Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Zane

I wake with my hands on Autumn’s hips as she rides me with the Las Vegas skyline sparkling in the distance.

“Good morning,” I moan, realizing how hard I am and how wet she is. I’m buried deep inside of her.

“You started this,” she says in a sleepy tone, taking full control, fucking me like our lives depend on it.

“Uh, fuck,” I groan, sliding my palms onto her ass, thrusting upward as she comes down, adding more friction. I don’t know what time it is, not that it matters. Autumn is the only thing on my agenda from now until eternity.

“Feels so good.” She flips her long, straight hair back, placing her palms flat on my stomach. I reach up, tweaking her pebbled nipple, and she lets out a few high pitched moans.

“Autumn.” My eyes roll into the back of my head as she fucks me into the mattress. I don’t want this to ever end.

“Yes, yes,” she whispers, shining in the glow from the strip through the glass of the penthouse I borrowed from Weston. A guttural groan surrounds us as she topples onto me, capturing my mouth as she clenches around my cock. I rock inside of her, chasing my end, rolling on top of her and slowing down my pace.

She smiles at me and I smile back at her, biting her bottom lip and tugging it with my teeth. She sighs out. “How is this real?”

“It feels like a dream,” I admit, not knowing what I did to deserve her, but I’m thankful.

“It’s not,” she says. “I’d have already disappeared.”

We make love in the light of the glowing skyline to the sounds of passionate gasps until we’re both fully satisfied.

I smile against her neck as she runs her fingers through my hair, inhaling the sweet smell of her skin. I want to say it, I want to tell her that I’m falling in love with her so hard, as if I base jumped without a parachute.

I roll over onto my back and Autumn moves over to me. “I could use a slice of pizza.”

“I know of a place,” I say. “I was visiting one time and randomly found it.”

“Is it a secret?” She chuckles.

“Actually, yeah, but I know the way,” I say, nuzzling into her neck. “It’s down a dark, long hallway.”

“Seriously?” she asks, rolling over and picking up her phone, showing me her beautiful ass.

I run my hand across her. “What time is it? I think they close at four.”

She smiles wide, sliding out of bed. “Ooh. Goodie. It’s only two.”

I slide on some jeans and a T-shirt, grabbing a baseball hat. Autumn puts on some leggings and a sweater that hangs off her shoulders. “What?”

“You’re perfect,” I whisper as we leave the room. I grab her hand and we move toward the private elevator. When we step on, I steal a glimpse of her. “How do you like your pizza?”

“There’s only one way,” she says. “Pepperoni. Mushrooms. Extra black olives.”

“You know what they say about women who love black olives, don’t you?”

Her brows furrow.

“They’re fucking freaks.”

Laughter bursts from her chest and her head falls back. I enjoy seeing her laugh like she’s truly happy. It’s something that’s too hard to fake. “I hope I always keep you like this.”

She stands on her tiptoes, kissing me. “Me too.”

The doors slide open and a couple steps inside. The two of us move to the corner, allowing them in.

“See, honey? That’s the way you used to look at me.”

They exit and I chuckle. “How do I look at you?”

“Like…you’d figure out a way to rope the moon if I wanted it.”

My eyes soften as we step off the elevator and make our way outside. We take the sidewalk toward the Cosmo, walking hand in hand. I glance up at the moon that’s high in the sky. “Just say the words.”

She lightly chuckles as she leans against me. “I don’t know what you see in me, Zane, but I hope it stays that way forever.”

“You’re the magic, Pumpkin. Just always be yourself. That’s what I like about you the most.”

As we walk past the Bellagio, I check the time. “They don’t play it after midnight.”

“Dang, it was on my bucket list,” she says.

“Really?”

“Yeah, it's one reason I wanted to visit.”

I grab her hand. “Perfect. We’ll get you a water show then.”

“Huh?”

I wrap my arm around her. “Whatever you want.”

“It ended at midnight,” she repeats back to me.

“And? There is a button to turn it on somewhere.”

She narrows her eyes.

“You doubt my skills?” I chuckle, straightening my stance and removing my hat before handing it to Autumn. I run my fingers through my hair and walk to the front counter like I own the place. The manager walks over to me and Autumn stands over to the side.

“Hi, good morning,” I say. Then I glance over my shoulder at my girl. “I’d like for the water show to be played.”

She chuckles. “Sweetie. It ended at midnight.”

“I’m aware. However, I believe it will be to your best interest if you call the GM to approve it.”

This woman is not taking my shit and I try not to get offended. She is just doing her job.

“I’m not calling him to do something that’s against protocol. Who do you think you are?”

I smile. “I thought you’d never ask. I’m Zane Alexander, future CEO of Xander Resorts, son of Ambrose. If you don’t want to call Charles, I’ll be happy to reach out to him myself but I thought I’d allow you the opportunity first. It won’t be good if I reach out to him directly. Trust me.”

Charles Oliver is a grumpy old man just like my father. If it weren’t for Xander, a lot of these buildings wouldn’t exist. I’ve never once pulled rank or requested anything and I know he would go for it.

The sarcastic grin on her face falls away. “Mr. Alexander, I cannot break the rules for you.”

“Make the call,” I say directly. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes, okay? Please, make sure it begins at the top of the hour.”

The woman glares at me as I turn around.

“Three o’clock,” I say, tapping on my watch, then grab Autumn’s hand as we walk out.

“You think that will work?” she asks, swinging our hand as I lead her into the other hotel.

“Without a doubt,” I say. Then, just as promised, we meet the end of a line down a long dark hallway with pictures hung on the wall.

“You’re serious about this?”

