Previously – Chapter 1: Fateful Encounter
Lila awoke the next morning feeling surprisingly refreshed despite the late night. Stretching languorously in the plush hotel bed, she replayed the events of the previous evening in her mind. Had it really happened? Had she actually danced the night away in a secret speakeasy with a gorgeous, mysterious stranger? It seemed too magical to be real, like something out of a romantic movie.
Lila rolled over and spotted a single red rose on the nightstand, a small card propped against it. Brows furrowed in confusion, she reached for the card and flipped it open.
“Lila,
You’ve enchanted me, body and soul. Would love to see you again. Meet me for breakfast at Café Bellagio at 9:30?
Yours,
Jake”
Lila’s heart skipped a beat. So it hadn’t been a dream after all. Jake was real and he wanted to see her again. She glanced at the clock – 8:45. Just enough time to shower and make herself presentable.
Forty-five minutes later, Lila stepped off the elevator into the sunlit atrium of the Bellagio. She had agonized over what to wear, wanting to look nice but not like she was trying too hard. She settled on a pretty floral sundress and sandals, her long hair pulled back in a loose braid.
She spotted Jake immediately, sitting at a table by the windows overlooking the lush garden courtyard. He stood as she approached, his appreciative gaze sweeping over her. “Lila, you look beautiful,” he greeted her warmly, pulling out a chair for her.
Lila willed herself not to blush as she took her seat. “Thank you. And thanks for the lovely rose. That was very sweet of you.”
Jake’s smile was devastatingly handsome as he resumed his seat across from her. “I’m glad you liked it. I wanted to make sure last night wasn’t just a wonderful dream.”
“I was wondering the same thing myself,” Lila admitted with a laugh. “It all feels a bit surreal, doesn’t it? Like something out of a movie.”
“Ah, but the best love stories often do,” Jake replied with a playful wink, making Lila’s stomach flutter.
Love story? Is that what this was? The rational part of Lila’s brain argued that you couldn’t fall in love with someone you just met. But another part, the part that believed in magic and destiny and soulmates, wondered if maybe, just maybe, such a thing was possible.
They placed their orders with the waiter and fell into easy conversation as they waited for their food. Jake asked Lila about her plans for her stay and she told him about some of the shows and attractions she hoped to check out.
“I definitely want to see ‘O’ by Cirque du Soleil. I’ve heard it’s incredible,” she enthused.
“It really is,” Jake agreed. “The way they incorporate water into the acrobatics is breathtaking. I’ve seen it a few times and it never fails to amaze me.”
“A few times? Just how often do you come to Vegas?” Lila asked curiously.
A shadow flickered across Jake’s face, so quick Lila almost missed it. “I have some business interests here that bring me out fairly regularly,” he said with a casual shrug. “Plus I enjoy the energy of the city. It’s a good place to let loose and have some fun, you know?”
Lila nodded, sensing there was more to it but not wanting to pry. “I can see that. I’m not much for gambling but I do love the entertainment and the over-the-top spectacle of it all.”
“Trust me, there’s so much more to Vegas than just gambling,” Jake said with a mysterious smile. “Stick with me and I’ll show you the Vegas most tourists never get to experience.”
Lila’s heart skipped a beat at the unspoken promise in his words. “I’d like that,” she replied softly.
Their food arrived and they dug in, continuing to chat in between bites. Jake entertained Lila with stories of some of his more colorful experiences in Vegas, making her laugh with his dry wit and gift for storytelling. She found herself sharing more about her own life as well – her job as a concierge at a luxury Chicago hotel, her close relationship with her younger sister, her dreams of someday opening her own event planning business.
Jake listened intently, asking questions and offering encouragement. “You’d be fantastic at running your own business,” he told her sincerely. “You’re smart, organized, great with people. I have no doubt you could make that dream a reality.”
Lila glowed at his belief in her. It felt so good to be seen, to be supported. To feel like someone was truly in her corner.
As they lingered over coffee, Lila spotted a familiar figure entering the restaurant – her best friend and coworker, Sophie. What were the odds?
Sophie saw her too and made a beeline for their table, her eyebrows raised at the sight of Jake. “Well well well, fancy running into you here, stranger!”
