Chapter 4
Stella
“I can’t believe you brought your laptop,” Jordyn said as we sat on the plane.
“I have a paper due in a couple of days.”
“What are you going to do? Sit in the hotel room and study all weekend? This is our time to let loose and have some fun.” She reached over and closed my laptop.
“How much fun can we have on a plane? I’m using this time to finish my paper so I can let loose and have fun.” I opened my laptop.
“You never told me what happened yesterday when you had lunch with a few of the other nannies,” Jordyn said.
“That’s because you stumbled into the apartment at one a.m., and I was already asleep.” A smirk crossed my lips.
“My date with Greg went better than I thought it would.” She grinned. “So, tell me what they said.”
“Exactly what I said the day she fired me. She’s telling her rich, snobby friends that I stole from them, was hitting on her husband, and that I wanted to have sex with him.” I typed away on my computer.
“That bitch. I’d sue her for slander.”
“Like I can afford to hire an attorney. I can barely afford this trip. Tuition is due next month, and it’s going to take a chunk of my savings.”
“Well, this trip will take your mind off everything.”
“Unlikely.” I sighed.
We arrived in Vegas. As we were checking in, Jordyn hooked her arm around me.
“Don’t look, but Sawyer just walked in with that whore.”
“He brought her?” My belly sank.
“I guess so. You’re not going to let that bastard ruin your weekend or fun. Understand me?”
“Sure.” I rolled my eyes.
“Hey, Stella.” Sawyer walked over to where I stood.
“Why are you talking to her?” Jordyn cocked her head. “Step away, cockroach. Stella and I have a reputation to uphold.”
He shook his head and walked away. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“That’s my girl.” She winked.
We went up to our room, and Jordyn immediately changed into her bikini.
“What are you doing?” she asked as I sat on the bed with my laptop.
“I’m almost finished with my paper. You go and meet the girls down at the pool. I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes.”
“You better.” She pointed at me before leaving the room.
I finished my paper and submitted it to my professor. After changing into my bikini, I threw on my cover-up, slipped into my sandals, grabbed my bag, and left the hotel room. Walking down the long hallway, I realized I had gone the wrong way to the elevators.
“Shit,” I quietly spoke, turning around.
When I turned the corner, my body collided with another. As I stumbled back, his hand gripped my arm, and his phone hit the floor.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry.” I froze, staring into his blue eyes.
“It’s my fault. I was looking down at my phone. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I reached down and picked up his phone.
“Thanks. You didn’t have to do that. I could have picked it up.”
“You’re welcome. I ran into you. My fault.”
“We ran into each other.” The corners of his mouth curved into a sexy smile.
“I guess we did.” I grinned. “Are you staying here in this hotel?”
“I am. Why?”
“I’m turned around and can’t seem to find my way to the pool.”
His eyes raked over me from head to toe.
“Take this hallway down to the end, make a right, and take the elevator down to the ground level. You’ll see the pool when you step off.”
“Great. Thank you.” I bashfully smiled.
“You’re welcome?—”
“Stella.”
“You’re welcome, Stella. Have fun in the pool.”
“Thanks—” I cocked my head.
“Miles.”
“Thanks, Miles.”
I gripped the strap to my bag and slowly walked away from the six-foot-three strikingly handsome man—perfectly styled short dark hair, piercing blue eyes, and a ruggedly handsome face with a chiseled jawline that was accentuated by a well-maintained five o’clock shadow. Not only did his looks grip me, but also the scent that radiated from him—earthy, clean, masculine.
“Damn.” I shook my head as I stepped onto the elevator.
“It’s about time,” Jordyn said, patting the lounge chair next to her.
I said hi to Morgan and the other girls before sitting down.
“I got lost.”
“What do you mean?” Jordyn’s brows furrowed under her oversized sunglasses.
“I took a wrong turn.”
“You’re here now, and that’s all that matters. I ordered you a margarita.” She reached over to the table next to her and handed me the glass.
“Thanks.”
Reaching into my bag, I put on my sunglasses and stared at Sawyer and his new girlfriend as they stood in the water by the edge, drinking and having a conversation.
“I told him not to bring her,” Morgan said.
“It’s fine.” I sipped my drink. “He’s a loser anyway.”
“That’s my girl.” Jordyn grinned.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Miles, the man I bumped into. A smile crossed my lips, and Jordyn noticed.
“Why are you smiling?”
I didn’t want to tell her about him because I was positive I wouldn’t see him again.
“I’m just happy my paper is done, and now I can relax,” I said, glancing at her.
“That’s the spirit! We’re going to have so much fun this weekend.”
I saw Miles heading toward me as I sipped my margarita and took in the sun”s extreme heat. My belly flipped with nerves as he approached.
“I see you found the pool.” His handsome smile captivated me.
“I did.” I smiled as his eyes stared at my bikini-clad body.
“Good. Maybe I’ll see you around.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” I bit down on my bottom lip.
He walked away and down toward the other end of the pool, where he sat with another man and woman.
“Who the hell was that?” Jordyn asked as she slowly took down her sunglasses.
“His name is Miles. We bumped into each other when I was lost and trying to find the elevators to get to the pool.”
“And you didn’t mention him, why?” She cocked her head.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged.
“What is wrong with you?” She reached over and slapped my arm. “That man is gorgeous, and you couldn’t be bothered to tell me, your best friend, about your little encounter?”
“I forgot.”
“Bullshit. That’s why you were smiling. You were thinking about him.”
I rolled my eyes. “He is handsome, isn’t he?”
“Handsome is too kind a word. That man is fucking sexy.”
I looked down his way as he chatted with the guy sitting next to him. The woman they were with must have been the other guy’s girlfriend or wife.
“Come on, ladies. Let’s go back to our rooms, change, and play some slots before we head out later to the clubs,” Morgan said.
I really didn’t want to play slots because I couldn’t afford it, but if I didn’t, Jordyn would be up my ass.
We headed back to the room. I changed into a sundress, threw some cash, my license, and my phone into my small purse, and headed down to the casino. I wasn’t having any luck with the machine I was on, so I told Jordyn I was going to the other side to find a different machine.
“Go ahead. I’m doing pretty good. I’ll find you.” She smiled.
Sitting down at another machine that caught my attention, I put in a fifty-dollar bill and bet the minimum. Finally, I’d gotten the bonus and knew I was going to win. I could feel it.
“Oh, come on,” I said, as it wasn’t paying a penny.
When the bonus was completed, I looked at the winnings, which said zero. Twenty fucking spins, and I’d won nothing—zero, zilch, nada.
“You piece of shit!” I banged on the machine.
“I’m sure the casino wouldn’t appreciate you breaking their machine,” a low, rugged voice said from behind.
Turning around, Miles stood there with a smile. He took the seat next to me.
“Twenty spins, and I didn’t win a penny. That is bullshit. Total bullshit.”
He chuckled. “That’s the reason I only play the tables.”
“Well, I can’t afford to play the tables. Hell, I couldn’t even afford to put in the fifty dollars this machine stole from me.”
“Then why are you in Vegas?” he asked.
“Bachelorette party.” I sighed.