They drank, laughed, and talked, playing blackjack until the casinos started to empty out and dawn was creeping over the horizon. At six thirty, Vlad finally had enough. He was $4,000 richer and probably drunker than he’d thought he would be, but it had been a lot of fun. Luckily, today was his day off or he’d be in a world of trouble with his coach. He gave the dealer a nice tip and glanced at Rachel.

“Calling it a night?” she asked.

“I think I have played enough,” he said. “You?”

She hesitated. “Yeah, I’m up quite a bit—I guess I should stop before Uncle Sam gets involved.”

“Who?” He looked confused.

She laughed. “The government—taxes? Never mind. Hang on, let me leave a tip.” She handed the dealer some chips and got to her feet. “Hey Vlad, would you mind walking me to my room? Sometimes in Vegas I get hassled…” She trailed off, looking up at him hopefully.

“Of course.” He nodded. He took her arm, guiding her through the casino towards the elevator bays.

When they got to the lobby, a group of guys who were stumbling in from a night of partying took one look at Rachel and let out whoops of delight.

“Holy shit, it’s Rachel Kennedy!” one of them yelled, heading towards her.

“Crap,” she muttered, instinctively moving closer to Vlad.

He slipped an arm around her waist, giving the young man holding out his phone a hard look. The young men eyed him with new respect now, putting their phones away as Vlad propelled Rachel forward.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“No problem.” He pushed the button and the elevator doors slid open.

She hit the button for the top floor, putting her key against the panel.

“Penthouse?” he asked.

She nodded. “Better security.”

They rode up in silence and Vlad just stared at her. She was even more beautiful in person than she was on TV. Her skin was flawless and her legs were heavenly; he had to take a deep breath to keep himself from imagining them spread out before him. Her round little ass looked great, too, and he told himself to stop thinking about that. She had icy blue eyes that made her perfect for the part of a vampire, which was what she played on TV, and with her long dark lashes it was easy to imagine those eyes burning into his while he was buried deep inside of her. Damn. He had a few fantastic ideas about having her lips wrapped around his cock, too, and he closed his eyes to try to think about something else.

She seemed like a nice girl, with an easy, infectious laugh and a sense of humor. She also knew how to play blackjack better than anyone he’d ever played with, and although he wasn’t a big gambler, he was impressed. For some reason, he wanted her to like him, not to think he was some sex-crazed athlete.

When the elevator doors opened, a security guard stepped forward and smiled at Rachel. “Good morning, Miss Kennedy.”

“Good morning, Ralph,” she smiled. “Hope you had a good night.”

“Yes, ma’am, nice and quiet.”

“I will say good-bye,” Vlad said quietly, standing in the elevator.

“Do you have a ride?” she asked. “You’re not driving, are you?”

He shook his head. “No, I have room in the 28th floor.”

“Come hang out for a little while,” she said tentatively. “Let’s have breakfast.” She patted her purse and wiggled her eyebrows. “My treat since I won big.”

He smiled though he was hesitant. “You are not tired?”

She shrugged. “Not really.”

“Okay.” He stepped out of the elevator, smiling at the friendly security guard, and followed her into her suite. There only appeared to be two suites on this floor and he wondered how expensive these rooms were. His had cost a fortune because it was New Year’s Eve, but it was nowhere near as nice as this one. There were lush furnishings and a view of the city that put his to shame. He liked to spend money on nice things, but this was pretty remarkable even for him.

“Do you mind if I change?” she asked, kicking off her shoes.

“No.” He watched her disappear into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. Was this a hook-up? She wasn’t acting like it, but she hadn’t seemed anxious for him to leave, either. He didn’t have a lot of experience with dating. Usually he met a girl and had sex with her, or he hung out with groups of friends. He’d probably been on five actual dates his whole life; two had been as a teenager and all three as an adult had been disasters. His friend, Zakk, told him he was too forward when it came to sex, but the women he met seemed to like that. He could sleep with a different woman every single night if he wanted to, so he didn’t understand why he had to pretend like sex wasn’t part of the deal.

