Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 38541 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 193(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38541 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 193(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
“Let me spoil you while we spend the day together.”
And he does. We spend the day making love, eating and playing in the pool. It’s utter perfection. I want to pout when the sun starts to set, the Vegas breeze adding a chill to the air.
“Don’t pout, kitten. We can do this any day you want to. Besides, I must have exhausted you by now,” he teases, pulling me up from where I’m lying and slipping my dress back on over my head.
“I think you’ve built up my endurance. I may soon surpass you, and what will you do then?”
“Let you ride me while I just lie back and take whatever you want to work out of me.”
“Yeah, right,” I laugh as he pulls me toward the elevators.
“I need to grab something from the front desk. You want to come with, or would you like me to stop on our floor?”
“I’ll come,” I say, nuzzling myself closer to him.
When we hit the bottom floor, the crowds part, moving out of his way just like normal. When everyone first started seeing us together they would openly stare, not used to seeing Charles with a woman. It was even startling to see him dote on one like he does me. He’d often pull me into his lap at company meetings or at one of the restaurants. I was a little uncomfortable with all the stares at first, but I’m thinking a company email went out or something because people seem to look the other way when we pass now.
When we reach the entryway, I see Stella arguing with one of the people at the front desk.
“Stella? Is everything okay?” I panic thinking something might be wrong. I’d left my phone in the room with no way for anyone to get in touch with me. I look around but don’t see Aaron or Justin anywhere, and they’re normally two feet behind her. I look over and see one of the security guards who works at the Cortez Casino standing a little ways back from her.
“Mandy! They wouldn’t tell me where you were.” She shoots a glare at the front desk clerk who looks to Charles for help. He just shrugs his shoulders.
I break away from Charles’s hand and I feel him tighten it a little before he finally lets go. I go over to Stella and give her a hug. “I’m here. Is everything okay? The baby? The guys?” She looks over at Charles, and I see a spark of something in her eyes.
“No, they’re fine. I just wanted to talk to you. I didn’t have your number so I knew I’d just have to come here.” She’s distressed, and I can tell something is wrong.
“You seem upset.” I squeeze her shoulders and try to show her some comfort.
“I am. I just want to talk to you for a minute. I kind of ran out on the guys when they told me something.”
“Let’s go over here and chat.” I point to an empty table that sits in front of one of the coffee shops.
She throws Charles a glare before making her way to the table. I start to follow her, but Charles grabs my arm, pulling me to look at him.
“Charles, I have to go. She’s my family.”
“I know, I just…” He runs his finger across the collar on my neck. “I’ll be right over here if you need me.”
“I know.” Reaching up on my tip toes, I give him a chaste kiss on the lips. “Order us dinner to the room. When I’m done talking to Stella I’m going to crash.”
He gives me a worried look but nods, and finally lets me go. I make my way over to Stella and join her at the metal table.
“So, how’d you give them the slip?” I ask curiously.
“Oh, I’m sure they’re close, letting me think I got the slip.”
I laugh at her undoubtedly true statement. “What happened?”
“Well, I kept asking them about you because your cell phone kept going to voicemail. I didn’t have any idea where you were and you never called. I knew they would know where you were.”
I cringe a little, feeling bad that I never contacted her after the auction. That was selfish. “I’m sorry. I got so caught up in Charles, and everything has just sort of slipped my mind.” I expect her to smile at my words, but all I see is sadness. “Stella, you’re starting to freak me out.”
She rubs her hands over her eyes before continuing. “I was getting worried and I kept asking them to find out where you were. I was pushing. When it didn’t work, I used some waterworks to get them to crack.”
“Shocking.”
Rolling her eyes, she pushes on. “They told me you were with Charles Townsend, and I remembered the name. A while back I remember them saying he was the man who bid on me against them, and that he had something against Justin. I also heard them say they didn’t understand why Charles wanted to take them down. This all happened so long ago that I’d thought nothing of it until they said he bought you. Not only that, but they were there when he did it! I can’t believe they would do that, just let him take you.”
Her words seem to rain down on me. Each one a blow to my heart. Charles said he’d do anything to have something he wanted. Maybe using me was a means to achieve something. That this all was just another move in a game he was playing with my brothers. One I thought I’d made up in my head. One he told me wasn’t happening. That he had no vendetta against them.
“What does he have on them? What does he want?” I can’t help but ask. What was so important that he’d rip my heart out like this? That he’d work so hard to get close to me? And for what? To use me against them? I told him about my past, something I’d never even told anyone. How could I be so stupid? Everything he’s done for me, with me, it was all so perfect. I should have known a man could never be that perfect. It was all an act.