Tempt Me in Vegas

by Maureen Child

  Why was he suddenly paying attention to her? Her mind wanted to know why he’d decided to stop ignoring her existence. What had changed that all of a sudden he was seeking her out? It was a good thing, right? They had to get to know each other. To work together.

  But it wasn’t work she was thinking about. The gleam in his eyes was a challenge. One she wouldn’t turn her back on. Terri put her hand in his and when his fingers closed around hers, she felt a sizzling jolt of electricity that shot up her arm to rattle around in her chest like a crazed ping-pong ball.

  He’d felt it, too. She saw a flicker of surprise come and go from his features—so briefly, maybe no one else would have noticed. But Terri could recognize in him what she was feeling.

  Was he fighting it as hard as she was?

  Four

  Cooper’s grip on her hand was gentle, but strong enough to tug her along behind him as he stalked down the hall. She hurried to keep up. “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see in a minute.”

  Back down the elegant hall to the private elevator. “Oh, no, thanks. I just left the offices an hour ago. Not really interested in going back right now.”

  “We’re not going to the office.” The doors opened and he tugged her inside. He hit the roof button and Terri’s eyes widened.

  “The roof?” She looked up at him, confused. “Should I be worried?” she asked, only half joking.

  “About what?”

  “‘Accidentally’ falling off?”

  Cooper snorted. “I’d never throw you off my own roof. Too obvious.”

  “Well, I feel better.” Since she was watching him, she caught the fleeting smile that was gone almost before it was there.

  “You’ve seen way too many movies.”

  “I’m not a movie person. I’m a book person.”

  “You can be both,” he pointed out.

  “No,” she assured him, “you really can’t.”

  “Books, movies, doesn’t matter,” he said as the elevator stopped. “There are no bad guys here. You don’t need to worry. We’re not enemies.”

  Weren’t they? Hadn’t Dave made a point of letting her know that Cooper wasn’t exactly thrilled with having a new partner thrust on him? And really, looking at it from his point of view, why would he be happy about it?

  “If we’re not enemies, what exactly are we, then?” she asked. She really was interested in what his answer would be.

  “That’s a good question.” Which wasn’t an answer at all.

  The elevator doors slid open and he stepped outside. He stopped, looked at her and then held out his hand to her again. Silently, he waited and Terri’s mind raced. She could refuse. Go back down to her suite and never know why he’d wanted to take her to the roof. She could turn away from this opportunity to talk to him, away from everyone else, to maybe find common ground that could help them both. Or she could fight her fear of heights and go with him.

  Not a hard decision at all, because she’d never been one to back away from what scared her. But that wasn’t all of it, either. He was so gorgeous, so intense, and when he looked at her, Terri felt heat simmer inside her bones.

  She slipped her hand into his and his ice-blue eyes warmed briefly. His fingers closed over hers and her heartbeat galloped in response.

  Then she stepped out of the elevator and stopped dead. “Oh, my God.”

  She let go of his hand, took a deep breath and simply stared. Terri knew Cooper was right behind her, probably watching her reaction, and she didn’t care. This was all so...amazing. Turning in a slow circle, she tried to take everything in at once. Surprise wasn’t a strong enough word for what she was feeling. Stunned was pretty close and yet, even that word wasn’t enough.

  She walked past Cooper, feeling the heat of his body as she brushed against him. It was incredible. She never would have expected to find this in the middle of a desert city. On the roof of a building. But here it was. A fantasy of flowers, potted trees and flowering vines. Polished stones set in patterns along pathways that snaked through the most beautiful garden she’d ever seen.

  “This is...wonderful,” she whispered almost reverently.

  “Yeah, it is.” Cooper moved close and stayed at her side as she continued to walk along the smooth stone path. “My dad started it when I was a kid. We lived here a lot of the time and he wanted me to be able to be outside.”

  “Seriously?” Well, that piece of information jolted her out of the magic of the place. “He let a child come out to the roof?”

  He laughed shortly. “If you look close enough, you’ll see the Plexiglas barrier. Unless you deliberately try to climb the three feet of concrete and then the five feet of Plexiglas wall, you’re not going to fall off.”

  “Good to know.” Still, she deliberately gave the transparent wall—which now that it had been pointed out to her, she could see—a wide berth.

  Walking along the polished stone pathway, she followed it through a magical garden with hanging plants, trailing ivy and pots of flowers that tumbled to the ground in brilliant colors.

  “When I was a kid, my father had a putting green up here,” Cooper mused.

  “Really?” She turned her head to look at him, enjoying that he was sharing something of himself. Maybe this was the first step in their getting to know each other.

  “Everybody needs a place to relax. This was his.” Cooper looked around, taking in the trees, the wooden decking, the raised boxes where chrysanthemums in their brilliant fall colors gave off a spicy scent that flavored the air. “When he died, I kept it all and added to it.” He shrugged. “We spent a lot of time together here. I don’t come here often now. Not enough time.”

  “You should make time.” She stopped again beside a pergola with climbing, flowering vines dripping from its roofline like a living curtain.

  The scene was set for seduction.

