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  I smile. When two of the senior security staff arrived at Meadow, I briefed them on what I'd witnessed. They approached Shelby and the owner of the wallet. She was taken to the central security office on the third floor once she realized that she couldn't talk her way out of the fact that the man's wallet was in her purse along with a credit card belonging to another female hotel guest.

  I graciously accepted the praise my supervisor gave me along with a hug from the couple who Shelby had duped. Once I'd filled out my incident report, I was free to go.

  The wallet is back where it belongs, and Shelby is at a local police precinct, waiting to be booked.

  "It's my job, Ad." I pluck the printed slip from the slot machine out of her hand. "I'm going to give this and the tickets to the magic show to my friend Jersey."

  "You're talking about Wally Hampton, aren't you?" She wiggles a thumb in Jersey's direction.

  "Wally Hampton?" I pause and look at Jersey. He's still winning. The toothy grin on his face is a dead giveaway. "That's Jersey. Does he look like someone you know?"

  "He looks like Wally Hampton because he is Wally Hampton. He just so happens to be the greatest quarterback ever to play the game." She shakes her head. "You're going to give him your measly twenty-seven cent voucher and two tickets to a magic show? The man is worth a fortune, Ellie."

  "That can't be right," I whisper even though Jersey is out of earshot. "He's never mentioned football to me. He's a big baseball fan. He's always wearing that Yankees ball cap."

  "He's retired." She shoots me a look. "Do you know how much his autograph goes for? If you ask him to sign one of his jerseys, you could sell it online and spend your days living the high life in Vegas instead of busting your ass catching purse snatchers and chasing minors out of the casino."

  "I happen to like my job." I open my purse and pull out the folded piece of paper I printed our tickets on. "I'm giving him these so he can take his wife to the show."

  "He's a huge deal, Ellie. If he wanted to see that magician, he'd just have to show up at the door and they'd seat him in the front row."

  "To do that he'd have to be Wally Hampton," I say quietly. "Tonight he can sit in the tenth row and he can just be Jersey. A man on a date with the woman he loves."

  ***

  "I thought that you'd be able to leapfrog the line since this club is technically inside the resort you work at." Adley scrunches her nose. "There are at least a hundred people in front of us."

  My gaze wanders down the line of people all waiting to get in Shade. The club opened two months ago in the new wing of the resort along with several high-end boutiques including Belese designer handbags, Whispers of Grace jewelry and the soon-to-be-opened new location for Matiz Cosmetics. Celebrities and their entourages have been descending on the property in droves.

  The only impact it's had on my job as a casino security guard is that I have to hover if I'm assigned the task of watching over someone recognizable when they have the urge to gamble.

  When a gorgeous actor and his pop star girlfriend indulged in a night of poker last week, I spent my entire shift on a comfortable chair inside Ollie's Room, the high-stakes playground. I lucked out that night, but the actor didn't. He lost more money than I'll make in two years. It didn't seem to faze him. He was all smiles when he walked out of the room with his arm around the woman who has the number one song in the country right now.

  "I might know the guy working the door tonight." I half-shrug. "If I do, it'll be an easy in."

  "I'll do whatever it takes to get us inside." Adley traces her fingertip along her bottom lip. "If you know what I mean."

  I rub at my forehead. "You didn't just tell me that you're willing to blow some random to get inside Shade, did you?"

  She nods. "It's the hottest club in Vegas. I want in."

  "You told me you hated going down on Leo." I grin at her. "Weren't you the one who said blowjobs are overrated?"

  She chews on her lip. "Leo's penis was not appetizing. It scared me."

  "You were together for two years, Ad. You were getting it on with his scary dick that entire time."

  "We did it in the dark." She glances at two women who join the line behind us. "I saw it on our second date, and after that, we only did it with the lights off."

  "I didn't need to know that." I tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear. "I'm going to go see if I can get us in. Promise me you'll stay in line."

  She stomps both her heels on the black marble tile. "I'll hold our spot, but I'm counting on you to pull some strings. If you fail, I'll have no choice but to resort to plan B."

