“Terri,” Celeste said with a sigh, “you’re half owner of a company worth billions. It’s time you started dressing the part.”
Nodding, Terri said, “I know you’re right, but I still feel a little guilty. Without you along, I would have headed to the mall, not the Grand Canal.”
With high drama, Celeste clutched her heart. “Now you’re going to give me an attack. The mall? Never.” Giving her a smile, Celeste said briskly, “Oh, and thanks to you, I have several new things that I’m going to look spectacular in.”
Terri laughed. “I know you will. Now, I think I’ll go upstairs. I’ll see you later?”
“Of course.” Celeste watched the other woman hurry across the crowded lobby toward the private elevator. And she was surprised to realize that a part of her was sad to see Terri go.
* * *
Up in Cooper’s office, Dave Carey was frustrated and furious.
“Thousands,” Dave said, holding out the stack of receipts. “The two of them spent thousands at the Grand Canal Shoppes and charged it all to the hotel.”
Cooper took the receipts and idly flipped through them. “I’m guessing Celeste is behind the more expensive items,” he murmured.
“Does it matter whose is whose?” Dave threw both hands high. Accounting had sent him the stack of receipts from some of Las Vegas’s finest shops and he’d been riding on fury ever since. Yeah, Celeste had told him her plans, but she hadn’t said they were going to go through nearly fifty thousand dollars. Most of it spent on Celeste herself.
Her “plan” clearly wasn’t working. Terri Ferguson was supposed to be feeling out of place here. Instead, it seemed to Dave as though she was settling in. Getting pretty damn cozy with the idea of being a billionaire. In fact, it was starting to look like they were all going to be stuck with Terri.
“Your new ‘partner’ doesn’t seem to have any trouble living it up on the company’s dime. She didn’t earn this, but she’s got no problem spending like she did.” Dave looked at Cooper and waited for the flash of fury he was sure would be coming.
But Cooper only shrugged and tossed the stack of papers onto his desk. “She didn’t buy a damn jet, Dave. It’s some clothes.”
“Celeste went shopping, too—”
“Celeste always shops.” Shaking his head, Cooper said, “A few thousand to keep her out of my hair seems like a good deal to me.”
“Seriously?” Dave whirled around, walked a few paces away, then stomped right back to the edge of Cooper’s desk. “You’re actually okay with this? What happened to get the new partner out of town as fast as possible? Buy her out? What happened to that plan?”
Cooper gave him a cool stare, but Dave wasn’t fooled. He saw the fire behind the ice in Cooper’s eyes, and Dave took a mental step back. If he pushed his old friend too hard at the wrong moment, he could ruin the whole thing for himself. He had to handle this carefully, keep reminding Cooper that the two of them were on the same side.
“I don’t answer to you, Dave,” Cooper said softly.
“I know that.” Dave held up both hands in a peace-making gesture. He eased back in his tone and body language. “I’m just thinking about the future, Cooper. This is your company she’s trying to horn in on.”
“She’s half owner whether either one of us likes it or not.”
Dave didn’t. “She’s trying to change too much too soon.”
Cooper leaned back in his desk chair and stared up at him. “How long should she wait?”
“You know what I mean,” Dave countered and felt himself losing this particular battle. “Hell, I thought we were on the same page on this.”
“We are.”
“Then why are you okay with family-style hotels and thousands spent at boutiques?”
“You ever hear of a long game, Dave?” Cooper stood up. Eye to eye with his old friend, he continued, “I’m giving her time to see that this isn’t what she wants. Shopping doesn’t bother me. The family hotel thing might be a good idea. But one good idea doesn’t mean she’s going to make this her career. Her life. Once she realizes that, she’ll take the offer of a buyout more easily.”
“Seems to me she’s having too good a time to give it all up now.” Dave pushed one hand through his hair and fought a fresh wave of frustration. Had Cooper so completely let his own desires take hold that he didn’t notice when the woman was entrenching herself?
