Her Secret Lover (What Happens in Vegas) (7 page)

Kelsey reached over and grabbed a container of brownies a fan had brought him earlier today. It lay in a pile of homemade quilts and blankets, jewelry, and other items crafted lovingly by readers who loved his books.

“Do you need a snack?” She peeled back the top, and the scent of milk chocolate made her mouth water. She reached in to snag a bar but he stopped her, his hand on her own.

“You can’t eat those.”

“Why not?”

“They might be crazy people brownies,” he said, his expression serious as he placed the top back on the container.

She huffed out a laugh, not sure she heard him right. “Crazy people brownies?”

He smiled, and she responded with her own. His grin was contagious, sexy, hot.

“Don’t get me wrong, my fans are very nice people. They mean well, but there’s always a chance that one of them might be a little nuts, so you don’t want to take a chance.” He laughed outright, the rumble deep and rough in his chest, and she couldn’t help but respond. She leaned forward, encouraging him with her body language to continue with his story. “One time Allen ate some brownies from a signing in Colorado, and they were made with pot. He was high as a fucking kite for hours.”

“Okay, no brownies.” Kelsey took the container from his hands and placed it back on the pile. They laughed, her own giggles making it almost impossible to take another drink without spilling.

He stared at her, his own laughter dying out first, and she knew what was coming. Her pulse sped up and she didn’t know if it was because of his interest or her anxiety with her deception. In truth, it was a little of both. She wasn’t cut out for all this damn intrigue when it came down to it.

“Have dinner with me tonight.” He leaned in close when he growled out his plea, his breath warm against her cheek.

Kelsey shook her head once. “You know I can’t.”

“Yes. I do.” He stayed where he was, not touching her but it felt like he was all over her. “But it’s not stopping me from asking.”

She looked at him then, their mouths a hair’s breadth from touching, breaths mingling. Heavy breathing in tandem. His brown eyes were liquid heat, full of desire but also with his usual humor and that’s what got her. Inside of all the heavy come-on was Micah
…
and he was damn near irresistible.

“Why can’t you be like all the other guys who come to Vegas?” She heard herself ask before she knew what she was saying. If he were, this would be so much easier. The lines between sex and business would be very clear in her mind.

“I’m not?”

She gave one firm shake of her head, eyes still locked on his. “No, you’re not.”

That’s all she was going to say because anything more would give too much away. Too much of
her
away.

“So what does this have to be to make me like all the other guys who come to Vegas? What gets you to say yes to dinner with me?”

Oh hell. She knew exactly what she’d need from him to risk taking this where he clearly wanted it to go. Why was he doing this? Why was he handing her the perfect excuse to have her cake and eat it, too? Why was he putting the temptation right in front of her?

“Come on,” he said, his finger stroking the inside of her wrist where her pulse was going nuts, and making any denial of his impact on her a waste of time. “I know last night was risky, but we can be discreet. We can discuss logistics of the rest of the convention over the meal, and you can pretend it’s work.”

She flinched a little bit. This entire scenario already involved more work than he realized.

But he didn’t stop.

“Tell me what this needs to be in order for you to say yes, and I’m okay with it.” He glanced down between them for a split second, his huff of laughter sharp with an edge of self-deprecation. “You’ve kind of got me by the balls here, Kelsey. I want you. So I’ll ask you again. What does this have to be to make me like any other guy who comes to Vegas?”

He had her by the balls, too. She could either answer his question directly or hide behind the truth that any interaction with a guest was off-limits. Micah was impatient, and he took her silence for the indecision that it was. His groan of frustration accentuated the movement of his body between her legs, as he maneuvered closer, his position forcing her to look up at him.”

“Tell me. Tell me I’m reading this thing wrong between us and I’ll leave you alone.”

Kelsey opened her mouth to say it, to deny the desire rolling between them but it was like dust on her tongue. She swallowed hard, finding her voice and shocking herself with her response.

“No strings, nothing beyond the end of the convention. It would be temporary.”

She could live with it. No promises. No emotional entanglement on either side. He could be discreet; this she knew in her bones. She could do what she needed to do with no prick to her conscience that she was leading a guy on who was emotionally invested.

Micah nodded, his lips twisting in a slight grin as he leaned forward and covered her mouth with his own. One moment it was the burble of the crowd waiting behind them and tension strung so tight it was almost a physical thing and then the next it was a long sigh and his tongue sliding inside.

