Chapter 10
Riggs
I throw on my slacks and dress shirt as quickly as I can, needing to get the hell out of the room before I barge into the bathroom and kiss Zoe senseless. My head knows it’s wrong of me to pursue her, but my heart doesn’t care. It’s greedy and want to claim her. When Zoe is around, I feel like the man I would have been if I hadn't gotten Gretchen pregnant at seventeen and been forced to marry her. Nevertheless, I can’t regret my life with Gretchen. I’ll never consider my daughter a mistake. Calla is the best part of my life. She’s also the number one reason it’s wrong for me to want Zoe.
Once I’m downstairs, I head straight for the jewelry store next to the front desk. The glass fa?ade and signature backlit black font, along with the security guard at the entrance, hint at the expensiveness of the elegant store. It doesn’t matter. I want to lavish Zoe with gifts this weekend. She deserves the very best.
The woman behind the counter looks up, smiling politely when I enter. “How may I assist you?”
My phone buzzes with an unknown number, but I ignore the call. “I need something for a very special woman.” Grinning, I picture Zoe’s face when she gets such an extravagant gift from me. Women love jewelry. That’s one of the main things I learned from being married for eleven years. Well, one of the few positive things.
The woman raises an eyebrow. “Engagement ring special?”
“More like earrings and a cocktail ring. We’re not having the marriage discussion yet.” Yet? What am I saying?
The saleswoman pulls out a ring consisting of three intertwined bands. “This is our Trinity band. It’s made up of white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold. She could wear it with everything. The three bands signify fidelity, friendship, and love. We also have earrings that match.”
“Perfect. I’ll take the ring and the earrings.” I try not to think too hard about what trinity bands represent, and why I want Zoe to wear one.
She nods. “What size do you need for the ring?”
I pull the ring I took from Zoe’s bag earlier and hand it to the saleswoman. “She wears this on her right ring finger sometimes.” I noticed it the first time we met because of the unique purple stone.
The sales woman nods, taking the band from me to size. While I wait, I look around the store. I can’t help but linger on the engagement rings, imagining what it would feel like to buy one. Gretchen didn’t get a diamond until my endorsements rolled in, and I made the big bucks. By that time, we’d been married for six years, and were already growing apart. She picked what she wanted and charged it to me. I only learned about her new bling when she showed up wearing it at dinner that night. I’ve never actually proposed to anyone. Hell, I’ve never really wanted to be married.
“Sir?”
I turn toward the saleswoman, pushing away thoughts of my former life. “Yes?”
She holds up a red bag with discreet gold lettering. “Your purchase is ready.”
“Thank you for all your help.”
“It was my pleasure, Mr. Malone.”
I try not to cringe when she says that. Mr. Malone is my father and he’s long gone. No one calls me that. Ever.
Checking my phone I see that less than an hour has passed, so I decide to stop at one of the tables to play a little blackjack while I wait. The last thing I want is to go back up to the room and find Zoe in a state of undress. I’d be far too tempted to do the less honorable thing that I’m trying to keep myself from doing.
An hour later, I stand outside of my hotel room $500 richer. My palms are so sweaty I have to wipe them on my pants. Why am I this nervous? You’d think this was my first date. In some ways, I guess it is. It’s definitely the first one that has mattered in quite some time.
When Zoe opens the door, I inhale in a sharp breath. She’s a far cry from the college girl in cutoffs that I picked up at the airport. No. She’s all woman. This dress proves that. In fact, it’s almost as if the world stops while I drink in the sight of Zoe. I never understood that cliché until this moment. The curve hugging dress accentuates all the best parts of her. The garment might be simple, but it fits like a glove, highlighting the fact that Zoe is the most exquisite woman I’ve ever seen.
Her long hair flows down her back, making my hands itch to tug it from behind. Add in the fact that her lips are blood red, and I can’t help but imagine them wrapped around my cock, staining my shaft crimson. Fuck me. I’m in trouble.
“You look beautiful.” I hate how that’s the adjective I chose. Beautiful. There has to be a better word to describe the goddess before me, yet as I wrack my brain, I come up empty. All I know is she’s literal perfection.
She smiles. “You do too.” Her cheeks turn pink when she realizes what she said. “I’m mean, you look handsome.”
I twirl my finger. “Spin for me.”
She does what I ask, revealing the low-cut back of her dress. All I can see is smooth, golden skin that longs to be caressed. My cock thumps against my thigh. How am I supposed to resist a woman that was seemingly created from my fantasies and brought to life?
