Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 84000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
My stomach churns. Is that what my dad thought? That my mom, brothers, and me weren’t everything, so he had to go out and get more—so he could have everything?
“You okay?” he asks.
I nod. “Fine. We just need to find something borrowed.”
Worth leans forward to ask the driver something. “Can you do a tour of the main attractions? The Welcome to Vegas sign, the fountains at the Bellagio, the chapel where Britney got married, that kind of thing?”
I can’t help but dissolve into giggles. “The chapel where Britney got married? That’s what you want to see?”
“You said you’d never been to Vegas. I thought you’d want a thorough introduction.”
“Bellagio is just here,” the driver says, pulling into the drive.
“If we had a pretty perfume bottle, we could borrow some water from the fountains,” I suggest. “That might work.”
“It’s an idea,” Worth says, though his frown tells me it’s not the best idea he’s ever heard. He grabs an unopened bottle of water from the side pocket of the car and slides out of his seat. He turns and offers me his hand to help me out of this car.
“One more than you’ve had.” I take a step down, but instead of releasing my hand, Worth links his fingers through mine.
Like we’re a couple or something.
A crackle of desire courses through me, and I wonder if he feels it too.
“That’s true,” he says, leading me along a pathway like he knows exactly where he’s going. “So let’s collect some water, and if that’s all we’re left with when our time’s up, we don’t have to come back.” Rather than let go of my hand, he unscrews the lid of the water bottle with his teeth and empties the water out on the path.
“So a tour of Vegas and a treasure hunt at the same time?”
“I’m all about multitasking,” he says. I know he’s making a joke, but someone should tell his face.
Is it weird that I find it low-key adorable how dry he is?
People seem to appear from everywhere and we’re all headed in the same direction. Worth clearly knows where he’s going and squeezes my hand in reassurance. Despite the fact that it would be easier if he let my hand go, he doesn’t.
The fountains come into view, except they’re not… fountaining. Worth walks up to someone in security and they have a conversation. Music has started playing and I can’t make out what they’re saying.
“This way,” Worth says, leading us to the front of the fountains.
“Are we allowed here?”
Worth doesn’t respond, but the fountain display starts as we get to the edge of the pool.
“I bet you’ve done this a million times if you’ve been to Vegas a lot?” I ask.
“I’ve never done this,” he says. “I’ve passed by the fountains, and I once had a room opposite with a view of them, but I’ve never stood and watched them like this.”
He must feel me staring up at him, because he glances down. “It’s a first,” he says, and then lets out a small huff of laughter.
“What?” I ask, half shouting because the music has been ratcheted up. “What’s so funny?”
He glances back at me and down at our hands, and then back at the fountains as they start to spurt. “Just having a lot of firsts at the moment—” He shakes his head. “I’ll tell you later.”
I get the feeling it isn’t the music that has stopped him explaining what he means.
We watch, hand in hand, our heads tipped back as the water climbs hundreds of feet in the air.
“Is this weird?” Worth calls out.
“What?” I call back, even though we’re close enough to still be holding hands. Is it weird that it’s not weirder that this man I hardly know is holding my hand? Is it weird that I feel oddly comfortable with him, like I’ve known him for years rather a handful of hours? Is it weird to be in Vegas at my best friend’s wedding when she hated the man she’s marrying for years before falling in love with him for the second time?
Yes, all of it is very weird.
“That we’re watching water being propelled into the air to music?” Worth asks as he frowns.
I laugh. “Well, now that you put it like that, maybe it is a little weird.”
“Do you like it?” he asks, his attention still on the display in front of us.
“I’m not sure.”
He chuckles. “Me neither. I don’t not like it.” Then he turns and looks at me, and my nipples pebble beneath my bra like I’m naked and his gaze is trailing across my bare skin.
“I like being here with you,” he says.
It’s not what I was expecting him to say. It’s so direct. To the point. And I have no doubt he’s telling the truth—like he’s totally transparent and I can see right through him and can tell he’s not keeping anything from me and doesn’t want to. On a laundry list of sexy things about Worth, that might be number one.