He didn’t touch her anywhere else, and she remained where she was, the only connection the one of lips and tongue and teeth. Kelsey tilted her head, and he took it as the invitation it was to delve deeper and to show her just how hot his passion ran.

Possession. Lust. Taking.

It was all there in his kiss and she drank him in, thirstier for his kiss than she was for the water.

He pulled back, breaking it off too soon, and her body leaned forward involuntarily to extend the kiss. His breath was still warm on her lips as he panted heavily. She opened her eyes, blinking slightly in the sudden contrast of the glare from the lights. When she could focus, all she saw were his eyes searching her own for something
…

“I think we’ve got a deal, Kelsey Kyle.”

Chapter Nine

Thursday night

“This is my favorite bar in all of Las Vegas,” Kelsey said.

She turned to look at Micah who was standing on the sidewalk gazing up at the two story building facade with the pseudo-Manhattan skyline and a gigantic mirror ball mounted at the tip on a large pole. NYE, in huge rhinestone-covered letters, was emblazoned across the roof and backlit just in case you were blind and missed it. Without a doubt it was an outrageous sight even by Las Vegas standards.

“Is that a disco ball?” he asked, squinting against the harsh glare of the lights.

“Nope, guess again,” she teased, wondering if he would figure it out. She kept watching as his gaze roamed over the entire facade until a slow smile softened the hard line of his mouth caused by his concentration.

“Is that the big ball that drops in Times Square on New Year’s Eve?”

“Ding! Ding! Ding! Get that man a prize.” Kelsey reached out and looped her hand around his arm to lead him into the club. There was a line, as usual, but she’d sent so many hotel guests here that she never had to wait, and they eased past the bouncer and into the bar. “Every night in this place is New Year’s Eve. Party hats and favors, live entertainment, a well-equipped bar, and the ten second countdown at midnight complete with a kiss if you have a willing partner.”

He looked down at her, his eyes going dark and his drawl deepening. “For the record, I’m willing.”

“For the record, you’re killing me with the accent when you say stuff like that.” And that was an understatement. Micah had her head spinning like a roulette wheel, and she had a feeling that any number she landed on was going to be lucky tonight. She spotted Aiden waving at her from across the room. It looked like they’d been able to secure a table. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to my best friends, and we can get a drink and dance.”

“I don’t really dance,” he said, pulling her closer as they navigated the crowd.

She laughed and shook her head, shouting a little to be heard as they pushed through the crowd. “Is that a man or Marine thing?”

“It’s an ‘I’m a guy who grew up in the mountains of Virginia, and we don’t dance thing.’”

“Oh hell, don’t be a guy. Just don’t,” she said, remembering her favorite movie,
Say Anything
, and improvised the line. “Don’t be a guy, Micah, be a man.”

He rolled his eyes and huffed a growl against her ear. “Where I come from, a man hunts, farms, breaks horses, and knows how to survive the mountain.”

“Okay, so you catch the bacon and bring it home, but there’s more than one appetite to feed for a woman.”

She felt him smile against her earlobe, his hand sliding across her abdomen and drawing her up short in the crowd until she was flush against him. His face buried in her hair, and his strong, muscled chest resting against her back, her ass cradled against his groin. Kelsey gasped, thinking that Micah was more like the heroes in his books than he thought. This was dangerous but she couldn’t help herself. She hadn’t been tempted in a long time, and he was making her ache with desire.

“I can take care of whatever hunger you have, Kelsey.” His breath was sharp against her neck, hot even with the press of the bodies all around them. “But you’ll never see my ass on
Dancing with the Stars
.”

She snickered, wondering how he could get her hot and make her laugh at the same time. It was a dangerous combination, and she needed to remember her rules to avoid the pitfalls of getting too enthralled by a man with a sexy accent and a hard body. Sex was okay. No strings. Loose. Easy.

She couldn’t afford to get involved.

“Oh, man.” She gripped his hand and tugged him with her as she resumed their progress across the floor of the club. “If you’re going to keep talking like that, I need something cold and top shelf.”

He didn’t say anything, but he did keep his arm wrapped around her middle even when they stopped at one of the booths that lined the back of the room. From here there was easy access to the bar and an excellent view of the dance floor. The gang was here, all perched on their seats, devouring Micah with their eyes and not even trying to be subtle.

“Micah Holmes, these are my best friends: Aiden MacAuley, Sarina Court, and Lilah Park.” She pointed out each one as she made her way around the table, and they each saluted him with their drink and a smile. “This is Micah.”

