It Happened in Vegas
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Amy Ruttan
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Prologue
ANOTHER DINNER PARTY.
Jennifer plastered on another fake smile as she walked around the crowded reception hall in the Nevada State Capitol.
It’s for a good cause. It’s for a good cause.
And it was. She had nothing against a bill for soldier benefits. She just hated dinner parties like this, endless campaigns, looking good for the press. She knew her father; this wasn’t just for the men and women who served their country. This was just because the elections were coming up in a few years and he was eyeing the White House.
It had nothing to do with soldiers.
Not a thing. It was all an image, another empty promise. She really hated politics. It brought out the worst in her father, a man she fondly remembered as being so different.
He hadn’t always been this way. She remembered a different father, a loving, caring and real man. It was this political side of him she wasn’t thrilled with.
Jennifer picked up a flute of champagne and tried to avoid the flash of cameras as reporters flocked around her father. Her perfect sister stood with her parents, smiling and chatting with the press, eating up the attention. The attention brought to her family made her nervous because she hadn’t had the best relationship with them since her father had got into the political arena over a decade ago.
She was, after all, the black sheep, which meant the press were constantly dogging her heels. They’d backed off somewhat since she’d become a doctor. A doctor wasn’t juicy enough for the paparazzi. Well, it was thrilling enough for her.
She’d rather be in the OR tonight, saving lives, but instead she was here and pretending to be part of the “perfect” family that her father wanted the world to believe they had.
Ha.
No family was perfect, but her father was ashamed of his roots. How he didn’t come from a wealthy heritage.
He didn’t want anyone to know that he was the illegitimate son of a congressman and an intern. That he’d worked with his hands to better their lives.
Her father only wanted his voters to see how he’d risen like a phoenix from the ashes.
Everything else burned away.
Jennifer swigged back the expensive champagne and then took another one, ignoring the waiter’s eyebrow rising as she set her second empty flute back on the tray.
The waiter left before she could take a third.
It was probably for the best, but Jennifer just shook her head and meandered to a safe, dark corner where she could go unnoticed by everyone.
You’d think that accepting a trauma surgeon fellowship on the east coast would be something most parents would be proud of, and maybe her father would be, but her perfect sister, Pamela, had managed to become engaged to a high-society socialite from Manhattan and all Jennifer had managed to do was become a surgeon in a hospital.
It was like she had rabies or something.
No matter what she did, she couldn’t shake off her past. She couldn’t shake off the stigma of being the black sheep in the family.
The one who didn’t want to rise from the humble beginnings of her life and mingle with the social elite. She wanted to help the poor and less fortunate.
She fumbled in her purse for the illicit pack of cigarettes, something which she’d been trying desperately to give up since her days as a hellion teen. She’d been off them for a while, but being around her family made her do crazy things.
“Why do you always do things to make me look bad?”
A shudder traveled down her spine as her father’s voice whispered in her ear.
Jennifer pushed open the French doors and stepped out into the cool night air. The patio was mostly empty. Everyone was inside, enjoying the party.
There was one sad-looking cigarette in the package. Old and almost crumpled. She pulled it out and turned to toss it away, remembering why she’d quit when she’d started medical school.
It was being around her perfect family that made her go bonkers.
She didn’t like the act. Couldn’t they be real?
“That’s not healthy for you, you know that?”
Jennifer spun around and saw that she wasn’t alone on the patio. A soldier was half-hidden in the shadows, only three feet from her, sitting on a bench.
He leaned forward and she could see the hazel of his eyes reflected in the moonlight. His face was slim, long, but there was something enticing about it. When he smiled, it was a half-smile that ended in a deep dimple in his left cheek.
“I wasn’t going to smoke it. I was going to get rid of it. I quit a long time ago,” she said.
The soldier stood slowly and stepped out of the shadows. He was tall, lanky and devilishly appealing in his dress uniform. He whipped off the dress hat and held it under his arm, revealing a buzz cut.
“With all due respect, miss, it appeared that you were ready to devour that cancer stick.”
Jennifer chuckled and glanced at the cigarette in her fingers. “Okay, I thought about it, but only for a moment.”
He stepped closer and took the cigarette from her hand, snapped it in half and tossed it over the side of the patio into the bushes. “There, the temptation is gone.”
“Hey, that’s littering. You do realize that, don’t you?”
He placed his hat back on his head and raised an ebony eyebrow. “Are you the litter police?”
“No, but you’re a soldier. You should know better, hooah and all that.”
This time he grinned and his white teeth gleamed in the darkness. “Hooah and all that?”
Jennifer laughed. “Sorry, I don’t know. I’m on edge.”
“And I just threw away your only means of escape?”
A blush tinged her cheeks. “Something like that.”
“Well, my apologies, but I would hate to have you ruin your years of abstinence by lighting up tonight.”
“I thank you for your concern, soldier. I do.” She snapped her clutch closed. “Shouldn’t you be getting back to the party?”
He shrugged. “It’s not my thing, too many people. What about you?”
“What about me?” she asked.
He leaned in and a tingle zinged down her spine. “What’re you escaping from?”
