What Happens in Vegas by C. Qualls

Chapter 25

I’m pacing my study. I tucked Julia in hours ago. I tried to sleep, but tonight is just too important. I look at the wall clock. 2:18 am. Corey came up with a plan. He’s got everything set up, I just have to wait. The clock ticks by slowly. One minute feels like an hour. My hand goes to my n*eck. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. I sit in my chair waiting, waiting, waiting. My head goes into my hands. My fingers run through my hair in frustration. Tick. Tick. Tick. My leg begins to bounce. I’m going to lose my mind. Keep it together Draven. Don’t lose your s hit now.

“Fredrick?“ I look up to the sound of my Angel’s voice.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” I ask concerned for her.

She curls up on the sofa hugging a pillow in her arms. “I woke up and you were gone. I got worried.”

I walk to the sofa and sit beside her. I pull her on my lap and rub her back. She rests her head on my shoulder as her hands rest on my chest. “I’m sorry, love. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

She k*sses my chest. “Is something wrong? You haven’t been sleeping lately.”

I run my fingers through her hair. “No, nothing. Some things just need my attention.”

Her fingers caress my chest and abdomen as she asks. “What about you?”

I swallow hard, trying not to be turned on by her touch. “What about me?”

Her fingertips brush my collar bone. “You need attention too. It’s my job to take care of you just as much as it’s your job to take care of me.”

I clear my throat. “Julia…” She bites down and begins to suck. It’s her favorite place to mark me. My head falls back on its own and my eyes close. The feel of her breath on my n*eck, her teeth touching my skin, her tongue tickling every now and then gets me turned on beneath her. I know she can feel it, but she doesn’t move. She bites harder. I grunt as the thrill seeps deeper. She adjusts her legs so she’s straddling me. She pulls away to look at her mark. She smirks in satisfaction. She k*sses the mark then begins k*ssing her way lower. She slides off me until she’s on her knees in front of me. “Julia.”

Her fingertips cover my mouth. “Shh. Let me take care of you.”

I k*ss her fingers. Her hand moves to caress my face as she k*sses my l*ps. Her hands brush down my b*dy followed by her k*sses. She reaches under my pajama pants and frees me from their confinement. Julia uses her mouth to pleasure me. Her hands massage my length as her head dips up and down. I can feel her tongue as she licks my vein and around my tip. It’s so good. My head falls back on it’s own. I jerk my head back up so I can watch her. She looks like she’s enjoying playing with me. She has a flirty look in her eyes and a smile on her l*ps. Her pace increases, then she slows back down. My fingers curl into her hair. She pulls her mouth off, but continues to stroke me. She licks from base to tip, then pulls me back into her mouth as far as she can go. Her hand strokes the rest of my length in time to her mouth. It’s so hot. I’m losing control. I hiss through my teeth, “Oh, baby. I’m close.” She sucks harder and strokes faster, tightening her grip. “Babe!” She pulls her mouth off and pumps me while I release.

I’m out of breath and so relaxed. My eyes are closed with my head laying back. Julia wipes at my chest and abdomen with a damp towel. “Sorry, I don’t like the idea of semen in my mouth. It kind of grosses me out.”

I smile and tuck myself away. “Silly girl, it’s fine. You surprised me and made me feel amazing.” She smiles as she sits beside me. I pull her to me and k*ss her beautiful l*ps. They’re soft and swollen from the workout they just received. “I can’t wait until I can taste you again. I miss being inside you.”

She giggles with red cheeks. “Soon. Remember we have an appointment next week.” She rests her head on my shoulder.

“Tell me you love me.” I say as I stroke her angelic face.

She gives me a knowing smirk. “You first.”

I chuckle then k*ss her nose. “I love you, Julia Draven.” She snuggles into my chest and hums. “I love you, Fredrick Draven.” I carry Julia to bed and settle in behind her. We quickly fall asleep.

Julia is struggling this morning. Her hair is pulled back into a messy bun and she’s not wearing her shoes. I sip my coffee and watch her as she drops her things to the floor before plopping down in her chair. My l*ps twitch up at how cute she looks. Then I remember last night. It’s my fault she’s still tired. “Good morning, love.”

She gives me the stink eye, but still grumbles out; “morning.”

I pull her to my lap. “Come here.” I stroke her back and k*ss her cheeks and l*ps. She hums into my shoulder. “I’m sorry for keeping you awake last night. It’s my fault you’re having a rough morning.”

