Scarlet Read online

  Scarlet

  Tielle St. Clare

  Book 2 of the Red Panty Diaries.

  Three friends, three blazing-hot pairs of panties…and one wicked, wicked wedding gown.

  When Heather’s friends insist a wedding dress is cursed, she’s determined to prove it’s not true. Now, after being stuck in the stupid dress for two weeks, she does the only sensible thing—heads to Vegas. There are brides walking around there all the time. No one will even notice her.

  Cain can’t help noticing the “bride” sitting at his bar night after night. Something doesn’t quite fit with her story. But when the dress falls off, leaving her wearing nothing but red panties, Cain couldn’t care less about her “story”. He needs this woman.

  He also needs his best friend Paxson. With Heather’s help, he tempts his friend into bed for a wild, wicked night of threesome thrills. But as is often the case—one night is never enough.

  Scarlet

  Tielle St. Clare

  Chapter One

  Dear Diary,

  I’m ready to pull my hair out. Tasha insists that stupid wedding dress is cursed. Cait isn’t much better. Well, I’m tired of listening to them talk about it. I’m going to prove once and for all…there is no curse.

  Heather lowered her gaze and stared at her empty wineglass. She couldn’t tolerate the sympathy in the flight-attendant’s eyes.

  “Here.”

  Heather looked up as the perfectly coiffed, irritatingly serene woman placed another chardonnay on her tray. “On the house. You look like you could use this.” A soothing hand patted her shoulder as the two women working the cart through the narrow aisle shared a commiserating look.

  Heather grimaced her thanks. Hell, she’d take the drink. As the stewardess said, she could use it.

  Two weeks. Two weeks she’d been trapped in this stupid dress. Her knuckles turned white as she cranked open the little wine bottle. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time.

  Two weeks earlier

  “I wouldn’t do it,” Tasha warned but the singsong tone of her words just made Heather more determined.

  “Maybe she’s right,” Cait added.

  Heather met Cait’s stare. “You don’t really believe this dress is cursed, do you?”

  “Well…” She squished her lips together. “Not exactly.”

  “See?” Heather said smugly to Tasha, who was technically her aunt but there were only a few years between them. “She doesn’t believe it either.”

  “I’m not sure the dress is cursed,” Cait clarified. “But something strange did happen that night.”

  “Yes, you ended up in bed with two hunky guys.” Heather winked at her friend, hiding the twinge of jealousy that stabbed her chest. Not that she wanted two men. That was fantasy stuff—but it was difficult not to be a little envious of Cait’s happiness. The two guys she’d hooked up with that night worshiped her, and not in the creepy, time-to-get-a-restraining-order sort of way.

  But it had nothing to do with the dress.

  According to Tasha, once a woman put the dress on, it wouldn’t come off until she met “the one”.

  “No, she ended up with her true love and a hanger-on.” Tasha insisted that only one of Cait’s men was her “Mr. Right” and the other had just taken advantage of the dress’s curse.

  Cait ignored her friend’s pronouncement of doom and refused to choose between her two men, much to Tasha’s frustration.

  “Either way—” Heather straightened to her full height and looked at her friends, making sure she had their attention. “There’s nothing mystical about this dress. It’s an ugly wedding dress. That’s it.”

  The strapless gown looked like a crumpled shower curtain. Large appliqué flowers decorated the voluminous skirt and added a level of tackiness that was rarely found in wedding gowns. Heather was pretty sure there wasn’t an inch of natural fabric in the thing. Elastic and boning gave the bodice support.

  “And I’m tired of hearing about it. I’m going to prove to you this dress isn’t cursed.”

  She dragged her sweatshirt up over her head and pushed her sweats down, stepping out of them but leaving them on the floor in a pile.

  “Ooh, scarlet.”

  Heather’s eyes crinkled in confusion. “What?” she asked Cait.

  “Your panties.”

  “They’re red.”

  Cait rolled her eyes. “Do you know how many shades of red there are? Like twenty-seven or something, and that is scarlet.”

