Bedded Bliss (Found in Oblivion Book 1) (7 page)

Jinx blew raspberries. “That’s because you pick prudish bookish types.”

“Oh, I should go for the tattooed, biker assholes you go for?”

Chloe grinned behind the rim of her glass. This was a conversation they had almost weekly, and it never stopped being entertaining. And reminded her—eternally—why she was firmly out of the dating pool these days.

“Don’t go grinning over there.” Jinx laced her fingers over her middle as she tipped back in her chair. “You wouldn’t know an orgasm if it bit you on the boob.”

Chloe frowned at her, then looked around the room. There were a lot of kids in this particular restaurant. “Really?”

“What, like they haven’t heard the word
boob
before? Some of them are still
on
the boob, for God’s sake.”

Okay. Time to go. Jinx a little rowdy in a bar was one thing. In a family restaurant—well, at least partially a family restaurant. Yep. Those Shark Attacks were potent enough that she signaled the waitress for the check. Room number flashy flashy and they were out and about again.

“Why are you being such a prude? This is Vegas.”

“Look, I’m a mom too.”

“Not this weekend you’re not.” Jinx batted Chloe’s hand away as she pulled her down the huge domed hallway.

“I’m always a mom. It comes with the kid.” She didn’t want to ruin anyone’s fun. And okay, she was probably overreacting a little. For the most part she didn’t care about curling into bed with someone. Hell, she was barely conscious by the time she actually found her bed. Between her job and Axl’s less than awesome nighttime habits, she was always in the negative column when it came to sleep.

So, no a guy—especially one offering up an orgasm—was not high on her list. A guy offering to get up with an almost two-year-old who wanted a glass of water at two in the morning was more of a draw.

But there were times that she missed sex.

And seeing all the couples littering the hotel had given her more than one moment of jealousy. Sure, there were a number of families, but overall, Vegas was for lovers and people looking for a hook-up. And she couldn’t forget the gambling, though the three of them were more than willing to avoid the games.

She playfully ran around Jinx and pushed her toward the jewelry store that she’d been begging to go into since they started shopping. It was dangerous to put a woman with no self-control into that arena, but she didn’t want them to fight.

She didn’t want to own up to wanting a little something more.

So, yeah, compromise using Nicky’s wallet. She tried not to wince when Jinx squealed and ran for the gemstone cases.

Ivy and Jinx cooed over diamonds and tanzanite in various settings. Chloe ran her fingertips over the gilded edges of the display cases. Having a toddler made her cognizant of keeping her fingerprints off the glass. Rubies fired, diamonds sparkled, amethysts gave off their cool understated luminosity.

But it was the sapphires that drew her.

Had always been the deepest of blue that she loved. The ocean, the sky at night—a perfect mix of the two that was only found in the deepest and darkest blue of a perfect sapphire.

“Would you like to see something?”

Chloe curled her fingers into her palm at the male voice. “I’m fine.” She smiled at the older gentleman with silver at his temples. “You can take care of my friends. I’m sure they’ll make you a really nice sale.”

“I’m not worried about the sale.”

She raised a skeptical brow.

“I make plenty of sales, young lady. I’m more worried about finding the perfect piece for someone.”

“I’m sure.”

He held out his hand. “I’m Nathan.”

Manners had her accepting his handshake. “Chloe.”

“Now that’s a beautiful name.”

“Thanks.”

He pulled a key away from his belt and slid the case open.

“Oh, don’t do that.” Her breath came out in a whoosh as he set the tray of sapphires on the glass top. Earrings, bracelets, and a host of pendants all fired off black velvet. Spotless, lintless, perfect velvet.

She couldn’t stop herself from drawing the edge of her nail across the tennis bracelet. Each sapphire was bisected by a diamond. Beyond beautiful.

“They are, aren’t they?”

She hadn’t realized she’d said it out loud. “Yeah. I know most people go for the flash, but I’ve just always loved the deep blue.”

“As a personal preference, or because you know the deeper the blue, the more they’re worth?”

“Really?” She’d never done her homework about gemstones. They were always so far out of reach that she barely had a hint of want. “Just reminds of the ocean at night. When the light hits it right, it just glows.”

“And that should always be the reason to love a gemstone. That’s true love right there.”

She shrugged. “Impossible love for me. I’m more likely to get a gumball from my son.”

