Page 350 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
But when Bailey saw me there, curled up against her, she smiled and snuggled against me. “Good morning,” she murmured.
I kissed her forehead. “Good morning,” I said in response, unable to help the way my arms tightened around her. “You hungry?”
“Starving,” Bailey said. But she curled closer to me. “I don’t want to get out of bed, though.”
“We don’t have to,” I said, grinning at her. I rolled slightly away so that I could grab the binder off the bedside table. “Ian mentioned something about room service?”
Bailey groaned in appreciation, pushing herself up against the pillows. “That sounds perfect,” she said, peering over my shoulder at the menu. I picked up the phone to put in our order and then put the binder back on the nightstand. Then, I rolled on top of Bailey and made out with her as we waited for the food to arrive. She had just slipped her hand down below the sheets when there was a knock on the door. I pulled away with a muffled groan, but I couldn’t help grinning when I saw the decadent spread that was wheeled in for us.
“So what do you want to do today?” Bailey asked as we dug in to our feast.
I shrugged as I chewed a mouthful of pancakes. “I don’t know, what do I want to do today?” I asked her. “I’ve never been to Vegas before. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
“Hmm,” Bailey said, looking thoughtful. “How long do I have to show you everything?”
“Just today and tomorrow morning,” I admitted, already feeling regretful. I knew that I needed to get back to Utah, to the resort and to Ethan. But I already hated the thought of leaving Bailey again. Even if we got a chance to talk while I was here, and took some of the uncertainty out of our relationship.
Or maybe, especially if we got the chance to talk while I was here. Knowing that we were in a relationship, that we both felt the same way about one another and were just waiting for her return to Utah? That was going to make leaving all the more difficult. If we could close that chapter now, it would be easier.
But that was the cowardly thing to do. And I had never wanted to be a closed-off hermit, hiding my feelings from someone because I thought that they might not reciprocate.
Besides, from Bailey’s reaction at seeing me here in Vegas, I had to assume that she liked me as much as I liked her. Maybe even loved me as well.
Bailey sighed and leaned into me for a moment. “I wish you could stay longer,” she said. “I know you have things that you need to get back to. Like the resort. Thank you again for taking things over for me while I’m gone.” She paused, nudging her eggs around on her plate. “But I wish that you could be here. Or that I could be back there.” She wrinkled her nose. “Really, I just wish that I could be back there.”
“Soon,” I promised her, even though I knew it wasn’t up to me. I was relieved to see the way that she smiled at me, though. She really was planning on coming back to Utah, then. A weight lifted from my heart.
“Anyway, we have a lot to do if you only have a couple days here,” Bailey continued. She glanced over at the clock and giggled a little. “Especially since we’ve already wasted nearly half the day!”
“It’s only ten,” I pointed out, shrugging. “We have plenty of time.”
Bailey looked back at me, eyes twinkling. “Yeah, but I need a shower. And I assume you want one as well. And we might as well shower together. So there goes quite a bit of time already.”
I smirked at her. “Fair enough,” I said, liking how natural things felt between us. We were on the same page. And it was great. I wasn’t even sure that Beth and I had ever clicked this perfectly.
“So what is there to see in Vegas other than casinos, anyway?” I asked Bailey as we continued to eat.
“Oh, we’ll start with the casinos and see what else we have time for,” Bailey said.
“I don’t know, I’m not much of a gambling man,” I protested. I knew that while I was in Vegas, I probably had to see at least some of the spectacle of the place. But to be honest, the longer I sat here next to Bailey, the more I wanted to just keep her there in bed with me for the entire weekend. I didn’t want slot machines and stupid card games to get in the way of that.
Bailey laughed as though she had expected me to say that. “Don’t worry,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “I think I can figure out a way to make gambling fun for you.”
Sure enough, as we walked into the casino later, her dressed in a cute green dress she had changed into when we stopped by her place as she led me towards the blackjack table, I had to admit that I was more interested in this than I ever would have imagined. There was something sexy about watching Bailey, so confident and comfortable here as she greeted the dealer. And that grin that she flashed over at me?
I suddenly wondered just what I had gotten myself into.
CHAPTER 56
BAILEY
No matter how much help I and the dealer tried to give to Adam, he still was pretty terrible at blackjack. But he was game enough to keep playing. And from the heated looks that he kept shooting me, I could tell that part of it was because I was the one sitting there near him, my legs artfully arranged to show off their length.
There was no mistaking the fact that he’d rather take me back upstairs and strip me down. And the thrill of this, teasing him like this, having that kind of power over him? Well, it turned me on as well. But I didn’t want to end the tease just yet.
I leaned over towards Adam as the dealer shuffled the cards. His shoulder felt warm beneath my hand as I steadied myself against him, my lips just brushing his ear. “You bored?” I asked him.
Adam grinned and shrugged. “Thought you were going to show me all that Vegas had to offer,” he teased. “And so far, all I’ve seen is this one blackjack table. And the bedroom.”
