Chapter Ten
As Michael drove down the brightly lit, congested strip in Las Vegas, Emma and Dani snoozed. When he stopped at a red light, he glanced at Dani, studying her. Sleeping, she looked as innocent as she had in high school, and memories of “that night” filled his head.
The alcohol had flown freely that evening, and someone at the party suggested playing an old middle-school game. But since they were all seniors, the stakes were higher. The game involved spinning something, and whichever couple was chosen got twenty minutes in the dark laundry room of their host’s basement to do whatever they wanted. The only rule was that the couple had to kiss at least once.
When it had been his turn and the bottle landed on Dani, she’d sent him a frown, but she stood to play along. All of his buddies cheered and made crude comments under their breaths as they slapped him on the back, wishing him luck.
Every guy there wanted to be paired with Dani. She was the prettiest girl in school. But they all knew she didn’t sleep around.
Taking her hand, he’d pulled her into the laundry room, figuring after the one kiss they’d just talk until their time was up. He was so sure he wasn’t getting anything more than a kiss he’d even flipped on the light switch instead of leaving them in total darkness. He’d looked forward to catching up with her because she hadn’t had a real conversation with him for years. He’d planned to ask her why.
But when he’d started to ask what had happened between them, she laid her soft fingers on his lips to stop him. Then she’d stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. It had shocked him at first, but it hadn’t taken long for him to catch up.
There was something different about kissing Dani he didn’t understand at the time. He’d never felt so many different feelings all at once. And there was a warmth in his chest he’d never felt before. When she’d ended the kiss, it felt like he was being deprived of air. So he kissed her again, prepared to stop if she protested. Instead, she’d plastered her curvy body against his and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him the green light. He’d wanted to kiss Dani since they were fourteen but never did because he was afraid to ruin their friendship. He’d always known he’d loved her as a friend, but at that moment, with Dani wrapped up in his arms eagerly kissing him back, it became clear that he’d been a fool not to act on his feelings.
While his hands roamed the soft curves of her body, Dani quickly unbuttoned his shirt. She slowly parted it and pulled it from his shoulders; then she got busy on the zipper of his jeans. He lifted her shirt over her head, and when her hands moved behind her back, and she released the clasp on her bra, letting it fall to the floor, it was like getting sucker punched in the gut. Dani was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and it made him wish they weren’t in a laundry room. He’d have liked their first time together to be somewhere nice. He’d started to suggest a change of venue, but she just shook her head and kissed him again. He couldn’t think about anything but her after that.
He’d grabbed a condom from his wallet and then stepped out of his jeans and boxers. Glancing around the small room, he found a folded towel in a laundry basket. After he’d laid it out on top of the dryer, he slowly lifted Dani on top. Then he’d moved between her legs and kissed her again. He’d tried to go slow, to take his time with her, but when she breathed out his name—something that hadn’t passed Dani’s lips in almost two years, and something he missed more than he’d realized until that very moment—it was like a switched flipped inside of him. He wanted her so badly.
But he needed to be sure she was ready. Dani nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck and kissed him while she eagerly rocked against his hand. When he used his thumb to stimulate her while his fingers plunged inside of her, she’d groaned. It made him rock hard.
He took as much time as he could to please her, but he couldn’t last much longer, so he slipped inside her tight body. It took all his willpower not to just pump away all his pent-up lust for her, but he went slowly at first, taking long strokes. It had felt so damned good, so right to be inside of her, that he couldn’t hold back any longer. So he lifted Dani’s mouth to his because he’d wanted to kiss her while they came together. To show her how much he still cared for her.
Dani had eagerly kissed him back, her hands exploring his body as he made love to her. When she’d moaned his name against his lips and let herself go, he was certain he’d pleased her as much as she’d pleasured him, so he finally allowed himself the release he so badly needed.
They were still wrapped together, trying to catch their breath, when she buried her face into his neck again. Like she couldn’t look at him.
Alarmed, he leaned back and faced her. “Did I hurt you?”
She slowly shook her head. “It was amazing.”
“Dani, I didn’t plan for that to happen. I just thought we’d—”
She laid her fingers against his lips again. “Please don’t tell anyone. I couldn’t bear if you told all the guys on the team. They’d all think I was a . . . but this was my first time.”
