Chapter 3

It was six a.m., and I was wide awake. I heard James softly breathing and realized he was still asleep. I tried to close my eyes, but it was no use. I might as well get up.

Very carefully, I slid out from under James’s arm. I picked up the baby doll and thong that we had thrown on the floor the night before and walked into the bathroom. After using the toilet, I put on a bathrobe and snuck back out into the bedroom. He was still fast asleep, and I really didn’t want to wake him because I knew he had to be tired.

I walked into the great room, and as I looked around, I saw a coffee pot in the kitchen area. I thought that some coffee might help wake me up. I began to brew a small pot and then began looking for creamer. I found a few packets of powdered creamer, which I always thought was disgusting, so I looked in the mini-bar and found a small container of half-and-half. I was shocked at the price: $18 for the small bottle. Oh, well ... when in Rome...

I read my economics textbook and reviewed my notes for about an hour and a half while drinking my expensive coffee. I had a midterm exam in my economics class on Tuesday, and I wanted to start preparing for it since I had procrastinated for so long.

Once I was done reviewing the material, I began getting bored. I’ve always been the type of person who has to constantly be doing something. I peeked back into the bedroom, and James was still asleep. I was surprised he hadn’t moved an inch.

Yesterday, as we were walking through the casino, I remembered seeing a sign for the gym. I hadn’t worked out since Friday morning, and I thought hitting the gym would be a great way to pass the time until James woke up.

I snuck into the walk-in closet and picked out a cotton thong, a sports bra, yoga pants, a tank top, socks, and a pair of running shoes. I dressed and headed for the gym.

I used the keycard to open the door, hoping the gym wouldn’t be too crowded. I scanned the large workout room, which was filled with different types of exercise machines and various weights for lifting. There was only one other person there, a guy using a rowing machine. He was really into his workout, and I didn’t think he’d bother me. My regular gym has a ladies-only section that keeps the male gawkers away so women can work out in peace. They didn’t have a women’s area here, but thankfully, on an early Sunday morning, and with only one other guy in the gym, it didn’t seem to matter.

I sat down on a mat and began to stretch and do a couple of yoga positions to warm up. As I stretched my legs, I felt some soreness emanating from my vagina. It had been a long time since I’d had this much sex with a guy, and even though we hadn’t been together long, I was feeling the effects as I stretched.

Once my muscles felt warm, I got on the treadmill and started running. I began to think about the crazy day and a half since I met James. The car, the clothes, the fights, and the sex all felt very surreal as I played the events of the past thirty-six hours back in my mind. I kept telling myself that emotionally, I needed to keep my distance, but as I admitted the truth to myself, I was getting caught up in him. I kept thinking, over and over, why couldn’t he be single? Of course, he has some issues, but I could fix him. I came to the conclusion that I just had to keep going with it and see what was going to happen.

Before I knew it, I had run eight miles and was covered in sweat. I pressed the stop button on the treadmill, sat back down on the mat, and started to stretch again, catching my breath from the run. This time, no soreness anywhere, good! No matter what I did, I couldn’t get James off my mind, and I didn’t need my body reminding me of him, too.

I used the keycard to get back into the room; James had to be awake by now. I looked down at my watch and was surprised to see it was 9:30. I walked to the bedroom and peeked through the doorway. Oh my God, he still hadn’t moved an inch since I left for the gym. Obviously, all of this sex was affecting both of us, but in different ways. Regardless, it was time for grumpy-bear to wake up.

I removed my running shoes and slid into bed beside him. In his sleep, he pulled me closer and then started to wake up.

“Good morning,” I said, smiling.

“Good morning,” he said groggily, “what time is it?”

“Time for someone to get his ass out of bed,” I said, laughing.

He managed a slight smile, then closed his eyes again.

“It’s 9:30, James.”

“Okay, give me a minute.”

He rubbed his eyes, finally starting to wake up in earnest.

I lay beside him, studying his facial features. My eyes traveled over the tousled salt-and-pepper hair, those clear blue eyes, and that sexy five-o’clock shadow; at that moment, he was perfect to me, and I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.

He looked at me. “Whew, what have you been doing, stinky?” he said, breaking out into laughter.

I gave him a dirty look and then playfully punched him on the shoulder, laughing with him.

“I was at the gym, running eight miles, while someone I know was still in bed sleeping, “I said in mock disgust, smiling brightly at him. “Some of us have to work out so we can fit into those tiny dresses another person in this bed buys.”

He leaned over and kissed me, and started to pull me towards him.

Oh, hell no, I thought as I playfully pushed him away. He needed to pay a little bit for that comment.

“I’m way too stinky to do anything in this bed with you; I’m going to go take a shower,” I said, teasing him.

I moved to get up off the bed, but as I looked into those sparkling blue eyes, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere.

