Beyond Intent Page 3

  “Hope you’re ready to have a great weekend, Gabby,” he said.

  “I can’t wait,” I squealed in delight. I slipped my hand into his as one of the bellhops opened the door for us. I heard Lily and Brandy behind us, but their chatter faded away, and I became completely absorbed in Jason’s company.

  Unlike most of Vegas, this hotel had a calm, sophisticated ambiance. Ivory marble wrapped every flat surface of the lobby. Large bronze statues dotted the far wall where a waterfall spilled into a pond. There was a burbling fountain in front of us surrounded by several large vases that were filled with brightly colored flowers. Behind it was a hallway that led away from the hotel lobby. Brandy’s laughter filled the space, and I glanced behind me to see her clutching onto Aaron, who was laughing. She gave a quick wave and I grinned.

  “It’ll take them some time to get checked in,” Jason said, guiding me to the bank of elevators.

  I nodded. “Hopefully it will take them a really long time,” I laughed as an elevator opened up.

  He stuck the key card in the slot and pressed floor fifteen, but all I could think about was being wrapped in his arms.

  “You look beautiful,” he said, turning to face me.

  I smiled and looked down at the outfit I’d worn to the bakery this morning, a pair of slouchy, boyfriend jeans, a white t-shirt, and a pink hoodie. Not what I’d call sexy.

  “It’s nice that love is so blind,” I teased.

  Jason’s eyes focused on mine, and his lip curled slightly. “Oh, Gabby. You have no idea.”

  “Why don’t you enlighten me?”

  I stepped back and leaned against the wall; my arms stretched out as I gently tugged on his empty hand. He took one step forward and pressed his hard body against mine. I felt the heat of his skin as his eyes connected with mine. He gently cupped my chin between his thumb and index finger, but as I waited for a kiss, none came.

  I felt the stir deep in my abdomen as I pleaded with him to kiss me. He watched me carefully as I wrapped my arms around his neck. The gold flecks in his eyes flickered with the same desire I felt; yet no kiss came.

  “I think we should take it slow,” his voice low.

  “Since when?” I teased.

  “Since the doors are about to open,” he laughed.

  The elevator chimed as the doors parted, and Jason peeled me away from the wall.

  “Since when have you developed patience?” I asked, his hand still in mine.

  He only grinned at me and didn’t say a word. He stopped in front of a door and slid in his key card. As soon as the click sounded, he pushed the door open, revealing a beautiful suite. I looked down and saw a trail of red rose petals sprinkled along the carpet. I looked up at Jason and he smiled, ushering me in to follow the trail of petals. Jason placed the bouquet on the table as I followed the petals into the bedroom.

  My breath caught when I saw the entire room filled with vases of flowers.

  “Gabby, I’m so sorry for not letting you in these last couple months. You’re right. You deserve better.”

  Before I could respond, he scooped me up in his arms and carried me into the bedroom. Placing me on a pile of petals on top of the duvet, he smiled, running his fingers along my arms that were still looped around his neck.

  “This is gorgeous,” I whispered.

  “Not as gorgeous as you,” he said.

  I couldn’t help but smile when the words left his lips. I would never understand how he could do this to me—make me feel like a goddess.

  “I’ve been staring at that picture you sent all week,” he said softly. “It’s been torture trying to sell bikes while thinking about what I left back in Washington.”

  “You weren’t the only lucky recipient,” I revealed, unwrapping my arms from him.

  Jason’s brow quirked.

  “I accidently sent the picture to Lily first.”

  Jason’s laughter filled the room. He rolled over on the bed. “Why does that not surprise me?”

  I stripped out of my hoodie and tossed it on the floor. Turning on my side, I propped my head on my hand and watched Jason. He looked more relaxed, but I still sensed the burden he carried was only a thought away, and that wasn’t how I wanted us to continue.

  I touched his cheek and smiled.

  “Your eyes look sad,” I told him.

  “Having you here has made it all better,” he replied.

