When I’d gotten off the plane in Vegas, my friends and I in a ride-share on the way to the hotel, I didn’t expect this week to be anything more than just fun—partying, hangovers, tanning by the pool.
But it had turned into so much more.
And now that we were on our last day here, flying out tomorrow morning, I was devastated that this trip was coming to an end.
Mostly for one reason.
A reason I didn’t want to admit.
Jenner.
Monica had seen this coming, like it was a celebrity alert broadcasted across the world. She wanted this for me—she wanted us to work.
But there were so many factors that went into play. Long-distance was only one. Relationships were hard enough. Living on opposite sides of the country, constantly missing each other, felt impossible.
Besides, Jenner hadn’t even hinted that he wanted anything to happen beyond this trip. We had exchanged phone numbers, and that was the extent of our commitment, but we were still hanging out almost nonstop. I’d spent every night in his bed, and now, both of our crews were at the pool together, celebrating our final day.
The guys had rented a cabana, and waitresses kept it filled with appetizers and liquor and mixtures. Even though we were all partying as a group, Jenner’s attention was never far from me.
Neither were his hands.
As we stood in the shallow end, they were circling my lower back, tracing the bottom of my bikini.
“What time is your flight tomorrow?” I asked him—a question I’d avoided until now because it felt so final.
But I needed to prepare myself.
“The plane should be here around one.”
I wasn’t surprised he was flying private. I would have been surprised if he wasn’t.
“If you were on the way,” he said, “we’d give you and your friends a lift home.”
I loved how he treated private flying like it was an Uber.
“What time do you take off?”
I pressed my back against his chest, holding in my breath, feeling the coarseness of his dark hairs and the hardness of his pecs. “Our flight is at nine.” I sighed. “I’m not a fan of anything early, but the girls wanted to be back at a decent time to get in some last-minute homework.”
I almost cringed when I said that—another reminder of how young I was compared to him.
I stared at the girls, who were trying to keep up with his guys, guzzling vodka under this wicked heat. “I think it’s going to be a rough morning.” I laughed.
“I don’t think you’re wrong.”
He turned me around, placing my back against the side of the pool, surrounding me in his arms. His cold, wet lips found mine. I could taste the liquor on his tongue, the neediness in his grip. The fire that was building between our bodies.
“Mmm,” I moaned the second he pulled his mouth away.
It didn’t matter how many times I had this man inside me—even if it was three times a day, like we’d been averaging; it wouldn’t be enough. I’d gone to bed last night after cowgirl. I’d woken up to doggy style this morning.
Yet now, just a few hours later, I was fantasizing about what position he would put me in this afternoon.
He held my chin as he asked, “Do you girls have plans for dinner?”
Monica had tossed around a few ideas but hadn’t made a reservation.
“Nope,” I replied.
He pulled my lip into his mouth, biting the end before he released it. “We’re going for sushi, and we have a private room. I can easily add four more to the table.” His hands dipped to my ass, circling my cheeks. “And we also have tickets to see The Weeknd tonight. If you want to come”—he nuzzled his face in my neck—“I can score those for you too.”
“You’re kidding.”
A man with endless connections.
I found that so incredibly sexy.
“This isn’t the only hotel I’ve opened on the Strip.” He pulled his face back, his lips now close to mine. “My job earns me perks all over the world.”
“You’re a lucky guy.”
He sighed. “I work hard for it. Trust me.”
“I don’t doubt it one bit.” I smiled. “Fair warning: Monica is going to die when she hears this. She’s obsessed with The Weeknd.” I turned around, facing her back, watching her in deep conversation with Max. “Hey, Mon,” I said, waiting for her to give me her attention. “Want to go for sushi tonight with the guys?”
She nodded. “Sounds yummy to me.”
“And how about going to The Weeknd concert after?”
Her eyes widened. “Shut up. You’re not serious. I tried to get us tickets, and they were just so ridiculously priced. I couldn’t swing it.”
I’d wanted so badly to buy them as her graduation gift, but Monica wouldn’t even let me think about it.
Now that she was getting to go anyway, I couldn’t be more excited.
“I have club-level seats,” Jenner said to her. “With backstage passes.” He nodded toward Max and added, “Max represents him.”
She shook her head. “I can’t even.” Waves lapped onto my chest as she hurried over to us. “I might propose to you right now,” she said to Jenner, giggling. “Is this real? Or am I dreaming? Because I don’t think I’ve emphasized enough that The Weeknd is my favorite artist of all time.”
“It’s happening,” I told her. “You just have to say yes.”
“Yesss!” she screamed over the music in the pool, and people nearby looked in our direction. “Hell yes!”
“What’s going on?” Lex asked, moving closer, Courtney joining her.
“We’re all going to The Weeknd concert tonight,” I replied.
“Whaaa?” Courtney said. “We are?”
“Oh, we are, girlfriend. We are,” Monica told her.
I placed my arm across Jenner’s shoulders, his eyes already on me. “You’ve made my friends really, really happy.”