I slid closer to him, and we kissed softly. I slowly slid my hand under the covers and felt the hard muscles of his stomach. I felt his tongue play with mine as I slid my hand further south, finding what I was looking for. I grasped his fat cock, and it immediately sprang to life. I gently stroked his shaft up and down while we continued kissing.

I felt him slide the covers off the bed, exposing his naked body to me. We continued to kiss, and I felt his hand wander over my damp sports bra. Simultaneously, my hand rubbed the light mat of hair across his chest as my other hand was slowly stroking the cock that had been giving me so much pleasure. At that moment, I don’t think I’d ever wanted anyone in my entire life more than I wanted him.

I gently pushed him away and stood next to the bed, looking deep into his eyes as I pulled my sports bra over my head, exposing my 36D breasts. I watched James take his cock in his hand and start to slowly stroke himself while he watched me continue to undress for him. My eyes never left his as I slowly peeled off the damp yoga pants and thong and then finally pulled off my socks. I stood there naked in front of him, watching his hand move up and down that long shaft.

I had never watched a man masturbate in front of me before, and I found it to be one of the most erotic things I had ever witnessed. It especially turned me on knowing my naked body was the inspiration he was using to pleasure himself. Almost without thinking, my hand moved down to my pussy, and I ran a single digit through my slit in an up-and-down motion. The lips of my vagina were becoming engorged as my finger rubbed my clit and then back down, spreading the wetness over my sex. I heard him moan, and he started to pull himself a bit faster as he watched me pleasure myself.

I couldn’t take any more. I had to have him inside me. So I got into the bed and straddled him. I scooted back on his stomach and felt the head of his cock find the opening of my vagina. His hips pushed forward, and he slid himself into me.

I gasped as he filled me in one slow push. I put my hands on his chest as we moved slowly together. We took our time, slow and easy. We moaned together as his cock pressed into me and then back out, over and over, in a slow, steady rhythm. I was content to let his hips do the work for both of us, all the while feeling his cock move slowly in and out of me.

So much of the sex that we’d had since we met was rough and aggressive. It reminded me of two beasts beating their bodies together in an attempt to achieve release, and I admit I loved that type of sex. Feeling him pound my body until I felt I couldn’t move was intensely erotic. However, I needed this type of sex, too: soft, gentle, romantic, passionate, and tender. I needed to feel him making love to me, even though I knew he didn’t love me.

I felt him tense up below me, and I knew he was almost there. Having been holding off my orgasm because I wanted us to come together, I reached down and gently rubbed my clit. We came in unison, and I gently ground myself into him as I felt those hot splashes squirt inside me. I collapsed on him, and we kissed tenderly. It was so romantic and passionate. It was perfect and exactly what I needed from him that morning.

A little later, we were walking in the casino towards the café where we had eaten the day before. James had his arm around me, holding me tight against his side. We both had showered because he’d proclaimed that I wasn’t allowed to be stinky around him or when I was in public. He could be such a smart-ass, but I loved his sense of humor. He could be so funny when he wanted to be and without even trying.

As we walked, I watched him beside me and thought that most guys my age just tried too hard. They either tried to be funny when they weren’t, or they told me whatever they thought I wanted to hear in a desperate attempt to get me out of my panties. A guy my age would have told me that I smelled like a rose, even if it wasn’t true. Especially if it wasn’t true, like after my long run this morning.

James was just himself, and he didn’t try to hide his emotions. Whether he was happy or mad, I knew it, and even though that irritated me sometimes, deep down, I appreciated that honesty.

I had chosen a simple outfit for the day: a matching white lace bra and thong-panty set; a short, faded blue denim skirt; a baby blue lace top; and white sandals. I’d gone through James’s closet and picked out khaki shorts and a dark blue polo for him to wear. Even though he had impeccable taste in clothing, he didn’t always pair them well, and of course, I was more than happy to stick my nose in and help him with that. He always looked so handsome, and I kept thinking over and over how much I loved being with him.

We were eating our meals, and I watched people walk through the casino outside the café when James started to speak.

“Melanie, we need to talk about a few things.”

Oh, no. When a guy starts out with that sentence, it’s usually not good.

“Yes, dear,” I said, smiling at him.

“Tomorrow, after your classes, I need you to do a couple of things for me.”

I gave him a puzzled look. “All right, what do you need me to do?”

“Here is my business card,” he said, handing it to me. “It has the address and phone number of my LA office. When you get out of class, I need you to fax me statements for all of your credit cards and the balances on your student loans.”

My jaw dropped in stunned silence when I realized the reason behind this request.

“I also need you to go to the main office at UNLV and have the clerk put my business address on your account. Once your grants and scholarships have been applied, I want you to have them bill me for the remaining balance each semester.”

