A Hot Mess (4 page)

“You are not a loser.” Dylan wished he could find fucking Simon and beat him to a pulp for making Cait suffer. “You’re beautiful and kind. You’re the catch, not me.”

Laughter exploded from Cait. “You’re a riot. Do you know that?”

Dylan wished Cait could see herself through his eyes. He saw beyond the awkward, chubby, pig-tailed girl she’d once been when they’d grown up next door to each other. Cait’s family had been middle-class, and their modest home was overshadowed by the more expensive houses on their street. Cait had grown into a tomboy adolescent and finally a ravishing beauty, once admitting to Dylan that she felt she never quite fit in. He’d hated the fact that his family had so much, while the Myers struggled to make ends meet.

He rose out of the chair. “I should go book a room.”

Cait sat up in a sudden motion. Her red hair was mussed, and it was not hard for Dylan’s imagination to make the leap to what she would look like after a night of sex.

Cait shook her head, mussing her hair even more. “No. You can stay here.”

It would be torture to share a room with her. “I don’t think…”

Cait didn’t let him finish the sentence. “You’re only here on my account. There’s no reason for you to get a separate room.”

Dylan lifted a brow as he sat back down. “Cait, we’re not kids anymore. Sleepovers aren’t a good idea as adults, remember?”

Cait threw back her head, and a husky laugh escaped her. “Oh, my God! Are you serious, Dylan? Like anything would happen between us.”

“Go ahead and prick my wounded male ego, Cait.”

She lowered her chin and gave him an amused look. “As if you need me to fawn over you, Dylan. Women throw themselves at you constantly. Need I remind you of that, Mister Eligible Bachelor of the Year?”

Dylan held up his hands in exasperation. Cait got a kick out of the fact he’d been picked as one of Atlanta’s eligible bachelors. His career as a photographer had taken off after he shot nude pics of a now-famous actress while he was in college. Five years after he’d opened his studio, he’d been named Bachelor of the Year for a popular magazine.

He’d enjoyed success from the attention the article gained, so he couldn’t complain, but it was still embarrassing when his friends brought it up. His mom had framed the magazine and hung it above the mantel. She showed it off at every bridge game, charity event, or dinner the Russells hosted. There was no hiding from it, he was afraid.

“Wait until the bachelorette of the year is named; I am so going to nomin…”

Dylan’s voice trailed off as he realized what he’d been about to say. It was his normal rejoinder to her, but Cait had just been dumped the day before her wedding.

“Oh man, Cait. I’m sorry.”

Cait’s red-rimmed green eyes lost their twinkle of amusement. She shrugged. “It’s okay, Dylan. I’m going to have to get used to it. I’m single again. It won’t be so bad.”

“Just think what you have to look forward to. You will get to date again,” Dylan teased in a gentle manner.

Cait smiled, but it was not as bright as usual. “That’s true.”

If Dylan had his way, he would be the man Cait wanted to be with. He did not want to be the rebound guy, but he had to face it. With Cait, pretty much anytime would be rebound time. She was a serial dater, bouncing from one wrong guy to another.

She had scared him this time. She’d almost married that bastard, Simon. So now was the time to strike while he had the chance. He couldn’t risk losing her again.

He wouldn’t say anything yet. He would give her tonight, but tomorrow all bets were off.

What better place to gamble his heart than Vegas on Valentine’s Day?

* * * *

Cait groaned and rolled over. She lay there on her back and refused to open her eyes. Maybe if she didn’t get out of bed, the memory of the evening before would go away.

A tiny hammer beat a rhythm against her skull. She grabbed the blanket and pulled it over her head, hoping to shut out the world for a few more minutes. She needed more time before she had to face the day.

She should’ve known Dylan would not allow her to sulk.

The blanket was wrenched from her fingers and tossed below her waist. She cracked open her eyes and winced at the glare of light streaming through the window. “What time is it? I’m not ready to get up.”

“It’s almost eight.” Dylan held out his hand. Two small white pills rested on his palm. “Here, take these.”

Cait squinted at them. “What are they?”

“Aspirin. Now take them.”

“Yes, doctor.” Cait sat up and plucked the pills from his hand. She tossed them back and swallowed with a sip from the glass of water he handed to her next. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. How do you feel?”

She sat up and put a hand to her forehead. “I feel like I was run over by a Mack truck.”

