I take it you all liked the kiss. Awesome.
SarcasticBimbo keeps me in line and helps me rein in my little hands.
CHAPTER NINE—EDWARD
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Sandwiched between Emmett and Jasper is the last place I want to be, whether I'm flying in a metal tube or not. I'm thankful the flight to Vegas is less than two hours. My two friends talk around me while I brood, wishing I was sitting with Bella. I probably could have done it, if Alice hadn't suggested the girls all sit together. Bella, the little traitor, was all for it. However, it's probably for the best—I'm not sure I could keep my hands off her if we sat so close.
If I'm honest, I'm worried about this weekend. The six of us haven't spent this much concentrated time together since Bella and I got together. Concealing our relationship from the others, especially Emmett, seems like an impossible task. I can't help but feel like someone will catch us staring, or overhear something private, or witness a not-so-innocent touch. Because this is Vegas. Let's be honest. There will be touching. And staring. And private things.
"What are you brooding about?" Emmett asks, shoving my arm off the armrest. Jasper has the other one, so now I'm feeling even more like a hotdog stuffed in between two bums—I mean, buns.
"Being stuck between you two," I deadpan, and I'm only half lying.
"You lost, fair and square, man," Jasper chimes in, leaning into my personal space.
"Yeah, you suck at Rock, Paper, Scissors," Emmett taunts.
"It's a game of chance," I say, and grit my teeth.
"Well, that 'game of chance' made you it's bitch." Emmett and Jasper high-five above my head. "And you'd better get used to it, because Vegas is full of 'em."
With a long-suffering sigh, I lift my hand and manage to catch the attention of a flight attendant.
"Did you need something, sir?" She eyes the three of us, looking like Emmett does when there's a big, rare steak in front of him.
I order a whiskey. Emmett and Jasper copy me, and I doubt my decision to calm myself with alcohol. Because while it will lower my inhibitions (i.e. my annoyance), their whiskeys will only make them more annoying.
Once we get our drinks, the two of them sober up. Ironic, right?
"Seriously, Edward. Something is up with you." Emmett gives me that cop look.
I start to sweat a little. Must be the alcohol. "Nothing's up. I'm just trying to decompress."
"Weren't you working every day?" Jasper asks, downing the rest of his drink like it's a shot.
"As much as hospital policy allows. I needed to build up the time off."
"For a weekend?" Emmett looks skeptical.
"No, for the wedding, too. I took that weekend and the week after off."
"Cool. 'Bout time you took a vacation. Staycation. Whatever." Jasper nods, waving for the flight attendant like she's a goddamn bartender. Of course, she comes running to give us more of those tiny bottles.
"Why do you need the week after the wedding off? Rose and I'll be gone for a few days." He's still giving me that damn look.
"And Alice and I are heading down to her parents' place. Her sister's visiting from New York with her kids. Yay." Jasper looks absolutely thrilled.
I took the time off to spend it with Bella, but I can't exactly explain that to Emmett. "Do I need your permission to take a vacation, Detective?" I ask, and take back the armrest.
"No, no. I'm sorry … it's just that you're acting weird lately."
"I don't know what to tell you, Emmett. I'm fine."
"You're worked up over a girl, aren't you?" Jasper takes me by surprise.
"Why would you think that?"
"Who is it?" Emmett asks at the same time.
Fuck.
Jasper replies, giving me a little more time to come up with a lie/explanation/deflection. "I'm good at that shit. I can sense it."
I laugh. "You can sense it? Come on. You're worse than Emmett's mom and her 'vibes'."
"Oh, man. Mom gets into some crazy shit," Emmett laughs, shaking his head. Then he levels me with a dead serious stare. "But back to you. You're never serious about women. Why brood about one?"
"I'm not brooding."
"But you're serious?"
"Who is it? Do we know her?" Jasper asks.
I feel like I'm watching a tennis match. I'm going to strain my neck.
"I don't want to talk about it," I say, hoping they'll take the hint.
"Ooh, he must be serious," Jasper teases, cracking open another one of those little bottles.
Emmett snorts. "He's never serious."
I scowl at him, wishing he'd give me a little more credit. I'm incredibly serious.
But I get the feeling if he knew I'm incredibly serious about his sister, he'd rearrange my face.
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Emmett wants to play poker, and since it's his weekend, the groom gets what he wants. I'm not looking forward to this—Emmett's poker face is legendary, considering what he does for a living. As we sit down at a table featuring Texas Hold 'Em, I prepare to lose a large amount of money, unless I get miraculous cards. I front Emmett's $500 buy in.
"Consider it a bachelor gift. You can pay me back when you clean me out," I say wryly.
"What about me, dude?" Jasper pouts.
"Are you getting married?" I shoot back.
He smirks. "No, thank God. I'll never go through that again. Alice was a maniac."
"I know." Emmett laughs. "She tried to hijack mine."
We fall quiet as the game begins. I get some decent cards, to my surprise. About an hour in, I'm sitting on pocket Aces, with an Ace in the flop, waiting on the River. The dealer hands it down, and I try my best not to move one muscle, because now I've got a Full House—Aces and Queens. The community cards show A, 7, Q, Q, 7. It's down to Emmett and me, everyone else having folded when I bet high on the pocket Aces. He checks, I go all in. He matches my stack, and I know I've got him. I turn over my cards, ready to collect a rare win against Emmett, when I see what that fucker turned over.
