KING: Las Vegas Bad Boys(21)

I breathe a huge sigh of relief at her words. My mom is able to make me leaving as un-dramatic as possible, and I appreciate it. I was about to make it this huge ordeal that neither of us would recover from.

“Mama doesn’t have friends,” Sophia says, laughing. “She just has us.”

I finish the braid and pat the top of her head, trying to not let her words hit me too hard in the chest. Mom watches me sadly, probably able to use X-ray vision to see the lump that seems to have formed in my throat, the tears insisting on springing to my eyes. She’s mentioned plenty of times that I’m too protective, too private. That I need to bring my friends around and let them into my life.

The thing is, if I let people in, they might hurt me. And I don’t want that, I don’t think I can even handle that. Not after everything with Sophia’s dad.

So I keep people at arm’s length. That way no one can hurt Sophia or me.

But it seems that if I’m going to do this job, Landon and I might end up getting a lot more personal than I’m used to.

The paycheck would make it worth it. And still, I can get personal without telling him about my daughter.

“Well,” I tell Sophia. “I think I do have a new friend. And Gram is right, I’m going on a trip with him.”

“Good,” Sophia says, patting my arm. “Mrs. Nightingale says having friends help us share and practice being nice, and makes our lives better.”

“Sounds like your teacher is pretty smart,” my mom says. “And it looks like your mom’s trip will help her learn all sorts of things.”

Looking at the clock on the microwave, I realize it’s time to go. My mom hands me the already assembled school snack. I get the backpack. Sophia finds her windbreaker. All three of us head for the door.

We are a unit, a family that works together, seamlessly. My life wouldn’t work without the two of them, and I think that us being here has kept my mom happy since my dad died.

Sophia runs out the door, and I pause before following.

“You’ll be okay for a week with Sophia?” I ask.

“Honey, I think you need to remember what it means to have a friend.”

“Landon isn’t a friend-friend. He just needs my help.”

“Call it what you like, but he’s offered you a trip to the place you’ve wanted to go your entire life. Remember those waltz lessons and those embroidered pillows you used to make? Our whole house was filled with them. Go play, be happy.”

I help Sophia buckle up in her booster seat, and then I get in the car and leave the condo parking lot. Looking in the rearview mirror, I watch Sophia.

Leaving her will be hard, but maybe Mom is right. Maybe it’s time I learn how to live.





Landon


After Claire leaves the suite I feel like the fucking King I know I can be. The King I want to be. No one in my family expects shit from me, but just this once I’m going to show up and prove them all wrong.

I may be a cocky prick, but I’m not going down without a fight. Geoffrey thinks he can take this company because he’s plays the part of a fucking puppet to our father? Well, just wait until I show up, and start fighting for something I never knew I wanted.

The hardest part about this trip will be the distraction that Claire is. But thankfully she doesn’t seem as timid as she was last night. This morning, before the job opportunity flashed through my mind, we had amazing sex again.

And I intend to have more of it. Hell, she is my fiancée, after all.

Of course there will be no requirements on sex this week. She can do what she wants with her body—but now that she’s tasted me, felt me, been filled by me, no way in hell will she deny me.

After falling back asleep for several hours—because that woman woke me at an ungodly hour—I shower. Then I pull out my laptop, ready to book the tickets. Before I click purchase, I realize I should confirm with Claire that she is 100% in on this.

“Hello,” she says on the third ring. Her voice seems distracted, but I don’t ask questions. I may be taking her home as my bride-to-be, but we aren’t exactly old chums. Asking about her emotional well-being seems a bit … I don’t know, intimate.

“It’s Landon. I wanted to be sure you were one hundred percent committed before I bought the tickets. I don’t want to ... presume.”

“You don’t want to presume that I’m the sort of girl who likes to cheat and lie to people’s parents in an effort to make lots of money?”

“Exactly.”

“Well, don’t worry about my moral code. I’m all in.” I hear music playing that reminds me of an old Disney movie, and I swear a child is crying.