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Chapter One

Tho distance of the Ruby Tuesday’s, leaned back in the driver’s seat of his rental truck, and closed his eyes It didn’t help his headache His secretary was always chirping so his happy place when the irritation started to build up around his eyes in tight, pinching lines and his jaw felt like a luht now? White sand, blue ocean, hot sun, cool shot of Jameson

Perfect

Except he wasn’t really there, and he wasn’t really happy Not even close to happy Miserable was ht between Bitter Avenue and this dry, dusty Vegas parking lot outside a restaurant where, in fiveof his life

He hated Vegas He hated coas for the sixth time in as many months He’d volunteered for the coodforsaken city But now Erica wasout in California, while Tho to a town full of cheap booze, loose women, and the stench of disappointment

His entire career rested on this , Brianna Faulk, and a contract with the Golden Hand Casino If he didn’t convince Ms Faulk to trust his coe, he could kiss his elegant corner office and corporate expense account good-bye

He needed to set up shop in Vegas and win Brianna Faulk or his career would reverse fro star to burnout in a matter of seconds He’d never met the woman, but so far she’d proven a little too elusive A little too unwilling to commit, when she was the foothold his coas market That here Thomas came in

He stepped out of the truck, straightened his suit, and headed down the crowded sidewalk toward the restaurant A blond wo under her breath and swiping at her phone screen as if she had so about the way she walked and ht his attention—as did the fact that if she wasn’t careful, she’d walk right into the newspaper box in front of her

He opened his mouth to tell her to watch out, but then shook his head It wasn’t his business if she didn’t knoalk properly Surely she would look up and see the box before she fell into the street and got run over…right? Yet as they walked, she didn’t look up even once Finally, when they ithin a foot of the box, he cursed inwardly and reached for her ar Unfortunately for hiht when he reached left for her, and they both stumbled backward

He caught her in his ar to his ared cheeks Her red, lush mouth rounded out in a perfect o, and she looked up at him with a mixture of embarrassment and frustration When their eyes met, they both froze, their breath held She was evenup close and personal

The dark, severe suit she wore said razor-edged businesswoman, but there was a softness and sensuality to her the suit couldn’t hide She was a 1950s pin-up girl, from the bedroom eyes to the supple, luxuriant swell of her hips He wondered how often she’d fluttered those long lashes to get her way or flashed a hint of auard

He couldn’t help but be thankful he would never see her again She had danger stamped across her forehead

She wriggled in his ar even redder, and her iPhone crashed to the sidewalk The crack of plastic hitting sidewalk broke the spell that seeo of her, and she cursed under her breath Bending to grab her phone, she looked up at hiround, her brow furrowed “You should really watch where you’re going You could have knocked me over”

He raised a brow, rocking back on his heels The woman had sass She ran hi where I walked, but you weren’t I was trying to catch you”

“What?” She stood up and looked at him as if he were the one with his head in the clouds “I wasn’t going to fall I knehere I was the whole time”

“Obviously,” he said, a s at his lips Her frustration with hiht Lesson learned Next time I see a woo”

She flushed “No Of course not It was nice of you to try to catch me” She darted a quick look up at him, then ducked her head “Uh, thanks”

He grinned She seeht she should anyway “Don’t mention it”

She gestured toward the restaurant “Well, I have to go”

“Okay” His grin widened “Watch out for obstacles in your way”

She rolled her eyes Actually rolled her eyes “Yeah Thanks I’ll watch for the killer newsstands from now on”

She hurried off, and Tho her leave Her hips swayed with as much attitude and sass as she showed him, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her He didn’t look away or move until she rounded the corner and he couldn’t see her anymore

Then and only then did he shake off the odd encounter and walk the rest of the distance to the restaurant With a sigh, he ducked into the restaurant’s shaded coolness A hostess approached with a stack of menus and an overly perky smile “Two, sir?”