Don’t let him get to you.
She was a sucker for men in uniform, men out of uniform and bad boys in general. All the types of men her parents didn’t approve of.
Of course, the only men her parents approved of were from money, high society or a WASP. Also known as her sister’s fiancé.
Jennifer cleared her throat and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear.
“Oh, I’ve made you uncomfortable.”
“How do you know?”
“You’re fidgeting. Admit it, you’re nervous around me.”
“A bit, but you’re right. I’m escaping. I’m not really into shindigs like this.”
“Want to get out of here?”
“Uh, you’re a complete stranger.”
“I’m a soldier, though. Doesn’t that make me honorable or something?”
“Not really.” She grinned. “I’m Jennifer.” And she stuck out her hand.
He took her hand in his and the touch of his skin sent a jolt of heat through her blood.
“I’m Nick. I guess we’re not strangers any longer?”
“Nope. We’re not. What was that you were saying about getting out of here?”
He held out his arm. “I hope you don’t mind riding a motorcycle.”
“I don’t mind in the least.”
Nick turned to lead her back in through the party and she pulled him back. “What’s wrong? Are you having second thoughts?”
“No, I just don’t want to go back in there.” She didn’t want some tabloid to snap a picture of her on the arm of a soldier. Not because it was bad, but because it was an invasion of her privacy, something she held dear because it was the only thing she could control.
He looked around. “Well, can you think of a better way out of here?”
“Hold this.” She jammed her clutch into his hands and kicked off her heels.
“What’re you doing?”
She smiled. “What, you’ve never jumped a fence, soldier?”
Jennifer picked up her shoes and tossed them out onto the dark lawn and then climbed the patio fence, dropping down three feet onto the grass below. “Are you coming?”
His answer was to drop her purse at her feet. She scrambled out of the way, retrieving her shoes as he dropped down beside her.
“How did you know to do that?” he asked.
Jennifer panicked. She didn’t want him to know who she really was. If he knew she was a senator’s daughter, he might not want to “escape” with her.
“It was obvious,” she said, brushing it off like it was nothing. “Now, you have to provide the adventure.”
He smiled again, that half-smile that brought out that delectable dimple. “Oh, I can provide the adventure. Like I said, my bike is parked down the street.”
“Lead the way, soldier.”
He took her hand and they ran across the lawn and out onto the street where his motorcycle was sitting. He opened up his pannier and tossed her a helmet as he put his hat safely away and then grabbed his own helmet.
“You carry two helmets? How fortuitous.” She crammed it down over her head.
Nick took her purse from her hand and put it in the pannier next to his hat. “Well, I like to come prepared for adventure.”
He shut the pannier and climbed on. She sat behind him, gripping him about the waist.
“You’re being reckless. You’re such an embarrassment.”
The words had stung. Like a slap to her face. Her father had never spoken to her like that before, when he’d been a rancher.
Jennifer shook her father’s words from her head as Nick started the engine, kicked the stand and took off, heading west out of Carson City.
She didn’t know where they were going and she didn’t care.
She knew that any rational female wouldn’t go off with a man she’d just met, but something deep down inside her trusted him, probably when she shouldn’t.
Jennifer didn’t even freak when they left Carson City far behind them and headed into the state park.
After almost thirty minutes of driving, he pulled over at the Sand Harbor Overlook in Lake Tahoe State Park.
She let go of her hold on him and got off. Her legs felt a bit shaky, not used to riding on a motorcycle.
“What a great spot,” she said as she took off the helmet, handing it back to him. He’d taken his off, too, and set the helmets on the seat.
“Yeah, I love it here. I was planning on coming here after the party. One last look, you could say.” There was a hint of sadness in his voice.
“Are you heading overseas?”
Nick nodded. “My tour of duty is two years.”
Disappointment gnawed at her.
Damn.
Not that she’d been expecting this to go anywhere, but she was disappointed that they would only have this time together, because once she finished her fellowship at the end of this summer, she could get a job anywhere. Or even stay in Boston. The possibilities were endless.
“See, now you feel all bad for me. Don’t. I serve my country and I’m glad to do it. I also plan to be back to see this lake again.”
Jennifer smiled. “Are you from around here originally?”
Nick shook his head. “No, but I’ve been stationed out this way for a year. Nevada grew on me. I don’t think I want to be anywhere else.”
He walked down toward the sandy beach through the tall pines, which sighed in the light summer breeze. It made her feel a little cold and she was regretting the sleeveless shift dress she’d chosen to wear.
The sky was bright, full of stars and a large moon was hovering over the lake. A large, bright moon that was reflected in the clear, calm water.
Nick stood on the beach, gazing up at the moon. He’d taken off his dress jacket and laid it on a large boulder. He was unbuttoning the shirt, his sleeves already rolled up to his elbows.
“You’re not planning to swim, are you?” Jennifer teased.
He looked back at her over his shoulder and winked. “Maybe. Are you up for skinny-dipping?”
Jennifer chuckled. “Ah, no. It’s cold. Especially here. That water can’t be any more than fifty degrees.”