  "Plan B?"

  "A blow for the bouncer," she says it with a straight face. The only indication that she's joking is the faint lift of her right eyebrow.

  "Keep your lips together, Ad." I tap her chin. "I'll be right back."

  "Roger that, Bean." She offers me a mock salute.

  I turn toward the club. All that stands between my best friend and I having an unforgettable last night together in Vegas is the long line of people in front of us all wanting the same thing we do. The temptation of the buzz from a stiff drink and the allure of getting lost in the rhythmic beat of the music are irresistible. I have a feeling this will be a night to remember.

  Chapter 3

  Nolan

  "Ellie Madden," I say it without the slightest hint of a variance in my tone. That, in itself, is a fucking miracle. Before I'd said it aloud, I'd whispered her name to myself. Not once, but twice since I left the restaurant an hour ago and went straight to my suite to pour myself a stiff drink. The name is unfamiliar. The exquisite redhead claiming it as her own isn't. "It's my understanding that she works at the resort."

  The woman behind the counter laughs. It's not lighthearted and filled with the promise of an entertaining story about Ellie. It's sinister, bordering on that edge of evil most of us have skated on at some point. I'm there now; teetering on the brink of something I instinctively know isn't good for me. "There are strict guidelines in place regarding the privacy of our employees, Mr. Black. You don't expect me to break any rules for you, do you?"

  I know she'll cave. The way she's twisting the plain gold band on her ring finger tells me she sees something in me her husband doesn't own. Maybe it's virility or charm. For all I know it's a full head of hair. Whatever it is, this woman wants me to pay to get her to play my game. I want details about the woman who fell into my lap, so I'll up the stakes.

  "You remind me of my first girlfriend," I lie. The woman I'm negotiating with is at least fifteen years older than me. My first girlfriend was born three days before I was, which means she's due to celebrate her twenty-ninth birthday a mere six months from now. "Have you ever lived in Manhattan?"

  "Manhattan?" Her face lights up like Times Square on New Year's Eve. "I've lived in Nevada all my life. I've always thought about taking a trip to New York."

  "Stop thinking and do it," I cajole. "You haven't lived until you've seen the city. A woman like you will fit right in there."

  I have no idea where this bullshit I'm saying is coming from. All I know is that her beaming smile just got brighter. I'm gaining ground and I'm not about to lose traction now.

  "Would you show me around, Mr. Black?" She licks her red lipstick stained lips. She's wearing that cheap all day lip tint that never wears off. She would have gotten better results with a red permanent marker and a magnifying mirror. Coloring within the lines isn't her strong suit. Apparently, being coy isn't either.

  "Show you around?" I volley back. "As in, take you to see the tourist hot spots?"

  "That's not what I meant." She pauses to bite the corner of her lip, imprinting an uneven red line on her two front teeth. "As in, show me around your place."

  "You don't beat around the bush, do you?" I ask with an entirely straight face. Encouraging this woman to visit me in New York will only complicate this exchange. All I'm searching for is something trivial that will lead me to Ellie Madden. I want to know when her ne
xt shift is. I'll settle for the name of her boss.

  I view this awkward conversation as a shortcut to my end goal. I need details about the woman I've never forgotten, even if she acted like she doesn't remember me.

  "We're both adults." She adjusts the name tag pinned to the lapel of her resort-issued black blazer. "There's no need to waste time. I'm not big on foreplay. I'd rather get to the meat of the matter."

  There's no fucking way I'm acknowledging any of that.

  I scan her name tag, realizing her name doesn't suit her at all. "Lacy? I can call you that, right?"

  "Oh yes." She squirms on the stool she's perched on. "Your voice is so deep. I've never heard my name said that way before."

  I resist the overwhelming urge to roll my eyes. "I was supposed to meet a friend at Shade ten minutes ago. If you tell me where in the resort Ms. Madden works, I'll be on my way."

  "I can do one better than that, Mr. Black." She stands and quickly rounds the counter. "My shift just ended. You can buy me a drink at Shade and I'll tell you everything you want to know about Ellie."

