23. Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Morgan
I s it bad to be thankful divorce exists? Don’t get me wrong, I know that it sucks and ruins lives, but it’s just the way that I’ve always felt. Both my mom and my dad are way happier now than they would be if they were still married. They’re also far more emotionally stable, so that’s definitely something to be thankful for.
I’m also thankful to Walker’s ex-wife for letting him go because this is by far the best sex of my life. My statement that he had no idea how to use his gigantic cock was absolutely ludicrous and unfounded. Especially because it now seems like every time we take a trip to pound town, he’s trying to prove to me that he’s more than capable of wielding that thing.
Which he is.
Terrifyingly so.
And not only that, but the man seems to have the stamina of an energizer bunny. In the past two weeks, he’s given me more orgasms than all of my past hookups combined. By the time he even thinks about coming, I’ve already had at least two of my own, sometimes more depending on how much time we have. We just can’t seem to get enough of each other, like our bodies have this insatiable itch that’s never quite scratched.
Unfortunately, I doubt that itch is going to be scratched this weekend because Claire has put all seven of us in the same hotel room. We just made it to reception at our bougie Las Vegas hotel and they handed us each a key for the same penthouse. I mean technically there are four separate bedrooms, but still, there’s no way I’m waltzing into Walker’s room with my nosy best friends in the same place. I’m horny, but not that horny.
When we make it to the top floor, Claire is practically vibrating with excitement. She hasn’t told anyone the plan, but based on the matching velour sweatsuits for the girls, and the flight which included all of us in first class, I have no doubt it’s going to be over the top.
“Get ready for the best weekend of our lives,” Claire beams, jumping up and down when the personal butler opens the white marble door to the penthouse.
As the chairman of the Me First Movement, I shoot past everyone and take in the new digs. The suite is five times the size of my rental and looks more like something out of a luxury travel magazine than the location of a rowdy bachelor-bachelorette party. There’s a full bar to one side, plush sofas in the middle, and what appears to be a game room equipped with a pool table to the other.
“Holy shit,” I breathe out, taking in the best part of the entire suite—a panoramic view of the Las Vegas strip.
“You think it’s okay?” Claire asks, following behind me. “They didn’t have the biggest penthouse available, so you and Caroline are sharing a room. But there are two beds, don’t worry.”
I glance back at Beau. He’s looking at me with the same incredulous expression, and I know without a doubt that he has the same thought—Claire is absolutely insane.
“Oh, well if the biggest penthouse isn’t available, I don’t want it,” Walker deadpans, pushing his sleeves up his corded forearms.
Damn him and his delicious tattoos, they’re more distracting than the shimmering crystal chandelier hanging above me from the forty-foot ceiling.
Beau tosses his meaty arm around Walker’s shoulder, pulling him toward the game room. “I’m gonna kick your ass in pool.”
“No!” Claire yells. “You’re going to stay right here and help me decorate until I say you can go play.”
Beau grumbles something under his breath which makes Walker’s lips twitch.
“Maybe Beau and Walker should share a room instead,” she jokes, joining me at the window.
“Seriously though,” she continues, nudging me with her elbow, “is this okay? Your face is kind of making me nervous right now. I can totally ask Walker to take the pullout if you want your own room.”
Her question is so ridiculous that I can’t help but laugh. Sometimes she’s so out of touch with reality, and I love her to death for that. This is the nicest place I’ve ever stayed, and probably will ever stay. Even if I had to share a room with the devil incarnate himself, Parker Winters, I wouldn’t complain.
“It’s perfect, Claire,” I promise, glancing over to the boys who are arguing over pool sticks. “Let’s put these assholes to work. I doubt Caroline can entertain them for much longer.”
The youngest Winters sibling was tasked with distracting Parker and Cassidy at the hotel bar while we got everything ready in the suite. In a city known for its entertainment, I would think keeping the two guests of honor busy would be easy, but I sat next to Caroline on the plane, and she seemed almost depressed. Her headphones were on for the entire flight, and I could tell that the last thing she wanted to do was talk. I’ve resolved to make her a cocktail while we’re getting ready for dinner because if anyone can get her to open up, it’s me.
“Where do you want this one?” the bellman asks, wheeling an oversized suitcase that looks to be part of Claire’s matching ten-piece set through the double doors.
She squeals. “Right there, please. Those are the decorations.”
Considering how much money she spent on the reservation, I have no clue why she didn’t just pay someone to decorate, but I bite my tongue—it’s Claire’s world and we’re just living in it.
