It was hard to ignore the sparks that flew between Briana and me as I led her over to one of the massive windows. The city of Las Vegas stretched out before us. The lights of the strip contrasted sharply against the blackness beyond, a yawning darkness of desert and shadow that seemed ready to devour the revelers given the chance.

But they did little to hold my attention. From the moment she stepped into the room, I struggled to look away. She looked tired, eyes still a little bleary and hair drawn back into a messy bun. She wasn't wearing any makeup, but if anything, that just drew more attention to the perfect proportions of her face. Wide eyes, high cheekbones, and an elegant curving nose with a smattering of freckles along the bridge. She was beautiful, if a little nervous looking, and a part of me wanted to soothe her, but I couldn't let that distract me from the reason I needed to speak with her.

“Who the hell is that?” I asked, pitching my voice low but not soft. “I was under the impression you'd called a doctor. She looks like she's barely out of high school.”

Briana glanced nervously to the couch, where Enzo was clearly flirting with the slender brunette. The girl didn't seem to be reciprocating, but he'd never let being ignored keep him from talking. He'd respect a firm no, but subtle hints had never been his thing.

“She's twenty-six, if you must know, and was an army medic,” Briana offered, squaring her shoulders. “I assure you, she's completely qualified.”

“Was?” I probed, the tension of the past couple days setting me on edge. “What happened? Did she cut someone's hand off? Who do you have working on my brother?”

Briana crossed her arms over her chest, her expression hardening. “Soldiers do leave the service, you know.”

I mirrored her movements, folding my arms too. We were close enough that our arms nearly bumped against each other, but neither one of us stepped back. “When? Under what circumstances? Why is she the person you called?”

“Tovi is the go-to medical person for Rock Bay. Other than that, I'm not at liberty to discuss her personal life.” Briana's eyes were flashing now.

I had to admit, she was kinda hot when she was riled, but if I'd gotten distracted by every pretty face, I never would have come as far as I had.

“I called you because I trusted you'd be able to provide discretion in what I'm sure you can see is a delicate matter. And instead, you bring in some kid who could turn around and sell the story to some tabloid.”

“Don't be overdramatic.” Briana blinked and slapped a hand over her mouth as soon as she said the last word. “Shit, I'm so sorry. That was totally unprofessional of me.”

I wanted to laugh at her little slip. I couldn't remember the last time someone other than Enzo had possessed the balls to stand up to me, and coming from her, it was refreshing as hell. If the circumstances had been different, I might have considered breaking my own rules and pursued it. But the current situation had to take precedence which meant it was in everybody's best interests if she kept doing her best to please me.

Still, I lightened my tone. “You're forgiven, but tell me that this woman hasn't killed anybody.”

“I can hear you, you know,” Tovi interrupted. “And no, I haven't killed anybody, not even when I was in the service. Anything else you feel like you have a right to know?”

Her gaze was sharp, and I got the impression that she had a whole lot more going on than she would be willing to reveal.

“Why did you leave the service?” I felt Briana watching me, but I didn't look at her. I needed to see if Tovi would be a liability.

The medic kept her eyes on where she was dabbing something onto the wound that made Enzo wince. He was such a wuss.

“Nothing to do with my ability to do my job.” The words came out clipped. “And as long as neither of you hurt someone, I don't care what happened here.”

I could live with that. “Carry on then.”

Briana was chewing her lip when I looked back down at her, her cheeks flushing when she realized I caught her. I was trying to decide how much was an act or if she really was as new to this as she seemed.

“Do you need anything else?” she asked. She took a deep breath and clarified. “By that, I mean, do the circumstances around Enzo's injury need my attention?”

She had tact, I'd give her that. I opened my mouth to tell her no when Enzo decided to join the conversation.

“That broad threw a glass at my head.”

“Because you were being an ass,” I snapped back. At least he'd called the escort a broad rather than a bitch. I didn't think either woman in the room would take that too kindly.

“We didn't get to the ass.” Enzo grinned. “That was part of the problem. I even asked nicely.”

“You are quite the charmer,” Tovi replied, her voice dry. “I can't see why anyone would want to throw a glass at your head.”

“Me neither.” He gave her a cheeky smile. “Especially since I was willing to pay her double for some double–”

“Shut up, Enzo.”

My brother glared at me, but Briana couldn't stifle a smile. Tovi looked like she wasn't sure how to take my brother's comments.

“He's crude but harmless,” I assured her. The shadow in her eyes made me think that I could guess at least one of the reasons she hadn't stayed enlisted in the army. “He knows how to take no for an answer.”

Enzo's expression sobered a bit as he gave the medic a closer look. “I didn't try to force her, I swear. She could have just said no.”

I looked at Briana, hoping she could see Enzo's sincerity. I needed her to know that, no matter our faults, neither Enzo nor I would ever force a woman to have sex. We might use escorts, but even then, we made sure the women knew that they could tell us to stop at any time.

“Thank you both for coming out here,” I told them. “We appreciate it. I hope I didn't interrupt anything.”

That last bit wasn't entirely the truth. If there was anything to interrupt, I sincerely hoped I'd done so. For Briana anyway.

Despite myself, I was beginning to feel a little possessive of the girl. Perhaps it was because of the bet. Perhaps it was just because I wanted her for myself. Whatever the case, it was troublesome, but hard to shake.

“No, not at all.” She shook her head, smiling politely. “It's my job to take care of...things for you.”

“I for one am having a splendid time,” injected Enzo. “In fact, the scenery around here is...quite breathtaking.”

He was looking at and speaking to Briana, but I suspected his statement was directed at Tovi as well. Typical Enzo. Flirting with everything in a skirt and absolutely shameless about it. Was this how he expected to get Briana into bed? If so, he was going to have to readjust his method dramatically. I didn't think she was the sort of woman who'd go for his usual shtick.

“All done,” Tovi announced, getting to her feet. “Those will need to be replaced in twenty-four hours at the most. You can have your own physician do it, or Briana can give me a call. You shouldn't need stitches, but you might want to talk to a plastic surgeon if you want to make sure it doesn't leave a scar.”

As hesitant as I'd been to accept Tovi's help, I could see that she'd done a good job, not only at patching Enzo up but at ignoring his advances.

“If that's all, we should be going,” said Briana. “I hope you gentlemen enjoy the rest of your stay. Please call if you need anything else.”

Briana closed the door behind her, leaving the room in silence. For a moment, I wondered what kind of emergency I could concoct to get her back here. And then I reminded myself of the bet and the fact that I needed to keep her as far from Enzo as possible.