Exquisite Betrayal Read online

  At least the ride to the hotel doesn’t take very long. When we pull up to it, though, we’re kind of disappointed. “Well, they sure made it look a lot nicer online,” Andrea harrumphs.

  We all agree with her, but there isn’t anything to do except go inside and check in. So that’s what we do.

  The lobby is a bit outdated and has a space odyssey look to it, but it’s clean with a casino and bar. What more can we ask for, right? The other nice thing is it is only a couple of blocks from the conference and all the cool hotels. The Space Nugget will do just fine for the next five days.

  We had booked two adjoining rooms so we could share two bathrooms. The rooms are tidy, but they’re seriously lacking in decor.

  “Well, it’s clean and cool and what do we care about anything else, right?” Mandy asks.

  “Yeah, it’s not like we’re gonna be in here a lot anyway,” Kat replies. “I’m happy if the air conditioning works.”

  So we all unpack and decide what to do that night. The convention kicks off in the morning, so that leaves tonight open. Tomorrow night is our big party with R. T. Sinclair.

  Everyone starts tossing around ideas of what to do and our excitement mounts. We’re in the world’s largest adult playground and we have a plethora of places to choose from.

  Amanda has a look in her eye that I’m beginning to understand. She once talked about hitting the male strip clubs and I’m all for that, but right now my stomach is telling me it wants some food. I’m relieved to hear her say, “Hey, what do y’all say we hit the town? Grab a little food, hit a casino and then do some shooters!” she shouts.

  Everyone is on board with her suggestion, so we all get ready for our first night out on the town.

  Whoever that gorgeous girl is that rammed into me, I’d like to get to know her. No, scratch that. There’s no liking about it. It’s more like a need. I wish I didn’t get so bloody freaked out around members of the opposite sex because that one is fucking hot. I’m not talking about this bloody desert heat here, either. My body immediately got fired up when I’d gotten a good look at her. It was nearly impossible to pull my eyes away.

  I felt bad when she landed flat on her arse, but damn what a pretty sight it was when she rolled over. Then the poor thing burned her palms on the walkway. When she treated me to that show of her lovely nipple, however, it was all I could do not to put my mouth on her. Too bad both of her lovely buds didn’t poke out. Guess I’ll have to be happy with just the one. Now she’s triggered an urge in me… one that I haven’t felt in a long time.

  Shaking my head to clear the encounter, I enter the airport to collect my sister, Tilly. She’s already texted me, so I head on over to the baggage carousel and hunt for her. I finally spy her over a sea of heads and piles of black, rolling bags. Why does everyone insist on buying that silly luggage that looks the same? Don’t they realize how difficult it makes it to find your bag when it plops down on that conveyor belt? I guess not because everyone keeps on buying it.

  “Tills,” I yell over the din of the crowd.

  Her head bobs around, trying to seek me out.

  “Tills, over here!” I yell as I wave my arm above my head.

  She glances my way and waves. It’s so good to see her. I squeeze through an opening and finally make it to her side.

  “Ryland Thomas,” she squeaks as I crush her in a hug. After she releases me, she gives me one of her thorough inspections. “Bloody hell, look at you. You’re a damn twitchy mess. You need a woman, Ryland Thomas. When was the last time you got laid?”

  “Lay off, Tilly. Besides, that’s not an appropriate thing to ask your brother, for Christ’s sake.”

  “It is, too. It’s been far too long and you know it. You’re entirely too tense. You won’t even talk to women, much less hook up with them.”

  I fold my lips into my mouth and bite down simply so I don’t explode on her. I know she means well, however this isn’t doing me a bloody bit of good. “Where’s your satchel?” I ask.

  “I brought more than a satchel and I’m still waiting for it,” she huffs. Then she adds, “There it is.”

  I look in the direction she’s indicating and see a gigantic purple and pink polka dotted trunk. “Bloody hell, Tills, how long are you planning on staying here?”

  “A week or so.”

  I eye her suspiciously. “What’s going on?”