  “Good to know.” Heather had bought the panties because they were pretty and she’d had a coupon. She’d ended up with four pairs. “Give me the dress.” Wanting to replicate Cait’s experience as closely as possible, Heather reached behind her and undid her bra.

  Tasha shared a look with Cait but undid the clips holding the dress to the hanger and handed the gaudy monstrosity to her.

  Heather couldn’t help but chuckle at her aunt’s reluctance. Tasha’s mother had filled her head with the story of this dress finding a woman’s “true love” and Tasha continued to cling to tale.

  Heather scooped up the dress and raised it over her head. Additional sets of hands reached in to help, guiding it down her body, adjusting the bodice.

  “It’s not going to fit, anyway,” Heather said as she spun around to have someone zip her up. “I saw how it fit Cait and my tits aren’t nearly so big. No offense.”

  “None taken.” Cait’s eyes twinkled. “My guys love them.”

  “I’ll bet.” She’d noticed Cait had started wearing tighter, lower cut shirts, no longer afraid to show off her assets. “Am I zipped?”

  Tasha sighed. “Yes.”

  Heather stepped away and turned around. “How do I look?”

  She groaned at the memory.

  Two weeks was a hell of a long time to be trapped in a dress. She’d done everything she could to get it off—cutting, tearing, burning. Nothing worked. Thank God the thing was impervious to stains. She’d slept in it, ate in it, showered in it.

  And tried to explain it to her clients, but no one wanted to hire a wedding planner who wore an ugly wedding dress.

  The stress had finally become too much. She’d thrown a couple of pairs of panties, her makeup bag, a second pair of high heels and a few books into her oversized purse and headed to the airport. Vegas, baby.

  She considered throwing a set of clothes in her bag—in case the dress came off—but really…what were the chances she’d find “Mr. Right” in Las Vegas? She’d rather use the space for books.

  Vegas seemed like the only logical place to go. You see brides walking around the casinos all the time, she’d explained to Tasha. At least she wouldn’t stand out quite so much.

  She hadn’t counted on the sympathetic looks. Everyone thought she was a runaway bride or worse…that she’d been left at the altar.

  Tasha’s mother, the only person who might know how to break the dress’s curse, was on a month-long cruise with her husband Nick. Tasha had vowed to try to contact her and see if she knew the dress’s origin, who might know what to do.

  Until, then, Heather was going to hang out in Vegas where no one would notice her.

  * * * * *

  Heather looked up at the casino and decided it was a good choice. A little off the strip and not as flashy as some, but the price was right and, according to the website pictures, it had a great pool area.

  Of course, it was October and she’d have to swim in a freakin’ wedding dress.

  “How much?” she asked, grabbing her purse.

  “No charge, dear.” The female cabby’s lips bent into a small, sympathetic smile. “You just take care of yourself.”

  Feeling her cheeks turn to the color of her scarlet panties, she forced a smile and climbed out of the cab,
the fluffy skirts poofing around her legs. Damn, nothing kept this dress down. The minute she stepped out of the shower, it seemed to dry and fluff back up. Heather slapped the material and closed the car door, not fast enough that she didn’t hear the cabby’s “poor girl”.

  Heather’s shoulders slumped and her head fell forward.

  “Can I get your luggage?”

  She straightened her spine and shook her head at the bellhop. “No. I’m good. Can you direct me to the front desk?”

  The young man’s eyes got wide and he jogged ahead of her, opening doors, pointing to the right. “Just over there, ma’am.”

  Great. I’m an abandoned bride and a “ma’am” all in one day.

  To give the kid credit, he looked about eighteen, so thirty probably did seem old to him.

  There was no line so she walked right up. The man behind the desk had the impassive look of someone who’d been dealing with the public for a long time.

  “Welcome to South Star. Checking in?”

  His face was calm, no hint of surprise or shock that she was wearing what was obviously a wedding gown. Even if one didn’t recognize it as a wedding dress, it was still huge and ugly. But none of that showed on the man’s visage.

