The Bachelor Pact (71 page)

The cabbie slowed and he hopped in, giving the address. Fifteen minutes later he was arguing with the landlord of the building while her teenage daughter looked on.

"She's not here," the woman said in a Midwestern accent, "and we don't want no drunken male hoochie-coochies bothering our tenants."

He glanced down at his disheveled shirt and jeans and wished he'd taken the time to change after his flight. Still, he turned on the charm. "I'm a friend of Lucy's from Savannah. I just got in and wondered where she was, that's all. Come on; I've come a long way."

The landlord's daughter fluttered acrylic nails through her orange-and-purple hair. "Lucy's at work."

"And that would be...?"

"You must not be such a good friend if you don't know where she works," the mother said in a nasal tone.

"Actually, I'm more of a friend of her sister's. Lucy and I just met last week, but I got word there's some kind of emergency. I wanted to check on them while I'm in town."

"The Palace," the teen said. "I could ride over with you, if you want."

Reid gently declined, sensing that the teen was either looking for trouble or trying to escape her overbearing mother. As he took a cab to the hotel, he stared in awe at the glitzy lights and glamorous hotels. He'd never been to Vegas and realized he'd missed something. It was exactly as he'd pictured, the nightlife humming with excitement, the neon lights dazzling the clear, dark sky, the traffic and bustle of tourists and gamblers and showgoers charging the atmosphere.

The Palace proved to be a huge establishment that offered extravagant nightly shows featuring something called the Diva act, with a restaurant that promised five-star dining, a casino, and a shopping mall built beneath. Something for everyone.

Glamorous showgirls and music filled the stage as he entered. "And now for our special feature, the Virginal Princess and the Virginal Vampiress." Reid's gaze shot to the stage, his interest sparked.

Although he'd missed nearly all of the show, the staff allowed him to watch the last two acts. He was completely mesmerized by the various stages of undress. Some dancers were topless, while others wore skimpy sequin-studded outfits that hinted at nudity, and others wore thongs and feathers, boas and huge headdresses. Every costume, set, and prop was elaborate, creating a glitzy show that captivated the audience, men and women alike.

He remembered Lucy saying she was a hostess, but she hadn't seated him. Still, the place was so huge they had more than one, and she might not even be working tonight.

He ordered a beer from a waitress in a tight black bustier and tipped her nicely. "Hey, sugar, do you happen to know a girl named Lucy Lane? She's strawberry blond, a hostess—"

"Hostess?" The waitress laughed. "No, hon, she's onstage. Don't you recognize her?"

"She's onstage?"

The waitress winked. "Uh-huh. Her sister used to work here, but she took off for some bigger job." The waitress slid the tip into her bustier. "Must run in the family; the mom was a stripper, too."

"Uh... really." Lucy and Sophie were strippers? His gaze shot to the stage, where a dozen beautiful women danced and paraded, all made-up and in costume. Shock filled him. Then memories rushed back—Lucy dancing at Sophie's. He slapped his forehead, feeling like an idiot. Why hadn't Lucy mentioned that she danced? And Sophie?

Was that the secret Sophie had been keeping from Lance?

To think he'd come here to try to keep them together, when Sophie was lying to his brother about everything.

He squinted, trying to pick her out. Two, no, three or four blondes at least were dancing in the first row; two were wearing masks; the other's face was practically covered in feathers. Which one was she? The one in all red? The silver-clad desperado figure? The one with the purple sequins? He decided she was dressed in black in the back row and forced himself not to watch her. Then a hot redhead in all white appeared, and he moved to the edge of his seat. The Virginal Princess. She was sexy enough to make him forget Lucy... at least for a while.

Anger started to mount inside that Lucy and Sophie had played him and his brother for fools, and he guzzled his beer, then ordered another. What should he do?

Confront Lucy? Call Lance?

And who was that knockout dressed all in white? He could have sworn she was watching him, too, maybe even playing up her act just for him....

* * *

Lucy's body and feet ached, and she was dizzy from trying to double up and carry off two parts in the show, so dizzy in fact that she thought she must be having delusions when she first spotted Reid Summers in the audience.