He stared into her eyes for what felt like an eternity, trying to figure out what to say, what to do. If he hadn’t been in such a hurry, and thinking clearly, he would have known she hadn’t had sex before. He couldn’t believe he’d just treated a virgin that way. He should have asked, gone slower. He’d probably been too rough with her and hated himself for it. “I won’t tell anyone, Dani. I swear.”
“Thanks.” She quickly buttoned her shirt and slipped off the dryer. “Goodbye, Michael. Have a nice life.”
“What? Wait, Dani.” He caught her hand before she made it all the way to the door. “Can’t we talk about this? About us? I’ve missed you.”
She stood on her tiptoes and laid a soft kiss on his cheek. “We aren’t meant to be together, Michael. I’ll always wish you well. And I look forward to watching you play for the Cowboys soon.” Then she walked out of the laundry room without looking back.
In the next few weeks, he had tried to talk to her, but she never took his calls and avoided him the remainder of the school year. Then they’d both gone off to college and moved on with the rest of their lives.
The light turned green, pulling him back to the present, and they continued at a snail’s pace toward the hotel. Dani lay in the seat next to him, her kissable lips still slightly parted in sleep. He’d never told anyone about them, as he’d promised, but he’d wanted to make that night up to her ever since.
Were they making a mistake by starting something? Dani talked big about casual affairs, but she wasn’t the type to have them, no matter how hard she wanted to convince herself she was. He’d had his share, particularly since his divorce, but what if she wanted more? What if he got in too deep, and they both got hurt?
Dani was the opposite of the type he’d decided to date. He wanted to find a woman interested in having an easygoing, mature relationship, with no ties, no obligations, and no complications. He was a father first and doubted he’d get serious about another woman until his girls were older. In the meantime, he planned to look for a woman intent on her career, with or without kids, who didn’t need or want a commitment.
So what was he doing driving to Las Vegas with a woman who still ate junk food, had a bodyguard because a psychopath was after her, was possibly still in love with her ex-husband, was babysitting a child his stepfather had sired while married to his mother, and was at times the most frustrating woman on earth?
He might as well get a baseball bat and knock himself upside the head, because a relationship with Dani was bound to do just as much damage. She confused him, irritated him, and . . . he smiled every time he thought of her.
That was happening more than was good for him lately.
When she yawned and stretched her arms over her head, he turned and faced her.
She beamed a sweet smile at him. “For a minute there it looked like you were pondering the fate of the world. Then you got a really goofy grin on your face. What were you thinking about?”
No way would he ever confess his thoughts. That would be suicide. “I was thinking I’m happy we’re almost there and that I’m hoping we find Emma’s mother so I can get some of that alone time.”
“Hmm. That explains the goofy grin, but not the rest.” She pointed out the window. “Oh, there it is, we’re here. Sorry, I didn’t mean to sleep so long.”
“That’s okay.” As he moved forward, finally able to change lanes, he glanced up at their hotel. “I looked this place up on Eva’s computer before we left. One of the original casinos was blasted to make room for this one. It has an old Chicago gangster theme. Should be interesting.” But the man who owned it was one of many men speculated to be Dani’s father. Dani always hated the idea that she might have mobster blood running through her veins and, instead, had chosen to believe the plastic surgeon was her dad.
He and Jerry handed the valet parking attendant their keys; then they all walked through the sliding glass doors and into mayhem. The flashing lights, loud electronic beeps, shrill sirens, and clanking of coins in the winner’s slots bombarded them. Emma’s eyes widened as she snuggled tighter against Dani while they walked through the lobby. He’d been tired after the long drive, but only a few moments inside the brightly lit casino made him feel like it was midday again. All his senses were on high alert. A slick trick.
He turned to ask Dani what she wanted to do about the room arrangement and caught sight of Jerry, whose eyes had begun to glaze over. He moved beside the bodyguard and slapped him on the back, none too lightly. “Hey, buddy, snap out of it. You have a job to do, remember?”
Jerry wiped the sweat from his upper lip. “Yeah, I can handle it. Let’s check in. We need rooms that connect.”
Michael had his doubts about the guy holding out for very long and turned to Dani, who was scanning the casino floor. He leaned close and whispered, “Are we sharing?”
She tore her gaze from the busy casino floor and assaulted him with a sexy smirk. “Yeah. I’ll pay half.”
“That’s okay. I think I can handle twenty dollars a night.” He couldn’t fight his grin as he laid his credit card down to begin the process. Emma and Dani would share one of the beds, and he’d be alone, at least until they found Julia. But surely he could talk her into some shower games after Emma fell asleep.