  ***

  Her offer was too enticing to resist. I waited while she reapplied her lipstick, again missing the natural contours of her mouth. In addition, she went for a layer of eyeshadow. The color isn't on any palette I've ever seen. This woman is a living, heavily breathing example of the before picture in a cosmetics ad.

  "Well, damn." Lacy stops in place when we near the entrance to Shade. "Look at that line to get in. We may have to go to my place for a drink."

  I never say never to a threesome unless the second is this woman and the third her husband. I'd bring up the fact that she's still sporting a wedding ring, but I'm not crossing any lines with her. Visiting Lacy's place is penciled in my never-going-to-fucking-happen calendar.

  "I'm on the VIP list," I say in a low voice. "I'll buy you one drink. I'm not promising more than that."

  "You say that now, but wait until we slow dance."

  "I don't dance," I quip. "I have two left feet."

  She looks down at my shoes. "Those cost a mint. You're loaded, aren't you?"

  "I can spare enough to buy you one drink," I say gruffly. "One drink, Lacy. That was our agreement."

  "You're kind of bossy." Her legs twitch. "It does things to me."

  There's no way in hell uncovering the truth about Ellie Madden is worth this much bullshit. I need to cut this woman loose now before my buddy Crew sees me with her. I'll never live this down. This will trump the time I asked Marilyn Finnegan to prom in high school. Crew still brings that up and it's been ten years.

  Dinner without me may not be what Lacy's after, but it's the only consolation prize I'm offering. I want this woman far away from me. Now.

  "What's the name of your favorite restaurant in Vegas?" I shove both my hands in the front pockets of my pants. "If you could eat anything tonight, what would it be?"

  Her eyes fall to my belt and then drop lower. There's no subtlety at all. "You're setting me up, aren't you? Do I have to come out and say that I want to …"

  "Get your hands off of her, you jerk! Do it now!"

  That voice. The voice yelling those words is the same throaty voice I heard earlier in Meadow Grill.

  I turn away from Lacy as she lists the things she wants to do to me and I turn toward the voice of the woman I can't stop thinking about.

  Dressed exactly as she was earlier, Ellie's long red hair is flying over her shoulder as she single-handily drops a man double her weight to the floor.

  Chapter 4

  Ellie

  "You're going down for this, Jerry." I squat on the floor next to him; my hands wrapped tightly around his wrists. I squeeze as I press them both into the small of his back. "You crossed a line this time. I can't believe how fucked up you are."

  "How fucked up I am?" He squirms beneath me, his chest pressed against the cool marble. "You're the one who tackled me. You broke my nose. I think you broke my fucking nose."

  I glance down at the blood that's pooling near his face. "You make me sick. I hope the judge throws you in jail and buries the key."

  "What judge?" He turns his head so he can look right at me. "I'll leave, Ellie. I'll walk out and never step foot in here again."

  I arch my neck back, an exasperated sigh escaping me. "You're not getting a warning this time. This is way more serious than jerking off in the staff room."

  He closes his eyes for a minute. The resistance in his body fades as I shuffle my feet.

  "The police will be here soon," I say hoping that someone who works at the club will step into this fray. I don't know how long I can pin down a man Jerry's size. If he pushes back, I'm going to end up with my ass on the floor, and my lace panties on display. Damn this short dress.

  I don't look up even though I know that a circle of people has gathered around us. I heard the gasps when I yelled at Jerry. I saw the movement of bodies when I jerked him to the ground as he was trying to bolt. I was so close to the club's entrance, but I couldn't just walk past Jerry when I saw what he was doing.

  My duty as a security officer of this resort wouldn't allow me to and my conscience wouldn't either.

  "When a woman tells you to stop touching her, you damn well stop," I spit the words out through clenched teeth. "What gives you the right to ignore that?"

  "She didn't want me to stop. That 'no' meant nothing."

  "What?" I twist his left wrist. "You didn't just say that."

