Secret Obsession (10 page)

A
fter landing at McCarran International Airport and passing one slot machine after another, Paige picked up her luggage, lined up for a taxi, and was on her way to the hotel. She was stunned by the number of people who loved, loved, loved gambling and would sell their souls to the devil if they thought it would help them strike it rich, and she was glad she didn’t fall into that category. She was glad she didn’t have an addictive or obsessive bone in her body.

When the driver pulled up to The Palazzo, she paid him, told the bellman she was fine handling her own garment bag on wheels, and then went inside the alluring, artistically designed lobby. The Palazzo was all she’d hoped it would be, and she felt right at home already.

She walked up to the registration desk, waited a couple of minutes for her room assignment, thanked the guest services representative for placing her on one of the highest floors, and went on her way. During her trip to the elevators, however, she’d strolled through a massive casino, looking at hundreds of colorful machines and a few blackjack tables, and then saw a security guard sitting just in front of the elevator hallway. She wondered why he was there, but then she saw others flashing their room keys, proving that they were in fact Palazzo guests. She did the same, the handsome guard nodded with approval, and she smiled and proceeded up to her suite.

As soon as she arrived, she walked in and toured the place she would call home until Friday. The marble vanity and polished floors in the bathroom were unbelievable, as were the exquisite bedding and draperies, and she loved the sitting-area furniture, which was more appealing than what she’d decorated her condo with. Everything about this space was mesmerizing, and she wished she could stay here for weeks. But truth was, all she needed was a day or so to seduce Pierce.

Paige unpacked her clothing, hung it up, spread out her toiletries in the bathroom, and called her brother-in-law. His phone rang four times and went into voicemail, but before she could leave a message, she heard her call waiting signal. It was Pierce calling back.

“So, are you here?” he asked.

“Yep. I just checked in.”

“Did you have a good flight?”

“I did. No delays and no turbulence.”

“Good. Well, if you’re not too tired, maybe we could have dinner tonight? Or we could try tomorrow night as well.”

“Tonight is fine.”

“Okay, then why don’t you meet me at SushiSamba. It’s a fabulous Japanese restaurant I enjoy.”

“I love Japanese.”

“Is seven okay?”

“That’s perfect.”

“I’ll see you then.”

Paige ended the call, went straight to the closet, and pulled out her favorite dress. She held it against her body, admiring herself in the full-length mirror, and had no doubt Pierce would be pleased. He would take a second, third, and maybe even a fourth look before gathering his composure, and he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from lusting over her. He’d be tempted to skip dinner and take her back to his suite as fast as he could, but she wouldn’t let him. No, what she would do was listen to whatever he had to say with maximum interest—she would bond with him the way any two people should whenever they were officially trying to get to know each other. After that, though, she’d become more flirtatious and attentive without him realizing it, and soon they’d be on their way out of the restaurant. In minutes, they’d be in his room and in his bed making love like wild animals, and there would be no turning back. They would be connected from this day forward the way Paige had planned.

P
aige entered The Palazzo Shoppes area where the restaurant was located and wished she could buy a few items from Barneys New York. She also passed by MaxMara, Charriol, and a men’s store called Billionaire Italian Couture and decided right then that the next time she and Pierce came to Las Vegas, she would buy him multiple gifts from there.

As she walked farther along, she saw Pierce standing and waiting for her. Gosh, did this man look good, all dressed in a navy blue suit and a snow white French-cuffed shirt. He must have removed his tie for the evening, and Paige liked the semicasual yet still very classy appearance it gave him. But then she looked pretty good herself, so they were even. Paige wore a tailor-fitted red sheath dress with diamond earrings and a diamond bracelet, both of which she was still paying for, and her hair was twisted upward in an elegant knot. To complete her outfit, she wore the most beautiful four-inch black, pointed-toe pumps she’d seen in a while and was glad she’d purchased them a couple of hours ago. When she’d gone down to the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, she hadn’t planned on buying anything, but as soon as she’d spotted these particular shoes, she’d known they’d be ideal for tonight and that she had to have them.