  I moved closer and rested my hand on his chest.

  “You want to talk about it?” I asked.

  “Soon.” He nodded. “But right now what I need is to feel you in my arms.”

  I pushed him onto his back and anchored him on the bed. “Nice try, but I’m in charge.”

  My legs straddled his waist, and I couldn’t help but notice how aroused he’d become, sadness in his eyes or not. I grinned as my eyes took in his fabulous body. Yanking his shirt off, I pressed my hands onto his shoulders and hovered over him.

  “So where were we?” I whispered, as his amber eyes locked on mine.

  “Here,” he murmured, gently running his fingers through my hair as he pulled me closer.

  Before I had a chance to kiss him, he had me in his arms and rolled me over so that he was no longer on the bottom. He was positioned securely on top, and I loved every second of it as his eyes raked over me.

  “Who’s the control freak?” I laughed, but he quickly wrestled my wrists above my head and flashed me a wicked grin as he softly kissed the exposed skin along my collarbone.

  “You taste so good,” he whispered.

  My pulse quickened as I squirmed out of his grasp and ran my fingers along his stomach. Feeling the warmth of his skin against my fingertips drove me insane. My hands skirted around to his back as his fingers teased along my waist.

  He slowly raised my shirt up, allowing his lips to follow. I was lost in Jason’s world and didn’t want this moment to end. As his mouth traveled along my flesh and the cool air hit, my skin prickled and I shivered. He worked his way up to my bra and slipped his arms under my back, quickly unfastening the clasp. Sliding the bra up, he placed more kisses along my breasts, and the need I had for him grew by the second. It felt like all of my worries were miles away until the shrill sound of the hotel phone rang through the bedroom.

  Jason let out a groan and pressed his forehead against mine. I opened my eyes and couldn’t help but laugh. Our friends had apparently checked in.

  “Do we answer it?” I whispered. “We could pretend like we aren’t here, but then they’d probably just come to our room and pound incessantly on the door.”

  Jason reached over to the phone and picked it up. His body was still on top of mine, and I couldn’t resist. I slipped my hand between his jeans and waist as he answered the phone.

  “What’s up?” he asked, his voice wavering only slightly.

  I continued working my magic and Jason shot me an evil grin.

  “Yeah. Let’s meet up in thirty.” He hung up the phone, and his gaze fastened on mine.

  “That’s how you want to play it?” he growled, and my fingers quickly unfastened the button on his jeans.

  I nodded and his lips met mine. His kisses were no longer gentle. They were hungry with the same craving I had for him. His fingers searched my body, working me the way only he knew how. His lips broke free from mine, and he gently teased me with his mouth, slowly moving down my body. His jeans were no longer on and he slipped mine off. A tidal wave of desire ran through me, my body aching for him as Jason kissed down my belly. My body quivered as his fingers ran along my thighs. My breath caught, and he looked up at me. My world came to a standstill as his hooded eyes locked on mine. I wrapped my arms around him, leading him up to me. Running my mouth along his chest, I felt the dips and peaks of his muscles as he pressed into me.

  “I love you more and more each day,” Jason whispered, as our bodies collided into a world filled with passion and love for only each other.

  ***

  Jason was at a blackjack
table with the guys, and I had wasted my last dollar on the nickel slots. I understood the free drink part of gambling, but even with that I couldn’t wrap my head around betting for hours on end. I looked at the dollar slots and laughed when I spotted Brandy and Lily. Those machines were way too rich for my blood, but that’s where they wanted to hang out. I wove through the servers carrying drinks and arrived next to my friends, settling into one of the empty seats next to them.

  Lily shot me a pouty face and let out an exasperated sigh. “This is so annoying.”

  “Not going well?” I teased.

  “Not at all.”

  She pushed the play button on the console, and we watched as panda bears and bamboo shoots spun right on by. The sound of the spin slowed down, as we kept our eyes glued to the screen in front of us when the last row of images began to populate.

