Her Secret Lover (What Happens in Vegas) (13 page)

Her mom was sitting up in bed, her fingers plucking at the covers, chattering randomly and far too quickly to be understood. Sylvia, one of the night nurses, sat by her bed, stroking her mother’s arm as she made soothing sounds. She looked up as Kelsey entered the room and smiled, only a slight twist to her mouth betraying her regret at the situation.

“Kelsey, she’s doing much better. You didn’t need to come down.”

“I know, but you knew I would.”

“That I did.” She rose from her chair, her curious gaze looking at where Micah stood by her side, her eyes not missing their joined hands.

“Sylvia, this my friend, Micah Holmes.”

“The author?” The nurse’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Your mom will be excited to meet him, I bet.” She directed her next comment to Micah with a wave of her hand at the bookshelves covering one of the walls and full of books. “You’re one of her favorites. I was just going to read to her, try to get her to go back to sleep.”

Micah cleared his throat next her and Kelsey turned as he dropped her hand, reaching into his bag and pulling out a large stack of paper, secured with an oversize rubber band.

“I remembered you telling me that she liked to have people read to her.” His cheeks and necks darkened a little with his next words. “I brought my new book. I thought I could read to her if that’s okay
…
”

His voice trailed off as she reached up and hugged him hard around the neck.

“Jesus, Micah Holmes. Stop being
…
”

“Being what?” His arms came around her, the one holding the book against her back the other cupping her head, and he pressed a kiss to her temple. “Stop being awesome? Sorry, I can’t do that.”

She laughed, wiping at her eyes with the back of one hand and smacking him lightly on the chest with the other. She was never going to tell him the rest of that sentence. He was leaving on Sunday and so those words

amazing, kind, terrific in bed, funny, smart, sweet

those words would go to her grave.

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, looking up at him and loving the way his smile carried that edge of wicked. “So, Mr. Awesome, you want to meet my mom?”

“I’d like that.”

Sylvia nodded at them both as she exited the room, and Kelsey made a mental note to get her and the other staff a fruit basket or something for everything they did so well. She turned to the woman on the bed who still looked like the same person who’d tucked her into bed, helped her with algebra, bought her a dress for prom, and laughed and cried with her as the moment required. Now that woman was gone, and it was a challenge every day for Kelsey to reconcile the memories she carried deep in her heart and the woman who was here now.

“Mama, it’s Kelsey.” She sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to touch her mother’s hand, giving it a soft stroke to help soothe her. “It’s Kelsey.”

“I don’t know you,” her mother said, her voice firm but also shaky on the edges.

“Yeah, you do. It’s Kelsey. I bring you the books. I read to you, and brush your hair.” She reached up and touched the tangled strand sitting on her mother’s shoulder. “It’s Kelsey.”

“Kelsey.” Her mother’s face softened, the tone of confusion easing as she nodded. She didn’t fool herself that she remembered who she was, remembered that she even had a daughter

her father was the only one who had breakthroughs at this point

but she knew her as her reading buddy, and that was enough. “You’re Kelsey.”

“This is my friend Micah.” She turned to look at the man standing over her shoulder, his gentle smile calming her nerves and making this whole thing seem
right
. “Micah, this is my mom, Caroline Kyle.”

He stepped forward, easing down into the chair next to bed and lowering his voice as if he knew that his height and a loud voice might not help this situation. Micah was good at things like that, knowing what to do at the right time, like he’d done tonight with Sarah. He got so wrapped up in the frantic emotions of his fans, his frustration about not getting to write what he wanted that he failed to trust his instincts and stumbled through appearances.

The real Micah would be a dangerous man if he ever figured out the power he held in his smile and his natural demeanor. She’d fallen for it, and she was a tough crowd to sell to.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Kyle.” Her mother shied away from him, edging behind Kelsey a little, only giving a slight nod to acknowledge his presence. Undeterred, Micah continued. “Kelsey tells me you like to read romance novels. I’d like to read to you, if that’s okay.”

Kelsey turned back to look at her mom. “I think that would be fun, Mom. I’ll brush your hair while he does it. Is that okay?”

Her mother nodded, and Micah said, “Thank you, Mrs. Kyle. This is a new one, so I hope you like it.”

Kelsey moved around to the opposite side of the bed, picking up the brush and settling in behind her mom as Micah began his reading of the book in his hands. His voice was low, deep and the southern drawl made the entire experience a delight. She’d never tell Aiden, but Micah could do the audio on his own books and women would buy them just to hear his dark-honey voice talk dirty to them.