“Hey, sister-in-law,” Pierce said, eyeing her from head to toe and hugging her.

“Hey.”

“Our table is ready, but I figured I’d wait for you out here,” he said, moving closer to the entrance.

“Are you all set, Mr. Montgomery?” a young woman asked.

“Yes, thank you.”

Pierce held out his hand, allowing Paige to walk in front of him, and when they sat down at their candlelit table, the hostess placed menus in front of them. Paige thanked her and glanced around the place. The main lighting source was dim, which suited Paige just fine, and the overall ambiance was simply romantic. It was the ultimate setting for two people who would be making love for the very first time.

“So, how was your first day at the conference?” she asked.

“Long, but very productive.”

“I’m glad, because sometimes these things can be pretty boring.”

“Don’t I know it. But this one is well worth everyone’s time. And what about you? Do you have a pretty busy media schedule tomorrow with your client?”

“I do,” she said. “He has a noon news TV interview and a couple of radio interviews in the afternoon.”

“Well, at least you don’t have to get up bright and early.”

“No, but I do want to meet him over at the station about an hour or so before.”

Just then, their waiter walked up and recited the night’s specials. They both ordered mojitos made of Cruzan rum, mint, lime, and fresh fruit, and Pierce also ordered a couple of pieces of yellowtail sushi, but Paige passed. When the man left, there was a noticeable and awkward silence between them and all that could be heard was the instrumental music playing in the background. So Paige said, “This really is a nice place.”

“Yeah, I love it. Come at least a couple of times whenever I’m in Vegas.”

“I can see why.”

“And how’s your room over at The Venetian?”

Paige had hoped the subject of where she was staying wouldn’t come up, but since it had, she said, “Well, actually, I’m staying here.”

“Oh, okay,” he said, clearly looking surprised.

“Yeah…after you mentioned The Palazzo to me the other day, I went and checked out their website. Then, after I saw how beautiful the suites were, I couldn’t help booking one of them.”

“I don’t blame you, because it really is a great hotel.”

“I’m definitely glad I made the switch.”

“So, did you speak to your sister today?” he asked, suddenly changing the subject, and Paige wished he’d forget about Camille.

“I did. Right before my plane took off. Did you?”

“No. I spoke to PJ and Crystal, though, before they went to school.”

“Camille told me PJ is really upset.”

“He is. He’s hurt, angry, and doesn’t understand why his mom and I have separated.”

“I’m sure, and I’ll be honest with you, Pierce. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to look at Camille the same after what she’s done,” she commented, knowing she’d told Camille the same thing about Pierce a few hours ago. “I mean, she’s my sister, and yes, I still love her, but she’s so wrong for this.”

There was more silence between them, so Pierce browsed through the menu. Paige did the same and was happy when the waiter brought their drinks.

“Are you ready to order?” he asked.

“Paige?” Pierce said.

“Um…I think I’ll have the causa de langosta,” she said, referring to their main lobster entrée, which was poached in a pisco rocoto butter sauce.

“And you, sir?”

“I’ll have the twenty-ounce bone-in ribeye.”

“Excellent choice. Very tasty.”

“Also, what do you have with vodka in it?” Pierce continued, and Paige was a little surprised, because in the past whenever she’d gone out to nice restaurants with him and Camille, she’d never seen either of them order more than one drink, and usually that was only a glass of wine.

“Hmmm,” the waiter said, thinking for a second. “I’d recommend our niña fresa.”

Pierce closed his menu. “Sounds good to me,” he said, but when the waiter left he looked at Paige. “Sure you don’t want anything else to drink?”

“Positive. And if you don’t mind my saying so, I’m a bit shocked to see
you
ordering another one.”

Pierce drank the last few drops of his first cocktail and said, “You’d be amazed at what pain and disappointment will cause a person to start doing.”

