Her Secret Lover (What Happens in Vegas) (14 page)

This was the last moment to stop this train, to make the choice to open herself up to this man or to stay in the place she carved out for herself out of necessity and self-protection. She would make her heart vulnerable again for the first time in a long time and was also giving up a chance to guarantee her career advancement.

Her head was running the numbers, counting the cards on the table, but her heart
…
her heart was shoving the stack of chips to the middle and making a bet.

“Stay,” she whispered in his ear.

He pulled back and looked down at her, his smile tentative and hopeful, and it made her heart kick up even higher.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “As your concierge I can change your reservation.”

Chapter Sixteen

Saturday morning

early as hell

Getting fired wasn’t the worst thing about her current situation.

She was standing in Perry’s office, wearing the same clothes she’d worn the day before and smelling of sex and Micah’s aftershave—not her finest professional moment, but that wasn’t the worst part of this scenario. No. That was the smug look Babette Forasch was leveling at her from across the room.

Years of professional behavior. Years of following the rules of the hotel and her own personal code. Years of working toward her goal of management within the company. All that time and hard work down the big toilet of her life because she gave in to her heart and got caught by a tacky trophy wife as she was making her (supposedly discreet) walk of shame at the ass crack of dawn.

Fuck her.

Perry leaned against his desk, his arms crossed over his chest. The frown on his face was epically cold and told her that if she didn’t have a damn fine excuse, then he was going to personally escort her out of the building with her personal items packed up in a box.

“Ms. Kyle, Mrs. Forasch has made a serious accusation, namely that you violated the no-fraternization rule here at the hotel by engaging in a sexual relationship with a guest.”

“She is screwing Micah Holmes,” Babette whined from across the room. Her husband’s hand on her arm stopped her from saying whatever else was on her mind.

“Ms. Kyle, do you have anything to say?” Perry asked, his expression grim, but she saw a flicker of something else in his eyes

sympathy, disappointment. “If this is a case of misunderstanding or mistake, I’m sure we can clear it up.”

He needed to get in line if he thought he had the market cornered on that emotion. She’d done this to herself and had no one else to blame. Kelsey knew how this was going to end—she would be fired, and no high-end hotel in town would touch her with a ten-foot pole when the “why” of her termination got out. The hotelier community in Vegas was small, and she had zero chance to keep this under wraps. She didn’t know how she was going to pay the mortgage and her share of the bill for her mother.

This was a fucking disaster.

She could lie but that wasn’t her style. She might have been a rule breaker, but she wasn’t a liar. It would be cold comfort when she was unemployed but at least she’d be able to look herself in the eye.

“It’s not a mistake.” The words weren’t easy to say, but she made sure that her voice did not waiver. She wouldn’t give Babette the satisfaction.

“Ms. Kyle.” Perry dragged her name out on a long sigh as he dipped his head to his chest and looked down at his feet. “I don’t have to remind you that sleeping with a guest means that you will be fired. Do you want to re-think that answer?”

Kelsey stared at him. Was he asking her to lie?

“Kelsey.” Saul Forasch spoke up from across the room, his tone the usual level of sleazy that made her skin crawl. Whatever he was going to say, she knew she wasn’t going to like it. “My only interest in this is getting my wife what she wants, and that is one-on-one time with Micah Holmes.”

“I know what kind of one-on-one time she wants with Micah.”

“Kyle,” Perry’s voice carried a warning. She wasn’t stupid and shut her mouth. Anything else along these lines would sound jealous and petty. Not far from the truth but not something she was going to share with the class.

“If you can arrange to get Babette what she originally requested, then I’m sure I can speak to the management and ensure you keep your job and get the trainee spot,” Saul said.

She stared at him, never doubting he could make it happen. He was dangling the most delicious carrot in front of her, and damn, but it was tempting. But
…
no.

Micah didn’t want to do it, and after his last encounter with Babette in the elevator, he wouldn’t do it. But the bottom line is that she didn’t want to ask him.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Forasch, but I can’t do it. Mr. Holmes is very clear that he is not interested, and I have to respect it.”