She grunts. “I hate mornings. How are you always so pleasant and cheerful in the morning?”

I chuckle then hold up my coffee and take a sip. “I’m not pleasant and cheerful. You just think I am. Most people think I’m a tyrant.” She rolls her eyes.

Gerry brings out the plates of breakfast and sets them in front of us. The Eggs Benedict make Julia smile in excitement. Julia stops her from leaving the dining room. “Gerry. Is Fredrick always pleasant and cheerful in the mornings?”

Gerry smiles. “He seems to be now. Before you came along he was grumpy and hardly ever ate breakfast.” I shrug my shoulder. She’s not wrong. Julia enjoys her breakfast which seems to help her mood.

We arrive at the office and I’m anxious for news. Julia enters first to go over my itinerary, followed by Mrs. Harvey. Finally Corey and Darius enter my office. I excuse the ladies hopeful of good news.

Darius begins. “I ran the prints, they’re a match for Jesse. I have evidence from Kyle that Mrs. Cavanagh procured the pills, but I’m not able to link her to the gala just yet. I recorded the bartender’s interrogation. I don’t remember if he described the woman. I’ll check the tape, find out what he knows about her.”

I nod at the news. “We have enough evidence to put Jesse away for murder of my father and tampering with my breaks, but I want proof it was him in the H ummer that went after Julia. See if you can get into any bank accounts. Look for payoffs.”

Darius nods. “Yes, sir.”

Corey sets a file down on my desk. His face is solemn. “Last night went smooth. Jesse met with Ms. Cavanagh. He’s the lover we’ve been trying to track down. I have footage of them together. Their discussions were recorded, Sir. We have permits for all of our equipment and PI licensing. It’s all legal.” He tightens his jaw then continues. “Sir, I suggest you listen to the conversations alone and away from Miss Julia. I doubt you would let her hear them, but I mean that you need to be away from her. I guarantee you’re not going to like what you hear. Your reaction may startle her.”

I raise my brow. “Noted. Jesse doesn’t know we’re on to him, I assume?” Corey clears his throat and nods. “Keep it that way. I want him relaxed.” Corey and Darius leave my office. If he’s worried about my reaction, I don’t doubt him at all. I’ll wait until the weekend. Maybe Julia can visit her dad or Shannon for a few hours.

Julia’s POV

Fredrick is in a shareholder’s meeting. I know he hates going to them. He wants me to start attending them, but I’m not ready yet. I curl my Angel baby’s ring around my finger. I wonder if I’ll ever get over this loss I feel. I feel better sometimes, but out of nowhere it hits me. I feel the ache as fresh as when it happened. I sigh and close my eyes. Come on, Jules. Focus. You have work to do. I have to tell myself sometimes.

I hear footsteps behind me. He’s not going to scare me this time. I turn my head toward Fredrick’s office. I’m surprised to see Jesse there. The guards are allowed to use Fredrick’s private elevator because the guard room is on the bottom floor just outside of it. It’s more convenient, but they rarely do. “Hi, Jesse.”

He nods. “Miss Jules. I need to meet with Mr. Draven. Does he have time today?”

I pull up his schedule. “I can squeeze you in at 3pm. Will that do?”

He nods. “That works for me.” He walks to the main elevator. He watches me as the doors close. The hairs on the back of my n*eck stand up and I get the chills. I remember that look from when we were in Vegas. He had that same look after meeting with Ms. Preston. I wonder if I should say something to Fredrick. It’s probably nothing, but I think I should trust my gut.

Fredrick exits the elevator Jesse just left in. He smiles as he sees me. I stand up to greet him. “Mrs. Draven.” He says as he pulls me to him. I love it when he holds me. He makes me feel safe.

“Mr. Draven. Can I speak with you, please.”

He k*sses my forehead. “Of course. You never have to ask me that.”

He leads me into his office. He removes his jacket and hangs it up. He pulls me to my seat on the sofa. He sandwiches my legs and holds my hands. “What is it, Love?”

I k*ss his hands. I don’t know how to voice my worries so I just start simple. “Jesse was up here a few minutes ago. He asked to meet with you. I was able to squeeze him in at 3.”

He nods, “okay. What’s bothering you? I doubt my schedule is all you want to talk about.”

I give him a half smile. He’s so attentive to me. “When Jesse left, he was watching me as the elevator was closing. It made me uncomfortable because he had that same look on his face when we were in Vegas.”

Fredrick tilts his head with a look of confusion. “In Vegas? He made you uncomfortable then?”