  Panda... Panda… Panda… Panda

  The lights started flashing on top of Lily’s machine, and she started hopping up and down as the screen flashed “Jackpot”. I had no idea what was taking place, but as people started to congregate around us, I knew it must be bigger than I realized. Bells started clanging and music began playing while Lily turned beet red. I looked around the casino toward the card tables, but I didn’t see Jason. I wanted them to come over and check out the spectacle. I wondered where they were?

  “How much did you win?” I asked, trying to make sense of all the numbers that were flashing on Lily’s screen.

  “I have no clue,” she said.

  “How much did you bet?” I asked.

  “It was my last one so I put everything on it,” she replied. Her eyes twinkled as she tried to calculate how much she actually did put in.

  “Oh, my gosh,” Brandy said, pointing at the screen.

  Lily and I looked at the machine and our mouths fell open.

  Lily had won twenty-thousand dollars. What? No way.

  “No wonder you play the dollar machines,” I laughed. “I can’t believe this. I racked up a buck-fifty at one point and was thrilled.”

  “Honey, these are five-and-ten dollar machines,” Brandy laughed. “This is crazy.”

  “Holeee,” Lily continued hopping up and down and so did I. She grabbed her phone and texted Ayden.

  “What do we do now?” I asked.

  “The guys are in the pit,” Lily answered, reading her text.

  “The pit?”

  “Beats me,” Brandy said.

  A heavy-set man in a dark suit made his way through the crowd and shook Lily’s hand. Brandy and I took a step back as he spoke to her. She turned around and gave us a quick wave to follow her through the slots.

  As we hurried after Lily, I kept checking the floor for any sign of Jason, Aaron, or Ayden. Lily didn’t have to stand in line. The man led her to an open window where a woman took her ticket and began cashing her out. It seemed kind of weird that Lily would be walking around with that much money on her. I glanced behind me and saw Ayden making his way over to us. He had a loopy grin on his face and had obviously been enjoying the free drinks.

  “Where’s my good-luck charm?” Ayden asked. “Aaron and Jason certainly could use some.”

  “She’s cashing out over there.” I pointed to where the large man was hovering around Lily, and Ayden took a sip of his drink.

  “How much did she have to put in to get that out?” he asked.

  “She didn’t really tell us. I’m not sure she knows,” I laughed. “So Jason needs some luck?”

  “Yeah. We’ve lost pretty big, actually.”

  “Where’ve you been hiding?” I asked, straining my neck to try to find Jason.

  “We’re behind that wall over there,” Ayden said.

  “Sweet. I’m gonna make my way over,” I said. “Don’t spend it all in one place.”

  Ayden smiled and shook his head as I made my way through the slots. People looked like zombies as they continually stared at the screens in front of them. It was kind of creepy. I took a deep breath in, and a tickle in my chest made me cough unexpectedly loud. I rubbed my chest when I spotted the back of Jason.

  I walked up behind him and slid my hands along his shoulders. They felt really tight so I began to massage them.

  Aaron flashed me a smile and tapped his fingers on the table.

  “I’m sorry, miss. But I’ve got a really hot girlfriend around here,” Jason said, turning around in his seat. “And I don’t think she’d appreciate me getting a friendly massage.”

  “Who said it was friendly?” I asked.

  Jason looked absolutely adorable. I bent down and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. His hand slid around and rested in the back pocket of my jeans. As silly as it seemed, it was these little things that I treasured from Jason, the little touches and glances that claimed me in some form. These were the gestures that I cherished most from him.

  Jason turned back around as the dealer called Jason’s blackjack, and I jumped up on my toes.

  “You’ve certainly changed my luck for the better,” Jason said, shooting me a smile.

  He took a swig of his club soda and I couldn’t hide my grin.

  “We’re meant to be a team,” I gushed. I clapped my hands and watched as the dealer shoved towers of purple and black chips at Jason.

  “Nice one,” Aaron said, nodding.

  Jason slid his hand along my waist and brought me into him. “I think that might be a good one to end on.”