I hold the bag out to her when she turns back around. “This is for you.”
“Oh, Riggs. You shouldn’t have.” She covers her mouth with her hand.
I ignore the fact that she’s not good at accepting gifts. That’s something we can fix later. Right now, I want to see her face light up when she sees her new treasures. “Open it.”
She steps aside, and I follow her into the room, watching as she opens the bag, pulling out the earrings first. She replaces the ones she’s wearing with the new ones, squealing with delight the entire time. Then she pulls out the ring box. I suddenly wish it was one of those engagement rings. What the hell? That’s crazy.
“Thank you,” she gushes, slipping the ring on her finger.
“You deserve beautiful things.” I shake my head. Of all the things running through my mind, I had to choose the most idiotic of them all to say out loud. What the fuck is wrong with me? I’m a grown man, for god’s sake, and here I am stumbling on words like a teenage boy with his first crush.
I extend my elbow to her. “Ready?”
She nods, slipping her arm through mine.
Once inside the elevator, I realize how tall she is next to me and look down at her feet. The fuck me heels she wears make her legs look a mile long, but they can’t be comfortable. “I made reservations across the street. It’s a beautiful night, but we can take a car if your shoes are too uncomfortable.”
She smiles. “I think I can make it across the street.”
“It’s farther than it looks.” Everything in Vegas is farther than it looks.
“I can handle it,” she assures me.
My phone buzzes with that same unknown number from earlier. I hit decline, not wanting anything to interrupt my night with Zoe. This time, they leave a message, and I read the transcript. “Do you know someone named Jules?”
She pales. “Why?”
“She just called and wants me to call her back. Says it’s about you.” I don’t tell her that I got a call before I picked her up at the airport from Stone, wondering if I knew where she was.
“That’s my mom.” Her voice is quiet, and I’m not sure if she’s going to cry or not.
“Maybe you should call her.” I try to keep my tone neutral. The last thing she needs is me bossing her around. She’s an adult. Her family may not treat her as such, but I’ll be damned if I speak to her like she’s a child.
“I can’t.” The panicky sound of her voice triggers my protective instincts.
“Baby, I have a daughter, and if she ran off and I couldn’t get ahold of her, I’d have a heart attack from panicking. You need to call her. I’ll be right here with you.”
She bites her lip, keeping her eyes trained on her feet.
Not wanting to see her cry, I decide not to press her further. “I’ll call her to let her know you’re okay.”
Her eyes shoot to mine, and she visibly relaxes. “Thank you.”
I nod, waiting for her mom to answer my call.
“Riggs? Is Zoe with you?” A panicked voice that sounds eerily similar to Zoe’s asks.
“She’s with me and she’s safe.” I add that last part because, as a parent, I know that’s what her mother worries about most.
“I need to talk to her.” Her words come out tight, like she’s trying hard to hold it together.
As much as I want Zoe to talk to her mom, I’m not about to do something that will upset her. What she needs most right now is my support. “I’m not sure that’s the best idea. Like I said, she’s safe and will be home in a few days.”
“My husband and I are coming out tomorrow.” She leaves no room for argument. “We’ll arrive at 10:45 in the morning. I expect you and Zoe to meet us somewhere.” This woman no longer sounds sweet. In fact, she seems downright terrifying.
“We can meet for lunch at noon. I’ll text you where we’ll be.” The last thing I want to do is make trouble for Zoe and her mom.
“Please, let me talk to her.” I can hear her heartbreak over the phone, and it’s enough to make me give in.
Zoe shakes her head no when I try to hand her the phone.
“Just tell her you’re okay. You owe her that.” I give her a look I’ve perfected over the years with Calla. The one that says I mean business, and if she doesn’t do what I say, there will be hell to pay.
She takes the phone, shooting me a dirty look. “Mom?” I can’t hear exactly what her mother says, but it’s loud enough that I know she’s shouting. “Stop. . . I’m not a child. . . You can’t do that. . . Fine!” She ends the call and shoves my phone back at me.
I text her mom where to meet us tomorrow and then turn off my phone. “Let’s forget about everyone else. Tonight belongs to you and me.”
She grips my lapel, pulling me close. “Then for tonight, pretend you want me just as much as I want you.” There’s no mistaking the desperation in her voice.
I grip her hips, pulling her flush against me. “I don’t have to pretend. You’re all I’ve wanted from the second I first saw you.”
To hell with doing the noble thing. I cover her mouth with mine. If all we have is tonight, I’m not going to waste one second.