One of the great things about Las Vegas was that the days of the week seemed to mean nothing here. The windowless casinos, with their oxygenated air and free-flowing cocktails, promised a sort of refuge from the battering sands of time just outside. It was much preferable to sit amidst the glitz and flashing lights of the casino and wile away the days in relative ignorance than it was to face the music of life. Or at least that's how it'd always been for Enzo.

He didn't care that it was Monday morning. He wanted to play blackjack, and he wanted to play it big. He was making bets that even the other players at the high rollers table were clearly questioning, and he'd been flirting so heavily with the waitress that I wondered if this would finally be the time he gave up his “hookers only” policy and headed into a full-blown affair.

It was baffling he'd made it this long. Two and a half years of keeping his trysts quiet was longer than both Nicolas and I had thought he'd last.

I watched Enzo slip another twenty into the waist of the woman's skirt and wondered if he figured enough tips would be the same as paying for sex. I needed to find a chance to remind him that he needed to be discreet. No matter how well a casino intended to protect its patrons, nothing was full-proof.

I sighed. Enzo was driving me crazy.

Then, like a breath of fresh air winding through the casino, I glimpsed her.

Briana.

She no longer looked like she'd been summoned from a deep slumber, but rather more like she did when I'd first met her, all put-together and sleek. Just the right amount of make-up and a deceptively casual-looking hairstyle. The effect was stunning, and I wasn't the only man on the floor to notice her as she walked by.

A part of me preferred the more rumpled look. Like she'd just rolled out of bed.

My bed.

Shit.

I shook my head to clear it.

Enzo hadn't seen her yet, as he was too caught up trying to look down the waitress' shirt. I knew I should let Briana pass. We were leaving tomorrow, and any encounter with her was just another opportunity for Enzo to ask her to Hawaii.

Then again, he hadn't done it yet. He could have tried it at any point last night when she was in our room, but he hadn't. Not really. Sure, he’d thrown a few remarks at her, but no more than he would any attractive woman in his vicinity. But he hadn’t put forth any real effort. He was used to women responding eagerly to his attention, and I was pretty sure he hadn't expected Briana to be any different. When she hadn't swooned at his compliments, I knew it'd thrown him. Now, I was banking on the fact that Enzo was the type of person who excelled at things that were easy but rarely attempted anything difficult.

Because I really didn't want her to come to Hawaii with us. Not just because I didn't want to risk losing the bet, but because I wasn't entirely certain that I could ignore her for that long, especially not if she was pretending to be my date.

Hell, I couldn't stop myself from smiling as she came my way.

“I was just about to come find you two to check in on you,” she said, her eyes practically glowing under the casino lights. “How are things? How's Enzo?”

I glanced over at the cards table where the waitress who'd come with Briana was prodding at the bandage on Enzo's head. He was grimacing dramatically, but I knew him well enough to know how much was real and how much was a play for sympathy.

I thrust my hands in my pockets and leaned in for a conspiratorial whisper. “The same as he's always been, unfortunately.”

Damn, she smelled good. A bright jolt of arousal went through me, and I clenched my hands into fists.

I reminded myself that how she smelled or looked wasn't important and continued with my attempt to make her laugh, telling myself it was only about trying to keep her from falling prey to my big brother’s charms. Enzo hadn't said anything about me not being allowed to undermine him.

“I was hoping the head wound would've affected his personality a little. Alas, he's still an idiot.”

I got the laugh I'd been hoping for. A stab of pride mingled with my desire, and I found myself wishing that I'd come to Vegas alone.

“I'm glad to hear there are no long-term complications,” she said, her eyes dancing with amusement. “What are the two of you planning on getting up to today?”

I glanced over at Enzo and found him still flirting with the waitress. I didn't doubt that his main plan for the day was to see how much money he could lose at blackjack, flirt with pretty much every woman he saw, and then get rip-roaring drunk to finish off the night. And I knew if I said anything, he'd just tell me I was too uptight, and that I needed to loosen up. After all, that was why we'd come here.

