Back in Vegas ….
After the Dance…
Rhi POV
Jack, Nick and Collin have a big smiles on their faces and Jack applauds us, "Well, that was wonderful to watch! You two looked amazing together. I didn't know you could dance like that Rhi!"
Nick and Collin nod in agreement, "Yeah guys, you looked amazing! We really enjoyed watching you, and it seems everyone else did too." Nick winks and laughs motioning to the crowd with his hands.
"Thank you guys, I don't understand why people are watching and recording though. It was nice and special but why make a big deal out of it?" I shrug. I don't get why anyone is making such a big deal out of this.
Alex is standing off to the side with a small smile on his lips but the look on his face does not match and the smile doesn't reach his eyes. I don't miss the guys exchanging looks with each other and I realize how bad that sounded.
"Oh Alex, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for that to sound like it didn't mean anything. It did and was special, I just don't see why other people were recording it and posting it online. They don't know us and…" I'm letting the words just roll out of my mouth.
Alex slowly walks over to stand in front of me. "Rhi. Stop. It's ok. I know what you mean. I understand. I did it because I wanted to dance with you. Not because I wanted attention. I'm sorry if I made you feel awkward. That wasn't my intention."
He still has a slight smile but again, his expression doesn't match and the smile doesn't reach his eyes. I can't tell if he's hurt or angry or what but either way that wasn't my intention. I feel bad that it sounded like I dismissed it and didn't enjoy it, but what I said is true, I don't get why anyone is making such a big deal out of it. I really don't want any attention and it seems like I've been dealt it in spades. Ha, fitting metaphor in Vegas. Fuck, I hope this doesn't cause problems.
There's a brief awkward silence among us, no one really knowing what to say after the entertainment that just happened. We all just kind of look at each other. I think us girls are getting tired and losing energy. I know I am.
Jack looks at us and says, "Well, ladies, let's walk you into the hotel and make sure you get safely to your room. Then we'll call it a night and head back to our hotel."
There's a collective agreement among Kate, Ana and I.
Ana comments for us in response, "Yeah, that's probably a good idea. We've been traveling since early this morning and the day out and evening has kind of worn us out. Being tired can make people moody sometimes. We don't want to start off our vacation grouchy or on a sour note."
She gives me a look that makes me feel like a scorned child. I cock an eyebrow at her and shift my weight from one foot to the other crossing my arms across my chest in defiance, acting like I'm a petulant twelve-year-old. Like usual, she ignores my attitude and rolls her eyes.
Kate starts laughing and says, "You two are hilarious. Ana, quit acting like you're her mother. Rhi, quit being an ass. Guys, I apologize for these two, they really must be worn out. I guess that is a sign we really should head up to our room. It's really been fun and thank you for inviting us tonight, you guys were awesome."
Jack laughs, "Well, thank you! It was our pleasure! On that note, let's head up and deliver you to your room safely then!" He smiles along with Nick and Collin. Alex, on the other hand, is just observing us quietly. I can't get a read on him so I give up.
They all turn and start to walk into the hotel. Maybe I am a little more tired than I thought. Maybe it's been a longer day than I thought. Maybe I'm tired of being silently chastised in front of people that I don't know. Fuck, I swear it only draws attention to things and makes me seem like I'm a complete unfeeling bitch. Maybe I am but I was only being honest and isn't that what people say they appreciate the most? Whatever the case is, I'm ready to be back in the room and chill and maybe have another drink. I sigh heavily and follow the group inside.