  “Yes.” She slid her ID across the counter.

  “Is it under your name or the name of your bridal party?”

  “No bridal party. It’s just me.”

  A flash of sympathy flared in his gaze and it was all she could do not to whimper. The professional, almost-blank stare quickly returned to the desk clerk’s face as if seeing a woman alone in a wedding dress was perfectly normal.

  “Are you here for the Fetish Ball?” he asked, his voice casual.

  “Fetish Ball? What’s that?”

  “Oh, well, if you don’t know—” He looked up and winked. “It’s probably not your thing.”

  He pulled up her reservation, ran her keys and pushed the envelope toward her.

  “Elevators are just down that path.”

  Heather looked around and followed the direction of his hand. Right through the casino. Bracing herself for the stares she was bound to receive, she took her key, clutched her purse strap and started the torturous walk through the crowded room. For nine o’clock on a Monday night, the place was rocking. Pockets of men stood in groups, most of them sipping on bottled beer, all of them wearing cowboy hats.

  She glanced at the dealers. Even they were dressed in what would commercially be called “western wear”. Only this looked real.

  Yum. Did I stumble into a cowboy convention?

  The path to her room was pretty straightforward. She went upstairs, dropped her purse on the bed and collapsed on her back. Her stomach rumbled and she knew she’d have to find something to eat or she’d never be able to sleep. With a sigh, she rolled over and grabbed the phone, dialing down for room service.

  Seconds later she hung up. It would be over an hour before food would arrive, or she could run downstairs and be served in probably fifteen minutes. Her stomach growled again and the decision was made.

  She splashed water on her face, brushed her hair and pulled on her sweater. Maybe no one would notice the dress. Ha!

  The casino boasted eight different restaurants. Heather chose the burger joint and within minutes was enjoying a hot, yummy bacon burger oozing with melted cheese. It was kind of nice not having to worry about dripping on her clothes. Experience had proven that anything spilled on the dress sat on top of the fabric, disappearing with the swipe of a paper towel. It was like the damn thing was Scotchguarded within an inch of its life.

  The burger hit her stomach like a lead brick, a tasty lead brick but still heavy.

  Walking back into the casino, she couldn’t help but notice the strange looks. A Bride Amidst Cowboys. Sounded like the title of a romance novel.

  People had to be wondering why a bride was walking around in her dress, alone.

  The pressure of the stares sent her toward the elevators but at the last moment she turned right instead of left. The cowboys intrigued her and a drink sounded good. Hell, she didn’t know any of these people. She could check out the scenery from the comfort of a barstool.

  She hitched her butt onto a high seat near the end of the bar, perfectly positioned so she could see the main walkway.

  “What can I get for you, hon?”

  She turned around and grinned at the female bartender. “Oh, chardonnay would be great.”

  The woman nodded and retreated to the far side of the bar, coming back minutes later with a glass of wine. She placed it in front of Heather.

  “Plunk a few quarters in that machine and I don’t have to charge you.”

  “Oh, right.” Heather grabbed her purse and slid a twenty into the video poker machine in front of her. “Tami” as her nametag revealed smiled and patted the counter.

  “Let me know if I can get you anything else.”

  “Actually, can you just answer a question?”

  Tami nodded.

  “What’s with all the cowboys?” She glanced over her shoulder then back to the bartender. “Not that I mind. Just curious.”

  Tami’s smile widened. “You’ve struck it lucky.” She leaned in closer to Heather, sharing a conspirator’s whisper. “It’s the bull-riding championships this week. Nothing but hot men in tight jeans.”

  “Nice.”

  “Good luck.” Tami tapped the counter and walked to the other end of the bar to take a guy’s order.

  Things were looking up. Heather was still trapped in the dress but she had wine and cowboys. She took a sip of her chardonnay and played a couple of rounds of video poker, winning just enough to keep going, not quite getting her money back.

  “Want another one?”

