Bedding The Best Friend (Bedding the Bachelors, Book 4) (14 page)

Annie looked at the tickets. They were VIP passes to his magic show that evening. Annie squealed with delight and said, “If I did, I’d cancel them. Thank you so much!”

Ryan grinned. “She was just saying how she wanted to see a magic show earlier. You just made her day.”

“Great,” Max said. “Will you be able to make it, Ryan?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Then I’ll see the two of you tonight. My fiancée, Grace, won’t be able to make it, but you’ll be sitting with Rhys and Melina, and I’ll see you after the show.”

“I can’t wait,” Annie told him excitedly.

After he walked away, Annie said, “It’s funny how one thing leads to another.”

“What do you mean?” Ryan asked her.

“Well, if I hadn’t gotten mugged, we probably wouldn’t have been here to bump into Max and we wouldn’t have VIP tickets to a fabulous sold-out show. So I guess that’s proof that there’s always a reason to be optimistic.”

Ryan glanced at his watch. “The show doesn’t start for a few hours, but why don’t we get ready? We can do a few things beforehand.”

They went to their separate rooms to change clothes. Annie unwrapped her leg, smoothed the remaining scrapes with lotion, then chose another new dress that she’d bought specifically for Vegas. This one was a form-fitting jade-green mini that covered her breasts completely in front but left her back open to the waist. She wore a pair of sandals with a small heel. She curled her hair along the bottom and let it hang loose around her shoulders. She applied her makeup carefully, adding a touch of purple eye shadow that made her eyes look slightly golden.

She’d just finished getting ready when she heard a knock on her door.

Ryan’s eyes widened when he saw her. “Wow. You look amazing, Annie.”

She smiled and said, “Thank you. So do you.” Ryan was wearing a nice pair of black slacks and a dark blue long-sleeved shirt that looked so soft Annie wanted to touch it. But the truth was, she always wanted to touch Ryan.

“You want to hit the slots or something?”

“We could do that,” he said. “Or we could take a gondola ride at The Venetian. I’ve always wanted to do that.”

“Really? Isn’t that supposed to be, like, for couples or something?”

“It’s a ride, that’s all. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

“Okay, then maybe we can hit some slots,” she said. “Since we ran into Max, I’m feeling like maybe my luck has changed.”

Ryan grinned. “You get to spend the weekend in Vegas with me. How much luckier can you get?”

Oh, there were so many ways. If only he felt something for her besides friendship.

They walked down to The Venetian. It was quite a walk, but it put them at the halfway point on the way to their show, and it was a really nice day. They walked through the casino and took the escalators to the second floor. The ceilings were painted, and the lighting was soft. It was like being on a romantic street in Venice, strolling along beneath a summer sky dotted with big, white puffy clouds
.

Annie sighed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Wrong? Nothing’s wrong,” she said with a smile. “This is amazing. I’ve always dreamed of having my honeymoon in Venice.”

“With anyone in particular?”

“Just Mr. Perfect,” she laughed.

“So me, then?”

She looked away, fearing her heart would be in her eyes, when he suddenly hooked his arm through hers. “Come along, Mrs. Hennessey. We’ve got a honeymoon to enjoy.”

They headed toward the ticket booth in the main part of the shopping center. Ryan turned to her and said, “Would you rather do the indoor or the outdoor ride?”

Annie shrugged. “I’ve never been on either, so I don’t know.”

Ryan asked the girl in the booth which one was better.

“They’re both great,” she said. “The indoor one is a tiny bit longer, about five minutes, I think.”

“Okay. I’ll take two for that one,” he told her.

“Private boat or shared?” the girl asked.

“Private,” he said with a grin.

The girl gave him the tickets, and Ryan took Annie’s hand, leading her down another escalator, where they got in line for the gondola rides. A boat floated by with an older couple that looked pretty bored. The next one that went by had a younger couple in it. They were locked in a passionate kiss.

