way Vince looks at me sometimes, I know it isn’t. And I just want it to be over. I want it to be over soon.’
And it would be. Sooner than anyone expected.
***
Jimmy pushed his Stetson down further over his eyes, walking at a brisk pace towards the sounds of the party. The lights and lasers still lit up the night sky and the pounding music grew closer as he slowed down slightly to light up a cigar, stopping briefly to take a deep draw, blowing smoke into the star-filled sky.
He looked up at the blackness for a few seconds, feeling not one ounce of regret for what he was about to do. Charley had to know that she would never be free of him, she had to know that. Oh, he’d given her a bit of respite, some time to see what a normal life could be like but that was over now. He’d been way too generous as it was. She needed to know now. She needed to know that this world she lived in, she didn’t deserve it. She’d ruined his life and now it was his turn to ruin hers. Charley Miles – porn star. That’s all she ever deserved to be. That’s all she ever would be.
Taking one last deep draw of his cigar he exhaled the smoke and threw the rest of it down on the ground, stubbing it into the concrete path with his boot, probably with a touch more venom than was really necessary, but Jimmy was fired up now. He was ready.
Shoving his hands into his jacket pockets he took a quick look around, but the few people who were walking through the gardens were too engrossed in their own worlds to take any notice of him. They didn’t know or care who he was; nobody did, really – except Charley.
Smiling to himself he picked up the pace again and strode towards the main body of the hotel. They wanted a wrap party to remember? Jimmy Cash was about to give them exactly that. And blow the consequences.
***
‘What’s the matter?’ India asked, reaching out to gently stroke Dominic’s face, cocking her head on one side as she looked at him.
‘Nothing.’
She pulled her hand away, still looking at him. ‘Y’know, I really hate it when people say “nothing”, especially when it’s quite obvious something’s up.’
‘Where are we going, India?’
She frowned, her head still cocked on one side. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You won’t marry me…’
‘No, because you asked that question without even stopping to think about this whole situation in a realistic way, Dominic. Come on. I can’t marry you. With my track record? I think you’re crazy for even contemplating it. We’ve only known each other five minutes; you should run a mile, in my opinion.’
He narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. ‘Why would I want to do that?’
She sighed, leaning back against the wall. ‘I’m bad news, Dominic. Every man who comes near me gets hurt in some way or another. Why would you want to put yourself through that?’
‘Because I love you.’
‘Because you think you can be the man to change the pattern, huh?’
‘Why not?’
She took a sip of Jack Daniels, looking around the still-crowded terrace area, the music still thumping, the lights still flashing. ‘You can’t, alright? That man will never exist.’
‘You never struck me as a quitter, India.’
She looked at him over the top of her tumbler as she downed the last of her drink. ‘Who said I was quitting anything? I just need you to know how things stand, Dominic. I’m a mess – I always have been, always will be. And you need to be certain that you can deal with that.’
‘We could get married here, in Vegas. Before we go back to L.A.’
‘Oh no,’ India laughed, putting her empty glass down on a table behind her. ‘No. No way. Just leave it, Dominic. Okay? Nobody is marrying anybody, least of all here in Vegas. You got that? It’s a bloody ridiculous idea.’
He smiled that killer smile and India couldn’t help but smile back, letting him pull her against him, closing her eyes as he kissed her deep and slow, her resolve weakening with every movement of his mouth on hers. She shouldn’t be doing this. And she shouldn’t be doing this because she now knew she was doing it for all the wrong reasons, but he was giving her no choice here. Would it be such a bad thing to just kick back and