As soon as they were inside their brand-new, spacious hotel room decorated with thick carpet, old-fashioned tasseled lamps, and fake-antique furniture from the 1930s, Dani picked up the phone and dialed Julia’s room number. No answer.
She glanced at Michael. “Let’s just hope she stayed here to gamble, or we won’t catch her until tomorrow.”
“So, what are we going to do with you know who”—he nodded toward Emma—“while we look for Julia?”
“I’ve got that all worked out. Just give us girls twenty minutes, and we’ll be set.”
While Michael got busy checking his e-mail on his phone, Dani started Emma’s bedtime routine. Amazingly, Dani was getting pretty good at it.
Emma, all ready for bed and snuggled into her footed pj’s, looked like a sleepy Botticelli angel, a surprise after snoozing so much during the long drive. Her heavy-lidded eyes met Dani’s, and instead of her usual enthusiastic “ta-da,” she yawned, pulled the bunny closer, and asked, “Nigh nigh?”
“Yep, sweet dreams, kiddo.” Dani tucked Emma under the covers, then lay beside her, running her fingers through her hair to help her fall asleep. Emma wasn’t acting like her normal bedtime self, filled with sweet giggles and grins. Was the stress of being without her mom catching up with her? She hoped the poor kid wouldn’t be scarred for life after spending a few days with her incompetent babysitter.
Emma snuggled closer and whispered, “Luff ew.”
Dani gazed into a set of little blue eyes that were so full of adoration that no translation was needed for that one.
So maybe she wasn’t the best babysitter, but the kid didn’t seem to notice. She hugged Emma tight and whispered, “Me too, Em. And everything’s going to be all right. I promise.”
It wasn’t five minutes before Emma was sound asleep. So Dani gingerly slipped off the bed and went to the bathroom to cover her bruised face with makeup.
After she was done, the gross yellow-and-green handprint was just barely visible. A little lipstick and blush, and she was ready to go.
She yanked open the hotel room door where Jerry stood outside in the hall like a sentinel. She tugged on his collar, pulling him into their room. “Okay, baboon, here’s the deal. Your new job is to watch Emma while Michael and I look for her mother tonight. Got it?”
He paled. “No way. I’m not watching a kid. You’re bad enough. I’m not going there.”
“She’s out for the night.” Dani shoved the remote into his hand. “Just sit over there and watch television until we come back. If I feel threatened, I’ll call you on this handy-dandy device I’m hooked up to, and you can grab Emma, then come save me. If she wakes up, talk to me. It’s not that hard.”
Jerry glared at her. “I’m supposed to be watching you, not a kid.”
“I won’t leave the casino downstairs. They must have a gazillion security cameras, and I’ve also got big, strong Michael with me. I don’t think I could be any safer anywhere else without you.”
He pondered her words for a moment, then shrugged. “Yeah, okay. But do not leave this hotel.” He settled into one of the chairs. “And if the kid even whimpers, you’d better get your ass back here, pronto.”
Dani shot him her most evil smile. “Of course. But wouldn’t it be too bad if the noise level in the casino made it impossible for me to hear your sweet nothings murmuring in my ear?”
Jerry flipped her off.
She blew him a kiss.
Michael held the door for her, and then they were off to find Julia downstairs in the casino before Jerry could change his mind.
After they stepped inside the empty elevator, Michael pulled her against him and whispered in her ear, “You need to give Jerry a break.”
“I fought with him on purpose so he’d still feel manly after being put on babysitting patrol. I know he’s struggling, and I thought keeping him away from the temptation made the most sense.”
He smiled. “You may be compulsive, crazy, and impetuous, but you can also be very kind, in your own puzzling way.” Then he kissed her.
Dani sighed, savoring the slow, tender pace he set.
She was all wrong for him. Michael was structured, goal-oriented, responsible, successful, and—she just wasn’t. But there was something about him she couldn’t resist. Every time he kissed her, she forgot all the reasons they’d never have a real relationship, because he’d never be happy with a woman like her. She had to remind herself that they were just going to have some sex, hang out occasionally, and that’d be it. She assumed that’s how it’d work, anyway.
Spending time with him over the past few days, though, had her wishing for something more than just being his occasional sex partner. Beyond her physical attraction to him, she respected him more than any other man she’d ever known.
Because Maeve had always kept her up-to-date on Michael’s activities, she’d found out he never took his natural talent for football for granted. He’d worked hard in college, even knowing he had a starting NFL quarterback position waiting for him, and earned straight As. He never took chances, and in his case, it had paid off.
