With His Love (For His Pleasure, Book 16) (4 page)

Danielle shook her head. She wiped her eyes and sighed. “No, I only just found out about it yesterday. I’ve been trying to figure out when I want to tell him.”

“Are you thinking he won’t want you to keep it?”

“Of course I’m keeping it. He wouldn’t ever tell me to…would he?”

“I don’t know, hon. I was just asking.” Nicole rubbed her back. “I’m sure he’s going to be happy, ecstatic.”

“Let us watch Riley this weekend, when you and Red go on your trip. That way the two of you can enjoy your time together as a couple and make the most of it. And Kane and I will get to spend a couple days with Riley, and if all goes well, I’ll tell him the news.”

Nicole thought about it. “I’ve never been away from Riley for that long.”

“I swear I’ll do everything you tell me to do. Right out your schedule, all the things she likes and doesn’t like, all of her needs. I’ll follow it to a T.”

Nicole finally decided that it made sense. Danielle was a good friend and she’d make a great mom. Riley could be left for a couple of days in her care—it would be good for everyone.

“Okay, let’s do it,” Nicole told her.

Danielle clapped her hands. “You mean it?”

“I do. I totally mean it.”

“Oh, gosh, Nicole! I can’t wait to do this!” Danielle was all smiles and light now. Whatever sadness and anxiety had been eating at her seemed to have dissipated in a matter of seconds. She was talking energetically, waving her hands around, planning for the upcoming fun, as they continued walking through the mall again.

When they came to the end of their allotted mall-walking time, the two women hugged tightly.

“I’m so happy for you,” Nicole said. “This is amazing news. I know you and Kane are going to make incredible parents.”

“Thanks for saying that.” Danielle nodded, then shrugged. “Of course, this might put a bit of a damper on my acting career, but I have my priorities straight. Family comes first.”

“And you can still act.”

“But if I need to put the breaks on for a little while, that’s just how it goes.”

Nicole nodded. She knew that Danielle might be putting family first, or it might also be that Danielle was tired of being turned down and rejected in her new profession.

And if having a baby would also serve a dual purpose of saving face, than who was Nicole to tell her otherwise?

“You gotta do what you gotta do,” Nicole said.

Danielle was opening the door to exit the mall. “Let me know what time we should expect Riley, okay?”

“I’ll call you or text you,” Nicole said.

She watched her best friend leave, feeling warmth and affection that surprised her.

Danielle might have gotten a little wacky since she and Kane became an item, but Nicole knew that underneath it all, Danielle had a heart of gold.

And as nervous as it made her, Nicole thought it might be good to spend a night or two away from Riley. They were going to have to do it sometime, so she supposed this was as good a time as any.

***

By the time Nicole and Red’s plane set down in Las Vegas that Friday afternoon, things had already gotten off to a rather rocky start.

After dropping Riley off at Kane Wright’s house, their car had gotten a flat tire.

Then, after getting to their airport where a private jet had been chartered, Red suddenly realized he’d left his wallet back home.

They’d had to call one of the staff to bring it to the airport, and that had delayed them another hour or so.

Once in the air, the flight had been plagued by awful turbulence. Red was an experienced traveler, and even he seemed put off by it at times.

“I think I might be sick,” Nicole had told him at one point.

“Maybe we can get you something for it—” Red had begun to say, and then she’d grabbed a plastic bag and vomited into it before he could even finish his statement.

Luckily for them, the flight wasn’t very long, and they landed safe and sound, none the worse for wear.

Getting off the plane, Red swore under his breath.

“What is it?”

“Jeb’s supposed to be meeting us at the airport,” he said. “But my cell’s dead and I don’t even have the charger.” He shook his head. “I swear, I must be cursed right now—maybe this trip was a bad idea.”

Nicole looked at him. “It’s fine,” she said. “I can call him from my phone.

What’s his number?”

Red rolled his eyes. “I have no idea.”

Inside, they were able to find someone who used the PA system to make an announcement asking Jeb to come and meet them at the information desk, and about five minutes later, he arrived, smiling and upbeat.

“What happened to you, Red?” he asked, as he approached. “You lose my number or something?”

