Home Is Where the Heat Is (29 page)

She wobbled on her tiptoes and grasped his shoulders. “You’re welcome.”

His heartbeat kept time with his new watch as she whipped out her card and paid for it. When had a woman—anyone—ever given him something for no reason other than…? She wanted to.
She loves me?

No. Not possible.
JT’s empty stomach churned with its own bile as they searched the Strip for a restaurant. He’d done nothing to earn her affection. Yeah, he’d let her live out a fantasy, but did that deserve her devotion? He needed to do more—something big—to prove to Claire that he could be good for her.

“Hey, Margaritaville!” Claire’s elbow jab snapped him out of his desperate plans. “That looks like fun.”

They ordered key lime pie shooters and all the crab legs they could eat. “Damn woman. You’re gonna have to roll me down the sidewalk.”

She giggled, left a generous tip, and while she continued her mission to blow ten grand in a day, JT considered ways to show himself worthy of her.

***

Two pairs of Jimmy Choo shoes, a Prada dress, piles and piles of Agent Provocateur lingerie JT had helped her pick out, and the most gorgeous ruby in Las Vegas, lay scattered across the king-sized bed. Add the shiny badass watch JT wore and that equaled Claire’s best shopping day ever.

And they still had dinner and the X-rated show to come.

JT had been a good sport. He’d followed her everywhere, with a gleam in his eyes and an indulgent smile on his lips, carrying her enormous collection of shopping bags. He’d resisted the watch, but once she put it on him, he refused to take it off.

The strong leather strap complemented the gorgeous dial—one piece needed the other to make it whole.

Like us
.

He’d taken off as soon as they’d gotten back to the hotel room—his excitement seeped through his kiss, and with that familiar devilish wink, he’d promised an evening they’d never forget.

She slipped into her new dress and stood in front of the mirror. The silver fabric gleamed back at her, shimmering as the neckline draped over her breasts, clinging to every curve. She had to ditch her bra because the back dipped so low it nearly flashed her ass.
No competition in this.
The air conditioner kicked in and her nipples hardened in the cold blast, making little tents on her chest.
Wonderful.
Is this appropriate for dinner?
If she didn’t wear it tonight, she’d probably never wear it again.

The shoes she’d splurged on had no practical purpose either. Why did she need two pairs? She couldn’t choose between them. One pair matched the dress perfectly, with a flash of silver and sparkling crystals, but the others gleamed red, providing a striking contrast and a splash of color. Both had five-inch stiletto heels.

She could wear one of each.

Claire giggled and tried that out as she gazed in the mirror, deciding which ones to wear to dinner. She doubted JT would let her come back to the room to change them, so she decided on the red shoes, then picked up the ruby.

The gorgeous stone complemented her skin tone and highlighted her hair. She draped it around her neck and caught her breath. So beautiful. So
expensive
. Between the dress, the shoes, and the jewel, she must’ve been wearing close to five thousand dollars. Oh, and the panties.

Am I insane?
She’d won ten thousand, six hundred and thirty-five dollars last night, and the cost of dinner tonight would wipe out what remained. All of it—gone—in one day.

Her knees wobbled and she reached behind her, groping for the bed as a wave of sickening dizziness hit. Where had the money gone? Clothes, shoes, food, alcohol, and sex if she counted the topless show she’d bought tickets for. Pointless extravagances that served no purpose other than to please her. The lingerie made both of them happy, but wow.
That’s a pricey orgasm.

And speaking of orgasms… in the last twenty-four hours, she’d slept with two men. At the same time. Repeatedly. She’d grabbed excess by the throat and throttled it. Big winner? Oh yes, in every way imaginable: a bloated glutton smacking her lips and gloating over her spoils.

“Hey, sweet thing, ready to go?” JT walked through the suite and stopped short in the bedroom doorway. A low whistle slipped through his teeth. “Wow. You look… rich.”

So not what I needed to hear.
Claire tipped over as she stood, and he leaped into the room to catch her.

“You okay?” He swept her hair behind her ear.

“Yeah.” She kicked up a sparkly shoe. “New heels.”

He grinned and cradled her elbow, sweeping his hand toward the door in a grand gesture. “This way, beautiful.”

