West awoke to the sound of the shower running in his master bathroom. Stretching, he rolled over and glanced at the clock.

Nine-thirty a.m.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath. The fragrance of Penn’s coconut shampoo still clung to her pillowcase. It was fast becoming his favorite scent.

After getting in a quick workout, he headed downstairs to make some breakfast with whatever he could find in the fridge. Thankfully, he still had a loaf of bread in the freezer, and the eggs, juice, and bacon were well within their expiration dates. He ditched the milk, which had grown chunky and bordered on a frightening science experiment.

Ten minutes later, Penn came downstairs to the kitchen. He glanced up from the stove. "Hope you're hungry. I thought I'd make you breakfast since you were kind enough to bring me mine yesterday."

"You cook?" she asked, surprised. She’d pulled her damp hair back into a loose ponytail, and wore a purple sundress that clung to her upper body.

She wasn’t wearing any makeup, making the freckles on the bridge of her nose and cheeks stand out. She looked fresh-faced and sweet.

He guessed he stared a bit too long, because she ran a hand down the front of her dress and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Not a damn thing." He leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms. "I’m thinking about skipping breakfast. You look good enough to eat."

"Such a flatterer. Can you really cook?" She walked over and peered into the frying pans.

"I guess you'll find out soon enough, huh?" He snaked an arm out and pulled her toward him, placing a soft kiss on her mouth.

Penn kissed him back and raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound promising, Keller."

"I'm no gourmet chef, but I promise, I make a mean breakfast."

"Okay. I'll set the table. Where are your plates?"

"Third cupboard on the right."

Penn grabbed the plates and hunted around for glasses and silverware while he finished frying the bacon.

"God, is there anything better than bacon in the morning?" She took a deep breath. "Yum."

"I can think of a few things."

"Of course you could." She rolled her eyes.

He brought everything over to the table while she poured the juice.

"This looks delicious. Thanks, West. I’m starving."

"Dig in, sweetheart." He took a big helping of everything. "What's on your agenda today?"

"I'm meeting Holly around noon at the hotel. Then I guess we will have some girl bonding time. Dinner, drinks, a show and some gambling, maybe? Who knows when it comes to Holly."

"Typical Vegas."

"Pretty much."

"What’s on yours?" She sipped her juice and gave him an expectant look.

Getting you into my bed. Her little sundress had all of her creamy skin on display.

"I’m not sure yet. I have to buy a wedding gift for my friend. He’s getting married on Saturday. I’ll probably just order it online and have it delivered to his house when they get back from their honeymoon."

"A good friend?"

"Yeah. I’m in the wedding." He decided to shift the conversation back to her before she began asking detailed questions. "How did you and Holly meet?"

"Her family is from Lakensville, my hometown, but they left for New York when she was fifteen. She moved to Vegas a year ago, and she's been trying to get me to come visit for a long time. The last time I saw her was at Danny's funeral. It will be nice to see her in a normal setting." She grinned. "If you can call the Vegas Strip normal."

"What does she do out here?"

"She's a writer. It's always been her passion. Then again, Holly is passionate about many things. She's always pushing me to pursue stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"She pushed me to put in my college applications a few years ago. I was helping at the farm part-time and working in town, and she worried I wouldn't pursue being a vet if I delayed my education further. She's been bugging me to move out here since Danny passed."

Penn living here, in Vegas? He could deal with that. Plenty of his teammates had women they saw regularly in town. He’d never considered it before. If she lived here, he’d have trouble not considering it. "Have you ever thought about it seriously?"

Penn buttered a slice of toast. "I want to make sure my parents are okay before I make a decision to move anywhere. Especially when they don't seem any better than they were right after Danny's death. I have to move somewhere for a job, but I'm not sure where yet. At least if I moved to Vegas, I'd have someone I know nearby, since Holly is here."

"You'd have me." The words flew out of his mouth before he even realized what he was saying. What she’d have from him, exactly, he didn’t know.

She gave him a curious look. "And West makes two." The corner of her mouth lifted in a sly smile. "You wouldn’t mind a sweet, innocent farm girl cramping your style?"

Penn downed her juice and stood before he had a chance to even come up with a response.

"I'm going to text Holly to make sure she's still running on time. I'll be down to help you clean up in a minute."

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Thanks for breakfast. I do love a man who knows his way around the kitchen. It’s very sexy."

West watched as she turned and dashed up the steps, pondering if he should go after her. He really needed to tell her the truth about who he was, but the timing was so bad. He didn't want to rush things, and they didn’t have much time before they had to leave for the hotel.

He had no idea how she would react to the news. Even though he wasn’t a guy who had relationships, the idea of not kissing or holding her again bothered him.

The superficial interactions he had with women left him feeling unsatisfied, especially over the past six months.

Lately, he'd instinctively rebelled against the desire for a deeper connection with a woman, choosing to stay home alone most nights instead of going out with his friends. It’s not like his encounters with women had ever led anywhere, except a hotel bed. Or a bathroom. Or maybe a dark corner of a club…the list went on.

