What Happens in Vegas

by Shana Gray

  The closer the men got, the more nervous Bonni grew. Fredi sidled up to her. ‘Calm down. I can feel the stress coming off you in waves.’

  ‘You can?’ Bonni did her best to regain her composure. Stepping forward, she didn’t even hesitate when Quinn opened his arms for a hug.

  ‘Hey, beautiful.’ He kept his arm around her when he turned to the women. ‘Nice to see you ladies again. This is –’ he hooked a thumb at the man next to him – ‘my brother, Landon.’

  ‘Ladies.’ Landon stepped forward and gave them all kisses on the cheek, which, Bonni could see, went over quite well. There certainly was a drop-dead-gorgeous gene in the Bryant family. The girls were eyeing him like he was a Viking god.

  ‘Where were you last night?’ Bonni was a little surprised at Ava’s blunt question. Usually, that was Celia’s department.

  ‘I got in this morning, before Quinn’s tournament.’

  ‘And he won today.’ Bonni glanced at Quinn and smiled. She was doing her best to conceal her misgivings about him being a poker player.

  ‘Wow, I’m impressed,’ Fredi said. She turned to Landon. ‘Do you play?’

  He shook his head. ‘Nope, the only gambling I do is with the stock market.’

  Celia scoffed, and Landon turned to her. She’d remained rather silent through the whole exchange. ‘You must be the quiet one?’

  ‘Hardly.’

  Landon smiled at her, and Celia looked up at him, her long hair falling down her back. It was like something just zinged between them. Bonni watched with curiosity.

  ‘So nice to meet you.’ Her vulnerability from earlier now hidden away, Celia was ready to eat him up.

  ‘Are you having a good time?’ Landon stepped toward her and Bonni noticed that Celia seemed to lean in a little closer to Landon. Yes, this was very interesting indeed.

  ‘How can you not have a good time in Vegas? As long as none of us ends up in jail or married, we’re good.’

  Landon laughed. ‘And I wonder how many times that’s actually happened.’

  ‘Probably far more than we could ever count.’

  ‘I’m sure there’s been a lot of quickie divorces. Maybe that’s why it’s so easy to get a divorce in Nevada. Marriage is for suckers, anyway.’

  Bonni looked over at Ava and Fredi and raised her eyebrows. They both nodded and leaned into each other, whispering, before laughing.

  Bonni watched them and figured they were talking about Celia. She glanced over to see that Celia and Landon were chatting away.

  Quinn tipped his head down to her. ‘I wonder what that means?’

  ‘I don’t know. But Celia’s a handful,’ Bonni warned.

  ‘Landon can hold his own,’ Quinn assured her.

  ‘I guess we’ll see, won’t we?’

  Landon turned around. ‘I know these two have something up their sleeve, but what about you ladies? Any plans for the rest of the evening?’

  ‘Not really. Maybe play some slots, grab a couple of drinks.’ Celia answered for them and shimmied a little closer to him.

  Landon looked at his watch. ‘Well, I have a little bit of time, before I have to go up for a conference call.’

  ‘At this time of night?’ Celia asked.

  ‘Yes, it’s not night on the other side of the world.’ He gave Celia a rather cute smirk which made her shuffle her feet a little bit.

  ‘Well, then,’ Ava interrupted. ‘Since you’re on borrowed time, how about we get those drinks?’

  ‘An excellent idea,’ Landon agreed.

  ‘Right, then, since you guys have yourselves all sorted, I think Bonni and I will move on.’ Quinn took her hand.

  ‘Aww, you guys are so cute.’ Celia lifted her purse and opened it. ‘Do you need any more—’

  ‘Okay, catch you all later.’ Bonni wouldn’t put it past Celia pull out a handful of condoms in the middle of the bar.

  ‘Time to escape.’ Bonni leaned closer to Quinn and whispered, ‘Quickly.’

  A smile curved his lips. He chuckled, and she figured he understood her haste to leave. She’d deal with the condom situation later.

  ‘We’re off.’ Quinn wasted no time in leading her out of the bar. He put his arm around her shoulders. ‘Now I’ve got you all to myself.’