He was the most down-to-earth, reliable, steady person she’d ever known. The type every mother wanted her daughter to marry. She probably wasn’t good enough for him, but something about him made her want to try to be. Maybe if she worked a little harder at her new life plans, he’d see that she could change.
Michael ended their kiss, then leaned back and smiled. When his dimples appeared, it gave her heart a quick palpitation. He said, “So, what’s the plan if we find her?”
She hadn’t worked out all the details on that yet, but Michael was way too practical to go along easily with her gambling scheme. “Well, I think we’ll listen to her side of the story, then go from there. But the number one goal is to keep her out of jail so Emma doesn’t have to live with Ron.”
“Okay.” He nodded as the elevator doors parted, and they were assaulted by a tsunami of noise again. “I want to ask her what she knows about Ron’s hidden money, too.”
Dani took his hand, tugging him toward the blackjack tables. “That’s definitely on the agenda. And if it were me, when we find the money, I’d take all of it and make Ron beg for his half, but then I’m not as nice as your mom.”
“Good idea. We’ll talk her into that when we find it.”
The loud casino was packed with people trying to win their fortunes. The vintage music playing overhead added to the din. It was a large place, one of the biggest in Vegas according to the ad in Julia’s kitchen. And in keeping with the gangster motif, the male workers wore fedoras, pinstriped vests, and spats on their shoes. The women’s uniforms consisted of gray pinstriped super-short skirts, three-inch black heels, garter belts, and low-cut, filmy white tops.
A cocktail waitress with exceptionally large breasts batted her eyes at Michael, leaned close enough for him to get a nice view of her assets, and asked if he’d like a drink. Her name tag read “Bunny.” Like that was her real name.
When Michael declined, she sent him a little pout, then turned to Dani. “You want somethin’?”
Yeah, she wanted something. She wanted to smack the sneer right off the woman’s overly made-up face, but instead just shook her head, hoping the pit bull would go find some other woman’s man to sniff.
After the waitress flounced away, Dani glanced at her sweater and jeans, suddenly feeling underdressed and definitely not looking her best. Not that there weren’t others dressed casually, but she’d only packed clothes for the cooler weather in Taos, not for an evening in a casino. If she was going to play the part of a high-stakes gambler, she’d have to have a better outfit. But, first things first, they needed to find Julia; then maybe she’d go check out the boutique.
Michael’s hand slipped around her waist, pulling her next to him. “You’re the most beautiful woman in the room, Dani, no matter what you’re wearing.”
Was she that transparent? “I’m thinking it was more about how much that waitress hoped you liked what she was serving. But you probably didn’t even notice all the silicone on the menu, did you?”
He chuckled and pulled her deeper into the crowd. “Do you think they were fake? Thanks for clearing that up for me. Now I won’t have to wonder about her chest all night.”
“Keep it up, and you’re sleeping with the snoring freight train again.” She elbowed him in the ribs. It was like smashing her arm into a brick wall. It probably hurt her more than him.
“That was a lame jab. We really need to work on your upper-body strength. It’s probably due to your poor diet.” He tugged her closer. “And for the record, I could never be attracted to a woman like that. She looked like a hooker.” He laid a soft kiss just in front of her ear that made her knees go weak. “Those fat-filled treats you’re so fond of seem to be making you cranky, and they’re sucking away all of your sense of humor.”
She stopped walking and gazed into his amused eyes. He was right, and that was strange. Not that he was right, especially about her love of snack cakes, but that she was jealous. She’d never been the jealous type.
She stood on her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on his lips. “I guess I can’t blame that woman for trying. You are kinda cute. Let’s find Emma’s mom.” She slipped her arm through his, then added, “And I have plenty of upper-body strength. I was just taking it easy on you earlier because you’re such a wimpy lawyer. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
His low chuckle warmed all her good parts again. They seriously needed to find some alone time.
But first they needed to find Julia.
After they’d made two complete rounds of the casino with no luck, they sat down at a bar near the main bank of elevators to have a drink. Maybe they’d catch Julia when she came back from wherever she’d gone.
While they sipped their drinks, a small group of people walked toward them. In the middle was an attractive man, probably in his midfifties. Beautiful, scantily clad women hung all over the other men in the group, but the one in the middle didn’t have a partner. The outer ring of people consisted of muscled men who looked like they’d be Jerry’s best friends.
