10.

B ELLA

“I can’t believe we’re doing this!” I exclaimed as Cydney and I rushed through the airport toward our terminal. Security had taken forever to get us through. I worried that we might be too late to board our plane, but Cydney, a veteran traveler, had assured me that we’d make it on time.

“Oh, no. Scratch that, sister. You’re doing this, I’m just along for the ride.”

“I should know better than to drink with y’all, especially day drinking.”

Cydney laughed and said, “Every time we do something stupid like that, I swear I won’t ever do it again . . . until the next time one of us shows up with a bottle of wine and a ‘You won’t believe what happened to me!’ story. Next thing you know, you’re promising to go visit some guy in Vegas and I’m promising to be your ride or die who will go along to make sure you don’t get married in a drive-thru by an Elvis impersonator.”

“I wouldn’t do that!”

“Twenty-four hours ago you would have said you’d never run off to Vegas to visit your phone sex fuck buddy, yet here we are.”

“Remind me again why I thought bringing you with me would be a good idea when I could have had someone sweet and nice like . . . like . . . um . . .”

“Keep digging for a name, honey. It will be funny to watch you flounder until you finally admit that none of us can be described as the sweet and nice friend.”

“I need new friends.”

“Well, since you’ve decided to uproot your life and move off into the great beyond, you’re about to have the opportunity to make some,” Cydney mumbled.

“Are you still mad at me about that?”

“I’m not mad that you’re moving, just mad that you have the balls to do it first.”

I stopped abruptly and stared at my friend before I asked, “Have you considered moving?”

“Every day since I was about twelve,” Cydney said as she reached for my hand and jerked me into motion again, dragging me behind her. “When I said they’d let us on the plane, I didn’t mean we should push our limits. We might get a gate agent who hasn’t been laid in a month of Sundays and is out to ruin everyone’s lives.”

“We’re not finished with this discussion, Squid,” I warned her as our gate came into sight. I realized that no one was standing there and my eyes shot over to the door that led to the jetway. The door was still open, but I wasn’t sure we’d make it in time, so I started jogging, leaving Cydney behind to catch up. When I skidded to a stop in front of the counter, I smiled at the agent and gasped, “Are we too late?”

She looked me up and down and then gave me an obviously fake smile before she said, “You have three minutes.”

“Great!” I said as I pulled my ticket out of my pocket and slid it across the counter toward her.

Cydney sidled up beside me and pushed her ticket across the counter, too, before she looked around and said, “I told you we’d make it!”

“I can’t believe I’m about to get on a plane!”

“I can’t believe we’re going to have to stuff ourselves into the middle seat between a creepy frat guy and a woman who smells like cat pee,” Cydney grumbled.

“Your tickets have been upgraded to first class,” the employee said cheerfully.

“Hell yes!” Cydney cheered.

“How did that happen?” I asked.

“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” Cydney muttered as she nudged me to walk ahead of her. “Let’s go before they change their minds.”

◆◆◆

“That settles it. I’m never flying business class again,” Cydney said as she hooked her arm in mine and walked beside me. “Hopefully, that stroke of luck follows us to the casino because I’m going to have to win a king’s ransom to be able to afford all of those upgrades for as much as I travel.”

I stopped walking abruptly and pulled Cydney to a stop. When she looked at me in question, I said, “I’m nervous.”

“About seeing him again? What’s there to be nervous about? He’s not a stranger, Bell. You’ve already met him in person, and the two of you have had your phones glued to your hand for weeks now. You probably know more about him than the last ten men you dated put together.”

“You’re right.”

“I know. I always am. Now, come on.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“Woman!” she barked, reminding me of some of the men I’d grown up around. “You’re about to move cross-country on a whim, and you don’t have the lady-balls to walk up to the hottie you’ve been talking to for weeks and lay a big ol’ kiss on him?” Cydney scoffed before she said, “I’m so ashamed of you.”

“This makes it real, Squid. He’s just been a voice on the phone so far, but I’m about to see him in person. What if he doesn’t live up to my imagination?”

“I know that you had phone sex yesterday afternoon, Bella, so don’t try and tell me that there’s anything left to imagine.”

I smiled and then shrugged. Cydney narrowed her eyes before she said, “I’m telling you right now that you need to take some of that gumption you’re using to change your life and explore the world and put it toward ruining this man for any other woman on the planet.”

“How am I going to do that?”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

“Ms. Conner?” I heard a man’s voice say from beside me. When I looked up, I realized it was one of the men I’d seen in the peripheral in several video chats with Matteo. “I’m Salvatore. Your car is waiting.”

“My car?”

“Mr. Russo sent a car and driver for you and your friend.” I glanced over at Cydney and saw her grinning, and when I looked back at Salvatore, he said, “He asked that we accompany you wherever you’d like to go and has secured rooms for both of you at the hotel.”

“Oh. Well . . .”

“Can I see your ID?” Cydney asked. Salvatore looked confused for a second but then pulled out his wallet and flipped it open to show Cydney his identification. “Take it out, please.” Once Salvatore had the ID out, he passed it to Cydney who studied it for a few seconds, even flipping it over to look at the back before she pulled her phone out of her pocket and snapped a picture. As she handed it back to him, she said, “I just sent that picture to our police officer friend at home. If anything happens to us, she’ll start looking for you.”

“Of course.” Salvatore gestured toward our carry-on bags and asked, “May I?”

