The lounge for the suites’ tower at the Wynn where AJ and I waited was off the charts, and the suite AJ’s dad hooked us up with was out of this world luxurious. Everything gold, crystal chandeliers, and white polished marble. It had an outer living room with these huge pillars, a fantastic view through large glass windows, two bedrooms and most importantly, a fully stocked bar for our drinking pleasure.

I stand corrected. The best part of our suite was a whirlpool tub planted right in front of one of those huge windows with an amazing view of the Las Vegas Strip. I could only imagine how it’d feel when I enjoyed it with Allie, bodies slick with water, overlooking the colored lights of the strip.

And fucking her hard.

We’d dropped our bags in the room and hit the strip in search of cool slushy drinks and to keep AJ happy. We found a street-side stand that specialized in the icy concoctions. It was easy to find a place that served them the way he wanted, in a large plastic cowboy boot. Behind the bar the drink choices swirled, blue, red and yellow, lemonade flavor, as the icy drinks were constantly stirred behind a circle of Plexiglas. I was tempted to purchase my drink in a tall plastic container in the shape of a woman’s fish-net covered leg and black high heel. But not wanting to look like a loser in front of Allie, I went with a simple blue plastic insulated cup with the Vegas logo.

We grabbed some fiery hot nachos for lunch on the rooftop patio at Diablos on the strip, then walked up and down both sides, stopping to refill our drinks along the way.

By evening we’d ditched our t-shirts and driving clothes in favor of button down collar shirts while we waited in the Tower lounge for Allie to get cleaned up before we went out for more Vegas fun. We’d left Allie upstairs showering so she could get ready without two hairy guys in the way staring at her. Although the suite was large, I wanted her to feel comfortable.

The Suites’ Tower at the Wynn had its own lounge, just as luxurious as the rest of the place so we went down there to wait.

We sat on plush, white leather couches opposite a black granite bar with flecks that sparkled like stars when the light from the crystal chandeliers glanced off its surface. The small bar boasted a sleek, modern design as did the chrome and white leather high-back bar stools. We chose to sit at the couches, though, where a young waitress, dressed in a revealing uniform waited on us with a big smile...and nice tits. Her outfit was skimpy, yet elegant to match the rest of the decor in this place. I certainly wasn’t complaining.

She bent and placed a cocktail napkin in front of us before her slender fingers lowered two martinis to the table. It was obvious from the goofy grin on AJ’s face, he appreciated the complimentary view of her cleavage. But, hey, this was Vegas. Everything here was over the top glitter and sex. I’d learned that from my previous trips. Vegas was the place to go overboard and do something outrageous.

Except for me.

This time I had to rein it in and stay in shape for football. Saul had already texted five times since I told him we arrived safely—minus the news about the speeding ticket mishap—to remind me to stay out of trouble. He’d warned me before the trip, if I fucked up he’d have my head on a plate, and he already had the plate.

“Is there anything else I can get you two gentlemen?” the waitress asked, placing a small white ceramic bowl on the table filled with nuts and snacks.

“No thank you,” AJ said, still dreamy eyed. “I’m running a tab, sweetheart. Just charge it to the room.”

She floated away with a smile.

“Charge it to the room,” I repeated. “I like the ring of that.”

“Yeah, considering my dad’s gonna pay.”

We both laughed and raised our martinis for a salute to Mr. Thorpe and Vegas.

“Viva Las Vegas,” AJ said. He seemed to be in a better mood now that we’d finally made it to the hotel and he had a slushy drink in a damn cowboy boot.

“Tell your dad thanks for all this, the room and the drinks and everything. I can pay him back when I get my first check for signing an NFL contract.”

“Don’t sweat the load. My dad doesn’t care about the money. He just wants us to have a good time. He’s excited to be able to say he’s about to know a professional football star. He says, you just have to sign with his favorite team though, the Texas Mavericks.”

I laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.” I knew I’d have no choice at Draft picks. It didn’t work like that. I was the one who had to endure the scouts’ scrutiny when they looked me over at the Scouting Combine like they were choosing a well-marbled fillet. I was at their mercy, but I’d be happy to go with whichever team wanted me.

AJ’s phone pinged and he grabbed it from where he’d set it next to his martini. “Hey, I got a text from Kevin.” He talked to me as he read the text, giving me a play by play. “How about that. He’s here in Vegas with Eryk.” He looked up before continuing. “You know Kev. Met him in Econ class.” His head went down again. “They want us to party with them tonight.”

“Damn, what’re they doing here? Come to Vegas to beat their meat to a little stripper porn action?”

