fact, it was a rather insistent vibration. Again.
It was...his cell.
“Ahh...I'll turn it off.” Bailey opened heavy-lidded eyes. He stilled the movement of his fingers and cursed the interruption.
“I didn’t think this was something we could turn off.” She dared him as she caressed his hard length.
“Contessa, you’re killing me.” He sighed regretfully. “I—”
Tess stopped him with a kiss and sat up to give him some room.
The mood broken, he rolled over and checked the message. Tess watched him stand up and take his phone, his bare back glistening with sweat. She wanted him just like he looked now, hot, sweaty, and incoherent. Buttoning his Levi’s, he dialed.
“Yeah. Okay, thanks for calling.” Bailey shook his head. “Damn.”
She reached for the robe on the floor at the bottom of the bed and slipped it on. “Trouble?”
“You might say that.” He looked worried. “Some men were at the front desk asking questions. I gave the bellhop a little something to keep his eyes and ears open.”
“What’s our next move?”
Bailey was all business. Their passionate lovemaking might as well have been a fantasy. But Tess wouldn’t forget it. For one thing, her body wouldn’t let her. And it wasn’t over, not by any means.
“We keep to the plan and go to dinner. Harrah’s Friday’s Station is one of the best restaurants in town. Put on your fancy shoes, Contessa. Tonight, we meet Lucius Monroe.” With that, he turned and left.
Ten minutes later, Tess was soaking in a tub filled with her favorite lilac bubble bath. She hoped it would relieve some of the tension in her body that had built up, only to be unfulfilled. “Small chance of that,” she murmured to herself.
What had made her think she could start a no-strings relationship when all Bailey had to do was look at her and her insides melted like a Hershey bar left in the sun? She’d never settle for a fling with this particular man. She’d end up back in Greenview pining over the most devastating man she’d ever had the misfortune to fall in love with.
He’d pretended like the scene near the lake had been a typical rendezvous between two adults who knew the rules of casual engagement. They both knew differently. It had escalated too quickly into something neither one of them could’ve controlled if that little girl hadn’t interrupted them. Tess sighed and squeezed the soapy loofah over her bent knee.
“I guess the big question is what I’m going to do about it.” She watched the steam cloud the mirror on the door of the bathroom. “Can I keep it short-term?” The future was no clearer to her and, as dangerous as she knew it was, she wanted it to include more of S.D. Bailey.
Preferably, in her bed.
* * *
Friday’s Station was on the top floor of Harrah’s hotel. Crystal chandeliers twinkled overhead and classical music played softly in the background. The ambience shouted money and plenty of it. Far above the pandemonium of casino slot machines, alarm bells, poker rooms, and noisy laughter, the dining room atmosphere was quietly chic. Tess understood now why Bailey had advanced her a clothing allowance.
Her embellished Marquesa cocktail dress, cut on the bias to show off the simple lines, fit her like a glove and the sensuous material moved with her body like it was a part of it. Bailey had guessed her size perfectly. His face lit up when he’d first seen her in the dress, his eyes blazing with heat. Good. She wouldn’t make it easy for him to ignore her.
Tess almost felt like real royalty as she entered the room on his arm and they were escorted to their table. Bailey wore his Tom Ford suit with casual elegance. The rakish quality of the ponytail neatly secured at the nape of his neck only added to his magnetism.
Another surprising facet of his personality, he looked equally at home in this formal wear as he had in Levis and a T-shirt. Tess admitted to herself that she didn’t care what he was wearing or not
It was...his cell.
“Ahh...I'll turn it off.” Bailey opened heavy-lidded eyes. He stilled the movement of his fingers and cursed the interruption.
“I didn’t think this was something we could turn off.” She dared him as she caressed his hard length.
“Contessa, you’re killing me.” He sighed regretfully. “I—”
Tess stopped him with a kiss and sat up to give him some room.
The mood broken, he rolled over and checked the message. Tess watched him stand up and take his phone, his bare back glistening with sweat. She wanted him just like he looked now, hot, sweaty, and incoherent. Buttoning his Levi’s, he dialed.
“Yeah. Okay, thanks for calling.” Bailey shook his head. “Damn.”
She reached for the robe on the floor at the bottom of the bed and slipped it on. “Trouble?”
“You might say that.” He looked worried. “Some men were at the front desk asking questions. I gave the bellhop a little something to keep his eyes and ears open.”
“What’s our next move?”
Bailey was all business. Their passionate lovemaking might as well have been a fantasy. But Tess wouldn’t forget it. For one thing, her body wouldn’t let her. And it wasn’t over, not by any means.
“We keep to the plan and go to dinner. Harrah’s Friday’s Station is one of the best restaurants in town. Put on your fancy shoes, Contessa. Tonight, we meet Lucius Monroe.” With that, he turned and left.
Ten minutes later, Tess was soaking in a tub filled with her favorite lilac bubble bath. She hoped it would relieve some of the tension in her body that had built up, only to be unfulfilled. “Small chance of that,” she murmured to herself.
What had made her think she could start a no-strings relationship when all Bailey had to do was look at her and her insides melted like a Hershey bar left in the sun? She’d never settle for a fling with this particular man. She’d end up back in Greenview pining over the most devastating man she’d ever had the misfortune to fall in love with.
He’d pretended like the scene near the lake had been a typical rendezvous between two adults who knew the rules of casual engagement. They both knew differently. It had escalated too quickly into something neither one of them could’ve controlled if that little girl hadn’t interrupted them. Tess sighed and squeezed the soapy loofah over her bent knee.
“I guess the big question is what I’m going to do about it.” She watched the steam cloud the mirror on the door of the bathroom. “Can I keep it short-term?” The future was no clearer to her and, as dangerous as she knew it was, she wanted it to include more of S.D. Bailey.
Preferably, in her bed.
* * *
Friday’s Station was on the top floor of Harrah’s hotel. Crystal chandeliers twinkled overhead and classical music played softly in the background. The ambience shouted money and plenty of it. Far above the pandemonium of casino slot machines, alarm bells, poker rooms, and noisy laughter, the dining room atmosphere was quietly chic. Tess understood now why Bailey had advanced her a clothing allowance.
Her embellished Marquesa cocktail dress, cut on the bias to show off the simple lines, fit her like a glove and the sensuous material moved with her body like it was a part of it. Bailey had guessed her size perfectly. His face lit up when he’d first seen her in the dress, his eyes blazing with heat. Good. She wouldn’t make it easy for him to ignore her.
Tess almost felt like real royalty as she entered the room on his arm and they were escorted to their table. Bailey wore his Tom Ford suit with casual elegance. The rakish quality of the ponytail neatly secured at the nape of his neck only added to his magnetism.
Another surprising facet of his personality, he looked equally at home in this formal wear as he had in Levis and a T-shirt. Tess admitted to herself that she didn’t care what he was wearing or not
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