The whole thing mesmerized her mom, and as she brushed her hair, she could feel and see the tension leaving her body. Kelsey brushed through her curls for an hour, listening as Micah spun out a story that had her riveted from the first page. It soothed her as much as it did her mom, his talent for writing the words that resonated deep inside every heart delivering the perfect gift. If she had any say in the matter, and she didn’t fool herself for a minute that she did, she would tell Micah to keep doing this even if he had to branch out into another genre. There had to be room for him to do both.

Her mom slid down under the covers as her relaxation drifted into sleep, and a quick glance at the clock told Kelsey that it was just after midnight. Micah kept reading, waiting until she tucked the duvet around her mom to stop.

As if he could read her mind, Micah tucked away the book in his bag and followed her out into the hallway. He said nothing as she nodded her good-bye to the nurses and they made their way out of the building and into the cooler night air. The sky was bright with the distant neon and glitter, but in the far distance she could see the stars twinkling in the dark of the night. He took her keys from her, and she let him sliding into the passenger seat and watching those distant spheres of gas and fire, making the same wish she’d made since her mother’s diagnosis.

Micah let her remain in her own thoughts, and she was grateful for the reprieve from conversation. It was always so tough after seeing her mom, and she needed time to get her headspace right. Before she knew it, he pulled her car onto the street around the corner from the hotel as a safeguard against being spotted by a co-worker. He parked but didn’t cut the engine, the hum and constant bellow of Las Vegas traffic their soundtrack.

“You look so much like her, you know,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Two of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.”

Kelsey looked over at him, smiling her thanks. “She still looks the same. It’s what makes this so hard sometimes. I look at her, and I see my mom. I see her, and it kills me that she doesn’t see me back.” She inhaled and exhaled slowly. “Thank you so much for tonight.”

Her voice caught on the solid lump of emotion wedged in her throat, and she swallowed hard blinking back the pain that prickled in her eyes and lower in her chest. She didn’t want to cry. Tears had been shed and had changed nothing. There was nothing her grief or anger or despair could do to change any of this hell. It didn’t stop the tears from escaping and running down her cheeks faster than she could wipe them away.

“Hey,” Micah said, moving over and dragging her to him. She went willingly, needing the comfort he gave her. Rock solid. Dependable. Caring. Micah was the kind of guy you kept and not the kind you put on a plane and filed away as a great memory.

And fuck did she want to keep him. Or crazier still
…
go with him. The only thing that could cut through the ache caused by another visit to her mom was the panic that shot along her veins when the importance of her thought caught up in her brain. Go with him? Oh no. That was
…
nuts and exactly what she wanted. Not a place, she didn’t even care where

she just wanted him and a chance to be together and ride this out. Her fingers were numb from the shock-induced cold when she pushed away from him, disguising the tremor by tucking her hair behind her ears.

“You all right, Kelsey?” Micah stared at her, his gaze armor-piercing in its intensity. “Baby, you okay?”

She nodded, hoping her voice really sounded as confident as she tried to project. “I’m tired. I think I should go.”

“Sure.” The one word answer didn’t hide his disappointment, but he reached for the door handle, shifting in the seat as if he was going to exit until he stopped, paused, and then spoke. “We’ve got tonight, and tomorrow night, and I don’t care if all we do is sleep in the same bed, but I’d like to spend tonight with you.”

Oh man, the devil wasn’t wearing pitchforks and horns. Nope, that was all Halloween hype. The real deal was disguised as the desire you wanted so deep down that you might not even dare to speak it to yourself.

“I don’t think so. I need
…
Tonight, I think I need to be alone.”

He didn’t turn around, only nodded and pulled the door handle and levered his long body out of her tin car. She exited on her side and their gazes met over the roof of the vehicle, his gorgeous face lit up with the glow of the bright neon from the strip club across the street.

“Call if you need me.” He paused and glanced down, shaking his head. “If you need anything.”

She didn’t miss the precise word use, understanding that he also knew what a precipice they were on.

“Thanks
…
again
…
for everything.”

He nodded and slapped the top of the car, slipping her a cocky grin as he turned and moved around the car and stepped up on the sidewalk. He walked backward for a while, his eyes never leaving her face until the turn at the corner forced him to turn around and disappear from her view.