As they passed by, a gap formed in the ring of people, giving her a better view. The man in the middle met Dani’s gaze and held it.
When his eyes locked with hers, it sent a punch straight to her gut.
It was Mario. He was tall, had light-brown hair with a touch of sophisticated gray at the temples, olive skin, and reminded her of an Italian don, but that was par for the course in the hotel. He nodded at her, and then one of the women he was with stole his attention. “Mr. Giovanni, you’ve done such wonderful things here. You’re a genius.”
Mario continued walking, but after a few paces stopped, excused himself from the group, then returned to their table. He held his hand out. “Excuse me, Ms. Botelli, but we haven’t formally met. I’m a friend of your mother’s. My name is Mario Giovanni. Welcome to my humble establishment.”
Dani took his outstretched hand and shook it, stunned that he knew who she was. Her mother was so beloved that, after Dani’s kidnapping, her mom’s pleas to the press to never photograph or buy pictures of her daughters had been heeded for the most part. But there were the occasional cell phone pix that caught them around Albuquerque without their disguises, so it was possible. “Hello, Mr. Giovanni, it’s nice to meet you. This is an amazing place.” She lifted her free hand toward Michael. “This is my friend, Michael Reilly.”
Dani tried to tug her hand free, but Mario wouldn’t let go. He stared intently in her eyes so long it made her squirm. Was the guy her father?
Finally, he released her hand and held his out to Michael. “Mr. Reilly, it’s a pleasure to meet any friend of Daniella’s. How long will you be staying with us?”
“That depends, but probably a night or two at the most.” Michael slipped his hand around her shoulder, pulling her close.
Mr. Giovanni nodded as he reached inside his suit coat pocket. Panic filled her for a brief second, and she almost expected a gun to appear, but it was just a little card. He handed it to Michael. “Please, use this to eat and drink to your delight during your visit. Your room will be on the house as well.” Then he turned to her. “I would venture your mother doesn’t know you’re here. I’m sure she would have let me know. When you see her next, please say hello for me, won’t you?”
The way he frowned slightly as he studied her face again made her feel like a bug squashed onto a microscope slide.
Finally, his features morphed into a friendly grin. “You are as beautiful as your mother, Daniella. I’m glad to have finally met you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Giovanni. And thank you for your generosity. We appreciate it. I’ll be sure to give your regards to my mother.” How she would do that without her mother knowing she was in Vegas was going to be a trick, though.
He smiled politely, then quickly turned and walked away, leaving Dani with the oddest sensation in her belly. No one ever called her Daniella except for her mother.
Michael waited until Mr. Giovanni was out of earshot before he said, “Are you all right?”
“Yeah. Just a little freaked out, I guess.”
Jerry’s voice screamed into her ear. “Get your butt up here now. The kid’s awake and bawling her brains out for you.”
She sighed and grabbed Michael’s arm. “Em’s awake. We have to go.”
They hurried upstairs to their floor again, and Emma’s wails could be heard down the long hallway. When Michael opened the door, the noise was louder than the slots downstairs.
Dani quickly scooped Emma from the bed, and Jerry ran into the hall to stand guard. She held Emma in her arms, rocking and pacing, but was unable to calm her. Somehow Emma still managed to cry while sticking her fingers in her mouth, chewing on them and slobbering up a storm. Her forehead felt warm, and her cheeks were flushed.
She glanced at Michael for help. “She was acting strange when I put her to bed, too. Do we need a doctor?”
He took Emma from her and, after a minor struggle, convinced her to let him see inside her mouth. “She’s getting her molars. Maybe her mom packed some pain meds.” He dug through her diaper bag and found an almost empty bottle of red liquid. There wasn’t enough left for a full dose. But he dug some more and came up with a teething ring that he handed over. Emma immediately put it into her mouth and bit on it, seeming to find some relief.
Michael said, “I’ll run out and find a drugstore. Be right back.”
“Thanks.” Dani took Emma from Michael and walked her around the room, trying to soothe her. Jerry came back inside after Michael left and flopped into a chair, picked up the remote, and flipped through channels, staring at the television screen, sweating like a crazed drug addict going through withdrawal.
It was obvious he was in dire straits and jonesing for the casino in a bad way.
As much as she didn’t care for his bossy ways, she hated to see anyone suffer, and he clearly was. She worried that as soon as everyone was in bed, Jerry’d slip down to the casino.
