Chapter 8 #3
“Okay, well, I think I’m done dancing. I’m too young to gamble, and I think it’s too late to see any shows. I guess we could walk around and maybe get a late-night snack.” She turns to face me, holding up Beck’s credit card and her ID.
“Yeah, that sounds fun. But put the card away. You won’t need it. I got you covered.”
“I don’t really have anywhere to put it though.” She runs a hand down her body.
Fuck me.
“I’ll put it in my wallet for you. Just remind me to give it back to your brother later. Let me have your phone to hold for you too.” I take it from her hand and pull out my Ridge wallet from my front pocket before tucking the cards in.
When we get into the elevator, she grabs my hand and twines her fingers with mine. I squeeze her hand lightly and look at our reflection in the mirror on the doors. She smiles, and I return it with a wink.
The doors open on the ground level, and it’s almost just as loud as the club upstairs.
Machines are ringing, people are calling out numbers, and there’s cheering coming from the direction of the casino.
I even see some of my teammates as we walk through.
I nod and wave, but don’t stop to talk. I’m done sharing Brooke tonight.
I have no doubt they’re wondering what I’m doing with Beck’s sister though. Especially with our hands linked.
“Where should we go?” she asks when we stop walking outside the hotel.
“Honestly, I don’t really know. This is my first time in Vegas.” I look down the street.
The neon and noise create the kind of electricity that makes stupid ideas seem … like good ones.
“Same. It’s getting late, and the only things I think I can do are go back to the club or a different one. Oh! We could try that Ferris wheel.” She smiles and tugs on my hand.
“Okay, we can head that way and see if we can get on.”
I signal the valet, and he walks over to us. “Can you get us a car to take us to the Ferris wheel?”
“Yes, sir.” He nods and jogs away, then waves down a car with an Uber sign in the window. He directs the car toward us and opens the door for us when it stops. Before he closes the door, he instructs the driver. “Take them to the High Roller.” Then he looks at us. “Have a good night.”
I take out some cash and hand it to him. “Thanks, man.”
“My pleasure. Come back and see us. And, sir, congratulations on your win tonight.” He nods, then closes the door.
“That was nice of him.” Brooke scoots closer to me once the car pulls away.
I smile down at her because she’s just so fucking sweet.
“Oh shoot. I gave you my phone right?” She drops her head back on the seat.
“Yeah, it’s in my pocket. Do you need it?” I pull it out of my pocket and hold it out to her.
“Nah, I’m good right now. I doubt they want to hear from me anyway. I’m sure they’re … busy.” She looks at me.
“Probably, yes. But they know you’re with me, and I’m not gonna leave you on your own, so they aren’t likely worried about you.” I place a hand on her knee.
“Right.” She giggles. “I hope we can get tickets. I would love to see Vegas in a broad view.”
“Well, looks like we’re about to find out.” I point to the wheel out the window.
“Go ahead and scan the QR code on the back of the seat to pay,” the driver tells me.
I pay quickly, then open the door, holding my hand out to Brooke to help her get out of the car. Her dress is short, and no one needs to see anything but me.
When we get to the ticket counter, there’s only one other couple in line. The woman is wearing a wedding dress and a long veil. The guy is dressed in a casual suit, but it’s clear they just came from their wedding. Made even more obvious when the bride starts flashing her ring at the attendant.
“How cute!” Brooke claps quietly. “Congratulations!” she yells out after them, and they turn around, smiling and waving to us.
We step up to the attendant. “Can we get two tickets? And is it possible to get a private car?” I ask her.
“Yeah, we’re pretty dead now. Most people are at the clubs or burning their money in the casinos by this time of night.” The receipt pops out of the slot, and she hands it to me. “Enjoy the ride,” she says dryly.
“Thank you,” Brooke says.
The couple in front of us gets into their car. They’re holding champagne flutes, and the groom has the bottle in his other hand.
“We should get some champagne.” I nod to them, then look around to figure out where they got it. I spot a bar close enough that I can run over and get us a bottle. “You stay here. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” She smiles excitedly.