I shake my head. “No. It’s not so much uncomfortable. I remember it was the same night you were drugged by Ms. Preston. I heard he slept with her afterward. It’s like he gets this look of mischief, like Puck, you know. He’s planning on doing something to cause trouble.”

Fredrick smiles at me. “I believe you. He’s been causing problems lately.” He k*sses my l*ps, then continues to speak. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

I lean into him. “Fredrick. Thank you for being so good to me. You’re always here for me, and you always know when I need you.”

His thumb runs over my l*ps. I k*ss his thumb. “I love you, Julia. I always want to protect you. I didn’t protect you when you needed me the most though.”

I shake my head. No way is he taking the blame on that one. “You were there. You took care of me the second you knew something was wrong. You took me away when I needed to get out. You left me alone when I needed it too. You’ve been here for me since. I don’t know what I would do without you in my life. I love you Fredrick.”

He moves to sit beside me. He pulls me on his lap and caresses my back. I don’t know why, but I tear up… again. He pulls out his handkerchief which makes me giggle. He dabs at my face. “You’re everything to me, Julia. My life was miserable before I met you. I want nothing more than to be with you forever. We’ll have more babies in the future, when you’re ready. I want a family with you. I want a lifetime with you. I want forever with you.”

His words keep my tears coming. “I want all of it too.”

He holds me tighter. “You’ll be a great mommy.”

My dad’s words enter my head. “I’m already a mommy. Even though our baby isn’t on this earth, it will always be a part of us.” Fredrick lets a tear sl*p out of his eye. I wipe it away with my thumb. I’ve only seen him cry once. Actually I didn’t see him cry. I felt his so bs and tears when I was crying in the hospital. “What do you know, Fredrick Draven isn’t a robot.”

He chuckles at my cheesy joke. “You’re so wise.” He k*sses me softly with love.

A knock sounds at his office door. “I’ll get back to work.” He nods and let’s me stand. I give him back his handkerchief and leave the room. Mrs. Harvey has files in her hands. I hold the door for her as she walks in. He winks at me before I close the door. I return to my desk and continue my tasks.

Fredrick’s POV

It’s almost 3 pm. I wonder what the f ucker wants to speak to me about. I guess I’ll find out soon. Julia’s caution earlier made me think back to Vegas. I wondered how I ended up in the wrong room. It’s only now that I realize Jesse is the one that pushed the button in the elevator for me. He put me on the wrong floor. I contacted Ms. Preston recently. She told me she wanted to get back together with me, that’s why she had me drugged. She knew I never cared for marriage before, so she assumed it wasn’t a big deal. I paid her back by removing all ties with her business. Her stocks dropped so drastically she almost lost everything.

A loud knock hits my office door. I take a deep breath and regain all my control. “Enter.” Jesse walks in and takes a seat in front of my desk. “What is it?” I ask as I lean back in my chair.

“It’s the new guy, Ben. He’s driving me crazy. He follows me around everywhere like an annoying kid brother. I can’t even take a pi ss without him following me.” I co ck my eyebrow up. He clears his throat, “Sorry, boss. I can’t use the bathroom without him following me.”

Good, he still knows his place; beneath me. I nod. “Have you taken this up with Corey?”

He shakes his head. “No. You assigned me to train him. I have him working the cameras and metal detectors. He does fine, he’s just constantly following me.”

I humph. “Next time you have an issue, talk to Corey first. In the meantime, send the kid up. I’ll have a word with him.” Jesse nods and stands up. I stop him from leaving, “Jesse. His training with you ends today anyway. How does he fit, Is he reliable?”

Jesse stops at the door. “Yeah, he seems like a good guy. Just annoyingly clingy.”

I nod once. “You’re excused.”

After a short while, a knock sounds on my door. “Enter.”

Ben walks in as if he’s intimidated. “You asked for me, sir?”

I nod in the direction of the chair. He takes his seat. “You’re getting on Jesse’s nerves.” He swallows hard. I continue speaking. “Good work.” He relaxes a bit. “I want you to continue clinging to him, but you can let up a little. Let him have some space. I have other guys watching him anyway. Next week you’ll be under Corey. You can be yourself with him.”

He nods his head. “Yes, sir.”

He goes to stand, but hesitates. “What is it?”

He has an uncertain look on his face as he asks. “I’m sure it’s not my business, but why is Jesse being singled out?”

I nod. “You’re right, it’s not your business. However I don’t mind telling you. He betrayed me.”