Submit (Surrender #2)(41)
Author: Melody Anne

“Where to, ladies?” asked the cab driver with such boredom in his voice and an attitude that screamed so clearly I hate this job! that Ari got the giggles. Sin City cab drivers doubtless saw it all.

“The Venetian, please,” Rachel said before sitting back.

“I’m so glad you remembered that, because I completely forgot what hotel we were staying in,” Ari admitted.

“We stay there all the time. The rooms are great and the shopping even better.”

“Don’t you ever get bored with shopping? I mean, you both are so dang rich that you can shop every day if you want. At some point it would have to lose its appeal.”

“Ari, that’s almost sacrilegious. How could anyone ever grow bored of shopping? New fashions come out almost daily,” Rachel gasped in a mock-serious tone.

“My mother didn’t want us to be brats, so we had a pretty normal life growing up. Now, as adults, we do tend to shop a bit too much,” Lia admitted. “We have to make up for our deprived childhood!”

“I was never into the whole shopping thing before, but now, with Rafe demanding I wear all these dresses and fancy shoes, I have to do it all the time. It’s taken a while, but I admit I’ve kind of grown to enjoy losing myself in this lifestyle. It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever done before.”

“That’s more like it!” Rachel exclaimed.

They arrived at the hotel and the three of them stumbled in through the front doors. Ari had taken about five steps when she hit a wall of angry flesh. She didn’t even want to look up into the fire she was sure was in Rafe’s eyes.

Instead, she looked to the left where Shane was gripping both Lia and Rachel. His face had to be a mirror image of Rafe’s. Rachel looked over at Ari and mouthed the words hot, angry sex, which sent Ari into another round of giggles.

Rafe had obviously been pacing the lobby for hours.

Shane and Rafe marched the three of them through the casino and straight to the elevators, where they rode to the top floor in suffocating silence. Maybe she would get hot, angry sex. She could certainly go for that.

“Are you going to take care of them?” Rafe practically growled at Shane.

“Gladly,” Shane replied and he led Lia and Rachel into the adjoining suite.

Rafe dragged Ari into their own huge suite. “Did you have a good time?”

The tone of Rafe’s deceptively calm voice alerted Ari that something sinister was up. If she hadn’t been so drunk, she might have had a clue to what it was, but her brain refused to function correctly.

“Yes, we had a blast, thank you,” she answered happily.

“At what point did you decide it would be wise to ditch the professional men I graciously hired to keep you safe? Obviously I need to find ones who are a lot more discreet if you were able to spot them so easily.”

“Oh, we planned on that from the start. How can we have any fun with two incredible hulks following us all around? Discreet? Nahhhh. They were practically breathing down our necks, making it far too hard to socialize.”

“The whole point of the bodyguards is to discourage people from getting too close and harming you,” Rafe said tightly, fire leaping from his eyes.

“Well, we couldn’t have any fun with them all up in people’s faces. Chill, Rafe.”

“Are you kidding me right now, Ari?” he thundered.

“No.”

“That’s it? Just no?”

“My head is spinning and I really need to lie down. Can you continue your lecture tomorrow, preferably after I’ve had at least two cups of coffee?”

With great reluctance, Ari glanced at Rafe and saw that the man was steaming mad. Fascinating. What had she and his sisters done, really? They’d seen a strip show, played some table games, and gotten back late — oh, and ditched the bodyguards. The point was, they had come back in one piece. She didn’t see why he had to be so upset.

“You just don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what, Rafe? Yes, I know — we have an agreement. You want to own me, blah, blah, blah. I was kinda hoping to have some great angry sex and then pass out.”

Rafe’s eyes bulged, as if she’d sprouted a third head. She smiled at him and sent a wink, making him growl while he walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of cold water and a few pills.

“Drink it all up and take these or you’ll be worthless tomorrow,” he demanded as he held out his hand.

“I think that ship has sailed, Rafe. No matter what I do I’m going to be miserable,” she muttered. When he didn’t move, she finally took the bottle and horse pills from his hand. Choking the pills down, Ari then forced herself to finish off the bottle. It wasn’t easy with him glaring at her the entire time.

“I really have to use the bathroom,” she said as she stumbled to her feet, her knees nearly giving out.

“You’re not a stupid teenager, Ari. Don’t you think it’s a little ridiculous to get so drunk that you can’t even walk?” he snapped as he saved her from face-planting on the floor.

“You know what, Rafe? I’m not a teenager, and you’re not my dad, so why don’t you lay off the lecture?” she snapped back. Her temper was rising as some of her buzz began to fade. Her night of angry sex was fading further and further away, and that was putting her in an increasingly bad mood.

“Believe me, I know I’m not your father. That doesn’t change the fact that I want to bend you over my knee right now and see how pink I can make your cheeks.”

His words made her stumble to a stop. If he so much as tried to paddle her backside, she’d hit him where it hurt. Still, the thought of being bent over his knee didn’t sound bad at all.

With a come-hither smile, she leaned into him and kissed his neck before she disappeared behind the bathroom door. Once inside, Ari got the bright idea of taking a shower.

The last thing she remembered doing was sitting down on the built-in bench and feeling the hot water cascade over her muscles, soothing away the aches now consuming her body. Rafe found her passed out a few minutes later, and he carried her off to bed.

*****

Rafe woke up with Ari in his arms. With surprise he noted the time. It was after ten! Not only had he stayed in bed later than he had in at least a decade, but he’d slept with Ari all night.

He’d lain down with her only to make sure she wasn’t going to get sick and then pass out in her own vomit. He must have fallen asleep within minutes of her snuggling up against his chest.