Tempting the Crown(240)
This morning she wondered if it had been a fantasy she concocted. Some kind of strange syndrome that developed because she lived under their roof, but it felt real. It felt incredibly erotic with them under her spell.
She bit her lip, twisting it under her teeth. Would it happen again? Did they want her that way? To share? It made her panties wet thinking about it. She felt the warmth on her nipples as they tingled with the memory.
“Abby?” Deacon jarred her. “Are you comfortable?”
“Umm, yes. Everything is fine. I’m very comfortable.” She clutched the champagne, hoping it would cool her.
“Good,” Cole added. He typed furiously on his keyboard.
She had brought her sketch pad with her for the trip. She had spent the week working on the final touches for the design concept. She liked having something tangible in her hands. There was something about creating it herself without the help of a computer.
In a perfect world, she would be drawing all the time. One day she’d open a studio. Until then, she used her art in the business world. Logos. Letterhead. Websites. She put her skills to use any way she could to make money.
Unlike Cal, she wanted a career that didn’t involve lies or cheating. He had made her cross more lines in the name of money than she could count. As soon as she was done with HiTech Global, she was going to leave Chicago. Cal would never pull her back into that old life again.
The cameras came out of nowhere.
“Deacon! Cole! What is the big announcement for the conference?”
“What do you plan to tell the shareholders tomorrow?”
“Who is your friend?”
Abby’s head whipped in one direction and then another as the reporters threw out questions in the lobby of the Rapture Resort. She held up a hand to protect her eyes from the constant flashes.
Deacon stepped in front of her, shielding her from the barrage.
Cole’s hand slipped in hers as he whispered in her ear, “We’ve got you. Just keep walking and we’ll be in the penthouse in just a minute. They’re just curious.”
She plastered a smile on her face and walked, feeling steady with his hand in hers and Deacon keeping her protected from the mob of reporters.
“What surprises do you have?”
“Any big concerts this year?”
The reporters followed them to the gold elevators. Deacon grinned. “You’ll just have to see tomorrow. Thanks for coming out. We have big news for you tomorrow.”
He waved as the doors closed.
“Oh my God.” Abby felt the breath she had been holding escape.
“You ok?” Cole asked.
She nodded. “I had no idea it was going to be like this. Do you deal with this all the time?”
Deacon chuckled. “When we are together or have press events. We seem to have a way of drawing a crowd.”
She realized Cole was still holding her hand. She didn’t let it go.
The doors retracted and deposited them in the penthouse suite of the Rapture.
Abby’s jaw dropped. She’d never seen anything like it in her life.
Deacon walked to the bar. “I think our first day in Vegas calls for a celebration.” He poured a round of drinks and handed one to Abby and then Cole.
“What should we toast to?” Cole asked, holding his glass in the air.
Abby felt the heat of their stares fall on her. She was at a loss for words. They had a way of making that happen. Being around them lately made her feel like she had so much to learn about herself.
“To a mutually successful weekend.” Deacon winked.
Cole laughed. “In every way.”
Abby knew she was blushing. “Yes. To your happy shareholders. And to as many donations as we can get for the foundation.”
She sipped the vodka before choking. It was straight. She stared at Deacon. “You didn’t add a mixer?”
“It’s Vegas, baby. We drink the most expensive liquor there is. I’m not going to ruin it with watered down soda.”
The elevator chimed behind them. The valet entered the suite with two brass carts full of luggage. Cole handed him a hundred and sent him back to the lobby.
“You’re a generous tipper,” Abby complimented him.
“I’m generous in a lot of ways.”
“I’m sure.” She stepped around him, reaching for her bag. “I think I’ll find my room and change.”
“We have a working lunch meeting in half an hour, but we’ll be back in plenty of time to take you to the cocktail reception. Douglas packed something short and elegant for you,” Deacon explained. “Wear it.”
Abby felt her back stiffen. “You don’t trust me to choose my own clothes?”
“It’s not that he doesn’t trust you.” Cole walked next to her, brushing the hair from her shoulder. “It’s that he likes it when he can see your legs. I do too.”