“That’s what twelve mini bottles of rum will do to you.”

She grimaced and peeped up at him. “Twelve?”

Dylan nodded and motioned to the trash can. “I counted the bottles as I threw them away.”

“I’m sorry. I missed the trash.” She grimaced again. “Several times.”

Dylan waved aside her apology. “No problem. So, what do you want to do today?”

Cait’s hand fell to her lap. “Umm, I thought we were flying home?”

“See, I’ve been thinking about that.” Dylan sat down on the edge of the bed and pivoted to face her. “Since we’re already here, why not enjoy the sights? You’ve never been here, and I haven’t been in years. Let’s enjoy the rest of your vacation.”

Flabbergasted would be the closest adjective she could think of to describe her reaction to his offer. “I dunno, Dylan. I am not the best company right now.”

“But you can be.” Dylan reached for her hand and squeezed her fingers. “Come on, Cait. What do you say? I can take you out to dinner and maybe a show. It’ll be fun. I promise we can go home as soon as you’re ready.”

“What about work? You don’t have some fancy photo shoot to run off to?”

Dylan shook his head. “Nope, I’m free all week.”

Cait tried unsuccessfully to hide a grin. “No nude models, no famous actresses, no playmates?”

“Do I detect a note of jealousy?” Dylan’s lips quirked upward.

Jealous?
Of the women who spent time with
Dylan
?

Cait thought nothing could be further from the truth, but she hesitated. Maybe she was, a little. It was true she was possessive of Dylan, just as he was protective of her. She wasn’t sure if she would go so far as to say she was jealous though.

She ignored his question. “You do realize it’s Valentine’s Day, right?”

Dylan shrugged. “What about it?”

If he didn’t care, neither did Cait. Dylan’s idea to stay in Vegas sounded pretty fun actually.

“I must warn you. I don’t have anything to wear but this get-up.” Cait pinched the elastic material of her tube top. It snapped against her skin with a loud noise when she let it go.

Dylan’s eyes flitted to her top and then came back to meet her gaze. “Aren’t there shops downstairs?”

Cait widened her eyes. “I don’t have my debit card, and my credit card is expired, remember?”

Dylan shrugged. “I’ll pay.”

“I can’t let you do that.” Cait hated feeling like a charity case. She was already making him pay for the change to her plane ticket home. Anything else seemed like overkill.

“Yes, you can.” Dylan gave her a stern look.

“I can pay you back when we get home,” Cait offered.

“Relax, Cait. I can afford it. Think of it as a belated Christmas gift.”

She narrowed her eyes and shook her finger at him. “You sent me a bracelet for Christmas. A diamond bracelet at that!”

Dylan’s expression turned sheepish, but it was ruined by the grin that broke out on his face. “An early birthday present then.”

Cait made a face. “Ugh, don’t remind me of my birthday. I’m going to be thirty soon.”

“You don’t look a day over twenty-five,” Dylan responded without blinking an eye.

He reached over to smack the side of her hip. “Now come on, lazy, and go get in the shower. I will run downstairs and buy you some clothes. What size do you wear?”

“Uhh … no.” Cait sliced her hand through the air for emphasis. “If you think I’m telling you my size, you are seriously deluded. That would be like telling you how much I weigh.”

“One hundred and thirty-four,” Dylan answered with no hesitation.

Cait’s mouth dropped open and then snapped shut with an audible click. “How do you know that?”

“You told me last night.”

Her mouth fell open again. “No, I didn’t.”

“Yep, you did,” Dylan confirmed with a nod.

“Oh, Lord.” She buried her face in her hands and then peeped between her fingers at him. “What else did I tell you?”

“Nothing bad, Cait. Quit worrying. Now tell me your size.”

She kicked free of the blanket and slid over to sit beside him. She leaned in close, so she could whisper. “I wear a size eight.”

“Cait,” Dylan said in a loud mock whisper. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

She rolled her eyes. “So speaks the man who only photographs size zeroes.”

“I will photograph you anytime you want, Cait. Just say the word.” He gave her a wicked grin. “You can pose nude if you prefer.”

Cait drew back with a disgusted face. “Like anyone wants to see that! Now, do you need my bra size as well?”

“Thirty-six D.” Dylan held up a hand. “And before you ask, no, you didn’t tell me. This is just an educated guess.”