Annie tried to imagine her and Ryan on their real honeymoon. They’d have locked themselves in their honeymoon suite, only coming out long enough to eat, take romantic walks, and then take their gondola ride and listen to the sweet serenade of their boatman. She pictured them sitting in the gondola, her between his legs, leaning her head back against his chest. She imagined his strong arms around her and the brush of his lips against her neck. Once they were back in their room, they would lock in a passionate embrace and—

“Hey, Earth to Annie…”

“Oh shoot, I’m sorry.”

“What were you thinking about?” Ryan asked her.

“Just daydreaming,” she said. “Look, it’s our turn. Let’s get this honeymoon started.”

Ryan held her hand as they stepped into the white gondola, carved and lined in gold with intricate detail. They sat closely side by side. The gondolier introduced himself as Marco. He didn’t look Italian, but as they started down the canal, he belted out an Italian opera that was so beautiful it almost brought her to tears.

As he sang he rowed them through St. Mark’s Square, past the lovely shops and cafés and under walking bridges where fascinated tourists would stop and listen. Marco’s voice was beautiful, but he sang in Italian, and Annie’s romantic and curious mind couldn’t help but wonder what he sang about.

She turned toward Ryan, and their thighs brushed. Annie felt a surge of heat ripple through her body.

“What do you think he’s saying?”

“I know exactly what he’s saying.”

“Really? So you have a secret ability to understand Italian that you’ve been hiding from me?”

“Nope. I just know what he’s singing about.”

“So tell me.”

“He’s singing about a girl with long pretty hair that has highlights that shine like gold in the moonlight.”

Annie grinned and leaned her head against his shoulder. “Go on.”

“He says that the reflection of the moon on the water is hardly noticeable because her eyes shine brighter, like precious stones.”

Annie closed her eyes, relaxing against him and still smiling. “What else?”

Ryan put his lips close to her ear, sending chills running down her spine and arms. “He’s saying she should come lie down with him.”

“Why?” Annie breathed out in a whisper of her own. He shifted his position slightly, his arm brushing against one of her cold, hard nipples. The tingle that had settled between her thighs turned into a rush of moisture, and she automatically pressed her legs together.

“She’s beautiful, and he wants them to be alone together. He wants to have her all to himself. He wants to make her forget the rest of the world exists.”

Annie took a deep breath. “What would he do…if he had her alone?”

Lowering his voice even more and speaking even closer so that she could hear him over Marco’s sweet crooning, he said, “He would make such passionate love to her that time would stand still and the world would stop turning.”

Slowly, still keeping her eyes closed, Annie turned her face back toward Ryan and pressed her lips to his. Immediately, his hot tongue snaked into her mouth, and his fingers brushed her breast. Her body was on fire, and Ryan was the only one who could put out the flames.

The kiss lasted for several minutes before Annie pulled back. Ryan looked out of breath, his cheeks flushed. He stared at her, desire and obvious confusion in his eyes. God, of course he was confused. She’d gotten too caught up in the fantasy of being his wife, and that’s what she told him.

“Are you sure that’s all it was?” he said. “Getting caught up in a fantasy?”

Annie, embarrassed and appalled that she’d let herself lose control, said, “Of course. What else could it be? You were saying those romantic things, and Marco was singing in his beautiful voice and… Like I said, I’m sorry.”

Ryan cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her face up toward his. He pressed a sweet, close-mouthed kiss on her lips. “Don’t be.” He grinned. “Too bad, though. That had to be in the top five of the best kisses I’ve ever had.”

Annie knew it was silly, but she was disappointed. The top five wasn’t where she wanted to be. She wanted to be the best he’d ever had. Because that’s what the kiss had been for her.

She cleared her throat and pulled away. Her dress had ridden up her thighs, and she wiggled a little to smooth it back down with shaking, sweaty palms.

Ryan watched her, staring at her thighs. She could feel the color rushing to her face, and they experienced the rest of the ride in silence. When it was over and they were back on solid ground, she scrambled for something to say. “So now that the honeymoon’s over, do you want to gamble next?”

