Bet Me Something (Something Series Book 3) (3 page)

He sighed
heavily. “Taking your mother out of the equation, what do you want?”

Great question.
I wished I had a good answer. “I have no clue. My grand plan for the moment is
to get back to my apartment, turn off my brain, and spend the rest of the
weekend in blissful denial—which may start with a strong drink or, like, four,
on the plane.” I wondered when he was returning to Los Angeles, but figured
with him flying in last night, he probably wasn’t ready to go home tonight.

He glanced over
but said nothing.

Once we got
closer to the airport, I noticed that we weren’t heading towards departures. “Where
are we going?”

“To the private
terminal and my plane.” Colby often took his company jet for travel.

“You’re returning
to LA, too?” Could I help it if my heart started to beat faster that we might
be flying back together?

Flashing those
dimples, which in all fairness should be a registered sexual weapon, he shook
his head. “Not yet. First I’m taking you to Vegas.”

Even after all
these years of knowing Colby, I couldn’t be trusted to speak full, coherent
sentences after happily suffering from his PDG. “Uh, what?”

“If you crave
blissful denial, where better to do it than in Vegas? I have to be there for
work on Monday anyhow, and after your shitty day, you deserve a fun weekend.
Then we can head out to LA, where you can do the serious thinking soon enough.”

I was speechless
that he’d do this for me. Briefly I thought of my mother’s reaction if she
found out I’d gone off for the weekend with him, but what the hell? As if she
needed to know. Wasn’t I entitled to forget about my problems for a couple of
days? And wasn’t I a grown woman? How quickly I forgot that fact when I was at
home. Most importantly, this could well be the last opportunity to spend alone
time with Colby, a final chance to up my game and put things out there once and
for all.

“Uh, your
silence is freaking me out especially since you always have something to say.”

My mouth curved
into a grin. “You’re being serious? We’d fly there now?”

“Hell, yes. My
suite has two bedrooms, not to mention a hot tub on the patio. It’s Saturday
night, and the three hour time difference works in our favor. If we take off
now, we’ll be there by seven o’clock easily and can stay out as late as you
wish because the party definitely never stops there. Then tomorrow, I’ll tour
you around the city. On Monday I have meetings in the morning, but we can fly back
to LA later in the afternoon.”

The tales about
Colby in Vegas were absolutely legendary. Not that he or my brother knew half
of what I’d overheard throughout the years, but the man had definitely earned
his reputed manwhore stripes in Sin City. If I was looking for a mind-numbing
good time, rumor was there was no one better to go with.

Once we got out
of the car, Colby greeted a man who took the keys and then spoke with another
man who evidently was the pilot. He didn’t appear fazed when Colby told him he needed
to take off a couple hours earlier than planned.

Finally, after
dealing with the logistics, Colby went around to the trunk and pulled out our
suitcases. “I’ll call Marcia, my hotel concierge, once we board and tell her
your size. She’ll get you a party dress for tonight.”

Sometimes I
forgot how wealthy he was. His father had started Gamble Enterprises, which
included the advertising agency that his older brother, Josh, oversaw and for
which my brother Brian worked. There was also a real estate business, which had
started with their flagship hotel in Vegas and expanded to several properties
in Mexico. And then there was Colby’s pride and joy: his movie production
company based in Los Angeles. I’d once read the group of companies were worth
over twenty billion dollars, but to me, the owners would always be the Singer
brothers from next door.

Walking over to
where we’d board his private jet, unfortunately, Rebecca’s poisonous words started
to cause some doubt. I stopped before taking a step up, causing him to turn
towards me and quirk a brow.

“Can we come to
an understanding about this trip?”

“About what?” He
suddenly looked apprehensive.

“Primarily, does
it mean I’m your girlfriend?” I deadpanned.

I immediately
regretted my joke when the color drained completely from his face. “Kenz, I—”

“Oh, my God, I
was only teasing. But this isn’t a pity trip, right?” Because the last thing I
needed was for him to feel sorry for me.

“Uh, more like a
maybe-you-need-to-clear-your-head-and-think-about-what-it-is-you-want-to-do
trip with the assistance of alcohol and yours truly.” He displayed his dimples
again. Jesus. How did a girl ever have a chance with those in the equation?

