Vegas Knights (11 page)

She eased her hand across the table and inched her fingers over his warm, calloused hand until it came as close to covering it as possible. Rick gazed down at her hand on his. When he looked up, Kelly's chest tightened at the emotion in his eyes. Anger, frustration, and ...something else. Sadness? Guilt? Resignation? She couldn't place it, but her heart ached at his suffering.

~ * ~ * ~

The rest of the meal was spent quietly enjoying their meal. Kelly told him more about Greta and Pinyon, and he was relieved she'd found something to occupy her time. "I'm not going to be around much the next few days," he said, waving away the dessert cart as it passed. "I just needed one fucking signature, but now there are...complications. Means I get to spend time with a bunch of tight-ass lawyers instead of you."

He reached for one of her hands, bringing it to his sinfully soft lips. "You have no idea how much that kills me."

Sweet butterfly kisses burned into the back of her hand. A shudder rippled through Kelly and she caught herself before anyone could hear the moan that was forming on her lips. If Rick told her right now that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever dined with, she would believe it.

"Wanna get out of here?" Rick's voice was so thick it nearly cracked.

Kelly could only nod. She didn't trust her voice.

Warmth spread through her body when he pulled her upright and into his arms. Holding her hands in his, he wrapped his arms behind her and drank in her face with his gaze. His hot breath caressed her cheek. Her lips ached for his, which were parted and just inches away. All it would take to connect would be to stand on her tiptoes.
 

She felt herself moving slowly upward when the waiter moved into their circle of lust and whispered, "Shall I put this on your account, Mr. Knight?"
 

"If you would, Jake." Rick's intense gaze never wavered from Kelly's face. "Let's go."

Kelly had no idea where Rick was taking her, and she didn't care. It just felt so good to be back on the bike, even if she was a little exposed by having to hike her dress up to straddle the seat. The glitter and neon of the city whizzed by as they sped out of town and the warm wind took her breath away.

Thirty minutes later, they hooked onto a side road that led them on a dusty trail to a secluded spot on a hill overlooking a quaint Mediterranean-like village nestled on the shores of a lake. "That's the MonteLago village and Lake Las Vegas," Rick explained, as he pulled a couple of wool army-style blankets from his saddlebag and laid one on the ground.
 

"It's lovely," she breathed.

"Not half as lovely as you." Pulling her down with him, he said, "If I can't spend as much time with you as I want, I'm going to make the most of the time we do have."

"They can't survive without you, even for a week, huh?" Kelly moved to straddle his prone body. He let out a low moan as she unzipped his leather jacket.
 

"Mmm, soon. Right now I'm up to my ass in alligators and the vultures are circling. If I just had one more week... Hey! Why not?"

"Why not what?" Kelly said distractedly. She'd been so focused on sliding her hands along the ridges of abs under his shirt, she'd barely heard what he was saying.

"Stay another week. I have a feeling these negotiations are going to take several more days, so if you stayed, we'd have that final week to play. Why not? What do you have to go back to?"

He didn't mean it to sound cruel, Kelly was sure, but his words were a bitter reminder that she didn't really have much at all to go back to, except bills she couldn't pay. If she stayed an extra week, those bills — especially the impound bill — would just keep getting bigger.

But her heart thudded at the prospect of staying longer, especially if it meant seeing more of Rick. It would also allow her to spend a little more time at the Pinyon, which only enticed her more.

"I'd love to, Rick, but..."

"No. No buts."

She grimaced. "I'd love to,
although
...I have some things of my own to deal with at home.”

"What could be so important?" Rick pulled her down next to him so her back was pressed up against his chest and her head was tucked into his shoulder. As he snaked his arms around her, his warmth enveloped her. His heart thudded gently against her. It was suddenly hard to remember what exactly could make her leave the comfort of his arms.
Oh yeah, the car
.

"My car, for one. It's probably been towed by now and those impound fees are going to wipe me out. If I stay another week, they'll probably be more than the car's worth."

Rick nodded against her cheek. "What else?"