Frowning, he shoved away from the table. Even thinking about all of that made him nauseated. He’d been running on autopilot so long he hadn’t even thought about how it looked to everyone else. Until that stupid Player’s Club blog began following part of his team around, exposing their off-ice shenanigans to the public.

He didn't want shallow hookups anymore, but he didn't really want to get close to anyone, either.

It was a shitty place to be.

He stood and began clearing the dishes, scraping the uneaten food down the garbage disposal.

It was a good analogy for every meaningful relationship he'd had with another human being—they’d all ended up in the trash one way or another.

Whether it was Drew, his parents, or even his old friends, they’d all crashed and burned. He'd either lost them, let them down, or they’d let him down.

It's why he didn't get personal anymore. He’d rather deal with the emptiness than the bitter disappointment. His parent’s marriage wasn't exactly a shining example of a strong relationship. Their overwhelming disdain and finally flat-out hatred for each other after thirty-one years of marriage had left him bitter and jaded.

Penn bounded back down the stairs and stopped in front of him, interrupting his thoughts. "West?"

He glanced up. "Yeah?"

"I'd like to see you again while I'm here." She fidgeted with a dishtowel hanging on a drawer handle. "If you want to, I mean. You could meet Holly, and maybe we can hang out? I just—"

He placed a finger against her lips. He was mentally drained at the moment, and wasn’t ready for this conversation. "We'll talk more at the hotel, okay? I'm driving you over there. Are you ready? I have to grab a quick shower and then we can take off."

"You don't have to do that. I can cab it to the hotel."

He rinsed his hands under the tap. "No, it’s fine. I want to."

"Okay." She handed him the dishtowel. "Why don't you get showered and I'll finish cleaning up down here?"

"You sure?"

"Of course."

Penn grabbed his hand as he turned for the stairs. "West?"

"Yeah?"

She wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you. For everything. For picking me up, for the hotel, the pizza, and letting me stay. Thank you."

He swallowed, fresh guilt washing over him as she snuggled against his chest.

"Don’t thank me." He backed her up against the wall, dragging his hands through her hair as he kissed her hard and deep. Pressing himself tightly against her body, he groaned as she wrapped her arms around his neck and yielded to his mouth.

For a moment, he let himself get lost in everything about her—the smell of her sweet shampoo, her soft skin, and the tiny noises she made when he kissed her.

Sliding his hands under her dress and along her smooth thighs, their kisses turned greedy and desperate. He could take her right now against this wall, and he didn’t think she’d object.

Penn broke away a minute later with a tiny gasp. "Why is it like this with you?" Her voice shook as she searched his face. "I’ve never—"

"Promise me something." His voice cracked, and he hesitated, gathering his composure. "Promise me that you'll remember how things are between us right at this moment. No matter what happens."

Penn cupped his face, tracing her fingers along his beard. "Why?"

"Will you?"

"You’re scaring me, West," she whispered.

He said the one word that he’d never said to anyone before in his entire life. "Please."

"Okay." Penn wrapped her arms around his neck. "Okay, I promise."

Relief flooded him, and he pressed his lips against hers, once again surrendering to her sweet kisses.

He didn't want her to go to Vegas. He wanted to keep her right here and spend as much time with her away from the bright lights of the city as he could.

He had to hope when he finally told her, she'd be able to keep her promise—and be able to forgive him.

---

West placed her duffel bag and suitcase in the backseat of his white SUV. "Adam said it will still be a few days before your car is repaired. He has to order a few parts." He handed her Adam's business card. "You can call him and get all the details."

"Thank you for helping me with that." She put the card in her purse.

A knot of dread formed in his stomach as he slid behind the wheel. He'd be lucky he wasn't recognized the second he stepped into the lobby of the Palisades Hotel and Casino. He’d thrown on a baseball cap and his sunglasses, but it probably wouldn't do much good.

West took as many shortcuts as he could to avoid traffic, which was next to impossible in this town. A half an hour later, they arrived at the hotel.

"Wow, this is nice." Penn glanced out of the passenger side window at the hotel. "I'm glad we stayed a little ways off of the Strip. We got a much better deal."

"It's a good hotel. The staff is professional and the rooms are clean and spacious."

"I'm not even going to ask how you know that."

West opened his mouth to reply, but reconsidered. Better to stay quiet.

He dropped the car off in the valet parking area and steered Penn toward the side entrance of the lobby.

Henry, a sharply dressed older gentleman who West had dealt with many times in the past, smiled at them as they approached the registration desk.

Penn's head swiveled left and right, taking in the marble columns and gold accents of the massive lobby. Cool blue lights illuminated the room. "Damn. I didn't realize it was this fancy."

West nodded in Penn's direction. "Hey, Henry. This is my friend, Penn Foster. She has a reservation for the next few days. Any chance of an upgrade to two rooms? Her friend Holly is staying with her."