“You just want to keep him for yourself.” Babette pouted, every word laced with spite. Kelsey let her anger flare at this entire situation. It was aimed at Babette, herself
…
but mostly at herself.

“You bet I do,” she said, ignoring the sharp look shot at her by Perry. “You’ll have my resignation within the hour.”

Kelsey walked out of the office, shoving the glass doors open and moving quickly across the lobby to the elevators. She wanted to get to Micah before Perry sent hotel security after her and escorted her out of the hotel for good. Kelsey needed to get to Micah and explain about Babette before he heard it from someone else, before it drove a wedge between them and shattered what they’d begun just last night. They hadn’t spoken the words, but she knew she was in love with Micah Holmes. Not falling…she’d taken the tumble and landed in a tangle of emotions and hope and longing after the free fall.

Last night she’d learned she wasn’t alone. At the end Micah was there with her, and he would help her get through this. While her life was a mess right now, unemployment, her professional reputation in tatters, the jeopardy of her mom’s care all bearing down on her like a freight train with no breaks, it was bearable because Micah was with her.

Loyal, loving Micah who’d captured her the moment he’d invited her into his suite.

She hurriedly pressed the button to call the elevator, stepping inside and swiping her card for access to his floor, hoping they hadn’t already cancelled her access. She exhaled on a prayer of thanks when the doors closed and began the ascent to the fortieth floor. Luckily, it was early in the morning, so there were no stops on interim floors and within a minute she was stepping into the hallway and headed for her lover’s door. Two heavy knocks and she steeled herself to not fall apart the minute he opened the door.

She lasted three minutes.

One minute a sleepy, sex-rumpled Micah was opening the door and the next she was in his arms, trying not to fall to pieces and failing miserably. The tears that had stung her eyes and the back of her throat since the confrontation with Babette in Perry’s office spilled out and over her cheeks and onto his bare chest.

His arms circled her immediately and she sank into them, wondering how she’d gone the last two hours without feeling his touch. She craved him, needed him. Three days was all it had taken to turn her whole goddamn world upside down and have no regrets. Three days.

“Hey, baby. Kelsey?” Micah’s lips brushed against her temple, his words a whisper against her skin. “Are you okay? Is it your mom?”

She shook her head, allowing him to pull her into his room and shut the door, remaining in his embrace for as long as she could. She’d always taken pride in the fact that she was independent and could take care of herself, but it felt so good to lean on him, she didn’t want to give it up. But she needed to explain to him, and then everything between them would be out in the open. They could start down the road to whatever this would become with time and attention, hopefully a love story like her parents or in one of his books.

“I’ve got something to tell you.” She pulled back, not letting go of him, but enough to where she could see his face. “I was asked by Babette and Saul Forasch to arrange a one-on-one fan experience with you.”

“What? What does that have to do with you crying?” Micah’s expression grew fierce, the ice in his eyes one of the rare glimpses of the Marine underneath his skin. “Did he…they hurt you?”

She shook her head. “No. Not really.”

“I’m confused.”

“I’m not explaining this very well.” She took a breath and decided to reveal the worst of it. “I agreed to convince you to do the fan thing with her in exchange for their reference for the management program which would guarantee that I got the spot.”

Micah pulled away from her, the loss of his warmth only surpassed by the glacial temperature in his eyes and the utter stillness of his body. He was mad and she didn’t blame him, but nothing prepared her for the words he ground out between his gritted teeth.

“Was fucking me a part of the deal, or did you do that for free?”

...

It hurt like a motherfucker.

Micah couldn’t believe that he’d been so wrong. Again.

“Micah, no,” she stuttered out, her hand reaching out to touch him.

He dodged her; the last thing he wanted was her hands on him when he could still smell her on his skin. Retreating further into the room, he was surrounded by evidence of just what an idiot he’d been: rumpled sheets, empty wineglasses, and used condom wrappers on the floor.

Exhibit A to just how stupid he can be when he allowed his dick to lead him around.

“No, Kelsey. No,” he said, not even bothering to keep his anger in check. “At what point did you decide it was okay to use me? Did it ever occur to you to ask me? Am I that big of an asshole that you didn’t think to ask me? Fuck, I would have done anything for you.”