But she stood her ground and pulled him back. “Are you, um, okay? With all of this?” She glanced back at the bed loaded with her loot.

He cocked his head. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You don’t think I went a little… crazy?”

“I think you went completely nuts.” He cracked a grin and caressed her hot cheek. “But I loved watching you. You deserve to have a little fun.”

“That was more than a
little
fun.”

“I could tell. Relax, Rebel. There’s more to come.” He laced his fingers with hers and they walked to the elevators.

More… when she’d already spent so much.
My God. Where will it end?

Chapter 23

“I have been completely and totally spoiled. Rotten to the core.” JT grinned and slipped his arms around Claire’s waist.

She cuddled against him, leaning on his shoulder as they strolled through the lobby. “You were rotten before I met you.”

“My steak was perfect. Amazing. I’ve been to some
good
restaurants, but that meal gets the gold medal.”

She bit her lip and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Worth every penny,” she said. But she suddenly got interested in her shoe, leaving him unconvinced.

“I could’ve helped you pay for it.” He tilted her chin up, searching her eyes.

“No. I said I wanted to spend all my winnings. I won that contest.” She shook her head and sighed. “Maybe blowing it all wasn’t the smartest thing to do. I spent ten thousand dollars—and more-- in a day! Oh my God.” She wobbled on her expensive heels and pressed her hand to her heaving chest.

He pulled her close, holding her steady as he chuckled in her ear. “You’re overreacting again.”

She snarled and jerked her arm away. “I am
not
. Where do you get off judging me?”

Whoa.

JT backed off a step and changed the subject before they could get further off track. “Did those half-naked dancers turn you on as much as they did me?” He reached down and flicked a nipple through her shimmery top.

She crossed her arms over her chest, but the tension left her body and a giggle escaped her lips. “They were so beautiful, dancing with nothing but jewels draped over their hips and gorgeous nude breasts.” She held her arms out and stood straight, strutting down the hall as if half-naked herself. “Breathtaking, and yeah….” She peeked down at her perky nipples. “A big turn-on.”

JT swept her into the elevator bank and kissed her, groping her ass while the guy waiting gawked at them. “Dance for me in nothing but your new panties and that ruby.”

She giggled and wedged her fingers between their melded hips. “As soon as we get upstairs, I’ll put on a show like nothing you’ve ever seen.”

The onlooker cleared his throat. “Going up?”

JT’s crotch tingled.
Hell yeah.
He wanted to get her alone as soon as possible, butthis particular elevator wouldn’t take them to their destination. “We’ll get the next one.”

Claire fondled his zipper, and he caressed her breasts through her top, envisioning a quickie in the elevator. Unfortunately, an older couple stepped on behind them, and Claire adjusted her dress to cover a nipple-slip. She pressed the button for the fifteenth floor.

“Nope.” JT pulled out his keycard and slipped it into the slot allowing access to the penthouse suites. “Tonight, we’re going all the way to the top floor.”

Her breath caught and her cheeks turned pale. “How did you manage that?”

“My little secret.”

She stood beside him, hands clasped in front of her while she stared at the floor. The car stopped at fifteen, but no one moved. The other couple exited at seventeen, leaving Claire and JT alone as they rode to the end of the line.

The doors whooshed open directly into their new suite. Opulent lighting gleamed off polished mirrors, leading them down a sparkling hall to an enormous living room. A full-sized bar loaded with expensive liquors beckoned from the right, while a large balcony overlooking the city lured them outside.

“Wow.” Claire peeked over the railing and shook her head. Then she clamped her arms over her stomach and walked back inside.

He’d expected bouncing and giggling, maybe a thank you grope, but her subdued reaction threw him off. “Check out the tub,” he suggested. Maybe that would generate some excitement.

She slumped against the doorframe and peeked in. The heart-shaped Jacuzzi filled half the room. Rich marble covered every surface, and luxurious towels begged to be touched. “Nice.”

“Fuck me with an understatement.” He scratched his head and led her to the bedroom. “You have to like this.”

The room opened up into an elevated platform with a gigantic bed on center stage. A crystal chandelier dazzled above it, and two walls of windows framed the sparkling Strip.