Lila stood to hug her, laughing at the coincidence. “I can’t believe it! What are you doing in Vegas?”
“Work conference. I know, I know, I should have told you. But it was a last minute thing and I figured we’d just miss each other anyway with you leaving today. Guess fate had other plans!” Sophie’s gaze slid meaningfully to Jake as she said that last part.
Lila flushed, realizing introductions were in order. “Sorry, yes! Sophie, this is Jake. We met last night. Jake, this is my best friend and coworker Sophie.”
Jake stood, extending a hand to Sophie with his most charming smile. “Pleasure to meet you, Sophie. Any friend of Lila’s is a friend of mine.”
Sophie shook his hand, giving him a blatantly appreciative once-over. “Likewise. And may I just say, nice work Li. Vegas agrees with you.” She shot Lila an exaggerated wink.
Lila wanted to crawl under the table, her face flaming. “Soph, oh my god,” she muttered under her breath.
But Jake just laughed good-naturedly. “Well I can assure you, meeting Lila has been the highlight of my trip. I’m trying to convince her to extend her stay so I can show her around properly.”
Sophie lit up like a kid on Christmas. “Li! You absolutely have to! It’s fate, I’m telling you. What are the odds we’d both end up here at the same time? With you meeting this handsome devil? The universe is sending you a message, loud and clear!”
Lila bit her lip, torn. She couldn’t deny she was tempted, so tempted, to throw caution to the wind and follow her heart. But could she really just blow off her responsibilities and commitments back home on a whim like this? For a man she barely knew?
Jake seemed to sense her hesitation. Under the table, his hand found hers, lacing their fingers together and giving a gentle squeeze. “No pressure, Lila. I know it’s a lot to consider. Just know the offer stands. I’d love nothing more than to spend more time with you, explore this connection between us. But I understand if you can’t.”
Lila’s heart melted, even as her mind wrestled with indecision. Sophie was practically bouncing with excitement across from her. “Lila, come on! When was the last time you did something just for you? Something spontaneous and fun and romantic? You deserve this! I’ll cover for you at work. It’s about time you start putting your own happiness first!”
Looking into Jake’s hopeful blue eyes, feeling the warmth of his hand in hers, Lila felt something inside her give way. A rush of exhilaration and terror and giddy anticipation. “Okay,” she said softly, then more firmly, “Okay. Yes. I’ll stay.”
The smile that broke across Jake’s face was brighter than the Vegas Strip at midnight. He lifted their joined hands and brushed a kiss across her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers. “You’ve just made me the happiest man in Vegas.”
Sophie squealed and clapped her hands, drawing curious looks from the nearby tables. “Yes! Oh Lila, I’m so excited for you! We have to celebrate! Drinks on me tonight!”
The rest of the day passed in a giddy blur for Lila. She extended her hotel reservation, made excuses to her family about a last minute work opportunity that came up, and tried not to overthink the impulsive decision she had just made. She was doing this. She was choosing adventure, choosing to follow her heart.
That night, the three of them hit the town together, Sophie playing exuberant third wheel to Lila and Jake’s blossoming romance. They bar hopped up and down the Strip, taking in the neon lights and pulsing energy of the city.
At every stop, heads turned to follow Jake, drawn to his magnetic presence. Women brazenly approached to flirt with him, slipping him their numbers. But Jake only had eyes for Lila, his hand never leaving the small of her back, his attention focused solely on her. It was heady and flattering, making Lila feel like the most desirable woman in the room.
As the night wore on and the drinks flowed, they ended up at a high-end nightclub, the kind with bottle service and VIP booths. Sophie had befriended a promoter who whisked them past the velvet rope to a prime table overlooking the dance floor.
Lila leaned into Jake as they watched the writhing bodies below, the pulsing beat of the music reverberating through her bones. She felt flushed and alive, the alcohol buzzing through her veins and Jake’s solid presence grounding her.
“Having fun?” he murmured in her ear, his breath hot against her skin.
Lila turned to him with a brilliant smile. “The most fun. Thank you for tonight. For everything.”
