Zach was watching television in the living room when she came out. He’d changed into a slate button-down shirt and black jeans and looked utterly delicious, as always.
He stood when she entered the room, his gaze roaming appreciatively over her.
“You look gorgeous,” he said.
She warmed under his compliment. “Thank you.”
They went downstairs and headed over to where all the restaurants were located, passing by the amazing Grand Canal and oh-my-God so much shopping.
They walked into the restaurant and were seated immediately at a table with white linens and lovely cream and red plates. The restaurant was nicely lit, with a traditional feel. Nothing overly fancy, which Josie appreciated. She felt enough out of her element as it was.
The waiter came over and brought their menus along with a wine list. Zach opened the wine list and read through it, then looked up at Josie.
“How do you feel about a nice bottle of cabernet to go with dinner?”
“I feel pretty good about it.”
When the waiter came back, Zach ordered the bottle of wine. Josie opened the menu, her eyes widening as she perused the incredible selections.
“It all looks so good.”
“It does,” Zach said, scanning the menu. He looked up at her. “We should have appetizers.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Steak is pretty filling.”
“Come on. Splurge a little. We’ll take a walk outside after dinner.”
“Okay, that sounds like a good idea.”
When the waiter came back with their bottle of wine, he took their food order. They ended up ordering oysters for their appetizers to keep it light. Josie ordered the filet, and Zach ordered the rib eye.
She took a sip of the wine. It was smooth, with just a slight bite to it. Perfect.
“Thank you for this,” she said.
“The wine?”
“No, this entire thing. I’m so excited for the weekend.”
“You’re welcome. I know you’ve had a lot going on, so I thought you could use some fun.”
“We can both use some fun, don’t you think?”
The look he gave her was purely sensual. “I’m all about having a good time.”
She took another swallow of wine, staring at the man she shared a table with. She realized just how much fun she’d had since she’d been with Zach. “You are a good time, Zach.”
His lips curved. “Thanks.”
The oysters were delicious, the steak even better. By the time they finished dinner, she was full and more than ready to take that walk.
She put on her sweater, and they went outside. Now that it was fully dark, the city lights really stood out. Every hotel and casino was like a beacon, calling to her to come inside and see what they had to offer.
Zach took her hand, and they walked out onto the street. The weather was nice, and it felt good to stretch her legs.
“So, how often do you come here?” she asked him as they made their way along the strip.
“A couple of times a year.”
“You like to gamble, huh?”
“I’m not a big gambler. I’ll play a little. Sometimes I’ll come out for a boxing event or a concert.”
She stopped on the sidewalk and turned to stare at him, not saying anything.
“What?” he asked.
“What concerts?”
“I don’t know. Concerts.”
“Name a few you’ve been to.”
He looked up as he thought. “Uh, Britney Spears. Garth Brooks. Elton John.”
Her eyes widened. “Britney—you?”
He immediately looked defensive. “So what?”
“Nothing. I love Britney. And that’s quite an eclectic selection.”
He shrugged. “I like music. All kinds of music.”
She shook her head, and they started walking again. “Every day I learn new, interesting things about you, Zach.”
“Hey, I’m a fascinating guy.”
“Don’t I know it.”
He wrapped an arm around her as they walked up to the fountains at Bellagio. It wasn’t long before Josie was enraptured by the amazing music, lights, and water show. Who knew water could be so incredibly entertaining? Though what she was actually enticed by was Zach, who held her close the entire time, occasionally looking over at her as if he was checking to see that she was having a good time.
She was definitely having a good time, owing more to the man than to the water show.
When it was over, they went inside. It was opulent in here, and once again, the sounds of the slot machines ringing were strangely compelling. As they walked by, she found herself stopping to see whether anyone was winning money.
“Slots are for suckers,” he said.
“Are they?” Still, she lingered.
“You want to play?”
“Oh. No. You said they’re for suckers.”
“Come on.” He moved into the slots area, then put Josie ahead of him. “Pick one that looks fun to you.”
She looked back at him. “I couldn’t, really.”
“Yes, you could.” He settled on a dollar machine, then pulled a hundred-dollar bill out of his wallet and handed it to her. “Have a seat and play.”
“Zach. No. That’s your money.”
He sat her at the machine and slid the money into it. “Punch the buttons, Josie.”
“No. This is your money.”
“I’ve got plenty of it, and this is my Las Vegas play money. Go for it.”
It wasn’t play money; it was real money. Josie felt guilty about using it, since it was Zach’s. But at the same time, she had to admit she was excited about playing the machine. She punched the button, and the wheels spun. And she won ten dollars on her first spin.
“I won,” she said, smiling at him.
“You did. Punch the button again.”
She did, getting into a rhythm with the machine. When she won enough that she’d doubled her money, she pressed the CASH OUT button.
She handed the ticket to Zach.
“You keep it and use it on the next machine.”
She felt a little thrill of excitement. “Okay.”
