Chasing His Bride

1. Amber

“Vegas, baby,” Bree yells. Popping her head out of the car roof, she waves enthusiastically as if she’s a famous personality, before unleashing a loud yell at a group of guys we drive past.

Unfortunately, telling them where we are staying.

Bree’s the extrovert of the group. Regardless of that, she works as a nanny for the children of a high-profile businessman in London, and she needs to let her hair down as much as the rest of us.

Not because of the children, but their father. The less said about that grump, the better.

But when Bree is around, anything can go wrong and with her brilliant ideas—I lie—it’s the worst flipping idea I’ve ever heard. All because Bree, in her wisdom, has upped the ante for this trip.

A one thousand pounds bet on who can do the craziest thing on holiday.

“And as you three are failing spectacularly on the bet, you need to think about how you’re going to grab that grand back from me,” Bree says.

Without a doubt, Bree is the clear winner. Charlie and I wouldn’t stand a chance of doing anything as crazy as she did with the flight attendant in the toilets—gross—on the flight from LA to Vegas.

Bree, being the silliest and most competitive of the group, chose this bet with all intentions of winning. And that’s the reason I’ve mentally transferred the money into her bank account already.

“Are you looking forward to going home?” Charlie asks me while Bree goes back to her antics on the roof of the car.

I’m in the US because I took a year off work in London when I wanted to find my American father. And although my experience of living abroad for a year has been fantastic. I worked with some wonderful people while here, but my father doesn’t wish to be found. And that hurts.

“Of course.” I try to hide that I’m devastated that I couldn’t find him, but I’ve still loved every second of being here.

It’s now time to go home, and I wanted to end my time in the US having a vacation with my UK friends, too. I’m so happy they agreed. We’ve spent one week in Los Angeles. Next is Vegas, and I hope the five days here and then three days in New York are going to top off a fantastic trip—and the end of my American adventure.

Las Vegas would never be my choice for a vacation. Truthfully, I’d prefer to fly to the Bahamas, but my US colleague Sophie invited me to Las Vegas for a bachelorette party for her cousin, Piper.

Hence why we are currently traveling down the Strip.

“How on earth do we beat a mile-high blow job?” Jade asks. “Would sex on the ground beat that?”

Charlie and I would never beat Bree’s mile-high blow job, but Jade—she’s definitely going to try to.

I shake my head. “It would have to be somewhere crazy or public if it were.”

“Striptease on a bar top, or running naked down the strip or through a casino,” Bree says and laughs out loud, her head rearing back. She knows she has this. “You need to forget the bet. I have it in the bag.”

“Don’t spend the money yet.” Jade arches a well-groomed eyebrow. “It isn’t over.”

“Isn’t it?” Bree laughs. “Anyway, we’re nearly there. It’s time to have some fun. My boss gave me a bonus and I’m going to blow it at the casino.”

“Nice. My boss told me to have a pleasant time,” I say.

“Mine told me to make sure he wears a condom,” Jade says, wiggling her eyebrows.

I giggle at that.

“We have the same boss,” Charlie tells Jade.

“Mm. He obviously doesn’t think much of my ability to keep my panties on.” Jade sighs and shakes her head at Charlie as Bree pops her head back out of the roof of the car and continues with her antics.

I know innocent-looking Jade with her honey blonde hair and big hazel-colored eyes has a wild side. Her darker side coming out after a few drinks.

She told me once what she did for extra cash, nothing sexual, but she took some risks.

Then there’s Charlie, who is much younger than me, at only twenty-two years old, and a personal assistant for the same legal company I’ll go back to working for as a divorce lawyer when I return to London.

“What time are we meeting your friends, Amber?” Charlie asks.

“We’re meeting Sophie, Piper, and their friends later,” I reply. “Their flight gets into Vegas later this evening.”

“Good. I need a shower and a nap,” Charlie says.

I agree. There’s no chance I’m going out without a shower, especially after flying economy.

“We need to dump our bags and get to the casinos,” Bree says, dipping her head back into the car. “We don’t have the time for sleeping in Vegas.”

“No, I’m having a shower,” I retort. Bree crawls back into the car as it pulls into the hotel grounds. “Okay, why don’t we have a quick drink and then we’ll check in?”

“One quick drink,” I say. I could actually do with a nap myself, but maybe a drink will calm Bree down, and she’ll fall asleep when we get to the room.