They only have a large bottle left, so I take it, along with two flutes.
I rush back to her just as our cart arrives.
No one is on it, so we walk right in. It’s a lot bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside.
It’s like a round bubble, with two red seats on either side, glass around the whole thing, music playing in the speaker system.
“Oh my God! Silas, look at this!” She holds out her arms and spins in the middle. “This is amazing! I can’t wait to move so we can see the lights. Did you know that the Las Vegas lights can be seen from space?” She rushes to look out one of the windows, not waiting for my answer.
I can’t wipe the smile from my face. Seeing her happy like this just makes me fall for her even more than I already was. I’m not really sure where to put the champagne, so I set the flutes on one of the seats and pop open the bottle. Luckily, it doesn’t explode when I open it.
After I fill a glass for her, I hand it to her, then fill mine. “Cheers.” I tap her flute with mine.
“Cheers,” she replies. “And congratulations on an amazing season, Silas.” She holds her glass out to me and tips it slightly toward me.
“Thanks, Cupcake. It was pretty fucking epic, if I do say so myself.” I smile smugly.
I set the bottle down next to me, then step in closer to her. “So, tell me, Brooke Linson, what was your favorite play in the game today?”
She takes a long drink of champagne.
“Easy there.” I chuckle. “It’ll hit you before you know it.”
“Sorry. It’s just good. I like this much better than the drink I had at the club.” She dabs the top of her lip with her tongue.
I clear my throat. “Yeah, it is pretty good, but it can go to your head fast.”
“That’s okay. I hardly feel the drink I had earlier anymore. Viva Las Vegas, right?” She lifts up her flute again, then takes another drink.
“Okay, but don’t blame me when you wake up with a headache.” I chuckle.
“I promise I won’t.” She loops her other arm through mine. “Hmm … so my favorite play of the game … I guess it’s a toss-up.”
“A toss-up between what?” I nudge her with my shoulder.
“You have to admit that Casey’s game-winning touchdown was incredible.” She looks at me through her long lashes.
“Agreed. Definitely a key moment.” I nod. “And the other one?”
She untangles her arm from mine, turns her body to face me, and takes another drink. “You. That last drive when you stopped them. I was amazed by how you could see the play coming. How do you do that?” She places a hand on my chest.
I love that she’s comfortable with touching me tonight.
“A lot of practice.” I smirk, then take a drink from my glass.
She nods and narrows her eyes. “Right. That makes total sense.”
We both start laughing, her hand falling from my chest, and then finish off our drinks.
“You want more, or are you done?” I lift the bottle.
“Sure. Why not? I mean, my brother and Charlie did tell me to have fun, so …” She holds her glass while I pour.
“But seriously, I’m really glad you came to the game. Even if it was just to see Casey.” I wink.
“I mean, of course, I wanted to watch him. He’s like my brother. But I couldn’t miss seeing the best cornerback in college football possibly play his final game.”
Whoa. I guess I haven’t really thought about that part. I’ve been soaking in all the celebration, and it hasn’t hit me that this could be my final game as a Walker Stallion.
“Fuck. Yeah, it probably was my last game.”
“Goes fast, doesn’t it? I remember watching Beck’s final game last year. It was bittersweet, knowing he was done because that meant our lives would change again when he got drafted, but we were also excited for the next chapter.”
“Has it been hard for you all, as a family, to be apart? Or are you used to it?” I guzzle more of my champagne.
“Used to being apart, but also hard because we can’t just get in the car and be there in a few hours.” She shrugs. “So, what are your plans? I assume you’re declaring for the draft.”
I nod. “I am. Coach told us earlier this week that those announcements can be made now that our game is over. I haven’t officially signed with an agent yet, but I’ll probably go with the guy Archie uses. He’s Beck’s agent too, right?”
“Scott? Yeah, that’s Beck’s agent. He seems to have a monopoly on the Walker roster, but I think he reps Archie’s brother Aiden too. The one who plays hockey.”
“Oh, right. I kind of forgot there’s another one. I’ve only met him once, I think.”