“Okay, so if
that’s the case, then you’re saying I’m not getting a chaperone on this trip.”

He lifted his
sexy brow again.

“In other words,
what if I want to get completely wasted tonight?” I wasn’t typically a heavy
drinker, but after the day I’d had, I think I was more than justified in
considering the idea.

He smiled
mischievously. “Ah, I get it. You want to know if I’m going to let you live it
up in Sin City or be a spoilsport.”

I nodded.
“Exactly.”

“I’ll even hold
your hair back tonight while you puke your guts out, sweetheart. Want to get a
tattoo or a piercing? Go for it. I’m totally nonjudging, especially in Vegas.”

Some of my
self-confidence was starting to flicker back to life after having taken such
blows from my mother and sister-in-law at the party. “So you don’t intend to
meet up with hordes of women there and leave me somewhere tonight, right?” There
was no way to sugarcoat it: Colby was a player. Women clamored over him for
both his looks and his money.

Something akin
to regret flashed in his features before he answered. “I shudder to think about
the tales you’ve heard, but I promise I’m there with you this weekend. Well,
not
with
you…”

I rolled my
eyes, annoyed he’d felt the need to clarify that point. “I get it. But what if
I meet a hot guy at a bar, you wouldn’t cockblock me, right?” I didn’t have any
intention of doing so, given that I’d have the opportunity to spend time with
Colby; however I couldn’t resist wondering what he thought of the idea.

He chuckled.
“Technically, I wouldn’t cockblock you, since he’s the one with the co—You know
what, girls aren’t supposed to use that term, anyhow. Wait, what are you
talking here? Dancing and flirting or taking him back to your room?”

“Dancing and
flirting. It takes a guy a lot more than one night to convince me to sleep with
him.” Yeah, like a whole lot more. Colby was unaware of my V card, and I
intended to keep it that way for now.

He looked
relieved, and I tried not to read anything into it.

“Okay, agreed.
Anything else?”

I shook my head.
“Just a big thank you for this. I’ve never been to Vegas,” I whispered, hugging
him tightly.

His strong arms
went around me. “Even more reason to take you, then. And there’s a purpose
behind the saying, ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.’ So if you want to go
wild, by all means.”

Oh, boy. If he
could read my mind, he’d see the sexual fantasy starring him running through
it. Maybe my school plans were derailed for the moment, but I did have this
weekend alone with him in Sin City. With one door closing, maybe I could gather
the courage to open another.

***

I would’ve been
more than happy to fly commercial, but I certainly wasn’t going to complain
about sharing Colby’s private jet. I’d grown up with money, but not the private-jet
type. Plus, the wealth belonged to my parents, and if ever I forgot about it
for a moment, my mother would be happy to remind me.

Deciding to put
off talking to her until after the weekend, I sent my dad a text message saying
I’d decided to spend the next couple of days with friends and would call them
on Monday. It would go over like a lead balloon when my mom found out, but for
once, I didn’t care. She may be able to manipulate me financially into moving
home, however my time wasn’t a commodity she could control. So I had every
intention of enjoying a couple of days of unabashed fun with absolutely no
plan. I’d never done something like this before and found the prospect
thrilling.

Las Vegas upon
first glance was impressive. Twinkling lights everywhere in different colors
against a painted sky of pink and yellow with the sun going down. And that
assessment was only from the car window on the way from the airport. The
illumination from the city shined brightly as we were driven to the hotel.

Upon check-in we
were treated like rock stars, and I received a quick tour of the lobby and
casino, both of which boasted beautiful chandeliers and upscale decor. Being
with the owner certainly had its perks I discovered when we were handed glasses
of champagne. Hotels might be more of his older brother’s gig, but it became
clear Colby was proud to be an owner, too.

“This place is
awesome,” I breathed as we stepped onto the elevator.

“Thanks. The
remodel five years ago really gave it more of an classy boutique feel, and the
casino is top rated. What do you feel like doing?”

“Gamble, food,
drinks.”

He smiled.
“Sounds like a plan. Let’s head up to the room and change.”