  ‘Finally. What do you have in mind?’ Bonni snuggled in to him and slipped her arm around his waist.

  ‘Did you eat?’ Quinn asked.

  Bonni nodded. ‘We ate before the show. But if you didn’t eat, I’m happy to keep you company.’

  He stopped and turned her to face him. Bonni looked up into his deep blue eyes. His touch, look and presence certainly did a number on her. She held her breath, waiting.

  ‘Or we could get room service,’ he said, in a low, husky tone.

  Bonni’s heart beat double time at all the possibilities that could lead to. She didn’t have to give it any consideration at all. ‘I like it.’

  ‘Good. I think it’s an excellent idea too.’ Quinn reached for her hand and laced his fingers with hers, gently tugging her closer. ‘Shall we?’

  Bonni nodded, ready for whatever the night would bring.

  Chapter 14

  At the risk of sounding like a creeper, there was no way Quinn was letting Bonni leave tonight. Now that he had her safely ensconced in his room, he was determined she would stay until morning. Last night had been all about passion and sex. Tonight, it would be about getting to know her better.

  He was captivated by her, watching her, so stunning, as she sat quietly, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hand, looking out the window.

  He thought she was the most serenely beautiful woman he’d ever been with. For a guy in his early thirties, he’d definitely been around. He’d deftly avoid the gold-diggers and the poker bunnies, while enjoying his share of women looking for vacation flings. Quinn had never felt his lifestyle would lend itself to a long-term relationship. But here, after all that, was a woman sitting in his room with a calm presence that soothed his soul. He drew in a deep breath. Since she met him, she had filled an empty hole that seemed so much more significant than it ever had before. Before, he’d filled that hole with his wild life, always looking, seeking, rebelling . . . running, to find whatever it was that was missing in his world.

  And now he suspected he’d found it.

  ‘Shall we order?’

  ‘Yes, sounds like a good idea. Whatever you want.’ She looked up at him, and he couldn’t resist swooping in for a kiss. Her lips softened under his and parted slightly. Quinn reached out with his tongue and swept it along her lips, and she opened them for him. He tasted her and cradled the back of her head, his hand sliding up into her silky hair. When she sighed, he slanted his lips a little more firmly and then reluctantly lifted them from her. She kept her eyes closed and he wanted to think she was savoring the moment as he savored it, by watching a satisfied expression play across her features.

  The dark fan of her eyelashes fluttered and then opened. He drew in a breath at the simmering look in her eyes. The lights and evening dusk gave them a smoky-grey appearance, one of mystery and intrigue. He realized he’d yet to see them in the light of day, something he decided then and there to rectify before her vacation ended. And that was a thought he most definitely didn’t want even to entertain.

  ‘You’re the best kisser,’ she told him.

  ‘I’m glad you approve, madam.’ Quinn felt his chest puff a little at the compliment.

  ‘Wholeheartedly.’

  ‘Coming from someone as talented in the kissing department as you, that’s a high compliment indeed.’

  Quinn ran a finger down her cheek before leaning over to grab the room phone. He called down and ordered champagne, sparkling water, chocolate-covered strawberries and an assortment of pastries. When she’d taken her first bite of a croissant earlier that afternoon, she’d made the most delightful moan and he wanted to hear her make it again. He was going to romance her so she’d remember this night for
the rest of her life.

  He already knew he’d remember it for the rest of his.

  ‘There’s a balcony. Would you like to go outside?’

  ‘Absolutely.’ Bonni took the hand he held out and he gently pulled her to her feet.

  He liked how her hand felt in his and tightened his fingers around hers before letting go and placing it at the curve of her waist. It seemed perfectly natural to guide her. He’d take any excuse to be able to connect and touch her.

  ‘Oh, my. You weren’t kidding about the view. It’s fantastic.’ She walked to the edge of the balcony. ‘Look, the mountains. And there’s snow on them! Somehow, I hadn’t expected that.’

  ‘Is this your first trip to Vegas?’ Quinn stepped behind her to wrap her in his arms and she curled into him.

  ‘I’ve been here once before, but it was a short trip. Didn’t have time to do the tourist thing.’ She glanced at him with a smile and his chest tightened.