As she paced the room, cuddling Em, she pondered what she could do to distract him. She could call Michael on his cell and ask him to pick up some booze to let Jerry drink himself to sleep, but that probably wasn’t the best idea. The alcohol would probably just lower his inhibitions and willpower even more.
What else would distract him? Television obviously wasn’t working.
“Jerry, are you on any of those dating sites? The ones where people who travel can find a dinner date at the last minute by the location on your phone?”
He grunted. “How long have you been off the market? Those are hookup sites, Dani. Dinner is completely optional. But that’s not a bad idea.” Jerry dug his phone from his pocket.
“Really? You mean people just meet up with nearby strangers to have sex and then say, ‘See ya’?”
“Try not to blush, Little Miss Innocent.” Jerry chuckled while he swiped his thumb across the screen.
Her hand flew to her face. Was she blushing? No, he was just teasing her. But yuck.
She leaned over his shoulder. Jerry’s profile showed him clad in leather from head to toe, sporting a big smile. She didn’t even know he knew how to smile.
Em seemed content gnawing on her chew toy like a puppy, so Dani plopped down beside Jerry and settled Emma onto her lap. He was flipping through women so fast it was hard to keep up. “What kind of woman are you looking for?”
“One with big tits. I’m not too picky about the rest.”
“Ah. So pretty eyes or a nice smile are all wasted on a guy like you, huh?”
“Pretty much.” He continued flipping through women at warp speed while she watched.
“Wait.” She pointed to the screen. “That redhead is really pretty. Let’s see what her profile says.”
“Nope. Redheads remind me of my kindergarten teacher. Ruins all the fun.”
“I suppose it would. Wait. Stop. Back up one. I think I recognize her.” The woman who flashed by looked just like the big-boobed cocktail waitress who had flirted with Michael earlier. “If her name is Bunny, I think she’s perfect for you.”
Jerry’s forehead crumpled as he studied her profile information. “You’re right. These other pictures on here show off the assets better. And her name is Bunny. It says she’s located less than a half mile away. How’d you know that?”
“Michael and I ran into her downstairs. She works here.” Odd that someone who met that many men would need to be on a dating site, but maybe they had rules about dating guests at the casino or something. “Why don’t you see what time she gets off work?”
“I will. But it’s always best to have a backup option on these sites.” Jerry tapped in his message and then went right back to swiping.
A minute later his phone chimed. Jerry read the message and sighed. “She said she’d love to meet up, but she has to work until three a.m., if I can wait. Too bad.” He went back on the hunt, swiping the screen.
Bunny did seem just what Jerry was looking for. “Wait. The man who owns this place is a good friend of my mom’s. Maybe we can see if she can take a little break. You probably don’t need more than ten minutes for this kind of dating, right?” Dani sent him a smirk.
“Ten minutes?” Jerry’s hand flew to his chest. “That’s insulting, Dani. I’m a gentleman in the sack who aims to please. I’d need a minimum of twenty minutes. Gotta let them finish one drink first, right?”
“Of course. What was I thinking?” She shook her head and rose to pick up the phone. He was just kidding again. She hoped.
Whenever her mother wanted something done for her while staying in a hotel, she called the concierge. Dani picked up the phone and dialed.
A smooth voice answered. “Hello, my name is Ben. How may I be of assistance this evening?”
The nice man was just dying to help her. “Hi, Ben. I was wondering if Mr. Giovanni is available?”
“I’ve been given orders by Mr. Giovanni himself to see that all of your needs are fulfilled, Ms. Botelli, so I’d be happy to help you.”
“Great. There’s a cocktail waitress who works here named Bunny, and I wondered if you could arrange an extended break for her? Like maybe an hour?” She glanced at Jerry to see if that was enough time for him to be gentlemanly. When he nodded, she said, “Bunny said she’d like to meet my friend. Here in the hotel. Upstairs.”
Ben cleared his throat. “Ms. Botelli, if it’s a paid companion your friend is looking for, I can arrange for that. Is there a particular type of woman your friend prefers?”
Crap. He thought the hookup was for her. “It’s not for me. It’s for the guy in the connecting room.”
“I see.”
No he didn’t. “No really, it’s for the guy next door. They used one of those app things to meet.”
She tilted the phone toward Jerry so Ben could hear and called out, “Jerry, tell Ben what attracted you to Bunny.”
Jerry cocked a brow. “Her pretty smile?”
