“Worshipped?” It felt like a big word for a Vegas fling. And one she couldn’t connect to the hundreds of dollars she’d won at the craps table today.
“I’m taking you to the spa.” He lowered their joined hands. “I called in a favor from one of my mom’s friends. Her name’s Anna. She was able to secure a massage appointment for you, followed by a visit to the salon she oversees here.”
“Cade,” she said as she followed him out of the cab, “I didn’t win that much.”
“Anna threw in the salon visit on the house.” He took her hand and led her through the resort’s buzzing lobby toward the elevators.
Once inside the hotel, he turned to her. “I can cancel if you don’t want the massage, or if you hate the idea of a stranger messing with your hair.”
“I’ve only been to a spa once. But I have nothing against massages or fancy salons,” she said, still reeling from this surprise gesture. He’d offered sex at every turn, but this act took fantasy to a different level.
“Good.” He led the way out of the elevator and down a hallway lined with golden Buddhas and jewel-toned drapes. Every detail screamed the Zen starts here! as they approached the reception area.
He smiled at the young woman behind the desk. She was armed with a computer and a grin so charming Lucia couldn’t tell if it was fake.
“Checking in for one massage and a hair appointment,” he said.
“Name?”
“Booked under the name Cade Daniels. Anna from the salon made the arrangements.”
The receptionist confirmed the details in the computer, then asked for Lucia’s shoe size. She disappeared behind a curtain, then returned moments later holding a robe and a pair of slippers.
“Right this way, ma’am.” The receptionist opened the door leading to the massage rooms and held out the robe. A second girl was waiting inside. The receptionist said, “If you’ll follow her, she’ll show you where your masseuse will pick you up for your treatment.”
“Thank you.” Lucia rose up to her tiptoes and brushed a quick kiss across Cade’s lips. Then she turned to follow the receptionist into the ladies’ waiting area. When she reached the door, she glanced back at him. “I’ll see you after?”
Part of her wondered if he’d vanish while she was inside. A movie-star look-alike who wanted to pamper her seemingly tipped the scale from fantasy to delusion.
“Of course. I’m meeting up with my dad. He’s watching the game at one of the bars nearby. But I’ll be back before you’re done here. And I’m taking you to dinner once Anna finishes with you,” he said, his voice so firm that it nearly erased her doubts. “I’ll meet you at the room. This isn’t over, gorgeous. I promise.”
She shook her head. “It just feels too good to be true. I can’t believe that out of all the people in Vegas, I found you.”
His eyes narrowed, and his smile faltered. For a split second, dread washed over her. It was too close to a dream. Too good to be true. She was missing a piece of the puzzle…
“It’s not a dream,” he said, as though he could read her mind. “You should have all this and more. Now go enjoy the spa.”
Cade watched the door close behind her.
I’m a liar.
He should tell her the truth. She hadn’t found him. He’d been sent to keep her out of trouble. But he knew what would happen. She’d mentally page through the past twenty-four hours, questioning every word and every touch. And he refused to let his reasons for searching her out strip away why he’d chosen to stay.
His cell rang and drew a pointed stare from the woman behind the desk. Understanding the warning—don’t mess with the serene spa experience—he headed down the Buddha-lined hall, the phone pressed to his ear.
“
Jack, what’s up?” he greeted his teammate.
“You need to get back here,” Jack said in his easygoing Southern drawl.
“I miss you, too, sweetheart,” Cade said, allowing sarcasm to infiltrate his words. “But I’m a little busy here.”
“Cute,” Jack said. “But I’m not calling because I miss your face, sunshine. Dante’s drunk and disorderly. He’s talking about pictures of some plumber’s junk on his wife’s phone to anyone who will listen. Your girl Natalie has already threatened to kick his ass out of the bar if he doesn’t get his shit together.”
“Ah, hell.” Cade paced back and forth in front of the elevator bank. After their last mission, Dante had returned home and learned his wife was having an affair with the man his teammate had hired to fix the kitchen sink. And the news had sent Dante into a downward spiral.
Jack could talk Dante off a cliff. Shit, Jack had literally helped his teammate scramble down a jagged mountain in Afghanistan three years ago. But with Natalie involved? His teammate and his best friend were like oil and water on a good day. The fact that Cade had slept with Natalie’s little sister wouldn’t tip the scales in Jack’s favor today.