  “For your information, Mr. Nosy, someone is meeting me here after the conference. We’re going to take a mini vacation.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  “Is that it? Don’t you want to know anything else?”

  “Not really.”

  “But I’m your sister… your twin at that.”

  “I know, but Tilly, your sex life is your own business.”

  “What if I were to tell you it’s more than just sex? What if I were to tell you that I’m in love?”

  “Then I’d say good for you. Let’s get out of here.” I look around for a Sky Cap because there’s no way I’m going to lug that gigantic piece of luggage around. It’s a huge, rectangular trunk on tiny wheels. I could fit my bedroom furniture in that thing.

  One finally sees us and I tell them I’m going to get the car.

  After getting Tilly and giganticus loaded into my car, we head for the Bellagio.

  “So, you’re prepared for this, right?” I ask. I always get a bit antsy before these things.

  “As usual. When are you going to stop worrying about all of this? I pull it off like a charm and you know it.”

  “You do make it work quite nicely, I will say. But, Tills, I simply get a bit nervous. Can’t help it. My sales would go to shit if my readers ever found out.”

  Out of the corner of my eye I see Tilly look at me. Here it comes. Her sympathy speech. “Look Ryland Thomas, you’re a fabulous writer. Your fans would love you anyway. Besides all of that, don’t you think it’s time to let the past go? Release all that anger and start living again?”

  My hands clench the steering wheel as I stare straight ahead. Tilly can’t understand and never will. We were only eighteen when our parents died in the train crash. It was an unfortunate thing, everyone said. They were traveling in France and the train derailed, leaving most of the passengers critically injured or dead. Our parents were killed instantly, leaving the two of us behind. Luckily, we were extremely well padded financially, but the emotional scars left us both a mess for a while.

  Tilly stumbled around a bit and I did my best to shield her from everything, like a good brother should, but she had great friends who were always there for her. I, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. At the time, I thought differently. It was the usual story, the one where the beautiful blond comes to the rescue, saving the poor guy from the pain he’s in.

  Yeah, right. Turns out, the only thing she was interested in was my best mate. For a while I tried to lie to myself by covering up all the obvious things; her staying out late by herself, not showing up at restaurants when she said she’d be there. The final blow hurt worse than I ever thought possible, though.

  I came home early from class one day, as I was still in university, having forgotten my creative writing notes, so I jogged back to my flat to grab them. When I walked in, I heard voices, one female and the other male. As I stopped to listen, the sounds turned into things I shouldn’t be hearing, things that I knew shouldn’t be coming from my bedroom, especially since I wasn’t in there.

  Walking on silent feet, I stood in the doorway and watched him going down on her as she sucked him off. Since she was on top, I couldn’t get a good look at the bloke’s face, and I didn’t care much about that either. Or so I thought.

  “Well, isn’t this interesting?” At least they paused for a moment.

  The look on her face wasn’t what I expected. I thought I’d see remorse, or even shock. She smiled instead and asked me to join them. Then the bloke lifted his head and said, “Didn’t know this was your type of thing, mate.”

  It was my best
friend. He knew bloody good and well it wasn’t my thing. He didn’t stay my best friend after that, of course. I may have been blind and naive, but I wasn’t stupid.

  “Yeah, and how many years have we known each other?”

  “About ten now, I guess,” he groaned. She’d resumed giving him head by then.

  “Then you should know I’m pretty damn disgusted by this. Now get your fucking piece of shit arses out of my flat.” I didn’t yell or scream; however both of them knew I wasn’t joking.

  They just looked at me and I finally had to say, “Now!”

  Feet hit the floor as they scrambled to get dressed. They left in such a hurry that she had left her handbag behind. I tossed it out on the street and really didn’t give a shit about it. I never went to class that day or the next. The fact is, I stayed in that flat for two and a half weeks until Tilly came to get me.

  She cried when she saw me. I know I scared the crap out of her. I hadn’t bathed in all that time and I’m pretty sure I had suffered some kind of a breakdown. I had fooled myself into believing that Iris loved me and I’d lied to myself all along, telling myself she truly cared. It was all smoke and mirrors, though. It was too much to bear after losing my parents, and now Iris and Will.