The suite was large
and beautifully decorated, with a full bar, dining room, and sunken living room.
My bedroom boasted a king-sized bed and an impressive view of the Strip. When I
opened up my closet, it was full of designer brands.

Colby peeked his
head in. “Everything to your liking?”

I sighed. “Yeah,
everything is great, but, um, what happened to only the one party dress?”
Despite being financially independent-less—was that even a word? I never wanted
him to think I’d take advantage of his money or generosity.

He smiled.
“Think of it as part of your graduation present, then think of it no more. Now
get your butt dressed in something fancy, so we can go to dinner, then out
afterward.”

Well, when he
put it that way, how could a girl possibly say no? His concierge had excellent
taste in clothing, and I tried not to get physically ill at the high price tags
still attached. Instead, I would enjoy the sexy, black cocktail dress that
hugged my body, making it look like I had curves to complement my five-foot-ten
frame. The shoes were stunning, adding three more inches to my height. I may
not have a lot of fashion sense, but I recognized the ensemble she’d put
together was smokin’.

A short time
later, after suffering through the whole makeup ordeal which I only endured for
special occasions, I stepped into the suite’s main area to see Colby looking
handsome in a suit, sans the tie.

When he smiled
at me, I was glad I’d taken some extra time with my appearance, which included
putting some curl into my long, blond hair and leaving it loose down my back.

“You look
pretty,” he complimented, taking my arm and leading me out to the elevator.

Damn. He said
pretty
,
something you’d compliment your mother or sister with. Not beautiful, not hot,
not sexy. Maybe he did truly think of me as only a friend. “Thanks. You look
very nice yourself.”

 “We have about
thirty minutes to kill before our dinner reservation, so I thought we’d try our
luck at the casino first?”

“Sounds good.”

As he led me to
the craps table, he explained the rules. It was fun to watch, and luckily the
section of the casino he took me to wasn’t very crowded. Considering the
hundred dollar minimum, I quickly figured out why. We didn’t stay long as the
roulette wheel caught my attention next. Colby pulled out a crisp one hundred
dollar bill and handed it to the dealer for chips.

“What’s your
bet, Kenz?”

I wasn’t sure I
liked the idea of losing money, so I was conservative. “Um, ten on red and ten
on even.”

“Ah, taking the
safe approach, I see.” He winked at the dealer, who was a pretty brunette.
“I’ll put the rest on lucky number seven, please.”

Mesmerized, I
stared at the wheel spinning around. Then, poof, his money was gone, but I’d
hit on red. I smiled, despite only breaking even.

He pulled out
another hundred as if they were one-dollar bills. “All or nothing. Pick one
number.” The challenge in his eyes spurred me on.

“Okay, but we
need to sweeten the deal, and I need at least three numbers, so I have a better
chance.”

His interest was
instantly piqued. “Oh, yeah, you want a side bet?”

It was tempting
to put it all out there, offering up a reward such as a kiss, however we were
amongst a small group of strangers, and I hadn’t had enough alcohol yet for
liquid courage. “What do you have in mind?” I’d hoped my tone implied a glimmer
of seduction, but he merely shook his head with a smile.

“How about if I
win, I choose what we do tonight after dinner? And if you win, it’s lady’s
choice.”

My eyes widened
with the possibilities. “Anything?”

Apprehension
clouded his features. “Um…what did you have in mind?”

One of the men
beside him decided to add his own commentary. “I could come up with a few
ideas.” His gaze leered towards me, making it clear what those thoughts
entailed.

Colby glared at
him. “Have some respect. She’s like my sister.”

The man raised a
brow. “If you say so.”

“I definitely
do. She grew up next door to me and is my good friend’s little sister.”

When Colby
focused back on me, my cheeks were burning with embarrassment. Did he have to
give the guy a biography? I turned towards the dealer. “You know what? Put the
entire thing on the number two. It’ll make me feel good to waste his money,
after all.”

“I was only
trying to reiterate—”

My annoyance
spilled over. “I get it, he gets it—Hell, the whole table gets it with your
ten-minute explanation to ensure everyone is aware I’m like a
little sister
to you.”