“I’m just looking for a straight answer,” I argue sweetly.
“My straight answer is I admire the way you see the world. I always have. And if you see some beauty in me, I’m cool with that, too, Ace.”
“Ace? You’ve been in Vegas too long.” I rest my head on his chest.
“Maybe I have.”
I swear I hear an obscure meaning in his response.
“Not much longer now,” I try to be positive.
“Nope.” Damon runs his fingers through my hair, a huge elephant making itself comfortable in the room. This is supposed to end. That was the deal. Four days and no strings attached. Who was I kidding? I knew the moment I agreed I would never be able to walk away. Sometimes it’s easier to believe the lies than face the truth. And my truth is I’m falling in love. Hard and fast and without any concern.
“What if we extended the length of our agreement?” I wonder aloud.
Damon shifts. “You want to keep hanging out with me, Ace?” Ugh, the self-satisfying tone in his voice makes me regret the suggestion immediately.
I know him. He’ll never let me forget he wore me down. He’ll wear his little victory like a badge, gloating about the new sheriff in town. Lord, save me.
“You’re right. It’s a totally bad idea.” I try to sit up, but Damon refuses to let me go far.
“I think it’s a fucking phenomenal idea, Ace,” he contests, locking me in his arms.
“What’s with the Ace all of a sudden?”
“Private joke. Maybe one day I’ll tell you.”
“Keeping secrets from me already?” I shake my head. “That’s exactly what I was afraid of.”
“No other secrets, Ace. Just this one,” he purrs.
“Stop calling me Ace.”
“Not a chance.” Damon rolls on top of me, his electric-blue eyes bright and alive, clearly happy with the direction this relationship is going. “I’m ready for a repeat.” He nestles himself between my legs.
“You’re lucky you’re cute,” I tease.
“Just cute? You said I was beautiful before.” He kisses me deeply and passionately, knocking on the door of my arousal.
“Shut up and make love to me.” I flick my tongue at him.
“That I can do.”
* * *
Ninety-nine thousand,nine hundred ninety-six, ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-seven, ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-eight, ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine,one-hundred thousand.Ky lays out the money in stacks on the wet bar in his and Kira’s penthouse suite. Everyone is here for the monumental occasion. Knuckles, Hawk, Fender, Gerard, and Kira, of course. Tempest apparently jetted early this morning. Nice, goodbye.
Even though we are all worn out from the last few days, the energy in the room is positive and upbeat, happy and excited. Damon is officially debt free. And although that news is good, something small and uncertain niggles inside me. We decided to extend our deal. To be together. It was a joyous moment, but now I’m second-guessing myself. I worry that all our feelings and emotions were heightened by the danger and worry. By the uncertain fate of Damon’s life. It’s like one of those pivotal scenes you see in the movies, where the two main characters profess their undying love but don’t actually stay together once they make it out of the peril. I wonder if that’s us. That when we go back to LA, everything will change. That the crushing tension that drove us together will ultimately tear us apart.
Damon searches me out in the room as Ky places his cold, hard freedom in a duffle bag. He smiles when he finds me. And the expression is filled with so much hope, and love, and affection my heart actually shifts in my chest. He can move a mountain inside me with just one look.
“Well,” Ky announces, “now that Breaker has won back his freedom, I have an idea.” He pulls Kira close to him, his arm wrapped around her waist. We all give Ky our undivided attention, eager for him to reveal his grand idea. He gazes down at Kira proudly. “I think we should get married.”
Kira blinks up at him “Get married?”
“Yeah. Get married. While we’re here in Vegas. What better place to do it?”
The look on Kira’s face is not favorable. And I don't think she appreciates Ky springing this on her in front of everyone.