“Bro, honestly?” He shot me a “grow the fuck up” look. “Says, they're in Vegas because Kevin’s dad is having some big event. They want us to go with them to a club and party. It's an exclusive club and Kevin’s dad's company is having some big function for his senior VP and some other top officers at the company. He says we can go for free, drink all night. They reserved five tables with bottle service and a free bar. Tons of hot chicks. Anything we want.” He nodded, still looking down at his phone. “Yeah, baby. We should go. Think about it. We could be adored by flocks of loose women.”

“Let’s face it, bro, you’d have to pay for those women.”

He flipped me the friendly middle finger and went back to his phone.

“Sounds great, but you can go. I'm going to hang with Allie. I sort of want to take her on a date, but I'll need to dig into some savings for that.”

“Just bring her with. I’m sure there’ll be some free food and drinks.”

“Oh yeah, like that’s a real nice date. Hobo scavenging a company party. Are you still high from Phoebe’s weed? I’m just a little short on cash, that’s all, not homeless. No, you, Kev and Eryk can all go and scout out some of that Hello Kitty. I'd rather be alone with Allie, if you know what I mean.”

“Hmph, I thought you were all about hot chicks in Vegas on their spring break, man. What happened to that?”

“I don’t know, man. This is freaking me out. Every time I see Allie a little bubble of excitement builds in my chest.”

AJ gave a low whistle. “Dang, you got it bad, man.”

“My pulse jumps, my stomach clenches. I don’t know...she has this kind of effect on me. I can’t explain why I like it, I can’t explain why I hate it. No, actually I know why I hate it. This isn’t the time for a relationship. That’s why I hate it.”

“I see the way you look at her.” AJ popped a handful of the nuts and snacks into his mouth. “So you really want to give this Allie a shot? Is that what you really want now, with the Draft picks right around the corner? And Saul told you to stay out of trouble...he’s not gonna like this.”

“You say that all the time. Saul’s not gonna like it. Well, Saul’s my agent, not my father.” I stared at my drink for a moment. “But it’s weird. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something really special about her. I want to find out what it is. I don't want to spend the rest of my life wondering what could’ve happened. What if…”

“I know what you want to put your finger on…” He snickered.

“Grow up already, will ya? Douchebag.”

“Well, if she's that special, you have my permission.”

I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and said, “Fuck you.”

He was still chuckling, then calmed and said, “I know this was supposed to be our guy trip, our last hoorah. But I can see you want this. Take her to a nice place for dinner tonight.”

I smiled knowing AJ had my back. He was a good friend and just wanted to watch out for my interests, knowing how set I was on getting into the pros.

“Hey,” he said. “Take her to the Strip House. It’s awesome. My dad took me…”

“I’m not taking Allie to a strip club, dufus.”

AJ scowled at me. “It’s a steakhouse at Planet Hollywood. The Strip House, duh, as in New York strip steaks.” He gave me that look like I was an idiot, which sometimes I was, but I’d never heard of the place.

“The steaks are like ninety dollars, but they're awesome.”

I rubbed the back of my neck and reached for the snacks. “I wish. I don't have that kind of money for a meal. That’d be ninety dollars, times two, plus drinks...I'm in college on a scholarship, remember?”

AJ moved to the edge of the white leather cushion and pulled out his wallet. “Here,” he held out a couple hundred dollar bills. “Now you have the money. Here’s two hundred for dinner and…” He thumbed through the other bills, pulling another out. “And a little extra for drinks. I fucked up driving too fast. Your girl saved us. The least I can do is pay for your meal.”

As nice as it sounded, I couldn’t take any more money from AJ. He was already footing most of the bill for this trip. “Fuck you. Put your money away.”

I waved a hand in the air as if brushing his offer aside. “I’m not your fucking charity case. Go find some stray dog to adopt.”

He snorted a laugh and put the money back in his wallet. He knew I wasn’t angry, just giving him a hard time like we always did. He saw the writing on the wall, though. He knew our days of knocking around together were coming to an end. Not just because of my career goals, but also because of Allie.

“I may not have as much money as you and sure I could take you up on your offer, your loan, because that’s all it’d be, a loan until I get those big NFL football bucks. I could take her for a hundred dollar steak dinner, but instead, I'm going to treat her to the finest twenty dollar steak money can buy, and she's going to love it because she's with me. Allie’s not the kind of girl to judge me for my money or the level of steak I buy. But thanks for the offer.”

I held my martini high and downed the rest in one swallow. AJ did the same then said, “All right man. That's fair. Let's hug it out, bro.”

He moved forward on his couch reaching for me with outstretched arms.