***
“ O kay, but like would you be DNR or full code?” I ask Caroline as I’m lining her eyelid with lash glue.
We’ve spent the past thirty minutes doing our makeup together in the opulent bathroom, and I have to admit, I think she’s way cooler than I initially pegged her to be. She really is a mix of her siblings—she has the serious, unapproachability of her brother from the outside, but once you talk to her, she’s soft and curious, just like her sister.
“Considering the success rate of resuscitation is less than twenty percent for perfectly healthy people, just let me die. I’ve lived a good life. I don’t want to go out with cracked ribs.”
I laugh, trying to hold my hand steady while the fake eyelash sets. “I totally agree and would like to officially petition you to become an ER doctor so that we can work together one day.”
She blinks a few times, testing my work. “I have no idea what I want to do. Right now it’s just lectures and nonstop studying. I’m honestly glad I could even get away for the weekend.”
Standing from the velvet vanity stool, she walks to the mirror with the poise of a runway model to inspect her finished makeup. I’ve been fully dressed for a while, but Caroline seems to be waffling on what to wear because she’s still in a plush towel. I would offer to let her borrow something, but she’s legitimately six feet tall, and I think all of my dresses would look more like shirts on her.
I try to mind my business and search my travel case for my Dior lip stain, but out of the corner of my eye I see her open her phone. Her high cheekbones seem to sag as she reads a text, her throat swallowing harshly.
I don’t have the best vision because I refuse to wear my glasses, but my eyes catch on several choice words in the ridiculously long message—words that I would never even think to say to someone else.
“Everything okay?” I ask, trying to act casual as my attention snaps back to the mirror.
Don’t be suspicious.
Caroline sighs and locks her phone, plastering a fake smile onto her face. “Just my boyfriend.”
“Oooooo,” I tease excitedly, though I feel my pulse pound because if a man ever called me a whore in a non-sexual way, I would lose my shit. I don’t know who her boyfriend is, but he just became public enemy number one. “Do tell. Please say he’s not a doctor . . . no offense.”
She huffs a fake laugh. “Barely—he’s a radiology resident at UH. ”
The old me would commensurate with her and recite the old adage of the four Ps, but that would just be hypocritical given my situationship with Walker. So I just grimace and say, “Want me to key his car?”
Her head cocks like she’s not sure if I’m serious, but her smile grows more genuine. “I can see why Claire likes you.”
“I’m small, but I’m mighty,” I reply, giving her a look that hopefully conveys that I am, indeed, very serious.
She might not be my sister, but she’s important to someone I love, which automatically makes her important to me. I suddenly feel incredibly protective of her, like I want to take her under my wing and give her the best possible weekend so that she forgets about her asshole boyfriend.
“Let’s go,” I add, grabbing her hand in mine. “We’re gonna get you dressed, take a million sexy pictures before dinner for the spank bank, and then accidentally airdrop them to hot guys this weekend. Because what’s the number one rule of Team Daddies?”
Caroline’s midnight-blue eyes swirl with suppressed amusement under the crystal chandelier above her head. “What?”
“Do it for the plot.”
***
O ne hour, and one hundred iPhone pictures of the girls later, the entire crew gathered at the massive marble dining table in our penthouse as a private chef served us a six-course meal. Rather than gawking, I decided to embrace my rich girl era and pretend like I belong here.
More caviar? Obviously.
Bottomless Dom Perignon? Keep pouring, baby.
This is the kind of life I could get used to.
Even though we still have no idea what the plan is, Claire gave us guidance on what to pack each day. Tonight all of the girls were required to wear short black dresses while Cass wore white. I have no idea what she told the guys but they’re dressed almost identically, all wearing dark slacks and a white button down. If someone had their drunk goggles on, we might be mistaken for a group of dominoes.
“You’re part of the dead parents club too, right?” Claire asks as we finish off the dessert course.
The question almost makes me spit out my Baked Alaska, and I look up from my plate to see her staring directly at Walker. She’s already super tipsy from the champagne that’s been flowing all evening—if there’s one thing Claire Winters can’t handle other than social cues, it’s her alcohol.
Caroline’s ocean-blue eyes widen in horror. She looks to her brother for backup, but he’s deep in conversation with Beau and Cassidy across the table.
“You can’t just ask people that,” she scolds, tucking her straightened dark hair behind her ear like she’s uncomfortable.
