Slick as Ides (44 page)

Six months later . . . Las Vegas

“Get over here, sexy bitch. I have to have you.” I pull Dena onto my lap as I sit behind her.

“How’s your leg?”

“Good. Stop asking me that. You know it doesn’t bother me when I’m fucking you, woman.” I smack her ass—pull at her waistband. “Why the hell are you wearing so many damn clothes? Strip.”

“Not again. I’ve got a presentation to make in two hours. It has to be perfect. We can fuck afterward.” She doesn’t even look at me.

“A quickie, that’s it. You know it’ll relax you so you’re not all tense and worried about germs.”

She stands back up. “It means I’ll need another shower, and then I’ll really be stressed about being late.”

“I’m coming this time,” I say. “I wanna be there when you’re all beautiful and shit in front of all those fuck-wits.”

“Awesome. I’d love to have you there.” She’s distracted so there’s no inflection in her voice at all.

I lean forward and grope her ass. “This sexy butt needs to take a breather.”

“No time.” She scratches her chin on her shoulder, blows out with a winded sound and goes back to shining the cobra two.

“It’s ready. Jesus, woman. Give that damn thing a break.” I snatch at her and pull her back into my lap.

“Your dad’s in the area. Do you think he’ll be there?”

“Probably, since Libby’s coming along.” I shrug and brush my fingers across her tits, forcing her nipples to protrude.

“If he shows up, will you try to talk to him?” She turns a bit in my lap so she’s facing me a little more.

“I have no fucking clue. I’m not really as mad at him as I was before, but I just wish he would’ve told me all this when he tried to confess before he ran. We were alone in that bank. If he was gonna confess, he shoulda fucking done it completely.” I kiss her lips, and all the tenseness in her shoulders melts away. “The only thing I know today is you’ve got this. You’ll kill it and kick all their asses, even Riot’s. Good luck!”

“You should be presenting this one. This is your baby.”

“We’ve discussed this. I’m only there for support. It’s your turn to do this. And my leg,” I grab it all dramatically and pretend it’s aching real bad, “I just can’t do it. Too sore today.”

“It is not.” She smacks my arm. “You’re doing this to help me get over my fears, aren’t you?”

“Who
me
?” I smack my lips at her.

“Yes, you, asshole. Who else would I be talking about?”

She kisses me, holds me and I let go of her with a whine. “I wanted to fuck.”

“Yes, you’re breathing, so, yes, you want to fuck.” She stands up and straightens her black shirt. “Maybe I should change. The rest of the women presenting will probably be in skirts and heels and nice blouses.”

“The rest of them can eat shit, because they suck monkey balls compared to you. Wear what you’ve got on. I like it. It’s you, and you’re comfortable, so you’ll be able to relax better.” I pinch her ass.

She pretends to glare at me.

I chuckle.

“I’m coming in, and I’m not closing my eyes, so you better tuck your dick away,” Westin calls out as he enters the work room, his eyes wide open and peering in our direction, of course.

At least he was honest.

“We’re ready,” she says.

“Ides, you shouldn’t have dressed up for the occasion,” he teases.

“Fuck you—she looks hot in her black, tight jeans. She’ll rock this place.” I grab for my cane and get up, following her out of the room, grabbing the one item she forgot.

The ride in the car is filled with snorting laughter as we all morph into leet speak and into our online personas.

When we step inside the bustling conference center twenty minutes later, Fingers calls out, “Ides in the house, yo!”

The entire room goes silent, and they all watch her as she heads to the front table and registers herself.

She takes entirely too long as each of the guys at the table chats her up, and act like a bunch of simpering fangirls as they fawn all over her.

I step up behind her, my walk smooth and without my cane, since I left it in the car on purpose.

My arms wrap possessively around her middle. “This woman’s not used to this kind of attention, so you guys better watch yourself.” I kiss her cheek and rock her back and forth from behind. “I know it’s hard, but try to keep your hands off her. She doesn’t like being touched.” I squeeze her and hold her tight to my chest all to prove two points.

A: that I’m an asshole.

B: that only I can touch her. No one else.

She pats my hands. “I’m fine. I shake hands, so it’s fine.” She gives me a funny look like I’m being ridiculous.

“Just trying to help,” I offer.

“Yes, I can see that.” She kisses me and turns around in my arms.

Clearly, she’s oblivious to how everyone around her is still gaping over the fact this might actually be a prank. Ides is still a recluse and never attends these conventions.

The men behind the table are already chattering back there, talking about her. The gossip in the room will probably spread like wildfire.

She wanders away from me a moment later, mingling a little, but very selective over who she’ll talk to.

The bag of her inventions is slung over her shoulder.

I smirk as I finger the one I brought along in my pocket.

A moment later, I step over to the table, register myself and her invention she “accidentally” left behind. I also register a surprise guest who should be here in the next half hour or so.

“Hey, Vapor! How are ya? Haven’t seen you here in a while.” An old acquaintance of mine claps me on the back.

I swallow hard when I realize I’ve forgotten her name, and my eyes go wide because for the love of God, her tits are in my face, hanging out of her skintight, bright pink dress.

What the fuck, lady?

She flirts with me, and when I glance over at Ides to see how she’s doing, she’s staring at me, looking sallow and disturbed by what she’s seeing.

“Will you excuse me?” I say absentmindedly, not even sparing a glance at this bimbo in front of me.

I don’t even know what the hell she was talking about—some gibberish about how she’s presenting someone big today.

Who the fuck cares?

“Hey, sweetheart, you okay?” I brush Ide’s hair over her shoulder. She left it down today.