“Son?”

She smiled. “Light of my life.” She took out her phone and flashed him the screensaver. Messy red hair and the biggest brown eyes she’d ever seen to go with the most mischievous smile ever captured on film. She saw it nearly every day, but it was rare to catch it in a photo.

“Now that tells a story.”

“Yeah, you have no idea.” She surreptitiously checked for a message from her father before she dropped her phone into the deep pocket of her shorts. “So, yeah. I’m definitely all about sticky peanut butter and jelly more than a pretty ring.”

“What about this one?” He slid away the tray of bigger stones to reveal a slim channel of sapphires and diamond rings tucked into more black velvet.

“Oh.” She immediately went for a ring at the edge of the display. A fragile line of diamonds and sapphires made up an infinity symbol on either side of the ring with a larger sapphire in the center.

“Try it on.”

She immediately pulled her hands away. “No, that’s okay.”

“I insist.”

She shook her head. “No. Best not to tempt myself.” It was how she lived her life. It was how she kept some of the disappointments at bay.

He pulled out the ring. “Chloe. Out of all the rings in this case you chose the most understated one. The least you can do is try it on.”

Ivy curled her arm around Chloe’s waist. “Seriously. I can hear you say no from over there. My ears are ringing from all the pretty things. Put the frigging ring on, woman.”

Chloe laughed over her shoulder. “How much of Nick’s money did you spend?”

“A paltry figure.”

“For who?” She arched a brow. “A millionaire?”

Ivy laughed. “No, that’s Jinx. She definitely hit the four figures.”

“Oh God.” Chloe’s chest tightened.

“Try on the ring. I know you won’t buy it, but you have to see the sparkler on your finger.” Ivy tucked her chin on Chloe’s shoulder. “Sure you don’t want to try on a bigger one?”

Nathan turned the ring under lights that were designed to make gemstones sparkle. “It’s a lovely piece.”

Ivy pointed to the huge sapphire in the middle of the ring case. “That’s a lovely piece.”

Chloe wrinkled her nose. “Too big. It would get caught on everything.”

“First world problems.”

Nathan laughed. “She’s being logical. It’s fine to have both sides of your personality balance out when picking out a piece.”

“Vegas isn’t for balance,” Jinx said from across the room.

“That’s the truth,” Chloe mumbled. Nothing had felt balanced since she’d stepped foot off the plane. As soon as she’d stepped foot
inside
Donovan Lewis’s plane, to be honest.

Ivy tugged her hand from her side and held it out to Nathan. “Ring, please.”

He frowned. “Only if Chloe wants to try it on.”

She uncurled her fingers. “Fine.”

Nathan slid it over her first knuckle and then gently over her second until it rested on her finger. “Perfect fit.”

She held in a soft moan at how perfect it looked. The one thing she’d always been good at was using a lot of lotion. No matter how many trays she balanced, or glasses she cleaned, or diapers she changed, she refused to have hands that looked like an elderly woman’s. Her one vanity. Her nails might be short, but they were always neat. And the wine-colored nail polish made the jewels look like they actually belonged on her.

Even if they so didn’t.

She quickly pulled it off her finger. “It’s gorgeous. Thanks for letting me dream for a second, Nathan.”

“Man,” Ivy muttered. “You put us all to shame with your Mary Sue-ness.”

“I don’t need it.” If only they knew just how many thousands of dollars she’d actually taken from Nick over the last year. At least that had been for her baby, not for her. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, Miss Chloe.” He winked and put the displays back into the case. “You ladies have a good rest of the night.”

“Oh, we will.” Ivy dragged her away from the glass and glitter to the front of the store. “See what I got?” She lifted her chin to show off the trio of delicate gold chains. A flash of diamond glittered from each one. Small diamonds, but diamonds nonetheless.

Diamonds equaled money.

She forced herself not to ask how much. “That’s gorgeous.”

“Wait until you see Jinx’s haul.”

“I can’t wait.”

Ivy grinned. “I almost believe that.”

A dozen bangles tinkled as Jinx waved them over. “You ready to rock this concert? We have work to do.”

There was a lot of flash with the gold on her arm. Nope. Not asking. No how, no way. “More than ready.” There, that sounded true.

She really was excited to see the show. She didn’t know much about Warning Sign besides the hit that was always on the radio. Brooklyn Dawn and Oblivion would definitely be a highlight though.