“You’re such a douche.” I mumbled and we did the guy-hug thing and clapped each other on the back. I wasn’t about to tell AJ this, but his comments about a nice place as opposed to my stupid twenty-dollar steak idea made more sense. So with a new game plan, I decided to go for a the nicer place, use my credit card and hopefully pay it off when I got some of the money I’d be making in the NFL. It was only about a couple months away. The Draft picks would be announced around the end of April, and soon I’d be making it big in the NFL.

Just as we broke and slid back on the plush leather cushions, Allie walked up, wearing a short, black dress, like the ones I’d seen girls wear in Vegas to go clubbing.

“Hi guys. I’m ready.”

We both looked up at the same time, jaws dropping to the floor in unison.

She looked spanking hot! And by that I mean, I wanted to tie her up, spank her and then fuck the shit out of her.

I popped up off the couch.

Where the hell’d she get that dress? I thought she didn't have any clothes except the ones on her back. My eyes wandered over every curve, accentuated by the thin fabric.

Oh mamma!

It was pretty tight and skimpy in all the right places, but I couldn’t imagine she’d had that wadded up in her backpack thingy.

Finally, I found my voice. “Uh...wow! You look really great!”

Well, that sounded pretty intelligent. Like I hadn't an ounce of wit in me for all the classes I’d taken in the last three years. Where were those damn SAT vocabulary words when I needed them? I’d killed myself studying words like, aggrandized, loquacious, sagacity. All worthless now. Still didn’t remember what the hell that last one meant.

AJ just repeated what I said, “Yeah, wow, Allie. You look…” He paused and glanced at me with my mouth still hanging open like a caveman and smiled. “You look vivacious, my dear. Absolutely stunning.”

Then he gave me a look like, “There, fool. That’s how it’s done.”

I stepped up to greet her, still trying to recover from my surprise. “Yes. Allie, you look stunning.” Her hair was perfect, her eyes were dark, lined in a shimmering iridescent blue color that made the sparkle in them pop even more than they did naturally. Part of her hair was piled on top of her head with the bottom section down, spilling over her shoulders. She looked magnificent, and I was glad I’d refused AJ’s offer to go to Kevin’s party. I wanted this beautiful creature all to myself tonight. Didn't want to share her with anyone else, didn’t want any other guy eyeing what was mine.

I leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She smelled heavenly too. I wanted to whisper in her ear, “You’re making me hard already, baby.” But that wouldn’t be the gallant thing to do. I’d already gone all caveman on her back at the bar in Flagstaff. Tonight, I needed to seduce the lady, properly.

“Where’d you get that dress? I thought you didn't have anything but the clothes you were wearing. Don’t get me wrong, it looks...banging.” I widened my eyes, and wondered if I needed to wipe the drool from my chin. “It’s just...”

She laughed, obviously, noticing my gaping. “Who needs money when you have one of these?” She flashed a gold credit card she’d pulled from a dainty silver evening bag and waved it in the air. Now that I recognized as a purse. But once again, where’d she get that purse? At a dress shop at the hotel, I assumed, along with the dress. But the credit card?

“You have a credit card? I thought you didn't have any money?” The words leapt out of me before I could even think about them. If she had that credit card all along, why didn’t she just buy a plane ticket to get out of town? Why jump in our car?

“No. But my asshole ex-boyfriend does.” She waved the card in the air like a magic wand then dropped it into the tiny purse.

Oh, fuck me.

She stole his credit card? She took plastic money from a savage freak who was part of an organization—loosely called a motorcycle club—which was based on violence, revenge, and appropriately named the Black Vandals? Even their name brought malicious criminal activities to mind.

I shook my head, suddenly realizing my remark must’ve sounded insulting. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply…” I hadn’t meant to suggest she was poor, or anything, however she didn’t seem to take offense. Still I felt like a heel. “Here, have a seat. I’ll order you a drink.” I motioned to the couch and the two empty martini glasses on the coffee table. “We’re ready for round two, anyway.”

AJ stood when Allie arrived then sat back down. “I’ll wave down the waitress,” he said. “I wouldn't mind seeing her, er, well, her smiling face again.”

He laughed and we all took a seat on the leather couch, Allie next to me and AJ at the small matching white leather chair.

“Your ex has a credit card?” I asked. Guns, yeah, I could see that, but good credit with a FICO score worthy of an American Express? Just didn't seem to go with his image.

“You think those Harleys are cheap?” she said. “Jade and the Vandals have more money than you think. They have RVs, boats, quads, dirt bikes. That stuff’s not cheap either. It takes a lot of cashola for the big boy toys.”

I lifted my chin in a half-nod and with a weak smile. As long as numbnuts didn’t have a GPS to find us, he could have all the toys he wanted. The one thing he couldn't have, wouldn't have, as long as I was involved, was Allie, and I sure as hell would see things stayed that way. I was convinced the text Allie received from Biker Beast was just a threat. There was no way he could possibly know where she was right now.

