“Knox, have one of your guys check on table six. Valerie pressed her in-house silent alarm.”

Knox Dawson, my head of security and best friend, nodded and silently left the security room. There were more than fifty monitors in the room, keeping track of well over two thousand cameras. A lot of casinos would rather buy more slot machines than focus on security, but I didn’t take the same attitude. I wanted my employees and patrons to be as safe as possible. Each table had two buttons for the dealer. One alerted hotel security, mostly used to handle rowdy patrons or possible cheating. The second was directly to the police in case of a robbery.

I brought my eyes back to table six and saw that Knox had sent Paul who was now bent low and speaking to a man with a small stack of chips and a glass of what I presumed was alcohol. The man threw up his arms, knocking his drink and chips off of the table. Paul tried to speak one more time but when the man began yelling, another guard showed up and the two of them “escorted” him out of the casino.

“Whoa,” said one of the guys watching the monitors. “Check out the babe in the lobby. Day-um.”

My eyes strayed to the screen showing the check-in desk. It wasn’t hard to know who they were talking about and to my shock, lust blasted through me and a dark sense of possession followed in its wake.

I was thirty-two years old and I already owned one of the most successful hotel and casinos in Las Vegas. Building the Lennox Hotel & Casino had been my dream and I’d pursued it with single-minded focus. Women had been the last thing on my mind. As evidenced by my last few relationship, which broke up because the women felt neglected. I’d shrugged and moved on. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t warned them beforehand. Eventually, having a relationship felt like more hassle than it was worth. It had been years since I’d been with anyone, and in all that time, I hadn’t even felt the craving to find a bedmate. So, the desire currently pumping blood into my cock was a complete surprise.

She was gorgeous with dark curly hair and a curvy body. I couldn’t see her face close enough to know her eye color, but I imaged they were dark to go with her hair and olive-toned skin. She was standing in the check-in line, her hand resting on the handle of a small carry-on suitcase. Hmmm, she wasn’t intending to stay long, but the fact that it wasn’t a simple overnight bag told me that I wasn’t in a complete rush.

“I don’t swing that way and even I would consider tapping that,” drawled Karyn, one of the few females on my security team. Chuckles echoed around the room.

“She’s off limits,” I snarled, my tone so harsh it drew every eye to me. “No one touches her, no one even goes near her unless it’s to protect her.” My face hardened and my tone became steely, letting them know I wasn’t fucking around. “Is that clear?”

Eyes wide and mouths slack, every one of them nodded without comment. I could only imagine what they were thinking. Normally, I’m very easy-going and known for my rational thinking and patience. Unless you fucked with me, my friends and family, my business, or my employees. Yeah, I had another reputation in Vegas, one that ensured that people most certainly knew not to piss me off.

With one last glare of warning, I left the security room and strode purposefully towards my office. Once I was inside, with door firmly shut, I dropped into my desk chair and pulled up multiple feeds for the lobby camera on the wall of television screens. I picked up the phone and punched the code in for the check-in desk.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Lennox?” a perky voice inquired.

“The woman in line, the one in the green dress, with the dark curly hair.”

“Yes, sir?”

“When she gets to the counter, text me her name. And, tell her we lost her reservation and for the inconvenience, we’ll upgrade her room.”

“Um, okay,” the desk attendant mumbled. “What room do you want me to put her in? We’re booked solid, Mr. Lennox.”

I answered without hesitation. “The Silver Suite.”

This time, the employee sputtered but quickly got herself together and chirped, “Yes, sir.”

“Also, give her a one-thousand-dollar credit for the casino.”

“Of course. Will that be all, Mr. Lennox?”

“Text me her name,” I reminded her and hung up.

I watched and waited for her turn at the counter, and when she finally stepped up to it, I switched my focus to my cell phone. It only took a minute before it pinged with the alert of a text message.

Autumn Rhodes.

Even her name was fucking sexy. This time when I picked up my desk phone, I dialed Knox.

“Dawson.”

“I need a dossier put together,” I informed him without preamble.

“What’s his name?”

“Her,” I corrected.

“Her?” he echoed, his tone colored with curiosity. “Card counter?” he guessed.

“No, just a guest at the hotel.” I didn’t give any more of an explanation. He’d grill me about it later anyway. “Autumn Rhodes.”

“Consider it done.” There was a pause, as though he had something more to say but decided against it.

“Call me when you have it.” I returned the receiver to the cradle and leaned closer to my monitor, hoping to catch a better glimpse of Autumn when she turned around.

While I waited, I enjoyed the view from behind. Her back was slender, and her hips flared out from a petite waist. The fingers of one hand itched to wrap themselves around a hip as the other delved into her curls and pulled her head back. I wanted to grind my hardness into that lush, round ass before leaving my handprint on each cheek in a sign of ownership.

My naughty dreams were interrupted when she pivoted around and I got my first full look at the front of her. My cock was practically made of stone at this point, but when I saw her puffy, pink lips, he began to weep at the thought of having them wrapped around him. I knew it would be an unforgettable sight.

I could tell her eyes were big and expressive, her nose straight, and there was a deep dimple in each of her cheeks. Her tits were high and plump, and I knew without even touching them, that they would fit perfectly in my hands. Without the distraction of her ass, my eyes swept over the rest of her, down to long legs with thick thighs, cute little feet that were currently rocking at least four-inch heels. I vowed to feel those heels digging into my ass while I fucked her before her weekend was over.

My eyes were glued to her until she disappeared into the elevator. I hated having her out of my sight. The profound sense of urgency to see her and make sure she was okay crawled over my skin.

I fought every instinct to make my way to the Silver Suite, the only other room on the Penthouse level, where I lived. I needed to get control of myself and find a way to meet her in an organic way. Otherwise, I might come on too strong and reveal the truth she wasn’t ready for. It seemed Autumn Rhodes had quickly become my obsession.