Chapter 2
Two
Hannah
“That’s a hell of a way to cool off.”
Sean’s sexy, gravely, voice curls around me, and sends a shiver down my spine. I inhale a deep breath, smelling the scent of the peonies blooming nearby, and try to mask the effect he has on me before turning around.
“I guess I’m one for creativity.”
“That so?”
Shrugging a shoulder all nonchalant in response, I wade past the floating water lilies and lotus flowers.
A gold and white Koi flips, and a giggle escapes my mouth when its fins tickle my leg.
My eyes flit to Sean’s as he stands off to the side, watching me; jet-black hair pulled into a man-bun and hands tucked deep into the pockets of his custom-tailored tux.
I never thought a man to be beautiful.
Handsome? Yes. Hot? Absolutely.
But beautiful? Not until him.
My attraction to him is dangerous. Lucifer was known to be the most beautiful angel, and looking at Sean Mac standing here in this garden, I definitely understand why Eve took that bite.
His eyes rake over me, and my pulse hammers so rapidly I swear he can see it dancing beneath the skin at the base of my throat.
“What brings you out here, Sean?”
“Fresh air.”
The music from inside the wedding venue grows louder—clearer—then muffles again as if someone stepped outside. Sean casts a glance over his shoulder before his gaze travels back to mine.
“Want to join me?”
“In the water?” He asks. “Hard pass.”
Amused, I laugh at him staring at me in disgust. “Oh, come on now. You’re not scared of a little, bitty fish, are you?”
“A little fish is the least of my worries, don’t you think?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m out here alone with Luke Jenkins’ daughter while trying my damnedest to get in his good graces.”
Releasing an exasperated sigh, I roll my eyes. “Good graces are overrated. Live a little. The last time I checked, your hand wasn’t up my dress. I think you’ll be alright.”
Dang it. Why do you have to be so freaking awkward when he’s around?
“What made you look at this fountain and say to yourself, ‘Hmm . . . think I’ll go for a swim’?”
“Okay, now that’s a stretch. I’m wading, not swimming. And I have no idea.” I quietly laugh at myself, shaking my head. “One minute I was following the trickling sound of water, and the next, I was in the middle of this fountain. Haven’t you ever heard the phrase, Carpe diem?”
“You’re different.”
“Different how?” I look back at him, confused.
He tips his head toward a sign posted on the dry-stone wall surrounding the garden. “Didn’t take you for the type to break rules so blatantly.”
Protect Our Koi Ecosystem:
No Swimming, Wading, Or Tossing Coins
“Ah. Yes. Well . . . rules are made to be broken, aren’t they, Mac?”
“Yeah,” he says, his brown eyes shining under the Edison lights hanging above the blooms. “I guess they are.”
“Try to behave when I’m gone,” I say, slipping out of the water and picking up my heels before Aspen ends up in trouble with the venue. “Actually, you know what? Don’t. It’s more fun that way.”
“Where are you going?” he asks when I walk toward the exit.
“I’m off to break more rules.”
Pausing, I glance over my shoulder, then turn around to face him.
The hem of my dress falls to the ground and pools around my feet as I fold my arms against my chest. With the night still young, I don’t really care to go back to the hotel alone.
I want to explore Las Vegas, and this broody bastard looks like he could use some fun.
“Sean Mac . . . are you looking to get into a little trouble tonight?”
“Trouble found me the minute I found you.”
“Oh, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. I have an entire night ahead of me. You in?” I tilt my head, nodding in the direction of the wooden gate that leads to the parking lot.
When he doesn’t respond or make a move to come with me, I turn and start down the path toward the exit alone. Lavender brushes against the back of my hand, and the faint trickle of water begins to fade out in the distance as I make my way through the garden.
“What’s the plan?” Sean asks, jogging up behind me.
Collecting myself, I close my eyes, then cast a glance over my shoulder with a smile.
“You’ll have to wait and see,” I say, my voice portraying more confidence than I actually feel. “But first, I need to stop by my hotel room so I can change out of this dress.”
After a quiet thirty-minute drive to the city, and a stop by the hotel to change, we stare up at the tallest tower in Las Vegas.
“The Strat . . . sky jumping . . . uh . . .”
“I tried to convince the girls to do it yesterday, but none of them wanted to. I don’t think they appreciate an adrenaline rush, and they’re all scared of heights,” I say, then glance over at Sean, seeing his face pale. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of heights too.”
“I’m not.”