Nick frowned and glanced at the water. “You think so?”
“I know so.”
He looked at her. “So you’re native to this area?”
“Yeah,” she said, but with hardly any enthusiasm. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Nevada. As a child, she’d loved it. She’d loved northern Nevada, everything about it. The desert, the mountains and plains.
And she’d loved the Lake Tahoe area.
When she’d been younger, her father had had a ranch outside Carson City. They’d been so happy there, but then her father had sold it when she was ten. He’d told them he had bigger aspirations for all of them and he wasn’t going to waste his life grubbing away on a ranch.
So, yeah, she loved Nevada.
It was just her father, the notoriety that went with being his daughter. She wanted to escape all that. In Boston, she wasn’t the senator’s daughter. She was Dr. Mills. Trauma fellow.
She didn’t like being in the limelight. She didn’t like being the black-sheep daughter, afraid to breathe the wrong way, worried that it would ruin her father’s political career, seeing her face plastered on the local newspapers.
A splash and a shout distracted her from those thoughts.
Nick was wading in the shallow water. “Man, that is cold!”
Jennifer couldn’t help but laugh. “I told you.”
“Woo, so cold. Why don’t you come and try it out?”
Jennifer shook her head, but couldn’t stop laughing.
“You know, I never pegged you for a chicken.” He was teasing her, egging her on. She knew it.
“I’m not chicken. I’ve been in Lake Tahoe before. I know exactly how cold it is.”
Nick glanced down at his feet. “You know, it’s not too bad. You get used to it.”
Jennifer rolled her eyes and kicked off her heels. “It’s probably because your body is succumbing to hypothermia.”
Nick grinned. “Come on in. Just wade. I’m not brave enough to go swimming.”
“I’m coming.” She lifted her dress and undid the clasps on her garter belt to peel off her stockings, and when she glanced over at Nick, she could see his gaze transfixed on her legs. He was watching her roll down her stockings.
It caused her blood to heat, the thought of him watching her, knowing he was undressing her in his mind.
What am I doing?
Having fun, letting loose and living the way you used to live.
Living like everyone did.
Once she was free, she walked down to the water’s edge and grimaced. “I can feel the chill from here.”
“Come on in, you sissy.” Nick bent down and sent a gentle splash in her direction. “People up north do this all the time.”
“Yeah, well, people up north might be addled by the cold weather.”
Nick chucked. “Think of it like a polar-bear dip.”
She took a deep breath and waded into the water, which was frigid and bit at her skin like knives. “Oh, my God. You’re insane.”
Jennifer turned to leave, but he was over to her in a flash, wrapping his arms around her waist and stopping her from leaving. They were so close she could smell his cologne. It was a clean scent, but there was something else she couldn’t put her finger on. Whatever it was, it was making her feel faint.
His arms around her were so strong, steadying her.
She glanced up and his hazel eyes twinkled from the reflection of the water and the moonlight. He reached up and stroked her face, his thumb brushing against the apple of her cheek, and she turned her face into his touch instinctively.
“Can I ask you a boon?” he said, his voice deep and husky.
“A boon? Have I suddenly been transported back in time?” she teased.
Nick grinned. “A favor, then, for a soldier who’s about to leave on a long tour of duty. I wouldn’t normally ask this of a woman I’d just met, but this has always kind of been a fantasy of mine.”
“What?” she asked, the butterflies in her stomach swirling around.
Nick leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “A kiss, in the moonlight.”
A tingle raced down her spine. She didn’t know what to expect, wasn’t sure what she was willing to give him. A kiss seemed doable but, then, the way he was affecting her, the way she was feeling, being so free and standing in freezing-cold water with a stranger and wanting to do more than just kiss him...
He was going on a tour of duty and she was heading back to Boston to finish off her fellowship. Their paths would probably never cross again.
There were no expectations and when she looked back on this moment in the future, she could look on it with the fondness of something romantic she’d done, instead of looking on it with regret that she hadn’t taken the chance, because something deep down inside her was telling her, screaming at her to take the chance.
“I think I can accommodate that request.”
Nick smiled. “I’m so glad you said that.”
She closed her eyes as he moved closer. She didn’t know what to expect because kissing had never been her favorite aspect of physical contact.
Every time she’d been kissed before had been less than stellar.
When his lips brushed across hers, lightly, she knew that this was a kiss she’d been waiting for, she just hadn’t known it. Until now.
His hands cradled her head gently, his fingers in her hair. He pulled her body closer so she was flush against him as his kiss deepened, making her weak in the knees.
Nick’s hands moved from her face and down her back. The feeling of his hands on her, on the small bit of exposed flesh on her back, made her blood heat.
The kiss ended, much to her dismay, but Nick still held her and her arms were still around his neck as they stood in the shallow water of Lake Tahoe.
Jennifer took a deep breath. “I...I’d better get going.”
Nick smiled at her. That lazy half-smile that made her heart flutter. “Really? You want to go.”
Yes.
“No. No, I don’t.”
He bent down and scooped her up in his arms.
“Good.” That was all he said as he carried her to shore.
