“It’s definitely different. D.C.’s nothing like it is here.”
I smiled behind my straw. “I heard through the grapevine that you’re going to titty bars with some of the girls. You into girls, too?”
She snorted as she tried to contain her laughter. “Definitely not. The girls claim it’s a good way to pick up clients, and seeing as I’m new to the area, I guess I’m trying to pull whatever tricks are out there.”
“So you’re not out there having threesomes with your clients and the girls?” My smile hadn’t faltered as I thought about Andi with another chick.
“I’ve never slept with any of my clients. Do … Have you?” Her gaze avoided mine as she waited for my answer.
Would she not want to be with me because of something I’d done before I met her? I took another long sip of my tequila and coke, slurping the remaining content. “Honestly, gorgeous, I have. I have with a lot of them. But since you barged into my house—literally—I haven’t. I haven’t wanted to. I’ve been looking forward to this date since before I knew I wanted to take you on it, and hearing that you don’t sleep with your clients … Fuck, that makes me so happy. You have no fucking idea how much that makes me happy.”
Before we could continue, the waiter came and dropped off the check. “We can talk about this later. Let’s go check out the High Roller.”
“What if I freak out?”
“I’ll wrap you in my arms until it’s over.”
She stared up at the metal wheel. “It’s … so high.”
“Look how big the pods are. Nothing’s going to happen. We’ll stand in the middle if you’re scared.”
She tore her gaze to mine. “Promise?”
I smiled and grabbed her hand, missing the contact that was only brief from me paying for our tickets. “I promise, gorgeous.”
We waited in line to enter onto the white pod. Occasionally the wheel would change colors from pink to green to blue and so on. Earlier I thought I would be the one that needed to have the death grip on Andi’s hand, but she was the one that had one on mine.
“Don’t worry, it’s going to be okay,” I promised, pulling her closer to me. I got a whiff of her hair and I noticed that she smelled of coconuts. “You smell like paradise.”
She looked up at me. “Are you trying to distract me?”
I smirked. “Is it working?”
“Maybe a little.” She looked back up at the wheel and I shook my head. I didn’t get the heights thing. Maybe it was because I was used to helicopters in the Army and that shit didn’t even have doors on it.
The line moved and it was our turn to enter the pod. Andi glanced at me and I whispered that it was going to be okay and I gave her hand a final squeeze. I saw her chest rise and then she entered and went straight to the center of the ball while everyone else went to the glass walls. I walked up behind her, wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to my chest, not saying anything while she took in her surroundings.
“Okay,” I heard her say after a few minutes.
“Okay?” I questioned.
She nodded and started to step toward the glass, her hand in mine. Just before we got to the railing, she stopped and looked down.
“Gorgeous,” I laughed, “you’re not supposed to look down.”
She looked up at me. “I wanted to see how far up we were.”
“Well, shit. You’re lucky we aren’t all the way on top yet.”
“I know.” She stepped as close as she could to me, our shoulders pressed together, our hands still clasps and then she took the tiny step forward to the railing.
We were silent again as the wheel took the slow turn. The lights lit up the dark Vegas sky. Each casino could be seen below, and I wanted to point everything out to her, but I kept my mouth shut and let her take everything in. The closer we inched up to the top, the tighter her hand held mine.
I needed to distract her.
I tugged on her hand so she would turn her head to me, and when she did, I leaned down and captured her lips with mine. I wrapped the hand I was holding around my waist and let go so I could reach up and grab her face with both of my hands. Her other arm wrapped around my side as I finally got a taste of my girl.
Everyone in the pod disappeared. It was just her and me. I wanted her to only focus on me, so I stepped closer, pressing her back against the glass. The taste of tequila was faint when I swiped my tongue against her lower lip wanting her to open for me. When she finally granted me access and our tongues collided, there was a little grain of salt left over from her drink and the combination of the two only drove my need to really be with her.
I pushed against her a little harder, causing one of my knees to go between her legs. Our mouths worked together, tasting, sucking and not caring if others were watching. Really I couldn’t give a fuck because this was what I’d been craving for the last two weeks and getting this little taste of her was only going to drive my need for her that much more. I wanted to taste every fucking inch of her.
As I was about to whisper into her ear that I couldn’t wait to get her home to fuck her brains out, she quickly brought her hands up to cover mine that were holding her face and broke the kiss. She pulled her lips away and we kept our foreheads connected. Frustrated, I closed my eyes panting and said the only fucking thing my brain could luster up.
“Andi …”
Chapter Thirteen
Andi
Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would know what it was like to date two guys at once. Theoretically, I wasn’t. I was only dating Paul. But I was also dating other men.
I was only dating Paul for real.
Holy shit, I was only dating Paul!
When I accepted the assignment to come to Vegas, I never thought that I’d start dating someone. Dating was not on my radar.
Even though I stopped our kiss the night on the High Roller, it wasn’t because I didn’t want to keep going; it was because I was in my head. That was what I did when it came to all guys I tried to date. It was my curse. My mother, Tony, and Marco had cursed me the night of my seventeenth birthday. I wanted to be normal, to forget about how they ruined me, but no matter what I did, I was reliving that night.