“A few thousand dollars on clothes isn’t going to make a difference here, Dave. She’ll leave. Eventually.”
Eventually.
Dave gritted his teeth to keep from saying more. Friends or not, Cooper was the boss and there was only so much he would be willing to put up with.
“Take the receipts back to accounting.” Cooper walked across the office to the window affording an incredible view of the Vegas Strip. “Make sure they know to approve any purchases made by Terri.”
“Right.” Dave swept up the papers and curled them in one tight fist. At the door, he paused and turned when Cooper called his name. “Yeah?”
His gaze was hard, cool. “Leave Terri to me, Dave. Is that clear?”
“Couldn’t be clearer,” he said and walked out. With the door closed behind him, Dave swallowed back a rising fury. His plans were crumbling because Cooper had a hard-on for the woman currently screwing them all over.
Damned if he’d leave it to the man who couldn’t see past his own dick.
Eight
Several hours later Cooper couldn’t find it in him to be mad about the thousands of dollars Terri had spent at the Venetian. At least, not when she was wearing the smallest, tightest, sexiest red dress he’d ever seen. It was strapless, exposing the tops of her breasts to his hungry eyes. It was tight, skimming her figure like a lover’s hands. And it was so damn short, it was just barely legal. Her long, tanned legs looked silky smooth, and the red heels she wore seemed designed to keep a man’s gaze fixed on those legs.
They’d been to dinner at the hotel’s best restaurant, attended Darci Ryan’s concert and now they were having a drink in the hotel’s top bar. All very civilized. Except he felt more like a man on the edge of a precipice. Slipping over that edge could make for a long, dangerous fall. If he got involved with Terri wouldn’t that throw a wrench into his plans? Did he care?
He had a sip of his scotch and said, “So I hear you gave away a two-night stay in a VIP suite?”
She went perfectly still and actually looked guilty. “Is that a problem?”
Cooper stared at her as she took a sip of her wine. “Problem? I don’t know. You realize those suites go for five thousand a night.”
Terri choked on her wine and fought for breath, slapping at her own chest. “Dollars? Five thousand dollars? Really? How do we justify charging so much money for basically a place to sleep?”
Wryly, Cooper said, “It’s a little more than a cot with a single wool blanket.”
“Well, sure, but seriously?”
“Views that can’t be beat, top-notch security and twenty-four-hour butler service? Media rooms? VIP seats at concerts, in-house massages...”
She took another sip of her wine and Cooper watched her throat work as she swallowed. It shouldn’t have been sexy, but it was. Hell, he was discovering that everything about Terri Ferguson was sexy. Even just thinking about her could make him as hard and eager as a damn horny teenager. Being this close to her was a kind of torture.
“Wow.” She whispered the word and shook her head as if she still couldn’t believe the cost of the room she’d comped. “Okay, well the room was going to be empty all week, anyway. So let’s just say that we’re letting the Hunters stay there to check it out. Make sure the suite is in good shape.”
“Yeah,” he said, mouth twitching as he listened to her try to justify the comp. “We already know that.”
She grinned. “Now we’ll b
e sure.”
When he didn’t say anything, simply continued to watch her, Terri sighed. “Okay. They were on their honeymoon. Their reservation got lost. The bride was crying and nobody should cry on their honeymoon and—”
“It was a nice thing to do,” he said. He’d have probably done the same thing himself ten years ago. These days, though, he was too involved upstairs to spend much time in the heart of the hotel.
She beamed at him. “Really?”
“Great PR, too. They’ll tell everyone they know about the StarFire and the owner who saved their honeymoon.”
“We sent them champagne and roses, too,” she told him.
He actually laughed. “Naturally.”
She tossed her long blond hair behind her shoulders, and he watched the bosom of that dress like a hawk, half expecting her breasts to pop out the next time she took a deep breath. Even as he thought it, though, he smiled to himself. Never gonna happen, but a man could dream.