“Hey, man.” Aiden extended his hand and flashed his wide grin that could make anyone feel comfortable. “Glad you could make it and increase the testosterone factor tonight.”

“You bet.” Micah laughed, shook his hand, and then returned it to loop around her waist. She ignored the raised eyebrow from Sarina, hoping that Micah didn’t catch it. “I’m just happy to get out of my hotel room for awhile. I’ve been cooped up there for almost a week working.”

“And don’t forget your trauma from earlier today,” Kelsey said. “It was either dancing or therapy.”

“It sounds like you need a drink,” added Aiden, nodding toward the bar. “You want to go get something? I’ll keep you company, and you can tell me all about your trauma.”

Micah turned to her. “What do you want?”

“A beer. Whatever’s on tap and not domestic,” she answered, liking how he pressed a quick kiss against her hair before he took off with Aiden. It wasn’t crazy sexual but the gesture got her heartbeat revved up at least a couple more RPMs.

“Okay, he is still geeky, but really fucking sexy,” Sarina said as soon as the guys were out of earshot. “I completely get why you’re breaking your rule for him.”

“Wait? What? Breaking what rule?” Lilah asked, leaning across the table, eyes wide as she took a sip from her frozen fruity drink. Kelsey could feel her lips pucker just imagining the sugar level in her beverage; Lilah liked her alcohol to taste like Kool-Aid on crack. “Who was the hot guy?”

Sarina stepped in to explain before Kelsey could get her mouth open. “He’s a VIP guest at the hotel, and she’s been assigned as his personal concierge.”

Lilah’s hand paused in midair as she lifted her drink to her mouth. “That could get your ass fired.”

“I know. I know.” Kelsey leaned in close, not wanting to yell her business in the crowded club. “I have my reasons.”

“Are you talking about the favor you need from him for another guest, or the fact that you want in his pants?” Sarina asked, her green eyes shrewd as they drilled into her from across the table. It was clear that she didn’t approve.

Lilah lifted a hand. “Wait. I’m sensing a lot of ’tude coming off you, so what did I miss?” She turned to look at Kelsey. “What’s going on with Micah?”

She explained the situation with Babette and Saul and the recommendation, and then the entire interaction with Micah. She left out nothing. There was no point in hiding stuff from her friends; both Lilah and Sarina had a bullshit detector about people that was spot on.

“So, you haven’t told him about the Babette thing, but you hope to persuade him to do it for you when you butter him up enough, and you agreed to have a sorta friends-with-benefits arrangement with him so that you can get laid.” Lilah cocked her head at her, the precision of her thoughts cutting through all the bullshit. “But they aren’t related in your mind, and you can sleep at night because he agreed to be fuck buddies until Sunday. Did I get that right?”

Lilah was spooky smart. Brain surgeon smart, aerospace engineer smart. And she’d have been one if her life had been different, if her traditional Korean family had encouraged her to go and do something other than get married and have a family and then ditched her when she’d refused. Instead, she was managing one of the popular marriage chapels on the Strip, going to college part-time, and refusing to deal with the estranged relationship she had with her family.

But she was serious, and everything about her tone and expression told Kelsey she thought her rationale was complete and utter bullshit. In case Kelsey didn’t get all the signals, she spelled it out for her.

“That’s nuts, Kelsey, and it’s going to backfire in your face. I don’t know if it will be on the job front or on the personal side of things, but this is too interwoven for them not to create the cold-fusion equivalent of disaster for you.” Lilah nodded emphatically before taking another quick sip of her drink. “I’ll keep the Ben & Jerry’s stocked up for when this goes tits up.”

“And I’ve got the perfect vibrator to use post-heartbreak. You’ll love it. I can’t keep it in stock,” Sarina said as serious as a heart attack. Sarina never joked about sex toys. That was serious business.

“Fuck you both,” Kelsey groaned, wondering why she told them anything.

Sarina held out her drink, and Kelsey accepted it gratefully and took a long swallow of whiskey on the rocks.

“Thank you for that concise depiction of the apocalypse also known as my life.” She continued after the whiskey had burned its way down her throat.

“I’m not trying to be a bitch, but you’re breaking the rules for this guy, and that tells me something,”

Lilah looked at Sarina for confirmation and when her friend nodded in agreement, Kelsey lost some of her patience. If they thought they held the keys to her fucked up kingdom, then she wanted to know how to get in.

“Just tell me. Please.”