  My best friend’s betrayal was even more difficult to take over the long run because he understood me and had known me for my whole adolescent and adult life. Talk about getting buggered. Never thought it would happen to me by my best mate.

  Tilly picked up the pieces of me and glued me back together. It took her awhile, but she didn’t give up. I dropped out of university for a term, yet did go back and finish, thanks to my sister.

  She tries; I’ll give her that. She never gives up, either. Despite that, how can I tell her that I’m wary of opening up to another woman again? When you’ve been dealt a double whammy like that, you just don’t let it go and move on. The only person I’ll ever trust is Tilly.

  “So how do you want to handle it?” she asks.

  “What?”

  “Have you even been listening to me at all?”

  Guilty as charged, but I don’t dare tell her that. “Well, sure.”

  “Then tell me, dear brother, what did I just say?”

  “Oh look, we’re here!” I exclaim as I pull into the Bellagio.

  “You’re not getting out of this, Ryland Thomas,” she promises. Whatever ‘this’ is.

  I hand my keys to the valet and a bellman follows us inside with my bag and giganticus as we go to check in. I’ve booked two suites for us, next to each other, as requested. Tilly needs her space and so do I. The clerk gives us all our information and off we go.

  “Ryland Thomas, we need to talk about tomorrow night. I’m going to unpack and then I’ll be over in thirty minutes.”

  “Fine,” I say in my grumpy voice. I hate playing this duplicitous role, but it is a necessity for my sales.

  As promised, thirty minutes later, Tilly knocks on my door.

  “Have you chatted with Sam?”

  Sam is my agent and a good friend as well. “Yes and he thinks this will be great publicity for me. Thanks again, Tills, for doing this.”

  She narrows her eyes. “You’d make me a lot happier if you’d get off your bum and get a social life. I worry about you, you know.”

  “I’m fine,” I insist, wondering if it’s true as the words leave my lips.

  “It’s been years already. Are you going to mope around forever?”

  “Tilly, if you don’t stop bringing this up, I’m going to get really pissed. And I don’t want to do that.”

  “Maybe I want you to get pissed.”

  She’s confusing me now. Why would she want me to get angry? I give her one of my looks, the one that tells her she’s exasperating me.

  She laughs. “Go ahead and get mad because I don’t give a shit. I’ve had it with your surliness over Iris and the nasty crap she pulled on you. Get over it! Hear me, Ryland Thomas? I’m done with your silly moods already. And if you don’t start behaving like a man your age should act, I’m gonna quit doing these appearances for you.”

  “You’re joking.”

  “No, I’m promising. I’m done. Understand?”

  “Tilly! You can’t mean that!”

  “Oh, but I do. Now, pull yourself together and get out in the world. Get laid, or whatever. Bloody hell, I’ll hire you an escort if that’s what you want. But you need some female company for Christ’s sake.”

  She sees my wallet on the table and hands it to me along with my phone. “Here,” she says before she puts her palms on my back and pushes me out the door. “Have fun tonight.”

  I’m left standing in the hall of my hotel, staring at the door to my suite.

  “I’m not so sure about that tequila, but these lemon drop shooters are really good,” I yell over the thumping of the music. We’re in a club called Dance NOW. Men are swarming everywhere, and I have my eye out for the one except I’m terribly dissatisfied.

  “Yeah, I agree,” Kat yells back. “I like these a lot better than tequila.”

  Amanda, Mandy and Andrea are out on the dance floor perfecting their moves. I’m not sure exactly what kind of moves they are, but I have to say, Amanda is all kinds of flexible. That girl can flat swing her legs around and then drop it down low.

  Kat and I are taking in the scenery when I glance up at the bar and notice the sex god from the airport. I give my head a hard shake, ensuring it’s not the lemon drops making me see things. When I open my eyes, there he stands, tipping a glass of amber liquid into his mouth. Would I ever love to be that glass right now, tucked tightly against those luscious lips of his.