“And you?” His stare was boring through me.
I chewed on my bottom lip. “I think you know the answer to that.”
Monica joined the other two girls, squeeing so loud that I couldn’t stop laughing at them. But my demeanor immediately changed when Jenner’s mouth pressed against my neck, rising to my ear.
His hands continued their sexy assault across my body as he growled, “You’re going to have an amazing time tonight.”
He was making a promise.
One I didn’t doubt.
And one that proved to be true because hours later, when I was standing at the edge of the VIP box, staring into The Weeknd’s face, I couldn’t drop the smile from my lips.
I couldn’t stop dancing.
I couldn’t shake the tingling bursting through my body.
The Weeknd was belting out one of his most popular songs that Monica played on repeat in our apartment. My best friend was living her best life, and so were Court and Lex. The guys were moving around the box, eating the catered food, pouring drinks. And Jenner was behind me. Our bodies had been pressed together all night, swaying in sync like we had at the club.
“You weren’t lying,” I whispered to him after several songs. I pressed my face against his shoulder, inhaling his cologne, memorizing it. A scent that was spicy and crisp and unforgettable. “This is amazing.”
We were close enough that I could see the sweat on The Weeknd’s forehead, where the energy in the arena was pulsing through me, where I could feel the beat as though I were standing on a speaker.
But the concert wasn’t what made this night so special.
That was Jenner.
And this was an evening I would certainly remember forever.
“I’m glad I could do this for you.”
I gave him a quick kiss before Monica grabbed my hand and lifted it into the air, twirling me in a circle. Jenner released his grip on me, and Monica hugged me against her.
“I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun,” she said, dancing with me, finding our own rhythm. “But I have to tell you something. Whether you want to hear it or not, I just need to get it out.”
She was speaking directly in my ear, and I pulled back to look at her, trying to read her expression, judging where she was going to take this conversation.
“He’s the best.” She paused. “And the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”
There was a tightness in my chest, a throbbing reminder that after tomorrow morning, everything would be different.
“Monica …” I shook my head, not knowing what to say.
But I agreed with her.
I just didn’t want to admit it out loud.
I didn’t want to put that kind of weight on the future.
“Don’t fuck this up,” she warned.
I swallowed, staring at my best friend, my heart clutching.
“Promise me?”
I nodded, giving her the best answer I could, and then I wrapped my arm around her and ground my hips against hers, getting her mind back on the music.
But that wasn’t where mine was.
Mine was on Jenner.
“Good morning,” Jenner whispered against my forehead.
I stirred awake as I felt his words move across my skin, my eyes not even having to blink with the sun barely peeking through the long, heavy curtains.
I didn’t know what time we’d eventually crawled into his bed last night, but it wasn’t all that long ago. Once the concert had ended, Jenner’s limo had taken us back to the hotel, and we’d all spent several hours in the bar before Jenner and I came up here.
“Morning,” I grumbled, nuzzling into his neck, trying to find my bearings. Talking this early wasn’t one of my favorite things, but our time together was so limited. I leaned up, checking the clock on his nightstand. “Ugh, I have to leave soon.”
I rested my face against his chest, running my fingers through the small patches of hair, my lids closing as I tried to burn this memory into my head.
How he felt.
The warmth of his skin.
The feel of his body on mine.
Because the moment I left, I didn’t know if I would ever get this back.
Or if I would ever feel this way again.
But if I kept this as a memory, I could return to it whenever I needed, whenever I missed him.
Even though I already did.
“I’m not looking forward to saying good-bye,” I admitted, regretting it the second I finished speaking. I tilted my face up to look at him. “I just mean, I’ve had so much fun with you.”
His fingers ran across my cheek and into my hair. “You’re the best thing I never expected to find …”
I didn’t know what that meant.
But I liked the sound of it.
His hand lowered to my bare back, where he traced circles over my skin. The sound of his heart pattered against my ear, a drum that made me close my eyes and take in this moment again.
And every one we’d had together so far.
From the second we’d met in the sportsbook to the way he’d brought me up to his suite, the evenings we’d spent in this bed, and last night’s finale.
It had all gone by too fast.
How could I tell him I wanted to relive it all over again, that I wanted things to last beyond Vegas, when what we had was just fun, nothing more? Two people who had hooked up on vacation, and it had been the best sex of my entire life.
I needed to accept that.
To convince myself.
To repeat it in my head until I believed it.
“I should probably get going,” I whispered, pushing myself up, wanting to do just the opposite. “I still have to pack and round up the girls. I’m sure they’re still sleeping off their hangover.”
When Jenner and I had left the group, they had been doing shots in the bar. Something told me today was going to be a challenge in many ways.
He released me, and I got out of bed, finding my dress where I’d left it on the chair. I quickly slipped it on and hurried into the bathroom, taming down my hair and rinsing the smudged makeup from my face. I even took some of Jenner’s toothpaste and finger-brushed it over my teeth. When I came out, he was leaning against one of the chairs in a pair of gray sweats, a bottle of water in his hand, my clutch in the other.
