CHAPTER SEVEN
It was well after midnight when Luke finally made his way back up to the suite, mentally exhausted from work yet still feeling the sharp emotional sting from his earlier conversation with Rachel. She hadn’t known about the restraining order, but neither had she made any attempt to get in touch with him after moving to New York all those years ago. She’d just assumed the worst, without knowing all the facts. Without trusting in him and what they could have had together.
He told himself that it was all in the past, and while they could rehash what was right or wrong, they couldn’t change what had happened between them or how their lives had changed as a result of the choices made. Besides, she hadn’t come to Las Vegas to ask him for another chance. She’d arrived with a new set of annulment papers for him to sign that would dissolve any chance at a new relationship or a fresh beginning for the two of them.
Sighing tiredly, he made his way to the master bedroom, knowing he’d give Rachel exactly what she’d come to Las Vegas for, just as she’d given him what he’d wanted … a weekend fling that hadn’t even come close to getting her out of his mind or heart. But a bargain was a bargain, and that problem was his to deal with once she was gone. He’d survived the first time she’d left him, and he knew he’d manage without her again, even though the pain of losing her twice was likely to devastate him all over again.
Quietly, he entered the bedroom and found Rachel sleeping soundly beneath the covers. She looked achingly beautiful, and his chest tightened with longing because he couldn’t help but think that this was where she belonged. In his bed and in his life.
As he began stripping off his clothes, she stirred, then gradually woke up. She sat up in bed, pushed her disheveled hair away from her eyes, and smiled drowsily at him.
“Sorry,” he murmured as he toed off his shoes. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“I’m glad you did,” she replied huskily and released the covers she’d been holding against her chest. The sheet dropped to her waist, revealing the fact that she was completely naked beneath. “I fell asleep trying to wait up for you.”
Her invitation was unmistakable, and he wasn’t about to refuse something he wanted so badly, one more time. His need for her was so strong and overwhelming, and he didn’t hesitate to take what she was so freely offering him.
Finished removing his clothes, he crawled his way up to Rachel from the foot of the bed. He shoved away the last of the covers, flattened his hand on her chest, and gently pushed her back onto the mattress. For a moment, he just stared down at her, taking in the long, curly strands of hair flowing over the pillow beneath her head, the soft desire in her eyes, and the way her lips parted in anticipation.
Emotion welled inside him, along with a primitive hunger to claim and possess her. To take his time and make her irrevocably his, in every way possible, so that when she returned to New York, she’d remember their time together and think about what could have been.
Moving downward, he splayed his hands on her knees and pushed her legs wider apart to accommodate the width of his shoulders as he settled in between. He trailed hot, damp, lingering kisses along the smooth skin of her inner thigh. She sighed blissfully, then gasped when he raked his teeth over that same spot. Finally, he reached her sex, and he kissed her there, too—long and slow and deep. His tongue dipped and swirled over and around her clit as he slid one finger, then two, inside her, heightening her pleasure but keeping what she ultimately wanted just out of reach.
She moaned, shuddered, and twisted her fingers in his hair as her hips moved beneath the onslaught of his mouth. With the relentless stroke of his tongue and the slick glide of his thumb over her delicate inner lips, he urged her higher, until she was sobbing and pleading with the need for release. In his own sweet time, when the teasing became too much for her to bear, he finally drove her over the edge and gave her the orgasm she craved.
While she recovered from such an explosive climax, he slowly, leisurely, worked his way back up the length of her body. He worshiped her with his hands and mouth, putting to memory every single thing about her that he could. Her lush, womanly curves and the baby-soft feel of her flesh. Especially along her stomach, he thought, as he skimmed his lips over her belly and toward her trembling breasts. Then there was the delicious floral scent that clung to every inch of her skin and how her sensitive nipples puckered beneath the lazy lick of his tongue.
But it was the undisguised adoration he witnessed in her green-gold eyes that unraveled him the most, as he oh-so-slowly sank into her—a long, deep stroke that had her arching up to meet the thrust of his hips. It was the same exact way she used to look at him, and even now, eight years later, it still managed to make him feel as though he meant everything to her.
She reached up and brushed away the strands of hair that had fallen across his forehead, then framed his face in her hands. Their eyes met and held, and she whispered his name like a soft, reverent prayer before bringing his mouth down to hers for a deep, soulful kiss.
He moved inside her, in no great rush to reach completion. Tonight was all about making love to Rachel, and he let the pleasure between them build on a warm, lazy wave of satisfaction. When the end neared, she wrapped her legs around his hips, locked her ankles at the small of his back, and pulled him closer, tighter, against her.