  "You didn't see the way she was grinding on me earlier, Ellie. That chick wants me." He sucks in a deep breath as a drop of blood trails out of his nostril. "She was just playing hard to get in the line."

  "You had your hand up her skirt," I say, shaking with anger. "She was pushing you away. I heard her tell you to stop."

  "That wasn't real." He laughs. He fucking laughs as blood flows out of his nose and onto his upper lip. "I guarantee her panties were wet. She wanted me. Her body was screaming yes. I don't give a fuck if her mouth was saying 'no.' "

  I look up at the face of the woman who I saw pushing Jerry away. I heard the desperation in her voice. I saw the panic that flashed over her expression when she told him to stop. Her words may have been quiet, but the emotion behind them was loud enough to wake the dead. The tears in her eyes and the stuttering breaths that escape between her sobs, tells me everything I need to know.

  "I don't think your nose is broken, Jerry." I stare down at his nausea-inducing face. He's the boy-next-door type. When he worked security with me, women would constantly stop him to ask for directions, or assistance, or his number. That ended the day I caught him in the staff room with his pants shoved to his thighs, his cock in his hand as he jerked off, oblivious to the fact that motion sensitive cameras anchored to the ceiling were capturing his every stroke.

  "I fell hard," he whines, the distinct scent of beer on his breath. "I've never had a broken nose, but this feels like one."

  I know two wrongs don't make a right. I'm acutely aware that I'm violating protocol by even considering what I'm about to do, but sometimes rules have to be broken and lessons have to be learned the hard way.

  I reach forward, grab a handful of blonde hair on the back of Jerry's head and just as I'm about to smash his smug face onto the hard tile to guarantee his nose is indeed broken, I feel something brush against my shoulder.

  I turn at the touch, my gaze sweeping over the handsome face of the man whose lap I landed in earlier. Broad shoulders, messy hair and evening stubble greet my eyes. "Hey, Nolan Black. How's your night been?"

  ***

  "You're inviting her for a drink too?" Lacy, one of the resort's deputy night managers, asks. "I thought it was just going to be me and you. You know, just us two."

  Really? You'd think after everything that's happened tonight, the fact that Nolan Black is hot for Lacy wouldn't shock me. It does. I get that some men are into older women. I didn't peg Nolan as one of them, but then again what do I know about the man other than he smells fantas
tic and his ex-non-girlfriend pockets everything in sight.

  "Three's a crowd," I announce, loudly, way too loudly. Both security guards leading Jerry away, turn back to look at me. "You two go have fun. I don't want to get in the middle."

  I couldn't get in the middle if I tried. Lacy has wrapped her arm around Nolan's waist and with every step he takes to the side, she mirrors it with one of her own. They look like a pair destined for the finish line of a three-legged race.

  "Lacy and I are not having a drink." Nolan tries another side step, but Lacy doesn't miss a beat. "We're past that point. There's no need for it now."

  "So you're good with skipping the drink and just going back to my place?" she asks in a rush. "I told you foreplay isn't necessary. You're a fast learner."

  "Foreplay is always necessary." A man's voice to the left catches me off-guard. "It's often the best part."

  I'm not going to argue with the handsome stranger. He's almost as good looking as Nolan. His black hair is long enough to skim the collar of the white dress shirt he's wearing. His green eyes are as mesmerizing as his smile. He pulls one hand out of the front pocket of his gray pants as he approaches.

  "I'm Crew Benton and you are?"

  I reach for his hand giving it a squeeze. He's not my type, but he definitely checks all the boxes on Adley's list of what constitutes the perfect man. If I can make a connection for her maybe Leo will finally cease to exist in her mind and heart.

  "I'm Ellie Madden, and I'm pleased…"

  I'm interrupted mid-introduction by a woman who taps me on the shoulder. "She's Ellie Madden, and she's officially fired."

  Chapter 5

  Ellie

  "Fired?" I furrow my brow, confused by the word. The head of security at Echo Resort just fired me in front of a bunch of total strangers. "Ms. Griffin, I don't understand what you mean."