Meadowlarks 3 : Endless (20 page)

“Flight 394 to Las Vegas will be boarding in ten minutes.”
The speaker above my head blasts.

Finally.

I grab my bag and my ticket and stand in the long line.

I’m stuck behind a giggling couple. They’re young. Like,
really
young. Probably eloping to some white chapel to get married by Elvis. The pretty redhead keeps whispering into her boyfriend’s ear, and kissing his neck. She turns and smiles at me just as she reaches down and squeezes his ass.

I don’t smile back.

The flight is long. Too long. The stupid giggling couple is seated right across from me too. Am I being punished for something? Having to sit and witness their love and cute-ness is going to make me fucking gag. I wish they’d fuck off and go join the Mile High club in the bathroom like most other horny couples on planes. At least I wouldn’t have to be subjected to this constant annoyance.

I lean back in the seat, plug in my earbuds and turn Leah’s voice on. It instantly soothes me, calms me…makes me forget about everything around. She grounds me—even when I’m thirty thousand feet in the air.

As we descend into the glittering Las Vegas horizon, I feel a pit in my stomach. A sickening feeling. Knowing Sara is out there somewhere. Neil said she was a brunette. Did she dye her hair to match Leah’s? The thought terrifies me. I have no idea what she could be capable of. Damn, Detective Soloman…damn me. I should have given him her name sooner. Maybe she’d be locked up in a nuthouse somewhere.

If Leah gets hurt…I’ll never forgive myself. Never.

The cab takes me to her hotel. Neil takes too long answering the door, and I push past him. “Where is she?”

“Still sleeping.” He points to the bed.

Leah’s curled into a pillow. Her hair scattered all behind her. She looks perfect.

I glance back at Neil. He’s only in boxers.

“Ugh, don’t even, man. Gay, remember. I love that girl. But the thought of boobs makes me want to hurl.”

I smirk. “You’re lucky.”

“You’re the lucky one. I don’t know why she’s so crazy for you. She’s just…well, I’ve never seen her like this.” Neil shakes his head. “Whoever that chick was earlier…she better not touch Leah. She looked all kinds of crazy.”

“She is.” I frown and sit on the edge of the bed. Tracing up Leah’s arm softly with my fingers. “Listen. I’m going to fix this.”

“Are you now?”

I glare at him. Fighting the urge to knock his ass out. He crosses his tattooed arms and glares right back. “I…” I look down at Leah. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”

“Better not, man…better not.” Neil picks up a pair of jeans from off the floor and pulls them on. “The car will be here in an hour. I’m gonna go get some food. Since you’re here now.”

“Make sure you get cranberry juice. She likes cranberry juice.”

Neil ignores me but smiles slightly when he leaves the room, zipping up a hooded sweatshirt.

I undress and crawl into the bed behind Leah. Nuzzling into her soft hair, I drink her in. She intoxicates me in that moment. I close my eyes and wrap my arm around her, squeezing her breast gently. She begins to stir.

I kiss her shoulder and reach down to push her pajama bottoms down. Rubbing my hand along the skin of her behind, gripping slightly. She moans. Kissing and biting gently on the nape of her neck, I reach around and slip my fingers between her legs.

***

Leah

“Mmm…” I moan.

That feels…so good.

Wait.

Oh, hell no. “Neil!” I grab his hand and smack it away. “What the hell!”

Neil laughs.

“Baby…”

Not Neil. Weston…what the heck? I turn and look into his eyes. Instantly throwing my arms around his neck and burying my face into the muscles of his shoulder.

“You’re here.”

“I told you I was coming. Nice room. You were right.” He smiles and kisses my forehead.

“Touch me, please. I need you. I want to feel you so badly right now.”

Weston growls and takes my breath away with a kiss. I really need to meet his parents and thank them for creating such a beautiful person. I mean…he’s perfect, in every way. His ex-wife was a freaking idiot for throwing him away like garbage. She must be crazy. I couldn’t imagine having him and then just letting him go.

I’ve had a taste of him. I’ve been drunk. Completely wasted from his touch and taste. There’s no going back for this girl. I’m ruined for all other men. Not that I would want another man after having Weston. The thought pulls at me, and I kiss him harder.

