Betting On Love by Cheris Hodges Page A

I have a better idea. Why don’t we go see the clown show?”
    â€œJames Goings, I can’t believe you’re a chicken.” She flapped her arms as if she were a chicken.
    â€œCall it what you want, but I have no reason to get on that ride again.”
    â€œBoo!” She stuck her tongue out at him as if she were three years old.
    James pulled her against his chest and brushed his lips against hers. “You’re a big, sexy kid,” he whispered.
    â€œAnd there are kids watching us right now,” she said as he cupped her behind.
    â€œGood for them.” In one quick motion, James covered Jade’s lips with his, gently sucking her bottom lip. Kissing her was like an addiction, and he knew there was no rehab he could enter into to cure himself.
    Pressing her hand against his chest, Jade broke off the kiss and stared into his eyes. “The clown show? Are we going to go or ...”
    â€œYes, we are,” he said, taking her hand in his.
    â€œYou know,” she said, her lips close to his ear so that no one else could hear her, “we really don’t have to watch the clowns, because I can think of a more amusing way to spend your last night here.”
    James turned around and faced her with a slick smirk on his face. “What’s that?”
    â€œTrust me, it’s going to be magical,” she said.
    â€œIt always is.”
    Jade led James out of the amusement park. They walked out into the lobby of the casino hotel and headed for the tram.
    â€œWhere are we going now?” he asked as he glanced at his watch. It was still early by Vegas standards, but James knew he was going to have a serious case of jet lag when he returned to Charlotte. But he was going to have to deal with it, because there was no way he was going to walk away from Jade right now without knowing when he’d see her again.
    â€œThere’s something at the Luxor that you have to see,” she said. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and James liked this side of her. She wasn’t like any woman that he’d ever met. But part of him wondered if this was something that was just too good to be true. Was that Jade?
    Once they were on the tram, James pulled Jade into his lap. “You know, this has been the best trip to Vegas I’ve ever taken,” he said.
    â€œMe too,” she said. “You just better make sure I have just as much fun when you come to visit me in Atlanta.”
    â€œOh, you’ll have fun, but we will not be taking a trip to Six Flags.”
    â€œWell, it sounds like someone is chicken,” Jade joked.
    â€œNo, but if you want a thrill ride, I have one for you.” He pulled Jade against his chest and kissed her on the cheek.
    â€œYou’re a bad man, Mr. Goings.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and brushed her lips against his.
    â€œWhat? I can launch the ride for you any time you want.”
    â€œNot until after the show,” she said. “Then I’m going to take you up on your offer. Let’s see how thrilling you can be.”
    Moments later James and Jade arrived at the Luxor and headed for the Atrium Showroom to catch a magic show.
    In the darkness of the theater before the magic show started, James held Jade’s hand and she never wanted him to let it go.
    This is crazy, she thought. Everything ends as soon as he steps on the plane. Maybe he will come to Atlanta, maybe not. I’m not going to wait for him. That would be crazy, or would it?
    The stage lights came on and the show began. As the emcee spoke of the magic of Las Vegas, Jade glanced at James and smiled. It did seem as if magic had a hand in their meeting.
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    After the magic show, James and Jade headed back to his hotel.
    â€œWhat time is your flight in the morning?” she asked as they got on the elevator.
    â€œNine.”
    â€œThen I guess you need to go to sleep, huh?”
    James wrapped his arms around her waist.