Paige wasn’t sure how to respond and thought it was best to say nothing. They did eventually chat about politics and the economy, and when the waiter brought out their meals, they dug in. Although, after eating a few bites of his steak and a couple of forkfuls of potatoes, Pierce ordered a third drink and then a fourth. At the moment, he seemed extremely relaxed and ready for just about anything.

“You know,” he said, sipping more of his latest drink, the one he’d requested double vodka in. “You really look beautiful tonight.”

“So do you.”

“Actually, I’ve always thought that about you.”

“Really? Well, you’ve never said it.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not like a married man can just go around saying something like that to another woman. Especially in front of his wife.”

“No, I guess not.”

“You’re a good sister-in-law, Paige, and I’m glad you’re here.”

Paige noticed the same glaze in Pierce’s eyes that she’d seen last week in Owen’s, and she knew he was pretty tipsy and borderline drunk.

“This was great,” she said, glancing at her watch. “But I think I’m gonna head up to my suite to do a little work. What about you? Do you have to be up pretty early?”

“The conference starts at nine.”

“Then you’d better get to bed.”

“I know.”

Pierce charged the bill to his room, but only after pulling out his key card envelope to see what suite he was staying in. He’d had so much to drink, he couldn’t fully remember.

When they left the restaurant and turned the corner, Pierce stopped and said, “Whoa, I think I had a little too much.”

Paige chuckled. “I
know
you did, which is why I’d better make sure you get to your room without problems.”

Pierce smiled, placed his arm around her shoulders, trying to steady himself, and they went on their way. When they walked in front of his double-door suite, however, Pierce fumbled with the key, so Paige took it and inserted it properly. Once inside, she turned on the entryway light and then helped him into the bedroom. It was just as she’d thought: Pierce had reserved a Sienna suite, which was larger than some apartments she’d been in.

Paige slid off his suit jacket, and without warning, Pierce burst into tears. He cried like a baby and hugged her for dear life.

“This hurts so, so much,” he said. “I wish it didn’t, and I wish I could just get past it, but I can’t. I can’t stop thinking about the way Camille betrayed me, and all I want is for this pain to end. Do you understand that, Paige?” he said, gazing into her eyes. “Do you have any idea how hard this is?”

Paige knew her opportunity had finally come, and she took it. “I think I do,” she said, hugging him close again. They stood cheek to cheek, but Paige slowly moved her face just enough so their lips met. She kissed him softly and said, “I’m so sorry, Pierce, but I’m here for you from now on. You hear me?”

Pierce stroked her hair back with both his hands and kissed her zealously and forcefully. He acted as though he’d been waiting for a chance to be with her for years and like he hadn’t been with any woman in months.

They kissed and moaned, and Pierce unzipped Paige’s dress. Paige unbuttoned his shirt, removed his cuff links, and slid his shirt down his arms. They were drenched with raging passion, and Paige’s body flamed with desire.

She pushed him onto the bed, slid off his pants and underwear, and then slipped out of her own. She could immediately see how ready he was for her, so she gave him what he wanted. She would do other things too—anything that would satisfy him and make him forget about her sister.

P
aige opened her eyes, gazed at the ceiling, and saw Pierce sitting on the side of the bed. He was wearing a complimentary plush white Palazzo robe, and she hoped he would shed it anytime now.

Paige smiled and stretched her body. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” he said but didn’t turn and look at her.

She glanced at the clock and saw that it was six o’clock. “So, how long have you been awake?”

“A while.”

Paige sat up, got on her knees, and slithered across the bed behind him. Then she rested her hands on his shoulders, preparing to give him a massage. But Pierce moved away from her, stood up, and held both sides of his forehead.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, confused.

“Everything.”

“I know, baby, but now that you and I are together, Camille won’t ever be able to hurt you again. Things are going to be very different.”

Pierce finally locked eyes with her. “Look, Paige. What happened last night was a huge mistake, and I’ll never be able to forgive myself. I never should have let something like this happen.”

Paige’s heart plummeted. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do, and I’m so ashamed.”

“But if this wasn’t supposed to happen, it never would have. Right?”