His hands run all over my back, under my t-shirt. They’re strong and controlling, yet—he’s so very
uncontrolled
. Fervently kissing and panting into my mouth. Like he just can’t get enough. Oh, no. Wait. That’s me that’s panting. Like I’ve run a marathon and I just can’t quite quench my thirst.

I drink more of him in. Pushing him onto his back I lean down and kiss him once more. “Wait, where’s Neil?”

Weston chuckles. “Holding the camera.” He nods behind me and I all but bolt from the bed. “I’m kidding! He’s gone to get food.”

“Oh, you’re such a dick.” My words escape my lips just as Weston lifts the hem of my shirt and pulls it from my body, exposing my naked breasts.

“Pants.”

“Bossy, much?”

Weston raises his eyebrow and leans back down, putting his hands behind his head. “Okay, fine. We can just lay here then. I’m not really into you anyway.”

I gape. “Oh no? Then explain this!” I grab his erection and he instantly closes his eyes and a gasp escapes his lips. “I think you’re
very
into me, actually.”

Weston opens his eyes and they flare. Fire burning. Heated and completely ravenous. He grabs me and I squeal as he flips us over so he’s towering over top of me. His hands on either side of my head now, and his gaze still penetrating me right to my core.

“Leah...”

“Weston.” I smile, reaching up to touch his chest. Watching my fingers as they run over his pectorals.

“I love you.”

I froze. My fingers unable to move. My lungs unable to swell with my need to intake a breath. My heart thrashing is the only thing that’s able to actually move. Somehow I manage to look at him.

“Don’t look so scared. I’m not asking for anything in return. I’m just telling you that I love you. It’s not really that big of deal—”

I cut him off. I kiss him. Hard.

He loves me. And for some reason, I can’t say it back. I love him. I know I do…I’ve loved him for a while now, actually. But for some strange reason, I just can’t say it back. All I want to do is kiss him. Feeling his lips on mine. Those lips…that just spoke love to me.

My heart hammers some more, as I frantically pull down my pajama bottoms and Weston pulls them from my body. Spreading my legs again, wrapping them around his body and pulling him close. His length rubs against me, pressing down and sparking every nerve in my body.

“Touch me, Weston. I need to feel you.”

He lifts up and I can feel him right at my entrance. He’s waiting, lingering…not pushing in. I buck my hips, desperate for him to stretch and fill me. The sensation I’m craving so profoundly. But, he doesn’t. He just looks down at me, like he’s waiting for something.

I haven’t said it back. That’s why. I’m sure of it.

“Come here,” he says, sitting back on his heels.

“Why?”

He holds his hands out, and I climb onto his lap, wrapping my legs around his hard body. “I need you closer,” he says.

Just as I lean into kiss him, he lifts me and impales me. Sending exploding sticks of dynamite into my body. Grenades without pins. A thousand running horses go wild in my mind as I lose it right there. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, he lifts me up and down as I orgasm. I cry out, begging for more, but whimpering for him to stop.

“I love you, Weston. I love you so much.” I close my eyes and press my forehead into his mouth. He kisses it, and groans as his body finds its release.

“I love it when you say my name,” he growls out each word through his orgasm.

“
Weston
,” I whisper.

“Fuck!” He buries his face into my chest. His breath scorching on my skin.

***

“Tell me about your parents.”

Weston sighs. “Really?”

“Yes!” I kiss his cheek. “I want to know about your family.”

“Well,” he says, turning to face me. “My parents live in Chelsea. They’re both retired from real estate. My dad golfs. My mother plays tennis. I have a sister, Janelle. She works at a private school. Not married, no kids. Liam is a firefighter with NYFD. Not married, no kids either.”

“So you were the only one that’s been married. Wow…”

“Yep. And they never even met Elsa. She always had some excuse not to be around when they flew out to Wyoming. Or why she couldn’t go with me to New York to visit them. Should have signaled something back then…but it didn’t.” He shrugs. “Janelle and Liam are too focused on their careers for families.”

“Like you.”

He looks at me. “Well, yeah, I guess, me too…What about yours?”

“My dad left when I was six. I haven’t seen or heard from him since then. My mom never spoke about him, and I didn’t ask. She’s great, though. Played the role of both parents. She grew up with Riley’s mom, Ann. They were next door neighbors for fifteen years.”

“What does your mom do?”

“She’s works for the Governor of Maine. She’s her assistant.”

“Wow, really? That’s impressive.”

I smile. “Yeah, she’s pretty great.”