She rolled her eyes as Ben struggled to stifle his laugh. “Yes, Bunny has a lovely smile, among other things. So we’ll direct her to room twenty-five nineteen instead of yours for her date.”
Thankfully, her reputation as a heterosexual was still intact. She had no trouble with whomever people loved, but she could imagine Ben selling the story of Annalisa’s daughter’s sexual preferences to the tabloids. Worse, if that happened, then her mom would know where she was.
“Could you send up a good bottle of champagne for them, too?” If Bunny was only getting one drink, it should at least be a good one.
Ben agreed to let Bunny have the rest of the night off and then quoted the price of the bottle. Nice champagne didn’t come cheap. But their rooms and all of their meals were going to be free, so she could probably swing it.
“That sounds good. Send her up as soon as you can!”
Michael pulled his pillow over his head but it didn’t block out the sounds of the thumping headboard in the next room. You’d think in a newer hotel it would’ve been a little more secure.
Emma had settled down after the pain killer kicked in but wouldn’t let Dani leave her side, so they were in the other bed, and he was alone.
Dani couldn’t possibly be asleep with the tribal beat filling the air, so he threw his spare pillow at her. “Bright idea, Botelli. Jerry’s getting some, we’re not, and we have to hear all about it.”
“I was just trying to help.” When the banging paused for a moment and then began in a whole new beat, she snickered. “It certainly seems to be distracting him.”
“How long do we have to listen to this?”
“It’s Jerry, so probably not too much longer.” She tucked the pillow he’d thrown at her under her head. “I wonder if Julia’s the type to stay out all night and sleep all day. I’m surprised she wasn’t back when I called a few minutes ago. It’s after one.”
Sighing in frustration, he focused on their conversation rather than the activity in the next room. “Yeah, maybe we should pay Julia a visit very early in the morning.”
“Good idea.” She snuggled into her pillows and closed her eyes.
She was quiet for a few minutes while Jerry’s orgy of two raged on, then she said, “I almost asked earlier if you were on a hookup dating site like Jerry, but you aren’t.”
Intrigued, he rose to his elbow and propped his head on his hand. “What makes you so sure?”
“Because you’d want to talk to a woman first, get to know her before you slept with her. I’m not saying you wouldn’t sleep with her on the first date, but if you did, you’d buy her dinner first, or breakfast if she let you stay over, or make sure she had a ride home. You respect women.”
“You know how my mom wasn’t always treated right by men after my dad died. I swore I would never be that kind of guy.” He shrugged. “But you don’t sleep with many men because of your mom. Every time she would bring around a guy she was dating, you’d plaster on this really big fake grin while you shook his hand. I could always tell how much you loathed them based on how high your right brow rose.”
“Really? I didn’t realize I did that.” Her lips slowly morphed into a sad grin. “It’s weird how well we can read each other, isn’t it? I used to think of you and me like yin and yang. Opposites in so many ways, but we still fit together at the core.”
“Yeah. It’s probably why we get such perverse pleasure in teasing each other. But we both know not to cross the line. Poke at the real scars on our hearts.” It had been the best part about being Dani’s friend. They trusted each other with their every thought and feeling, knowing the other would never break the promise to keep things only between them.
Dani whispered, “It makes it safe—and fun—to spar with you. I never had that deep connection with Jake. It made me sad.”
He nodded. “I kept waiting for that to happen with Heather, too. I realized on our sixth wedding anniversary it never would.” Knowing what he and Dani once had made that night with Heather even harder. It was the night he’d known his marriage was over, but he wanted his girls to have a cohesive family more than he’d wanted to make himself happy.
“What happened?” Dani sat up and propped her pillows against her headboard.
He’d never told anyone about that horrible day. But Dani would understand better than anyone. “I had just signed my second NFL contract, which came with a large bonus. Heather told me she’d like a necklace for our upcoming anniversary that weekend that cost almost half a million dollars. She said being married to a football player who was always gone or at the gym entitled her to it.”
Dani smiled. “And you said no, not because of the money but because it isn’t safe to walk around with that kind of jewelry, right? Even my mom only wears the good stuff to the Oscars.”
“Exactly.” Dani did know him well. “Heather pouted for a few days but then seemed to get over it. She’d told me not to worry about our anniversary plans because she’d taken care of everything, so I bought her some really nice diamond studs and looked forward to whatever surprise she had for us. Turns out she’d decided to throw us a black-tie party at a country club and had invited two hundred people. One of the few times I was able to talk to her that night, she pointed out the other players’ wives and how much their jewelry cost. And that I had embarrassed her by not buying her the necklace, and she hoped I was happy.”
