“How did the interview go?” Millie crosses her fingers hopefully. “Did the guy seem nice? Is the job good?”

“Oh my God, Brock Stanton is everything.” I flop down onto her couch and mock-swoon. “He’s handsome. Honestly, he’s even better in real life than he is in pictures. I fell for him hard.”

“He’s not a blind date. He’s a potential employer! I more mean about the job anyway.”

Millie laughs as she hands me a steaming mug of coffee. Then she sits opposite me and smiles, but I can see the worry there behind her eyes. She’s scared that this will be another temporary mess that leaves me with no financial security. Little does she know that I kicked ass and I’ve sorted out something epic.

“I know, and not potential. He gave me the job already.”

“He did? That’s incredible news. Oh wow, I’m so happy for you.”

“Yeah, so I’ll be out of your place before you know it. I have a deposit saved up anyway, so it won’t be difficult for me to get a place now that I’ll have a regular income. But thank you for the room. You’ve been a star.”

“It’ll be weird with you gone! I don’t know how I’ll cope.”

“At least we’ll be in the same state again. I’m not going back to New York.”

“Thank God. I wouldn’t be able to relax knowing you’re in the same city as him.”

“You can say his name, you know. It doesn’t bother me as much as it did. I’m away from Thomas King, the asshole I used to work with at the stock market, the guy I went on one date with after my relationship with Harry broke down, and who decided it was a good idea to stalk me when I didn’t want him.”

Maybe I can talk about it with ease now, but it was a dark time. He hacked into my computer, he would leave me a string of psychotic messages, he often broke into my home . . . it was a nightmare. It took me a while to build up enough evidence to get a real case against him too, during which time it took everything I had not to crumble. But even when I got the restraining order against him, it didn’t feel like enough, so I came to Vegas to stay with my high school best friend for a while, just for a break. I didn’t think it’d end up permanent.

“I think it’s time you find a new guy. It’s been a long time since things ended with Lucas.”

“Ah, Lucas. My ill-advised fling when I first arrived in a poor attempt to make myself feel real and alive again. What a mistake that was. Not that he’s a bad person, I suppose. Just very damaged.”

“You both were. That’s why you were attracted to one another. You could relate to one another’s darkness. But anyway, not him. Someone who can unleash something new in you. Something exciting and fresh.”

That’s exactly how Brock feels. He’s got that hot, strong alpha side to him which turns me on immensely. Even thinking about him creates a deep and powerful stirring in my core that needs to be sated. All through the interview, I wanted to grab him, kiss him, hold him, but I didn’t. I may have flirted way more than I should have, but I resisted actually touching him. I’m proud of myself for that.

However, it might be impossible to do it on a day-to-day basis while I’m working with him.

“You aren’t ever short of attention from guys. You should be with someone, you know.”

“I don’t know, Millie. I don’t know if I’m ready for something serious.”

“I’m not saying it has to be serious. Just have some fun. Sometimes fun becomes serious.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right. I don’t know, though. For now, I just want to focus on getting into my new apartment and starting my new job. Anything else can come afterward.”

“Okay, that’s fair. Do you have your eye on a place?”

“I do actually. Do you want to come and see it with me? I can sign up for it now. There’s still time.”

“Yes! Let’s do it. Then we can go out for drinks afterward. Celebrate.”

“Celebrate you finally getting rid of me? Sounds good.”

“Oh, come on.” Millie pulls me in for a giant bear hug. “I don’t want you gone.”

“Oh, but you do, because your own bit of fun is getting serious, isn’t it? Mike will be moving in soon, I know it, and I’m over the moon for you. He’s a good guy, and he treats you really well.”

“He is good, isn’t he? Now I’m just going to message him and tell him I can’t meet him tonight.”

“Why not? He can come, can’t he?”

“No, he can’t come. This is a girly night, the end of an era, a time for me and you to be alone. He won’t want to listen to us reminiscing about high school and all the fun we used to have as teens.”

“Plus, all the fun we’ve had here. And all the fun we’re going to have. It might be the end of an era, but we’re still going to make lots of memories. Vegas is the perfect place for it.”

Millie typed rapidly on her phone and smiled at me. “Yep, exactly. That’s why I moved here. It’s the city that has it all. And now it has my best friend too, so it’s perfect.”

I breathe out deep, really feeling that. Vegas has transformed me or brought me back to who I always was anyway. Thomas tried to take something away from me in his selfish need to have me, but I’m still here, standing tall, being strong, tackling the world. One thing I know for sure is that I won’t ever let someone break me again.