Kelsey got in her car, and put her hands on the steering wheel as she huffed out a breath that should have been steadying, but only amped up the mixed up feelings pinging around in her head. She’d go for a drive in the desert and clear her head. Or she could go home and find Sarina or Aiden or Lilah and have drinks and laughs and maybe a dip in the pool, back-to-normal things with her friends and a break from the fantasy world centered on Micah.

She looked over shoulder, pulled into the early morning traffic, and pointed her car toward home. Kelsey had no idea how she ended up in the employee section of the hotel parking garage and on the elevator to the lobby and then to the fortieth floor. All she did know was that her heart pounded in her chest and blood rushed through her veins, the sound deep in her ears almost drowning out the sound of her knuckles rapping on the large, wooden door in front her. It slid open, and there he was, Micah, with rumpled hair, eyeglasses, barefoot, shirtless with only the suit pants from earlier still on. His confusion swiftly morphed into delight, desire, and longing, the combination enough to loosen her tongue.

“I changed my mind. Can I stay here with you?”

Chapter Fifteen

For a man who made his living by stringing words together, he had none.

Micah stared at Kelsey, blinking to clear his head and recall that she could not stand in his hallway. It was risky for her, for her job. He reached a hand out and tugged her inside, shutting the door behind them.

He’d left her on the sidewalk, and it had taken everything in him not to turn around and try harder to change her mind. He wanted Kelsey, wanted her for more than a few days, but she wasn’t a woman you pushed. The wrong move and she’d run, and he’d never get a second chance. But here she was, and he wasn’t going to waste time worrying about a tomorrow he wanted and would never get. He’d take what he could have for tonight because their clock was winding down to the final hour. On Sunday he would go home, and she would stay here. Done. Over. Finished.

He finally found his voice. “I was hoping you’d change your mind.” Micah pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist, loving the way her body fit against his own. “I’ve dreamed about having you here.”

“How do you do that?” she asked, her arms rising to loop around his neck, her fingers twisting in his hair and softly stroking is neck.

“How do I do what?”

“Make me feel
…
” Kelsey trailed off, her mouth twisting a little as she pondered her words. “You make me feel.”

“I know what you mean,” he said, smiling when a blush spread across her cheeks. They both laughed, and it was the same between them again, as easy and intense as it had from the start.

Kelsey leaned up and gave him a gentle kiss, supping at his lips until he parted them. Her hands gripped Micah’s shoulders before sliding down his chest, her palms stroking his muscles underneath the soft material of his T-shirt, and then slid around his waist to hug him close. Micah gave her a gentle tug, turning and walking her backward toward the bed, determined to lay her down on the king-size bed, strip her down to nothing but skin, and love her all night long.

Kelsey pulled back from their kiss and pulled off her blouse, tossing it to the floor, her skirt joining it before she slid her hands into his waistband and helped him to remove his pants. Two soft thuds and her heels were gone, and she eased onto the mattress lifting her hand to encourage him to join her. He did, making sure every inch of his skin rubbed along hers until they were face-to-face.

“You fucking make me want so much,” he whispered against Kelsey’s lips. He had never felt this level of heat and need for another person. Kelsey was stunning when she was passionate about something. Whether it was her favorite club or the way she arched into his touch, she brought 100 percent to the table and that was exciting, captivating. He knew she held back her heart and her future, but it didn’t diminish the excitement of being with her now. It made it quite the opposite because he found himself wanting to breach those barriers and make her
want
as well.

Micah knew there would never be anyone else for him after this week in Las Vegas. He wanted Kelsey to feel that too, to know it deep in her gut both physically and emotionally.

“I want to fuck you. All night. I want to own you. Have you,” he growled against her lips.

“Then do it. It’s why I came back. I need you.”

He slid his hand into Kelsey’s hair, wrapping her curls around his fingers and using the grip to pull her head back, to allow him to kiss her harder, deeper. Kelsey’s mouth was yielding, lips soft, and surrendered as he drove the kiss. Their limbs tangled together, and when he shifted to get even closer, she broke off the kiss with a gasp as he rocked their groins together, sliding his hard cock along the swollen folds of her pussy. Micah groaned as Kelsey wrapped her legs around. He pushed his body up, braced one arm over her, memorizing the look of her laid out before him: naked, wanting, open.

“I need you,” Kelsey said, pulling Micah back close against her warm, silky skin. Micah lifted her hand and pressed soft kisses against her fingers, her palm, and then the pulse pounding at her wrist. Finally, Micah slid his fingers between Kelsey’s as he leaned over and kissed her. He had to raise himself up on his knees to get in closer, and Kelsey spread her legs wider, silently urging him to take what he wanted.