“I like the dress.”
“What? Oh.” She laughed a little uneasily and ran her fingers across the bodice as if checking to make sure it was in place. “Thanks. It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? Celeste picked it out.”
“Of course she did,” he mused. Celeste settled for nothing less than the best—especially when someone else was paying for it. “Did you like the show?”
Her eyes lit up. “It was wonderful. And going backstage to meet Darci? Amazing. She’s so nice, too. I didn’t expect that, but maybe I should have.” She shrugged. “Just because someone’s famous doesn’t mean they’re unfriendly. Celeste has been really nice to me even though you and she used to—”
Her voice trailed off so he finished the sentence for her. “Be lovers.” He watched her teeth tug at her lower lip while she thought of something to say.
Finally, she asked, “How long ago?”
“She left almost two years ago. Why?”
“She left you?”
“Yeah. Again. Why?”
“Just...” She paused, took a breath that brought those breasts closer to spilling out of the red, silky fabric. “I guess I wanted to know if you were done with her before—”
“Before I take you upstairs to bed?”
“Before we take each other.” Her gaze met his and he had to admit, he still liked her style of being blunt. Cutting right to the point.
“It’s not her I’m thinking about,” he said.
“That’s good.” She shifted in her chair, sliding those long legs against each other until he had to make a fist to keep from reaching out and stroking her skin.
They were in the StarBar on the nineteenth floor. The views out the three hundred sixty-degree windows were incredible, and the crowd mobbing the place showed Cooper just how popular this spot was. No loud music making conversations impossible. There was a gleaming black piano in one corner and one talented pianist keeping waves of notes rolling through the crowd. And suddenly, he was wishing he’d taken her to the roof instead. Where they could have a private drink. Where he could touch her as he wanted to.
They had a booth at the back of the room and still there was a wide view of the night sky and the echoes of neon from far below.
“So what are you thinking right now?” she asked.
“All kinds of interesting things.” His gaze locked with hers and he saw the flash of response in her eyes.
Another deep breath and all Cooper could think was he was another quarter inch of fabric away from having her breasts tumble free.
And into those delicious thoughts came Dave’s voice, his warning, the reminder of what this was all about. But, Cooper assured himself, as he silenced his friend’s cautionary words, he had lost sight of nothing.
Terri was here, so he’d deal with her until she wasn’t.
Sooner or later she would go. Once she realized she was out of her depth and wouldn’t be able to tread water indefinitely. Which was perfect for him. He liked his relationships as temporary as a jackpot win. But for now, everything else had to take a backseat to what was happening between them.
For days the tension between them had been tightening. Every touch, every glance, was filled with enough sexual heat to start a bonfire.
And tonight they’d feel the flames.
She finished off her glass of white wine, licked her top lip in a deliberately slow, sensuous manner, then said, “Show me.”
He stood up, took her hand and pulled her from her chair. Even as tall as she was, despite the amazing heels she wore, he looked down into her eyes and Cooper felt a jolt of heat so vicious, it stole his breath. “Let’s go.”
He kept a tight grip on her hand and Terri’s fingers were curled just as tightly around his. She kept up with his hurried strides across the bar and that told him she was as eager as he to finally sate the hunger.
They were almost to the private elevator when Cooper heard it.
“Mr. Hayes!”
“Dammit.” He gritted his teeth and drew Terri to a stop before turning to face a security guard walking toward him. He read the man’s name badge and asked, “What is it, Guthrie?”
“Sorry to interrupt, sir.” In his forties, he was ex-military and kept his blond hair in the buzz cut he must prefer. “We’ve got a couple cheats, boss.”
“Someone’s cheating?” Terri looked from one to the other of them and Cooper almost laughed at her shocked expression.
“Yeah, we get them.” He frowned at the admission. “It’s not easy cheating the system in Vegas, and we’ve got plenty of security and surveillance that cuts it down, but there’s always someone who thinks he’s got it figured out.”
