Then breakfast was abandoned and the bed sheets strewn around once more.
Later that evening Eli ran us a hot bath in the roll top and I sat between his legs as he ran a soap filled sponge over my body. My thighs ached with satisfaction and the heat of the water soothed me. I knew that it wouldn’t be long before I needed sleep once again.
“So, it’s hard for me to drag myself out of here but I never did Vegas before.” I told him. “So tomorrow could we be tourists and tomorrow evening could we hit the casino?”
“I hope you aren’t going to gamble away my billions, wife?”
I laughed. “Well, maybe a couple of them?”
He pretended he was going to dunk me under the bathwater and I squealed. Then he pulled me back close to him and kissed my throat.
“Money’s nothing compared to you.” He told me.
And I realized then that all we really had to lose were our hearts that had been bound together.
Gambling was seriously addictive, but Eli was even more so. Seeing him with his guard down, being himself, was an aphrodisiac without the oysters and champagne we’d been enjoying at the Bellagio.
We celebrated Christmas by eating at Top of the World at the Stratosphere Hotel and followed it watching people jump off the tower on SkyJump. We’d not been able to buy gifts as we’d spent every available moment together, but we didn’t care because we were our present to each other. I could always but him something once we returned home.
Home. I’d imagined my apartment, but that wasn’t home now. Eli’s house was. I needed to see what to move from my old home to my new one.
We’d turned our cell phones back on at Christmas Eve and let friends and family know we were okay but away. Haley was desperate to know what we were up to but I’d just giggled and said I’d tell her in due course. It was fun having a secret. We invited everyone around for New Year’s, figuring we’d make our announcement then. Eli was sent a flurry of texts from his friend Aidan who wanted to know what was happening and I could see Eli reveled in teasing him.
All too soon we were flying back home. We didn’t arrive back until the early hours of the 29th, so the plan was to go straight to bed, sleep for a few hours and then get up and head straight to the office where we could catch up on business. After that I
’d pop to my apartment and begin to organize packing.
Eli insisted on carrying me over the threshold, then placed me tenderly down in the hallway.
“Welcome home, Mrs. King.”
We freshened up and climbed into bed. We were both too tired to do anything else and fell asleep quickly, waking when the bell started to ring over and over again.
“Christ, where’s the fire?” Eli jumped out of bed, slipping a robe on.
While he went out of the room, I hurriedly washed in the bathroom and got dressed, then I headed downstairs.
I followed the sound of both Eli’s and a familiar female voice towards the kitchen where Eli was throwing questions around.
“Good morning, Brianna.” I said to the slim and striking blonde now standing in the kitchen with her hands on her hips.
“I’m guessing you’re Alex, I recognize the voice.” Brianna looked down her nose at me. “Well, your business meeting is over now. Could you go cancel all his meetings for today now I’m here?” She tapped a finger against her lips. “Actually before you do that could you make us my father and me a drink and maybe send out for some food? You might as well be helpful while you’re still here.”
She looked at her father.
“So, go put on some clothes, Daddy. Alex might be prepared to discuss business while you’re not dressed, but I need you in clothes. Gross.” She turned to me. “Why are you still standing there, assistant? Go assist.”
“Things have changed a little since you were last here, Brianna.” I smiled at her sweetly. “So, I think you’ll find that I’m now your father’s new wife.” I held up my hand to show her my wedding ring. “I’ll arrange for a spare room for you if you’re wanting to stay over for a few days as I’m sure your father would be delighted to spend time with you. Now, as your stepmother…” I delighted in saying those words and watching that jaw drop and Brianna’s eyes open so wide I was surprised her eyeballs didn’t bounce on the limestone floor. “I suggest you make your own damn coffee and something to eat. You might be a little princess with your mom and I know your father largely lets you get away with your appalling juvenile behavior, but that doesn’t work for me. So you’re welcome to stay, but if you do, you’ll be pulling your weight and acting like the grown woman you are. Time to make a choice. Are you staying or leaving? Either works for me.”
I didn’t know where the rage had come from. Actually scrap that, I did. It came from time after time of being treated like the crap on Brianna’s Jimmy Choos. Well, I was no longer the assistant she could tread on. She now wanted to be a guest in my house and if Eli dared to challenge me in front of her and appease her, then I wouldn’t be packing my belongings up this evening after all.
“Are you going to allow her to talk to me like this, Daddy?” Brianna looked pathetic. A grown twenty-four-year old woman stood pouting like a three-year-old refused a new toy.
Eli looked from one of us to the other. I knew this couldn’t be easy for him, but his life was different now and he had new choices to make.
“Like what, Brianna? She’s just agreed that you can stay at ours and she’ll get you a room ready. She’s right, it would be nice to spend time with you. Let’s make an effort to make it a good visit, shall we? Now I’ll make the coffee and send out for brunch this morning, but after that, unless me or your stepmom have made other arrangements, you’ll have to sort your own food and drink out. Oh, and I won’t be paying off your credit and store cards any more so don’t think of having a revenge shopping spree or charging all your food to cards.”
“Have you been talking with my mother?” Brianna challenged. “What is all this? Get your own place, Brianna? Pay for your own food, Brianna. You’ll have me cleaning next.”