"We can't afford that, West," she protested. She held up a hand toward Henry. "It's not necessary."

Henry smiled at Penn. "Mr. Keller is an esteemed guest of the hotel, Ms. Foster. Any friend of his is a friend of ours. One moment while I check on availability for you." He walked over to another computer near the back of the registration area.

Penn turned toward him, one eyebrow raised. "Friends in high places?"

"Friends in many places."

"I can't afford an upgrade, West."

He waved a hand. "He won't charge extra for an upgrade, trust me."

Her eyes lit up, and she smiled at him. "Just who are you, West Keller?"

He opened his mouth to respond—with what, he wasn’t sure—when Henry interrupted them. He slid two room keys across the desk. "Here we go, Ms. Foster. I gave you and Ms. Holly Wilkes separate rooms, but on the same floor. Floor twenty-three, in the Grande Suites. I hope that's sufficient. For the same price of your current reservation, of course."

Penn's mouth dropped open. "The Grande Suites? I saw those online. They're gorgeous."

"Perfect, Henry." He slipped the man a hundred dollar bill. "For your trouble."

Henry nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Keller. As always, if there is anything I can do to ensure you have a pleasant stay, please don't hesitate to let me know, Ms. Foster."

They stepped away from the desk. "Thank you doesn’t seem adequate. West, this wasn’t necessary. Our regular room was fine."

"I thought you might like some privacy at night." He took her hand. "Sometimes, separate rooms can be a good thing."

Penn's eyebrows shot up. "Oh. Oh. I guess that's true."

"I guess they'll let just anyone in this place anymore," said a deep male voice behind them.

Son. Of. A. Bitch.

Of all the fucking places, and of all the fucking faces. He turned around to see Eli Donnelley, his friend and defenseman for the Kingsnakes, standing there with his hands shoved deep in his pockets, a wide grin on his handsome face.

"Hey Eli. How’s it going?" He had to get Eli away from Penn, and fast, before he opened his big mouth and mentioned the Kingsnakes.

"Hey Kellz." A shock of black hair fell over Eli's forehead as he turned toward Penn and bent forward in a formal bow. He took her hand and kissed it. "Who is this vision of loveliness?"

Penn laughed and glanced at West. "Is he for real?"

"Unfortunately. Eli, this is Penn Foster. Penn, Eli Donnelley. A friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you, Eli."

"Oh, honey, the pleasure is all mine, believe me." Eli gave Penn an exaggerated once-over, his eyes lingering on her rack. He couldn’t exactly blame Eli. Penn wasn’t technically stacked, but despite being slim, she was curvy in all the right places.

Still, he didn’t want Eli eye-fucking her tits, either. He shoved him away. "Can you excuse us a second, Penn?"

"Sure. I have to call Holly and see if she's here, anyway."

Eli followed West to a corner of the lobby. "What's wrong? Don't want me stealing your latest dessert?" He peered around West to stare at Penn. "Really cute, by the way. But you don't normally go for the sweet, girl-next-door type. What's that all about?"

West frowned. "Listen. Don’t mention the Kingsnakes, okay?"

Eli crossed his arms. "What are you up to, Kellz?"

"Just don't." He glared at his friend. "Not a word. I mean it."

"Why not?"

"Jesus Christ. Enough with the questions. I'll explain later." West raked a hand through his hair and glanced back at Penn. He was practically sweating with nerves.

"Fine. It's fucking weird, like you, but okay." He studied West. "What's with the beard? I thought you only grew that shit during the playoffs."

West ran a hand over his chin. "I was in Cali and Vancouver for the last month, you know that. I haven't gotten around to shaving yet."

"Well, that look is in right now. It could work for you with the ladies."

"Remember what I said," he told Eli as they walked back over to Penn.

Penn shoved her phone into her front pocket. "Holly should be here soon. She's getting some last minute stuff from her apartment."

"We should head up to the room and get you settled in, then. Catch you later, Donnelley."

"Is Holly your friend?" Eli asked. "And is she as beautiful as you? Because I would be happy to give her a personal tour of Vegas. All of the hotspots, of course."

"And I’m guessing one of those hotspots is your place?" Penn crossed her arms and smirked.

Eli grinned. "I wouldn’t rule it out."

"Jesus." West shook his head. "Fuck, Eli. Give it a rest already."

Penn started laughing. "It’s fine."

"Anyway, I gotta bail. I hope we see each other again soon, Penn. And Kellz, you owe me a drink. Or five." He pointed at him before turning and heading for the exit.

"Is he always so flirty?" Penn asked, watching him walk off.

"That's one way of putting it."

"I don't think I want to know." She glanced down at her watch. "Want to head up now?

"Sure." That would give him time to tell her what he should have told her two days ago. He hoped the beautiful suite would soften the blow. It certainly wouldn’t hurt matters.

West pressed the button to shut the doors on the elevator, but not before two attractive women slid inside.

"Hey, West," they said in unison.

Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.

His time—and his luck—had just run out.