“Please,” I said as I handed him my bag. It took a second, but Cydney handed hers over, too, a bag much lighter than mine since she had only packed one change of clothes and a few swimsuits because she planned on sunning herself by the pool for the duration of our stay. I had packed for the unknown since I thought Matteo might want to go to dinner or even have a night out. The details were cloudy since I’d been drinking last night and still battling a headache from the hangover I woke up with, but I had a feeling I would need more than a swimsuit for this weekend’s visit. “Thank you.”

“Right this way,” Salvatore said as he gestured toward the door. Right outside was a sleek Town Car with a handsome man standing beside it. He smiled when we walked out with Salvatore. “This is Rocco. He’ll be your driver during your stay.”

Rocco nodded, and I heard Cydney whisper, “Oh my God. Where did he come up with these guys? Hot Italian Mobsters ‘R’ Us?”

“Shut up!” I hissed before I smiled at the man.

Rocco opened the door before he greeted, “Hello, Ms. Conner.”

“Hi,” I said uncomfortably, not quite sure what to make of this new development. Cydney elbowed me, and I sputtered, “This is my friend Cydney Mason.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Mason,” Rocco greeted as he held Cydney’s eyes for a few long seconds. “I hope your visit to Las Vegas will be a fun adventure.”

“It’s looking up by the second,” Cydney purred.

Salvatore opened the trunk as we slid into the back seat, and we soon found ourselves speeding away from the airport on the way to the hotel. I took in my surroundings with awe, but the excitement I felt wasn’t at seeing a new place as much as it was nervousness at seeing Matteo in person again.

“Mr. Russo sends his apologies that he couldn’t greet you at the airport, Ms. Conner, but has asked that I take you directly to him when you arrive at the hotel,” Salvatore informed me. “Unless you’d like to go to your room and freshen up.”

The flight from Rojo to Las Vegas was just a little more than two hours long, and right before we landed, I checked my makeup and hair to make sure I looked my best before I saw Matteo again. I didn’t see a reason to take any more time and said, “I won’t need to go up to my room. You can take me straight to him.”

“He’ll appreciate that, I’m sure.”

We pulled to a stop in front of the hotel before Salvatore jumped out and opened my door, offering me his hand out to help me get to my feet. I smiled at his gallantry and looked over to find that Rocco was giving Cydney the same consideration - which I could tell she enjoyed by the broad smile on her face. Cydney stopped beside me as Rocco walked around the back of the car and opened the trunk to get our bags.

“I’ll go check us in,” Cydney offered.

“There’s no need. You won’t be charged for your stay,” Salvatore informed us as he took our bags from Rocco.

Without a word, Rocco walked around the car, and I saw that he was smiling at my friend. She was sporting a grin which undoubtedly meant she was enjoying his attention. I wondered if Cydney might be doing more than lounging by the pool while we were here.

I didn’t have much time to take in our surroundings as we walked through the lobby because Salvatore ushered us straight through until we entered a hallway off the main area. A man standing at a podium in front of a set of double doors nodded at Salvatore before we passed. I was surprised when Salvatore called out over his shoulder, “Ms. Conner and Ms. Mason are guests of Mr. Russo.”

“Yes, sir.”

I looked over at Cydney with wide eyes, and she gave me a nervous smile before she looked over her shoulder at the guests mingling in the entryway.

“Where are we going?” Cydney whispered.

I knew Salvatore had heard her when he answered, “Mr. Russo is currently attending a private game.”

“A private game?” I asked.

“High rollers,” Cydney said in awe.

Salvatore chuckled before he agreed, “Exactly.”

We passed a few men in suits guarding closed doors as we walked down the hallway until Salvatore nodded at a man who opened a door for us to enter. I was shocked to find a sitting area, complete with two couches and a few high-backed chairs, in front of a wide entryway to a larger room where there was a table surrounded by men.

I spotted Matteo right before he stood up and watched as another man took his seat. Matteo came through the door and smiled as he walked our way but didn’t say a word.

Instead, he stopped right in front of me and looked into my eyes as he lifted his hand, wrapping it around my nape so he could pull me toward him as he leaned down to touch his lips to mine.

The second our lips met, I felt every nerve ending in my body come alive. The hand on my neck had a firm grip, and so did the arm he wrapped around my back before he tilted me back to get a better angle.

I loved the feel of his lips on mine and the strength I felt emanating from him as he effortlessly held me. My heart fluttered when he pulled his head up and we lost contact a second before he murmured, “Hello, Twang. I’ve been waiting for you.”

◆◆◆

MATTEO

I worked very hard to keep my mind on the game, watching the players and gauging their tells, but it was almost impossible to concentrate after I saw Jack nod my way to let me know that my men had picked up Bella and her friend at the airport. It seemed like the minutes turned into hours as I impatiently waited for them to appear in the private game room, and when they did, I stood up without a word and made my way over to Bella.

I could tell from her texts today that she was nervous about seeing me again and had to shake my head when I read the last message she sent as she was walking into the airport.

I don’t want you to feel like there’s any pressure to entertain me just because I’m coming to see you. I’ll understand if you want to just be friends. We can forget about the video call last night and just chalk it up to too much wine and lowered inhibitions on my part.

I wished I could’ve seen her face when she read my response - a simple, ‘No’.

I would never forget last night’s video call, and I wanted to be much more than friends. The thought of seeing Bella again made me feel an excitement I’d never felt about a woman before. I couldn’t wait to hold her in my arms as I laughed at her idea that she was pressuring me to do anything I hadn’t been dreaming about since the day we met.

When I pulled her into my arms, she molded her body to mine and fireworks exploded when I kissed her.

It felt like this was what I’d been waiting for my entire life. This moment. This kiss. This woman.

That thought rocked me almost as much as the kiss had.