  ‘You weren’t in town to have a quickie wedding, were you?’ Quinn forced a laugh, but he was tense as he waited for her answer.

  ‘Ha, no, I’m not married. Or dating anyone. Seriously, I mean. With a clean bill of health. For, y’know. Ah, what about you?’

  Quinn relaxed and nuzzled her neck. ‘Single as single can be. And also healthy. I’ve got the lowest cholesterol in the family.’

  She reached up to lightly swat the back of his head and he grinned down at her. They stood together, quietly, in the crisp air, before Quinn spoke again. ‘When are you leaving?’

  ‘Late Monday afternoon. I took vacation days to make it a four-day weekend.’ She didn’t look happy about it.

  It wasn’t enough time, especially with him being tied up in the tournament. ‘There’s another qualifying round tomorrow morning and then the elimination rounds start in the afternoon. Final rounds are on Monday.’

  ‘Shit. So, you’ll be fairly busy for a good portion of the next couple days.’

  It wasn’t a question, and he felt the restriction of time tighten.

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Then we’ll have to make the most of tonight and hope for some time together tomorrow.’ She looked up at him, and he could tell she was upset. He was glad to see she didn’t like the thought of their time together ending either.

  He pulled her into his arms. ‘Yes. We will.’ She shivered. ‘Cold?’

  ‘A little.’

  ‘Let’s go back inside then.’ Quinn wrapped his arm around her shoulder and liked how she snuggled in to him.

  ‘You’re so warm.’ Bonni hugged him.

  ‘There was a wind out there. It’s still early in the year for hot nights.’ Quinn never felt the need to pay top dollar for a hotel room in Vegas because he spent so little time in it. Still, he liked to be comfortable, so in addition to the king-sized bed dominating the room, there was a small seating area next to a long ledge that doubled as a desk. He guided Bonni to the small loveseat and they sat, Quinn stretching his legs out in front of them.

  ‘The view was fantastic, though.’ Bonni lifted her hands, as if looking for something to fiddle with before folding them together in her lap. ‘So where do you call home?’

  ‘Well, a little bit of everywhere, I guess.’ Quinn imagined she was trying to start with a softball question, but things were always complicated when it came to his family.

  ‘That’s an odd thing to say. How can you be from a little bit of everywhere?’

  ‘Well, we’re based on the East Coast, but my family has homes and business interests in numerous places. We did a lot of traveling around.’

  Bonni reached out for his hand and he knew she was trying to comfort him. ‘Sounds like you had a nomadic upbringing.’

  ‘I guess you could call it that.’ He’d already said more than he normally would. Bonni didn’t ask any follow-up questions and he was relieved, because explaining about his family was the last thing he wanted to do right now. ‘How about you?’

  Bonni began idly playing with his fingers. She was one of those people who were always in motion, never content to just sit still. ‘Toronto, actually.’

  He looked at her with surprise. ‘You’re Canadian?’

  ‘No,’ she laughed, and continued, ‘I’m an American citizen, but my father was military. We stayed the longest in Toronto, before he retired to Virginia. I got my criminal psychology degree in college there – that’s where I met Ava, Fredi and Celia – and then took some police foundations in Ontario before moving back to Toronto.’

  ‘You have a criminal psychology degree? That . . . that suits you,’ he decided. Quinn had noticed how she was always alert in a crowd, not to mention the way she looked after her friends.

  Bonni laughed. ‘Yeah, I guess being an army brat kept me in that mindset. But I didn’t want to enlist, though, because traipsing all over the world was rather hard on a young kid. You’ve just made friends and then you move on.’

  ‘Wow, I’m impressed. You get more and more interesting every time I talk to you. Do you enjoy life in Canada?’

  ‘Well, I’ve gotten used to the cold. In fact, I’ve taken up skiing and a lot of winter sports. But I much prefer tropical climates, heat. I will probably be moving back to Virginia soon.’

  ‘Why? What do you do for a living?’ he asked, highly curious now. Quinn half expected her to say she was FBI.

  Bonni dropped his hand and stretched a little, avoiding Quinn’s gaze. He couldn’t help but notice the way the movement caused her breasts to lift. After another moment of silence, she reluctantly said, ‘I work with the cops.’

