Their Million-Dollar Night

“Because you are a beautiful woman.”

His words hurt in a way he couldn’t understand. Because at one time she’d have tossed her hair and given him a smile that would have brought him to his knees. “Not anymore.”

She couldn’t believe those words had escaped. “How long will you be in Vegas?”

“Long enough to convince you that you are beautiful.”

“That’s not why you came,” she said, telling herself that he was here for the Vegas allure. The mindless flirting, the hours of gambling. The vacation from reality and real life.

“My plans have changed.”

“Well then, you won’t be needing my company anymore. I’ll let Hayden know.”

He took her hand in his, his thumb stroking over the backs of her knuckles as it had when they first met. “I’ll still require your company, Roxy.”

She tried to tell herself that things hadn’t turned personal, that she was still objective and just his hostess. But she knew she wasn’t.

There was a promise of something in Max’s eyes that she wanted to claim for herself. Something elusive and tempting, and she couldn’t quite make herself ignore it.

Two

After dinner, Max excused himself to return several business calls. Sitting in his suite, he was aware of what his life had become. He was forty and successful but alone.

Alone by his own design, granted. But still alone. No mistress—he’d learned the hard way that even couching an affair in business terms didn’t mean a clean break when things were over.

Harron had made several comments about the fact that Max was lacking a wife, a family. But Max had his family. They were paid employees and a small core group of lifelong friends.

There was a knock on his door. He hoped it would be Roxy, but knew it wouldn’t be. Instead it was the bellman with a FedEx box containing paperwork from his office.

He took the papers with him to the minibar and poured himself a Scotch. Looking hard at his life made him realize that in his quest to make sure no one thought he was riding his father’s coattails, he’d created a vacuum. A place where no one existed except for himself.

Ah, hell, he was getting morose. He signed the papers, dropped them in the return envelope and then swallowed his drink in two long gulps.

He wanted Roxy.

He wanted to spend more time with the beautiful woman who could be charming until she remembered herself. Then she was awkward and shy. And he wanted to know why. He really did want to uncover her secrets, but he sensed she wouldn’t share them. Not yet.

He also couldn’t compromise her job. He made a quick call to Hayden and asked that Roxy’s job be changed, explaining very little to his friend, but then Hayden was a man known for being quick-witted. “I’ll be taking her out of the casino tomorrow for the day.”

“Don’t allow my business to get in the way of your personal plans,” Hayden said.

“You are the one who extolled her virtues.”

“That’s right. I did, but I didn’t count on your interest interfering with my business.”

“I won’t.”

Max hung up the phone then dialed the front desk and asked for Roxy, knowing that even though it was almost midnight she’d be available. Everyone was always available to him in Vegas. To be truthful, wherever he traveled he was seldom turned down. He waited while he was connected to her.

“Hello?”

Her voice was soft and sweet, husky with fatigue, and he knew that if he were a nicer man, he’d just hang up and let her get some sleep. But he wasn’t feeling particularly nice tonight.

“It’s Max.”

“Did you decide what time you wanted to start in the morning?” she asked, her tone warming a little.

Gambling was no longer the reason he was in Vegas. But he knew he’d have to keep that to himself a while longer. “No. I’m going back to the high-stakes room tonight. I need you there.”

She hesitated and he wondered if she’d tell him no. “Oh, sure, Max. Only, I went home so it’ll take me at least a half hour to get back to the casino.”

“Why aren’t you staying at the hotel?” he asked. He’d assumed she’d get a room while he was there. That was what his usual host, Jack, did.

“Hayden didn’t ask me to. Actually, it never occurred to me you’d need me in the middle of the night.”

If she only knew how much he needed her.

“Pack a bag when you come back,” he said.

“For what?”

“To stay here until I leave.”

“I’m not sure my job covers—”

He didn’t want to discuss the fact that her job description had changed. “I’ll cover it.”

“Max, are you okay?” she asked.

Her voice sounded sweet, but he heard the underlying pique. She didn’t like to take orders. And for the first time since he’d met her he had a glimpse into the fact that she was more than a pretty, smiling hostess. Her annoyance wasn’t unexpected because most people didn’t like to be told what to do. But Max had found the easiest way to get what he wanted was to do just that.

“Fine. I’ll see you in the lobby in thirty minutes.”

“It may take me longer than that.”

“Why?”

“I have to shower and then pack an overnight case.”

“What were you doing?” he asked. Jealousy pricked the back of his mind. Had she been with a man? He was her job.

And he was the one who was thinking this could be something more than gambler and hostess. He hoped he didn’t turn out like his father, desperately seeing a relationship where there wasn’t one.

He rubbed the back of his neck. It wasn’t personal, he reminded himself. But he knew that the reminder came too late. He felt something for Roxy whether he wanted to or not.

“Working out.”

“What about your injury?”