Her lips should come with a warning label. The second they touched his he forgot they weren’t alone, forgot they were newly married under contract, and forgot she was his employee. He couldn’t wait for the honeymoon phase to begin.
Bored with Vegas years ago, he rarely visited the city anymore. Now as he walked through the casino he saw it through fresh eyes, Katie’s eyes. Her excitement was contagious. Her face lit up as she took in the hoards of gamblers, flashing lights, and the musical sound of slot machines taking in and releasing coins.
She slowed down to try to get a closer look at the roulette wheel, but he pulled her along with him to the glass elevator. “There will be time for that later,” he said. “First, let’s take our bags to the suite. I need to make some calls, and I’m sure you’d like to freshen up.”
They traveled to the top floor in silence. He dropped their bags at his feet and fiddled with his phone. When he looked up, he saw Katie staring out at the casino from the great height. Wide and unblinking, her eyes sparkled as she visually took it all in.
Curious, he moved to stand behind her and looked over her shoulder at the scenery. The casino was lovely, yes. He hadn’t noticed before. From their vantage point they could see the fountain, potted shrubbery, and people moving from one game of chance to the next. His hands rested on her shoulders as they enjoyed the view together.
When they reached the suite, he used the card key to open the door while she waited patiently beside him. She was about to step inside. He stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Shall I carry you over the threshold?”
“No!” she snapped.
His grin evaporated. “I was joking.”
“Sorry. I don’t mean to be a shrew. It’s just...”
He sighed. “You’re thinking about Phillip.”
“This is harder than I thought it would be, the wedding, all the attention, being your wife.”
A muscle worked in his cheek, and his jaw tightened. “And the idea of sleeping with me?”
“No.” She shrugged. “Actually, that part doesn’t bother me.”
She answered a bit too quickly, and he knew she’d given it some thought. That knowledge made him grin from ear to ear.
She added, “I just meant I don’t find you utterly unattractive. You aren’t exactly a toad.”
He entered the suite ahead of her. “Well now, don’t feed my ego too much. I wouldn’t want to get conceited.”
She gasped at the sight of the luxurious room, and he wondered if it was her first time in a five-star hotel. It was nice to see the stuff he took for granted through the eyes of someone else. He watched her walk through the sitting area to the French-style doors that led to the balcony, and he heard her delighted gasp as she looked at the city view.
“Wait until you see it at night, all lit up,” he said. “Order anything you want from room service or grab something from the mini-bar. I need to make some calls.”
She spent the next hour in the master bedroom and bathroom while he worked. There were a lot of things he needed to get done even though he wasn’t in the office. He paced and talked on the phone, trying to keep his mind on work and not on the beautiful creature in the next room.
His brain argued with his gut, his heart, and another part of his anatomy over whether to take her to bed now or later. Maybe he should give her one more night to get use to the idea. He should probably take her out to a romantic dinner first. Perhaps some flowers, champagne, and candlelight would get her in the right frame of mind.
He’d obviously need to coax her into bed, seduce her like he would a virgin. Katie wasn’t the type to have sex with a man she didn’t love. Even though they were doing it to make a baby, he wanted her to enjoy the act itself.
The bedroom door popped open, and Katie posed for him. Still wearing the sexy black dress, she’d removed her boots. On bare feet she crossed the carpet with purpose, took the phone from his hand, and tossed it onto the nearby sofa. His jaw dropped. What had gotten into her? Every time he thought he knew her and what to expect, she changed.
She captured his face between her hands and kissed him full on the mouth. That started his engine. He quickly became the aggressor. His arms slid around her, and he pulled her closer. Passion ignited in his soul. He couldn’t think straight if his life depended on it... and perhaps it did. He’d never met a woman like her before.
His teeth nibbled on her lower lip, teasing, before his tongue tried to push past it.
That seemed to wake her up. Something close to an electric shock zapped through him, and he realized his hands were on her thighs. They moved up, taking the hem of her dress with them. If she didn’t stop him soon, he’d be making love to her on the sofa.
He wanted their first time to be special so she wouldn’t feel used or disrespected in the morning.
Chapter Four
Katie knew she needed to take charge before he did. Tonight was about sex, pure and simple. It was about conceiving a child. Although she was trying hard to convince him she was a worldly woman and went to bed with whomever she chose, she didn’t. The idea of having sex after keeping to herself for so many years made her extremely anxious. She almost expected her knees to start knocking together like in a cartoon. It wasn’t that she didn’twantto have sex with him. What woman wouldn’t want to fall into bed with Chase?
The wine he gave her loosened her tongue, and she blurted out, “I haven’t had sex since Phillip got sick and couldn’t...”
Surprise registered in Chase’s eyes. “But that was four years ago.”