Metal & Lace (An Opposites Attract Novel Book 1) (14 page)

The next morning, Gunnar leaves early to do an appearance with
the rest of the band. He woke me with oral before heading out, leaving Gwen and I to explore the resort until this afternoon when we meet the boys for a late lunch.

We order room service, pancakes and bacon, before heading down to the spa to, as Gwen put it, get ‘Vegas ready’.
Whatever the fuck that means.
We’re given the celebrity treatment, pampered, buffed, and plucked until we shine. After, we throw on our swimsuits and head down to the pools. Two are reserved for teens and families, but the third, hidden behind an assortment of tropical plants and trees, is the adult pool, nudity optional.

There are two bars, one right in the middle of the pool. A DJ spins some beats while topless girls dance on platforms, entertaining the horny male masses, hooting at the sight of jiggling breasts.

“When in Rome,” Gwen says.

When I look over at her, she rips her top off, attracting the attention of a nearby group of, what I can only assume are, frat boys, with their puka shell necklaces and brightly colored glasses. She also catches the envious focus of a few of their not-so-happy girlfriends. I really can’t blame them. Gwen is ridiculously gorgeous, tall, with a body any girl would murder for, and confidence coming out the ass. A very perky ass I might add.

“Where should we set up base?” she asks, completely ignoring her audience.

I point out a couple of vacant lounge chairs, and we weave through the rowdy crowd. As we make it over to the empty spot, a young man in a white polo and khaki shorts approaches us, smiling a dazzling plastic smile.

“Mrs. Haze?” he asks, looking at me.

“No, I…” I’m about to correct him when Gwen jumps in. “Yes, that’s correct.”

“We have a cabana reserved for you if you’ll follow me.” He turns around and we follow behind. I shoot my ballsy friend a narrowed-eyed glare and she shrugs her shoulders, a look of indifference on her face.

He stops in front of a private seating area back from the noise of the guests. “My name is Brad. If you ladies need anything, I’ll be here to serve.”

He flashes his pearly whites at Gwen before taking his leave.

“I don’t know how you deal with guys constantly ogling you,” I state, sitting back on a lounge chair.

“What are you talking about?” she inquires, laying her towel over her chair. “Guys are always watching you, Lacey. You just never notice.”

“I think it’s just backsplash from the wave of men trying to get to you.”

She rolls her eyes. “Pfft. Yeah, okay.”

Our overly charming concierge walks up to us holding a silver bucket and a tray of oysters. “Ladies, compliments of Venus Resort and Casino.”

He sets the goodies down on the table along with two flutes and fills them with champagne from the bucket of ice. “Is there anything else I can get for you, Mrs. Haze?”

“No, thank you. This is perfect.”

“Excellent. Just call me if you need me.”

“Thank you,
Brad
,” Gwen says flirtatiously, emphasizing his name.

She can make a simple greeting sound like promises of sex.

He smirks at her before walking away.

“Cheers,” she toasts, holding her glass out to me, “Mrs. Haze.”

I glower at her and clink mine against it.

“It was probably a mistake on the hotels part,” I comment, lying back on my lounger, then take a sip.

She shakes her head and picks up an oyster shell, slurping down its contents.

“Or, it’s not. Maybe Gunnar told them you were.”

“Are you fucking mad?” I cock a freshly manicured brow at her. “Gunnar is not the type.”

She shrugs. “People have a way of surprising you.”

Before I can disagree, she stands up and sets her glass on the table, adjusting the bunched material of her bikini bottom about her perfect ass.

“I’m going for a dip. It’s a scorcher today.”

She strides away, leaving me to bathe in the sun’s warm rays. I apply sunscreen all over and then pull my earbuds out of my bag, shoving one in my ear so I can still hear if anyone calls for me. I shut my eyes, listening to the chill melody of ‘Look’ by
Sébastien
Tellier, and take a long, slow breath. I start thinking about Gunnar, the article, all the surreal events of the past few weeks. A feeling of dread creeps up on me. As the days count down, minutes blurring into hours, melting away in the blink of an eye, his departure becomes more and more real. I have to live every minute to the fullest, take in as much of him as possible for those cold, lonely nights I’ll lie in bed without him. I can’t spend the little time we have worrying about the inevitable end.

A familiar voice slices through my focus. “Lacey?”

I crack open an eye, spotting the last person I would expect standing over me.

When I’m finished with my required meet and greet, I separate
from
Jay and Dylan and head toward the elevators. I want to go back to the room and take a shower to wash the bullshit off me. If Lace is up there, have a quickie.

As I step on the private elevator, reserved for guests with suites, Callie slides in after me. We’re alone.

Fuck.

“That went well,” she comments, standing beside me in the back.

“Yeah, it was fine.”

Suddenly, she steps in front of me, facing me, big tits shoved into my chest. “I think we should celebrate.”

