Chapter 5

Linny

I stand in front of the door to Room 2626 at the Echo Resort and chew on the corner of my bottom lip. I shouldn’t even be here.

It’s past two a.m. and I’m in a restricted area.

You need a room key card to access the elevator that leads up here.

I obviously don’t have one of those since I’m staying at the Vertex Hotel.

The man I came to this resort with did have one.

Ray tugged a key card for the hotel from his wallet when I told him about West. He handed me the card after explaining that he’d gotten it two weeks ago from a woman on the thirty-second floor who invited him back to her room after a lap dance at the club he works at three nights a week.

He used the card that night. After he gave her an hour-and-a-half of his time and some extra special treatment, he tucked the card back into his wallet and left with a hefty tip.

He told me he meant to toss it in the trash but never got around to it. It’s expired, but it does bear the name and logo of this resort.

I was shaking as I neared the elevator after saying goodbye to Ray. He left me with a kiss on the back of my hand and assurance that I was doing the right thing by heading up to West’s room.

I barely know Ray and we only shared one drink, but I took his advice. He told me that there’s no harm in having fun with a stranger.

He’s right.

I want to see West again and so I took the card, marched up to the guard standing by the elevator and as one of the three women in front of me flashed him a look at her key card, I asked another of the women where she bought her red dress.

I didn’t have to show the card I was clutching tightly in my hand.

Instead, I boarded the lift and listened to a stranger talk about her favorite clothing boutique in Los Angeles.

She spun in a circle as the elevator’s doors closed, showing off the dress that she had paired with a red facemask trimmed with feathers to create a costume for the party. She looked elegant and sexy.

She giggled at my tutu and tiara as her friend used her key card to scan the pad in the elevator. She pressed the button for the twenty-ninth floor and I pushed the button that read twenty-six.

Once the doors popped open, the trio blew me a flurry of air kisses as I stepped out into the quiet corridor.

I’ve been standing here for what feels like an hour, but it can’t be more than a few minutes.

I take a deep breath and knock softly on the door to West’s room.

I wait at least ten seconds.

Nothing happens.

I knock again, a touch louder this time. I take a step back so if he gazes out the door’s peephole he’ll see my tank top and tutu.

At least a minute passes without any response.

I inch forward again, but this time I rest my ear against the heavy steel door.

Not surprisingly, I hear absolutely nothing.

Maybe he’s asleep. Or maybe this isn’t his room at all.

Dammit.

What if he gave me a random hotel name and room number because he’s an asshole who likes to toy with women?

I shake my head. I knew this was a bad idea. I’ve never had good luck in Las Vegas with men. Why would that change now?

I curse myself for being so naïve and just as I’m about to step away from the door, I hear the unmistakable sound of the lock turning.

Whoever is in this room is about to give me hell for waking them up and I deserve it.

I brace myself for their wrath just as the door flies open.

It’s him.

West is standing in front of me with his hair a mess, his eyes heavy from sleep and his leanly muscular body exposed except for what’s hidden under his black boxer briefs.

He rubs his hand over his eyes. “Tell me I’m not dreaming.”

I scan every inch of him again. Wow. This man is beautiful.

“You’re hotter than the strippers I saw earlier.” The words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them.

His lips curve into a wicked grin. “Hello to you too, angel. Come on in.”

***

“The tiara is a nice touch.” He crosses his arms over his chest as he nudges his chin up. “Did you add that just for me?”

I reach up and tug it off my head before I toss it on a sleek wooden table just inside the entrance to his suite.

The light is dim, but I can make out how delicious his thick biceps look, and his sculpted abs. His legs are toned and his chest is broad and smooth.

“Do you like what you see?”

I blush when I realize I’ve been blatantly staring at the man again.

“I’m sorry I woke you.” I hold my small white clutch purse against my stomach. I don’t have any abs, although I don’t think he’ll care about that. “I shouldn’t have come so late.”

“I’m glad you woke me up.” He uncrosses his arms and gestures toward the expansive living room of the suite. “Can I get you something to drink?”

I skim my tongue over my bottom lip. “Some water if it’s not too much trouble.”

He stalks across the room to a bar area. He opens a mini fridge and grabs a small bottle of water. By the time he’s back in front of me, he’s cracked the seal on the lid.

“Here you go, angel.”

“Angel,” I repeat back as I take the bottle from him. I’m dying to ask him if it’s a nickname he calls every woman he meets, but I stop myself.

“You looked like an angel when I opened my eyes this morning.” He stares down at me. “The last thing I excepted to see when I woke up on that flight was a woman as beautiful as you.”

Charm. It’s oozing off of him, along with an undeniable primal masculine energy.

“I like it,” I confess.

He watches me closely as I take a long sip of the water. “I crashed about an hour ago because I didn’t think you’d show up.”

I don’t protest as he tugs the bottle from my hand and finishes what’s left. “I was busy earlier.”

“Watching strippers.” His gravelly voice sends a shiver down my spine.

My nipples are hard and straining against the thin cotton tank top and the white lace of my bra. I’m wound up tight and the man hasn’t even touched me yet. “I’m in Vegas for a bachelorette party.”

“On the flight this morning you said you weren’t engaged, so am I safe to assume you’re not the blushing bride-to-be?” He widens his stance.

I keep my eyes locked on his as I answer. “I’m a bridesmaid.”

He steps closer. “I told you I was a lucky bastard. I hit the jackpot tonight.”