Nowhere Left to Fall, page 6
“I already told you—I’ll never let you fall. Whether it’s meeting royalty or an unplanned pregnancy, I’m not going anywhere. What can I do to convince you of that?”
She was quiet for a while, but then she traced the outline of my lips with her finger. “There’s one rule if I agree.”
“Name it.”
“No sex. At least not for the first week.”
“What?” That definitely wasn’t part of the plan. Not mine, anyway.
“No sex. If you can affect me the way you did this morning all the time, then my thinking in terms of the future will be jaded. Right this second, with your body so close to mine, I would marry you just so we could do this all the time. And we both know sex isn’t a good reason to be together.”
“All right.” I reluctantly nodded. “Agreed.” I would’ve agreed to almost anything to keep her close.
“And it has to be real dating,” she said. “You stay in one room with Sandor, I stay in another, and you arrange dinners and activities, come pick me up, etc.”
“Anything else?” I asked with an indulgent smile.
“We don’t start until tomorrow.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m starving and I just want to cuddle.”
I pressed a light kiss to the tip of her nose. “I’m starving, too, and cuddling sounds like fun.”
* * *
We woke the following morning feeling delightfully refreshed. We’d eaten dinner in bed, watched a movie, and then fallen into a peaceful, relaxing slumber. It had been one of the best nights of my life, as far as I was concerned, even taking into account the lack of sex. Casey was still all I wanted, and I’d been lying here dreaming up ways to win her heart for a couple of hours. It was only eight thirty, so she was in the shower and I’d called room service to order coffee, croissants, and a beautiful bouquet of white roses. I didn’t know what kinds of things made her tick, but I was going to find out.
When she came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, with her hair wrapped in a towel, I decided she was the most gorgeous woman in the world. I’d always thought she was, but seeing here like this, with no makeup and her hair wrapped up turban-style, only drove the idea home. She spotted the roses immediately and turned to me with a smile.
“They’re beautiful. Thank you.”
“Not as beautiful as you.” I leaned down to lightly kiss her soft lips. “And you’re welcome.”
“What are they for?”
“Because I wanted to.”
“But we’re leaving today, aren’t we?”
“We can bring them with us or leave them for the maids.”
“You’re crazy.” She shook out her hair and began towel-drying it. It was long and silky, even wet, and I watched in fascination as she ran her fingers through it. “So, where are we going anyway?”
“I have to meet with our banker in Zurich, so I thought we’d start there. I’ve booked you for a spa day while I do boring financial things, and then we can go to dinner. The following day, we’ll head to Monte Carlo. There’s a party with people I think you’ll enjoy, and we can stay there or head over to the south of France, whatever we feel like.”
“Sounds great.”
“We should pack and get ready to go.”
“Okay.” She smiled at me, and my heart ached with wanting her. I’d never felt like this about anyone, and it was a little strange. Sandor was probably going to give me a ration of shit the next time we were alone, but I didn’t give a damn what anyone thought. I finally had the one thing I’d always wanted that had been out of my grasp, and it would take an act of war to keep me from her.
* * *
Monte Carlo was warm and sunny, and seeing Casey in a long, sleeveless sundress with a large hat on her head made me smile. She hadn’t wanted me to buy her the frilly dress or the wide-brimmed hat but had given in when I asked her to do it for me. She looked stunning wearing them, her blond hair flowing out behind her as she laughed. I wished for a camera, so I could capture the moment, but she’d already ducked into a shop.
I kept forgetting she was rich in her own right and didn’t need me to buy her things. I tried not to be old-fashioned like that, but something deep inside of me was anxious to take care of her, and watching her shop for herself bothered me. That was probably why I’d insisted she let me buy the dress and hat for her. I’d also picked up some jewelry that I would save for another time. There was a party this weekend that would include Anwar and perhaps even my uncle, so I would need to find her the perfect dress for the evening. The diamond necklace and earrings I’d picked up were stunning accessories that would show my family I was serious about her and make every other woman in attendance jealous.
Hopefully, Casey wouldn’t balk too much when she saw them.
I wandered into the shop she’d gone into and found her with a glass of champagne in her hands, signing an autograph.
“Hey!” She gave me a sweet smile and waved but continued talking to the teenage girl as if she were the most important person in the world.
“She’s actually very nice,” Sandor murmured from where he stood next to me.
“She is.”
“No, I mean, I hadn’t expected her to be like this. She’s beautiful, rich, and successful. I thought she would be a diva.”
“I told you she was different.”
“But you didn’t know either,” he protested. “You hadn’t spent much time with her.”
“No, but I’ve spent some time with her, and my parents watched her grow up. My mother would have told me if she was a spoiled diva. She would never have encouraged me to get to know her if she wasn’t a good person.”
“This is your mother’s doing?!” Sandor looked so horrified I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Have you taken a good look at Casey Hart?” I asked, cocking my head. “I know blondes aren’t your thing, but do you really believe my mother had anything to do with my infatuation? She merely gave me the push I needed to do something about it.”