God, she’s sexy as hell, all confident and smelling like some flowery erotic sex kitten.

“Did she let you lick the boob sweat off her? I’ve heard she’s got a lot of it, with a rack like that.” Ides glares at me.

“No, but she did offer to let me use her lubrication on my hand so I could get off in the bathroom, ‘cause damn, girl, you are making me horny as fuck. You look so good, and you smell even better.” I enfold her in my arms and pepper her with lazy open mouthed kisses.

She softly moans in my ear and then stiffens. “Careful, I’ve been really queasy today, and you know how much I abhor vomiting.”

I chuckle and take her hand, moving her over to her corner booth where she’s supposed to be until it’s her turn to present.

She takes her seat behind the table, spreads out her inventions and beams at me. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

“Believe it, sweetheart. I’m sure they’ll be lining up, dying to talk to you and soak up your genius.” I lean into the table and go on, “But, fuck, if anyone touches you, they’ll leave here minus a sex organ or two. You’re mine.”

I take a spot a few feet away in one of the audience chairs, glancing at the door every few minutes.

Wouldn’t it be great if Elvis walked in? I love Las Vegas.

Her booth is swamped a moment later, mostly by men, but a few women as well.

Out of the corner of my eye, I continually scan the place.

And there he is.

In the back of the room.

Dad’s staring, but not at me.

Westin and Libby are sitting at the back of the room, chatting.

I turn, look directly at my dad and his gaze shifts to me.

Without warning, he waves at me and flashes a smile I’ve never seen on that man before. Has he always had that many teeth?

I grin back and flip him off. “Asshole,” I mouth.

“Fucker,” he mouths back, laughing silently.

A moment later, my guest I was waiting for enters the room. He sees me and finds an inconspicuous spot to wait.

My eyes shift back to Dad. I watch with morbid curiosity as he approaches Libby, but when it looks like she’s about to turn his way, he ducks out of the room.

“Pussy,” I say under my breath, grinning.

When I turn my attention back to Ides, some dude is looming over her, leering at her tits, and she’s sitting at an awkward angle, creating as much space between them as possible.

I get up, glide over to her side and pat the dude on the shoulder. “There’s a big line here. Two minutes, and then you’re done.”

“Fuck you. You’re not in charge of this booth.” He smirks at her.

“Okay, times up,” Ides says, standing up. She extends her left hand to shake his, wiggling her ring finger so he can see the big black shiny diamond engagement ring I put there. He grips it with both hands, pulls her fingers up to his lips.

Before he can kiss them, or her ring, I yank her hand free. “Thanks for stopping by.”

I shove him away.

He glowers at me, then skulks away.

I pass her some hand sanitizer from her bag, but she waves me off.

Well, well, well. I wear a lopsided grin and a wonky brow as I move away from her like a dork.

Apparently her balls have gotten bigger than mine, because she’s handling this like she’s used to being a celebrity and having fans fall all over her.

And the germs seem to have left the building, like that fucker I told to back off.

Now, where the hell is Elvis? I need him here to make this moment complete. Oh, yes, and the announcer, too.

“Elvis—all germs and fuckheads—have left the building . . .”

I grin. Fucking Las Vegas—and fucking Ides. I love the combination. They make me damn near giddy.

* * *

“Any more questions?” Ides asks the audience, beaming at them from the stage in front of them.

They’re drooling on their laps, and I’m so erect, I probably look like I’m ready to hang some damn Ides flag for her own country off the end of my personal pole—since she deserves to rule half this fucking planet.

I slouch in my chair and ogle her freely.

She’s been confident, sexy, charming, poised and well-spoken, during her entire time on stage. They’re all dazzled by her—especially me.

My insides are rushing with heat, all at the thought of how I’ll devour that tight ass of hers after this is over. After my guest and I have done what we came to do.

God, she kills me with how hot she is.

She tells them once more how honored she is to be here, and she exits the stage.

Right as I’m getting up out of my seat to go congratulate her backstage and cop a feel, that giant set of boobs with a blonde mountain of hair on top, wrapped in pink, gets on stage and announces, “We’re thrilled Ides made an appearance today, but even more so her partner, Vapor, who has attended as well.” She stares straight at me. “We’d like to turn the time over to him now, so he can share some of his newest inventions.”

I turn around and jerk my head at my guest, motioning for him to get in place. He discreetly exits the room.

I gulp, my nuts burrow up into my body and I manage to get up on stage without face-planting since my leg is unpredictable at times, especially when going up steps.

She hugs me, and I stiffen.

But when the mic’s in my hands, I go right into my dream speech—the one I’ve always fantasized about giving with my girl around. “Let’s face it—there’s no good way to follow someone as delicious and phenomenal as Ides, so I won’t bore you with my latest gadgets, but I will share another of hers with you.”

I hear a sharp gasp to my right off stage. It’s gotta be my girl.

I pull it out of my pocket.

“I’m sure some of you have already heard rumors of the fatboy and slimboy.”

A few hushed voices hover over the crowd.

The room doubled with people when Ides was up here, and now it seems even more filled to capacity.

“The truth is, she’s not planning to market it. She’s not planning to release it at all, but I was hoping to share some of her genius with you today.” I exhale and tell myself in my mind I can do this, it’ll be okay.

“No!” she whispers from the side.

I glance over at her, and she’s got her hands over her mouth, but I can tell she’s glowing with pride and shock.

A wink is tossed her way, then I head back into my spiel. “What I’m showing you today is the slimboy. I left the fatboy at home, since I figured she’d notice if I took that along.”