“Probably. He isn’t around a bunch. Not at Walker anyway. Their season is so long.” She turns back to the window.
“I am a little jealous that they can throw down.” I laugh. “There have been a bunch of guys I wish I could have clocked over the years.”
“I bet,” she says, then taps on the glass. “Look! You can see everything now.”
“We’re definitely up pretty high.” I turn my head and look around the globe.
“Are you afraid of heights?” She spins around and places a hand on my shoulder, looking concerned.
“I am. I think you should hold me,” I say seriously, but I can’t hold it and start to laugh.
She pushes the shoulder she was touching and starts to turn away, but I grab her hand and pull her into me.
There’s a small ledge in the middle of the glass, large enough for me to set our glasses on. So, I take hers out of her hand and set it next to mine.
“You’re too much,” she says as she wraps her arms around my neck.
“So I’ve been told.” My hands go around her waist, and I pull her in so our chests are touching. I can feel the soft skin on her back, and I’m tempted to run my hands right under the fabric and grab her tight ass.
“Have you been told that you were too much? I was only joking. I think you’re pretty great.” She stumbles over her words, and I can tell she’s starting to feel the champagne.
“I mean, yeah, but I’m not upset about it. Don’t you worry about me.” I kiss her forehead.
“Silas,” she whispers.
“Yeah, Cupcake?”
“Are you ever gonna kiss me again?” She runs her fingers up my neck and onto my cropped hair.
“You want me to kiss you?” I take one of my hands from her waist and cup her jaw.
“Yes,” she admits breathily.
“I’ll kiss you again when you admit that no one kisses you like I do.” I lower my head toward her mouth.
“Well, my experience is limited …” she teases.
“Is that right?” I know she hasn’t had many boyfriends, but I have no idea how many guys she’s kissed, and the thought of her kissing anyone but me pisses me off.
She leans in closer, eyes on my mouth. “No one kisses me like you do.”
The words barely leave her before I drop my mouth to hers.
When she sighs against my lips, I deepen the kiss, sliding my tongue into her mouth.
No rush, just certain that this is exactly what we should be doing.
My thumb on my other hand is absentmindedly tracing circles on her hip, making her melt into me.
She rises up on her toes and holds my head in place, like she’s afraid I’ll pull away too soon. Not a fucking chance.
She tastes sweet, like the pink champagne, and I can’t get enough.
When she moans, I kiss her so deep, hungry. The kind of kiss that steals your breath.
Then she matches my rhythm, like my kisses are only meant for her. Making me feel like my control is slipping.
My hand falls from her face, and I slide both hands under her ass and lift her so her pussy is cradling my dick, which is straining painfully against my zipper. When she rolls her hips against me, it’s my turn to groan, breaking our kiss.
“You’re gonna kill me, Cupcake.” I rest my forehead against hers.
“I don’t want to kill you. I want to kiss you.” She says it so softly that I’m not sure I heard her correctly.
“I don’t want to keep going when I can’t finish what we’re starting up here.” I brush my nose against hers.
“Okay, yeah, you’re right.” Her hands cup my face. “Will you dance with me?”
I kiss her lightly on the lips and lower her enough so her feet touch the ground. “I would love to.”
She keeps her arms around my neck, and we sway to Elvis Presley singing “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” which is honestly just too fucking coincidental. I’m head over ass falling for this girl.
I tip her chin with my finger and kiss her soft and slow this time. I want her to feel the sincerity in my kiss.
We’re so lost in each other that it barely registers that we’ve stopped moving until the song changes to one about a sports car.
I pull away just enough that our lips are still brushing. “I think our ride is over.”
“Okay,” she says, running her hands from my head down to my neck.
“What do you want to do next? Are you hungry?” I trail my fingers up and down her back. “We’re in Vegas, so whatever your inner desires are, this is the place to do it.”
She looks out the window, and I follow her gaze to see the newlyweds walking down the ramp to the exit.
“I have an idea.”
“Lay it on me.” I bend my head to kiss her neck.
“Let’s get married.”