“Your Highness. I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you.” The owner of the store spotted me, and I inwardly groaned. I hated being recognized when I was just out for a casual day, but it happened too often to count.
“Hello, Mrs. Safleur.” I’d shopped at this boutique with my mother and sister many times, so I knew the owner.
“Is your mother here? Can I show you something?” The middle-aged woman rushed over to assist me.
“Just waiting for my friend.” I motioned with my head toward Casey, and the woman’s eyes widened slightly.
“Yes, of course. Can I get you something to drink?”
“We’re actually leaving,” Casey said, joining me and sliding her hand into mine. “Can you deliver my purchases to our hotel?”
“Of course, Ms. Hart.” Mrs. Safleur smiled. “Thank you for shopping with us, and have a wonderful rest of your day.” She dipped her head. “Give my regards to your mother, Your Highness.”
“How many times have I asked you to call me Erik?” I asked her with an impish smile.
“I’ve lost count,” she responded, grinning.
“Good day.” I walked outside and leaned over to kiss Casey’s cheek. “What did you buy?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“My mother and sister shop there. She sells both formalwear and lingerie.”
She gave me a coy smile. “You’re going to have to wait and see.”
“What if I don’t want to?” I asked playfully. “What if—”
“Casey! Is that you?” An attractive blonde hurried in our direction, and Sandor immediately jumped in front of her.
11
Casey
* * *
I turned in surprise when I heard my name. It sounded familiar, not like the paparazzi or a fan, and I nearly jumped when Sandor put himself between me and whomever it was. I’d almost forgotten he wasn’t just Erik’s good friend and cousin, but also his bodyguard.
I peeked around his shoulder and let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
“It’s okay,” I said softly. “It’s a friend.” I stepped around him and held out my arms. “Liz! What are you doing here?”
“I live here,” she responded with a grin. “Daddy’s building a new hotel, and I’m overseeing the process.”
“Really? I thought…” Liz was Nick’s aunt, though she was only a few years older than we were. As far as I knew, she was an analyst for the CIA, and though it wasn’t common knowledge, she hadn’t had any part of the Kingsley family’s hotel empire in all the years I’d known her.
“Hello. I’m Erik.” Erik held out his hand to her.
“Elizabeth Kingsley.” She paused, inclining her head. “Your Highness.”
“Please. Call me Erik.”
“Then you can call me Liz.”
“Gladly.”
Seeing him smile at Liz made something sour burn in my gut, and for the first time in my life, I was jealous. It was the oddest sensation, and I had to paste a smile on my face as I turned back to her.
“How long are you in town?” she was asking.
“I’m not sure,” I said, glancing at Erik. “We’re playing it by ear.”
“Well, if you have time, stop by the hotel.” She handed me a card. “I’d love to show you around. It’s not ready to open, but we’re really proud of the renovations so far.”
“We will. Are you there tomorrow?”
“Every day.”
“I’ll see you then.”
“If you come around lunchtime, I can order something in, and we can catch up.”
“I’ll call you in the morning,” I promised.
We hugged again, and she disappeared into the crowds.
“That’s Nick’s aunt,” I explained to Erik. “She’s his father’s younger sister. Nick’s grandfather got remarried in his fifties and had another baby around the same time Nick’s father and uncle were having children.”
“She looks familiar,” Erik said, frowning. “I can’t place where I’ve seen her.”
“You never met her on one of your visits to Vegas? She grew up on Long Island, but she would come around for holidays and sometimes over the summer. You probably crossed paths at one of the many family events we always attended.”
He nodded. “Probably.”
He had a funny look on his face, but I wasn’t sure what the big deal was. Growing up, my parents, Erik’s parents, and the Kingsleys had been like one big extended family. They’d shared holidays, vacations, and even parenting sometimes. Liz and Nick had grown up more like siblings or cousins since they were so close in age and she’d just been another one of the many kids we all hung out with. Nick’s family owned the Kingsley Hotel empire, the largest of which was on the Las Vegas Strip. The Charleston Hotel had been around for twenty years, and Nick, the other kids and I had grown up playing hide-and-seek in its hallways, celebrating every major birthday and family event in its ballrooms, and enjoying holidays and concerts there like it was a second home.
Erik had been with us on some of those occasions, though not as often as Liz since she’d grown up in New York while he’d gone to school in Europe and only visited once in a while. It was inevitable that they’d met at some point.
“Where are we headed?” Aziz called out as we piled into the SUV Erik had rented.
“Lunch,” Erik called back.
“So had you ever met Liz before?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “I’m not sure. She looks familiar but I can’t place it.”
“She was around in the summers while we were all growing up, but then she went to Yale and got recruited by the CIA.”
“The CIA?” He looked startled. “Really?”
“She was an analyst or something in D.C. so I don’t know when that changed. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.”
“Interesting.” He didn’t seem overly concerned and conversation moved on to other things.