  She glanced at her almost empty glass. What the hell…she was on vacation. Sort of. She smiled up at Tami.

  “Sure.”

  “I’m about ready to go on dinner break, so we’ll see you around.”

  “Oh wait.” Heather grabbed a couple of dollars out of her purse and pushed them across the bar. “Here.”

  Tami smiled and took the tip. “Thanks. I’ll send over that drink.”

  Heather nodded and watched the waitress walk to the other end of the bar and pull off her apron. Tami spoke to a tall, gorgeous man. That’s Tami’s replacement? Heather thought. Yummy. He had long black hair that hung stick-straight in a ponytail down his back. He’d make for a pretty backdrop when the cowboys became too much.

  She used Tami’s interruption to take a break from poker. She still had sixteen of her original twenty so she wasn’t doing too badly. She spun in her chair and took in the scenery. A small group of cowboys stood nearby drinking beer, obviously talking cowboy shop.

  She let her gaze wander downward. There wasn’t a pair of new jeans in the bunch, worn and rough, and cupping nice tight asses.

  “We should get out of here,” one of them said. He looked up and met Heather’s gaze, a smile lighting his eyes. He nodded in greeting as he and several of his buddies leaned in and placed their empties on the bar beside her.

  “Here you go, miss.” She vaguely acknowledged the new bartender’s voice. She took a deep breath, the bodice teasing her nipples.

  Deep breath. She could breathe. The dress was loosening. She froze. He was here. The small pod of cowboys walked away, heading down the tile pathway. No! They can’t leave. One of those men made the dress fall off.

  My Mr. Right is a cowboy? That didn’t sound right to her—she liked to look but she was a bit too “city-mouse” to enjoy farm life. Still, if it got her out of this dress, she’d go with it.

  “Wait.” Heather jumped off the barstool. She glanced back, remembered her sixteen dollars still in the machine but the cowboys were being sucked into the crowd and she had to find them. Clutching her purse in her right hand, she wove through the crowds, chasing after the group of men. Except they all freakin’ looked alike. She hadn’t really been looking at them. She’d been staring at their as
ses.

  The one. She remembered the one who’d smiled at her. She just had to find him and he could lead her to his buddies. She walked down the wide aisle, scanning the crowds. It was finally getting late enough that she could move without bumping into everyone.

  Her eyes latched onto one familiar form and she almost cheered. The cowboy stood amongst the dollar slot machines. Too rich for my blood, she thought as she made her way over, trying to act casual but really, she wanted to stalk up to him and see if the dress fell off.

  He smiled again as she approached only this time his gaze met hers then dipped down, looking at her breasts. Though she wasn’t nearly as endowed as Cait, she’d filled out the bodice. The diabolical elastic gave her extra lift and the sweetheart neckline gave her cleavage she didn’t normally have. His smile widened just a little. Then he looked down and confusion crinkled his forehead. She sighed. The dress was going to be hard to explain.

  “Hi.” Her greeting was a bit more forceful and breathless than she’d intended. The cowboy nodded politely and took a step back. That wouldn’t do. She knew from Cait’s experiences that the dress only worked up close. Heather sidled up a little nearer, invading the man’s personal space.

  Irritation crinkled his eyes but more importantly, the dress stayed firmly in place. “Damn.” He wasn’t the right one.

  “Excuse me, ma’am. Do I know you?”

  “What? Oh, no. Your friends.”

  “My friends?”

  “Where did they go?”

  “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to tell you that.” He looked over her shoulder and raised his chin.

  Without turning she knew what would happen next.

  “Is there a problem?”

  Heather spun around and faced the security guard. “Nope. No problem.” She flashed a glare at the handsome cowboy and stalked off. Her true love was somewhere in that room and she was going to find him.

  * * * * *

  An hour later, she’d circled back around to the Center Lounge Bar, sweaty and frazzled, her frantic search yielding nothing but a pretty good aerobic workout. The damn dress had certainly stayed in place.