“I’d like to meet her.”

I snuggle into him. “I love you.”

“Neil should have been back by now...” Weston looks at his watch.

“Yeah, shit…the car should be here soon.”

“In about five minutes,” Weston says, chuckling. “It’s been
very
hard to stop after just one time. I’ll have you know I’m going to be walking around all day with a very bad case of blue balls.”

“Oh, please.” I snicker and roll my eyes.

“Or, I could keep you here.”

“Weston!” I laugh as he rolls over top of me, pinning me down. “No!”

“Say it again…”

“Weston?”

He smirks.

“Oh, please?”

He stops smirking.

“I love you.”

He kisses me. “Let’s get you to your sound-check Miss Marshall.”

***

Weston

Neil met us outside of the hotel. He sat in an awaiting car with the rest of her band and her manager Lucas.

“I’ll meet you there, baby. I gotta make a few calls.” I kiss her as she climbs into the black Town Car.

Leah pouts. “Okay. See you soon, though?”

“You will.” I close the door and nod at Neil. He nods back and smiles at Leah.

I watch the car drive away. Now, to find Sara.

If she’s still hanging around the hotel. Maybe she’ll do me a favor and find me instead. I thumb through my contacts. I met some people when I was briefly in Vegas before I met Bob and moved to Wyoming.

“Hey, Andrew. It’s Weston Casey…”

I met Andrew Lindon at a casino. He was the security guard standing by a blackjack table. I got a little too drunk. Too rowdy. Too pissed at getting so close to twenty-one on more than one occasion and Andrew did his job by removing me from the casino. I was just a shithead kid back then. Just turned twenty-one. I thought the world owed me something.

Andrew dragged my drunk ass out of the casino and right into a nearby coffee shop. “Listen, kid,” he said. “You gotta sober up. You may be a big fucker for your age, but you’re still green. I can see it. You don’t know Vegas. This place will eat you up if you act like that again. People don’t fuck around in this town.”

I told him to fuck off. Maybe once or twice. He managed to get some coffee into me, and calmed me down. I didn’t like it, but he was right. I had no idea what I was doing.

Andrew was ex-army. Starting a new career as a private investigator, but working at the casino for extra money. He told me I reminded him of a younger version of himself. I thanked Andrew for yanking me out of that casino. We even hung out a few times before I met Bob and…well, you know the rest.

“Wow, it’s been…a long ass time. How you been, kid?” Andrew asks.

I’ve kept in touch. But it’s been about five years since I’ve spoken to him. “I need a favor.”

“Oh, shit. What’s up, Casey? You in Vegas?”

“Can you meet me for coffee?”

Andrew walked into the Starbuck’s where I was waiting for him. I stood up, we man-hugged, and Andrew crossed his arms and shook his head at me.

“Let’s hear it.”

“Do you want some coffee?” I ask, sipping on my own cup.

“Naw, I’m good.”

“Okay, well…” I start my pitch. I need him to help me find Sara, and find out what she’s up to before Leah comes into any kind of danger again.

“No shit,” Andrew says. “I’ve heard of them (South of Marshall). That’s the same girl? Wow…where’d you meet her, Casey?”

“Coincidence, actually. I saw her show in New York—at the same club that caught fire. Then I go back to Wyoming and believe it or not, she shows up there with my business partner. I guess they’ve been friends since they were kids. I almost lost it, Drew. She’s just…everything. I can’t let anything happen to her again. This is all because of me, and Sara’s damn obsession. I fucked up.”

“We’ll figure this out.” Andrew pulled out his cellphone. “Got a number for Sara?”

I nod and hand him my phone open onto the contacts screen. “Voicemail is full, I’ve tried calling about a hundred times.”

“Picture, maybe?”

I shake my head. Then smile. “Yes! I do…” I took the phone back and opened the web browser to find the Sheridan newspaper. We sponsored a kid’s baseball league, well, Pine Ridge did, so they took a picture of all of us with the team. A few seconds later I pull up the year old article and hand him the phone. “She’s the blonde to my left. Apparently her hair is brown now, though.”

Andrew sends himself the article and smiles. “Pretty. Too bad she’s nuts.”

I just shake my head.

“She actually kinda looks like the Marshall girl.”

I grab my phone back. Shit, that’s freaky. Picturing her with brown hair…she does resemble Leah slightly. “Fuck…”