Page 65 of Vas

“Quit flirting with the poor girl and show these lovely people the car.” A slim, attractive woman barely showing her age materialized at Ben’s side.

Ben chuckled. “This here’s Linda. My better half. And I do mean better.”

Vas could relate. Anya was by far thebetterof their duo as well. He dipped his head toward the woman. “Ma’am.”

“Come on back, I’ll show you my beauty.”

They followed Ben to the side of the house and the Camaro parked under a carport.

“Beauty?” Anya whispered up to him once the car came into view. “I believe the word he was looking for is clunker.”

Vas smiled down at her but he saw the car’s potential. Or as they say in the refurbishing world, it had good bones. He took a tour around the car, opening and closing doors, looking under the hood.

“She’s been sitting awhile. Bought her with the intention of working on her myself, but one thing or another always got in the way.”

“I’ll need to tow it home. You willing to take a grand off the asking price if I offer you cash for it right now?”

Ben scratched his temple, pretending to think about it, but Vas was offering a good deal and knew the guy would take it.

And he did, holding out his hand. “Send me pictures once you get her all fixed up and you’ve got yourself a deal.”

Vas shook on it. “Deal.”

Ben went into the house to get the pink slip, Vas pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket, and the exchange was made.

He was now the proud owner of his first fixer-upper.

Chapter 22

“Umm… Why are we here?” Anna asked as she gaped out the front windshield at the monstrous building with its elegantly lettered sign.

“This is our hotel.”

When Vas had informed her they’d be staying the night in San Diego, she figured their hotel would be nice because Vas didn’t do things half-assed, but nothing like the spa resort looming before her.

Vas pulled up to the entrance, came to a stop, and a man in a red vest opened her door, helping her out. Vas handed the guy his keys and took her hand, leading her into the hotel. She scanned the lobby, noting the opulence. White marble floors. Dark wood decor. Red velvet benches. They walked straight to the check-in counter and Vas did his thing and soon they had a key to their room.

It wasn’t until they were in the gold and mirror-paneled elevator that she spoke. “This place is pretty snazzy.” At that point she was thinking the cute sundress she’d packed for if they went out to dinner wouldn’t cut the mustard. “I don’t think I brought the right clothes.”

Still having hold of her hand, he tugged her closer until she fell against his side. “You don’t need to worry about that.”

She tipped her head back to get a view of his face. He looked straight ahead at the closed elevator doors with a neutral expression.

Not able to read his meaning, she asked, “Why?”

A small smile curled his lips. “If I tell you that, it won’t be a surprise.”

Anna liked surprises when wrapped in pretty paper with a bow but something unknown made her a bit apprehensive. She was worried Vas was about to drag herwayout of her comfort zone.

The elevator doors opened before she could question him further. They walked over plush carpeting down a long hall, stopping midway, reaching their room. Vas slid the key card through the lock and pushed open the door.

The room was… she searched for the right word, finally landing upon magnificent, though she wasn’t sure that did the room justice. Hell, the bathroom alone could only be characterized as a work of art. Black marble—or maybe onyx or granite—covered the floors and walls. A white vanity took up the entire length of the back wall. A standup shower enclosed entirely with glass to the right. A private toilet area to the left. And at the center of it all, a tub, so huge it needed two built-in steps to get up into it and was large enough to seat at least six people comfortably.

The main room, done in shades of sea green and ocean blue with pops of purple and accents of gold, was just as stunning.

But nothing topped the view—a seemingly endless sea of blue with soothing waves crashing on the shore.

“Now I know why it doesn’t matter what I wear,” she said as she gazed out the large picture window. “Because we’re never leaving the room.”

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