Before I can oppose, she has her skirt hiked up around her waist and she’s attacking the zipper of my jeans.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I slap her hands away, glaring at her. “You’re acting like a whore.”

I zip my fly back up.

“That’s the point,” she retorts, going back in for my junk.

“Damn, bitch.” I swat her away. “Don’t you fucking listen? Leave my dick alone.”

“Come on. Don’t be such a pussy.” She leans in, completely unfazed by my disinterest, and smacks her lips against mine. I wrench my mouth away and grab onto her shoulders, slamming her back against the wall.

“Are you fucking mentally bankrupt?”

Her breathing is harsh, heaving her chest up and down. She has a wicked smile on her face. “You really have a way of royally fucking things up for me, Callie. And I’m getting sick of it.”

“I just want to fuck you up.” She steps into me, smelling goddamn delicious. It’s making my head foggy. “I won’t tell your little girlfriend.”

“She’s not…” I press her against the wall again, pinning her there.

“Oh, that’s right.” She smirks smugly. “You don’t have girlfriends.” She creeps her face forward, her lips grazing mine. I clamp my hand about her jaw, digging my fingers into her cheeks to hold her in place. Her lips plump and pucker from my constricting clutches. “Mm. You know just how rough I like it.”

“If you cost me this, I swear...”

“What?” she pants out. “What are
you
going to do to
me
if I tell her?”

I laugh lazily. “You don’t want to know. Trust me.”

“Afraid she’ll leave you? I can take care of you better than she ever could anyway.” She traces her finger down my torso. With an agitated growl, I release my grasp on her face and step back. “You’ve changed. She’s changed you.”

She crosses her arms and looks at me, pissed, maybe slightly amazed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I run my fingers through my messy hair, trying to gain control over myself and the situation.

“Really? Is that why I haven’t seen you with some random bimbo in the papers lately? Or getting wasted every night? Or turning down sex from me? You’ve never turned me down in the time I’ve known you. Except for when she came into the picture.”

It’s accusing and judgmental.

But when I think about it, she’s right. Other than Lace, there’s been no one else. Other than that one shitty incident at the Chateau, I haven’t gotten smashed or done a single drug. Other than her, I want no one else. I
have
changed since Lacey.

I swallow hard at the realization.

“I need to get back up to her,” I mutter, unwilling to look her in the eye.

“Fuck you,” she snarls.

“Not fucking likely,” I retort with a shitty grin.

The doors open and she brushes past me, exiting angrily.

“Holden? What are you doing here?” I pop up, propping myself
on my
elbows.

“I was just about to ask you the same.” He smiles, scanning me up and down with a fiendish twinkle in his gray eyes.

Suddenly, I feel as if I’m doing something wrong being here with Gunnar. “I’m here with a friend.”

“And, would this friend happen to be male?” he asks with an accusatory tone. He really has some nerve making me feel this way. He’s always made me feel inadequate, as if I was the one messing up all the time, always wrong.

“That’s really none of your business anymore, Holden,” I retort, petulantly.

He moves over to Gwen’s lounger and takes a seat on the side, facing me with his elbows resting on his knees.

“You’ve changed.” His voice is low and raspy. “You’ve never spoken to me this way before. I can’t say I like it.”

“Well, isn’t that a shame? Cause I do.” The corners of my mouth pull down into an exaggerated pout, about as fake as ninety percent of the women’s breasts in Vegas. “You still haven’t told me what you’re doing in Vegas.”

“I’m here for you.” He reaches out for my hand and I move it away.

“Of course you are,” I breathe out. “How the hell did you know where I was?”

“Cassandra told me you were here.” He seems to believe it’s perfectly acceptable to show up unannounced on my weekend with Gunnar.

“Of course she did.” I shake my head, disappointed by her prying.

I’m not surprised. I can’t even be upset. Like an idiot, I’d told my mother I was coming to Vegas with Gwen. I didn’t have the nerve to tell her about Gunnar. Luckily, we’ve managed to stay out of the tabloids, but I can’t help think she may have found out about us. This could be a desperate attempt at making sure him and I don’t happen.

“Why did she tell you?”

“I called looking for you and she informed me you were in Vegas with
Gwen
.”

He’s always disliked her because she saw right through him. She was never a cheerleader on Team Holden. My mom on the other hand, was his cheer captain.

“Amongst others,” I add, smirking.

“Lacey, are you here with someone else?” His lips fix into a razor-sharp line, eyes narrowing.

“It’s really none of your fucking concern.
I’m
none of your concern anymore.” I cross my arms over my chest, glaring right back at him.

He sighs when he realizes I’ve become immune to his intimidation tactics. “Look, Lacey, I want…”

I hold up my hand, scowling at him.

“No, you look, Holden. I really don’t care what you want. You lost that right. I don’t know what you’re doing here, nor do I give two fucks. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go enjoy the rest of my trip.”