Vegas Surrender (4 page)

“
I don’t know what the heck you’re
smiling at.”

The light turned green again. I pushed on the
gas, put a little distance between us, then moved back into the
right lane in order to make my turn into the parking garage. Within
a few moments, I parked my car and was off to my destination. I
followed the signs for the entrance into the W Hotel and made my
way on the elevator. Just as the door was closing, a hand slid in
and popped them back open. It was the guy who refused to drive. I
rolled my eyes and moved over, giving us space.

“
You look really nice.” He leaned
his body against the back wall. The spicy scent of his cologne
filled the small space.

“
Thanks.” Why couldn’t he be like
most people in an elevator and say nothing?

The elevator dinged at the lobby. He held his
hand out and allowed me to walk first. I nodded my thanks and speed
walked to the bar area of the restaurant. I hated meetings in hotel
restaurants but did so to accommodate my clients. Not seeing the
older gentleman who I’d communicated via Skype with, I took a seat
at the bar and ordered a ginger ale.

“
Mind if I join you?” The
non-driver’s hazel eyes were on me.

“
I’m not going to be here long, but
sure, why not?”

“
Daniel.” He extended his hand
after taking a seat on the barstool next to me.

Our hands connected, his large hand covering my
small one, and I felt a slight electric charge. I withdrew my
fingers and sat them on the bar. “Jennifer, and I’m waiting on some
people to arrive for a meeting.”

“
That will explain why you look so
nice.”

Was he flirting with me?
I gave him the
once over. Dark brown hair, so dark it almost looked black. Nice
white straight teeth. Beard—low but hadn’t been trimmed up that
morning and was a contrast to the business suit he wore. He had a
sexy rugged look about him, even if he was shorter than I
preferred. Outside of eye color and height, he resembled Paul
Walker. Secretly I’d been a huge Fast and Furious fan and had a
crush on Paul Walker for years.

“
Thank you.”

“
What time is this
meeting?”

I looked at the clock on the bar wall. “Five
minutes ago.”

“
And may I ask with
whom?”

He was being a bit nosey, but I answered
anyway. Not like I had much else to do. “A Mr. Whitman.”

“
Owner of all the casinos? He used
to be with Mr. Trump, didn’t he?”

“
That would be him.”

He shook his head. “Oh, he can’t make
it.”

I took a sip off my ginger ale. “And you would
know because?”

“
Because I was sent to fill in for
him. I saw your picture off your business website, and I must say
it doesn’t do you any justice.”

My mouth dropped. “Mr. um…”

“
Daniel Ross, but Daniel’s
fine.”

“
Daniel,” I started uncomfortably.
How many of my not–so-ladylike hand gestures did he see? “Would you
like to move to a booth?”

“
Not really. Mr. Whitman already
has his mind made up. After doing my research, I must say I agree.
We’ll be going with you. Now, that that is out the way, how about
joining me for a real drink?”

I sat dumbfounded.

He waved his hand, motioning for the bartender.
“I’d like a dirty martini. And, the lady…”

“
The same.”

The bartender took the order and walked away
from us. Over the course of two hours, I found out Daniel and I had
a lot in common. We exchanged numbers and began dating. A year and
a half later, we were married. Daniel had swept me off my feet, but
in the recent years, something was missing.

I let go of those thoughts as I neared our
house. Daniel stood in the garage, waiting for me to pull in and
open my door. Always the gentleman. I had to prepare for a client
the next day, and Daniel had a late Skype conference call. So much
for finishing up later. I fell asleep before he even made it to the
bed.

Chapter Five

“
Jennifer, Dolores Green is on the
line.” Kathy’s voice rang out of my speaker phone before sending
the call through.

“
Hello, Dolores.”

“
Jennifer, how are you,
darling?”

I knew that tone. Dolores wanted something. She
was one of my better clients but always looked for extras in some
way. She paid for them, though, so I shouldn’t complain.

“
Great, Dolores, what can I do for
you today?”

My Facebook window sat open on Daniel’s page. I
noticed a new friend request but ignored it and focused on
Dolores.

“
I need twenty thousand released. I
want to make an investment,” she said in her fake British
accent.

I’d laughed when I found out Dolores had been
born and raised in Jonesboro, Arkansas. She moved up north for
college and met her husband. His entire family was in the banking
industry. She made a complete transformation from a country
bumpkin. When her husband passed at an early age twenty years
prior, she’d fared well. She returned to the south and reinvented
herself.

“
It’s your money. You may do as you
please. I’d like to know what the investment is for, though.” This
was how I handled all of my clients. I affirmed their money was
theirs yet made sure they informed me of their intent so I could
guide their hand. This stopped them from feeling like they had to
request permission from me.

“
A dear friend of mine’s son is
starting his own business, and he needs startup money. He came to
me because he wanted me in on his great deal. I’m assured we’d make
a lot of money,” she gushed.

“
And what is this business?” I held
my breath.

“
He wants to start a life insurance
company.”

Red flags went off in my head. Unlicensed sales
and internet scams were at the top for senior citizens. Not to
mention the numerous unsolicited emails I received, trying to offer
me a great sales position as an agent due to my resume, a resume
I’d never submitted or was on any career site for them to have
reviewed. “Does he have a broker license or any history working
with an insurance company? Also did he or your friend contact
you?”

“
I’ve been friends with Gloria now
for over thirty-two years. I know all her boys, but as I recall,
it’s been years since I’ve seen Chris. He contacted me by phone the
other day. I don’t know anything about licensing or things of that
nature.” Her usually cheery voice took on a defensive
undertone.