“Ouch.” Dani got out of her bed and joined him in his. She snuggled against his side and wrapped an arm around his waist. “Seems she got caught up in the glitz and glamour of pro sports. I’m sure it’s easy to do.”
“I think it’s the only reason she married me. She’d always wanted that lifestyle. She stopped even pretending to be happy after I was forced to quit playing.”
Dani gave him a quick squeeze. “If she really knew you, she would have arranged for a horseback ride into the woods for just the two of you. And she would have packed a picnic basket with fancy cheeses, healthy little turkey-and-avocado sandwiches with the crust removed, of course, and something chocolate for dessert, like truffles. And a very nice bottle of wine. Am I right so far?”
He ran his fingers up and down the soft skin on her arm. “Sounds perfect. What next?”
“You’d stop in a secluded place, lay a blanket down by a lake or stream, and seductively feed each other grapes. And after a few glasses of wine, you’d make sweet love to her on that soft blanket.”
Dani saw clear into his heart, the same one that had just flipped over in his chest. There was no doubt now that he still loved her. And that they could still trust the other with their deepest secrets. “But if it was your perfect anniversary, the scenario would be a bit different. You’d still love a ride into the woods, but you’d want to make it a race.”
She shrugged. “Of course. That’d make it more fun.”
He laid a quick kiss on the top of her head. “Stop interrupting. You’re ruining the mood.”
“Fine. Go on.”
“You’d pack your picnic basket with the things you said before, but then you’d add snack cakes, fat-filled meatball subs, the fixings for ice-cream sundaes on ice, and you’d make it two bottles of the good wine. The loser of the race, which you’d already know wouldn’t be you, would have to eat the other’s favorite foods. You’d seductively feed each other the cherries from on top of your sundaes, because that would be much more fun than healthy fruit. Then after maybe three or four glasses of wine, you’d be so impatient to have your way with your date you’d rip off his clothes, draw him in the lake, and ravish him. He’d be the happiest guy in the world.”
She laughed. “I especially like that last part with the ravishing and the happy guy.” She lifted her chin up and laid a soft kiss on his lips. “Any chance the happy guy could be you in this scenario?”
“I’d like it to be. I’ve been thinking I might need a little more yin in my life.”
Dani sighed. “And I’ve been working on having more of your yang. God knows if anyone needs more yang, it’s me.”
He wrapped her up and rolled onto his back, settling her on top of him. “I’m happy for you, Dani. Cutting the apron strings is going to be hard, but you can do it. And maybe you’ll even be able to finally find out who your father is, or isn’t, this weekend. You pretend it doesn’t bother you, but I know it does.”
“Yeah.” She scrunched her nose. “Did you notice Mario’s eyes?”
He had. They were the same exotic mix of brown, gold, and green that hers were. If he blocked out the rest, it was like staring into Dani’s. “Yes. But he’s Italian, and so are you. Maybe it’s a common-trait thing?”
She drew a deep breath, then slowly blew it out. “Yeah, that’s probably it.”
Dani didn’t sound any more convinced than he was. He was pretty sure she’d just met her father. Maybe he’d just ask Mr. Giovanni. That way Dani would know for sure, since her mom wouldn’t tell. It wasn’t fair to Dani. She had a right to know who her father was and the opportunity to have a relationship with him, if Mr. Giovanni wanted that, too.
He’d give anything to have his father back, and it was the least he could do for Dani.
Yeah. He’d ask the next time he saw Mario.
When the headboard banging stopped, Dani snuggled closer. “Finally. But you know I’ll be dreaming about ravishing you in that lake all night now. Thanks for the added frustration.”
“My pleasure. I’m glad we can finally go to sleep now so we both can get the dream started.” And then, as if on cue, the banging next door started up again.
“It has to be male enhancement pills.” Dani moaned. “That’s the only explanation. Maybe you can borrow some for tomorrow so we can make up for lost time.”
He tucked her head under his chin and settled in for the night. “After twelve years without you, there will be no pills required. Brace yourself, Ethel.”
Dani’s shoulders shook with laughter as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. “Can’t wait. But for tonight, it’s nice to snuggle.”
As much as he wanted Dani, sleeping beside her and just being with her were infinitely better than what Jerry was doing next door with a stranger. But tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.