We walk into the doors and head for the elevators. We've become quiet suddenly, none of us knowing what exactly to say. It's 11:30pm I'm exhausted and my feet are starting to hurt. It's been a busy and long day, but well worth it. I'm feeling pretty satisfied with the ending of the day, surprisingly enough I'm happy and it feels good. I look at Alex out of the corner of my eye and smile to myself. Where did he come from and how did I get so lucky to have met him? But today was just today. Who knows, I may never see him again. I furrow my brow, frown and shake my head slightly not wanting to think about that. It's strange, I've enjoyed the time with him, and he's been really sweet and caring and showing interest in me but I don't know what to think. Maybe I'm just tired, after all it has been a long day. So much has happened that I'm mentally exhausted. We round the corner to the elevators and head toward the one for the penthouse. The attendant is there and Kate hands him our room key.
"Do you guys want to come up? Maybe have a drink or relax for a bit before you head back? There's plenty of room unless you have other plans?" She asks.
They look at each other, then at us and hesitate. "We'll come up and make sure you get into your room ok and maybe stay for a few minutes then we have to get back. It's been a busy day and we need our beauty sleep." He laughs. "Besides, I'm sure we'll see you guys again before you leave." He winks and smiles.
"Not a problem, we just wanted to extend the offer. We really appreciate you making sure we got back safe. Thank you." Ana smiles.
I've been silent since we walked in the door to the casino, caught up in my head, and just on autopilot. I continue to be silent for the elevator ride and the walk to our penthouse door.
"Here we are," Ana says, motioning to the door.
Jack takes her key card from her and opens the door for us. We walk in and I walk over to the floor to ceiling window and look out at the city, all the lights, hustle and bustle visible and active. The sounds have been muted, thank God, because it'll make it easier to sleep. Hopefully. I really hope I can sleep, I'm tired of having sleep issues. It's quiet and I have no idea where anyone went. This place is so big that it's easy to disappear. I think they're in the kitchen getting drinks or something.
I'm looking out at the city, off in my own little world, when I feel hands on my shoulders. I jump and turn around quickly, my heart beating so hard I feel it might come out of my chest.
"Hey, it's ok. It's just me. Don't worry. You're ok." Alex says in a deep calming voice.
It takes me a minute to gain my bearings and realize who he is and where I am.
"Oh, hey, sorry about that." I say quietly.
"Come, let's sit down." He says, and takes my hand, leading me to the overstuffed couch.
"Oh great, another couch I won't be able to get out of." I say sarcastically with a chuckle.
He looks at me and smiles.
"Don't worry, I'll help you get out if you get stuck. Promise." He says. He sits down and pulls me onto his lap with a gentle tug of my hand.
Looking around I ask, "Where is everyone?"
I don't even see Kate or Ana. Strange.
"The guys left and took a taxi back to the hotel. I think Kate and Ana went to shower and get ready for bed. I wanted to make sure you were ok before I left. You seemed really quiet on the way up here. Are you ok?" He questions, looking at me with those intense eyes. I swear he can see right into my soul when he looks at me.
"Me? Of course. I'm always ok, and if I'm not I will be. I'm just exhausted and my feet hurt. I'm not used to wearing heels" I laugh and start to reach down to take off my shoes.
He stops me, unbuckling my shoes for me and slipping them off. "There. Is that better?" He asks.
"Oh, most definitely. Thank you." I reply stretching my feet to get the blood flowing properly.
Sliding me off his lap, he lifts my feet up and starts to massage them.
"Oh my God that feels amazing!" I moan, closing my eyes and laying back on the arm rest, using it as a pillow I feel my dress ride up a little, but I don't really care. His hands on my feet feel amazing.
"I haven't had a massage in, well, never." I say. I hear him chuckle and work his way up to my ankle where the buckle was.
He smiles and says "Well, we'll just have to fix that, won't we? Do you want to go get changed into something more comfortable and go to bed? I can leave if you want me to." He looks at me intently. What the fuck is with his intensity?
I'm silent for a few moments. I need some time to think about the other question. Do I want him to leave? No. Do I want him to stay? Yes, but I don't even know him and his intensity worries me. However, it wouldn't necessarily be a BAD thing to hook-up with him. Like I said before, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. I mean, hook-ups aren't unheard of here, or anywhere for that matter.
