I didn’t know James well, but nothing I had seen from him the nine hours we’d spent together had given me any indication he was that kind of guy. But Christina knew enough shitty men to fill the Bellagio fountains, so she wasn’t sold that easily.
“I’m not leaving,” Christina told him, firmly. “Girl code. Never leave your bestie alone with a douchebag.”
“Why am I a douchebag?” he protested. “I haven’t done anything.”
Feeling like Christina had regained the upper hand for me, I stepped up to the bar. “I don’t know, those pants are kind of tight. That’s a little douchey.”
Unfortunately, it sounded more flirtatious than I intended. It didn’t have the right effect.
“At least I’m wearing pants,” he said, his eyes sweeping over my bare legs to settle on my pussy briefly before rising to meet mine. “How’s Trix?”
Heat pooled between my thighs. God, I regretted telling him my nickname for my vagina. But I had been firmly in the afterglow of my nine millionth orgasm when I had, so I’d had no control over myself.
“Oh, damn,” Christina said.
“You’re the one who stole my uniform!” I said.
“You’re the one who got naked and crawled into my bed.”
“I was not naked,” was my only leg to stand on.
“Take off your towel and remind me,” he said.
We stared each other down. Memories flooded my mind, all involving his very large body over me, under me, in me. My mouth went dry. I was speechless.
It was at that moment the door to the suite flew open and to my complete and utter horror, two men strolled in. One was a big, hulking man, the other was a thinner, but equally fit, guy.
I didn’t wait for anyone to react or notice me. I was back in that bedroom so fast the Flash had nothing on me. My heart was pounding with a rapidity that couldn’t be healthy, but holy crap, I had almost gotten caught in a towel by guests. Guests that I hadn’t slept with. I cracked the door open slightly and listened.
“You could have sent us a text, you asshole,” the one man said. “We were waiting for you.” Then he turned to Christina. “Is he giving you a hard time? Just say the word and I’ll punch him.”
“Leave her alone,” James said. “She’s the maid. She’s just trying to do her job.”
At least he believed Christina wasn’t in on some elaborate scheme with me. I would hate myself if she got in trouble, or worse, fired, because I’d let down my hair (and taken off my dress) one night in a thousand.
“Like… the maid maid or the stripper maid?” the other guy asked.
“The maid maid,” Christina said. “If I was the stripper maid, I would have better nails.” She held up her hand with her short clear nails as proof. “Now, just to be totally clear, should I clean this suite or not?”
“Why do you have a maid’s uniform on your shoulder, JJ?” the first man asked. “And who was that woman who ran into the bedroom in a towel? Was she a maid too?”
“Will you just mind your own business?” he told his friend. He turned to Christina. “We don’t need the suite cleaned,” he said firmly.
She looked at the other two men. “Would either of you like your room cleaned?”
“I feel really confused,” the one said. “Like I’m not sure what is happening here and if this is all about fresh towels or something else so I’m just going to say no.”
“I’m fine, too,” the other one said. Then he spotted me in the doorway. “Hi, I’m Cash. Is JJ doing all right by you?”
“Shut up, Young,” James said. “She can take care of herself.”
At the moment, I wasn’t sure that was true. I had no clue what I was supposed to do now. The only thing I could think to do was to close the door on them. I didn’t like that look on James’ face. He looked both angry and hurt and I still had zero clue why he would have thought I’d stolen from him. I just knew I wanted to get out of this suite with my panties and my job intact.
Not that he looked like he wanted to have sex with me.
But I didn’t trust myself not to if he turned on the charm. Our night together had provided the fuel for many a solo session fantasy.
A second later, the knob turned and the door opened.
James filled the space with his big masculine frame. My heart started to race.
“What am I going to do with you?” he asked, shutting the door behind him, leaving us alone, standing very close to each other.
“Let me go back to housekeeping?” I asked, hopefully. When had I ever been eager to clean? But right now I’d trade scrubbing a toilet for this weird tension in one second flat.
He shook his head. “Not until I have some answers.”
Yep. We were going in circles. “I don’t have any answers.”
James leaned against the door, blocking my exit. “Then I guess we’ll be in here until I do.”
* * *
JJ
* * *
“You can’t keep me hostage here all night,” Mia said, her chin going up.
“Try me.” I was furious and I needed to hear the truth, from her pretty, lying little mouth, that she had used me.
“This is ridiculous,” she said. “I have a job. I need to get back to work or I’m going to get fired. Plus, I need to get to my second job in less than two hours.”
“Then talk fast.” I crossed my arms over my chest, and my ankles, as I leaned on the door.
She made a sound of exasperation. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You have a lot of confidence for a woman in a towel,” I said. Her uniform was still over my shoulder. “The ring, Mia. Where is the ring?”
“What ring? Oh my God!” She threw her arms up in the air, which almost made her towel slip off. I waited to see if it would fall, but she caught it. She carefully redid the knot.
“I was wearing it the night we met. Then I took it off because I was worried it would scratch your bare skin.” I watched for her reaction. “Because I’m a nice guy,” I added, feeling determined to drive that home.
Not everyone might agree with that. Some might even call me a player, but I wasn’t a liar and I was generous. It wasn’t my fault that most women wanted more than I was willing to give them.
Apparently, this woman just figured that my reputation meant she could steal from me.
Mia stared at me. “That class ring you had on? That’s what this is about? Why would I steal that?”
I frowned. She was a very convincing liar. I was starting to doubt myself. “Because it’s worth a lot of money. Like my watch that was next to you on the nightstand when I came into here.”
“I never saw your watch. I just wanted to sleep for ten freaking minutes. I’ve been working for twenty hours straight. Besides, how much could a watch be worth?”
Was this a trick? A way for her to gauge value? Fine. I’d tell her. It would prove her motives if she tried to steal it from me. Good luck getting it off my wrist. She’d have to kill me to get it away from me. Not even twelve straight hours of sex could talk me into removing it from my person. “A hundred and eighty thousand dollars.”