“
Dolores, I tell you what. Let me
do a bit of research and get back to you on this one.”

My hands sped across my keyboard. I started the
internet search almost before we said our goodbyes. I assumed
Colver was Chris’s last name, like his mother’s. In less than
fifteen minutes, his rap sheet flashed on the screen. No wonder he
hadn’t been around his family. He’d been locked up the last three
years for running Ponzi Schemes. He had a record in two different
states. I clicked print in order to have the information to give to
Dolores in a few days. She wasn’t too fond of technology. Giving it
to her too soon would freak her out. I had to pretend I actually
contacted the authorities for the information.

My search finished, I went back to my husband’s
Facebook page. Cynthia Trapp was a new friend. The profile picture
was of a close-up of the woman’s lips. I wasn’t impressed and
clicked on her page. Her status was married, and her wall posts
were about her kids and cooking.

Probably one of his friend’s from
college or high school.

Glancing in the right corner of my PC, I
noticed the time. It was time to head out for date night. I
adjusted the mouse to the logoff button as a notification popped
up. It was a friend request from the same woman. I’d answer from my
tablet later on. I X’d off the networking site and logged off my
PC.

“
Night, Kathy. See you in the
morning.” I gave her a nod and waved on my way out.

“
Night.”

I had no doubt she’d probably be surfing the
internet for her last hour there. I didn’t mind. She did her job
well.

Gridlocked traffic slowed my ride, but I still
managed to make it home with enough time to change for our date. I
didn’t plan on being in the house long so I parked in the driveway
and entered through the front door. Sheba nipping at my heels and
the aroma of food cooking greeted me. I walked into the living room
and spotted lit candles in the dining room next to it.

I stood there, staring at the set table we
hadn’t used since we’d moved in the house. We ate in the kitchen,
in our offices, or in the living room, but the dining room had
become a part of the décor. The white burning flames pulled me into
a trance and into the room.

Moving closer, I caught sight of a bucket of
ice with wine in it as the center piece instead of the vase with
fake flowers. Clanking to my left drew my attention to the
kitchen.

“
Daniel?” The food smelled so good
I wasn’t sure who to expect.

“
Get settled and have a seat,
love,” he replied from the other room. “And no, you can’t come in
the kitchen.”

I rushed upstairs and did a quick wash-up.
Though I’d sat in an office all day and took a shower in the
morning, it was my routine to wash again when I came home. I
slipped into a summer dress though it was far from summer outside.
It was spring and the high so far had been seventy-two degrees, but
I wanted to be comfortable.

When I made my way downstairs, a smiling Daniel
stood in the living room, his arms held out wide. “Welcome to date
night.”

He pulled out a chair for me, and I took a
seat. After picking up the wine glass from the setting in front of
me, Daniel poured me a glass of the white liquid. He handed it to
me, kissed my neck, and headed back to the kitchen. A few minutes
later, he returned with a covered dish. “For you, love.” He removed
the top.

My stomach growled at the pan-seared scallops
with pesto and tomatoes. “When… How?”

“
Funny what you can learn on the
internet. Courtesy of Rachel Ray.”

I beamed at him and the dish. Pulling him
close, I landed a big kiss on his lips. “I’m impressed.”

He smiled at me and headed back into the
kitchen. This time, he returned with his own plate of food. After
taking a seat, he grabbed my hand. “Thank you for not giving up on
us.”

“
Not in a million years. I love
you. I love us. We just got so busy we forgot to make time for us.”
I looked into his eyes, hoping he could see all the love I had for
him reflected through mine. He was my soul mate. I knew it long
before we went to Vegas. Somewhere along the lines, love had gotten
filed on the shelf with work, bills, and life. Once taken down and
dusted off, it sparked and fired up just like new.

“
I love you too. Now, please take a
bite of your food before it gets cold.”

I took a bite, and the flavors melted on my
tongue. “You’ve been practicing. There is no way you got it this
perfect on the first try.”

He winked at me and continued chewing on his
own meal. I smiled back at him, took another bite, and washed it
down with a swallow of wine. We made small talk until we both
finished. I tried taking my plate into the kitchen, but Daniel
stopped me.

“
Let me. Enjoy your drink.” He
refilled my glass and whisked my plate away.

I took a long swallow and held the glass. My
body relaxed in the chair. It felt great to come home to a meal
instead of being the one to cook or going out. A sultry jazz tune
played in the background, and I turned my attention to the living
room. Daniel bent over and fiddled with buttons on the iPod
tower.

He stood and looked in my direction. “Join
me.”

I set my glass down and made my way over to
him. He wrapped me up in his arms and held me tight. His embraced
provided all the security I’d ever needed. No other man had ever
made me feel as he did.

“
Dance with me.”

Daniel hated slow dancing. He wanted to be
closer to me. I enjoyed the way he went about it. I wrapped myself
in his outstretched arms and took in the spicy scent of his
cologne. The smell brought back memories of cold winter nights with
us wrapped up in a blanket in front of the fireplace. He was the
same man I’d fallen in love with. I couldn’t ask for a kinder, more
caring partner.

The music filled the room as I rested my head
on his chest, listening to the rhythm of his strong
heartbeat.

“
Jen.”

I looked up into his eyes and saw passion. The
candlelight flickered, reflecting off them. The many shades of
brown and green hues did a seductive dance.

His brow knitted as he gazed down at me. “I
don’t care what the shrink says. I was never on the verge of
divorcing you, nor would I let you leave me. You’re my heart.” His
lips covered mine, and an electric current shot down the back of my
neck and to the crease of my thighs. He slowly walked me to the
couch.