“I am not cute, I’m stupid.”
“Ari, you are not stupid,” he says, laughing a little harder now.
“Yes, I am. What kind of girl cries after having the best orgasm of her life?”
Denham then chokes on the air that he breaths in, and sits up, still laughing. “My girl, Stunner. That’s what kind of girl. Come here,” he orders, pulling me up by my arms. He’s stopped the tears from coming, and I just feel plain stupid. He turns me so I’m plastered against his front and encased in his arms. Not a bad place to be at all.
“Best orgasm ever, eh?” he says smugly and I can feel him smile against my hair.
“Hmmm, did I say that?”
“Yeah, you sure did.”
“Is your head gonna swell?”
“Maybe, just a little. But you know what?” He pulls back to look at me.
“What?” I narrow my eyes at him, waiting for a smart comment that I guess is coming next.
“I’m all about smashing targets, so if that was the best ever, next time I’m aiming for bigger and better.”
He kisses my cheek, winks and hops off the bed. Leaving me shaking my head at him and wearing a goofy grin.
***
It’s finally here. The Las Vegas Summertime Ball. The event that everyone seems to be waiting for. Even though I have no idea how prestigious it really is or what all the hype is about, I’m feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement. There’s no commandos on duty tonight. I know I’m going to have Lottie and Tara there to hold my hand, and of course Denham. But I can’t help thinking that I’m going to be on display as the girl who is on the arm of Denham King. In the last two weeks I’ve been witness to the effect he has on women. Old and young. It seems he was quite the eligible bachelor. He was seeing Amy, but their ‘thing’ was never exclusive and she never managed to make him hers. Beyond her, I don’t know if he played the field or not. Morbid curiosity is bubbling beneath the surface and makes me want to know every little detail, so I’m prepared for anything that can be thrown at me. The logical part of my brain, however, tells me that what I don’t know won’t hurt me. And this is the one I’m running with right now. Denham will be my prince charming. My knight in shining armor. Untainted by gossip and small talk from his past, because after all, this is who he is now. I can hardly say the same. I feel like a hypocrite as my past is tainting our future and he’s taking it all in his stride and making it his job to deal with it for me.
“You’re thinking hard, Stunner.” Denham comes into the bathroom and stands behind me. I have my hands braced against the marble countertop, admiring the amazing job that the salon girls have done with my hair and makeup. My hair has been pinned in ornate curls and twists, high on top of my head, with just a few tendrils left out, coiled perfectly, just ready for Denham to twist his fingers in.
“No,” I say unconvincingly, and he looks at me pointedly. “Okay,” I giggle. “Just a little bit.”
He places his hands either side of mine and leans in so his front is pressed against my back. He rests his chin on my shoulder and looks at me in the mirror as he talks. “Wanna tell me about it?”
“No, it’s fine. Just my crazy mind wandering aimlessly.”
“You look beautiful,” he says, kissing the spot where my neck meets my shoulder.
“Thank you,” I say. “But I’m not even dressed yet.”
He pulls back and feigns shock, “What? You mean you’re not going dressed in that fabulous white robe?”
I turn to swat him on the shoulder, and he grabs my hands in his and pulls me into his chest. His eyes slide from my face, down my neck and then he tries his hardest to see down my robe, which is pulled tightly around me, specifically so he can’t see. I’ve chosen the backless, halter neck, one piece especially for tonight. It won’t show lines or creases, and I hope it’s going to drive him crazy. But I don’t want him to see it just yet, I want to tease him with it and make him peel it off me tonight.
“Stop trying to peek.”
“Give me a preview,” he suggests.
“No! You’ll have to wait.”
“We have at least ten minutes to spare…”
“There is no such thing as spare time when a girl has to get ready for a ball, and besides, you’re not even dressed in your suityet. You’re still in your work clothes,” I state, running my hands down his chest across his crisp white, button-down shirt.
“It takes me ten minutes flat to shower and dress. That still gives me ten minutes to spare.”
“Well, then you can take a little longer to get ready as this girl needs to get a move on.”
I move to his side, thinking if one of us doesn’t make a break for it, then we will be here longer than the spare ten minutes, and we’d be super late to the ball.