Taking his hair down, he runs his fingers through the silky strands, then reties the raven locks back into a knot. I don’t know why that’s so hot, but I could watch him do it over and over again. We pay for the jump, then suit up into a jumpsuit and harness.
I catch him fidgeting with the ring on his index finger as the elevator takes us up to the platform and ask, “You sure you’re up for this?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You seem nervous.”
“I’m not,” he denies, shaking his head and raking his top teeth over his bottom lip.
Lies. All lies.
We reach the 108th floor and the elevator doors open. “Full disclosure . . . I’m a little nervous, too. If you don’t want to jump, you don’t have to.”
I approach the attendant, and she clips an orange strap onto my harness.
Moving me down the platform, she instructs me to grab onto the blue bar and adds another clip for the bungee.
I look back at Sean and smile as the woman double-checks everything, then unclips the orange strap.
She ushers me to the edge, and I look out over the city’s lights, sprawled as far as I can see.
Glancing down, I can barely see the tiny target lit up over 800 feet below me.
You can do this.
I look back over my shoulder and call out to Sean, “See you on the other side.”
Then . . . I jump.
The world drops away, and my stomach plummets.
All thoughts of my life vanish. The wind roars in my ears, and the air rips from my lungs.
My screams dissolve into a fit of laughter while adrenaline floods my veins, and the lights of Las Vegas blur into streaks of gold.
It’s just me, the night sky, and the high of being completely reckless and alive.
My legs shake, and my knees nearly buckle when my feet touch the ground.
Wow. So, this is what living feels like.
An attendant unclips me, and I strip out of my suit, then make my way to the exit and wait behind the metal railing for Sean to complete the jump.
I hear his screams before I see him.
“Ahhhhh! Fuuuuck! I don’t wanna die!”
Twenty seconds later, he’s on solid ground, looking like he might pass out . . . or puke. I double over laughing as he strips out of everything and meets me at the exit.
“Never again.”
“I thought you weren’t scared of heights.”
“Clearly, I lied.”
“Men do stupid things to impress women. Too bad I’m not impressed.”
He stops in the middle of the sidewalk and spins around, causing me to nearly bump into him. “Let’s get one thing straight. I have never, nor will I ever try to impress you.”
“You’re an ass, you know that? I don’t believe in a million years you would’ve jumped from that tower if you weren’t trying to impress me. So, who are you lying to, Mac? Me or yourself?”
I stifle a laugh at the shocked expression on his face from me calling him out on his b.s.
“I jumped for myself, and I almost died.”
“But did you really? And you seemed perfectly safe from where I was standing.”
He really is an ass, but something about being this close to him is exhilarating. I feel alive, and I haven’t felt that way in . . . well . . . ever. I’ve always played it safe and followed the rules. Jumping into fountains and off tall structures isn’t like me at all.
Sean’s voice breaks me from my errant thoughts. “Where to next?”
“A girl never reveals her secrets,” I say with a wink.
Turning away, I lead him back towards the Chevy truck he rented.
As we drive down the desert highway, I navigate our way through the maps app, the lights of Las Vegas disappearing behind us.
Rock music plays low on the radio station, and I can’t stand it.
If there’s anything my dad taught me, besides hockey, it’s that you always listen to rock full blast. Reaching over, I crank it up and roll down the window, then stick my hand outside to catch the wind and sing “Still of the Night” by Whitesnake at the top of my lungs without a care in the world.
Sean turns down the radio. “You sound like a busted-up dying cat.”
“And you sound like a dick.”
When I look over, I swear the side of his mouth quirks up just a bit.
We reach our destination, and he pulls over, parking on the side of the road. Leaning over, he looks through my window at the padlocked gate, then back at me.
“Ready to do something crazy?” I ask, opening the door.
The interior light illuminates Sean’s handsome face, and a hint of a smile tips up at the edge of his full lips again. It’s so faint . . . so quick, I almost miss it.
“Damn, Rebel. I didn’t think you had it in you, but you keep proving me wrong,” he breathes out, killing the engine.
My pulse kicks up a notch, but I force myself to shut the door and cross the street. As I step onto the wooden fence post to start climbing, I look back and find him scratching the back of his neck.
“If we get caught, who’s our first phone call to bail us out of jail?”
“The key to trespassing is not getting caught. The longer you linger,” I grunt, hauling my leg over the top, “the higher our chances are of that happening, so put a move on it.”
My feet hit the ground with a thud, then I dust off my hands and watch him take his sweet time hiking his leg over the fence.
“Let’s go, slow poke.”
“Are you always so bossy?”