A wave of possession and hunger raced through Micah as he broke off the kiss and looked down at his lover. Running his palms over her skin, down the toned length of her body, he cupped her breasts, caressing her tight nipples with his fingertips until she closed her eyes and writhed under his touch.

“Please, Micah.”

“Please what?” he said, leaning over to lightly suck on a nipple.

“I need to come,” she moaned, writhing underneath his attention.

“I’ll get you there, baby. Be patient.”

Kelsey growled beneath him, her nails digging into his shoulder and betraying her true frustration.

Micah lifted his head and settled in closer between her thighs, rubbing his cock against her core with a groan of his own. She felt so fucking good. It felt
right
between them. Kelsey shifted her legs further apart, making room for Micah and sliding her hands over his shoulders and his back, as if she needed to touch every available part of him.

Micah gripped the back of her thigh, pulling it higher on his hip as he kissed her, slowly sliding his tongue against hers. He wanted them to take their time, have the chance to taste and feel and indulge in each other before they lost all self-control.

Kelsey sighed against his mouth, her fingers digging into his ass cheeks and drawing her in closer.

“I’ve wanted this. I’ve wanted
…
” Kelsey said.

“You’ve never had this?” Micah asked.

“Not this,” Kelsey answered. “I haven’t had this.”

Micah brushed his lips against her cheek, nodding in understanding. “We have it now. Together.”

She nodded and looped a hand around his neck, pulling him down to her and into a demanding kiss. Kelsey wrapped her arms around him even tighter, shifting under his body to angle their connection to get more friction between them. She lifted her hips, arching to rub her clit against his cock, and Micah groaned appreciatively, his hand sliding up Kelsey’s leg to grip and pull at her hip. He lifted off her, shifting back on his heels to reach into his side drawer and grab a condom.

Kelsey watched him sliding her own hand down her belly to caress her sex. The view made his hands shake, increasing the imperative to be inside her tonight. He caught her wicked smile but didn’t let it stop him from reaching down and grabbing her hand, pressing it on the mattress next to the silken fall of her hair.

“Don’t start without me.”

“Stop playing around, and get inside me, Micah.”

“Nobody wants that more than me right now, baby.”

He rolled on the condom and then crawled back up between Kelsey’s legs. His hands slid over her body again, soaking in the heat of her skin, lingering over the spot in the crease of her thigh that was highly sensitive. He leaned over, kissing her stomach and further up until he took a turn at each of her breasts. Her nipples were sweet, tight and the sound she made when he suckled made his cock harden to the point of aroused pain.

“Fuck, Kelsey,” he hissed as he lifted up to nip at her lips. 

“Yes, please,” Kelsey nodded and he couldn’t help but grin at her, the answering smile on her own lips ratcheting the heat between them even higher.

Kelsey’s hands dragged down Micah’s body and he stilled, enjoying the roaming caress of her touch. He ran fingertips along the inside of her thigh, compelled to touch, to explore. Soaking in the way she writhed underneath him, her hands fisting in the sheets when he ducked his head to kiss the spot he’d been stroking.

“Please, Micah. Now.”

The obscene ache in her voice made him shudder and he inched even closer, lining his cock up at the entrance to her pussy. He gripped his erection in his fist, rubbing it against her folds, getting slicked up with her own lube. They stared at each other as he poised above her, desperate to slide into her tight, slick sheath.

“Hang on, baby. This is going to take a while.”

...

She needed him now. Right now.

Kelsey swallowed hard and reached for Micah, her grip closing around his cock. Micah flexed his hips, shoving in her hand, his eyes locked on the sight. She lingered over her caress, stroking the shaft, and skimming over the head and then dragging her fingers against Micah’s balls.

“Kelsey, I need you.”

Oh that was so good to hear because she felt like she was drowning in her own want, sinking into a riptide that she was powerless to resist. Micah removed both their hands and pushed up to his knees and kissed her, taking his time. She wanted this to go fast, but she enjoyed and soaked in the last few moments of anticipation. Their eyes locked, Micah reached down between them and pushed himself into her body.

She lifted her hips, gasping as the slick head of his cock slipped inside and one long push seated him balls deep in her body. She reached out, gripping his hip and pulling him even closer, even though it was impossible.

Micah lowered his body onto hers, brushing his nose against her cheek as he flexed his hips and pushed deeper into her. The shift of his body against hers, the rub of his cock against her clit, Micah’s groan made her shudder as he pulled out and then filled her up.