Jake’s eyes darkened as they dipped to her lips. “Oh Lila, the pleasure is all mine. You’re an extraordinary woman. I’m just grateful for every moment with you.”
Maybe it was the alcohol or the magic of the night, but Lila suddenly needed to be closer to him. She shifted so she was practically in his lap, her arms looping around his neck. “Kiss me, Jake,” she breathed.
Jake inhaled sharply, his hands flexing on her hips. For a searing moment he just looked at her, the heat in his gaze scorching her to her soul. And then his mouth was on hers and Lila was lost.
The kiss was electric, explosive, like nothing Lila had ever experienced. Jake kissed her like he was dying of thirst and she was his oasis, like he needed her more than his next breath. Lila poured herself into the kiss, all the pent-up longing and desire of the last two days finally finding release.
They clung to each other, the rest of the club fading away until it was just the two of them, lost in the heat and hunger of the moment. Jake’s hands roamed her body boldly, finding every sensitive spot and setting her nerve endings ablaze. Lila tangled her fingers in his hair, pressing herself as close as physically possible, wanting to crawl inside him and never leave.
A loud wolf whistle and drunken cheer finally broke them apart. Lila blinked dazedly, remembering they were very much in public and putting on quite the show. She glanced over to see Sophie grinning at them like the cat who ate the canary, fanning herself exaggeratedly.
“Dang girl, forget getting a room, you two need a whole private wing!” she cackled gleefully.
Lila buried her flaming face in Jake’s neck as he chuckled, the vibration rumbling pleasantly through her. “Guess we got a little carried away,” he said ruefully, sounding not at all sorry.
Lila peeked up at him, her embarrassment fading at the open adoration in his eyes. “Take me back to the hotel?” she whispered, emboldened by his clear desire for her.
Jake’s eyes flared hot before banking to a warm glow. He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. “As you wish,” he murmured.
They said their goodbyes to Sophie, extracting promises to meet up again before she left town in a few days. Then Jake was whisking Lila out of the club and into a waiting taxi, his arm wrapped securely around her waist.
The short ride to the Bellagio was charged with anticipation, the air practically crackling between them. Jake kept Lila tucked close to his side, his thumb rubbing maddening circles on her hip. By the time they reached her floor, Lila was practically vibrating out of her skin, every nerve ending sensitized and screaming for his touch.
As soon as the door to her suite closed behind them, Jake had her pressed up against it, his mouth finding hers in a searing kiss. Lila responded with equal fervor, pouring all the want and need that had been building into the slide of her lips and tongue against his.
They stumbled further into the room, a tangle of groping hands and urgent kisses. Clothing was hastily removed between panting breaths, buttons skittering across the floor and delicate fabrics tossed haphazardly over furniture.
Jake reverently palmed her breasts as he walked her back towards the bed, Lila gasping and arching into his touch. When her legs hit the mattress, he lowered her gently onto the plush duvet, following her down and covering her body with his own.
He began a thorough exploration of her bare skin with hands and mouth, mapping every curve and hollow, cataloguing every breathy moan and sigh he could wring from her. He seemed determined to learn her body, to discover all the secret places that made her gasp and shudder.
Lila was lost to the sensations, her world narrowed to the slide of his skin against hers, the hot press of his mouth, the exquisite pleasure sparking through her veins. When Jake finally joined their bodies, filling her so perfectly it stole her breath, tears actually pricked her eyes at the intensity of it all.
They moved together in a primal rhythm as old as time, give and take, advance and retreat. It felt like more than just sex, more than just physical gratification. It felt like a communion of bodies and souls, a profound connection on every level.
Lila lost track of time, lost count of the number of times Jake brought her to the pinnacle of ecstasy. He played her body like a virtuoso, wringing out every ounce of pleasure until she was boneless and spent, a trembling mass of satiation.
In the aftermath, Jake gathered her close, tucking her into the curve of his body as if he couldn’t bear even an inch of separation. Lila burrowed into his embrace, savoring the thud of his heartbeat under her cheek, the salty tang of his skin under her lips.
No words were needed as they basked in the afterglow, communicating their wonder and awe at the experience they had just shared through soft caresses and clinging kisses. Lila felt her eyes grow heavy, the events of the day and the pleasant ache in her body pulling her towards sleep.