"Well, my rent's due in a week and, as you might recall, I quit my job. No paycheck means no rent, which means eviction."

"Mmm-hmmm. Is that it?"

Kelly barked out a sarcastic laugh. "Isn't that enough?" Irritation rose in her chest at his apparent dismissal of what, to her, was a significant financial disaster.

Rick adjusted himself so Kelly was on her back — but still in his arms — and he was looking down at her. A strong finger outlined her eyebrow, her cheekbone, her nose, and finally her lips. His tongue slicked across his own in anticipation of kissing her.
 

"Don't worry about it, beautiful. Just stay another week."

The desire coursing through her couldn't quite overcome the fear she had of going back to a stack of bills, but it was a close call. She wanted to give herself over to him, invite those full lips to explore anywhere they wanted, but the responsible part of her wouldn't allow it.

Her voice husky with lust, she replied, "How can you say that? It may not be a big deal to you but it's huge for me." Something else was huge for her and it was pushing into her hip, distracting her.

Rick paused. His face grew serious. "I know it is, Kell. I know. That's why you don't have to worry about them."
 

She didn't understand.

"They were the first pieces of business I took care of when we got here. My assistant tracked down the car, which was pretty easy. What wasn't so easy was finding out your address without tipping you off. I knew you'd refuse if I offered, so I had a friend find out where you lived, then I paid your next six months rent. Oh, and your car is parked right out front."

Kelly was speechless. "You did...all that?"

An odd mix of pride and wariness crossed Rick's face. She had a mix of emotions swirling around inside as well. On one hand, she was flattered that he'd taken the initiative, but on the other, she was insulted at the implication she couldn't manage her own responsibilities.
 

She pulled free of his arms and sat with her back to him, lost in thought, trying to suss out what she was feeling. His warm hands grasped her shoulders and tried to turn her but she shrugged them off and stood. His proximity was confusing her thoughts. “I need a minute."

She walked into the darkness and he let her go. The golden lights of the village twinkled against the black night, reflecting on the water. What should have been a peaceful scene grew ugly with the anger and humiliation that consumed her. How dare he? He'd made it clear this was a short-term fling and now he was changing the rules of the game. She'd been flattered that he'd organized a wardrobe for her, but had been uncomfortable with using any of the spending money he'd left on the counter. Now he'd just taken it upon himself to pay her bills like she was his mistress or something. Some women might have been thrilled, but she'd always been proud of her ability to take care of herself. She was fiercely independent and didn't like the idea of being beholden to anyone.

Besides, didn't he realize that spending another week with him would just mean her heart would be even more broken at the end of it? She'd fallen hard for her motorcycle man, and she knew deep down that she wanted much more than a short-term romance. She also knew deep down that Rick had been burned in his marriage, and that he was already planning the route back to her apartment.

Her emotions struggled with each other as she looked out over the beautiful vista. The desire to stay for two more weeks was overpowering, but those damn alarm bells kept ringing inside her head, warning her that staying would only mean more heartache, more pain. She'd thought she could handle a fling. She'd thought she could refrain from being swept away by love. She was wrong.

No, as well-intentioned as his gesture was, she had to leave. Maybe the sooner the better, for her heart's sake.

He was lying on his back with his arms behind his head staring up at the stars when she returned. He looked over at her and patted the blanket, inviting her to lie down next to him. If this was the end, she figured she might as well enjoy it.

"So?"

She lay there for a moment, soaking in his heat, his scent, staring into oblivion. Steeling herself, she took a breath. "I can't."
 

Rick was silent.

"Thank you for, um, taking care of those things, but I didn't ask you to. I didn't want you to. I don't need someone to take care of me. I've been doing quite nicely on my own, thanks."
 

Anger was bubbling up and she tried to squelch it with some deep, cleansing breaths. "I'm sure you didn't mean anything by it, Rick, but it feels wrong to me. Dirty. Like I'm your whore or something."
 

At those words, Rick sprang upright and leaned over her. "That's not fair, Kelly. I didn't do it as some kind of fucking payment. I did it because I didn't want a bunch of stupid bills to affect your decision to stay here."

