Page 26 of The Ruin
Monica’s mouth pinches. “Maybe we can all go together, then,” she chirps, linking her arm through mine so I’ve got one woman clinging to me on each side.
“Mmm, I don’t think so,” Brooklyn says sweetly. “I expect Luka and I will be a bit late…he hasn’t given me the private tour of our suite yet.” My wife lets out a suggestive little giggle and my scalp prickles at the warm tone of her voice.
“I can think of nothing I’d rather do than give you that tour,” I tell her, a huge grin splitting my face. I can’t believe Brooklyn is really here. Her timing is impeccable. “The restaurant isn’t going anywhere.”
Monica lets go of my arm and has the decency to back up so I can wrap my wife in both arms. She pulls my face down to hers and I lose myself in a long kiss, completely forgetting about Monica and just about everything else going on around us.
Finally, I pull away. “Ready?”
“Soready,” Brooklyn says. She gives a little wave to Monica. “You know how us newlyweds are. Have to sneak in the alone time every chance we get. See you later!”
I wrap my arm around her, grab her suitcase, and spin her away from the daggers I’m sure Monica is throwing with her eyes.
When we’re out of earshot, Brooklyn turns to me, her expression more serious. “Looks like I just saved your image, as usual. You’re welcome.”
“My image?” I parrot back.
She lifts a brow. “I’m sorry, did you not just have Monica Shore sticking to you like white on rice? That sure as hell isn’t going to help the latest PR nightmare, or have you missed all the gossip on social media? Please tell me she hasn’t been like this since you got here.”
I don’t say anything, mind still a little blown that she’s even here to begin with.
She tilts her head and looks up at me with her eyes narrowed, as if she already knows the answer. “Really, Luka, what would Stefan say? It’s lucky I got here when I did.”
As if her arrival has everything to do with maintaining my reputation and nothing else.
“He’d probably say something unrepeatable about how sinfully good you look,” I tell her, letting my gaze linger as it glides over her body. “And I couldn’t agree more.”
As we make our way through the shops, the casino, and the hotel lobby, all the men and half the women we pass turns their heads to stare at my wife. I slide my hand down to grab her ass and keep it there, even when she jerks a little in surprise.
She’s mine. And I’m going to make sure everyone knows it.
Brooklyn
Chapter 12
So much for the hotel room sex I was hinting at.
Luka gets a work call as soon as we step into the hotel suite, and he flashes me an apologetic look before stepping out onto the balcony to take it. Even though our accommodations are luxurious, I have no time to appreciate them. I need every available minute to get myself ready for the showdown with Monica. The time for playing nice is over.
Peeling off my dress, I step into the shower and start scrubbing sweat and recycled airplane air from my skin, letting the conditioner soak into my frazzled hair while I shave.
I can’t get over the look on Luka’s face when I showed up. He was clearly shocked, but it didn’t escape me the way his eyes lit up, how his huge smile had been one-hundred percent genuine. And oh, was it satisfying to watch Monica’s little sex kitten act drop like a bomb when she saw me. Luckily, I was just in time to overhear her asking him to take her out tonight, giving me the perfect opportunity to cut in.
It wasn’t until Luka mentioned the restaurant that I even realized what the plans I’d just crashed actually were. I’m glad it didn’t turn out to be a strip club. I wouldn’t put it past Monica.
Taking my time to rinse off, I hold out hope that Luka might notice I left the door cracked and jump in with me for a little pre-dinner hanky-panky, but he doesn’t. Well, no matter. There’ll be plenty of chances for that later.
The vanity lights around the mirror are exactly what I need to get glammed up properly, so I wrap myself in a fluffy hotel robe, blow-dry my hair with my pricy Rossano Ferretti volumizer and a round brush to make it extravavoom, and then lay out my cosmetics.
I hadn’t been totally sure it was a good idea to fly out here. At the same time, with all the social media speculation, I felt like I had to come to Vegas and see what was going on for myself. Feel him out, try to glean whether or not he’s actually sleeping with Monica (or intending to). His behavior toward her should tell me everything I need to know about our marriage, and whether he’s truly invested in working things out between us. Of course, it doesn’t help matters that Monica is such a shameless flirt, and makes no secret of the fact that she wants to get him into bed.
Which is exactly why I’m going to show her just who Luka belongs to tonight.
Hair done, face freshly made up, I go to the sliding door and stand there with my robe strategically falling open. Luka’s still out on the balcony, facing the distant view of the brown-gold desert. I tap on the glass and when he turns around he does a double take and ends the call, his eyes glued to the exposed column of skin between the lapels of my robe.
Ah. Now that’s better.
“That was quite the phone call,” I tell him as he steps inside.
