Broken Series (22 page)

Fourteen

Baker

I thought for sure we would make it to Vegas by noon, but traffic was much worse than I anticipated. The trip took almost five hours and Rainey was driving me crazy. She didn’t do or say anything upsetting, but those short shorts were distracting as hell, and it was more than once that I had to grip the steering wheel with both hands to get focused on the road.

But we did get to Vegas. Eventually. Even with her long legs calling to me. We hit the strip and she lit up. It was early afternoon, so it wasn’t as dramatic as coming in at night, but Rainey was still animated as she eyed all the casinos and show places. Her smile was wide and I knew this was a great idea. She deserved to feel some happiness before she started to deteriorate.

When she turned that amazing smile to me, my gut clenched. “This is amazing, Baker.”

“Yeah, amazing,” I agreed, but I stared directly at her, letting her know I thought
she
was amazing. I didn’t care about Vegas, but seeing her, all smiles and truly enjoying herself, made me happy. I was so in love with her. There was no mountain I wouldn’t move to make her smile.

She blushed and turned away, getting my meaning. She looked out at our surroundings and when I pulled into Caesar’s Palace, she turned her wide eyes back to me.

“
This
is where we’re staying?” she asked, incredulous.

I grinned and pulled up the valet. “Yes, ma’am.”

I popped the trunk, got out, and tossed the keys to the young guy waiting nearby. I slipped him a ten-dollar bill and then walked around the car. A bellhop opened the door for Rainey and she sat there, still amazed. I directed the bellhop to our bags, including the garment bag behind Rainey’s seat, then walked over to where she was still rooted in the passenger seat and tugged on her hand.

“Come on.” I helped her up. “Lots more to see.”

She walked forward with me, still in shock. We entered the lobby and the architecture was stunning. I’d never been to Vegas, either, but I figured we should go in style. I wanted this to be the best time of her life. I led her over to the check-in desk.

“Welcome to the Palace. Checking in?” the young woman at the counter asked us.

“Yes, we have a reservation under Christopher Baker,” I explained.

The woman’s eyes lit up. “Yes, Mr. Baker. Your suite is ready for you. Here is your key, and if you need anything at all, please just dial zero and we’ll be happy to help you with anything at all.” She handed me a set of keys. “You will need to go all the way to the end of that hallway.” She pointed toward the far end of the lobby. “There’s an elevator and you’ll have to use your key to get to your floor.”

I thanked her and led Rainey down the narrow corridor.

She looked nervous as we walked, hand-in-hand. I stuck one of the keys into the slot at the elevator and the doors opened for us.

“This is surreal,” she finally said when the elevator doors closed behind us. I smiled down at her.

“It’s pretty cool, if you ask me. Although,” I said, looking down at my belt, “I’m not getting a sig on my beeper.”

She burst into laughter. Quoting one of the movies we watched together in our early days of sleeping together was a perfect icebreaker.

“Promise me I won’t have to come find you on the roof tomorrow, okay?”

“Nope. I can’t make that kind of promise. But I’ll tell you what – if I end up on the roof, you will be right there with me and we will get crispy in the sun together.” I grinned.

She shook her head and the elevator stopped, the doors opening into a small foyer with a single door. We stepped off and walked to the door.

I held up the key to our room. “Ready?”

She nodded.

I slipped the key into the slot and pushed open the door. I let Rainey go in first, knowing she would be shocked.

Aside from several columns in the space, the suite was wide and open, with floor-to-ceiling windows that gave a great view of the city, even in the daytime. There was a circular couch in the center of the room that faced the window, as well as an extra-large flat-screen television on the far wall. The flooring was granite, as were the countertops in the kitchen. A stocked full bar graced the kitchen, along with a complete set of dishes and cookware, not that we would be doing any cooking.

My plan was to keep Rainey busy in the casinos until late at night so that when we got back to the room, she was exhausted. As much as I wanted her, I didn’t want to take the chance of hurting her again. The memory of bruises along her body tormented me. I didn’t want to be the one causing them. And aside from my slip that morning in her aunt’s kitchen, I had been able to keep my hands off her. Mostly.

That kiss in the car before we left was pretty hot. I felt myself get hard just thinking about all the things I wanted to do to her. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I needed to gain some control. When I opened my eyes again, Rainey was standing in front of me, just staring at me.

“Hey, stud.” She licked her lips provocatively, running her fingers across my shoulders, causing the skin under my T-shirt to ripple. I wanted her so damn much.

“Hey, yourself,” I said as casually as I could.

“This is a great suite,” she said. “Should we check out the bedroom?”

Rainey grabbed my hand and led me to the corner of the suite, opened up an extra-large door, and we both stopped, stunned by the room. Aside from its enormous size, the best part of the room was the monster of a bed that sat in the center. It was a four-post, king-size bed decorated all in white. It was a symbol of purity, to be sure. But more than that, the white down comforter was covered in fresh rose petals.

“What the hell…” Rainey turned to accuse me.

