Up in Flames Read online

  “Thanks, sugar,” I replied, and watched her beam. Yeah, she thought we were getting it on tonight. That was a shame.

  I looked at my phone to see if by some chance Nan had texted me back and I’d missed it. Nothing.

  Please talk to me. I’m down here at this bar right outside your elevator waiting for you.

  I thought for a second before pressing Send, because she might find a way to avoid me now. But I knew Nan, and she wanted my attention. If she thought I was this close and had fought to find her this hard, she’d be sure to show up. I sat back and munched on my bar mix while watching the elevator doors.

  My phone finally vibrated in my hand.

  I’m busy right now. Won’t be going out. If you insist, I can meet you around noon tomorrow.

  I read the text twice before accepting that she was seriously blowing me off. What the hell was she busy doing if she was in her suite?

  Cope’s words came back to twist in my gut, and I fought the urge to throw my damn phone across the casino floor. Damn him. He was up there with her. That shit he’d been spewing had been real.

  Too busy to come have one drink with me? I texted back, refusing to believe she was choosing Cope over me.

  Yes, I am. Sorry.

  Fuck me. My chest tightened, and I grabbed my whiskey and downed it, hoping it would ease the anger and disbelief boiling up in me. I knew she was cold, but this was worse than I had been warned.

  “Can I get you another drink?” the waitress asked, with those red lips that promised dirty things.

  “Can you get a break?” was my response.

  She glanced at the clock and nodded. “Yeah. Give me five minutes?”

  I nodded. I had five minutes. Then she was going to give me a good thirty somewhere in this casino. I had steam to blow off, and her perky tits needed to be in my mouth and hands soon.

  When she walked back out, she looked at me with a grin that said she knew exactly what I wanted. God, I loved girls in Vegas. I needed to get a damn job here. Fix all my problems, and get far away from Nan.

  “Come with me,” she said, reaching for my hand. I followed her to a back room with a sign that said Employees Only and then into a closet that was stocked with linens.

  I closed the door behind us, and she pulled the little halter top off and let those boobs bounce free. “You can play with them now,” she said teasingly, as she walked up to me. “As long as you fuck me while you do it.”

  My cock was hard instantly. I jerked her skirt up and found she wasn’t wearing panties. Easy access. I liked this one. I pulled a condom out of my pocket and ripped it open with my teeth before pulling my jeans down and covering myself.

  “Great tits,” I murmured, as I buried my face in the cleavage, pulled a nipple into my mouth, and sucked hard. She gasped and pulled my hair, which only made me suck harder. I liked pain when I was angry, and I was angry. I might be about to get inside a hot, willing pussy, but that wasn’t going to change things. It’d only give me a much-needed release.

  I picked her up by the waist, she threw open her legs, and I slammed right into her, as she wrapped her legs around me and cried out. I liked loud ones. This would be good. Real good.

  “That’s it, sugar. Bounce on my cock, and let me see those titties jiggle,” I encouraged her. And like a good girl, she did just that.

  Nan

  I was going to kill Rush. This was his fault. No one knew where I had gone but my brother. If Gannon hadn’t been with me, I’d have called Rush by now and chewed his ass out. I hadn’t wanted him to worry about me. That was why I’d told him. It didn’t mean he could give my whereabouts to Major.

  The fact that Major was downstairs waiting on me to get off the elevator pissed me off more. Did he really think I’d be so thankful that he’d come to see me that I would run to him?

  Yes. He did.

  Because if I wasn’t currently sitting on the sofa with Gannon, I would be running down there like the desperate-for-attention girl I was. I would convince myself that this was a romantic gesture and hope that I was enough to hold his attention this time.

  “That text got you all wound up. Who was it?” Gannon asked.

  I put my phone away and looked up at him. “Someone annoying. Nothing big.”

  He didn’t look like he bought that, but he didn’t press the issue like Major would have. He’d let me lie if I needed to. Another plus for Gannon. He held out his hand. “Come here.”

  I wasn’t the most obedient woman on the planet, but when a man like that tells you to come to him, you just do it and don’t ask questions.