“What?” Claire shrugs her shoulders. “It’s not rude if it’s true.”
Walker’s lips twitch with amusement. “And how do you know it’s true?”
She giggles and narrows her eyes on me. “ Someone spilled the beans.”
I shoot daggers at her, feeling a nervous flush creep over my cheeks.
I know I said that I love my friend, but I’m very close to wringing her long, skinny neck .
She was complaining about being an orphan tonight, so I casually mentioned that she should talk to Walker about it, not thinking anything of it. But now I immediately recognize my mistake and am further validated in my decision not to tell her about our little arrangement—she would be incorrigible.
“Did they now?” Walker asks from my periphery, his tone husky and low. “So you’ve been talking about me, little devil?”
I swallow, glancing over at him briefly. “Only the worst things.”
His laugh rumbles through my body and settles directly between my legs, causing me to shift in my velvet chair.
“Ahem.” I signal the rest of the group because I need something to distract me from Walker’s unrelenting focus. “Claire was just about to tell us what the plan for the weekend is.”
The diversion works like a charm because Claire perks up, waving off our conversation with an airy flick of her hand, her tipsy smile wide. She’s been itching to divulge the full schedule all day, but insisted that we wait until after dinner for some reason.
“Right,” she exclaims, nearly knocking over her flute of champagne. “I figured tonight everyone could decide between a chill evening in, or the hotel casino since tomorrow is a packed day. Starting at eight, we have breakfast in our suite followed by a group exercise class at nine. We need to release all of the toxins before the afternoon pool party.”
I glance over at Cass to gauge her reaction to the plan. She’s sitting on her fiancé’s lap, looking incredibly content as he rubs her back—I honestly don’t know if she’s even listening.
“After the pool,” Claire continues, leaning forward like she’s sharing a secret, even though she’s addressing the whole group. Her wild curls sweep over her face, partially obscuring the massive grin on her face. “We have pizza being delivered for dinner to help us sober up while we get ready for a special VIP show at nine. Then we’re just going to bar hop and see where the night takes us.”
“Hell yeah,” Beau whoops, draining the rest of his champagne in one glug. “I hope it takes us to pound town.”
Lines of tension bracket Parker’s mouth, and he looks like he’s debating wringing his friend’s neck. “I’m going to take you to pound town if you keep talking about the shit you do with my sister.”
“Which sister?” Beau winks, deciding to dig his grave a little deeper.
“Not Carol. She has a boyfriend. Don’t you baby sister?”
Claire must have conspired with Beau to get under everyone’s skin tonight because they’re making their way around the table at a rapid-fire pace.
Caroline’s porcelain face turns even more pale.“Claire. Stop.”
“What?” she laughs, innocently looking at her sister. “It’s not like brother dearest will care. Your boy toy doesn’t even work at our hospital.”
Claire must not know what’s going on with her sister because there’s no way that she would bring him up if she did. They bicker and have their issues, but she would never support a toxic relationship like that.
“Speaking of toys,” I pipe up, changing the subject and looking at my best friend. “I left a few early wedding presents on your bed. Just wait until you get home to use them, please. Our room is right next door.”
Cassidy’s cheeks flush as I wink at her, and I hear Claire pretend to gag from across the table.
“I’m suddenly feeling a little tired.” Cass lets out a teasing yawn and kisses Parker on the cheek. “Want to head to bed early?”
“Oh my god, gross,” Claire groans, pushing back her chair so aggressively that it almost topples over. “Well, I’m going to the casino. Maybe I’ll win some earplugs.”
Parker rolls his eyes but there’s a reluctant smile tugging at his lips, the love he has for his sister overshadowing her never-ending teasing.
Beau grins as he stands and wraps his girlfriend in his beefy arms. “I’m going wherever you go, pretty girl.”
I finally gather the nerves to peek at Walker, curious about his plans now that the group is dispersing. He’s been silently watching like a bystander, and I wonder if he’s had enough of our antics for the day. I wouldn’t blame him—we can be a lot, and I already forced him to explore the strip before we got ready for dinner.
“You wanna go?” I ask quietly.
His dark eyes flare with something unreadable, boring into me like a knife. “That depends.”
I shift, suddenly feeling like we’re the only two people in the room. He has a way of doing that—capturing my focus so that all I see is him.
“Depends on what?”
He leans in, his voice so low that only I can hear it. “What are my odds of getting lucky?”
A dangerous prickle of arousal creeps down my spine. “I’d put all of my money on it.”