I shrugged. “It’s the honeymoon suite.”

“
Honeymoon?
” she squeaked

“Oh, relax. I knew it would be a nice room, and I wanted you to have a good time.” I grinned at her.

“Well, I
do
plan to have a good time,” she whispered, pressing herself against me.

I groaned in satisfaction, the feel of her breasts against my chest driving me crazy. The woman was an enigma.

* * * * *

Hours later, the bed was a mess and we were both hot and sweaty. Not that it wasn’t awesome. Rainey was insatiable. With every touch, every tender kiss, she demanded more. It was hard to keep my control with her. I tried not to hurt her, but I had a feeling I would be kicking myself later when I saw the new bruises. And they would appear; there was no doubt in my mind.

I lay on my back, staring up at the mirrored ceiling, something we hadn’t noticed until we got into the bed. It made for some interesting positions, that was for sure. A fit of giggles beside caused me to turn to Rainey. I turned on my side and propped up my arm on the pillow, resting my cheek against my fist.

“What’s so funny?” I demanded.

“Look at yourself,” she suggested.

I glanced down and realized I was covered in red and white rose petals. Each delicate piece was stuck to the sweat that still clung to my body. There were three on my torso and several hanging precariously off the only part of my body that extended.

Surprisingly, knowing she was looking at that part of me caused me to want her again. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take, but I wanted her.

“Baker…?” She lifted her beautiful green eyes to mine and raised a brow.

“Ready for round four?” I asked.

“No! No more,” she squealed and tried to get out of the bed. I flung an arm around her waist and dragged her back to the plush mattress, hefting myself above her.

“This is my domain,” I said with a scowl. “And I will have you.”

She erupted in more giggles and then managed to buck me off her. I wasn’t expecting her to push me, so I ended up on my ass on the floor. I sat there, staring at her as she peeked at me above the comforter.

“Apparently, it’s not your domain as much as you thought,” she teased.

I growled and moved to get up. She was off the bed before I could catch her and she ran to the bathroom. I was one step behind her, and when she stepped into the shower stall, I knew she had nowhere to run. Instead of covering herself and hiding, though, she surprised me. She turned on the water, got the temperature just right, and then turned on the showerheads, one on each side of the stall. She crooked her finger at me and then ran her hands down her body, the water creating beautiful imagery for my growing erection.

“Get in here,” she muttered when I didn’t move.

I grinned and went after her, pinning her gently against the wall and kissing her passionately. I didn’t let up on my assault, either. Her blonde hair was wet in my hands and I held her still for my kiss. She squirmed but seemed to enjoy herself.

“I’ve never had sex in the shower,” she admitted when I finally let her breathe.

I felt myself grow harder at that.

“First times are my specialty,” I said, referencing the fact that I took her virginity years ago.

And just like that, we were
both
ready for round four.

Fifteen

Rainey

Sex in a shower was a new experience, but I quickly learned that no matter how much stamina I thought I had, Baker had more. The man was a sexual beast! If I even hinted at sex, he was ready. It was enlightening and oh, so sexy.

After our romp in the bathroom, I pleaded with Baker to leave me alone in the amazing shower for just a few minutes. He hesitantly agreed with the promise that we would have more shower fun tomorrow. I asked him to bring my bags into the bathroom, too, which he did without a complaint.

With soaking wet hair, I wrapped a towel around my body and used a hand towel to wipe away some of the fog from the mirror. I clicked on the hair dryer attached to the wall and waved it over the mirror, watching as the fog cleared. Once I could see myself, I flipped my head upside-down and turned the dryer to my hair. I ran my fingers through my hair to help the process, but it took
forever
. Once it was mostly dry, I shut it off and stared at myself in the mirror. There was still a slight fog, but I noticed a few bruises right away.

Baker was going to flip. Luckily for me, they were all in places my dress for the night would hide. I smiled in anticipation. Baker was in for a real treat. I pulled out my makeup, deciding not to wear too much. There were a few love bites on my neck that needed covering, but other than that, I only applied eyeliner and mascara, going for a more natural look. The dress was going to overpower any makeup I could put on, anyway.

I plugged in my curling iron and waited impatiently for it to heat up. Once it was hot, I curled strands of my hair around it, just to give it a wavy look instead of curly-cues. When I was satisfied with how it looked, I unplugged the iron, blowing out a breath as I shed the plush white towel. Even after all these years, I never got used to seeing myself as a thin person.

I knew I was, of course. It was just hard to see myself other than the plump high school girl I’d always been. And I’d never felt as comfortable in my own skin as I did when I was with Baker. He made all self-consciousness disappear when he worshipped my body. His tender loving of me was no different than when we were kids, either. He had adored my curves then, when I was chunky. He gave me courage to appreciate my body. It was his blatant sexuality and confidence in himself that would have given me hope for a future.

If only…

But I refused to think about it. Baker and I agreed on the trip to Vegas that we wouldn’t discuss my leukemia or the future. We both wanted to just forget the world and enjoy the right now. So that’s what we did.
Four times.
How on earth the man could keep it up so often was beyond me. Not that I was complaining. He was like a sexual hero. My own personal sex ninja.