“If you’re breaking the rules for this guy.” Lilah counted them off on her fingers. “Not only breaking the no frat rule at work but agreeing to any kind of thing with a tourist, then he’s got something going on that makes him different.”

Sarina joined in. “Exactly. He’s not just any other guy if you’re doing this, and I would hate to see you pass up something potentially good because there are too many secrets and omissions to keep straight.”

She could acknowledge the truth of some things they said. “Okay, you’re right. He is different in the fact that I believe he’ll keep it loose and easy and play by the rules. He’s not a player, and I don’t think he’s lied to me once since I’ve known him. There’s no woman waiting in a half-empty bed at home, and most importantly, he’s going back to that home on Sunday.”

“And you just described every one of those books you love to read, every rom-com movie where the couple rides off into the sunset,” Sarina said.

“And that is why they are books and movies.” Kelsey cut to the chase, there were truths that they all knew well. “We all know that kind of stuff is so rare in real life that it has to be fiction. I’m not naive enough to delude myself that sex, no matter how good it is, will lead to me finding the love of my life and then ruining it because of a stupid business transaction. I’m not fucking Kate Hudson.”

The silence at the table was weird in light of the club chaos around them. They all stared at each other, all of them too stubborn to break eye contact first and lose the battle of wills. It was a miracle that they didn’t kill each other at times; they acted more like sisters than friends. And it was anybody’s guess on any given day if they were the snuggle-under-the-covers-together sisters or the have-to-share-a-bathroom-as-a-teenager sisters. But she loved them. Yes, she did.

“Yeah, but he kind of sounds like Matthew McConaughey with that accent,” Sarina offered up as a peace offering. They all laughed, the tension broken as if it had never been there and Lilah dove back into the fray.

“So, have you sampled the goods yet?”

Kelsey nodded, biting her bottom lip as she remembered the kiss from this afternoon. It wasn’t over-the-top, and he really hadn’t touched her but that kiss still made her belly clench in anticipation of the next one. It would be good between them, she knew. When you had chemistry like they did out of bed, chances were it transferred to action between the sheets; and they had it. In spades.

“He kissed me. Twice.”

Sarina and Lilah exchanged a glance, and she could read them like a book.

She sighed heavily, knowing that she really didn’t want to know. “What?”

“If you have that sappy look on your face from one kiss, I’ll keep that Ben & Jerry’s on standby, that’s all I’m saying,” Lilah said with a shrug.

“I’ll put one of those vibrators in the back for you,” Sarina offered up, sneaking a side-glance at Lilah that Kelsey couldn’t miss. She smirked and Lilah’s shoulders shook with the effort to hold in her laughter. Kelsey’s grin cut loose and she threw a napkin at them, disgusted and relieved that she had friends who had her back no matter what.

“Oh, you two can kiss my ass.” She turned and craned her neck toward the bar. It was crowded, but she could see the guys at the front of the pack. “I need alcohol if I’m supposed to deal with the two of you tonight.”

...

“So, can you feel how much they are talking about you right now?” Aiden asked.

Micah laughed and looked over at the man causally leaning against the bar next to him. He immediately understood why Kelsey was friends with him. Aiden was about six feet tall with dark hair and blue eyes, and a quick grin and easygoing manner, but it was his voice that drew your attention. Smooth and deep, it was the kind of voice that you immediately trusted. He couldn’t describe it any better than that.

“I feel like I have this burning spot on the back of my head,” Micah said, raising his hand to touch the spot. He was joking but he wouldn’t be surprised if it was on fire with the scrutiny aimed at him tonight. It was to be expected when a new guy showed up on the scene, and he was glad that Kelsey had such good friends.

“Ah, that would be the bull’s eye of the best friends. If you screw over Kelsey, then their X-ray death glare will hit that spot and your head will explode.”

“Nice to know. I’ll make sure that I’m on my best behavior.” Micah paused as Aiden gave the drink order to the bartender, shouting it over the social chaos. When he turned back to face him, he couldn’t resist asking. “So, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be back there with them?”

He shook his head. “I’m here to talk to you as a guy and see if you’re a dick.”

“Got it.” Micah was tempted to ask him what the verdict was, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. He also wasn’t sure where Aiden fit in this equation. “Are you dating one of the girls?”

“Oh, no. See, while I’m supposed to see if you’re a dick, I
like
dick.” Aiden said, accepting the first of several drinks from the bartender. “So, the girls are really never going to be my type.”