He felt her climax first, her inner muscles clenching and squeezing his shaft as soft moans vibrated in the back of her throat. Only then did he give himself over to his own mindless release.
In the morning, before Rachel woke up, he slipped from the bed, took a shower in the other bathroom, then dressed for the day. He made a quick call to housekeeping with a request, and within five minutes, a single, long-stemmed red rose was delivered to his suite—a reminder of sweeter, simpler times with Rachel. And he knew that she’d remember, too.
With one last look at the woman sleeping peacefully in his bed, he left the suite and headed down to the security offices to immerse himself in work, which had been his solace for the past eight years and would no doubt be for the rest of his life.
There was no need for an awkward farewell scene between them. The signed annulment papers and single red rose he’d left for her on the dining room table said good-bye more eloquently than he ever could.
As soon as Rachel opened her eyes Sunday morning and realized she was alone, a cold, hard knot of dread settled in her stomach. Deep in her gut, she knew that Luke was gone, and she’d hoped after how incredible and emotional last night had been that there was a possibility things could be different between them this time around. That maybe they might even have a chance at a future together.
But if his absence from the suite wasn’t enough to convince her that this was the end, then the note and the long-stemmed red rose he’d left for her on the dining room table clinched the deal. She touched the soft petals, recalling the single crimson rose he’d bought for her on the day they’d gotten married. It had been an indulgence he’d been barely able to afford at the time, which had made the flower one of the sweetest gifts she’d ever received.
Tightening the sash on her robe, she reached for the piece of stationery, her hand already trembling. With a sinking sense of trepidation, she read the words he’d written to her:
Rachel,
Thank you for a great weekend. I’ve signed the annulment papers, and I’ve arranged for a car to pick you up to take you to the airport. Take care of yourself in New York.
Sincerely, Luke
Devastated by the impersonal note, she let the piece of paper slip from her fingers and flutter back to the table. Pain sliced through her, and she wrapped her arms around her middle to keep herself from falling apart right then and there.
As much as she hurt deep inside, she couldn’t be angry with Luke. He’d given her exactly what she’d come to Las Vegas for—and a whole lot more, she thought, remembering every nuance of their sensual weekend together. But she’d never imagined that she’d fall in love all over again with the man she’d married. But she had, and this time she knew there would be no getting over Luke Kincaid.
She touched the tips of her fingers to the new set of annulment papers he’d signed, and realized she had two choices. She could be on the plane back to New York this afternoon, with every intention of filing the annulment papers, ending any chance at a relationship with Luke. Or she could do what she should have done eight years ago and fight for what she wanted.
Her mother had left her with the incredible gift of a second chance with Luke for a reason, and this time, Rachel didn’t want to leave Las Vegas with any regrets or what-ifs haunting her for the rest of her life. She didn’t want to return to New York expecting Luke to contact her, either. She’d made that mistake once, and she refused to do it again. She was no longer a scared young girl influenced by a controlling father who dictated her life and future. She was a grown woman who deserved to be happy, to take what should have been rightfully hers eight years ago.
And this time, she planned to do exactly that.
From the security cameras in his office, Luke watched Rachel cross the hotel lobby and knew that this was it. He’d already double-checked to make sure her car had arrived to take her to the airport, and in a few hours, she’d be on her way back to New York. No matter how much he’d expected this outcome, the realization that he’d never see her again hit him like a solid punch to the stomach.
He exhaled a harsh stream of breath that did nothing to ease the tension within him, though he continued to keep his cameras trained on Rachel as she made her way up to the hotel’s front desk. That struck him as odd, considering she didn’t need to check out of a room since she’d stayed in his suite for the weekend.
She spoke to the clerk for a few minutes, and since Luke didn’t have the ability to tap into conversations outside of the casino area, he couldn’t begin to guess at their discussion. Finally, the young man on the other side of the counter nodded, then picked up the hotel phone and dialed a number.
Luke jerked in his seat when the phone on his desk rang, startling him with the coincidence. Or was it?
Frowning, he picked up the receiver. “Security offices,” he answered hesitantly. “Kincaid here.”
“Mr. Kincaid,” the hotel clerk replied professionally. “There’s a woman at the front desk by the name of Rachel Hudson who would like to speak to you. She asked that you meet her in the lobby.”
Luke couldn’t believe it. He’d wanted to avoid a farewell conversation with her and had deliberately left the suite early this morning for that very reason. He thought about making up an excuse that he had an appointment or wasn’t available, but he found that he just couldn’t bring himself to do that to Rachel.