She stared at him, her mouth moving soundlessly before actual words came out. “I knew you didn’t want to do it. You said
…
”

“So you decided that orgasms would make me easier to manipulate?” He laughed, the bitter catching in his throat. “It’s either food or sex, right?”

He carded his fingers through his hair, resisting the urge to throw one of the ugly but expensive knickknacks on the table across the room. That didn’t help so he lowered his hand to his chest, rubbing the tightness just under his ribs, trying to ease the ache that he knew would blossom into bone-numbing pain later. This wasn’t his first heartache rodeo.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

He could not believe that he’d been so wrong about Kelsey.

“Micah, if you will listen for one fucking minute.” Her tone was angry, frustrated. He had no idea why she was pissed

she wasn’t the one who looked like a fool.

“I think that’s been my problem. I’ve been listening to you for days now, and I bought it. Every. Single. Word.” He moved toward her, looking her straight in the eye. To her credit, she didn’t flinch. But he shouldn’t have been surprised because she hadn’t so much as blinked when she was working her little deal behind his back.

“I wasn’t lying, not about us or what happened between us,” she said. “The way I feel about you is real.”

“Yeah, about as real as the shit I write in my books.” He walked over to the door, placing his hand on the knob. He wanted her gone. Now. “You saw me as an easy mark, and you went for it. Kelsey, you told me from the jump that you were ambitious, and I didn’t want to listen. I wanted this to be something that it was never going to be. Nicely played on your part.”

“You’re not listening to me. You have to let me explain,” she said.

“I think I got it. I heard you and anything else you have to say is of no interest to me.”

“Micah
…
”

She touched him. Her hand on his cheek, soft and tender and it took everything in him to resist leaning into her caress. He loved her. No matter how fake this had all been to her, it had been real for him. He couldn’t remember feeling this way about Becky, and he’d wanted to spend his entire life with her. He’d been dreaming of a life straight out of one of his bestsellers forgetting that in the end it was only a work of fiction.

“Seriously, Kelsey, this whole thing is killing me here, and I want you to go.”

He needed space, and he needed to get through this stupid ball tonight, and then he needed to get on a plane and go back to Bridger Gap. When he’d first gotten out of that bed in Germany after the bombing and placed his feet on the floor, it had felt like the world was shifting under him and any second he would be swallowed up and just
…
gone. The injury to his head fucked up his balance, and it took months of PT to finally accomplish the task of getting out a bed without landing flat on his face. This felt a lot like that, and he wanted her gone before he hit the ground

realistically or metaphorically.

“Micah
…
”

“Just. Go.”

Kelsey dropped her hand, using the back of one of them to wipe the wet from her cheeks.

“I want you to know that I’d decided not to give them what they wanted, no matter how it impacted my reference.

“Is that supposed to make this okay?”

She shook her head. “I only wanted you to know. It might have started out differently but what happened between us was real and never about Babette.”

He looked down at the floor, really wishing she’d go and leave him to pack, go to the stupid ball, and get on the first flight he could out of this town.

“Kelsey…” He left it at that. There was nothing he could say to change this shitty situation except to ignore the fact that she’d been lying to him for days, and he’d spent enough time living with his head up his ass.

She huffed out a sharp, painful sound that hovered between a laugh and a sob, and he lifted his head, immediately regretting his decision. The pain on her face was dark and deep, and the urge to pull her close was overwhelming. The moment he thought he might cave she moved toward the door, stopping to look back at him on the threshold.

“Look, I know I fucked this up, but don’t forget that stuff we talked about last night. I know you want different things for your life and your career, but don’t forget that you have options to do it all if you want to. The guy I know wouldn’t waste the opportunity he’s been given, the kind that most people would kill for.” She leaned up and pressed a swift, hard kiss to his mouth, and Micah leaned into it, in spite of knowing better. When she pulled back, her eyes and face were fierce with the conviction of her words.

“You have a gift and your words impact people. You saw that yesterday with your fans. Don’t waste it.”