He reaches over and lifts me onto his lap again and lifts my chin, so I look him in the eye. "I can sleep here just as well as back at my room." He says, motioning to the couch.
I feel an involuntary shiver run down my spine giving me goosebumps. I'm not sure if it's from the AC or if it's from his close proximity. Thinking it over I decide. Why not?
"I don't even know where I'm sleeping. There are two bedrooms and the couch out here. I don't know where Kate or Ana are sleeping. I'm going to go change. I have sweats you can borrow, but I sincerely doubt they will fit you." I say, laughing. "I also have t-shirts but those definitely won't fit you. I was trying to help so you didn't have to sleep in jeans. But the only other thing available are the robes in the bathrooms. They're plush. You'd look like a giant teddy bear!" I laugh at the image.
He smiles, "Giant teddy bears can be a wonderful thing. Just you watch. Go get changed. I'll be here waiting."
He stands up, with me in his arms and sets my feet on the floor. I walk away toward the bedroom where I left my clothes and tiptoe into the room, not sure where anyone is sleeping. Leaving the door open for light, I discover the room is empty. Well, this makes things easier.
Throwing on a camisole and a pair of shorts, I head into the bathroom and wash my face of the grime from the day. I feel so much better. As I walk out, I grab a plush bathrobe for him, more as a joke than anything but he should be more comfortable than in his jeans and boots. I walk out of the bedroom and into the great room and see Alex standing in front of the window, he turns and watches me walk toward him.
"It's beautiful up here, isn't it?" I comment, not really a question but more of a statement.
He reaches out and touches my hand, closing his around it and we just stand in silence for a few moments. Turning to me, he pulls me into his arms and comments, "Yes, you are. Shall we?" He asks, nodding to the couch and seeing the robe in my hand he laughs, "You weren't joking were you?"
I smile, wink and say, "I love stuffed animals, especially giant teddy bears. I'll be right back. I'm going to get some water. Do you want anything?"
"Just you. Hurry back." He says in a deep husky voice.
My legs are wobbly as I head to the kitchen and grab two bottles of water just in case he changes his mind. When I return, he's sitting on the couch again. He's taken off his boots, jeans and t-shirt and is wearing only his undershorts, the robe and a smile. He looks yummy. I set the bottles on the table in front of the couch and sit down next to him.
"You look like a giant polar bear, absolutely snuggable." I say giggling.
"I'm not sure that's a word, but I like snuggable." He laughs.
"Are you tired?" I ask. He turns his head and looks at me.
He replies, "Yes and no. Yes I'm tired but no not tired enough to sleep. Does that make sense?" He asks with a smile.
"Yes, it actually does. I feel the same way." I say, reaching for a bottle of water. I unscrew the cap and take a long drink. The cool liquid tastes really good after the rum and coke earlier. I need to hydrate so I don't get a hangover in the morning. "You want some?" I ask, holding out the bottle. "I don't think I'll ever look at a bottle of water the same again." I laugh. He shakes his head and as I reach to put it back on the table I feel his eyes on me, then his hand on my ass. I flinch and my body involuntarily tenses up but don't move away. He removes his hand and puts both of them on my waist, lifting me onto his lap and I'm straddling him once again. He turns my chin to face him again, looking at me intently.
"I really enjoy being with you Rhi. By the way, what is that short for?" He asks, curiosity filling his eyes.
I laugh, I get that a lot. Thanks dad. "It's short for Rhiann, which in turn is also short for Rhiannon, from Fleetwood Mac. I like Rhi. It suits me better. I feel like I'm in trouble when my full name is used. I've heard that A LOT my entire life, starting as far back as I can remember, which is around 2 years old." I respond laughing at the memory. I'm not ready to share so I don't elaborate. Pausing for a moment, I'm unsure of what I'm about to say. "I enjoy being with you too, Alex. I want to thank you again for inviting us to the show. We really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed it. Thank you." I smile and kiss him on the cheek.
