I retreat to the other side of the room, my cell phone clamped to my ear. This is not my normal post-sex behavior, I assure you but after spending the past thirty minutes just staring at Mya, I’m certifiably freaked out.

Because I don’t want to do my usual. I don’t want to sneak out before she wakes up. What I want is to watch as she makes those adorable little snuffling noises and then wake her up so we can do it all over again.

“Something had better be on fire.” Ethan growls when he finally answers the phone. This is my third time calling.

“Is it technically illegal to force a co-worker to marry you?” I bite my lip when Mya lets out a loud sigh and then rolls over to face the other direction. I walk closer to the front door of the room, hoping I won’t wake her just yet.

Not until I figure out what alien force has hijacked my brain.

“Okay, I need you to run that by me again. It’s the middle of the fucking night, Milo. What the fuck?”

Apparently he’s just realized what time it is.

“You heard me. I need some advice. Legal advice.”

He sighs. “I don’t think legal advice is what you need. What is going on? You’re supposed to be in Vegas right now with James.”

“I am in Vegas,” I hiss as quietly as possible.

“Did you meet some stripper and decide to throw it all away for love? And why are you whispering?”

I glance behind me to where Mya is sleeping peacefully in my bed. “Because I don’t want her to hear me.”

“Who?”

“Mya.”

There’s a long pause and I can hear Ethan shuffling around. Then a few seconds later, I hear him come back. “Okay, I had to get up for this. Something tells me I’m not getting any more sleep tonight. Now, what the hell is going on?”

With permission granted, I launch into the whole long complicated story starting with James’s meltdown in the lobby before dinner and ending with my fake engagement announcement. After I finally pause to take a breath, I hear Ethan chuckling.

“James doesn’t pay me enough for this shit,” he says finally.

“Thanks for the helpful advice.”

“Somehow I don’t think you need me to tell you this is a really bad idea.”

“You’re my friend. You’re supposed to tell me everything is going to be fine. Plus, I figured you’d need a heads up anyway before we get back and you hear that we’re engaged.”

“Wait a minute, you mean you’re actually going through with it?” He launches into one rant about sexual harassment and a bunch of other boring shit that I tune out when Mya rolls over again, this time facing me.

Ethan’s incredulous voice follows me as I creep closer to the bed to stare at her. Her hair flows all around her face, surrounding her like a dark halo. One hand rests on the pillow next to her cheek. A strange feeling comes over me looking down at her as she sleeps unaware. So trusting. I want to be the one who watches over her. Protects her. And the idea that after she wakes she might decide to just walk away is torture.

This is a hell of a time to discover that my feelings for Mya Taylor might be about much more than just the physical.

“Uh, what are you doing right now,” Ethan’s voice interrupts my thoughts. “Because you’re breathing pretty heavily in my ear and it’s making me uncomfortable.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m watching Mya sleep and I’m trying not to get caught.”

“This is even worse than I thought. Do you hear yourself? You even sound like a creeper.”

“Never mind. I don’t know why I called you.”

“Uh, maybe to keep you out of jail before you do something insane. Well, anything else insane. Sounds like you’re already pretty far gone though.”

He’s right. I’m legitimately off the rails. What the hell is it about Vegas that makes people do crazy things? I’ve lied to, hell, everyone. Then I seduced Mya and had a sexual experience that makes even me question whether I’ve had good sex before. Now I’m standing in a dark hotel room watching her sleep while thinking about what it would be like to be with Mya for real. To have the right to wake up next to her and call her mine.

For all this not to be a lie.

“I need to get out of here.” I’m speaking more to myself than to Ethan. Hopefully he doesn’t take it personally when I hang up, suddenly needing to be anywhere but here.

My shoes and dress pants are still in a heap in the middle of the room, so I dress quickly and then turn around looking for a shirt. The one I was wearing is missing buttons from when Mya tore it off me and I’m for damn sure not putting on the one she was wearing. Having her scent on my skin is definitely not going to help me break free of whatever spell I’m under.

Finally I grab a clean T-shirt from my bag and throw it on. I look a little odd I’m sure wearing dress pants and shoes and a casual shirt but this is Vegas. You can get away with anything here.

Except it seems your heart.

* * *

I’m settled at the hotel bar with my second drink when I see him.

Andre Lavin walks through the casino with the assurance of someone who is used to getting everything he wants. Warning bells are blaring in the back of my mind. Talking to the client alone would be a red flag on any given day when I’ve been drinking but especially after everything that went down earlier.

I still haven’t forgotten how he looked at Mya. He wants her.

Get in line, buddy.

“Mr. Hamilton. I wasn’t expecting to see you again before you left.”

Without waiting for an invitation he takes the seat next to me. The bartender immediately brings him a drink, as if they’ve just been waiting with his favorite in case he should happen to drop by. The life of a high roller.

Is this what he’s used to, having people fawn all over him all the time? Bring him whatever he wants. Whoever he wants.

Anger storms through my system, aided by the amount of alcohol I’ve had in the past twenty-four hours. I’m not thinking about what’s good for my career right now. I’m thinking about what’s good for Mya.

“I’m not going to let you treat her like she’s some delicacy to be brought on a silver platter,” I mumble accusingly.

His lips quirk up at the corners. “Is that right?”

Was I this smug when going after women? God, I hope not because I really want to punch that grin off his face.

“How long have you worked with your fiancée?”

There’s nothing inappropriate about his question but it feels like a challenge somehow. Like he’s testing me.

“Two years. She kicks my ass at work, too.”

He takes a sip of his drink. “I bet. She seems like a formidable woman. And quite beautiful. The kind of woman a man has to keep happy.”

My fingers clench around my shot glass. “Oh, I keep her happy. In the office and out of it.”

His eyes flash as he catches my meaning. His gaze takes in my sloppy dress and I’m sure he can put two and two together. I look like I’ve just had sex quite frankly with my bed head and haphazard outfit.

“That’s good. Very good. Because there will always be another man waiting if you mess it up.”

“I won’t be messing up.” Now he’s just asking to get popped in the mouth.

“Of course not but I felt it only fair to give you notice. It doesn’t hurt to let a man know he has some competition. Good night, Mr. Hamilton.” He leaves a few twenties on the bar and then walks off the way he came.

While I’m left with an empty shot glass and no idea what the hell just happened. This whole situation has gotten completely out of hand. I invented this engagement to get the job and now jealousy might prevent Andre Lavin from hiring us anyway. I wouldn’t think he’d allow his personal feelings to play a part in his business decisions but he’s only human.

What if this conversation was his way of warning me that Mirage won’t get the job?

James can never know about this. I don’t think he would encourage Mya to flirt with a client to secure a job but this is too important to gamble on. I don’t want there to be any chance she might be put in that position. This sex thing between us scrambled my brain a bit but I have enough wits left to know that work is the most important thing to Mya.

Hell, it’s the most important thing to me, too. I might have been feeling sentimental after that intense round upstairs but that doesn’t change who I am or what I want for my future. I put a shaky hand to my chest, trying to calm my suddenly racing heart. So, it’s settled. I won’t say anything to Mya about this either. She doesn’t need that pressure. I need to protect her from this.

And not because I feel anything for her beyond desire and friendship. It’s just the right thing to do.

Obviously.