  There were chairs, couches, a gas fire pit where flames danced and swayed in the wind sweeping across the roof. A small waterfall tumbled over stones into a weathered brass bowl filled with shining stones, and the splash of the water was as soothing as a touch. But it was the cloth-covered table set with fine china and crystal that drew her attention. It was private. Beautiful.

  Romantic.

  Seduction.

  A ripple of anticipation swirled through her at the thought. She hadn’t spent much time with Cooper, but every time she did see him, there was a near magnetic attraction that buzzed between them, promising all sorts of...interesting things. Another ripple rolled through her body, and Terri took a shallow breath to steady herself. Really didn’t work. How could it? With Cooper standing so close to her, it was a wonder there weren’t actual flames licking at her.

  She was new here. She was going to be working with this man. Giving into what she was feeling could be a big mistake.

  Swallowing hard, she asked, “What’s going on?”

  Another casual shrug. “An early dinner. We both have to eat. Why not here?”

  Because they were alone in the growing darkness but for the twinkling white lights strung through potted trees, flowers and entwined through the vine-covered pergola roof. It was magical. And here she stood next to Tall, Dark and Tempting. She felt a quick twist of nerves.

  Just a few days ago she’d been at home in her own little condo and today she was on top of the world in Las Vegas, about to step into an exciting new life with a man who could start fires in her blood just by looking at her. She’d be weird if she wasn’t a little nervous.

  He tipped his head to one side and studied her. “Problem?”

  “No,” she said quickly. “No problem.”

  She might be a little shaky, but she wasn’t going to let him see it. He wasn’t the first man to give her a look that said he was thinking about devouring her. Of course, he was the first man who made her feel the
same way in return.

  But this wasn’t a date. This was dinner with her new business “partner.” Though it seemed like he’d gone out of his way to make the setting lush and anything but businesslike. Still, Terri wanted Cooper Hayes to see her not only as desirable, but also as competent and ready for whatever challenges came her way. Nothing wrong with a good facade.

  “Good.” He held out one hand to her again. “Before dinner arrives, come with me. I want you to see something.”

  “There’s more?” She put her hand in his and told herself to completely disregard that jolt of heat. The cold wind whipping past them didn’t stand a chance against the kind of burn he could prompt, and trying to ignore it was a useless endeavor.

  His grip on her hand tightened. God, what was it about a strong, quiet man that was so damn sexy? And why couldn’t she stop noticing?

  Cooper didn’t speak, just walked toward the far end of the roof, drawing her with him. As they went, she idly noticed the walkways, the grass, planted in artistic swirls and waves, the fairy lights strung through bushes and plants. There was redwood decking laid out and on it sat a small café table and chairs. It would be a lovely spot to sit and watch the night sky. Then he stopped and she looked up at him. He was staring off into the distance and when Terri turned her head to look, too, her eyebrows rose as she realized they were standing right at the edge of the building.

  The only thing between them and a fall to nearly thirty floors below was a thin sheet of Plexiglas tucked into a three foot tall concrete barrier. Instinctively, she tightened her grip on his hand. “Well, this is unsettling.”

  He laughed shortly. “Still worried about getting tossed off?”

  “No.” She whipped her hair back out of her face, but the wind simply picked it up and threw it across her eyes again. “And with the way I’m holding on to you, if I go, you’re going with me.”

  He grinned and pulled her close to his side. “Good to know.”

  “Wow,” she said, mesmerized by his amused, unguarded expression. “You should smile more often.”

  “I’ll make a note. So,” he asked, “you have a problem with heights, is that it?”

  “No,” she said, “just a problem with falling.”

  A short burst of laughter rolled from his chest and settled over her like a warm blanket. Really, Terri knew she was getting pulled deeper and deeper into this attraction she felt for him. That should worry her—and maybe later, she’d take the time to consider it. For right now she decided to enjoy the heat.

  “No danger there,” he said and his eyes locked with hers. “You won’t fall, Terri. But if you did, I’d catch you.”

  “That shouldn’t make me feel better,” she admitted, still staring up into eyes that looked both shuttered and open, “but it does.”

  He smiled at her again, then waved one hand, encompassing the city lights just bursting out of the darkness. “This is what I wanted you to see.”

  Already the streetlights were blinking on and there were a few headlights shining from the cars streaming down the street. But the real magic slowly began to take shape. Seconds ticked into minutes as they stood there in the growing darkness watching a desert erupt into a neon dream.

  As if in a choreographed dance, bright lights decorating the casinos surged into life. Electric signs in every color imaginable lit up the night like an earthbound rainbow and Terri was so fascinated, she forgot all about her fear of falling and took a step closer to the wall.

  “It’s so beautiful.”

  “It is,” he agreed. “I like standing here at sunset, watching the whole city come to life.”

  She turned her head to look at him. The wind whipped through his hair and tugged at the edges of his jacket. His gaze held hers and Terri felt that rush of temptation again. He was a man comfortable with his place, sure of himself and who he was, and that was undeniably appealing. His confidence, his surety, was almost palpable and she could see that he would be a formidable enemy.

