Read Vixen in Vegas (Sinful Novellas) for Free Online

can’t afford this!” I argued.
    “You don’t even know how much it cost,” she said playfully.
    “Well, unless it was free, I want another suite,” I complained. “I’m trying to live this amazing debt-free life. After all my mother went through, I’ll never make that mistake, living beyond my means, struggling paycheck to paycheck. I’m trying to get ahead. And I’ve done really well. I don’t want to blow it in Vegas!” I was frustrated.
    “Look at this place! Look at the view!” She smiled as she walked toward the bank of windows, through the sunken living room. Her hand passed over the keys of the piano, enough to make them move slightly under the weight of her touch, but not enough to emit any sound.
    She knew me so well. I wanted to play. I was drawn to that piano. The most civilized thing my mother had ever done was teaching me how to play piano. It was one of those skills that had served me well through the years. When others turned to alcohol or drugs, I turned to music. I knew where there were pianos in every city we had ever lived, free pianos…pianos I wouldn’t need to tune or move or dust.
    Here we were, in an incredible suite in Vegas, and there was a piano just for me. For a moment, I stood frozen to the spot. Then I saw it. There was a tray on the coffee table with a bottle of sparkling wine chilling. It was a vineyard I was unfamiliar with: Everly Winery.
    Jolie had wandered over to me, eyes shining with happiness and mischief. Honestly, I was starting to hate feeling so out of the loop, so left out. BE and I were supposed to be the ones with the secrets together, not BE and Jolie!
    She reached over and took the bottle from my hands. “I’ll open this. You just work on reading the card. We need to hurry down to the pool if we want to grab some take out from Riva. They close at 4pm.”
    “Okay,” I began. “I’ll open the card, you open the wine, and we’ll order the food before we change.”
    We really did have this traveling down to a science. I didn’t bother sitting down yet. I knew that I would be sitting plenty when I was relaxing poolside. Pulling back the flap on the envelope, I then eased out the card.
    See you soon. Rest. Relax. Just BE.
    “Did you tell him my nickname?” I asked Jolie with a giggle.
    She smiled. “I may have mentioned it.”
    I held the card to my chest for a moment then headed to grab the suitcase and bring it to a room. Jolie stopped me before I had made it two steps.
    “There’s no time for that. We’ll move the luggage later. I thought you had on a bathing suit under that outfit,” she said.
    “Well, I do, but I thought…”
    “Whatever you thought, think again. We’re calling in food and heading out the door.” She took off her shorts and tank, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her waist.
    “That’s what you’re wearing?” I asked. “We’re in Vegas.”
    “Who do I have to impress? You look great. I’m dialing. Let’s go.” She picked up the hotel phone and called in a food order without even consulting me.
    Normally, I would have been annoyed, but at the moment, I was marveling over all the incredible gestures. In return, I had done nothing. Soon enough that would change. I was certain I knew at least one way to say thank you. Glancing over at Jolie talking on the phone, I thought to myself… I might even know two!
    With a smile on my face, I brought the wine glass to my lips. I had never been formally trained to appreciate wine. I wasn’t sure I had the palate to recognize the flavors in it…oaky, buttery, honey, peachy, peppery…they were all the same to me. Sure, I knew what I liked. I felt that way about every aspect of my life. I liked my wine sweet, like me.
    Sipping slowly, I savored the sweetness as the liquid coated my tongue. It was good. It was perfect. Everything was perfect. Just because he suggested it, I would relax the next few hours. I would just be.

    With all the other little surprises along the way,