“Sure,” Ryan said. “Unless you want to hit Madame Tussauds first while we’re right here.”

Annie looked over and saw that the wax museum was nearby. “Okay, that might be fun,” she said.

Ryan paid their way again, refusing to take Annie’s money. They walked through the Viva Las Vegas room first. They were suddenly amongst the greats who’d shaped the history of Las Vegas—Elvis, the Rat Pack, Liberace.

Annie took a picture with the Blue Man Group, and Ryan posed with Celine Dion. Annie was about ready to snap the photo when Ryan slid his hand down and cupped one of Celine’s breasts.

“Ryan Hennessey!” she scolded.

“What? When will I get another chance to grope a superstar?”

Annie laughed and snapped the photo. It would go in the album in which she kept most of her photos of her friends and family. She stored it next to her bed, so that if there was ever a fire, she could easily grab it before she ran out of the apartment.

They went into the Sports Zone next.

“You take Muhammad, and I’ll step in with Chuck,” Ryan told her.

“Why? Do you think I can’t handle Chuck Liddell?”

“I’m sure you could handle him,” Ryan told her with a grin. “But Ali was the greatest fighter that ever lived!” he said in a soft, scratchy voice, imitating Ali.

Annie grinned back before donning a pair of red gloves the attendant gave her and stepping into the ring with Muhammad Ali. He looked so real, right down to his mouth guard. Annie put her glove to the side of his face, and Ryan snapped a photo of her knocking out The Greatest.

Ryan got into the octagon with Chuck Liddell, and Annie snapped photos, but Annie’s favorite part of the sports room was watching Ryan try to go “head to chest” with Shaquille O’Neal. Ryan tried three shots, but Shaq stuffed all three.

“It’s rigged,” Ryan told her.

“Yeah, okay,” she said.

“I could’ve had a career in basketball,” he told her.

“If only you had grown a few feet taller?” she said with a grin.

They moved into the next room. It was full of superheroes. Annie loved superheroes. Ryan teased her about it, but never failed to go see the newest Marvel Comics movie with her.

She made him take pictures of her with almost every character. Spider-Man was her favorite, so she had Ryan take two of her with him. Ryan asked a lady behind them if she would take a photo of them both with the Hulk. They got on either side of the massive green beast and did their “superhero” poses, while the lady snapped the picture.

When she handed the phone back to Ryan, the woman said, “You’re such a cute couple.”

Annie waited for Ryan to tell her that they weren’t a couple, but he didn’t. Instead, he thanked her, and they moved on to the 4D experience part of the show.

They got to watch a really cool 4D superhero show, and before they left, Annie sang for Simon Cowell, who told her she was “abominable,” and Ryan groped Katy Perry. It was a great time.

“I think we took too long in there,” Annie told Ryan when they came out. “We better head over to the show now. Maybe we can do some gambling later?”

Ryan agreed, and they took a cab to the magic show. The theater was all posh dark wood and red and black décor. When Ryan and Annie took their seats, Max and a beautiful brunette sat in the seats beside them. Only Max didn’t seem to recognize her.

“Annie,” Ryan said, “this is Rhys, Max’s twin brother. And his wife, Melina.”

They both stood.

“So glad you could make it. I was about to get Melina a drink. Would you like one, Annie?”

“Um, sure.”

“I’ll go with you, Rhys.” Ryan leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Be right back.”

“So what are you two doing in town?” Melina asked.

“Just a little vacation,” Annie told her. “Do you like living here in Vegas?”

“I really do, actually. We don’t live near any of this,” she said, gesturing around the theater. “The neighborhood we’re in is nice and kid-friendly. But it’s fun to be so close to all of the action. Besides, this is where Rhys needs to be, and I need to be with Rhys. If I had to, I’d make the North Pole work.” Annie could see the love in the other woman’s eyes when she talked about her husband.