Guthrie nodded at Terri before turning back to Cooper. “The twenty-one dealer alerted the pit boss about the card counter. Guy wasn’t even trying to hide it. Can’t figure if he’s ballsy or just stupid. Anyway, we’ve got him locked down. Security will grab him when he tries to leave the floor.”
In a weird way, Cooper almost admired card counters. At least they were willing to work for it. Though it wasn’t strictly cheating, most casinos didn’t allow card counters because it was too easy for them to judge the odds on betting.
“Okay, and...” Cooper tightened his grip on Terri’s hand. He really didn’t need all of this right now.
“The other cheat? Looks like he’s using a new technique on a video poker machine. Guy’s hit four jackpots in the last two hours.”
Cooper frowned. “Same machine?”
“Same jackpots, too.” Guthrie nodded. “The guy’s hit four deuces with a three kicker twice.”
“That’s impossible,” Terri whispered. “The odds are—”
“How do you know that?” Cooper watched her.
“I like math. And that’s way out of the realm of possible.”
“We think so, too, ma’am,” Guthrie said. “We’ve got the guy pinned under the eye in the sky, but if he bolts, he’s leaving with a lot of cash and the secret to his success.”
Irritated as hell, Cooper turned to Terri. “I’ve got to handle this.”
“Should I come?”
Tempting, but—“No. You go on up. I’ll let you know what happens as soon as I can.”
“Okay.” Terri gave his hand a hard squeeze before taking the private elevator to the owner’s floor.
Cooper and Guthrie took another elevator to the third floor, where the surveillance room and a wall full of computer monitors waited for them. This was not how he’d planned on spending his night.
“I want this handled fast,” Cooper muttered as they walked into the heartbeat of the StarFire. Damned if he’d let Fate interrupt he and Terri again.
“Don’t blame you, boss,” Guthrie murmured and quickly led the way to where they were watching the cheat.
* * *
An hour later a card counter had been escorted out of the casino
and a brilliant cheat with an electro-magnet had been arrested. Cooper was done dealing with people. He’d had enough of the noise and the crowds. All he wanted now was to get back to Terri. To finish what they’d been promising each other for days.
He’d brought a bottle of champagne and a pocketful of condoms with him, but Terri didn’t answer her door. He knocked again with the same result and wondered if she’d gone to bed. Then he remembered the look in her eyes and told himself no way. Shaking his head, he walked back to his own apartment, then out onto the balcony. A cold, sharp wind blew at him, easing over the edge of the Plexiglas to ruffle his hair. But it didn’t do a damn thing to the fires burning inside him.
Her balcony doors were open, so Cooper walked into the living room of her suite. Lamplight created puddles of gold in the darkness as if she’d left them burning for him in welcome. He went down the hall to her bedroom, found another lamp burning there. Light and the muffled purr of tub jets drifted through the open bathroom door and Cooper headed for it.
He shrugged out of his suit jacket and tossed it onto the nearest chair. Setting the champagne bottle down on the dresser, he tore his tie off and opened his collar button. He could breathe easier now, but his heart was pounding and his body felt hard and heavy.
Scent reached him first. It was light, airy, like a summer morning. Then he saw the billowing steam lifting off the bathtub and finally, he saw her. She had her hair bundled up high on her head and she was stretched out in the tub while powerful jets hummed and frothed the bubble bath she’d added to the water into a mountain of soap bubbles. She looked like a damn fairy. Unreal. Mystical.
And he wanted her so badly, he was choking on the need.
Her eyes were closed, until he said simply, “Terri.”
She didn’t jolt in surprise. Instead, she slowly turned her head and opened her eyes to look at him. “I wondered when you’d get here.”
“Sorry I’m late,” he said, smiling in spite of the tension gripping him.
She pushed up a little higher in the tub, finally giving him a good look at those breasts of hers, dotted now with bubbles.
Tempt Me in Vegas Page 11