  I hear Kat saying something to me, however I’m not paying her the least bit of attention. “Fallon?” she hollers. Then she must’ve followed my gaze because I suddenly hear her say, “Mother fucker, it’s him.” Now this is coming from a girl who never swears.

  We both must look like two hoot owls in the night sitting on a tree limb, unblinking, as we ogle Mr. Pretty, yet neither of us can do a damn thing about it. He really is that freakin’ gorgeous.

  That glass that I envy so much is taking another trip to his lips and the iceless fluid tumbles gently into his mouth. I moan. Hearing myself, I clap a hand over my mouth. My movement must have distracted him somewhat because my eyes are suddenly in the direct line of fire of his.

  “Oh shit,” I mumble under my hand. “What do I do now?” I ask to no one in particular.

  He simply stares at me. Those green eyes are so intense I briefly wonder if he’s a vampire. Then I chastise myself. Everyone knows there are no such things as vampires.

  So now what? I wonder as his eyes continue to bore holes into mine. It’s as though he’s running an assessment of me, like I’m a car he’s thinking of test-driving. If that’s the case, then I’m more than troubled when he pulls his long, sinewy frame away from the bar and saunters towards me. His clothes are molded to him; he’s wearing jeans that ride low on his hips and a black shirt that clings to him.

  “Oh crap,” I say.

  “He’s coming for you, girl,” Kat says as she moves away.

  No, no, no! What is she doing, abandoning me like that? She knows not to do that.

  “Aren’t you the girl I knocked over at the airport earlier today?” he asks, his voice dripping over me like cream.

  My head tilts back, six inches or so because Green Eyes is at least six-foot-three. I should know because I’m five-nine. “Ah, er, well, I think I actually ran into you. But yeah, it’s me.” I stick out my hand to shake his. “My name is Fallon McKinley, and I’m sorry about that.” I am mortified because he did, after all, see my ass and nipple. Oh shit, the gorgeous piece of humanity has seen my nipple! My face suddenly feels like a blast furnace.

  “Yes, well, Fallon, I thought it was you. Name’s Ryland. Nice to meet you then. May I buy you a drink?”

  “Oh no. I’m good here. But thanks.”

  What the hell is wrong with me? I forc
e myself to calm down and talk to the man like a mature young woman. “So Ryland, what brings you to Vegas?”

  He stiffens a bit before answering, “Yeah, well, I just thought I’d pop over for a few days of gambling. You know, try my hand at the tables. And you?”

  Unable to hide my excitement, I grin and say, “Oh, we’re here for the Wicked Wench’s Convention.”

  His eyes widen at that. I laugh, telling him, “Don’t worry, I’m not a stripper or anything. It’s a convention and book signing for romance novelists and book bloggers. I’m a blogger so I’m here with my blog team. We’re also here to meet one of the authors we sort of help promote. She’s giving a private party tomorrow night, so we finally get to meet her face-to-face.”

  While I’m talking, he starts acting like I have the plague, and with my last announcement, he nods and then says, “Well, have fun then.” And just like that, he’s gone.

  I have no idea what I’ve said to discourage him so, but he disappears like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I cup my hand over my mouth just to make sure I don’t have skunk breath. I think that maybe he’s gotten a whiff of something bad and has decided to get the hell outta Dodge. However, my breath smells like nothing more than lemon drop shooters. Not bad considering I’ve eaten spaghetti, too.

  Kat pushes her way back over and wants to know the scoop. And well, dammit, there really isn’t any. I can’t help feeling more than a little disappointed. I’ve never run off a man so fast in my life!

  “What do you think I did?” I ask, confused over his odd departure.

  “Maybe it’s not you. Maybe his bowels started acting up.”

  “Kat! Be serious!”

  “I am. Why would he run off so fast if it weren’t something embarrassing like that?”

  Well, she did make a good point. Maybe he’s eaten some beans for dinner and he needed to save us all.

  In any event, I am extremely disappointed, and even though I’m not short on dance partners for the rest of the night, my mind stays occupied with green eyes and a mouth that promises sinful treats.