“I’ll get the margaritas,” Bree says, dragging her suitcase out of the car.

As the bellboy collects the suitcases, the clatter of the wheels on the trolley echoes through the lobby. Jade and I watch them being taken away.

“We need to check in soon. Otherwise, those suitcases will disappear,” Jade says, “and I have designer clothes in there.”

“Margaritas!” Bree shrills from the door, curling her finger to hurry us along.

“I’ll get these. Come with me, Bree,” Jade says. Not only is she a lawyer, but she’s also a trust fund baby, making her undeniably the wealthiest among my friends.

We casually walk into the bar, greeted by the dim lighting and the aroma of alcohol and cigarettes.

Charlie and I settle onto the barstools encircling an elevated table.

“Can I tell you something? But please don’t tell Bree,” she says.

“Oh, of course, tell me anything.”

Nervously, she chews on her bottom lip for a moment, before leaning forward and whispering, “I’m a virgin. And I know I’m never going to win this bet without sleeping with someone.”

My eyes widen, taken aback by that. “You don’t have to sleep with someone. Sleeping with someone is pretty crazy, but not necessarily the reason to win the bet.”

With her gaze down-turned, Charlie nods.

I curve my hand around my mouth and whisper, “I thought you were an escort.”

“I was, but I didn’t sleep with my clients,” she says, eyes wide. “And I’ve been offered so much more than one thousand pounds for my virginity.” She shrugs her shoulders. “But it’s not for sale, and I’m certainly not losing it for a bet.”

“And so you shouldn’t,” I say. “Escorting … How did you get into it?”

“University. A few of my friends did it. One even ended up marrying one of her clients.”

“Really?” My voice is full of surprise.

“Yeah, Lily. She’s really good friends with Jade and Ava. They all studied together. According to another friend, Sarah, she didn’t realize it at the time, but he’d been stalking her for two years.” She laughs and shakes her head. “It sounds sinister, but he was totally obsessed with her.”

“She fell in love with her stalker?” I shake my head as I think about that.

“Yeah, I know crazy, isn’t it? Anyway, I got used to the escorting money, but after one disastrous incident, I gave it up.” My eyebrows furrow. She nods at Jade. “She saved me.”

I rub my palm over the back of her hand as I consider asking for more information. “If you need to talk more about what happened, I’m here for you.”

“Thanks, but I prefer to bury it. One day I’ll be ready to talk about it … I think.”

“Okay. I’m a good listener when you do.” I knew Charlie was an escort, but I didn’t think it ended like that. Nobody but Jade has a clue, and I’m more surprised Jade kept it to herself. “I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have agreed to the bet. Bree was always going to win.”

Jade balances three glasses in her hands before she tentatively places them on the table. “Bree won’t win,” she blurts.

I glance at the bar to see Bree talking to the barman. “What were we thinking, though, a thousand pounds?” I mutter.

Jade shrugs her shoulders. “It’s only money.”

“For you,” I say.

“You’re a lawyer too, and you earn more than me,” she argues.

“One, I’ve spent a fortune living here and two, I don’t have a healthy trust fund propping my salary up,” I retort.

Jade rolls her eyes. I hate that money is nothing to her.

Bree comes back to the table with a massive grin plastered across her face. I arch my eyebrow, waiting, because I know she has something to say.

“Spit it out,” I say, knowing she is up to something. It’s how Bree likes to play it. Pulling you in, waiting for you to be desperate to know.

“The barman is gorgeous,” she says.

I glance over her head and meet the gaze of a gorgeous, dark-haired man who is with his three rowdy friends. I’m sure he gives me a small smile. I return his smile with one of my own just as Bree interrupts my staring.

“Why don’t we start again? Whoever bags the barman wins the bet.”

Charlie looks concerned when she glances over Bree’s beautiful red head at the man. I follow her gaze to see the floppy-haired, very young barman. And yes, he has an amazing body. His tight white top pulls across his muscular chest and his face is boyish and cute.

I shake my head. “Nope, you think he’s gorgeous, but he isn’t my type.”

There’s no way I am falling for Bree and her antics. It’s likely she’s already hooked up with him and wants to know she won the bet outright.

“Nobody is your type,” Bree argues. “You need to loosen up. When was the last time you dated?”

“The last time someone took me for a ride,” I bite because it’s not a topic I’m interested in discussing.