Alex POV
She seems a little jumpy at times. I didn't mean to startle her when we first got here. She was so quiet and deep in thought I knew it would happen and there was no way to avoid it. I suppose I could have said her name before I touched her. Oh well, it's too late now.
I hear a noise behind me and when I turn around I see Rhi walking out of the bedroom in shorts and a cami top. I swallow hard when I look at her. Oh my. She looks hot. She's washed her face and looks refreshed and she's so beautiful and I can't take my eyes off her. My eyes drift to her hands and I see that she's carrying a plush robe with her and I have to laugh. She wasn't joking when she said there was one. It looks pretty big and I bet if she were to wear it she would disappear.
When she leaves to go get some water I take the opportunity to discard my boots, jeans and t-shirt in exchange for the fluffy white robe and await her return. I feel like a schoolboy, giddy with anticipation waiting for her return and reaction, and when she does she's smirking and I have to laugh at her reaction to me in the robe.
"You look like a giant polar bear, absolutely snuggable." She says with a giggle.
I love that sound. "I'm not sure that's a word, but I like snuggable." I reply, laughing.
She moves to partially stand up to take a drink and I can't resist touching her perfect ass, but when I do she flinches slightly and her body tenses up like she's fighting some internal battle. I want to put her at ease and I want to cuddle with her so I grab her by the waist and lift her up so she's straddling me on my lap. Whoa, this feels amazing. So much more intense than when I'm wearing my jeans. She lays her head on my chest and wraps her arms around me and sighs. After a few minutes of silence I look down at her, move her hair out of the way and see that her eyes are closed and her breathing is slow and steady. I think she fell asleep. She shifts slightly and I struggle to maintain control of myself. My God, what has she done to me?
I smile and chuckle. "That didn't take long, did it?" I whisper.
Standing up with her in my arms, I carry her into the bedroom. The bed is still made so I struggle to hold her and pull down the bedding without dropping her. Talk about a rude awakening!
I run my thumb down her cheek and quietly say, "Hey, Rhi, wake up for a minute. I need to get you under the covers so you can sleep."
She mumbles something and slowly opens her eyes. God she's sexy looking at me like that. How am I going to sleep with her next to me, half naked in the same bed? I just want to touch her and feel her, every inch of her.
I whisper again, "Rhi, climb in. I'll be right behind you."
Wordlessly, she gets on her hands and knees and crawls across the bed and lays down. Fuck, it's going to be a long night. I think to myself, sliding into bed behind her. I roll onto my side behind Rhi and put my hands on her waist pulling her into me and I place my arm under her pillow and hold her close. She smells exquisite, her shampoo and whatever body wash she uses create an intoxicating scent that fills my head.
There's just enough light so I can see her silhouette in front of me. We lay like this for who knows how long and just when I start to drift to sleep, I feel her stir. She rolls over to face me, her hand touching my cheek and draping her leg over me. If we were naked I'd be inside her in a heartbeat. Rolling over onto my back, I pull her with me so she's laying on top of me. She puts her chin on her hands and gazes at me.
"Hi." I say to her and smile.
"Hello yourself." she responds. "Did you get any sleep?"
I laugh, "Rhi, we've only been in here for about 45 minutes. I've been laying here listening to you breathe. You snore." I tease her.
She sits up quickly. "What? I do not snore!"
I sit up suddenly and hold her to my chest. "You're right, you don't snore. But you are a restless sleeper. You woke me just as I was falling asleep." I wink at her.