Two sevens. Two motherfucking sevens.
I blow out a breath, and Emmett smirks at me. "Better luck next time, buddy." Everyone else at the table gives me commiserating looks, talking about bad beats.
"Good luck, man," I say to Jasper, shaking my head.
I point at Emmett in mock seriousness as I rise from the table. "I want my money back. See you guys later. Text me when you come out of the poker cave."
I head for one of the bars, intent on soothing my ruffled ego. I hate losing, no matter what the context. Fuck, I was this close to having a win I could hold over his head for possibly years. I take a seat at the bar and order my usual, wishing I knew where Bella was. I'm pretty sure they're in the spa, and if I showed up there, Rose and Alice would definitely know something's up.
We've only been here a few hours, and already I'm missing her. Here, being apart seems worse, because we're literally in the same building (albeit a giant one), but we can't be together. In Seattle, we're close, but there are more concrete reasons we can't hang out—work, class … imposing family members. Here, we've got a whole weekend off, together, but can't spend it like we want to. Though, I suppose Emmett is a pretty concrete reason, as in concrete fists.
Part of me wants to just tell him. The other part of me knows I'm not good enough for Bella, and I know Emmett is of the opinion that no one is good enough for his baby sister. I don't exactly have a reputation, but I've never really been the type to settle down. I've never had a long-term relationship, though half of that is due to my career path. There just hasn't been the time or desire. It's different now. She changes things. I can't imagine not being with her.
As if my thoughts brought her to life, Bella, Rose, and Alice pass by the bar. Quickly, I toss some money on the counter, leaving my nearly full drink behind. I catch up with them in the midst of a bank of slot machines, where Rose is eyeing them like one has the key to the meaning of life.
"Hello, ladies." God, do I sound like the Ladies Man? Should I have a goblet of Courvoisier?
"Edward, hi." Bella's grin is too big for a casual greeting, but mine might be as well.
If the others notice, they don't mention it. Bella looks radiant in no makeup, hair up in a messy knot. Spa days certainly suit her. Hell, every day suits her. I can't tear my eyes away.
"Where are Emmett and Jasper?" Alice asks, looking around.
"Still in the poker room." I grimace.
"Got your ass handed to you, huh?" Rose surmises, smirking.
I scowl, making Bella laugh. "It was a bad beat. I had a full house, and that fucker pulled off four of a kind."
"That's my man," Rose brags with a happy grin, doing a little shimmy.
"I wouldn't celebrate just yet," I warn, "He's still in there." I don't want to wish bad luck on my friend, but that loss still stings.
"Emmett doesn't lose at poker," she states confidently.
I want to tell her that everyone loses at poker eventually, but she's already walking past me.
Alice follows. "I'm gonna go say hi to Jasper. You coming, Bella?"
"I'll hang back here. Text me," she says with a little wave, and then we're alone.
Well, as alone as two people can get in a mega casino.
Bella turns to me with a sweet, blinding smile. "What are the chances? We must be lucky today."
My own smile is wry. "The only luck I've had today is you."
"Okay, so we've established I'm lucky." She grabs my hand and pulls me toward a row of slots. "There's a jackpot here with my name on it."
"You're holding his hand," I joke, laughing when she looks back and rolls her eyes playfully. She almost crashes into a slot machine and I yank our hands back, pulling her up against my chest. She looks up at me, startled. "Jackpot," I whisper, and then my mouth is on hers. It's slow and soft, and I take my time, since we're hidden by a sea of people. I try to keep it decent, but the kiss slides into dangerous territory when her tongue moves with mine. Dialing it back, I press one final, soft kiss on her mouth.
"I've missed you," I murmur against her lips as we part.
"Same," she sighs. "It sucks, being this close, but not being close. Do you know what I mean?"
I smile softly. "Exactly what you mean. Do you think they'd notice if we disappeared for a few hours?"
"Probably. We're all meeting up for dinner soon anyway."
I look at my watch. "Wow. I didn't realize it was this late."
"That's how the casino likes it."
"So, dinner in forty-five minutes. We've got a little time to kill. Think we can avoid the others for that long?" I ask with a devious grin.
She returns one of her own. "Follow me. There's another jackpot to be found."
We weave our way through the various machines, hand in hand, with Bella trying to find one that "speaks" to her. I don't mind; I'm happy just getting to hold her hand. We look like any other couple, flirting and talking our way through the maze of slots, and I'm having more fun right now than I've had the entire trip so far.
Familiar voices sound to the left; amongst the bells and whistles of slot machines, I can hear Emmett's boisterous laugh.
"Shit," I hiss, "Over here." I guide us a few aisles left of the voices and peer over the row. All four of them are heading toward us, but Bella is inserting money into a slot machine with a giant fireball on it. We're trapped.
"Here we go!" Bella chooses the max bet and presses the button … and then unthinkable happens.
Bells go off. Lights flash. Matching symbols line up across the display.