“Phone died,” Red told him. “Sorry about the confusion. Things haven’t exactly gone according to plan thus far.”

“Hey, no biggie. Help you with your bags or anything?”

“Nope, I got them. We packed light.”

Red and Jeb exchanged a quick but friendly handshake, and then Jeb leaned in and hugged Nicole. “It’s been way too long,” he said, softly.

“It has,” she agreed.

“And I’m sorry I haven’t been over to see your baby. You know, it’s just been…difficult…with all of the family drama.”

“You don’t have to apologize or explain yourself,” she told him. “You’re here with us now, that’s the important thing.”

“Damn straight.”

“Patrick didn’t come with you?” Red asked, as the three of them started for the street exit.

“He’s back at The Paragon,” Jeb said.

As they walked outside, Nicole was shocked by the heat. It was as if she’d been smacked in the face by a wall of hot air, and the sun was so bright that she had to immediately put on her sunglasses. She was also starting to sweat.

Luckily, Jeb had parked curbside, so they got their bags in the car and got inside where it was cool from the air conditioning that had been running the entire time.

Jeb drove, and Red sat in front, while Nicole sat in the backseat and stared out the window at passing scenery. They were on the highway and apparently headed towards the Las Vegas strip. There were palm trees flanking the sides of the road, and the sky was clear and blue. Everything seemed to be reflecting bright sunlight, including the buildings.

When they’d left the East Coast, it had been mild and a little overcast. This climate was a huge difference, and Nicole wasn’t sure what she thought of it.

Jeb and Red were talking about their friend Patrick and the Paragon Hotel and Casino that he was opening up. “You’re going to be amazed when you see what he’s doing out here,” Jeb told his brother.

“I can’t wait,” Red replied. “Everything I’ve read and researched tells me this is a winner, especially now that he’s locked up an exclusive deal with the UFF.”

“Sure, that’s huge. But then, it’s not the only thing he’s got. There are going to be parties with A-list celebs in the nightclub that he’s built adjacent to the hotel—it’s called Aftershock. Fine dining at the Coliseum—did you see that he got David DeGrasso to be the Chef there?”

Red nodded. “I heard. He’s doing all the right things.”

“And having you on board is just another thing that will help to make this venture successful.”

“Well, that assumes he’s already on board, doesn’t it?” Nicole asked.

Jeb glanced at her in the rearview mirror, and Red looked back at her. Neither of them answered.

“We’re just considering it,” she said. “Right?”

“Right, of course,” Red replied. “I haven’t signed a contract or anything.”

“And you didn’t say yes, either, did you?”

Jeb looked in his rearview again. “Sorry if I said anything that made your nervous, Nicole. I’m just enthusiastic about this. I’m really hoping Red joins me out here—Red and you and the baby, of course. I mean, I sold my practice in order to come out here and be part of it, so obviously I believe in everything I’m saying.”

Nicole was clenching her fists, she realized. She let go and tried to smile. “I’m just a little cautious about committing to anything without taking time to really consider all the options. We have Riley to think about now.”

“Absolutely,” Red agreed. “Do you think I’m not considering what’s best for my daughter?”

“I never said any such thing.”

“You alluded to it, though.”

“Not at all.”

The car fell silent. Jeb cleared his throat. “Hey, there’s the Paragon over there,”

he said, pointing to an enormous tower that looked like it was still a few blocks away. It was gold, sparkling, and surrounded by a huge reflecting pool and enormous fountains on either side. The Paragon Hotel And Casino was scrolling around the top of the tower, along with the date of the grand opening.

As they got closer, Jeb started talking again. “What’s really cool right now, is that we’ve got you two booked in the best room in the house—the penthouse suite on the sixtieth floor of the tower. Because The Paragon hasn’t officially opened yet, you’ll have exclusive access to the gym and spa and not many people around to bother you.”

“Is anyone staying here at all, besides us?” Red asked him.

“Sure, a couple of executives. Patrick and myself. We’re training up the staff so there are people there during the day taking classes and practicing their job skills. And at night, there’s a skeleton crew handling anything you need.”

“Sounds perfect,” Red laughed, giving Nicole a look to see what she thought.

