His Wedding-Night Wager

His Wedding-Night Wager
Katherine Garbera

After ten years Shelby Paxton had returned to Vegas. But unlike the last time–when she was paid one million dollars to jilt casino owner Hayden MacKenzie at the altar–she was now being blackmailed into giving him closure. Shelby would do anything to keep her secrets hidden…but she hadn't planned on falling for her first love a second time.For Hayden, Las Vegas was his only mistress. He didn't believe in happily-ever-after, not anymore. But he did want something from Shelby–the wedding night he lost.

“I Came Back Because Of You, Hayden.”

Because she’d never really forgotten him. “I can’t move on. Not until I figure out what went wrong between us.”

He looked at her with that electric gaze of his. “Hell, Shelby, that’s an easy one.”

“Please don’t say it again. I wish I had the money to pay your father back.”

He narrowed his eyes and walked toward her. “So what do you say to some sort of reparation? You give me what I paid for.”

“What your father paid for,” she said.

“I paid for it in ways you can never understand.”

But she did and it made her ache to realize it. “A night of sex? Is that what you want? I don’t think I’m worth a million dollars.”

He stood within an inch of her now. “Not a night,” he whispered. “How about a week?”

His Wedding-Night Wager

Katherine Garbera

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

KATHERINE GARBERA

One brief trip to Las Vegas and Katherine Garbera was hooked with endless story ideas and a fascination with that playground known as Sin City. She’s written more than twenty books and has been nominated for Romantic Times BOOKclub’s career achievement awards in Series Fantasy and Series Adventure. Katherine recently moved to the Dallas area where she lives with her husband and their two children. The only thing she loves more than writing is talking to readers. Visit Katherine on the Web at www.katherinegarbera.com.

This book is dedicated to Matt! Thanks for a fabulous wedding night and all the nights that have come after!

Acknowledgment

Special thanks to Chris Green who answered all of my Vegas questions and gave me an insider’s perspective.

Thanks also to Natashya Wilson and Debbie Matteucci for their editing insight!

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

One

Long legs, expensive silk hose and the kind of hips that he could sink his fingers into. She had it all. She always had. Hayden still couldn’t believe Shelby Anne Paxton was here in his kingdom. He’d never thought to see her again.

Her calves were well formed, tapering down to trim ankles and a pair of stilettos that sent his libido into overdrive.

The Chimera Hotel and Casino was his life. The 24/7 world of Vegas had always been his home. He wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the success of the hotel and casino. He’d sacrificed to make it into one of the premier destinations on the Vegas Strip. And he owed it all to this woman who hadn’t believed in him and to his father.

Hayden had made the Chimera the number-one casino in Vegas to prove that their lack of faith wasn’t an obstacle in getting what he wanted from life.

His entire operation was first-class, right down to the hotel’s own shopping wing, which housed only sophisticated retailers. Always expanding and changing, it was about to add Bêcheur d’Or, a high-end lingerie boutique.

Bêcheur d’Or was on the fast track to the top. It’s owners, Paige Williams and Shelby, had been profiled in Entrepreneur magazine earlier this year. Apparently Shelby had made more of his money than he’d ever expected her to.

But it had been Paige with whom he’d spoken to cinch the deal, and Paige with whom he’d met to sign the contract. Funny that Shelby had shown up here and now, especially considering he’d never expected her back in Vegas after she’d left him standing at the altar.

A long, low wolf whistle jolted Hayden back to the present and the hallway outside the newest merchandise location at the Chimera. “Well, well, well. What have we here?”

Hayden turned to see the tall, lean, dark-haired form of his best friend stroll up. Pain tightened in his gut. He didn’t want even Deacon Prescott to know who this woman was. He’d simply referred to her as the gold digger that one time he’d gotten drunk and talked to Deacon about his marriage.

Hayden glanced at Deacon and fought the surge of possessiveness swamping him. “You’re a married man.”

“Definitely. But that doesn’t mean I’m dead. Besides, Kylie knows I’d never stray.”

Deacon and Kylie had been married for almost two years now and things were going well. They were the exception to Hayden’s golden rule that marriage was a business deal.

“No, you wouldn’t,” Hayden said more to himself than to Deacon. Deacon had found something that Hayden would never admit he’d once wanted. His friend had found forever love and happiness. As for Hayden…well, he’d learned his lesson long ago.

Still, Hayden didn’t begrudge his friend. Deacon had come a long way from the man Hayden had first met several years ago. A long way from the mob enforcer who’d wanted to go straight, longing for a better life that he didn’t know how to find. Now Deacon owned the Golden Dream, a very successful resort and casino that was second only to the Chimera in terms of success.

Deacon had also found love and seemed to buy into the whole illusion of it since his marriage. Hayden knew better then to try it himself.

He wished the ending for his own story had been as happy, but reality had a way of making sure the scales were kept firmly balanced. And to Hayden’s way of thinking, if you grew up with every luxury money could buy but a father who couldn’t seem to love you, then something had to give. For Hayden it had always been the softer things.