She let Ivy and Jinx carry the conversation on the way up the elevator. She checked her phone and found a text from her dad. They were having a blast at the picnic and would be staying at the campgrounds.

No goodnight call tonight.

She rubbed the phantom pain in her heart. It was good for him to be with his Pop Pop. Really good that they were looking out for one another. But didn’t Axl miss her at all?

“Chloe!”

She blinked. “What?”

“Where are our seats?”

“VIP, first level. Second row, I think.”

“Damn.” Jinx whistled. “We are going to have so much fun.”

Chloe nodded. “Damn right.” She followed the girls off the elevator and down the hall. They had so many bags they couldn’t walk side by side. That so wasn’t good.

Getting ready pushed away some of the homesickness for her kid. That and Jinx cranking Brooklyn Dawn’s new album at an ear-shattering decibel. She was sharing the mirror with Ivy when Jinx suddenly disappeared.

“Drinks, bitches. And our passes arrived.”

Chloe peeked out with one eye done. “What the hell is that?”

Jinx looked down at the cart. “Something called Mercury.” She stirred the pitcher of blue liquid. For freak’s sake, Chloe could smell the alcohol from across the room. Jinx came over with oversized martini glasses filled to the brim. She took a little sip. “Oh my God. You have to try it.”

Had to be sapphire blue. Seriously?

Ivy wiggled her way around Chloe. “Oh, what’s that?”

“Mercury.”

“That sounds interesting.”

“Not the word I was going with.” Chloe accepted a glass.

“A toast. To the finest bitches in this hotel tonight. May we have fun, get drunk, and if we’re lucky, get royally laid.”

Ivy lifted her glass. “Hell yes.”

She wasn’t sure about the laid part, but she was determined to have fun. “Bottoms up.”

“That’s the spirit.” Jinx took a gulp, her blue eyes bulging at the taste.

Chloe was pretty sure hers were a match. “Holy shit. What’s in there? Lighter fluid?”

Ivy sputtered a little. “I’m going to say some grain alcohol.”

The last time she had Everclear, there had been a lot of hickeys on her neck. She wasn’t sure if that was her being hopeful or not, but she took another swig. This time, the alcohol burned a little less and the flavor of pineapple made her taste buds demand more.

She set her glass on the counter as she went back to her makeup. She shimmied to “House of Cards” as Lindsey sang her heart out about losing the love of her life.

She knew how that felt.

When she emptied her glass, suddenly there was another one at her elbow. She sipped as she attacked her red hair with a curling iron and hairspray. The ombré skirt floated around her legs as she tried not to think about the inches of midriff she was showing with the strappy halter top.

“Fuck, you’re hot.”

Chloe paused as she painted on her dark lipstick. “Thanks. Still not changing teams. Even for you.”

“You couldn’t handle me.” Jinx put her hands on her hips. “Everything’s perfect except…”

Chloe recapped her lipstick. “Except what?”

Jinx held up a finger and ran into the bedroom. She came back with palm-sized scissors.

“What the hell are those for?”

“Just need a little shortening.”

Chloe tried to back up. “No. This skirt cost three hundred dollars.”

“And will look like a thousand dollars when I’m done with it.”

“Hell no.”

“I’ve done this a million times.”

“Oh yeah? I don’t see a sewing kit.”

“If you stop moving, then I’ll cut straight. Legs—perfect legs, remember?”

Chloe slammed her eyes shut and stopped breathing as Jinx went around her with the scissors. She could actually hear the snip of the cloth. When air kissed her legs well above her knees, she was terrified to open her eyes. “It was ombré, now it’s just going to be blue.”

“Nope. Open your eyes and look.”

“If you ruined this skirt, I’ll skin you and steal your pants. Why you get to wear pants and I have to go with three quarter of my legs hanging out seems beyond unfair.”

“Assets. I have long legs and skirts don’t fit me right. You’ve got a rocking body you hide under mom jeans and khakis. We are not letting you hide tonight.”

“Right. No hiding.” Chloe opened her eyes and lightly swayed. The skirt belled around her thighs and fell in a floaty little sigh.

“I’m right.”

“Shut up.”

“I’ll take it.” Jinx stood up and hugged her. “We’re going to have fun tonight.”