His sigh was warm against her cheek as she started to moan. Micah lifted his head and kissed her hungrily, desperately, weaving his fingers into her hair, slowly rocking his hips against her. He promised to make this last as long as possible.

Kelsey followed his lead, joining in the slow, rocking motion as their tongues slid together, and she wrapped her arms around Micah’s neck to hold him close, to anchor herself to him as her world spiraled out of control. They’d done this fast and hectic, hard and heavy but this was slow and sensual. It was everything decadent, gasping breath and the wet, deep slide of their kisses.

“I have to move. Harder,” Micah said against her throat, his chest heaving with his effort. Kelsey lifted her knee higher, gasping when it pulled Micah deeper inside her.

Micah groaned, fingers digging into her hip as he pulled back and thrust in with the full power of their passion.

Kelsey shivered under him. “Please, baby, move. Harder. Now.”

He kissed her again, and she enjoyed the continued slow, even thrusts of their lovemaking and the slow slide of their bodies rather than trying to reach the end too soon. Kelsey tightened her grip on his arm, moaning with each thrust. She loved each time he pulled out and then pushed back in, touching all the parts inside her that made her toes curl.

“Fuck, Kelsey,” Micah whispered as he pressed his face against her neck. Their bodies rocked with languid rhythm, and she followed his lead. Micah leaned up and captured her mouth as he picked up the rhythm, matching it with his tongue against her own.

Micah sank into the kiss for a few more seconds before pushing himself up with both hands and looming over her. He gripped Kelsey’s hips and pulled her back on his cock, fucking into her with each pull. Micah’s hands roamed over her body as he rolled his hips.

“Fuck. Please,” he said, his voice heavy with arousal. He was gorgeous, the pleasure of the moment written over every taut muscle, each inch of silky skin. The sheets rustled and she tightened her thighs around his hips as he fucked her, slowly.

Kelsey watched his expression as he stared down at the sight of his cock pushing into her pussy, and she could not look away. His grip on her hip tightened just as he looked up to meet her eyes. She whispered his name, and he bent over to kiss her deeply and roughly. Instead of the kiss slowing him down, he snapped his hips faster, harder into her body, and Kelsey bucked under him, begging for more. Kelsey cried out into his mouth and Micah pulled back, and she fought back the urge to hide all the feelings she usually tried to conceal: pleasure, longing, urgency, and need.

“This is what I want from you, baby,” Micah said. “Everything.”

She swallowed hard, forcing the words out between gasps. “I’d give it you.”

“I’ll take it,” he whispered. “I’ll take everything you’ll give me.”

Micah picked up the strength of his thrusts, joining her gasps and moans as he drove them both closer to orgasm. His cock was hard, stroking in deep, and she arched upward, crying out.

“I’m coming, Micah. Yes.”

The pleasure was white-hot and her skin caught fire as the orgasm raced through her. She kept pushing back against him, craving him deeper inside her with each thrust. She wanted to crawl inside him, to keep him inside her, to remain with him in this moment for as long as she could.

Both of them were damp with sweat even though the room was chilly, everywhere his skin touched hers was on fire. Micah’s movements became sharper, harder, desperate as he chased his own pleasure, and she could not take her eyes off his face. He was wide open, hardened with his need. She would never get tired of watching him fuck her, his entire being invested in the act of them enjoying each other in the best way. Micah did nothing halfway, and she was helpless to do anything but follow him into the frenzy.

“Baby,” he groaned in a crazed voice as he laid himself out over Kelsey again and pressed his forehead against her own. He fucked her hard and fast, and she dragged her nails down his back until Micah reached out and took her hands in his own. He entwined their fingers together, and she cherished the gesture as he rocked into her and rode her into his climax.

Their damp bodies slapped together, hands clasped tightly as he threw his head back and cried out. His body was taut, covered in a sheen of sweat, his neck strained with the hoarse roar of his pleasure. He was gorgeous, and she didn’t want to let him go. She didn’t have time to be afraid of her thoughts, not with Micah sweetly kissing her lips, her cheeks, her sweat-dampened hair.

“I don’t have to go back to Georgia on Sunday, Kelsey,” Micah whispered, his arms wrapping around her body as he held her close.

Her breath caught as she waited. Waited for the panic. Waited for the knee-jerk reaction to make a joke of his suggestion. But she didn’t want to do any of those things. She wanted this to be different. She wanted it to be different with Micah.