“James, I don’t know how to react to all this,” I said quietly as I tucked the card into the front pocket of my skirt.

“There are some conditions, Melanie.”

I looked into his eyes, hanging on his every word.

“The first condition is that your GPA does not drop. I’m investing in your future. You have so much talent and potential, but everything hinges on your grades, and you can’t let your social life interfere with that.”

That really wasn’t an issue. I breezed through high school and a year and a half of college without really being challenged, and keeping my GPA up, especially if I didn’t have to work a part-time job, would be easy.

“The second condition is that when I’m in Las Vegas, I’ll be your priority. I’ll always give you time to make sure your classwork is complete, just as I’ve done this weekend. But, when I’m here, I take precedence over your friends. Usually, I’ll only be in town one weekend a month, so you’ll have the rest of the time to spend with them.”

This would be easy, too. I love being with you, James, don’t you see that? You could spend two or three weekends a month with me, and I’d gladly choose you over my friends.

“Are we okay so far?” he said hesitantly.

“We are,” I said, smiling at him. “What other conditions do you have?” I asked, thinking that this had been pretty easy so far.

“When I’m not in Las Vegas, I don’t want you having sex with other men,” he said slowly, gauging my reaction.

My jaw dropped, and a million things started swirling through my mind at the speed of light. James started speaking again and broke me out of my trance.

“Any time you’d like to speak would be fine with me, Melanie,” he said, smiling.

“This brings up a lot of personal issues for me, James. You said we could always say anything to each other, right?”

“Of course,” he said, reassuring me.

“I got into bed with you only hours after we met, so I’m sure you must think I’m some sort of slut. Trust me, James, with men, I’m not. You’re only the sixth man I’ve had intercourse with.”

I watched as his mouth dropped open, a refreshing change.

“My best friends and I tease each other about our numbers, the number of men we’ve had sex with. Six may seem like a lot to you, or maybe it doesn’t, I don’t know. My best friend Sue, the girl who was with me the night we met, her number is in the 30s. My roommate Rachel, her number is in the 40s. And my other friend, Samantha, is in the 60s. Keep in mind, they are all about my age, so in my book, that makes six look pretty respectable.”

“Yes, it does, Melanie,” he said quietly, contemplating what I revealed to him.

I also felt a tinge of regret because I hated revealing such personal information about my best friends to him just to make a point, but in this case, I felt I had to.

“In the interest of full disclosure, if you counted oral sex as sex, and I know some people do, my number would be pretty similar to those of my friends.”

James smiled, and I felt my face grow red in embarrassment.

“I’ve just always enjoyed giving blow jobs, and, as I think you can attest, I’m pretty good at it,” I said, smiling, looking down, and knowing my face had to be as red as an ember.

“Melanie, please don’t take this the wrong way, but I think you could give a pro a run for her money.”

We both laughed, and I squeezed his hand across the table. After our laughter subsided, I continued.

“As you probably gathered last night with our waitress at your restaurant, I’m bisexual,” I said, looking seriously into his eyes.

He nodded his head, and I could see the wheels spinning in his mind after I confirmed what I had alluded to when I spoke of Gianna and me in the bathroom the night before.

“Again, in the interest of full disclosure, when it comes to sex with women, my number would be comparable to my friends’ numbers with men.”

His eyes widened in shock. “Really, Melanie?”

“My best friend and I were lovers in high school. But I really became active once I moved to Las Vegas. Between the girls on campus and the girls in the clubs, I’ve done a lot of bed-hopping. I’m telling you all of this, James, because I want you to know me, and I don’t want there to be any secrets between us.”

I was starting to tear up. I was feeling very emotional, and I knew it was from the way we’d had sex earlier and unburdening my soul to him concerning my sexuality.

“You were the first man I’ve been with in well over a year, James, so I’m all right with the idea of not being with other men.” I paused and tried to choose my words carefully, not knowing how he was going to react to my next statement.

“But I’m not going to give up women and have sex only with you. If I meet a woman in a club, or on campus, or in a restaurant, and I want to hook up with her, then I’m going to, and if that’s a problem for you, we need to start discussing it now.”

We looked into each other’s eyes without speaking. I needed to make him understand that there were some things I’d fight for if I had to.

He smiled at me, and it felt like those deep blue eyes were piercing my soul.

“I don’t have a problem with you seeing women, Melanie. But my cock is the only one that goes inside you,” he said possessively.

I felt a twinge of excitement between my legs.

“I can live with that, James,” I said, smiling, my eyes never leaving his.

We both took a drink of our orange juice as we continued to look at each other.

“Now that we’ve got all of that straightened out, this is yours.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a card, and handed it to me. I saw that it was a Visa debit card.