She raised herself up on an elbow to face him, trying to put the pieces of what he was saying together. "Wait, what? I'm lost. You just said taking care of those bills was the first thing you did when we got to town, but now you're saying it was so I would stay another week. This was supposed to only be a two-week thing so that last argument doesn't really stand up."

Rick's face softened. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, which she shook free irritably.
Don't get all sweet with me
, she fumed internally as she glared at him.

He smiled at her reaction and tipped his head back. "Damn, why do I love sassy women so much?" he asked the universe.
 

Facing her again, his sea foam green eyes bore into hers. "You don't get it, do you? From the moment you landed on me at the cabin, I knew I wanted you to stick around for much longer. Much, much longer."

Her brow knit with confusion. "But you said..."

He growled and raked his fingers through his hair. He seemed to do that a lot around her. "You need to listen to my words, woman. Are you listening?"

Her mouth pursed stubbornly as she tipped her head, waiting.
 

"Kelly Saunders, I'm crazy about you. I know this was supposed to be short-lived, but I don't want that anymore. I want you. I want you to stay. Not just for a week, not just for two weeks. I don't know about you, but I think we might have something here, but we need time to know for sure. So stay and we’ll find out together. Please."

Kelly's mouth went from a defiant purse to hanging open in disbelief. 'Please,' he'd said. It was the same thing he'd said when he asked her to come to Vegas with him. She gazed into his eyes and saw nothing but the truth of what he was saying. He didn't think she was his whore, he wanted her to be his girlfriend. Tears welled and threatened to spill down her cheeks. Not wanting him to see her cry, she launched herself into his arms and tucked her face into his neck.
 

Clutching her body to his, Rick said, "I'll take that as a yes."

Her heart was bursting. She wanted to scream "
YES!
" at the top of her lungs, but only managed a squeak of agreement while she nodded frantically into his neck.

They sat entwined under the stars, swaying slightly with the rhythm of their own bodies. Rick's hands moved slowly from her hair down her back. Shivers of anticipation rippled through Kelly. They were going to make love under the stars. It had always been a fantasy of hers but she'd never imagined it would come true. But a lot of things she'd never imagined were happening lately.

Feeling the need to show him she wasn't some precious flower that needed tending and special care, that she was an independent woman, Kelly took control. His eyes never left her body as she moved to stand over him, legs spread, hands on her hips.

"Strip." The single word brought a knowing smirk to Rick's face. Without a word, and still never taking his eyes from her, he eased his off his jacket, throwing it aside. His gaze was positively smoldering as he loosened his tie and started to pull it over his head.

"Leave it." Kelly commanded on impulse. His hands paused, then dropped to the front of his charcoal Armani button-down, his eyes burning into her flesh like a brand. His fingers worked slowly, deliberately, intensifying her need for him. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her impatience. Cocking her hip, she let him tease her with his leisurely pace.
 

When the shirt was lying atop the leather jacket, he looked up expectantly, awaiting her next instruction. When she nodded toward his pants, triumph flashed across his face. She realized her mistake as he moved to stand. Once on his feet, he would tower over her, emphasizing her vulnerability and his dominance.

"On second thought, scratch that.” One of his eyebrows shot up, and exasperation took the place of triumph. She knew the score and she wasn't going to give him an advantage if she could help it. He leaned back on his elbows — shirtless and irresistible — and studied her.

She couldn't afford to make a misstep or show any hesitation. This had become less of a game for her and more of a demand for equality in this relationship. He may be rich, but that didn't mean he was in control here. Either he accepted that they were in this together, as equal partners, or he would be taught that lesson. Of course, she suspected that would be a lesson he might enjoy learning.

Instead of kneeling down to undo his pants, Kelly reached back to unzip her dress. The silk tickled her skin as it shimmered around her bare shoulders. She let one side slid down her arm enough to let Rick see there was no bra strap. She'd been irritated that her bra hadn't dried by the time she got dressed for dinner, but now she was happy it hadn't. Her nipples tightened at the silk's touch, making it even more evident the 'girls' were on the loose.