anymore,” I gesture to her leather belt. “For tonight.” I put the water glass down and undo the belt. A faint mark is left on her wrists but it will be gone by morning. I notice she’s shivering. I’m feeling chilly myself as my body temperature drops. I lift the covers up and climb under them. Lilly creeps in next to me, insistently wriggling into my arms.
“All good?” I ask.
She simply nods.
“You can talk now, Lilly,” I assure her with a smile.
“All good,” she responds with a smile. Her face is shining, peaceful and content. “Now I know what it’s all about.”
“What what’s all about?”
“Sex.” She murmurs the word sleepily. Her eyelids are drooping and she’s clearly about to pass out. “That was my first time,” she adds. And then she’s out like a light.
Shit.
Chapter Five
Lilly
I wake up to a pitch-dark room and for a moment I’m terrified. Where am I? The air is cool and calm. There’s no breeze or even the hum of an air-conditioner. In fact, there’s no sound at all. I stir in the bed, feeling the silky sheets beneath me, re-centering myself. My body aches. My jaw aches too, as if I’ve been sleeping with my teeth clenched. As the previous night comes back to me, I sit straight up in the dark, in shock, remembering everything. The penthouse.
“Good morning.” An unseen voice responds to the sudden rustling of sheets I’ve created.
“David?”
In response, I hear a strange whirring noise. Slowly, blackout blinds raise, revealing a view of the penthouse terrace and the skyline beyond. Blinding sunlight streams in and I shield my eyes as I remember the fact that Las Vegas is technically built in the desert. When vision adjusts, I see David, already dressed and perfectly kempt, in the far corner of the room. He’s holding a tiny remote control—which he presumably used to open the curtains—in one hand. In the other, he has a small silver tray. He must have just come up from downstairs, waking me in the process.
“I didn’t want you to wake up alone,” he says. “But you slept longer than I anticipated.”
“What time is it?” I croak.
“Nearly 8:00 a.m.”
“What time did you get up?”
“5:30.”
I can only snort in response. Way too early. I have a hint of a headache. I’m not a big drinker and the few glasses of champagne from yesterday were enough to have me feeling less than fresh this morning.
“Coffee?” David’s gravelly voice cuts into my cloudy brain.
“Yes.”
He walks over to the bed, carrying the tray. Engulfed in a pile of huge, white, feather pillows, I take a moment to size him up as he comes towards me. It’s hard to believe that this perfectly coiffed gentleman is the same man who bound my wrists with a leather belt the previous night after winning me in a poker game. I wince at the thought.
“Here you go.” He places the tray on the bedside table. “Cappuccino, orange juice, a croissant, and something for your head, in case needed.” He motions to the white pill on the linen napkin.
“Thank you.” I scramble to sit up in bed and grab the orange juice. “Mm.. Fresh pressed. And not just standard naval oranges.” I lick my lips. There’s just a hint of bitterness nicely cutting the unusually sweet juice. “This is with tangelos. And just a hint of grapefruit!” I exclaim, pleased to recognize the flavors.
“Right.” David looks startled. “Are you some kind of citrus expert or something?” He smiles.
“I’m just into food.” I reach for the cappuccino next, hoping it will clear my mind. “You look nice.” I say the words and immediately regret them. It feels like a dopey thing to say given the compromising position he had me in last night. Today he’s clad in a dark navy suit, with a fresh, crisp, white shirt underneath. Silver cufflinks, adorned with a D complete the simple but elegant look.
“What does the D stand for?” I ask curiously, since he’s not saying anything. I can’t stand an awkward silence.
“Destino.” He looks at me sharply.
“Like the casino?” I’d seen a few properties along the Vegas strip yesterday, and remember the massive building. It had a huge fountain out front and golden lettering over the entrance.
“Like the Italian word for destiny,” he answers. “But yes. It’s my other property.”
“How many casinos do you own?”
“Just the two. Destino and Fortuna. Destiny and Luck.”
“Just the two, huh?” I can’t help but grin at his casual tone. I’ve never met someone like David, let