Nicole forced a smile. “The exterior is amazing,” she said, trying to think of anything positive to say.

Jeb escorted them into the hotel lobby, where there was one young man at the check-in desk who was pleasant and gave them room keys.

“Everything’s taken care of,” Jeb said, as he walked them to the elevators. “You two just go up to the room, relax, take a load off. Patrick and I will swing by a little later and take you on a tour of the casino and everything. Maybe grab dinner?”

“Sounds perfect,” Red told him. “Thanks for getting all of this set up.”

“Anything for my bro!” Jeb replied, grinning. “I’ll see you two later.” He turned and walked out of the lobby and down one of the hallways, going who knew where.

Nicole and Red stepped into the elevator. “I can’t believe Jeb sold his practice to come here and…and…what exactly is he going to be doing?”

Red was glancing at his phone. He snorted. “Jeb just texted me a pic of Patrick slugging from a champagne bottle. I guess this was last night.”

“So, what’s Jeb going to do at the hotel? For a job?”

Red looked up from his phone. “He’s a silent partner. He invested all his money from his medical practice.”

“Isn’t that kind of risky?”

“Yeah, it is. But it’s his life. I guess he was tired of playing it safe with his practice, tired of doing the same thing day in and day out. He had no social life whatsoever. Now, everything’s going to be the exact opposite of that for him.”

Nicole pursed her lips as the elevator came to a stop at the penthouse. She almost asked Red if he was getting tired of playing it safe too. But then the elevator doors opened and she decided that was a question better left unasked. Besides, she didn’t really think that Red felt that way about his life. He wasn’t a doctor who’d been seeing the same patients with the same problems for years.

He was still a highly successful businessman who could come and go as he pleased and worked on projects that excited him. Red was passionate about his work.

But still, the thought nagged at her. Why was he suddenly so anxious to pick up and move the family to this new city with its excess and vices? Could it be that he was already feeling stifled with a new baby and wife dragging him down for the first time in his life?

They opened the door to their suite, and Nicole couldn’t help but gasp. It was enormous, covered in gold and silver carpeting, drapes and upholstery. The room was enormous, with a professional looking bar that was as big as you’d find in most high-class restaurants.

There was a fireplace, a huge TV screen that took up one entire wall, doors that led out to a deck and a pool. Red dropped their bags, as he looked around with a wide smile, like a kid on Christmas. “Holy cow,” he said, pointing. Nicole followed his gaze and saw that through another door was an actual basketball court.

“How the heck can that be in here?” she cried.

“This place is every guy’s dream,” he said, running over to the door and throwing it open. “It’s not a full-size court, but it’s plenty good enough for a pickup game with the boys,” he said, looking around in wonderment. “I bet you I can dunk on that rim. I have half a mind to try right now, but I’m not wearing the right kind of shoes.”

Nicole chuckled at Red’s boyish enthusiasm, then moved down the hall and saw yet another room that Red would love. She’d found the game room, complete with a pool table, a row of television sets on the wall (presumably for watching numerous sporting events at once), arcade games, and even a drum set, guitars and amps in one corner. “I hope this room’s soundproofed,” she muttered.

This hotel suite was perfect—if you were a man.

If you were a woman, it was a bit less perfect.

Eventually, she found the bathroom off the master bedroom. The bathroom was huge, gold and ornate, with a large bathtub and shower. She tried to picture herself taking a nice warm bath and relaxing in the tub, but when she looked up at the ceiling above her head, she found a strange painting of women in bikinis hanging all over a motorcycle.

It was a really odd touch, but in a way, it fit with everything else in the place.

Walking through it again, she noticed that there were paintings and pictures like that all around. Some were of sports heroes like Mike Tyson or Michael Jordan or LeBron James, or rock icons like Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones. There was even a strange, almost elegant life-sized sculpture of Pamela Anderson.

Nicole shuddered to think what that sculpture would be subjected to by the many occupants of this suite in the coming years.

Red was giddy, laughing at some things, marveling at others. “They’ve got balls,” he said, “that’s for sure. I’ve never seen a room like this before.”

“Me either,” Nicole said, trying not to sound as unenthusiastic as she felt.