Rachel Kennedy wasn’t like any of his friends or the women he slept with, though. He had a couple of girls he hooked up with on a regular basis, girls who dated a lot of guys and slept around like he did. He had a lot of one-night stands, too, which was more his style. He had no idea what to do with a gorgeous movie star who didn’t seem to mind his terrible English and wanted to hang out and have breakfast.

Panicked, he texted Toli; they both had the Russian alphabet on their phones and could type in their native tongue.

Help! Met a girl, we gambled all night and now she invited me to breakfast. Don’t think she wants sex. What do I do?

It was only seven a.m. on New Year’s Day, so there was every chance Toli was fast asleep next to his pregnant wife. However, since there was zero chance Toli had been out drinking while his pregnant wife could not, he might be up working out like he usually did. Vlad nearly cried with relief when his phone buzzed back immediately.

Talk to her? Offer to pay the bill? Be nice?

My English is terrible. How do I talk to her?

Your English is fine. You can use your phone to translate if you can’t think of a word. Is this a groupie?

No! She’s very nice. And beautiful.

Just be yourself, but don’t try to get in her pants if you really like her.

I’ve never been out on a date that didn’t end badly.

Isn’t this your birthday?

Yes.

Start off the new year with something different—have fun. Be a gentleman. TALK. Can I go back to bed?

Thanks.

Vlad put his phone in his pocket just as Rachel came out of the bathroom. She wore a fluffy white robe and had put her hair in a ponytail. Somehow, she looked even hotter without her fancy clothes and perfectly coiffed hair. She still had makeup on, but she’d wiped off her lipstick and looked younger standing there smiling at him.

“So, what do you want to eat?” she asked, pulling out the room service menu. “I was thinking about pancakes and bacon.”

He nodded. “Yes, this is good.”

“Okay.” She picked up the phone and placed the order.

Rachel sat on the couch, tucking her legs under her. She looked over at him and thought he was adorable, with his light brown hair and eyes so pale she couldn’t tell if they were blue, gray, or hazel. His dimples made him look about twelve when he smiled, and she nearly chuckled at the way he nervously fidgeted. “Why are you nervous?” she asked softly. “I’m just a girl.”

“Very famous girl with men chasing through hotel.”

“That’s not even a little bit fun,” she admitted. “It would be nice to go out once in a while without getting mobbed and spending half the night signing autographs.”

“Not so bad for hockey player,” he said. “Only after games, but not so much attention other times.”

She nodded. “I remember. Jamie could be pretty anonymous unless he was with me. It was hard on him sometimes.”

“This is why you break up?”

She shook her head. “Oh, no. We just… Well, he’d had a rough season and, to be honest, it always felt like something was missing no matter how close we were.”

He frowned. “There are many rumors about him.”

“Since he was traded?”

“Yes, but not about hockey.” He paused. “He is involved with someone.”

She raised her eyebrows. “His old roommate? I’d heard but… Well, I guess that makes sense then.”

“This does not upset you?”

She cocked her head. “Why would it? He didn’t treat me badly. We’re still friends, though I haven’t spoken to him lately.”

He paused. “I do not always understand when there is gossip. My English…”

“Your English is good.” She waved a hand. “But it’s probably better not to listen to a lot of that kind of gossip. Jamie’s a good person and I hate that there are these kinds of rumors. Whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter; he’s such a sensitive guy I’m sure it’s killing him knowing that people are talking.”

“I just hear a little,” he admitted. “But if he is gay or bi makes no difference. I care only about friendship and hockey.”

She smiled. “That’s nice to hear. So many guys, especially athletes, are really homophobic and it bothers me.”

He nodded. “I like to judge friends by behavior, not…” He frowned, searching for the right word. “Not what happen in bedroom.”

“Me, too.” She gave him a sweet smile. “So why were you alone on your birthday?”

“Early I have friends. Then we find dates.” He shrugged. “My date was not so interesting.”

“Did you take her home?”

He frowned. “We met in casino, party in room, then…” He paused, a little embarrassed to admit what had happened.

“You had sex with her?”

He flushed. “No. Was not happening.”

She cocked her head. “You mean you couldn’t get it up?”

“For her!” he said quickly. “No spark.”

“Could you get it up for me?” Her eyes met his with a twinkle.

Vlad swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. He was obviously trying to be a gentleman, and she tried to hide her smile.