  I moved closer to him, and he took my hand and tugged me until I was straddling his lap. “That’s better. Been hard sitting here with you dressed so damn sexy too far away to touch.”

  The things he said made me want to tell him he was perfect. All girls wanted to hear them. He just said them like they were true and came naturally. Which, mixed with his looks and his voice and his muscles, was a lethal combination.

  “I was letting you enjoy your pizza,” I said, with a shiver as his large hands ran up my thighs.

  “Mmmm, it’s been enjoyed. Now I’m hungry for something else.”

  Smiling, I closed my eyes in anticipation of his hands getting to where they were headed. Just when they slipped under the satin of my bottoms, I remembered that it was his turn. I needed to be the one touching him. Not letting him do all the work for me again.

  “Wait,” I said. That one word was so very hard to say, because I did not want to stop him from touching me. The orgasm he had given me earlier had been on an epic scale, and I wanted to do that again soon. “It’s my turn,” I said, moving off his lap and running my hand over his jeans-covered thigh until I found what I was looking for. It was already growing hard under my hand. He had been enjoying me in his lap.

  “Don’t keep score, baby,” he said, covering my hand with his.

  He might not keep score, but I believed in giving what you got, and he deserved the best blow job on the planet.

  “I want to touch you,” I told him, as I worked his jeans open and moved to my knees on the floor in front of him. “Tug them down for me.” I didn’t move my gaze from his cock until he finally lifted his hips, jerked his jeans and boxers down, and sprang free. He was fully erect now, and I licked my lips in anticipation. I loved the power I got from this. I only did it if I was incredibly attracted to a man and he had earned it. But tonight I was impatient for it.

  “Damn, you look excited about this.” He growled as his hand closed around his length. He moved his hand up and down slowly, as I watched him and he watched me. Even that was sexy. I was beginning to think everything this man did was sexy. I leaned forward on my knees, slipping my hand above where his was. I ran my thumb over the sensitive head of his cock, and his hand stilled and then moved away as he adjusted his hips and leaned back against the sofa cushions. His eyes were on me. I could feel their heat burning through me. I wanted this to be so good for him.

  Lifting my gaze, I watched his face as I lowered my mouth until my tongue ran along the spot where my thumb had just been. Then, slowly, I drew the head into my mouth, wrapping my lips around it and gently sucking, while keeping my eyes lifted and directly on him.

  He was breathing hard, and his hand slid into my hair, grabbing a large fistful of my thick locks. I eased his length into my mouth until the tip touched the back of my throat, before pulling it out again.

  Gannon’s eyes were hooded with pleasure. His hold on my hair tightened as I continued my assault on him, sucking and then stopping to lick up the length teasingly before continuing.

  “Fuuuuck,” he groaned, lifting his hips to my mouth with impatience.

  I fought back my smile. I wanted to know I was pleasing him, and this told me all I needed to know.

  I covered the base with one hand and began working him. I tasted him with pure enjoyment. Each sound he made and each curse he muttered drove me harder to give him more. To make it the
best he’d ever had.

  “Goddammit, Nan.” He growled and tugged on my hair. “I’m gonna come.” He was trying to pull me off him, but I wasn’t letting him take this from me. I didn’t do this for most men, but I wanted to do it for him. I craved him. Deep down, I wanted to keep him.

  “Fuck me.” He panted and cupped the side of my face. “You don’t hafta do that,” he said, just as he lifted his hips to thrust into my mouth. He was lost to the pleasure, and I’d made him do it. All me.

  Grabbing his upper thighs, I sucked harder and ran my breasts against him, moaning with him in my mouth. He was close, and all he needed was the visual to set him off.

  “Fuck,” he muttered. That was followed by a roar.

  I smiled, knowing he’d never forget me.

  Major

  The alarm I had set on my phone went off at ten a.m. I was ready to see Nan, so getting up wasn’t a problem. I hadn’t slept well. After I had booked a room at the Bellagio, I’d called Nan, but she hadn’t answered. I’d had to talk myself out of going back to that bar and sitting there until that waitress got off work. I’d been there, done that, and honestly, it wasn’t that memorable.