Claire hunched over, small and shivering, surrounded by luxury and excess. “This must have cost you a fortune.”

He shrugged and pulled her close, enveloping her tiny frame. “I’ll have to eat Ramen noodles for a month, but you’re worth it.”

“Am I?” She pushed back and turned away, gazing out the window and rubbing her clenched shoulders. “All this… I’m sorry, but it’s too much.”

JT chose his words carefully, forcing them through clenched teeth. “Obviously it’s not enough. I gave you everything you said you wanted. I let you experience your fantasy.”

But he hadn’t told her he loved her.
No way am I gonna do that now.

“I did
all
of this for you!” He threw his arms wide, encompassing the room and the view. “But you… What else do I need to do? What can I give that you won’t throw back at me?”

She spun and gasped. “What are you talking about? I
never
rejected you.” She unclasped the ruby pendant he’d helped her choose and flung it on the bed.

Until now.
He sank down on the bed and raked shaking hands through his hair as she shoved her dress to the floor and kicked off her shoes.

“Where are my clothes?” she demanded.

“Probably in a drawer.” His stomach churned, threatening to send dinner back up. “What are you doing?”

She stepped into her jeans and yanked a shirt over her head. “This is so overboard. How can we live like this?” She pulled her suitcase from the closet and tossed it on the bed.

What is she talking about?
“It’s just a weekend fling, a getaway for fun.”

Clothes, old and new, flew from drawers as Claire yanked them out. She snatched her dress off the floor and dumped it in her luggage, then tripped over her expensive shoes.

“Damn it!” She grabbed the spiky heel and pointed it at him. “What were you thinking? Take Claire to Vegas and shower her with shiny trinkets and fancy suites? Did you think that would impress me?”

“I thought you liked flash and sparkle.” They seemed to be having two different arguments, coming from two different places. Maybe the connection he’d felt never existed at all.

“I do… when it draws attention to me. But this…” she waved the glittering heel at the room, “isn’t about me. It’s a noisy, garish distraction that takes away from me—from us.” She tossed the shoe in the suitcase and zipped it shut. Then she dragged her bags down the hall toward the elevator.

He jumped up and followed her. “Where the hell are you going?”

“Home.”

She’s leaving me?
“How? You don’t have any money left.”

A sob escaped her and she clapped her hand over her mouth. “I’ll find a way.”

He grabbed her arm. “Stay here. We’ll go back to our old room and figure this out.” Whatever the hell
this
was.

She jerked away and shook her head. “I need to think, but I can’t do it in the middle of all this.” She waved her hand wildly at the flashy room, then punched the elevator button.

“Think about what?” Good question. First they needed to settle on which fight to have.

“I don’t know. I thought you understood me.”

My God.
He’d fulfilled all her cravings, including the ones she never admitted to. “I
do
.”
Why doesn’t she see it?

“How can you if you don’t know why I’m leaving?” The elevator doors opened.

“Explain it to me.”

“I can’t. I’m sorry.” She stepped inside, staring at him with tears streaming down her cheeks. “Don’t come after me.” The doors closed and took her away.

JT staggered back.
What the hell just happened?
He wanted to make a big romantic gesture, do something special just for her, and it blew up in his face. What had set her off?
The bedroom.

He ran back to the bed, searching for answers, but nothing made any sense. Nothing that might’ve offended her jumped out at him. His knees buckled, and he flopped back on the huge empty mattress. He’d paid for the room in advance, knowing sharing it with her would justify the cost, but now he lay there alone with the walls spinning around him.

He ran his hands through his hair, and his fingers tangled in a delicate chain. Claire’s ruby. The stone dangled, sparkling as he caressed his thumb over its facets. She’d wanted this more than anything. Why did she leave it behind?

Don’t come after me.
But she’d left him a reason to see her again, a tiny hope that maybe….

Still, he’d helped her pick it out, so in leaving it behind, she’d rejected anything to do with him. The room turned dark and cold, closing in on him with suffocating dread and all too familiar pain. He wrapped it around him like a comforting blanket, refusing to leave his safe cocoon.