He shook his head and sighed in resignation. “I’ll be right there.”
Minutes later, he was strolling through the lobby toward Rachel, who was biting her lower lip as she watched him approach. She was wearing a pastel pink summer dress with sandals, and she’d left her hair down in soft, loose curls. Her eyes were wide and filled with a vulnerable expectation that he didn’t quite understand.
When he was finally standing in front of her, he shoved his hands into the front pockets of his trousers because the temptation to reach out and touch her, pull her into his arms, and kiss her, was almost too great to resist.
“Hey there,” he said and knew he sounded as awkward as he felt.
She tipped her head, and a tremulous smile lifted her lips. “You were going to just let me leave without saying good-bye?”
He couldn’t miss the hurt lacing her voice, and an unexpected dose of guilt wrangled with his conscience. “It seemed easier that way.” Put into words, his excuse sounded lame even to his own ears.
She shifted anxiously on her feet. “Well, there’s some things I really need to say to you, so can we talk in the car?”
His jaw clenched, along with the fists he’d tucked into his pockets. He couldn’t believe she honestly expected him to join her on the drive to the airport, when that was the sort of thing he’d been trying to avoid. But he knew he’d look like a certified jerk if he said no, so he sucked up his reluctance and gave her what she wanted.
“Sure,” he said, and with his hand on the small of her back, he led her toward the private car waiting curbside for them.
Once they were enclosed in the backseat of the town car and their driver had pulled out onto Las Vegas Boulevard, Luke glanced at the woman beside him, anxious to get this conversation over with.
“What’s on your mind, Rachel?” he prompted.
She drew a deep breath and met his gaze. “When I arrived in Vegas a few days ago, all I expected was your signature on the annulment papers.”
“Which I gave you,” he said gruffly.
“Yes, you did.” Her hands twisted nervously in her lap, and she swallowed hard. “But I never expected to spend the weekend with you, and I never, ever would have anticipated that I’d fall in love with you all over again. If I even stopped at all.”
He held his breath, stunned by her admission, unable to utter a response.
But his lack of a reply didn’t stop her from continuing with what she had to say. “My mother believed in us being together, to the point that she was willing to risk my father’s anger when he found out what she had done with the annulment papers, had they lived that long. And that’s what I should have done from the moment I married you. I should have believed in us, in you, and our marriage.”
Hope tightened his chest. “Rachel…”
She quickly pressed her fingers over his lips, keeping him from saying anything more. “Don’t say anything, Luke. Not just yet.” The look in her eyes darkened with a desperate kind of emotion. “Last night when we made love, I felt something between us, and it was more than just lust. What we shared was intimate and tender, with the potential of being something more than just a weekend affair.”
Slowly, she let her fingers fall away from his mouth, but her eyes were damp and glistening as they searched his. “I know I might be asking for more than you’re willing to give, but do you think that maybe you could give us a second chance and see where it might lead?”
“Yes,” he said without hesitating.
Her eyes widened in surprise that he’d agreed so easily. “Yes?”
“Yes,” he said and grinned because she looked so damn adorable. But there was one issue they still had to discuss. “What about your life in New York?”
“It was nothing more than an existence, Luke,” she told him and placed her palm on his cheek. “Now that my brother and sister are on their own and the house is sold, there is nothing left for me there. Everything I want, everything I could ever need, is right here with you.”
She smiled at him, the emotion in her gaze so sweet and pure as she gave him what he desired most. Her heart. “I love you, Luke Kincaid.”
“I love you, too, Rachel,” he said, holding nothing back because there was no longer any reason to. “I always have, and after this weekend with you, I know I always will.”
“Oh, my God,” she breathed in awe, then threw herself into his arms, hugging him as tightly as she could. “I am the luckiest woman in the whole entire world!”
He laughed, then kissed her, slow and hot and deep. He felt the car roll to a stop and growled as he lifted his mouth from Rachel’s, intending to tell the driver to take them back to his house, which was where Rachel belonged. Except they weren’t at the airport terminal as he’d expected, but parked in front of the same chapel they’d gotten hitched at eight years ago.
He glanced curiously at Rachel.
“I was hoping you still loved me, too.” She grinned impishly, her expression soft with adoration and a wealth of devotion. “Luke Kincaid, will you marry me? Again?”
He felt his own smile spread from ear to ear. “Oh, yeah,” he said, already opening the door to the car, anxious to get this woman to the altar to start their future together.
Because this time, she’d be his forever.