“This is just a temporary one. In about a week, another one will be mailed to you with your name on it, but you can start using that one tomorrow if you’d like. There is $5,000 on that card, and on the first of every month, there will be another $5,000.”

It was my turn for my jaw to drop.

“Thank you, James,” I said sincerely; I thought my heart was going to thump out of my chest.

“You’re welcome, Melanie. That means there is only one problem left to fix.”

My mind was racing as I held the card in my hand, “What problem is that?” I asked.

“Let’s find you a new place to live.”

I felt the sun on my face as we drove down Tropicana Avenue to meet a real estate agent James had contacted. I discovered as we drove that we had a one o’clock appointment. I didn’t have time to go back to the room and put my hair up, so it was blowing everywhere as we drove with the top down in the Mustang, and it was driving me crazy. There was a reason I chose a Land Rover instead of a convertible.

James was in such a good mood. I could see he was relieved that we had worked out the details of this relationship, or whatever it could be classified as. I was feeling good, too, because I didn’t like thinking that there were things I was hiding from him.

I still had questions he needed to answer. I thought, since I had laid my soul open in the cafe, I had a right to ask him questions about his family in LA, the part of his life that I knew very little about.

We pulled up in front of a two-bedroom condo close to UNLV. A small, older, feisty-looking woman was waiting for us at the front door. As we walked up to her, I could tell she was sizing us up.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Moretti,” she said in a boisterous voice that I didn’t think could come out of a woman so small, “I’m Vera,” she said curtly.

She looked up at me and then back to James.

“Looking for a discreet love residence, are you?”

I burst out laughing as James shot her a dirty look. I liked her already.

She took my hand in hers, and we entered the condo.

“Melanie, you’ll love this place, dear. It’s very cozy with large rooms, a big kitchen, and a big backyard, everything you both will need to be happy,” she said, smiling at me and ignoring James.

“How old is this place?” James asked sternly.

“About 25 years old,” she said, realizing that she hadn’t sold James on it.

“This isn’t it, let’s keep looking,” he said.

We looked at two other places, and James hated them both. All three of the condos she had shown us were nicer than the apartment I was living in with Rachel. It was hard for me to be as picky as James because each of the places she had shown us was a step up for me, and we were all close to UNLV. James thought proximity to the campus would make it easier for me to get to my classes.

“Would you be willing to look at something out of this area, dear?” Vera asked me. “It’s only a few miles from here; it’s downtown, but I think you’ll love it,” she said, squeezing my hand.

We agreed to look at it and followed Vera to a 40-story building in historic Las Vegas. The parking was underneath the building, and James loved the fact that it had 24-hour security. We had to pass through two security guard stations, one to enter the parking garage and another to go up to the apartments.

We took the elevator to the 39th floor, and she led us into a spacious two-bedroom apartment. There were two bathrooms, one in the master bedroom and the other off the living room, presumably for guests. It had a large kitchen, and it came furnished. The furniture was modern and sleek and went with the apartment perfectly.

The real selling point, however, was the floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows that faced south over the Las Vegas strip. It even had a glass door to walk out onto a balcony. The outside wall facing the strip was also glass and about chest high, so it didn’t obstruct the view from inside the apartment. I instantly fell in love with the place.

“All you will need is a bed and TV. You would have had to fully furnish the other three condos we just looked at,” Vera said.

She’s a good saleswoman, and she really wants this commission, I thought to myself.

“I like this place, Melanie, but, more importantly, what do you think?” James said, leaving the decision up to me.

“Vera, we’ll take it,” I said excitedly, hugging her.

James signed the papers, and we went back out to the Mustang a few minutes later. I squeezed James’s hand as he rested it on my thigh. I had a new car, new clothes, a new apartment, and money ... a new life. The only thing I didn’t have was the man I was falling for in my bed starting tomorrow morning. I quickly pushed that thought out of my mind. I didn’t have much time left with James, and I wasn’t going to ruin it by being depressed about things I couldn’t change.

“Melanie,” James said, breaking me out of my thoughts. “I’ve dragged you around this city all weekend. You tell me where you’d like to go.”

I thought for a moment. “Ever seen a lake in the middle of a desert?”

I had James drive out to Henderson, past the Auto Mall, and directed him to take the exit onto Lake Mead Parkway. We drove about fifteen miles to Lake Las Vegas. I had only been there once before, and it was at night when I was partying with my friends, and I was pretty drunk, so I didn’t remember a lot of it. This would be a much better experience.

We turned off the highway and found ourselves driving through a golf course with fairways on both sides. The grass was perfectly manicured, and I saw a huge clubhouse in the distance. We drove further and came to several different housing tracts. The houses were big and beautiful. The area reminded me of the neighborhoods we saw in Summerlin the night before. The Las Vegas Valley has a few exclusive areas, and Lake Las Vegas was definitely one of them.