The situation was weird, though. Paul and I lived together so we saw each other all the time. It was as if our relationship was progressing faster than normal and I couldn’t have that. I was freaking out. Literally freaking the fuck out. I hadn’t had sex in twelve years and he’d had sex yesterday—okay not yesterday, but close enough. How was I going to dodge that bullet and still live with him while I did my investigation? Did I want to dodge that bullet? What if I told Paul the truth?
This wasn’t part of the plan.
Paul wasn’t part of the plan.
It had been a few days since our date and things were good—really good. I knew sex was coming.
The sex was coming.
Rolling out of bed, I tossed my hair into a messy bun and went to the kitchen for coffee. Paul was shirtless like always, and I bit my lower lip to hide my smile as he turned. I wanted to smile, but it would only feed his ego and we had our little banter I’d grown accustomed to.
He grabbed my wrist and tugged me to him before I reached the coffeemaker. “Don’t think I didn’t see that, gorgeous.”
“See what?” I peered into his chestnut colored eyes.
“I know you’re hot for my body.” He nipped at my ear and it sent a tingle down my belly. I stifled a moan.
Yeah, I was hot for his body.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
“You think so?” I joked as I tilted my head and allowed him to kiss my neck.
He worked his way up to my mouth. “Shut up and kiss me, woman.”
And I did.
My hands wrapped around his neck and his arms wrapped around my waist as our lips locked. The taste of coffee lingered when our tongues got their first taste of each other this morning. I wasn’t going to lie. I could get use
d to this.
“Remind me to thank Mark again for moving you into my house,” he murmured against my lips then kissed me again, our tongues savoring the feel of how lucky we were.
I smiled against his lips. “I thought I just barged in here?”
He pulled back. “You’re feisty even without coffee.” He slapped my ass playfully as I walked to the coffee pot and poured myself a cup. Little did he know I’d been awake for half an hour preparing myself because today was day three after our date and if you thought about it, it could be date number three. Guys always wanted sex on or before date three. I didn’t know what to expect except …
The sex was coming.
Even though I had no update, I called the secure line for the bureau and gave an update. I told them briefly about the girl in the bathroom; how she’d mentioned Mr. Martinez and how I was going to investigate him further.
As far as Paul, we came up with rules for working even though we’d just started dating. When we went to work, we were only allowed to go to dinner, Vegas shows, or be a lucky charm at a casino for someone. We could hold their hands with minimal kissing, but no getting naked (that was for him). If things got to a certain point where we might not be able to stop a client from getting mad because they wanted more from us, then we ended the date. I wasn’t too worried about that; I had done more research and learned that most companies have a policy that female companions weren’t allowed in client rooms—at least that would be my excuse.
As far as the sex … we’d passed day six of dating and no sex. I wasn’t sure I could do the sex anyway. I wanted to do the sex. I really did, but it was a mind over matter thing and … I was scared.
Luckily, Paul was busy with dates at night and during the day he had his self-defense classes with Gabe so we had minimal interaction. He did, however, mention he wanted me to meet his friends, and that was a big step. I needed to see where this was all going before I brought more people into the mix because I was certain I was leaving after the investigation was over.
Dates were starting to book through my website and tonight was my first date since the one I had when I first arrived. It happened to be with Derrick from the strip club. He was back in town and wanted to try his luck at the craps table. I had no idea how to play craps, but like everything else, I was going to fake it.
After checking my back office and the details for my date with Derrick, I walked into the kitchen and stopped and eyed what Paul was doing then asked. “Whatcha doin’?” He placed a few more items into a backpack. “Packing for our date.”
“Our date?” I asked, confused.
“Yep.”
“When are we going on a date?”
“Now.”
“Seriously?”
“I don’t joke about dates.”
I looked at what he was wearing. “Do I need to change?” I was wearing jean shorts and a tank top and he was in basketball shorts and nothing else.
He stopped stuffing the bag and turned to me. “Just your shoes actually. Or maybe something you’d wear to the gym.”
I raised an eyebrow. “We’re going to the gym?”
“Nope.”
“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing?”
He turned and caged me against the countertop. “Well, I’m going to get you all sweaty and then feed you.”
I laughed. “Why are you being so vague?”
“You know I like to fuck around.” He took my lips, silencing me for a few seconds.
“Fine, don’t tell me. Will we be back in time for my date tonight?” The sentence sounded weird as it rolled off my tongue.
“Of course, gorgeous.”
I changed and so did Paul and then we jumped in his Jeep. I hated not knowing the plan when it came to things—anything. I was a planner.
“Where are we going?” I asked again as we drove farther out of town.
He looked over at me and smirked. “Oh right, I forgot. You can’t go with the flow.”
I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Lean that closer over to me.”
I did as he asked and we kissed briefly and then he returned his attention back to the road. We drove some more and then finally turned down another road.
“We’re going to Mount Charleston?” I asked as I read the sign.
“Yep.”