He held the bag in my direction and said, “Come here.”
The second I was within reach, he pulled me against him, holding my face to his chest, like we were back in bed. My eyes closed, and my arms circled around him, gripping him with all my strength.
He kissed the top of my head. “Get home safe.”
I looked up, our eyes meeting, the room now starting to fill with morning light. “Thank you for the most incredible week.”
He pressed his lips to mine.
He never parted them.
He never gave me his tongue.
He just breathed me in, our mouths locked, his hands possessively rolling across my back, my shoulders, moving to my face, where he held my cheeks steady. His palms stayed there, keeping me in place, his thumbs pushing the sides of my lips, like he was trying to get me closer.
But that was impossible.
Not even air was separating us.
When he eventually pulled away, his stare continued to devour me, sending a jolt straight through my body.
“Go,” he demanded. “Before I make you miss your flight.”
I would never forget those words.
I tucked my clutch under my arm, my heart pounding in a way that reminded me of running, the last quarter of a mile when you just wanted to get home.
My throat was tightening.
Emotion was lifting, and I wasn’t sure why.
Or why I couldn’t stop it.
It had only been a week.
Such a minuscule amount of time.
How was it possible to feel this way, this ache that wouldn’t leave, this pain that wouldn’t lighten?
Before a tear fell, I took a step back and then another, turning to walk to the door. When I reached the knob, I faced him, the need to see him one last time so overwhelmingly strong.
He hadn’t moved.
Neither did his expression.
The only change was his eyes, the intensity of his gaze, like any second, he was going to pounce.
“Good-bye, Jenner.” My voice wasn’t any louder than a whisper.
Before he said anything, before he made a move that would stop me from leaving, I hurried down the hall, letting his door slam, and rushed inside the elevator.
The minute I hit the button for the top floor, the first tear fell. I wiped it away, knowing plenty more would follow. When the elevator arrived on my floor, I stepped out and rushed to our room, my chin quivering, my nose starting to run.
I heard silence the moment I opened our door.
I went into the master bedroom, the room I’d shared with Monica before staying with Jenner. I found her facedown on the bed, wearing the dress from last night. There were even heels still on her feet.
I flipped on the lights and sat on the edge of the bed, shaking her awake. “Mon, you have to get up. We need to go to the airport.”
“Ughhh,” she groaned, covering the side of her face. “I feel like death.”
“I know, but we have to get going.” I left her to grab my suitcase, lifting it onto the bed and opening it. “If we miss our flight, we’ll have to fly standby, and it’ll be a nightmare.”
“I can’t move.”
“But you must.”
I ran to the second bedroom, where Lex and Court were passed out in similar positions. “Ladies, get up!” I flipped on their lights as well, and they stayed still. “Move your butts, or we’re not going to make our flight.”
They moaned a reply I couldn’t understand.
“Fine, suit yourself. You’ll just have to spend the whole day at the airport, hungover and in hell, while you wait for an available flight.”
“Stooop,” Lex cried.
“I hate that she’s right,” Court grunted.
“You have less than thirty minutes, so haul ass.”
I went back into my room and opened the drawers of the dresser, taking out my clothes and dumping them into my suitcase.
“Jo,” Monica said as she sat up, squeezing her temples.
I avoided her eyes, making several more trips between the dresser and my suitcase.
“Jo,” she said again, louder, wincing from her headache. “Look at me.”
I didn’t want to, but I paused and faced her.
“Babe, do you want to talk about it?”
I shouldn’t be surprised. She knew me better than anyone.
I shook my head, slumping on top of the bed. “No. Yes. No.” I wrapped my arms around my stomach. “Fuck.”
“Come here.” She opened her arms, and I fell into her, the scent of booze filling my nose as she hugged me.
I hadn’t realized how badly I needed this.
“I know you’re not all right.”
The tears were back, flowing harder than before. “Not even close.”
“You care about him much more than you realized.”
“Yep. That.” My chest was so constricted; I didn’t know how I could get air in. “I told myself I had to be okay with this. It was a vacation fling, nothing more. I couldn’t have feelings beyond today.” I wiped my nose. “But I do, Mon.” I held the back of her dress, squeezing the material. “I just need the hurt to stop.”
She pulled away. “I wish I weren’t so hungover. I feel like I’d have all the words, but right now, I’m just trying not to throw up.”
“Don’t worry; this isn’t the last time we’re going to talk about him.”
She went to laugh and held her head with both hands. “Maybe we should miss our flight on purpose. What time is he leaving?”
“No.” I shook my head as I thought about her offer. “We said our good-bye, and it has to end sometime.” I took a breath. “Why not now, right?”
“Babe …”
But there was nothing she could say.
Nothing either of us could do.
We were headed back to Miami, Jenner was going to LA, and that was just the reality of our situation.
But I knew one thing for sure.
Feelings that developed in Vegas … didn’t stay in Sin City.