I smiled at the thought and unzipped the garment bag Baker had carried in and set on the hook on the back of the bathroom door. I pulled the sleek black dress out and gingerly stepped into it. There was a zipper on the side and as I pulled it up, I tried to not feel exposed. The dress was probably normal on my five-foot-five aunt, but I had at least four inches on her, most of which was torso. The hem barely came to mid-thigh. If I bent over, the world would see all my business. I would have to remember that, in case I dropped anything tonight.

As revealing as it was, it fit perfectly. A short line of cleavage was visible above the neckline – enough to be sexy but not so much as to be slutty. It was like the dress was made for me. I opened my duffel and found the black heels I had packed, setting them on the floor. They were open-toed, so my bright pink toenails would stand out against the dark color. With a little trepidation, I opened the bathroom door and stepped into the bedroom, ready for Baker’s taunts.

To my surprise, the room was empty. The bed had been roughly made, too, which I found absolutely endearing. Few men would have taken the time for such a menial task. I strutted across the floor, my heels clicking all the way as I made my way to the in-room bar. Baker was behind it, pouring drinks. My heart stopped for the barest of seconds at the sight of him.

Gone was the casual, redneck-ish guy from Casper, Maine. This new Chris Baker could give Brad Pitt a run for his money. His blonde hair was gelled and spiky, his eyes vibrant, but it was his attire that caused me pulmonary stress. He wore a charcoal gray, pinstriped three-piece suit that matched his eyes perfectly. The button-up shirt underneath was crisp and brilliantly white. A gray-and-white striped tie hung off the collar, loosened but sexy as hell. He glanced up at me and I think my stupid stare was mirrored in his eyes.

We stood there, less than ten feet apart, staring at one another for probably an entire minute. “You look amazing,” he finally spoke.

“Ditto,” I replied, still unsure if I could formulate a full sentence.

His eyes dilated as he eyed my bare legs. He gulped. “I’m making myself a drink. Do you want something?”

Nausea spread through me. “I’ll just have some water.”

“You okay?”

“Oh, yeah. Just no alcohol.” I gave him a smile. I walked over and accepted the bottled water he held out to me, giving him a quick peck on the cheek, and then pulled away. “So what’s on the agenda tonight?”

“It would seem we were both thinking that tonight would be a bit fancy,” he gestured to our attire, “so I think we’ll head out to a nice, romantic dinner and then walk the strip a bit to see which casinos we want to bet in.”

“Sounds good,” I said. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah, but first, I want to show you something.”
He turned off the lights and for the first time, I realized that the windows were covered. The room was immersed in darkness.

I wasn’t afraid of the dark or anything, but when Baker’s hand brushed mine, I jumped a little.

“Easy,” he whispered, his mouth close to my ear. “Come with me.”

I gripped his hand like a vice. “Don’t let me fall,” I begged.

“Never.”

A shiver went down my spine as I considered his words. I knew, without a single doubt, that Baker would always be there to catch me if I ever did fall. I blinked away the tears that formed as I thought about how little time we had together. When we reached the window, Baker let go of my hand to pull on the string and spread the curtains covering the window.

It was only just after seven in the evening, but the sight I was presented with was breathtaking. The sun was low in the horizon, mixing with the vibrant blue and purple of the darkening sky to form a hazy pink sunset that was absolutely stunning. I stepped closer to the window, putting my hand on the thick glass, wistful for as many sunsets as I could take in. Baker stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist,

I held on to his arms, clutching him to me. He was, in every sense of the word, my rock. In the short time we’d been
dating
, Baker had become so important to me. I leaned into him, both literally and figuratively. He held me tight and I was comforted by his presence. At that moment, I realized there was no place on earth I’d rather be than with him, no one else I’d rather spend my last few months of life with. I could spend my last days doing something as crazy as going to Vegas, but it was only going to make me happy spending that time with him.

I turned to face him, searching his silver eyes with mine. “I love you,” I blurted.

His eyes went wide, his skin pale. For a second, I wondered if it was too much for him. But true to his nature, Baker plastered on his signature grin and winked at me.

“I love you, too,” he pledged. He tipped his head toward me and pressed his lips to mine. His touch ignited a fire within me and I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Easy,” he said again with a laugh. “We have plenty of time for that later. But if we don’t leave right now, we’re going to miss our reservation, and
that
would be a shame.”

He disentangled himself from my grasp, tightened his tie, and grabbed my hand to lead me back to the elevator outside our suite. The elevator ride was spent with me standing there, looking flushed and on fire while his thumb rubbed soothing circles across the top of my hand. Even when we weren’t speaking, he was comforting me.

By the time we reached the lobby, I was a mess, sighing almost continuously. This was the perfect getaway for us, no matter what came later. We would face our future, or lack thereof, with dignity and trust in each other. Love was going to change us both completely.