I understood where he was coming from, in a way, even if our tastes didn't quite line up. He was an excellent businessman and had a lot on his plate besides that. His marriage, for one thing. For some reason, our father had chosen Enzo to be the one to solidify our deal with the Micheli family by marrying Elina. The two of them had an arrangement when it came to Enzo's roving eye, but I knew it had to weigh on him that divorce wasn't an option, not if he wanted our family to keep in the Micheli's good graces. Lately, I'd started hearing whispers that Elina's father wanted a grandchild soon, so that was a whole new issue.

Looking down at Briana, I found myself thankful that Enzo had gotten married rather than me.

“I don't know what our plans are,” I said. “Any suggestions?”

“That depends.” She tucked a wayward wave of hair behind her ear. “What kind of trouble are you boys looking at getting into?”

All kinds where she was concerned.

I was just as shocked that the thought had come to my mind as I was sure she would have been if I'd said it out loud. That sort of thing sounded more natural coming from Enzo's mouth than mine. I generally stuck with a straightforward approach. That way, no one had unrealistic expectations.

“I'm sure Enzo's gotten in enough trouble–” I began.

As if he'd heard me, Enzo appeared at my side and dipped into a ridiculous bow. “Briana, my midnight savior. I hope you ended up getting enough sleep last night.”

She smiled and waved him off. “Oh, don't worry about me. How's your head?”

I noticed that her smile wasn't quite as warm for him as it was for me.

Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part.

“Just fine, thanks to you.” He chuckled. “Though I don't think my mother will be too happy when she sees me. We're going to Hawaii tomorrow – our grandparents are renewing their wedding vows – and she'll probably insist on shoving me to the back for the photos.”

“I would suggest some cover-up, but somehow you don't strike me as a man who'd be willing to wear makeup, even for his mother.”

Irritation crept up inside me at her teasing tone. Enzo, apparently, was finally putting on the charm with her. And she was responding. Maybe not in the way women usually did, but it was working on her nonetheless.

“So you're working at the moment?” Enzo asked. “Does that mean you can't spend time with your two favorite guests?”

“I am on the clock, but my main job is to make sure my two favorite guests are happy,” she replied. With a wink, she added, “Please feel free to take advantage of that, so I don't have to go back to getting new packs of smokes for those Texan cowboys.”

Whether she intended to or not, Briana had both of our attention with her statement. I had no doubt that my brother was thinking the same things I was when it came to taking advantage of our charming host. A part of me wanted to claim her right then and there, tell her that what I wanted was her to stay at my side the entire remainder of our trip. Beside me. Over me. Under me.

Fuck.

“I'm sure we can think of something much more fun to do,” Enzo's words took on a bit of the Chicago accent we'd all mostly lost. He clapped me on the back. “Eh, bro?”

I tensed and reminded myself that I didn't want to punch my brother. “Sure.”

“What about the pool?” he suggested. “I hear it's divine.”

“It is,” Briana said, nodding. “I don't have a suit, though I don't need one to simply sit at the side.”

My eyes took in her tall, slender body. Those firm, perfect breasts. And I suddenly felt I'd die if I didn't find out how she looked in a bikini. I'd never been much into swimming, but the idea was one of Enzo's better ones.

“Can you find one?” I nearly blurted out the question.

Briana's eyes turned to me, a question flitting across the surface before I could fully read it. “I'm sure I can scrounge one up.”

“It's settled then,” Enzo announced. “We'll meet you out at the pool in, say, half an hour?”

She smiled and nodded. “Perfect. I'll be there.”

With that, she disappeared back into the crowd and the swirling, smoky air.

Enzo's grin widened. When she was out of earshot, he turned and poked me in the shoulder. “You thought I was going to make an ass out of myself with her, didn't you?”

I shrugged him off. “I never said that.”

“Oh, but you were thinking it.” He buffed his nails against the luxurious fabric of his jacket, and I rolled my eyes. “And now she's practically eating out of my hand.”

Don't hit him. Don't hit him.

“I wouldn't go that far.” I could hear the edge to the words, but I knew he wouldn't care.

“Maybe before the night's out, I'll be eating her.” He winked. “Let's go get changed, brother. Our company awaits.”

I followed him to the elevator, wondering if I could get away with punching him in the back of the head and blaming it on somebody else.