“To …?”
He chuckled. “Hike.”
“Oh.” I smiled. I could do that. It beat going to the smoky casinos and since we were driving for a while, I knew we weren’t going to a gym.
“That’s the sweaty part and then we’ll have a picnic.”
“I can handle that.”
He squeezed my hand that he was already holding and he smiled.
Drip
Drip
Drip
I clenched my thighs trying to relieve the ache building between them. No matter how much I wanted to deny it, I wanted this sinful man beside me.
We hiked a five and a half mile trail that looped around. I followed Paul because I had no idea where I was going even though it was pretty much one way and was clearly marked. I was enjoying being outdoors, taking in the scenery; the vast mountains, lush trees and when we started hiking, the sky was blue with only a few white clouds. By the time we were heading back, a few darker clouds had started to roll in.
“I think it’s going to rain.” I looked up at the sky.
“We’ll be fine.” I gave him a questioning look. “It’s only a few clouds.”
We found an empty patch of grass and Paul opened his backpack. He pulled out a thin, plush blanket just big enough for the both of us. I expected him to pull champagne from his backpack, but instead he had sandwiches, fruit, chips, and water packed. He even had a cookie for each of us.
“Thanks for lunch,” I said, breaking off a piece of the cookie.
He was laying on his side with his elbow under him for support when he leaned in and took my lips. It tasted of the chocolate from the chocolate chip cookie. “I really like spending time with you, Andi.”
My face heated despite the chill that was starting to move in with the clouds. “I like spending time with you too.”
“Tell me about your life before moving to Sin City.”
I tensed briefly, trying to stare him in the eyes so he didn’t know I was about to lie to him. “You know, dates and stuff.” I shrugged as if it was no big deal since it was what we did here.
He chuckled. “No, gorgeous, besides working.”
Well, shit. All I did was work, even if it wasn’t escorting. I shrugged again as I took another piece of the cookie. “Normal girl stuff like manis, pedis, getting my hair done.” Really I did none of that stuff. I occasionally treated myself to a pedicure and I, of course, got my haircut. But I didn’t care. I didn’t care about any if it.
“Why did you move to Vegas?”
“I’d heard escorts made more money here, so I wanted to give it a shot.” Luckily I was prepared for that question. It really didn’t make any sense for me to move to Vegas without any friends or family here.
“Friends?”
I decided to tell him the truth on this question. “My best friend is a guy who I’ve known practically my entire life. My other best friend, Catherine, lives in Florida and I see her maybe once a year.”
“Why is that?”
I sighed. “We’re just too busy and don’t plan anything since we don’t live in the same state.”
“I guess I can see that, but your job allows you to make your own schedule.”
Shit! “Not Cat’s. She works as a dental assistant and I’m not really sure how her vacation works, but we don’t plan vacations. Sometimes she comes up to see Seth and I. You’re right, though, we definitely need a girl’s trip … I’m just not a big flyer.”
“You’re scared to fly?”
“Not scared really. Just only flown a few times.”
Paul sat up and reached over, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. “Well, anyone who doesn�
��t take the time to spend even a minute with you, is crazy.”
The way he looked at me caused my insides to flip flop. In a simple look, he made me feel as though I was the only girl who existed.
He made me feel wanted.
Needed.
Cared for.
They say the eyes are windows to the soul and Paul’s eyes gave him away. There was something there. Deep. He came off as a smart ass, sexy as sin escort who did everything on a whim because he could; never wanting to settle down and having too much fun. But I could see right through him. I saw the way he looked at the older couples on our date and felt him hold my hand that much tighter.
Paul Jackson could easily be my forever.
I cleared my throat to keep myself from attacking his lips. I was loving my time with him, and I didn’t want it to end too soon. “Okay, your turn. Tell me something about yourself I don’t know. Past. Present. Future. I don’t care.” It was silly. I had done such extensive research on him, there was not much he could tell me I didn’t already know.
Looking up to the darkening clouds as in deep thought for just a few moments he looked at me and shrugged, “I don’t like Brussel sprouts.”
Laughing, I went to playfully punch his shoulder for being a smart ass, but when my fist connected to his shoulder, he grabbed it and yanked me toward him. He fell to his back, pulling me down so I was laying on top of him. Just that fast, the air around us went dense.
I couldn’t breathe.
Using both hands to swipe the loose hair from my ponytail, he paused and cupped my face with both hands. “Who are you, Andi?” he whispered. “How has some lucky bastard not swept you off your feet yet?”
I took my first full, deep breath in what felt like way too long and smiled. “I’m just me.”
When he didn’t smile back but continued to look at me as if he was seriously trying to answer his own question, the butterflies in my stomach started up again. Doing the only thing physically possible—because I knew I wouldn’t be able to speak a single word—I brought my lips to his.
This kiss wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t wild as if we were trying to satisfy a craving we were both fixing for. This connection was slow and passionate. This was one of those moments little girls watch in movies, hoping and praying they will experience it at least once in their lifetime just to feel that connection with another person.
Tequila & Lace Page 10