“I allowed it to happen, and now I’ll have to live with that decision for the rest of my life. I got drunk, but I knew what I was doing, and I knew why.”

“What do you mean?” Paige asked, panicking.

“I wanted revenge. I wanted to hurt Camille the same way she hurt me.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“I did, Paige, and I’m so sorry this thing happened between you and me, because I know how much you love your sister.”

“
Thing
?”

“Yes, this whole unfortunate thing that we both now regret.”

Paige’s heart raced. “Pierce, baby, please don’t feel that way,” she said, leaving the bed and walking over to him with nothing on. Pierce passed her a robe just like the one he was wearing and Paige reluctantly took it and wrapped it around herself.

Pierce moved closer to the window overlooking the Strip. “God, what in the world was I thinking?”

“You were thinking that you wanted to finally be happy. You did what your heart told you to do, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Yeah, but I did it for the wrong reasons. I acted irrationally, and for the first time since I married Camille, I was unfaithful to her. Fifteen years of marriage, and in one night, I did the worst thing imaginable.”

“But only because she’s been doing the same thing to you for months.”

“Still, as the saying goes, two wrongs don’t make a right, and you and I both know that.”

Paige stood next to him. “True. I’ll give you that. But now it’s time you and I move on. I do love my sister, and I feel terrible about what I’ve done to her, but Pierce…I don’t regret what happened. Last night was amazing. I mean, we actually made love, and it felt so, so good. It was absolutely incredible.”

Pierce left her standing at the window. “Paige, what you and I did was have sex. We both lost control, and it can never happen again.”

Paige swallowed hard. “You just need time. You need time to end things with Camille and find closure. Then you and I can work on our new life together.”

Pierce frowned. “You’re not serious?”

“Of course I am.”

“No, you couldn’t be.”

Paige took a seat on the side of the bed again. “Okay, Pierce, I guess I need to be honest with you. So can you please come sit next to me for a few minutes?”

At first he hesitated, but then he did what she asked.

Paige exhaled nervously, hoping her words came out the way she needed them to. “The truth is, Pierce, I’ve been attracted to you since the first day I met you, and now I’m in love with you.”

Pierce raised his eyebrows, seemingly not comprehending.

“I am,” she continued. “I’ve loved you for years, but after making love to you last night, well, now I don’t ever want to be without you. Plus, baby, you can’t deny there has always been a certain chemistry between us.”

Pierce shook his head. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

“Baby, I’ve never been more serious in my life.”

He stared at her and then got up. “This is crazy.”

“No, it’s not. It’s wonderful.”

“
No
, Paige, it’s horrible, because you and I can never be anything more than in-laws.”

“Honey, please don’t say that. Please just give what we have a chance, because deep down, I know you love me.”

“No. I don’t. I mean, I love you the way friends love each other, but that’s where it ends.”

“Like I said, you just need some time, and once you get used to the idea, you’ll be fine.”

“How on earth can you be in love with your sister’s husband?”

“Because I just am. I love you, and I can’t help it.”

“Well, if that’s really true, then now I’m even sorrier about sleeping with you.”

“Please don’t apologize, baby,” she said, walking over and hugging him.

But Pierce pushed her away. “Paige, no. And I think it’s time you got dressed.”

“Pierce, please don’t do this. Don’t give up on our destiny.”

“I need to take a shower and get ready, so I really need you to leave.”

“But Pierce—”

“Paige, please go.”

She gaped at him with sad eyes but quickly decided Pierce didn’t mean any of what he was saying. He simply felt guilty about what he’d done to Camille—especially with him being the decent man he was—but by this evening, he’d feel a lot differently. He’d spend today reminiscing about the passionate love they’d made, and then he’d think about Camille and her affair with William. A thousand thoughts would circulate his mind, and in a few hours he’d realize Paige was right. He would know she’d been correct in her assessment of them and that he
was
in love with her, and that he wanted nothing else to do with his wife. By this evening, he’d be begging Paige to rock his world again—he would beg her to do so from now on.