CHAPTER 2 KAYLEE
Ben hung around most of the day yesterday after the trauma with Shannon mostly to make sure Jack didn’t need anything.
Jack spoke with his lawyer and we learned that in Nevada, listening to or recording a conversation without consent is a Category D Felony that carries up to four years in prison or a hefty fine, and Jack is determined to press charges.
There had to be at least twenty private conversations recorded on her phone—none incriminating, but it doesn’t matter. It was a breach of privacy for all of us.
Once the kids were down for the night, we spent time sitting around Jack’s fire pit drinking beer and roasting marshmallows as the men reminisced about their recent Super Bowl win.
And now I’m nearly ready for our first official date.
My hair and make-up are done, and I haven’t put this much effort into my appearance in far too long.
The daily grind of teaching has weighed heavily on me this year, and I just haven’t had the time—or the reason since I haven’t gone on a date worth this much effort.
I slip my dress over my head, carefully avoiding my hair and face so as not to mess up the work it took to create perfect beach waves, and then I step into my shoes. I add one final touch of jewelry then glance at myself in the mirror attached to my dresser.
I feel good as I review the dress I chose for our date.
It’s a strappy black bandage dress with a plunging front and back V-neck that hugs every curve I own.
A bit of lace detail around the neckline matches the short sleeves and the hem at the bottom, and while it’s revealing, it’s also fancy dinner appropriate.
And probably the biggest benefit of this particular dress is that Ben is going to be panting all night as he patiently waits to get me home so he can properly work me over.
Or, maybe if the mood strikes, he’ll find a time or a place to work me over before we even leave the dinner.
He’s picking me up at Jack’s place at eight, and I’m ready with only seconds to spare. I hear the doorbell as I make my descent down the stairs. Jack and Kate are outside by the fire pit and JJ’s down for the night, so I move toward the door to answer it.
I open it and find a freaking fantasy standing on the other side.
Ben Olson is wearing a suit.
My lips part as a small gasp escapes me. My mouth waters as my eyes flick down his figure.
He’s always hot. He’s got a great body, which makes sense considering he’s a professional athlete. He’s tall and lean. When he’s walking around in those grey shorts with a hat backwards on his head, he’s ridiculously sexy.
But in that suit…holy hell. He’s otherworldly. He’s perfection.
And, for the next few months, he’s mine.
“Wow,” he murmurs.
My eyes move up to his at his single word.
“You look incredible,” he says.
“Thank you,” I say softly, words barely forming. “You…uh…”
He glances doubtfully down at his suit. “Does this look okay?”
Ben Olson unsure and vulnerable in a suit. Now that is something you don’t see every day.
“It looks more than okay, Ben. You look real freaking hot.”
He chuckles. “As do you, my gorgeous date.” He steps in and takes a quick glance around.
“They’re outside,” I murmur, and he leans down to press a soft kiss to my lips at the all-clear.
I tip my head back and link my arms around his neck as I pull him in a little closer, turning the soft kiss a little rougher, a little more urgent as the sudden need to show him what I think about that suit pulses through me.
His hands move to my hips as his tongue batters mine, and any semblance of coherent thought takes a backseat as primal urges and desires take over.
His grip tightens on my hips, and he backs away a little as he leans his forehead down to mine. “Fuck, I want you,” he says, and his hips buck toward mine to give me a little taste of what’s to come later.
“Right back at you, Trouble,” I say, and I nip at his lips once more before I let him go.
“We need to go,” he says.
“Yeah.” I clear my throat and back out of his fresh scent orbit before I cling back onto him and don’t let go. I have a feeling this entire night is going to feel like foreplay, and I’m going to be positively aching for him by the time we finally get to the part of the night I’m craving.
“Let me just say hi to Jack,” he says.
I nod, and we walk through the house toward the backyard.
“The Big O and my little sister,” Jack says.
His eyes fall to me, and I spot a bit of disapproval for my dress of choice.
So it’s a little revealing. I’m also twenty-two and don’t mind showing off my assets, and he needs to remember he’s my brother.
Lately it seems like he’s trying to step into the role of our dad, and it’s just another reminder that dad’s gone and it’s time for me to move out of my brother’s place.
“Take care of her and keep your hands to yourself.”
Thankfully he doesn’t mention the dress, and Kate grins. “Have fun, kids,” she says playfully, and then we’re on our way.
We take the car waiting out front for us arranged by Ben toward Las Vegas Boulevard and turn toward a few popular hotels located off-Strip.
We pull in front of a large, two-story building with a splashy sign out front reading West End Lounge, likely because it’s located west of the main drag where many major hotels and casinos are located in Vegas.
A red carpet is set up out front with bright lights pointed at a backdrop of the West End Lounge logo, and a stream of photographers wait on either side of the red carpet.
“Ready for our first official appearance together?” Ben asks as we both look at the red carpet.
I blow out a breath. “No turning back now, right?”
He leans in and presses a soft kiss to my mouth. “You can always back out, Peaches.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
He pulls back just slightly and studies my eyes for a beat. “I don’t want you to.”
My chest tightens at his words.
Neither of us is backing out. Neither of us wants to.
But neither of us wants a serious relationship, either.
I respond with another soft kiss to his lips, and then he opens the door. He helps me out, and a few flashbulbs go off in our faces as the photographers each angle for a glimpse of who superstar Ben Olson brought as his date tonight.
“Olson, who’s the mystery woman?” one of the photographers yells.
Ben just nods politely and doesn’t say anything, which means he’s going to make it somebody’s homework to figure out who I am.
“Olson, over here!” someone else yells.
More questions are fired at us, and we just smile and move along the carpet toward the backdrop to get our photos taken there. Ben’s hand clasps mine firmly as we walk, and he tosses an arm around my shoulders and pulls me in close once we’re at the backdrop.
“Now one with just Olson!” someone yells, and Ben ignores them, tightening his grip around me.
He looks at me and nods, the signal that we’re done with the photos, and a hostess standing off to the side ushers us into the club.
I immediately spot Andrew Kinney, the actor who hit on me at Ben’s pool party not so long ago.
I spot a few players from the Aces, some hockey players from the local team, a few other celebrities who look familiar, and, to my total excitement that awakens the fangirl inside me, two members of Vail, one of my favorite bands.
In total, I’d estimate around twenty-five celebrities here plus their dates, and it’s like a Who’s Who of Vegas-based celebrities.
Ben seems to know everyone, which is no surprise, and he just introduces me as his date Kaylee.
No last names. No girlfriend talk. Yet. It is, after all, our first public appearance, and while nobody knows how long we’ve been dating behind closed doors, we still have a certain perception we need to give.
I stay close by his side, and he keeps his arm wrapped around me.
I can just see the headlines now. Aces Star Tight End Getting Cozy with Mystery Woman.
That’s me. I’m the mystery woman.
And the more time I spend with Ben, the more excited I am about this entire plan.