Page 70 of Wrecked By You
As we exited the car, Nolen came through the sliding doors, dressed in a three-piece suit, a red tie, and a crisp white shirt. He always looked as if he’d stepped straight off the catwalk. He came toward me, all genial smile and white teeth. He clapped me on the upper arm and shook my hand.
“Glad you made it. Flight okay?”
“All good.” I motioned to Ella. “This is my assistant, Ella Reyes. Ella, this is my cousin, Nolen.”
“Nice to meet you.” She shook his hand. “This is my daughter, Chloe, and Ginny, my friend. I hope we’re not inconveniencing you by arriving en masse.”
“Not at all.” Nolen’s gaze dropped to where my hand pressed against Ella’s lower back. He arched a brow. “I’ve put you in a three-bedroom suite, so you all get your own space.” He stared at me pointedly. I stared right back, my message clear.Mind your own fucking business.
“I’ve put another bed in your room, Ella, for Chloe.” He crouched, tweaking Chloe’s nose. “Well, aren’t you as cute as a button?”
Chloe giggled. I scowled. Fucking Nolen and his easygoing manner that made everyone like him. He’d always been the same, even when we were kids. I couldn’t remember a time when he’d lost his temper or gotten into a fight or thrown a tantrum over something and nothing. He was just Nolen Kingcaid, carefree, tolerant, and likable.
“Come on, I’ll take you up and let you get settled. The bellhop will bring your bags. Once you’ve freshened up, I’d like to show you the space I’m thinking of, Johannes.”
“How did it become available?” I asked as Nolen strode into a waiting elevator and held the doors open until we’d all gotten in.
“The previous occupants pulled out. Said it wasn’t viable at the rents I was charging.” He snorted a laugh. “What bullsh—” He broke off, sending an apologetic grin in Ella’s direction. “Sorry, darling. Forgot about the little ears and all that. I mean what garbage. A nightclub at one of the top hotels in Vegas is a money-making machine, if you know what you’re doing.”
“Which I do,” I stated.
Ella’s pinkie touched mine. Electricity shot up my arm. I glanced down at her, then took her hand and squeezed it.
“Precisely.” He lightly punched me on the arm. “And it’s better to keep it in the family, right?”
“True.” I smiled a little. “But if you think you’re getting exorbitant rents out of me, you’re mistaken.”
Nolen chuckled. “It’s all up for negotiation.”
“Don’t expect an easy ride.”
“Nor you.” He winked. The elevator pinged and the doors opened. “Follow me.” He strode down the hallway and opened a door at the far end, motioning for us to enter. “I hope this is sufficient.”
“Sufficient?” Ella repeated as she stepped inside the lavish suite. “It’s beautiful.” She dropped her purse onto a nearby chair and crossed the room to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Las Vegas Strip. “Look at that view.”
“Yeah, pretty awesome, huh?” Nolen said. “I never tire of it.”
I joined her, peering down at the street below. People as small as ants from all the way up here filled the sidewalks, and a never-ending procession of cars inched their way past the towering hotels. Probably quicker to walk, given the weight of traffic.
“Want to freshen up?” I asked, touching my hand to hers again, briefly. “And then maybe we could grab some lunch before Nolen steals me away.”
“As long as he doesn’t steal you for long,” Ella whispered, her voice thick with promise.
A shiver of pleasure crept up my spine. “I’ll make sure of it.”
Lunch consisted of hamburgers and fries at Chloe’s insistence. I hadn’t been around kids all that much, but, minute by minute, Chloe was burrowing into my chest and prodding at the edges of my heart.
Just like her mother.
Watching Ella parent Chloe, the way she gently guided her, took care of her, scolded her when necessary, tightened my chest. I’d never even considered a future that included a relationship, let alone a kid, yet I found myself daydreaming about what it might feel like to be a father figure to Chloe, to maybe one day have kids of my own.
It wouldn’t happen. I had too many issues preventing me from opening myself up to the kind of scrutiny a deep and meaningful relationship required. Ella didn’t even know about Sadie, or the night that had changed the course of my life. And the worst of it was that, as I sat here, I had no intention of telling her anytime soon.
And that reticence spoke volumes about my readiness, or capability, of engaging in an adult relationship.
It left me with only one option: keep my wits about me and enjoy it while it lasted.
“Shall we go?” Nolen suggested, dropping his napkin on top of his plate. “I have a meeting at five that I can’t miss. I’ll try to join you for dinner, but I might not make it.”