Allie relaxed back into the cushions, crossing one long sexy leg over the other. The hem of her black dress crept up her thigh and I had to bite my lip to keep control. My eyes trailed up to hers and caught her gaze. I wanted to get lost in those eyes. Tell AJ to beat it and have her all to myself this minute.

AJ was preoccupied, tapping a text messages on his phone. I moved to the edge of the seat and turned, positioning myself so I could look at her more directly, one hand propped on the back of the couch.

A small smile curved her beautifully formed lips and they parted slightly. I wanted to kiss her right now, lean in and steal a delicious taste. But before I could do anything but stare at her, she spoke, her voice soft and delicate. “I, um, I want to thank you again, Cam.” She glanced around the room at its chandeliers and golden opulence. “This place is great. I love it. No one has treated me so good, with this much respect...well, for a long time.”

I placed my palm over the back of the delicate hand in her lap and felt the surge of energy I’d been anticipating. I always felt it. It was still there.

Her hand was soft and warm as I closed my fingers around it.

“Allie, I want to tell you something. You can count on me. I don’t want you to worry about anything. Jade, or what you’re going to do, how to get back to Flagstaff, none of it. I'm here to protect you, keep you safe. I promise. I’m good at thinking on my feet, making plans, calling plays. I do it all the time in football and under immense pressure when I’m on the field. Huge linebackers come at me with a look-to-kill in their eyes, every one of them intent on taking me down when I have the ball. So this...this is a piece of cake.”

I lifted her hand to my lips and pressed them to her fingertips, a flash of emotion flaring in her eyes. As I kissed, I felt a shiver pass through her and I lingered, eyes locked on hers. Still holding her gaze, I brushed my lips from her fingertips to her palm and pressed again for another soft kiss.

Her smile faded and for a moment there was hot desire in her eyes, the same as I was feeling.

I’m not sure how long I sat there, drawn into the spell her presence cast over me, but it wasn't until the waitress interrupted that I realized there were even other people in the room.

“Can I get you another drink?” The waitress chirped.

Reluctantly, I dropped Allie’s hand, placing it back in her lap. I turned slowly as the waitress’s voice snapped me back to reality.

“And for the lady? Would you like a drink?” she asked.

I turned to Allie, palm out, the seductive mood now broken. “What would you like? A Lemon Drop martini? Cosmopolitan?”

Allie looked up at the waitress and said, “Do you have something with chocolate?”

“Yes, we have a chocolate martini made with Godiva chocolate liqueur. It’s one of my favorites.”

“I’ll have one of those.”

She turned to AJ who was just now looking up from texting. “And for you, sir? Would like another one?”

“Oh, no thank you. I’m finished. I’ll be leaving.”

She flashed him a smile, probably aware that he’d been talking to her tits the entire time and walked off.

He leaned over to me and in a lowered voice said, “I’m gonna leave her a big tip.” And waggled his brows. He straightened and continued, “It’s all settled with Kev and Eryk. The party at the club is on. Allie, you want to go? It’s gonna be living large, Vegas style.”

I shot him a dirty look and spoke before she could answer. “No! I mean, no thanks, man. I’m taking Allie out to dinner, remember?” I emphasized the last word hoping he'd get my drift. I hadn’t had time before Allie met us in the lounge to be specific, tell him to get lost most of the night so I could take Allie back to my bed after we were all partied out. Of course, I wanted to show her a good time, but I also wanted to get between those long legs and fuck the shit out of her.

The heat between us had been driving me crazy since that first night at the bar. Now I was practically a boiling volcano, ready to explode all over her. I couldn’t wait to get her in bed and pull those long legs around me, drive into her and make her scream my name.

I touched my fingers to my brow, expecting to feel beads of sweat, then turned to confirm with Allie.

Her eyebrows shot up.

“Is that okay? Would you like to go for a nice dinner, drinks and whatever afterward?”

“Sure, that sounds great.”

I smiled, trying not to rub my hands together in satisfaction.

“Alright, but your loss,” AJ said and stood. “I’m heading out to par-tay. You two stay here and hold down the fort. No wait, you two go out and light up the town. Yeah, that’s it. And don’t do anything illegal.”

“Yeah, right,” I shot back. “And don’t you get sidetracked on the way to the club, shopping for more old, white-man golfer clothes. I saw a shop near the hotel entrance next to Starbucks. The manikins in the window looked just like you.”

Allie giggled and AJ gave me the “fuck you” face and walked off shaking his head.

I turned to Allie hoping “dinner and whatever” translated to her as what I intended it to mean.

Hot, steamy sex, all night long.