Page 43 of A Love So Wrong
Chapter 12
"Are you sure you got the right details?" Gideon asked as he leaned over to stare at the colossal hotel coming into view out their shuttle's passenger window.
A little annoyed and much more nervous, Jade bristled. "Yes, you know I did," she said snappishly as she eyed the uniformed bellhops standing at attention at the door. "She was on speakerphone when she told us that we would be moving to this hotel instead."
When they arrived at the nice but dated hotel Toby's vouchers had directed them to, she and Gideon were surprised to be told that their rooms were under construction and that they would be upgraded free of charge to another property located on the Las Vegas strip. Jade expected it to be one of the older hotels located at the far end of the strip, not this. The Elysium hotel consisted of two black towers and surrounded by immaculately kept grounds and glittering waterfalls that screamed expensive.
Pulling to a stop, the sleek black shuttle opened its doors. Nodding to the silent but polite driver, Jade stepped out of the van holding her pot. She immediately felt super self-conscious and stupid all at once. At the other hotel, a western-themed place that had huge advertisements of all you can eat spaghetti night and steak dinners emblazoned at the entrance, she didn't feel at all self-conscious about her pressure cooker. But as she watched women dressed in designer shorts, sparkling stilettos, and gauzy blouses to show off their curves, Jade felt like a country bumpkin.
"Would you like for me to take your…your luggage, miss?" a bellhop in a crisply tailored uniform asked, directing a polite smile to the large pot in her arms. "We can have it sent up to your room."
"Dear God, say yes," Gideon grumbled above her head just low enough for her to hear.
Ignoring the heat of embarrassment rising in her cheeks, Jade nodded and handed the man the pot. With her hands free now, she felt much more confident as they walked into the gorgeous lobby towards the front desk.
After receiving complimentary virgin daiquiris and the key-cards for their room, they made their way through the lively hotel to the room elevators.
"I think this is it," Gideon announced as they stopped in front of a door with a gold square number plate. Sliding the key card into the slot, they heard the unlocking mechanism before pushing open the door.
Jade followed Gideon inside and froze as he did. Simultaneously, their eyes scanned the palatial suite.
"I…I don't know what to say," Jade whispered, almost too afraid to speak up in case the vision before them shattered like a dream.
"Yeah, me neither," Gideon replied, obviously just as dazed as her.
Walking across the dark hardwood floor and across a white fur rug, Gideon opened a set of black double doors on the left, revealing a luxurious bedroom with a king size bed sitting in the middle. Like the living room's modern design, the bedroom was decorated in dark grays, stark white furs, and vibrant splashes of deep purple. Giant eight-foot canvases of black and white city skylines with bold splatters of colorful paint adorned the walls. Nightstands and coffee tables were sleek glass and gold metal designs giving the chic décor a cold modern touch. Everything was so high-class and stylish. Jade felt like she was on set for a Vogue cover shoot.
Walking to the other set of glossy black double doors, she opened them shaking her head at the matching elegance to the second bedroom. This was far too much. The vouchers Toby had sent her was for a king or a two-queen bed standard room, not this! This was a luxurious suite with penthouse views. Turning to Gideon, she caught his gaze. Inch by inch, a smile slowly broke over both of their faces until they found themselves laughing. Swinging off his backpack and letting it land with a thud on a nearby chair, Gideon flopped onto the plush gray sofa and patted the spot next to him. Giddy herself, Jade rushed over to him, throwing her own bag onto a nearby chair, and plopped next to him on the sofa with a laugh.
"I can't believe we get to stay in this," she squealed.
Spreading his arms out, Gideon sank deeper into the cushions. "Holy crap, me neither. This is amazing, I might never want to go back to the truck after this."
Jade laughed and closed her eyes, enjoying the comfy couch and the crisp air of the room's air conditioner.
She could feel the cushion depress next to her, and she could sense the shadow hover over her, and she opened her eyes to see Gideon leaning part ways over her. Her heart clenched at the sight, it reminded her of last night and how he had held himself above her. She couldn't stop thinking of it, all morning she had tried to push the image of Gideon's piercing gaze and strong set jaw from her mind.
Swallowing, she licked her dry lips. "What is it?"
Leaning on one elbow, he gave her a searching look, his eyebrows furrowing. "I'm sorry, what I did last night was stupid. I should've never done it. I should've listened to you."
Her throat tightened at the sorrowful look in his eyes. She knew it had weighed heavily on him. This morning he had been so quiet as they carefully cleaned up any traces of them in the mansion and carefully snuck back out. Over breakfast, at a nearby diner, he had tried resuming their normal conversations, but she could tell there was something on his mind. In a way, she understood, she had thought about it for a while last night in that quiet room as she held his head to her breasts, allowing her hands to idly stroke through his curly hair. Since living at the Lattimores, their lives had been perfect, and now they had to learn how to adjust to life's imperfections again and learn how to handle it in stride. Yesterday had been a mistake, but it was past them now.
In a silent declaration of forgiveness, Jade reached out a hand and ran the tips of her fingers through the close-cropped hair just above his ear. Just as he did last night, Gideon let out a deep groan as he closed his eyes to the feeling. Allowing himself to fall forward, he leaned partially on top of her burying his face into the soft fabric of her t-shirt covering her breasts. And just like last night, her heart began to race, and the blood in her veins heated. This was something new between them, never before did they comfort each other in this way. In the past, she had laid her head on his chest plenty of times and while she occasionally savored the firm feelings of his muscles beneath his clothes, not once had they ever reversed the position. Reversed it felt different, it felt intimate.
Moving his head as if to nuzzle deeper, Gideon rooted his face squarely between her breasts, softly pushing each globe aside enough to make room for his face. Jade's breath hitched, and her body heated at the deep, shuddering male groan that vibrated against her.
The urge to tell him that she loved him was practically straining in her throat. Jade wanted to press him tighter to her. She wanted to feel him shift his weight between her legs like he did last night, and maybe, just maybe this time, she wouldn't spend the rest of the night suffering from the unbearable heat he caused at her core. Her nipples were stiffening beneath the fabric of her shirt, and she could feel the sudden heavy ache of her breasts. Every part of her wanted more. More of this, more of his touch. But the kernel of doubt in her mind kept her still and her words back as it began to take root and flower. Jade imagined Gideon leaning back and seeing the desire plain on her face and the effects of her body and imagined his stunned disgust. Swallowing thickly, Jade closed her eyes and tried to take control of her body. She would not jeopardize everything they had because she couldn't control the part of her she had kept secret for so long. Content with running her fingers against the soft texture of his hair, she stayed like that until he stirred and lifted himself up into a pushup.
"Jade?"
There was a searching question to his tone that made her breath come out short, but she forced an easy-going smile to her face in acknowledgment. Something shuttered in his gaze, and she watched him look away for a moment. Was that disappointment, or was he just thinking of what to say? She couldn't be sure. Looking back at her, he gave her the same friendly smile she gave him, and Jade couldn't deny her own flash of disappointment.
"Let's go use some of those coupons you got at check-in. We're in Vegas, we may as well try to enjoy it to the fullest," he said, pushing himself up to stand before offering her a hand.
Excited by the prospect, Jade took his hand. With a strong tug, she was lifted easily to her feet.
"I want to change into a different shirt before we go," she told him as she scooped her bag off the chair and headed into one of the bedrooms. "Everyone here is dressed so nice, I never felt more like a trucker until this moment," she laughed, gesturing to her jeans and t-shirt.
