. In fact, I think I’ll set that as a challenge to myself. You want to help me look?”

  As friends, or girlfriend/boyfriend? she wanted to ask him. Once they got home and knowing that he clearly wasn’t interested in the same sort of relationship she was, would she be able to continue spending time with him? It would torture her every minute she was with him. And what if he found himself a proper girlfriend and slept with her. Talked to Katy about it? Surely, he must know how she felt about him. Or maybe he didn’t. No, he’d have to be completely stupid and she knew Cash wasn’t that. She bit her lip trying her best not to cry again. When would a relationship ever work out for her? She looked at her watch.

  “I’m going to leave you to finish your breakfast and go upstairs and get my purse and more comfortable shoes.”

  “Good idea. How about I meet you out front?”

  “Okay, see you in about fifteen minutes,” said Katy, standing.

  ****

  Cash downed the last of his coffee and then walked out to the front of the hotel. Katy had picked this particular hotel because it was just a block from the convention center and hence they could walk back and forth whenever they wanted and not have to rely on the hotel shuttle.

  He’d guessed why she’d chosen to go ahead and eat breakfast without him. He’d debated whether or not to order room service for himself, but then he knew that would be taking the coward’s way out. She’d seemed okay, down a little bit, but that was understandable. And he was man enough to accept that was his fault.

  Cash knew at some point he’d have to tell her the reason for his reluctance to have sex. But he didn’t want to do it on this trip. He wanted them to just enjoy themselves. For him to spend time with her, maybe for the last time. She was beautiful. He saw guys glancing at her at breakfast. He’d lose her but what choice did he have?

  Shit, maybe he shouldn’t have taken his uncle’s advice about getting back out there in the dating pool. Going to that damn auction and seeing her. Bidding on her and thinking everything would be all right. It wouldn’t and that’s what tore him up inside. He could just stay at home like he had and be a miserable bachelor all his life or get out there and deal with the situation. Meet it head on. Be the man his father had always wanted him to be.

  “You ready?”

  Katy’s voice made him jump. And yes, it made his heartbeat pick up its tempo. He couldn’t lose her now that he’d found her. He didn’t believe in fate but how else could you explain him turning up at the auction the minute that the bidding had begun on Katy?

  “I sure am,” he said.

  She looked lovely today. Not that she didn’t every day. Once again
she’d opted to wear jeans along with a blue and white striped t-shirt. Red sneakers now adorned her feet.

  When they stepped outside it was already pretty warm. Hard to believe it was November and before they’d left Montana there was talk of an early snowstorm moving into the higher elevations of Big Sky County. Serving in the army had taught him to tolerate heat so he knew he could stand anything Vegas threw at him.

  The streets were also crowded and by the time they arrived at the convention center, the place was bustling. It seemed it wasn’t only housing the sex toy gathering but two others including one selling sports memorabilia.

  “I see you eyeing the sign,” said Katy. “You don’t have to look at sex toys all day.”

  “I don’t mind but later I might just go and see what’s on offer at the other convention.”

  Katy grabbed her pass for the both of them and they took the elevator to the second floor. Condoms had been blown up like balloons. A girl wearing one like a hat handed them fans in the shape of cocks. Cash took it and guessed that he was blushing. He had to show his support of Katy and not be so bashful. He followed her inside and the place was already packed.

  “Anything you have on your shopping list?” Cash asked, close to Katy’s ear so she could hear him.

  “Keep your eyes peeled for something that’s out of the ordinary,” she said.

  “I’m guessing there’s plenty of that,” said Cash.

  “How about I just wander around and then we can meet up at lunch time over there by the information kiosk? That way you can leave and go look at the sports stuff whenever you want,” she suggested.

  “Great idea and have fun.”

  “You too.”

  Cash headed down the first aisle. Some booths had so many visitors he couldn’t even see what they were selling. He walked along a booth selling lingerie. Crotchless black lace panties were pinned on a display. The thought of Katy in them brought a smile to his face. He could see her lying on the bed beckoning him over with her finger. He swallowed and felt himself getting hard. He wondered if the other guys walking around this place were having the same problem? Maybe he should have worn looser fitting pants so they didn’t give away his obvious arousal. He looked at the panties again. He’d buy a pair. Yeah, he’d get her a pair and he’d think positive. The doctor had told him there was no reason for him not to have sex like he used to. He made a note of where the booth was at and on his way back he’d pick up a pair.