Stripped Bare (Vegas Billionaire 1)

“It’s how you make me feel,” I tell him. “The clothes, the money and the phone? You show up here flashing your cash around, how am I supposed to feel?”

“I’m sorry, that wasn’t my intention.”

“What are your intentions?”

He releases me and rights himself back into his pants. “I don’t know, Macey, but I’m here for a few days and I’d like to see you.”

I nod, not knowing if I’ll be able to do that. It’s been hard enough getting over him these past few weeks. I don’t want to go down that path again.

“Not tonight, Finn. I can’t.”

“Fair enough. Tomorrow then, but don’t make me wait. You know I don’t like waiting.”

He starts the car and drives back to the diner. He must think I have a car because he never asks where I live. As soon as he drops me off I stand there, waiting for him to leave. Finn is Vegas, not home. I don’t want him here. When he’s out of sight, I head toward the bus that will take me home to Morgan.

20

Finn

The concrete structure that houses the city’s largest mall is bigger than I remember. Many hours of my teen years were spent here, chasing tail. Riding up and down the escalator scanning the open space for chicks. Looking mostly for girls who didn’t go to my school because they were easier. Those prep-school chicks had one thing on their minds and that was a relationship and even back then, I didn’t want one. I liked being able to do what I wanted, when I wanted.

I can’t even remember how many make-out sessions I had in the elevator, pressing the stop button as soon as the lift would start so I could try to get my hands down some chick’s pants before security would call over the loudspeaker. A stuck elevator in a mall was never a huge concern for them so it became the prime spot to get frisky. And if one of my buddies beat me there, the back parking lot or the top deck had great spots. A few of the girls that I fooled around with I’d date for a week or two, maybe even a few months, but I moved on quickly because there was always something in the way, sports, distance or time, and the nagging about when I’d be around always became too much to handle. I suppose I was too enamored with high school life and being sought after to really give a shit about having a girlfriend. Can’t say much has changed except for my mishap with Brandy in college.

My phone rings, disrupting my newly found profession as a stalker. Since Lamar installed the app that tells me where Macey is, I’ve been attached and I can’t get enough. That’s how I ended up at the mall shortly after she got out of my car. It’s a sickness that is consuming me at the moment. I know she went from my car to the bus stop and rode the bus to her apartment. Then she went from her apartment, back onto the bus and is now at the mall. I don’t need to see her physically to know she’s inside the building. I’m about to enter and find myself stumbling upon her because the phone that I gave her is resting somewhere on her body, alerting me to her every move.

Brandy’s name flashes on my screen, the static vibration of my phone in my hand irritating me. Even though I hate admitting this, I want Macey to call, not Brandy. To hear Macey’s voice on the phone would be the highlight of my fucking day right now and for the life of me I can’t figure out why I want this. I told her one week and we were done and yet here I am, in the parking lot of the mall, about to go inside and hunt her down like a fucking savage because my body is craving her.

“Hello,” I say over the speakerphone. Ignoring Brandy is not an option. Not after her threat. The more I think about her ultimatum, the more desperate she becomes in my eyes. If her father pulls his money away, so be it. Brady won’t, and being an up-and-coming developer he knows I’m worth the gamble.

“Where are you?”

“I’m home.” I doubt she remembers where I’m from. Only once during college did I fly home and that was when my mother was on her deathbed. I put this place, along with my father and his new wife, long behind me.

“Let me in. We need to talk.”

“Wrong home,” I tell her with a hint of laughter in my voice.

“What?” she screeches. “Did I not make myself clear yesterday?”

“You did, but there’s something I need to take care of here and it can’t wait. You, on the other hand, can.” My words are meant to simply appease her until I can get my ducks in a row. Pissing her off would be a mistake, dragging her along buys me the precious time I need in order to secure my future. I’m rich, but rolling the debt of a new hotel into my current establishments is not a smart plan. I’d rather have the backing of a local that I can trust.