“I’m thirty-four. You?”
“Twenty-nine and thirty-four is not old. Look at you.” Her eyes fall down my body.
I like when she looks at me like that. I know she likes what she sees. If only we could get over this barrier, which reminds me…
“Tell me now why you don’t believe in love.”
She rolls her eyes, which says she was hoping I wouldn’t remember. “My dad cheated on my mom. I caught him and had to be the one who told my mom.”
Well, shit. That could definitely mess someone up. “How old were you?”
“Fourteen. I was with my friends at the movies. It was one of the old theaters and they were playing nineties movies. We were walking up the aisle and laughing at this disgusting couple making out in the back row. One of my friends yelled, ‘Get a room,’ and they stopped. But when the guy turned around, it was my dad.”
I’m speechless. That’s harsh. “What did your dad do?”
“He tried to talk to me, but I screamed and told him to get away from me. My friend’s mom picked us up from the movies and drove me home. All my friends kept wanting to talk about it and ask me how I was doing. I just wanted to go to my room and forget it all. But instead, I had to break my mom’s heart and tell her what I saw. I’ll never forget the look on her face.” Nikki sucks in a ragged breath.
“I’m sorry. That truly sucks.”
She nods and puts the plate of potato skins back on the table. “I’ll eat all of this if I’m not careful.”
“Stress eater?” I ask.
“Emotional eater.”
“Thanks for trusting me,” I say because I’m not sure what else to say, but I do feel honored that she told me.
“You trusted me and you’re in a worse position than I am if I let out your secrets.” A nervous laugh leaks out of her.
“True. But I know it’s hard for you to share.”
She nods. “My dad was everything to me, but I should’ve known. You have no idea how many times I’ve had to console my friends in high school and college after their boyfriends cheated on them. Temptation wins time and time again.”
“That’s not always true.”
She looks at me. “So you’re celibate?”
I laugh, but she’s serious. “No, but I’m not always looking to hook up. Hell, I married you the first night we met. What does that tell you?”
“That you probably shouldn’t drink tequila again.”
I grin. “Ah, I think I make good decisions when I drink tequila. Look at us now.”
She scoffs. “Yeah, living a fairy tale fake relationship.”
“Well, at least we’re having fun.” The words sound hollow, and I wish I could take them back. I’m having more than fun with her. I haven’t been part of a relationship in a long time, and I forgot how good it feels.
Then again, I have to be wary, because so many of those old friends and girlfriends were in it for what I could give them. They liked the fame and the cameras and the money. Nikki doesn’t seem that way, which is what intrigues me, but I haven’t always been a good judge of character.
“True. Thanks for tonight. I had a great time. The show was spectacular.” She gets up and grabs a bottle of water.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to go to bed now.”
Way to go, Stone, you ruined the conversation by bringing up her dad.
“Are you sure? We could watch a movie or something?”
She yawns. “No. I’m beat. Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome.”
Our eyes lock for a moment, then both of our gazes skim down the other. If she was anyone else, I’d break the distance and kiss her until she begged me to take her to bed. But she’s far from ready to admit there might be something more than just a fake marriage here.
“Good night,” she says softly.
“‘Night, Nikki.”
I watch her disappear down the small hallway toward her room, happy that at least some progress was made tonight.
Chapter Eleven
“Oh boy, hold on. This is going to get bumpy now.”
Nikki
“Did you sleep well?” Logan asks as we step out of his suite and head down the hallway toward the elevators.
“I did.”
“Happy to be going home?” We enter the elevator, and he presses the button for the main floor.
“Yep, except for the part where the interview will air and everyone will be talking about it.”
“Gossip bothers you, yet you host a gossip show on a radio station?” He chuckles.
“I never make anything up, it’s all the truth.”
He grows somber and stares at me. “That’s important to you? Truth?”
“It’s the reason I do what I do. Lies spread faster than truth. I get the truth out there before the lies spread.”
He stares at me so intensely, I shift my weight. “Why?”
I don’t want to get into what happens once your family has imploded and you find yourselves the subject of rumors and lies, so I say, “Exactly what I said. Lies spread faster and do more damage than the truth.”
He doesn’t ask any more questions—probably because I put the iron gate down—and the silence of the small space soon gets interrupted by the sounds and bells from the casino floor. Just like he did on the way in, Logan takes my hand and leads me through the throngs of slot machines to get us outside before anyone can stop us.
We’re just about to the doors when a petite brunette steps in front of him. “Log?” she says, but not in a tone that makes me think it’s a coincidence she ran into us.
“Melanie?”
So he knows her name. Something in my gut says I won’t like what’s about to happen.
“I heard you were in town.” Her gaze detours down to where our hands are joined. I move to remove mine, but Logan grips tighter.
“Yeah, I’m here with Nikki.” He looks at me. “My wife.”
Melanie laughs and her curly hair bounces up and down. “I heard something about a drunk Vegas wedding.” Her gaze zeroes in on me. “You can’t be serious?”
“As serious as a married couple,” Logan says. “Nikki, this is Melanie.”
I’d offer my hand, but Melanie crosses her arms and her breasts practically pop out from how low cut her shirt is.
“Can we talk?” She lowers her voice, but I hear someone to our right say Logan’s name.
I turn and a group of guys are pointing and looking up things on their phone.
“I gotta go. We have a flight to catch.” Logan steps us around her.
“You’re just going to walk away from me?” Melanie says in a loud enough voice that it’s clear she wants everyone in the vicinity to hear her. “Logan Stone!”
Logan releases my hand and walks back over to her, leaving me by the door. The group of guys are now pointing at me and whispering to one another. A woman snaps a picture, and soon a small horseshoe forms around us.
Logan lowers his voice, his mouth right to Melanie’s ear, and she glares at me from over his shoulder. When I’m about to leave the casino and hop in a cab, Logan walks away from her and comes to me, grabbing my hand one more time and guiding me outside to a black SUV, ignoring the pleas from onlookers for a signature.