“Yeah, it’s Secret Pizza. So fucking good too.” I check the time. “We should move to the front so we don’t miss the show.”

“We can't cut,” she whispers. “Be patient.”

The line is moving, but not fast enough. I tap the shoulder of the guy in front of me. “Hey. Can I pay you $100 to have your place in line?”

“Fuck yeah, man,” he says, and he's tipsy, just like most of the people here. I hand it to him and Autumn giggles as I continue to pay off everyone until, eventually, we end up at the counter.

“What can I get ya?” the guy says.

“A whole pie. Pepperoni, mushrooms, a fuck ton of black olives.”

“And a slice with pineapple,” she says.

“Wedding is off,” I say with a laugh.

“You’re taking a bite just for that,” she warns as the guy slaps it in the oven to warm it up. I go to the cash register. “And I’d like to pay for everyone in line.”

The guy looks at me like I’m crazy. I step out and count how many people it is really fast, then I hand him ten grand. Whoever orders for the rest of the shift, let them have whatever they want.”

The manager comes over and the guy explains while holding a stack of cash. Autumn is shocked.

“Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?” the manager asks with a smile. Dough flour is caked on the front of his shirt.

“Zane, sir,” I say with a firm shake.

“Thanks Zane. Appreciate that. You're gonna make a lot of hungry people happy,” he says.

“Great. That's what I want to hear.”

A minute later, our pie is being removed from the oven and the box is handed to me. “Hope it’s good.”

“Always is,” I say, grabbing a stack of napkins.

Autumn smiles the entire walk down the hallway. When we’re out in the open, she steals glances at me.

“What?” I finally say once we’re halfway through the resort, hustling as we make our way to the water show. We have ten minutes before it starts.

“You really don’t care about money.”

“Some call it irresponsible. But every day, I make millions off of the interest alone by doing absolutely nothing. If I gave away $100,000 a day, I’d barely notice. So I try, knowing that one act of kindness could completely change someone’s outlook on life.”

Her face softens. “How are you this normal?”

“My mother. She deserves all the credit. She was raised by blue collar workers back in Oklahoma. My mother was an incredible interior designer and model, and when she met my dad it was history.”

We continue walking and I lead the way as we turn down another corridor.

“When Harper gave you your prophecy, did she remember what she said?”

“Not at first,” I explain. “What did she say?”

“Twin flames,” she mutters as if she’s calling every single word.

“Mirrored souls,” I finish, remembering exactly what my sister said to me. “It's why, when you said my aura was red and I reminded you of a flame, I thought it was interesting.”

She’ll walk into your life when you try to escape. She’ll speak of the dreams she had about you. They are you. Astral projections of yourself to your twin flame. Mirrored souls.

She gasps. “You're right.”

“Harper has never been wrong,” I explain as we move to a bench in front of the show. During the day, this area is bustling with tourists trying to get a good view of one of the most spectacular attractions in the city, if I do say so myself.

Autumn takes a bite of her pineapple pizza. “Mm. So good. Your turn.”

“Only because you want me to,” I say, tasting it. “It's okay.”

“My favorite is better,” she says, opening the box of pizza and exchanging it for a pineapple-free slice. She folds it in half like a true New Yorker and takes a bite. “This is the good stuff.”

“It’s great,” I say, handing her a napkin and snagging a piece for myself. Just as the minute hand hits the top of the hour, the lights come on.

Autumn's eyes go wide. “They’re actually doing it.”

“Of course they are,” I say, almost wishing I could’ve heard that conversation. “They understood the assignment.”

“You could be dangerous with all that power.”

“But instead, I use it for good,” I say. “Enjoy, Pumpkin. This is just for you.”

The pool drains a couple inches and when the first cannon goes off, Autumn nearly drops her pizza. The booms clap against the walls. During the day, it’s not quite as loud.

We eat until we're full, and have a ton left over for later.

Random people stop and stare, noting the time. It’s unusual, I have to admit, but worth every string I had to pull to make it happen. I’m sure my father will have some strong words for me tomorrow.

Autumn watches in amazement as the water shoots up 1,000 feet into the air, dancing across the way like elegant ballerinas to classical music.

“Wow,” she says as the colored lights change. After the final show, the display goes dark, like it never happened.

“That was incredible,” she tells me. “I always wanted to do that and never got the chance. The one at the resort in Cozy Creek, it’s almost identical. Other than the scale.”

“Yes, because I’ve been fascinated with it since I was a kid. So, when my father announced opening a state-of-the-art restaurant, my mother required a miniature version to be added just for me.”

“Aww,” Autumn says. “That's special.”

We walk back to the penthouse, and I scoot the gigantic box of pizza into the fridge. It’s nearly impossible, considering it was freshly stocked for our last-minute arrival.

Autumn yawns.

“Let’s go to sleep,” I say and she leads the way upstairs.

We remove our clothes down to our underwear and slide under the cool blankets. I wrap my arm around her and press against her, our bodies molding together.

I let out a contented sigh.

“Viva Las Vegas,” she whispers, and I glance at the ring sparkling in the low-lit room. Screens from the surrounding buildings splash different colors across the space, even though they’re distant.

I smell her skin then whisper in her ear. “I love you, Autumn. You’re my everything.”

“I love you, too. I can’t wait to marry you.” A smile touches her lips before she turns and kisses me. I don’t want this moment to end, even as exhaustion takes over.

“Thank you for loving me,” she whispers.

“Thank you for allowing me to.” I hold her tighter, never wanting to let her go. Tonight, I’ll fall asleep with a smile on my face. Tomorrow, this woman will be my wife, the first day of forever.