  Today Nan was going to see me, and I’d fix this. She’d be back on a plane to Rosemary Beach with me. I would give her the attention she needed, she would trust me, and I’d prove her innocence. Then I’d be done. Job complete.

  I texted her before my shower to ask where she wanted to meet, but by the time I was finished, she hadn’t responded yet. I didn’t want to think about her having a late night, since she’d never left her room. Why this bothered me so much I wasn’t sure. It just fucking did.

  Cope annoyed me beyond reason. I wasn’t sure I could work for him. Working for Captain had been easy. I liked the guy. He was a hard-ass, but at least he had a heart. Cope was a heartless monster, and Nan was dancing too close to him. I had to fix it.

  I got dressed and headed down to find coffee near Nan’s elevator bank in the lobby. Starbucks was the first thing I saw, so I went straight there and got a breakfast muffin and a cake pop to go with my venti bold. I was a little hungry after not eating much last night.

  “You don’t listen worth shit.” Cope’s voice came from behind me as I picked up my coffee.

  I cursed silently, calling him a million names I wished I could say out loud. “Wasn’t in the mood to fly. Thought I’d gamble before heading home.”

  “Bullshit,” he replied. “Go sit down. I’m getting a coffee, and then we’re talking. That stunt you pulled last night could have fucked everything up.”

  So he had been with her. He knew I had texted her. Didn’t like that one fucking bit, either, by the sound of it. “I was checking on her.”

  “Go fucking sit your ass down,” he snarled, then turned to order a coffee.

  I wanted to walk right out of the casino just to prove I could. But I’d seen this motherfucker kill people, and I wasn’t about to be next on his hit list. When it came to morals, he had none. He killed when it suited him. Damn him, why was he messing with Nan? I’d had it under control.

  Because he was the mean son of a bitch that he was, and I was positive he was carrying a concealed gun, I sat down like I was told, even if it made me feel like a complete pussy to do it. This was part of the job Captain hadn’t prepared me for: dealing with commands. I didn’t like it much. Not at all, really.

  Cope stalked over to me, one of his killer looks on his face. He was supremely pissed at me. I didn’t defend myself or speak. I just waited for him to say something.

  He took his time about it, putting his coffee down and scanning the surroundings before finally looking at me. “I told you I have her. I’m getting what we need. I’ll send you to DeCarlo and let him put your stubborn ass somewhere else if that’s what needs to be done. I give the orders. You follow them. You don’t make up your own mind.”

  “I want to talk to her” was all I said in response to his rant.

  He glared at me. “Why?”

  Because . . . because I wanted my mark back. I wanted to prove I could do this. I fucking wanted to be the one in her room at night. Not crazy-as-hell Cope. “She trusts me. I can get what we need.”

  Cope let out an amused laugh. “She doesn’t trust you. She doesn’t even like you anymore. But she trusts me.”

  How the hell could she trust him? He’d just “met” her. He was reading Nan all wrong. “You’re a rebound for her. I hurt her, and she’s using you. She doesn’t trust you. It’s me she needs, and it’s me she’ll talk to.”

  Cope’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t like what I had just said, but I could tell he hadn’t thought of that.

  I liked knowing that I had one up on him. I understood something he hadn’t taken into account. So I kept up. “She just met you. She doesn’t know enough about you to trust you. If she’s fucking you, it’s because she wants to get back at me. Nothing more. Has nothing to do with you. And you won’t have anything to do with her after she leaves here.”

  I wanted to believe every word I was saying. I would once I saw her and talked to her.

  “I need to see her. If we want to keep this up, I have to fix things with her.”

  Cope didn’t reply. I could tell he was thinking about it, and he didn’t like it one bit. That surprised me. I didn’t expect him to fight me so hard on this. To him, she was just a source for answers. Right?

  “This is a job to you, isn’t it? I mean, she didn’t get to you, did she?” I had to hand it to myself; asking a man like Cope something like that took balls. Fucking ginormous balls.