But she danced closer to the front of the stage, gyrating her hips and swaying backward so her white feather boa fluttered enticingly toward the crowd. Kicking out her legs first, she swung around, strutted around the stage, then placed her back to the audience, bent forward, and touched the floor, peeking between her knees.

Oh, my God, it was Reid.

And he was contorted in his chair with a goofy grin on his face as if he were drunk, and as if it were the first time he'd seen a professional show. She added some extra sauce to her moves, wiggling her butt and dipping and leaning forward so her breasts jiggled and nearly popped out of the sequined top. He leaned forward, his tongue lolling out.

Did he recognize her?

Another maneuver across stage, and she pranced into the center arena for the grand finale, where male dancers lit a series of fiery handheld lanterns to surround her—their Virginal Princess. Of course, she was missing her partner, the Virginal Vampiress.

Every man's fantasy, a virgin princess and vampire. Sophie had been a genius to come up with the concept and the costumes.

Sophie... Oh, Lord, what would she do if she knew Reid was here? Somehow she had to get Reid alone and convince him to leave. Or maybe she should avoid him.

Fireworks suddenly exploded onstage, their glittery lights flashing a rainbow of colors around her, and smoke swirled into the air in a dramatic style. The last number finally drew to a close, and she watched Reid down another beer, his gaze feasting over all the dancers, then returning to her. Did he recognize her? Or was he lusting after someone he believed to be a stranger?

Only one way to find out.

Keeping her Diva mask, costume, and wig firmly in place, she strutted toward him, first stopping to speak to Deseree. She told Deseree that Sophie would be coming in, so they could get together, perhaps before or after Saturday night's show.

Reid was still watching her, his smile raking over her as she approached. His eyes appeared slightly glazed over, his smile was lopsided, and from the wobble of his body as he stood to greet her, he'd been enjoying himself a little too much.

She shouldn't take advantage of the situation.

Then again, he had come here, perhaps to see her. To make up, maybe?

"Hey, sweetheart," he said in a slurry voice.

Lucy fluttered her white-gloved hand, playing the act for all it was worth. "Hi, handsome."

"Can I buy you a drink?"

Lucy nodded, the waitress appeared out of nowhere with her favorite, a Cosmopolitan, and she took his arm. "Did you come to Vegas looking for me?"

"Honey, of course I did. You're the woman of my dreams."

So he had come to see her! And he was being so romantic. "Are you stayin' here at the Palace?"

"Sure am. Wanna see my room?"

Lucy told herself she shouldn't, but his promise that the real thing was better than her Sleepover, Inc., products still haunted her, and she was in a forgiving mood, and he had come all the way to Vegas to be with her. No man had ever flown across the country for her.

What could one steamy night between the sheets hurt?

She'd screw his eyeballs out, then send him packing in the morning with some wild excuse, and he would never know that Sophie was here, or that Sophie had been involved in the Diva show. He certainly didn't seem to mind that Lucy had. In fact, he seemed completely turned on by her costume.

Five minutes later he was lying naked on satin sheets in a bedroom cast only in moonlight, and she was performing a strip-tease dance for him, one he'd requested.

As soon as her feathers hit the floor, she crawled on top of him and proceeded to have her way with him while he moaned and murmured that she was his fantasy come true. She had yet to remove her mask, though the thong had slowly been peeled from her body, and then came the heavy headdress and sequined top, her bare skin still glittery from the special costume makeup.

"You're all shiny, baby," Reid whispered as he took one pert nipple in his mouth and suckled her.

Lucy writhed and clawed at his arms, stroking his calf with her bare toes and kissing the sleek muscles of his chest. He tweaked her other breast with his fingers, pinching and rolling the nipple, and she moaned, folding her hand around his sex and stroking until he begged her to stop.

"No, let me touch you, baby." He flipped her to her stomach, slid his body on top of hers, and slowly tortured her with his hands and mouth. Lucy ground her hips into his erection, aching to have him inside her.

She had always liked sex, but she had never been so wanton with a man or wanted one as much as she wanted Reid. Cupping her hips in his hands, he lifted her to her hands and knees and slid his sex against her femininity, driving her wild with slow, grinding movements until she parted her legs farther and pleaded with him to take her.