They sat side by side at a couple of other machines and played for a while. Josie nearly screamed when she won two hundred dollars on one spin. She cashed out quickly and watched Zach play for a while. He ended up losing fifty bucks, so he cashed out and they moved along.
She did well, surprisingly, racking up money on the machines until she ended up with almost eight hundred dollars. She stopped at the cashier to cash out her ticket and handed the money to Zach.
“No, that’s your winnings.”
She shook her head. “On your money.”
He sighed. “Fine.” He took one of the hundreds. “That was my money. The winnings are yours.”
She had a hard time agreeing with that, but Zach refused to take the money, so she slid it into her purse. They left the casino and headed back to the Venetian.
“You want a drink?” he asked when they entered the lobby.
She shook her head. “It’s been a long day. How about we head up to our ridiculously large room and shed some clothes?”
His lips curved. “And then what?”
She whispered in his ear. “Then we get naked and you can push some of my buttons.”
His took her hand, quickening his step as they made their way toward the elevators. “Don’t walk so slow.”
She laughed, feeling the tension grow as they hit the elevators, which were filled with people. They ended up pressed to the back of the elevator. Zach pulled her against him and wrapped his arm around her. They made several stops, and the ride to their floor took a while.
Josie didn’t mind, because her butt was pressed against Zach and he was deliciously hard. His arm tightened around her to draw her closer, and her body flared with heat. The need to get all these people off the elevator and be alone with him was strong.
Fortunately, by
the time they got to their floor, they were the only ones left on the elevator. Zach took her hand and practically dragged her off the elevator and down to their room. She was so glad he already had the key out to slide in the door, because her heart was pounding.
He opened the door, and she walked inside. She didn’t make it very far inside the dark room before Zach grasped her by the wrist. He closed the door and pressed her against it, his mouth coming down on hers in a rush of heat that stole her breath.
Furious desire overtook her, the passion in his kiss nearly overwhelming in its capacity to make her feel so off kilter. She grabbed hold of his shirt to draw him closer, to feel the heat of his body burning against hers. And when he grinded against her, she desperately wanted to be naked with him, to feel that delicious pleasure again, only this time with him inside of her.
“Clothes off,” she murmured against his lips.
“Yeah,” he said, only he kept kissing her and continued to put his hands on her. She so did not mind that except that now it was a slow tango to the bedroom, neither of them wanting to break contact while at the same time removing their clothes and kicking off shoes. They left a trail of shirts and pants and skirts and underwear in their wake. By the time she fell onto the bed, she only had her panties on. Zach, on the other hand, was completely naked, so he obliged her by removing her underwear, kissing her hipbones and the top of her sex as he did.
And then he put his mouth on her, making her moan and shiver and delight as he proved his talent at licking and sucking her and wringing every ounce of pleasure out of her. He took her to delicious heights until she came with a shuddering cry that left her tingling all over. When he stood, he pulled her to the top of the bed and covered her body with his, kissing her so deeply and for so long that she felt shudderingly drunk with passion. And when he left her to go put on a condom, she felt a chill on her body. She craved his warmth, his presence, and that was a dangerous feeling that she dismissed immediately on his return. Tonight, she was only going to think about pleasure, about hot sexy passion. Not emotions or feelings.
She stretched her arms over her head and lifted her knees.
“Have I mentioned before how beautiful you are?” Zach asked as he fit himself between her legs.
“Yes. But feel free to never stop telling me.”
He slid inside of her, the sensation of the two of them joining never failing to take her breath away. And for a moment, he stilled, swept his hand over her hair, and stared down at her.
“You’re beautiful. Inside and out. From your generous heart to your laugh to your sinfully sexy mouth to the welcoming way your body makes me a part of you.”
She could barely breathe as his words sank into every part of her. She reached up and caressed his jaw. “And you always know exactly what to say and do to make me feel special, Zach. It’s truly a gift.”
“No, it’s you, Josie. It’s how you make me feel.”
She didn’t know what to say to that. Fortunately, his lips curved, and then he kissed her as he thrust within her. There were no more words after that, just sighs, moans, and the heights of pleasure.
And oh, could he take her higher. The way he surged against her, as if he knew exactly where to go, how to touch her, how to move his body in ways that made her soar.
She tightened around him and flew, her body shaking with her orgasm. He went with her, shuddering and kissing her neck when he came.
After, he held her next to him, and she draped her leg over him.
There were things she wanted to say to him. Eloquent, thankful things. Maybe mixed in with some emotional things, too.
But she was suddenly so tired, and she drifted off.
Chapter 27
* * *
ZACH WANTED TO make sure Josie had a good time in Vegas, so he filled Saturday with all kinds of activities.
Since she’d told him she never traveled, he rented a car and took her on a tour of the Hoover Dam. On the way over, she’d researched some history of the dam. Zach told her he’d seen it before, but she still had a blast relating the dam’s historical details to him. And it made for a fun discussion on the drive.