* * *
We spent a wonderful day shopping and taking in some of the panoramic views. I’d never been here before, though I’d toured all over the world, so it was exciting to see a place I’d only read about in the past. Erik had apparently spent a lot of time here, though, because he was the perfect tour guide, pointing out landmarks and things we might like to do on another day. By the time he left me in front of my hotel suite, we’d made plans for the week, and I wondered about the wisdom of my impulsive no-sex mandate. Was I playing with fire by playing hard to get after the fact? We’d already slept together, after all.
The problem was that each time he touched me I pretty much lost my mind. He was intoxicatingly handsome, polite, richer than anyone I’d ever known—including the Kingsleys—and probably just as sweet as anyone I’d known as well. I kept trying to find fault in him and I couldn’t, which was terrifying. The unprotected sex we’d had weighed heavily on me because I was nowhere near ready to have a baby, but it was like we’d both been under some kind of spell. I hadn’t slept with a large number of men, but I’d had a metric shit-ton of sex. Mostly with Nick, of course, but not entirely, and I’d never, ever been careless, not even once. Erik swore that he hadn’t, either, which meant something spectacular had gone on the first time we were together.
Impulsively, I grabbed the room phone and dialed his suite number. Sandor answered and I asked for Erik, feeling equal parts silly and excited.
“Hello, love. Is everything okay?” he asked when he got on the line.
“It’s fine, but I was a little lonely and thought we could talk on the phone.”
“On the phone?” The tone of his voice told me just how confused he was.
“Have you never dated?” I asked slowly. “Had a girlfriend whose voice you desperately wanted to hear but couldn’t be with at that moment? Weren’t you ever a teenager?”
He chuckled. “I was absolutely a teenager, but no, there’s never been anyone whose voice I needed to hear so badly I wanted to spend any time on the phone with them.”
“Not even now?” I asked softly.
“Perhaps now, yes. Can I call you back in five minutes? I have to use the bathroom and want to change into something comfortable.”
“Deal.”
I giggled to myself as I pulled off the pretty sundress he’d bought me and dug out the oversized Led Zeppelin shirt I usually slept in. I put my hair in a ponytail, washed off my makeup, brushed my teeth, and had just crawled into bed when my cell phone rang.
“This is more private than the hotel phone,” he explained when I answered.
“So it is.”
“Well, then…what do you want to talk about?”
“I just want to listen to your voice and ask you questions.”
“Okay. You start.”
“What’s your favorite food?”
“Italian,” he responded instantly. “You?”
“Mexican.” I paused. “Do you prefer vodka, rum, or tequila?”
“Scotch.” He laughed. “I’ll drink tequila on occasion, but I’m not a big fan of vodka or rum. What about you?”
“I prefer bourbon, or a whiskey like Jack Daniel’s. I’ll drink tequila, but it tends to get me into too much trouble.”
“I’m familiar with that,” he said.
“Do you gamble?”
“Almost never.”
“Smoke?”
“The occasional cigar.”
“What’s your favorite sexual position?”
He laughed. “All of them.”
“Come on, we all have favorites.”
“You first.”
“I love being on top so I can look into a man’s eyes when he’s inside of me.”
I heard the catch of his breath and smiled to myself.
“I’m not alone,” he murmured. “So, you’re going to have to guess.”
“Sixty-nine?”
“Nope.”
“Doggy style?”
“Nope.”
“Getting a blow job?”
“That’s an act, not a position.” His voice dropped even lower.
“Hmmm.” I thought about it for a minute. “Missionary?”
“It depends on who I’m with.”
“With me?”
“Definitely.”
“Why?”
“For the same reason you like your favorite.”
I paused. “So you can look in my eyes?”
“And watch the look on your face at the end.”
Holy hell, this guy was a dream come true. “I made a big mistake, didn’t I?”
“In what?”
“My no-sex rule.”
“Probably.”
“We can amend the rules.”
“We can, but we won’t. Not for a week, anyway.”
“Why a week?”
“Because that’s the deal we made, and I’m nothing if not a man of my word.”
* * *
I met Liz for lunch by myself the next day. Erik made excuses, saying he had phone calls to make, and if I was honest with myself, I was happy he didn’t come because something about the two of them made me feel weird. Yesterday’s jealousy had passed but it had now been replaced by discomfiture, as if they had a secret. I planned to find out what it was, too, because Liz and I had essentially grown up together and it wasn’t like her to be secretive about a man.
* * *
“Hi.” She looked up when I arrived, and I looked around the entrance to the hotel in awe.
“This is stunning.”
“And it’s not even finished.”
“I’d love a tour.”
“Of course.”
Liz showed me around, pointing out where the casinos, restaurants, shops, and lobby were all going to be. It was expansive, with marble floors and crystal chandeliers. The rooms weren’t fully decorated yet, but the flooring, lights, and carpets were in and the effect was stunning. I ran my hand along a carved statue, marveling in the smooth, expensive feel to not just the statue, but every inch of the building. I enjoyed luxury, but this felt over-the-top, more like a palace than a hotel. Which was ironic, considering whom I was dating.