  He shot me a withering look, then stood up. “Talk to her. I’ll be watching. If she wants to continue this shit with you, then go for it, but do it motherfucking right this time. I need my answers before this trail gets cold.”

  I started to say more, but he turned and walked off without another word.

  I won. I got the girl back and would get the info and complete my mission.

  First, I had to get her to respond to me. I called her number this time.

  She answered on the third ring. “I’ll meet you at the deli next to Starbucks in twenty minutes” was all she said before ending the call.

  Smiling, I hung up and finished my coffee, while hatching a plan in my head.

  Nan

  Meeting with Major after my night with Gannon wasn’t something I wanted to do, but Major was apparently stalking me. I had to go deal with it. I didn’t want Major approaching me if I was out with Gannon.

  I kept waiting for Gannon to call or text, but I hadn’t heard from him yet this morning. Which sucked. Maybe he was letting me sleep in?

  I didn’t fuss with myself too much as I got ready to see Major. Impressing him wasn’t on my to-do list anymore. I had tried it all, and nothing I did was enough for him. No use in pulling out the goods now that I didn’t want him.

  A simple short Prada sundress and a pair of my more comfortable Louboutins, and I was ready to face him. Let him say whatever bullshit he had come here to say; I’d just be sending him on his way the moment he was finished. He could go back to whoring around Rosemary Beach, and I could go back to Gannon and Vegas life. I liked Vegas life. A whole lot.

  I knew the back of his head and the way he stood from admiring him so much in the past. He was ridiculously pretty, but God, he was an asshole. I was done with all that. Besides, I didn’t need to date a man who was quite possibly prettier than me.

  When he heard the click of my heels, he straightened and turned to face me. That easy, charming smile that won him whatever he wanted spread across his face, and for once, I didn’t want to slap it or kiss it. I was just done with it. That was a relief. One I needed. The knowledge made the moment much less dreadful.

  “You look gorgeous,” he said. He put his hand on my waist and pulled me closer to kiss me, but I stepped away. We weren’t on those terms. Not surprising that he’d think that was all it would take to get us there.

  That in itself was annoying. There wer
e so many things about him that were annoying when you stood back and really looked at the whole picture. I had been so wrapped up in the few precious moments he gave me that I’d been willing to overlook everything else. This was all before Gannon, though. I wasn’t that easy to please anymore.

  “You’re angry with me. I deserve it, but I want to fix it.” He looked completely heartbroken. Which was almost enough to soften me up. I didn’t like to make him sad. He seemed so easy to hurt. Never mind the fact that he hurt me regularly.

  “I’m just done with you. We tried. It didn’t work. Why keep trying?” I said, using a well-rehearsed bitch face and tone. I was a pro at this. Covering up my emotions so no one knew I was hurt had been my superpower since I was a kid.

  “Nan, don’t say that.” His eyes actually looked sad. “I messed up. I’m going to prove to you, though, that I’m better than that. I can be what you deserve. I want to. The others don’t matter. You do.”

  Those were pretty words, and maybe a week ago or even two days ago, I would have fallen for them. But I was over it. Major wasn’t enough for me. I had started to respond when he held up his hand to stop me.

  “Just sit down with me. Let’s eat breakfast and talk through things. I can’t lose you. I’ve just never done relationships before, and I don’t know how to do it right, but I’m going to bust my ass to show you I’m worthy of you.”

  More pretty words to go with his pretty face. I wanted to have an excuse, but Gannon still hadn’t called or texted me. I scanned the area for any sign of him, but this was a huge casino, and there were thousands of people here. No chance I would actually see him walking by. Finally, I looked back at Major. “Fine, let’s eat. But you’re paying for it. You invited me.”

  He broke into a grin like he had won something. I hated to tell him he’d won nothing but the chance to buy me a meal because I was hungry. “Of course. I wouldn’t let you pay.”

  That comment was complete and utter bullshit. He let me pay for his meals all the time. That was his thing. I rolled my eyes and walked past him toward the hostess. “Two, please,” I said, without looking back at him. I couldn’t believe I was giving him the time of day.