"Ohmygod! I won!" She throws her arms around me and jumps up and down.
Emmett and the others have caught sight of us by now, and all I can think about is how her tits are bouncing up and down against my chest. I try to will my dick into submission, but it's not working. Good thing I'm wearing jeans. They're pretty restrictive.
"Well, shit, Bells! Good for you," Emmett booms as he reaches us. "Aww, Ed, are you her good luck charm, too?" He looks down at Bella, who practically jumps away from me in response to his question. "Did he tell you how I kicked his ass at Hold 'Em?"
The trash talk and congratulations evolve from there—and that's the story of how I lost five hundred bucks to Emmett, and Bella won five grand at slots.
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-x-
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We spend most of the next day out at the pool, having rented one of the cabanas.
It's a day of torture. Seeing Bella in a bikini, watching her spread sunscreen over all that soft, pale skin, has my hands itching to take over the job. I'm jealous of Alice when she offers to do Bella's back.
"What's up with you, Edward?" Emmett looks over to where I'm staring, and I hope I haven't blown it. "Oh, the redhead? She's looking at you like you're something to eat," he says with a smirk. "You going after that?"
I didn't even notice the over the top redhead just beyond Bella. Relieved, I shake my head. "Nah. No time."
"Invite her out tonight. Jasper and I'll make sure you get enough time in the room to get it in."
I scoff. "Fuck, no. Good to know you think so highly of me." At this rate, he's never going to accept me being with Bella if he thinks I'm up for his suggestion.
Emmett holds up his hands. "Sorry. I mean, this is the city of sin."
"I'm here to spend time with my friends, not some random showgirl wannabe." I'm grouchy now, swiping sunscreen on with quick, rough movements.
"Aww, Ed, don't be mad. Want me to get your back? We are friends," he teases.
"Fuck off, Emmett," I shoot back, though there's no heat behind it. He's just being his normal self.
Emmett calls over to Bella. "Hey, sis! Edward won't let me touch him with my manly hands. Come do his back."
This is almost as embarrassing as his redhead suggestion. He's asked Bella to rub my back as if I'm too shy or too cowardly to do it myself. I might as well pass her a note asking her to do so, and to check yes or no.
Bella looks like a deer in the headlights. I can practically see her trying to keep her cool. "Sure," she finally says, avoiding eye contact as she makes her way over.
Mute, I hand her the sunscreen and turn around, my body tense as her gentle hands touch my sun-warmed skin. I feel like everyone's watching, and I'm pissed that we're not alone. I want her to explore every inch of me, but not out here in front of God, most of the hotel guests, and Emmett. Especially not Emmett.
Bella's fingers smooth the lotion over the back of my neck, over my shoulders and upper back, and down to the waistband of my trunks. Every single touch, every stroke, is a lick of flame, and I grit my teeth against the lust that threatens to overtake me. Miraculously, my dick behaves, for once—probably because he knows this is a life or death situation.
"There you go," Bella says, clearing her throat.
I whip around to find her eyes dark and lustful as she hands me the sunscreen. I smirk down at her, raising a brow as a tiny smile plays at her lips. It's then I know I've been played. As much as she enjoyed touching me, she enjoyed torturing me in front of her brother just as much.
We're lucky he wasn't paying attention. He's busy rubbing sunscreen all over Rose's back.
Once we're all lubed up, drinks in hand, the women go sit poolside while we remain at the cabana. Emmett turns his attention back to me.
"Since you're not looking to score for the night, can you do me a favor?"
"Sure. As long as you're not planning some Ocean's Eleven type heist."
"This might be harder," he says, with an extremely serious expression. "I need you to look out for Bella. Keep the creepers away."
"Okay … but you do realize Bella can take care of herself."
"She's too nice. Too trusting."
I bust up laughing. "She grew up with a cop father. You're a cop. How can she be too trusting?"
He considers this, then shakes his head. "I just don't want her doing anything reckless tonight."
I start to get angry, but stuff it back down. "Wait. So you were just encouraging me to, and I quote, 'get it in,' but if your sister wants to do the same thing, I'm supposed to keep her from doing just that?" Oh, I'll keep her from doing it—with anyone else but me.
"That's different. You're a guy, and you're a lot older."
"You're unbelievably sexist." I shake my head in disgust. "Admit you don't want to think about your sister's sex life. That sounds so much better than what just came out of your mouth."
And as long as he doesn't want to think about his sister's sex life, maybe I won't have to worry about him noticing that her sex life is about to be centered around me.
"Well, yeah. Goes without saying."
"Good." I pause, letting him hang for my own amusement. "And yeah, I'll watch out for Bella, if she needs it."
"Thanks. I know she's in good hands, then." He settles back into his lounge chair and lets out a huge sigh. He's snoring within minutes. Jasper joins the women, leaving me to my thoughts.
Bella may be in good hands, but I just don't see how I can keep those hands to myself.
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So... is what happens in Vegas gonna stay in Vegas?
Thank you to the ladies at TLS (tehlemonadestand . blogspot . com) for the rec. Check out the other awesome stories on the list this week.
Thank you all for reading.
See you Sunday!