I stare up at the casino building, smiling to myself, really feeling like I’ve made it. Luckily, I didn’t bring much stuff with me when I came to Vegas, so it didn’t take me long to move into the beautiful studio apartment that’s all mine. It might be tiny and very bare, but it’s all mine, and I love it.

“Right, Jodi,” I muttered to myself. “It’s time to nail this. Make Brock proud.”

I step inside the building and take the stairs two at a time. It’s only when I reach the top step I think my skirt might be a little short. My top covers up everything, including all my tattoos, but my legs are all on show. I didn’t think too much about it when I got dressed this morning, but now I realize it may be too much.

But I got this job by being strong and confident. I can keep it up for today.

“Hey there, Brock.” I smile widely as I step into his office, discreetly smoothing my skirt down. “It’s Monday morning, and I’m here, ready to work for you. I hope you haven’t forgotten me coming in.”

“No chance. How could I forget someone like you?” His eyes spoke volumes. “It’s good to see you again.”

He moves right into my personal space and rests his hand on my arm. I’m pretty sure this isn’t something that’s normal, but I like the way he feels. He’s strong and commanding, he takes what he wants, and right now it looks like he wants me. My emotions are so conflicted. I shouldn’t want this. I do need to keep this job, but at the same time I can’t turn off the fluttering sensation he shoots all the way through me like lightning.

“So.” I tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “What do you want me to do today?”

“I have a meeting in half an hour with a potential investor. I want you to take minutes.”

“I can do that.” Notes, that’s easy enough. “Who’s the meeting with?”

“Helen Bouvier, a very wealthy woman who runs a successful marriage chapel here.”

“Ooh, are you thinking of holding weddings in your casino? That could be fun, I could help with it—”

“Not a chance. I’m not like that. I don’t want to cheapen what I have here.”

“So what are you doing here? What’s the investment for if not for people tying the knot?”

“Just an expansion—more room, more machines, that sort of thing. But she’s very keen to be a part of it.”

“You don’t think she’ll push the wedding thing on you?”

“You’ll see.” He touched the bottom of my back, making me jump. “Come on, let’s wait.”

I sit through the next hour watching a woman literally throw herself at Brock, making it painfully obvious that she wants him. I don’t even know how to take notes because business rolls into pleasure so much. At least, on her behalf. He handles it very well, batting her off in an extremely professional way and getting exactly what he wants from the meeting. It amazes me, but it must be something he’s used to.

It certainly makes me want to back off. I don’t want to be another one in his long list of bimbos.

I can’t help it though—jealousy twists nastily in my gut. It’s an agonizing snake coiling all the way through me. I have to clutch onto myself at one point to stop it from spilling free. It’s silly because I don’t exactly have any claim over this man. I’m his freaking personal assistant and nothing more for crying out loud, but I still sense that he’s mine.

“Urgh, sorry about that.” He rolls his eyes once she’s gone. “She’s a nightmare.”

“Yeah, she seems that way. She’s very . . . full on. Is that normal?”

He smiles in a way that suggests I’m different. He certainly didn’t give her that look. It causes butterflies to flap violently in my stomach. I kinda still want him. I wish I could reach out and touch him. But I shouldn’t.

In fact, what I should do if I want him is be subtle, don’t flirt, just drive him wild anyway.

“It is normal, but you’ll get used to it. Unless you don’t want to, of course.”

“What? Get used to it?” I smile and allow a blush to fill my cheeks. “I’m sure I can cope.”

The look he gives me makes me want to shed my clothes immediately. I want to tear them off and present myself to him. He looks like he wants to eat me anyway, so why not just let him?

But no. I stiffen and push that thought away, refusing to let it consume me. I’m not going to give myself so easily to this man. Even I do let him have me, which I might not be able to. In the end, if I want to keep this job, I have to keep myself strong. At least for now.

“Right, so I suppose the next thing I need to do is discover more about your appointment book so I can get used to it. Do you want to go through it with me? Let me know how you like everything done?”

“Yeah, why not? I suppose you’re right. And I better show you to your desk too.”

“My desk is in your office? But I thought it was outside . . .”

“It was. It was just there if you remember?” My eyes follow to where he’s pointing. “But I don’t need to keep any secrets from you, so why not have you locked in the room with me?”

Locked in . . . I like it. I like it more than I should. I shudder and smirk before nodding knowingly.

“Okay, sure. That sounds great. Locked in with you. This is going to be fun, isn’t it?”

Already my mind is consumed by all the ways I’m going to make it the most fun ever . . .