Page 63 of Reputation
They continued up Las Vegas Boulevard until they came to a corner.Turning, Jax pointed to a tiny, hole-in-the-wall pizza place between a strip club and a Starbucks—classic Vegas style.
“I know it doesn’t look like much, but I promise the pizza is amazing,” he said nervously.
She turned to him with a huge smile.“It’s perfect.”
Still holding her hand, he led her into the pizzeria, emerging a few minutes later, each with a massive slice on flimsy paper plates.They continued walking while they ate, grease collecting at the corner of their mouths.They talked between bites, the conversation light and easy.
When they approached the Bellagio on their return to the hotel, huge streams of water shot out of the famous fountains, choreographed to the blasting music.Pausing, they stopped at the railing to watch the show while they finished eating.
Eavie leaned her hip against it, half facing him and half looking at the fountains.“I’ve never seen the fountain show before,” she said, watching the water and lights as they danced to the music.Mist floated off the pool to glisten on her bare skin.
“Have you been to Vegas before?”he asked.
She nodded.“Once, for my twenty-fifth birthday.My friend insisted we celebrate big,” she said, smiling at the memory.
He watched her intently as she spoke, absorbing every emotion that flickered across her face.He couldn’t understand why he was so…obsessedwith her when no other woman had ever captivated his attention as she did.It was a stark contrast to how he’d lived his life the last two years.
Since his engagement had ended, Jax had stayed away from women like her.With his heart having been destroyed in the process, when he’d moved to Toronto, he’d decided to focus on his career.Playing for the Royals gave him the opportunity to accomplish the one thing he hadn’t yet in his career—to win a championship.
With his age and lack of a championship becoming more and more of a discussion in the industry, Jax had locked away whatever he’d had of his heart, abandoning any dreams of a wife and family.
“Is this the same friend from the night we met?”he asked.
“Yes, that’s Joyce.She’s been my best friend since university.She’s small, but always the life of the party,” she joked.
“What did you do when you were here for your birthday?Go to any strip clubs?”he teased.
She laughed loudly, her head tilting back.“Yes, actually.I was dragged to a Magic Mike show,” she said, shaking her head.“But we spent more time at the pool and saw a couple of other shows likeTreasure Island.I loveCirque du Soleiland insisted on seeing it while we were here.”She sighed, face bright with happiness.“But we didn’t really do any crazy partying.We never made it to see these fountains, though.They are beautiful,” she finished, gazing at the water again.
He let silence fill the space between them for a moment.“They certainly are,” Jax finally murmured.His voice came out deeper, softer than he’d expected.
He watched a shiver trace across her skin.A blush spread across her cheeks, and Jax found himself again wanting to trace the flush of color with his lips, follow it down her throat and see if it spread anywhere else on her body.
The reaction was something he noticed she did whenever he paid her a compliment.It was as if she wasn’t completely comfortable with her beauty.He liked that about her.She had to know she was stunning, but it made her even more beautiful that she wasn’t someone who flaunted it.
Eavie turned to look at him, and he held her gaze tightly.She studied his face, and he imagined she saw the lights from the fountain reflected in his eyes and, underneath, the fire that burned in his veins from his need for her.
She bit her lip as she traced her eyes lower, down to his chest, then lower.Hunger flared in him, and something of what he felt must have shown on his face as he watched her play with the plump pink flesh of her pillowy mouth.
A moment later, she released her lower lip, clearing her throat.“We should probably get back to the hotel,” she said, glancing around nervously at the people milling about.
He hesitated for a heartbeat, not wanting the night to end.Reluctantly, Jax nodded and gestured for her to lead the way.They dropped the garbage in a nearby trash can before continuing the journey to the hotel.
As he fell into step beside her, she asked, “So, how come you don’t drink much?”
“Mostly because of hockey,” he answered.“I find that I’m sluggish after a night of drinking.Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been known to let loose when we’re on a break—during the summer and all that.But,” he paused, catching her eye before he continued.“I like to be in control.”
Another blush started to span against her cheeks, and she turned away before he could watch it grow.Still, a deep satisfaction spread through his chest at his ability to make it appear so often.
Ignoring his comment, she changed the subject.They continued chatting as they made their way back to the hotel, laughing and taking in the atmosphere of the streets of Sin City.It seemed no corner or street wasn’t crowded with people or lit up with flashing, neon-colored lights.
Entering the lobby of the MGM Grand, just like outside, there were people everywhere, despite the late hour, coming and going from the casino, making their way to the bars or restaurants.Together, they wandered over to the elevators and waited silently for one to arrive.
Again, Jax found he didn’t want the evening to end.The problem was, his practical side knew he needed to say goodnight before he destroyed the small amount of progress he’d made with her.
When the gilded elevator arrived, they stepped on, along with a large group of other guests.The elevator was so full that Eavie ended up standing in front of him, her body perfectly flush with his.
Holy fuck, she felt like heaven.