I place my hands on either side of her face, lean down, and hesitate, silently asking for permission to kiss her. She nods and closes her eyes and leans up to kiss me. I feel her soft lips touch mine and I slowly kiss her. I kiss her lips, her cheeks, her forehead then back to her lips. Gently, I nudge her lips with my tongue, and pull back waiting for a response. She opens her mouth and slowly pushes her tongue out from between her lips. I take this as a signal to continue kissing her, reveling in the taste of her sweet mouth. God she's an amazing kisser! She's so timid and I'm afraid of moving too fast and being too aggressive. How am I going to hide the effect she has on me? Surely she can feel me getting hard just kissing her, she can't be that oblivious. Slowly, she slightly lifts herself up and slides back. Fuck! I bet she's wet and I think she wants this as much as I do but I'm holding back. I'll leave it up to her but holy fuck I want to be inside her. Our kisses become more heated and erotic. Our tongues clash in a battle for dominance. I can't do this much longer without some release. I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her closer to me, pushing her down onto me slightly and hold her there. I want her to feel what she's doing to me. She leans in closer to me, kissing me deeper than before and she moves her arms to brace herself on the wall behind me. My hands are still at her waist, but with her hands braced on the wall I take advantage of the opportunity and run my hands up her sides slowly and I know I'm giving her goosebumps, which I can guarantee her nipples are hardening too, if they're not already. Leaning back, she straightens up and looks up at me, and I can see the heat in her eyes.
"Do you want this?" I ask her, my voice husky. "I don't want you to think this is all I want. My God do I ever want this, but I am ok waiting too. You're worth the wait." I'm sure that's something that's been on her mind. "I want more, more of you, only you."
Holding her face in my hands I kiss her again, softly, like our first kiss. I hope I'm conveying that I mean what I said.
She looks up at me puzzled, "What do you mean?"
"What do I mean? I fell for you the moment I saw you in the hotel lobby. I know you're just here on vacation and don't live here but we'll figure out everything as it comes. I know we just met and don't know each other very well, at all actually, but we can get to that as we go. Take all the time you need to think about it. I'll be here waiting." Wow, did I just say all that? It just came out in a rush of words and feelings, and I couldn't stop. I could definitely fall in love with her someday.
She's quiet. Too quiet. What did I just do? Did I ruin everything by telling her how I felt?
"I hope I don't or didn't scare you off." I say, concern in my voice. "I apologize if I did or made you feel uncomfortable. That was not my intention. I just want you to know this isn't the only thing I want."
There, I hope that made more sense. She looks at me, with a sad look on her face, looking like she's struggling if she should say something. Something must be bothering her.
"What is it? What's on your mind?" I ask, running my thumb down her cheek, encouraging her to talk.
She sighs, "You can have any woman you want, and I'm sure you get tons of women throwing themselves at you. It must be very tempting to take up the offers. How can I compete with that?"
I look at her, and slowly let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding.
Finally, I say, "You can't. There's no competition there. You will win, hands down, any day, against anyone. Yes, I get offers quite often, but you can ask any of the guys if I've ever done anything. I wasn't even planning on you coming into my life, but first thing this morning and Bam! there you were, and I've been in a tailspin ever since. I can't let you get away. I can't let you leave. I want you with me. I enjoy taking care of you and treating you right. The way you should be treated." There's a long pause of silence that feels like eternity.
She finally breaks her silence, "You don't even know me. I have a lot of issues I'm working through. Kate and Ana are helping me deal with them. It'll take me some time." She says and looks down. I grasp her chin and pull her face up to look at me.
She pauses briefly then, with tears in her eyes, whispers, "I don't know. I need some time. Please don't hurt me. I can't go through that again."
Oh my God, those four words are heartbreaking. What the fuck has she been through? I lean down and hold her face in my hands.
"I wouldn't dream of hurting you. Ever." I whisper and I kiss her tenderly again.
I pull her to me again and decide not to do anything except just hold her. Sex can wait. I need to make sure she knows I'm not just saying words. I need to prove I mean them. I lay her down, wrap my arms around her and cover us with the blanket.
"Let's get some sleep." I whisper and close my eyes; my mind is buzzing with the things she said. I'll try not to think about it too much tonight, I'll deal with it later.