Just before she drifted off, she felt Jake press a reverent kiss to her hair, heard him whisper achingly tender words she knew she wasn’t meant to. “What are you doing to me, Lila? I’m falling for you and it terrifies me.”
Lila’s heart tripped and squeezed even as her breath caught. She kept her eyes closed, feigning sleep, not wanting to break the spell. But as she slipped into dreams, a tiny seed of hope took root in her heart that maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something real.
The next few days passed in a haze of giddy romance and tourist fun. True to his word, Jake showed Lila a side of Vegas she never would have experienced on her own. They dined at exclusive restaurants where Jake seemed to know everyone, getting the best tables and VIP treatment. He surprised her with private tours of the Neon Boneyard and the Las Vegas Art Museum, sharing his love of history and culture. They even took a day trip out to Red Rock Canyon for a picnic and hike, marveling at the stark desert beauty so different from the glitz of the Strip.
Through it all, they talked and laughed and kissed, the connection between them growing stronger with every moment spent together. Lila felt like she was living in a dream, a romantic fantasy come to life.
But there were little things, tiny moments that gave her pause. The way Jake’s eyes would shutter and his jaw tighten whenever they passed a casino floor, as if fighting some internal battle. The sadness that would wash over his face when he thought she wasn’t looking, gone as quickly as it appeared when he caught her eye. The occasional vague or evasive answer he’d give when she asked about his work or his life back in LA.
Lila tried to brush it off, tried not to let the questions and doubts creep in. They were still getting to know each other after all. Jake would share more when he was ready. She trusted that he would let her in, just as she was opening up to him more and more each day.
On their last night before Sophie was set to fly home, the three of them met up for dinner and a show. Sophie was full of winks, nudges, and good-natured ribbing about their whirlwind romance, but beneath it all Lila could see her genuine happiness for her friend.
“I’ve never seen you like this,” Sophie told her sincerely when they had a moment alone. “So carefree and glowy and just…radiant. He’s good for you, Li. Don’t overthink it for once in your life. Just enjoy the ride.”
Lila hugged her tight, tears pricking her eyes. “I’ll try. Thank you Soph. For everything. I love you.”
“Love you too, babe. Now go! Get back to your man. Have an amazing rest of your trip. And I want all the dirty details when you get home!”
Lila laughed, used to her friend’s good-natured crassness. She bid Sophie farewell, extracting promises to get together as soon as she returned.
That night, she and Jake made love with an almost desperate intensity, as if trying to imprint the feel and taste and essence of the other into their very skin. They clung to each other after, wrapped up in the sheets and each other, talking in hushed voices about everything and nothing.
Lila felt the words rising up in her throat, the feelings she had been trying to hold back out of fear and self-preservation. But here in the dark, skin to skin and soul to soul with this man who had so thoroughly captured her heart, she couldn’t keep them in any longer.
“I love you, Jake,” she whispered, her voice trembling but clear. “I know it’s fast and it’s crazy but I do. I love you.”
She felt Jake still against her, felt his breath catch. Sudden uncertainty filled her. Had she said too much? Had she ruined everything?
But then Jake was cupping her face, tilting it up to his. In the dim light filtering through the curtains she could just make out the bright sheen of his eyes, the joy and wonder and heartbreaking vulnerability.
“Oh Lila,” he rasped. “My sweet, brave, beautiful Lila. I love you too. So much it terrifies me.”
He kissed her then, long and deep and achingly tender. Kissed her until they were both breathless and trembling. Kissed her as he made love to her again, slow and sweet and worshipful.
Later, much later, as Lila drifted off to sleep wrapped up in Jake’s strong arms, she thought she had never known a happiness so complete. For the first time in her life, she felt like she was exactly where she was meant to be. With the man she was meant to love.
If only she had known then how quickly that happiness could shatter. If only she had known the secrets Jake still kept, the wounds he hid behind his devil-may-care smile. If only she had known that the hardest part of their love story was yet to come.
But in that perfect moment, Lila knew only bliss and love and bright, shining hope for the future. And that was enough. More than enough. It was everything.