It had been a fascinating tour, and she was so glad she’d finally been able to see the amazing structure.
After that, they took a desert drive.
“It’s really spectacular out here,” she said, staring out the window at the rock formations, desert scrubs, and incredible mountains. With every shift of the sun, the landscape took on a different color, from dusty bronze to deep brown to an almost golden color.
“I love it out here,” Zach said. “I’ve taken this drive almost every time I come here. Next time we come, we’ll take some tours, get out and explore, and maybe do some rock climbing.”
Next time. He mentioned “next time” as if they’d be doing this on a regular basis. She had no idea what to make of that, and she didn’t want to delve too deeply into the meaning of it. Not when she was so relaxed and was enjoying herself so much. So instead, she shifted and cast a smile at him. “I’d love to do that. Get out and get more up close and personal with this incredible landscape out here.”
“Yeah, it beats the hell out of mostly flat Oklahoma, doesn’t it?”
She shifted away from the window to face him. “Oklahoma has its beauty. Hills and valleys and mountain landscapes. It can be absolutely breathtaking. You just have to look for it.”
He glanced at her. “Oh, I’m looking right at it.” The way he looked at her never failed to spark something elemental and emotional deep within her. It was as if he could see past her surface—the outer shell to the heart of her. And that meant something monumental to Josie.
Or maybe he was just teasing her and telling her that she was hot, and she was making way too much of that look he gave her. She did have a tendency to overthink things.
But it was hard not to when her heart was getting so deeply involved.
So she smiled at him, then turned back to stare out the window.
Zach wanted Josie to have a different experience tonight. When they got back to Las Vegas, it was nearly time for dinner. They got dressed up and he took her to dinner at a nice seafood restaurant; then they had tickets to “O” by Cirque du Soleil.
“I’m so excited to see a show,” she said as they got out of their car at Bellagio and headed inside to the theater.
He took her head. “I hope you enjoy it.”
She leaned into him. “I know I will.”
She looked incredible tonight in a formfitting black dress and heels that showed off her amazing legs. She wore a silver chain that disappeared into her cleavage, and all he could think about was getting her out of that dress.
One-track mind much, Zach?
Yeah, okay, so he liked seeing her naked, and sleeping with her curled around him last night had felt really damn good. He wanted more of both. A lot more.
In the meantime, he wanted her carefree and having fun, which she’d done a lot of today. She’d smiled all day in the car to and from the dam. He liked seeing her happy.
He hoped tonight’s show would continue her happy streak. He’d seen this show before, and it was amazing. So he wanted to watch Josie’s reaction to it.
From the moment the lights went down, her eyes went wide. He couldn’t blame her. The sights and sounds and performances were incredible. It was a treat for the senses, and he enjoyed every minute of seeing it again through Josie’s eyes. Several times she grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly, or looked over at him as if to make sure he’d seen what she had.
When it was over, she stood and clapped and cheered along with everyone else.
Then she hugged him. “Thank you for that. It was the most amazing experience.”
“I’m glad you liked it.”
As they walked out, she shook her head. “I’m not even sure I can describe my feelings about it. I was mesmerized by the acrobatics. The pure visual artistry was on a scale of something I’ve never seen before. I??
?m typically never at a loss for words, but this was … just wow.”
He pulled her close. “Glad you had a good time.”
“It was wonderful. Thank you.”
The valet brought their car, and they drove off. When they returned to the Venetian, instead of going up to their room, Zach headed them toward Tao.
“I’ve heard of this. It’s a club, right?”
“Yeah. I thought you might want to burn off some energy by dancing.”
She looked at the line. “It sounds fun, but there’s a wait to get in.”
“Not for me there isn’t.”
“You do know people, don’t you?”
He laughed. “Some.” He went to the front and gave his name. The guy nodded and let them in.
Inside was bouncing, as was typical for a Saturday night. They were led to a seating area toward the left of the DJ, midway to the top.
Perfect.
“Oh, this is amazing,” she said. “The seats are nice, and this club is incredible.”
“I thought you might like it.”
Nancy, one of the bottle service girls, came by and asked what they wanted. “What do you want to drink?” he asked Josie.
“Vodka martini with two olives?”
He ordered bottles of their top-shelf vodka and whiskey. Nancy would mix Josie’s drink for her. He’d have his on the rocks.
Nancy fixed their drinks and disappeared. Josie stood and watched the dance floor while sipping her martini. The dance floor was already filled with a good crowd bouncing to a driving beat. He noticed Josie rolling her hips in time to the music.
“Ready to dance yet?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Not yet. I want to watch and have this drink first.”
“Sure.”
Since it was just the two of them, their seating area had been roped off and split with another party, a group of three couples. One was an older couple in their fifties, along with two couples in their twenties. They were all dressed nicely, and Zach could see a similarity between the older guy and one of the younger guys. Family, maybe?