  But wouldn’t that also make him an unfaltering friend—or lover?

  Deliberately, she turned away from both him and her thoughts and focused on the view. Brilliant lights marched along the Strip like an invading army, lighting up every shadow, outlining every sight in dancing color.

  “There’s a gigantic Ferris wheel.” How had she not noticed it in the daylight?

  “It’s the High Roller. Caesar’s owns it,” he said with a touch of pride in his voice he couldn’t quite disguise. “Five hundred fifty feet tall.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.” She shuddered at the thought of being so high and moving at the same time.

  “You can see for miles from the top,” he said. “It’s higher than the London Eye or the Singapore Flyer. Takes a half an hour to make one circle so you can really enjoy the views.”

  Terri wondered if he realized just how proud he was of his city or how much he loved it. Whenever she’d thought of Las Vegas in the past, it was as a vacation spot. She’d never really considered people who lived here. Who were a part of this electrified piece of desert. Now she did.

  She looked up at his profile as he stared out over the bright lights and thought he looked like an ancient king, standing on the battlements to survey his realm. When he turned his head to meet her gaze, that image remained. He was impossibly good-looking and he wore that aura of strength and power as comfortably as he did the elegantly tailored suit. Cooper Hayes was a nerve-racking man.

  Why did she find that so appealing?

  Hurriedly, she took a breath and looked toward the lights again. “The Eiffel Tower.”

  “At the Paris Hotel,” he said quietly. “One half scale of the original in France. Have you seen it?”

  “No, I’ve never been out of the country.”

  “How about New York? The Statue of Liberty here is a one-third scale of the one in New York Harbor.”

  “I haven’t seen that, either.”

  “You should go. It’s damn impressive.”

  Nodding to herself, she said, “I’ll put it on the list.”

  He chuckled. “You have a list?”

  “Of course. The wish list,” she said, shifting her gaze to him. “Places I want to see.”

  “Like...?”

  “Oh.” She took a breath, thought about it for a minute, then said, “New York, obviously. And I’d like to see the Liberty Bell.”

  “Really?”

  Terri shrugged. “I like history. In fact, there are lots of places right here in the US I want to visit. But I also want to see Paris, London, Venice, for starters.”

  “Quite the list.”

  She tipped her head to one side and studied him. The October wind was cold, but the clear wall in front of them cut most of it. He looked completely at home here on top of the world and she wondered if he’d been born with that confidence or if he’d worked to gain it.

  “I suppose you’ve been to all of those places,” she said softly.

  “And more.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared out at the bright lights. “We’ve got hotels all over the world, so the business requires me to go.”

  “You went for business?” She shook her head. “That’s just sad.”

  “No, it’s not,” he argued. “That’s life. Work.”

  “Well, when you see something beautiful, you should take the time to admire it. Enjoy it.”

  His gaze shifted to hers. “Oh,” he said meaningfully, “I am.”

  Terri swallowed hard against the quickening flames inside her. A single look. A simple sentence. And he turned her inside out.

  This was probably not a good sign.

  “Well, until you can make that list work for you,” he said, the abrupt change in subject making her head swim a bit, “Las Vegas can give you New York, the Eiffel Tower and a trip down the Venice canals.”

/>   She smiled, steadier now that she’d had a second to catch her breath. “Plus, no long flights.”

  “You should do it, you know,” Cooper told her. “Take the damn trips. See what you want to see.”

  “Easy to say,” she said, laughing. “But trips cost money and I haven’t been able to afford—” Terri broke off because that excuse didn’t work anymore. Now she was rich. Rich enough to fly first class. Or maybe charter a jet.

  That thought was still mind-boggling.

  “Just sinking in, is it?” He nodded thoughtfully. “You can go wherever, whenever you want. Nothing holding you here, is there?”

  Interesting way of putting it. “Trying to get rid of me?”

  “Oh, if that’s what I was doing right now, I’d find a better way.”

  “Is that right?” She walked with him when he took her arm and steered her back through the garden toward the seating area. “And how would you do it?”

  He let go of her arm only to place his hand at the small of her back in a move that was both gentlemanly and enticing. She felt that slight touch as a ribbon of heat across her nerve endings. It was as if there was a live flame against her skin. It was unsettling. And exciting.

  Then he spoke. “I could offer to buy you out.”

  She stopped dead and looked up at him. “Buy me out?”

  “Why so offended?” He looked genuinely curious. “It’s a hell of an offer and Terri, this isn’t your world.”

  She stiffened a little at the implication. Did he think she couldn’t fit in, was that it? That was insulting—although, hadn’t she been telling herself the same thing since all of this started? But it was one thing to think it privately and quite another to have someone else point it out. Squaring her shoulders, she stiffened her spine and lifted her chin.

  Well, Terri told herself, he was wrong. Was she a little nervous? Sure. But damned if she’d quit just a few days in. “It’s my world now.”

  “Is it?” They stood alongside the seating area. Beneath the white twinkling lights, he looked down at her, and his beautiful eyes were in shadow. “Is it really? Or is your life still in Utah? This isn’t an adventure, Terri. Not to me. Not to my employees.”