  ‘Like, as a crime analyst, or a forensic scientist . . .’ He could sense this wasn’t something she really wanted to talk about. Yet she had. That was huge.

  ‘No. I am a cop. A detective, actually,’ she replied. Bonni still wasn’t looking at him, so he reached out for a lock of her hair, tangling it around his finger until he saw her watching him out of the corner of her eye.

  ‘You’re a cop,’ he said, ‘I guess I’m rather lucky you didn’t clock me one when I grabbed you earlier today.’

  He saw her smile, and then she turned to face him again. ‘Really lucky. I would’ve sent you flying. You don’t creep up on cops. Or women.’

  Quinn wasn’t ready for their intimate conversation to turn sensual, but he had to ask. ‘Did you bring your handcuffs?’

  Bonni rolled her eyes but got off the loveseat, crossing to where she had left her purse. He watched her hips sway, thinking she walked nothing like a cop should walk. Suddenly, taking things slowly tonight seemed like the worst idea ever. She brought her purse back to the loveseat and fished out the thick black wallet he’d seen this morning. ‘Nope, just this.’

  Quinn took it from her and flipped it open. ‘Your badge.’ One side had a photo ID card and a metal badge was on the other. He ran his fingers over the badge before closing and handing it back.

  ‘So, Detective Connolly, what department are you in?’

  ‘Fraud. It’s mostly white-collar stuff, money-laundering, and some gaming stuff.’ And she gave him a stare that made him understand why she had been reluctant to tell him she was a cop.

  Bonni held her breath as she waited for Quinn’s response. If he was mixed up in something shady, this could be the end of everything right now. Instead, he reached down and grabbed her legs, swinging them on to his lap. He grunted a little when her boots accidentally dug into his finely toned stomach. ‘No worries, Detective, I only play in sanctioned events or for recreational purposes. Doing illegal shit is a good way to stop getting invited to the big-ticket events.’

  It was a good answer, but not enough information for Bonni. ‘How did you become a professional gambler?’

  ‘Not sure, really. I’ve been gambling in some capacity or another for as long as I can remember.’ Quinn undid her laces on and slipped her boots off her feet.

  Bonni sensed he was being cautious with his replies. He began to massage her feet again, but she didn’t let the intense pl
easure distract her. ‘Even when you were a kid? You gambled then?’

  ‘You know what it’s like getting shuffled from place to place as a kid. Even in the States, there’s always a different culture, different rules and traditions to learn. But making bets, playing poker – some things are universal. But in fact it started with horse racing.’

  She tried to analyze his facial expression, but he seemed focused on her feet, his hands starting to move up her calves. Quinn had the epitome of a poker face. ‘Horse racing?’

  ‘Yes, I was around racehorses most of my life. My dad owned a number of them. It was only natural I’d start reading the Racing Form and learning how to handicap.’

  ‘A natural progression, I guess.’ Quinn had been right. It had sucked, constantly moving. Still, there were usually other kids on the bases, other kids who knew what it was like to be afraid of a parent getting deployed, of having their lives shuffled around at the directive of some anonymous paper-pusher. She would just wander around until she came across a pick-up basketball game or a skateboard half-pipe. Quinn, though . . . She could tell that Quinn and Landon had come from money. They’d mentioned their mother in passing a few times, but never their father. But gambling? For his entire life? To the point that he made a career of it? It was a giant red flag for her.

  ‘Well, to each their own. Everyone has their own coping methods, I suppose.’ Bonni cringed inside, realizing that she sounded judgmental, exactly what she’d been trying to avoid.

  Quinn turned toward her, and she saw concern in his eyes. She didn’t know what to say to change the course of the conversation and stop it from going down a path that would likely ruin their evening. That’s the last thing she wanted to do. But there was nothing he could say that would make her feel better right now, so she seized on the first topic that came to mind.

  ‘What time do you have to be there tomorrow?’ she asked.

  ‘The first game is at nine, but I have to leave at about eight in order to get everything sorted.’ He stopped rubbing her legs and instead held them in a firm grip.