Free No Reservations by Lauren Dane Page B

hold back any longer. Orgasm shot through him, tore him apart. Left him hol ow. He breathed hard, the shower's heat leaving him woozy. He switched the water to cold and stood, stoic, as frigid needles stabbed him. Then he got out and scrubbed himself diy so fiercely his skin turned red.
    Wrapping the towel around his waist, he stalked to the bedroom and paced. She'd said not to fol ow her, and it had been his instinct to obey. Not only because that was the dynamic of their relationship, but because, no matter how much he loved her, Brandon wasn't going to chase after a woman who didn't want to be with him. If she didn't come back to him, he was better off without her.
    Except, fuck it. He would never be better off without Leah. She wasn't better off without him, either, and the sooner she admitted it the better off both of them would be. There was only one person who'd know where Leah had gone.
    Kate. Brandon dial ed her cel number and got her voicemail.
    Kate. It's Brandon. I . . . could you cal me, please?'
    Shit, he sounded as corn-fed and aw-shucks as he knew Kate liked to tease Leah he was. Too late, though, saving more would only make him sound like a desperate asshole. He disconnected.

    Kate would know where Leah was, but who would know where Kate was? Brandon dial ed another number, one he'd never had need to use before but which Leah had programmed into his when they got matching iPhones.
    It rang only a couple of times before a male voice said,
    'Hel o?'
    'Dix? It's Brandon.'
    'Band Boy,' Dix said after the barest pause, amusement thick in his voice.
    Brandon gritted his teeth and slapped a hand to his forehead. 'Don't cal me that, man. C'mon.' 'Sorry.' Dix laughed. Couldn't resist.' Brandon scowled. 'I'm trying to reach Kate.' Dix stopped laughing. 'Why?' 'Because she knows where Leah is.'
    Brandon liked Dix wel enough, though he didn't know him as wel as he knew Kate, The four ot them had gone out a bunch of times to dinner, sat at the same table for things like Leah's company holiday party, stuff like that. He'd met Kate first, though, and had spent more time with her. Had even had a few conversations with her without Leah or Dix around. Kate wasn't his buddy, but he thought she liked him, at least thought he was good enough to be dating her best friend. He wasn't real y sure what Dix thought about him, but he was pretty sure Dix knew the sort of relationship Brandon and Leah had.
    'I'l give you credit, kid, you held out longer than I thought you would.'

    'It's only been a day."
    Dix snorted. 'I didn't wait that long to figure out where my woman went.'
    'She told me not to try to find out,' Brandon said and braced himself for Dix's laughter.
    Dix only cleared his throat. 'Ah.'
    'I know why she left,' Brandon said. 'I was going to ask her to marry me. She got a little . . . freaked.' Another beat of silence and then Dix growled, 'Damn, what's with those two, anyway?' 'Do you know where she is? Leah, I mean.'
    'She's with Kate.'
    Brandon snorted. 'So, where's Kate?' 'Vegas.'
    Of al the places in the world Brandon might have guessed she'd go, that was the last. Leah had once referred to Vegas as a 'playground for deviants'. He'd assumed she was being derisive. Maybe he was wrong.
    'I'm not waiting for her to come back,' Brandon said. 'I want her to see I'm serious about this. I'm not just going to sit back and let her run away every time something gets scary.'
    'Dammit, kid . . .' Dix laughed again. 'So. Let's go.'
    'Wait. What?'
    'Vegas,' Dix said. 'You and me. Let's go get them.
    Besides, Vegas is a hel uva lot of fun.

Chapter 7
    Kate definitely didn't look at Leah. If she did it would be over and the laughing would begin and that would not be nice.
    No. Not at al . Instead she tried to pretend it wasn't odd at al to ride in an elevator with a guy in a latex body suit wearing a feather mask and a cape. And a rather large red hat.
    Kate had mental rules about certain things. Women over thirty-five shouldn't wear