  “You’re done?” I asked.

  “I can think of some other things I’d rather be doing,” Jason whispered.

  My cheeks warmed, and I glanced at the exotically patterned carpet.

  I ran my hand along Jason’s shoulders, his muscles still felt tense so I began massaging once again.

  “Lily won twenty grand,” I whispered into Jason’s ear.

  “Looks like I know who’ll be buying dinner tonight,” he laughed. “That’s crazy.”

  “Isn’t it? If I had known, I would’ve moved away from the nickel slots,” I laughed. “How’d you make out?”

  “I was in the red until you came over. Won it all back and then some on that last hand.” He grabbed his chips and wrapped his other arm around my waist. “Looks like you’ll have to stay by my side the rest of the weekend.”

  “I can manage that.”

  Jason kissed my cheek and slid his hand into mine.

  “I’m starving.”

  “I think we have reservations, don’t we, Aaron?” Jason asked.

  Aaron glanced at his phone and nodded. “Yeah. We should probably head over to the restaurant now.” Aaron signaled to cash out as well and I spotted Ayden, Lily, and Brandy making their way over. “I can’t wait to hear what Gabby thinks of all the news.”

  Jason stiffened and threw Aaron a sideways glance.

  “What news?” I asked.

  “I thought you’d told her,” Aaron said, his voice on edge.

  “Hadn’t gotten to it yet.” Jason’s voice was flat.

  “What’s going on?” I turned to Jason.

  His gaze met mine, but he didn’t say a word. Instead, we quietly walked along the edge of the casino floor, making our way to the restaurant. If I’d known what was to come, I never would’ve left my nickel slots.

  We sat at a large, red leather booth in the far corner of the Russian-themed restaurant. I was wedged in between Jason and Brandy so my chance for escape seemed slim to none. By the time we’d gotten to the restaurant, news had spread that whatever was supposed to have been relayed to me hadn’t been. Even more disconcerting was that all my friends seemed to know what was going on; yet I didn’t have a clue.

  The server came over and Aaron ordered their drink specialty, which was an ice block filled with a sampler of vodkas. Something told me my brother had been looking forward to this restaurant for a while. I glanced at the menu, but it was hard to focus. Jason slid his hand to my thigh, and I looked over at him. His expression was hard to read. Aaron, who didn’t look too pleased, wouldn’t make eye c
ontact with me. I feared the worst and didn’t understand how things could go south so quickly. One minute I couldn’t imagine being anywhere but in Jason’s arms, and the next, I felt like I had everything to lose.

  “I’m freaking out right now,” I said softly to Jason. “What’s going on?”

  “I meant to tell you when you first arrived, but things got a little out of hand and…” He bit his lip as he messed with a napkin. “I didn’t want to ruin anything.”

  “Ruin anything? So what you have to tell me is bad news.”

  Lily began listing items that she planned on purchasing with her newfound wealth, giving Jason and me a bit of privacy.

  “It’s not bad news. It’s actually good news… for the business,” Jason said.

  “Would you just spill it?” I asked.

  “I’m going to open up another shop.” His eyes stayed fixed on mine as the news settled over me.

  “Here in Vegas,” I finished for him.

  He nodded. “The timing is horrible, but I don’t think I can let the opportunity slip away.”

  I knew I should be excited for him. Expansion was an exciting thing—thrilling—really. But I knew what this meant. With my bakery on the island and his new facility in Vegas, we’d be apart. And there were still so many things lingering between us, so many unsaid words that I feared the worst for our future.

  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I felt tears prick my lids, but that wasn’t going to happen. No way. Not now. I should be celebrating this news. I would never dream of holding him back. But instead of excitement, I felt dread.

  Once the tears had soaked back in, I looked into his expectant gaze. I didn’t know if he was hoping I’d tell him not to do it or if he wanted me to be supportive. There was no reading the man sitting in front of me. It felt like a test. He felt like a stranger.