The Billionaire's Gamble

It takes her a few minutes to spot me, but when she does, I see the way she takes me in from head to toe. No doubt noting that I’m in the same outfit that’s on the front of all the articles. She gives me a smile that’s way too forced, pulling me in for a hug that’s just a little too tight. “When I sent you off to Vegas to have some fun, I meant easy fun. Simple fun. Not ‘get-banged-by-a-billionaire-and-put-in-all-the-tabloids’ fun.”

I laugh, ignoring the horrified look on her face when she releases me. Unfortunately, her voice just gets louder. “I mean it, Dani. I hoped you’d have a fling, but I didn’t mean jumping into bed with one of the richest guys on the planet. Are you insane?”

I see my bag coming around the conveyor and I grab it. “It’s not that big of a deal, Kelly.”

Her jaw drops open like a cartoon character. “Not a big deal? Dani, every paper and gossip blog has a photo of you. You’re national news!” She shoves her phone in my face as evidence, and as I predicted, she’s been reading all about my night in Vegas.

“I didn’t know who he was when I slept with him,” I say.

Her hand grips my arm like a vice. “You didn’t know who Nolan Coldwater was?”

“No.” I shrug her arm off me and continue towards the car. “He told me who he was after that photographer was outside the room, warned me that the photo would be online. It’s fine. It’s a news story for today, and by tomorrow no one will care.”

“I severely doubt that,” she says. “I just don’t know how you could do something this dumb. I mean, when I said let loose I was thinking the way normal people let loose in Vegas. Have a little one-night stand that stays. In. Vegas. Not getting national press attention while doing the walk of shame.”

We reach the car and she helps toss my bag into the trunk, a little harder than necessary. I stop her as she closes it. “Kelly, relax. I’m really not upset about this. The trip ended up being way better than I expected.” I make a note to tell her about what an asshole Gerard was. “It would have never happened if you hadn’t made me go. So thank you.”

Kelly’s shoulders relax and she looks at me—really looks at me for the first time since I landed. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

“I’m really fine,” I say, laughing. “I wish the photo was a little better, but there’s no harm done. It’s a pretty innocent picture, no matter what they’re saying in the articles.”

She grins, unlocking the car and sliding in. “Yeah, you look a little rough in the picture. And I’m glad you’re okay because I have so many questions!”

“Oh?”

“Ummm…yes. Like how the hell did you end up with him instead of on that date? What is he like—I know you didn’t know who he was but everyone knows who he is and he’s a fucking dreamboat. And most importantly, is he as good in bed as I’m imagining? Because the way you look in that picture tells me you didn’t get a lot of sleep.”

My body is instantly flooded with memories of last night, gasping for breath under his body, every motion making me writhe in pleasure. I blush, and try not to fidget as my body warms up at just the thought of everything he did to me—everything we did together.

My sister doesn’t miss a thing though. “Oh my god you’re blushing. Tell me everything. Tell me everything right now.”

I laugh nervously, a twinge in my gut at the thought of sharing something that still feels so intimate. “Everything? What about you, how was your weekend? I know you had some plans with Jacob.”

“Please,” she begs. “You know I live for this kind of thing, and I never thought I’d have a source as good as you for this kind of gossip. Fill me in.”

I smile. It’s true, Kelly has always had a soft spot for celebrity gossip. She seems a little desperate for this, almost like she doesn’t want to tell me what happened this weekend, but I decide to let it go. She’ll tell me when she’s ready. That’s the way it’s always been. I’ll tell her what I can about Nolan and me, but not everything. There are some parts of last night that are going to stay with me and only me.

Well I guess it won’t stay with just me. It will stay with us in Vegas where it belongs.

Kelly’s neighborhood appears with a warm familiarity. It’s just around the corner from the neighborhood we grew up in, and I know it like the back of my hand. Angelica, South Carolina is a cute place with small, well-kept houses that look like anyone’s idea of the American dream. It’s always been a good community with plenty of neighborhood events and a sense of safety. Kelly is practically a staple in the town, always the one to organize the neighborhood get-togethers, always the one to give the kids lemonade on a hot summer day. She got all the love of kids—teaching really is the perfect career for her.