Only then did he slide his length inside her and push her to oblivion. His movements were passionate, strong, controlling, as if he held the power to satisfy her like no one else. She met him thrust for thrust, opening herself up to him as she never had before with another man. And when he thrust himself deeper inside her, kneading her breasts at the same time his lips sucked her neck, she cried out his name so loudly she nearly shattered the chandelier above them.

Seconds later they collapsed onto the bed. She curled into his arms, spent and sated, then snuggled into his embrace and felt his breathing steady to a sleep rhythm. Blissfully happy, and so exhausted she couldn't keep her eyes open, she allowed sleep to claim her.

In the morning they would talk and everything would be fine. Maybe she and Reid would even fall in love and get married someday, too.

Sophie had worried about keeping their secret for nothing....

* * *

Reid woke up with a pounding hangover headache, and his typical morning erection. But something was wrong with his arm. It was paralyzed, numb. He rolled over to see what had happened, and his pulse clamored. A glittery body lay next to him—the dancer from the night before.

Jesus, he'd spent an incredible night with the Diva woman, the Virginal Princess, no less, and she hadn't told him her real name. Lucy's face materialized in his mind, and he panicked momentarily, a tremor of guilt assaulting him.

Why did he feel guilty? He didn't owe Lucy anything. Nothing.
Nada.
She had lied to him and deceived him—just as Sophie had done to Lance.

Besides, who could have resisted this feminine goddess, especially when she'd approached him? Had Lucy seen him leave with the center-stage act?

He tried to extricate his arm to shake the feeling back, but the moment he moved, the woman rolled over.

A scream lodged in his throat.

Lucy?

Lucy was the virginal goddess star of the show? Jesus Christ, he'd gone to bed with a masked Diva and woken up with Sophie's sister in bed beside him!

"What are you doing here?" He grunted.

Lucy opened her eyes, a sultry smile splitting her mouth. "Don't tell me you don't remember last night, Reid. It was pretty incredible." She traced sparkling silver fake nails over his torso and down to his sex, which had grown even more at the sight of her bare breasts swaying toward him.

"You... you're the Virginal Princess?"

Hesitation darkened her eyes; then realization dawned and anger robbed her smile. "You didn't know it was me?" She instantly grabbed the sheet and tugged it over her nakedness.

He suddenly realized the stupidity of his remark. "Well, uh... yeah, I just meant—"

"You liar!" Lucy grabbed the satin pillow and slammed it over his head, then leaped over the edge of the bed, jerking up feathers and her thong. Then, clearly thinking better of it, she rushed to the bathroom and came out wearing the white terry-cloth hotel robe. "You said you came here for me."

He pushed at the sheet to hide his erection, which didn't seem to mind her temper, but instead had apparently enjoyed the view of her backside as she gathered her costume. She had the sexiest tush, all curvy and female..."I... I did."

She narrowed venomous eyes at him. "You came here to see me?"

"Yes." God, she was so sexy he couldn't think.

"But you got turned on by the Virginal Princess and went to bed with her."

"Well, uh... she, I mean,
you
came on to me. For God's sakes, Lucy, you're the same woman."

"But you didn't know that!"

"But you did."

"I thought you knew it was me."

"You told me you were a hostess. I never expected you to be the star of the show."

Hurt and anger reddened her face. "Oh, so you didn't think I'd be talented enough to be the star?"

Why did women always twist a man's words? "That's not what I meant at all." Maybe he could turn the table on her. "Did you really think I knew it was you? Or were you trying to trap me into bed?"

Lucy slid her heels on, stomping around the room. "I do not have to trap or trick men to get them in bed with me."

"I'm sure you don't, not wearing that getup."

Uh-oh, totally wrong thing to say.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lucy's eyes spewed venom. "You certainly didn't mind my getup last night."

"Of course not; I was drunk, and you looked damn sexy. What man wouldn't want to crawl all over you?"

"What are you implying by that comment? That I'd hop into bed with just anyone?"

"No." He remembered the way she'd danced to the crowd. "Would you?"