“You sure you're okay?” I try again, not used to seeing the unflappable and unfazeable Mandy discomfited.

“Everything is perfect. I just need to clear out a few things. I'm sure my Inbox is overflowing by now,” she responds, a mask slipping back into place.

“Yeah, I'm sure you have a ton to do. I'll leave you to it. I know my way back to the room.”

“Are you sure? It's a big casino and it’s easy to get lost. I can walk you.”

“No, it's fine. I remember the way,” I reassure her.

“I had a wonderful time today. I hope we can do it again soon.”

Nodding my head, I agree. “I'd really like that.” It was wonderful. I lost touch with so many of my friends when most of them went off to college. I don't have any girlfriends anymore. My closest friend at the moment is Tim, who doesn't really care to even talk. He more grunts his responses. It's sad when a twenty-year-old girl’s closest friend is a forty-five-year-old man.

I leave Mandy standing in the spa, typing away on her Blackberry. I didn’t even know people’s fingers could move that fast. I make my way back to the elevator that goes up to our room. Warmth floods my stomach at the idea of the room being ours.

I feel like my brain is playing tug of war with itself. One part of me is telling me not to get attached, but the other wants to jump in with both feet. I’m truly starting to think this isn’t a game for Aaron and Justin. Maybe they really want more, and I’m sick of not doing what I want to do, so I’m going to give this a try.

If worse comes to worst, I can cry myself to sleep on top of my ten-million-dollar bed every night. Pushing the elevator button, I can’t help but snort at the idea of sleeping on a ten-million-dollar bed.

“What’s so funny, Lucky?” I turn to see Aaron staring down at me. His eyes are filled with hunger. I’m starting to think maybe that’s just how his eyes always look.

I give in to what I want, doing what I told myself I would do. Jump in with both feet. Wrapping my arms around his neck, thankful for the wedges giving me the extra height, I pull him down closer. “Nothing,” I say, pressing my lips to his. Like all things I’ve noticed about Aaron, he doesn't really need an invitation. He jumps right into kissing me back. He doesn't start slow and try to work his way up. No, he pushes his tongue right into my mouth, demanding entry.

This isn't surprising. Even when both Aaron and Justin were trying to get me to go on a date, I could see their differences. While they were a lot alike, there were small things about them that I noticed were different. Justin always tried to charm me into dates, work up to it before he asked. Aaron kind of just demanded. “We’ll have dinner Friday. I’ll send a car for you at seven sharp.” An order to which I didn’t respond. I let the car show up at seven and promptly told the driver he wouldn't be taking me anywhere.

I hear the elevator ding behind me, and I pull my mouth from his. “Where’s Justin?” I ask, looking around for him. I wonder if they were both headed up to the room and that's why I ran into them. Still seems a little early for a date, but maybe they have something special planned. I look around to see if he is nearby, and I spot him all the way across the casino.

A blonde woman stands extremely close to him, and I feel my gut clench. She looks familiar, but I can’t place her. Aaron’s eyes follow mine, and I feel him still next to me. I watch as Justin leans into the woman and whispers in her ear.

“Who is she?” I ask, hoping for an answer that will help ease the heavy weight in my stomach.

“No one,” Aaron says, pushing me into the elevator, the door closing behind him. He slides his key in, giving him access to hit the button that goes to our room.

“Where was I?” he says, turning back to me again. “That’s right, kissing my woman.” He’s on me once again, kissing me, demanding entry to my mouth. I moan against his lips.

“Fuck, you taste good, and you smell like roses.” He buries his face in my neck, biting and kissing me there. Who knew you could get turned on by someone kissing your neck.

“The spa, they rubbed me down with all kinds of oils and lotions.”

He bites my neck in response, making me squeak a little.

“Male or female?”

“Male or female?” I repeat, not understanding what he’s asking. It’s hard to think with him doing that to my neck.

“Was it a male or female who rubbed you down?” I hear the jealousy in his voice, and I smile.

“Female.”

“They took our smell off you. We worked hard to put that all over you. I better check to see if it’s really gone,” he says, dropping to his knees in front of me.

‘What are you doing?” I try to halt him from lifting my dress. “There are cameras in here.” I nod towards the black ball in the ceiling of the elevator.

“I’ll have them wiped.” He gives me a cocky grin. “And I won’t let them see anything.”

Before I can respond, his head is under my dress and my leg is over his shoulder. I should stop him, but all rational thought leaves my head when his mouth touches my pussy.

“You went out without panties. You’ll pay for that later.” I barely understand his muffled words from under my skirt. I want to tell him to shut up, that the panties they gave me aren’t even panties, but the only thing that pours from my mouth are moans of pleasure.

Using the flat of his tongue, Aaron licks me back and forth, as far as he can reach, before focusing on my clit. He torments the bundle of nerves, making me cry out for more. I jerk against him, but his hands on my hips hold me in place, his fingers digging into my curves. His lips lock around my clit, sucking it softly into his mouth, sending me over the edge.

The orgasm shoots through me, all the way to my toes. It’s so intense it forces my eyes closed. When I finally open them, I’m no longer in the elevator. I’m lying on the sofa, Aaron looming over me beside it. His lips touch mine, softly this time.

“I’m going to run back downstairs, sweetheart, I’ll be back in a few. Then it's just you, Justin and me for the night.

“Mmky,” is all I can say. His lips touch mine again, but he pulls away before I can try to deepen the kiss. I can tell it takes everything in him to leave me, and the feeling of power I had this morning comes back full force.

I watch him leave, excited for his return with Justin.

I wonder about the blonde woman again. Maybe it was nothing. They could be close friends like they are with Mandy.

Going to the entryway, I grab the phone off the table and call Tim. I should have done this hours ago.

“Hello,” Tim answers on the third ring.

“Hey, it’s Stella,”

“Hey Stella, I was starting to worry.” I feel guilty at his words. I’ve been lying like crazy to him. I made up a story about there being a farmers’ convention out in Los Angeles that I was going to this weekend. I told him I was going with the hope of meeting some investors who might help pull us out of the hole we were in. Tim is still kind of stuck in the old ways and barely uses a computer unless it’s to order something we need, so he didn't really question me much.

“Sorry, I got caught up but I’ve got news. I got an investor, so anything you need for the farm right now you go ahead and get. The money should have been deposited, so just charge whatever to the company card that’s in my desk top drawer.” I tell him this knowing the first five million should have been deposited this morning.

“That’s great.” His tone might seem low and flat to anyone else, but I’ve known Tim since I was little. I can hear the relief in his voice.

“If you need any help tending to the extra work, go ahead and bring some people on. I’m going to be gone for a little longer but everything is fine now.”

“Sounds good. I’ll hire the Wilks boys to come over and help. They are always looking for extra work,” he says, talking about the family that lives down the road from the farm.