“Well, you’re right.” Cait made a shooing motion with her hands. “Now get out of here, so I can take a shower and pee.”

Dylan laughed. “You can’t pee with me in here?”

“Well if you don’t leave soon, I may pee
on
you, so consider yourself forewarned.”

“Okay, okay. I’m going.” Dylan got to his feet. His ass was right at Cait’s eye level.

Whoa
. Cait tilted her head and gave his butt a considering look. Who knew Dylan had such a cute tushie?

She couldn’t help herself. She reached out and gave it a tiny pinch. It was just as firm as it appeared.

Dylan turned his head and glanced down at her. “Did you just pinch my ass?”

“Maybe.” She laughed and swatted his butt. “Go on, and get out of here before I do it again.”

He flexed for her. “Buns of steel, baby. Buns of steel.”

Dylan strode from the room and shut the door behind him while Cait was still consumed by giggles. Leave it to Dylan to cheer her up.

Cait headed for the bathroom, where she finally could unclench her thighs without fear of wetting herself. She peed for what felt like hours and decided to take a quick shower instead of soaking in the Jacuzzi tub.

She turned on the taps to the right temperature and then stripped, leaving her hooker clothes in a pile near the door. She stepped into the shower, moaning in delight as the warm water washed over her.

Cait grabbed the soap and scrubbed and scrubbed, as if by washing she could cleanse herself of all that had happened the day before. She wanted to wash the memory of yesterday and Simon right down the drain.

As she washed her hair, her thoughts turned toward today. She considered what she and Dylan could do while in Vegas. She’d always wanted to go to the Stratosphere. She wouldn’t mind seeing the fountains at Bellagio either.

A jaunty whistle came to her lips as she mentally made a list of things to see and do. She was actually happy. It was hard to believe that a little more than fourteen hours ago, she’d been jilted by her fiancé.

Cait turned off the taps and got out of the shower. She toweled dry and then combed her hair. She leaned over the counter to peer at her reflection. The face looking back at her from the steamed mirror looked much better than it had the day before.

Dylan wasn’t back yet, so she padded out of the room wrapped in a towel to retrieve a robe from the closet. She retreated to the bathroom to drop the towel and pull on the thick robe. The next step was to slap on a bit of makeup and then wait for Dylan to return.

Half an hour later, Cait was flipping through channels on the television when she heard the doorknob click. Dylan walked in carrying a handful of bags of various sizes and bearing the names of several shops.

Cait flipped off the television and tossed the remote on the bedside table. “Dylan! What all did you buy?”

He dumped the bags on the bed and shrugged. “Just a little bit of everything.”

Cait pounced on the bags and pulled out a shimmering mini dress that would end well above her knees. She held it up and gave Dylan a questioning look. “Seriously, Dylan?”

His face fell. “You don’t like it?”

“Like it? No, I love it!” Cait gazed at the dress with an awed expression. “It’s gorgeous.”

Dylan appeared relieved.

Cait pulled out more garments, happy to see he’d indeed bought bras and panties. It was a tad embarrassing that Dylan would know what she wore beneath her clothes, but it was a relief not to have to wear dirty undergarments.

She emptied all of the bags and surveyed the selection. Dylan had picked out at least eight outfits, but Cait decided to wear a yellow sundress with a pattern of scattered white daisies. She grabbed a bra and a pair of panties and escaped to the bathroom again. She shimmied out of the robe and slipped on her underwear. The dress zipped on the side, so she was able to fasten it by herself.

It was a perfect fit.

Cait looked at herself in the mirror and was satisfied with what she saw. Her hair was damp, but it would dry naturally. Her eyes were bright, and her cheeks flushed with excitement. She slicked on more gloss and ran the comb through her hair once more. The red strands lay straight for the moment, but once they dried they would curl in soft waves around her face.

She emerged from the bathroom, and Dylan gave a low whistle. “You look good, Cait.”

“Yeah, thanks to you.” She bent down to slip on her pink heels. They didn’t match, but who cared? She was determined to have a good time.

Dylan’s gaze dropped to her feet. “We can stop by a shop, and you can pick out your shoes. I know better than to come between you and your obsession.”

It was true that Cait did have an addiction with shoe shopping, so she couldn’t blame him. She stood up straight and motioned toward her heels. “These are fine. I have more than enough shoes as it is.”