Page 1 of Vegas Baby

Chapter One

“You’re such an asshole.” Raina tried to rest her elbow on the arm of the chair in the Vegas hotel bar but missed.

Howler grabbed her by the arm to steady her while accepting the shot glass from the waitress. As a sports talent agent, being an asshole was par for the course and he wore the label with pride.

“But you’re cute. You’re a cute asshole. Isn’t he cute?” She asked the other couple sitting across from them, her slender fingers playing with the pink straw in her highball glass.

He dropped his hand from her silky skin. Drunk and a bit wild, Howler would never equate the sexy woman in the skimpy blue dress with the staid attorney for the Seattle Pioneers football franchise. The quintessential professional, serious, contained, and a tough negotiator in the boardroom, he admired her abilities but he’d never admit that to her.

She was the opposition.

“I’d like to propose a toast, to Anaya and Veer on their upcoming nut…nup...nuptials.” Raina crossed her legs; her sleek calves close enough to touch. He clutched the shot glass tighter. She raised her glass high, a splash of liquor spilling over the rim and onto her lap. Laughing, she turned sultry blue eyes on him. “To Veer and Anaya.”

“To us.” Veer squeezed his fiancée’s hand and the couple took the shot before sharing a kiss. Howler lowered his gaze from his newest client, a free agent linebacker from Canada, and drank the tequila. The liquor burned a path down his stomach, the warmth spreading inside his gut.

Raina set down her glass, and leaned forward, her dark hair falling about her ample cleavage. “You two should forget the stressful wedding and get married tonight.”

Anaya and Veer exchanged glances, a silent question passing between them.

“I mean, we’re in Vegas and you’re already getting married.” Raina listed to the left and met Howler’s gaze, nodding at her own idea. “They have an arranged marriage. Their parents fixed them up. Their parents. It’s brilliant, the only way to go. No surprises, no angst about does he love me or not.”

“Yes, I believe that’s how arranged marriages work.” Howler leaned in closer to her, his brain foggy from the effects of the shot and residual buzz from the multiple cocktails he’d downed on the plane ride from Seattle. “I hate to burst your bubble, but from what I can tell, he’s in love with her.”

She frowned and turned to inspect Veer who lounged on the chair next to her. The man clasped Anaya’s hand and pressed his mouth to the back of it. Raina turned the full bore of her stare back to Howler. “Is he in love or simply lusting after her? She’s very beautiful. Don’t you think Anaya’s beautiful?”

“Yes, very,” he said, never taking his eyes off Raina’s animated face. Not beautiful per se, the flush of her pale skin enhanced Raina’s high cheekbones and tempting pink lips. The contained, poised woman had morphed into a siren, an unexpected surprise, which stirred more than his curiosity.

“Have you been in love?” she asked, settling her chin on her hand, and blowing at a strand of hair that fell across her forehead.

“No, never.” And he had no intention of ever falling into the trap. He had a business to run and his lifestyle wasn’t conducive to a relationship, even if he wanted one, which he didn’t. “Being in lust, however, is an entirely different story.”

“Of course. Love is commitment, lust is a one-night stand. Either way, you’ll eventually get screwed.” Raina winked and flopped back into her seat. She cleared her throat and turned to Anaya. “I think you should get married tonight and we’ll be your witnesses, won’t we, Howler?”

The smile fell from his lips and he held up a staying hand. He made it a point to stay out of his talent’s personal life whenever possible and he’d stick with that policy.

“My father would kill me. He already has concerns about How—" Anaya glanced at Howler, eyes widening before she dropped her gaze. “About Veer playing football.”

Howler had sensed Veer’s skittishness about signing with him, and if Anaya’s father, a man with great influence over his future son-in-law, had reservations about Howler, it would explain a lot. Not that he cared about the older man’s opinion of him, but Veer did.

Raina waived a dismissive hand. “He needn’t worry. Veer will be on my team and I’ll take good care of him, I promise.”

“No, Veer might be on your team.” Or the Vegas team, he’d know after his dinner meeting with their general manager the following evening. He wasn’t about to disclose his plans to her. She’d come to Vegas to sign Veer, and had gone behind his back to meet with his client before Howler had arrived in town. She tried to seal the deal without him. Not going to happen.

“Have I told you how cute you are?” She wiggled her eyebrows, her hand coming to rest on his leg. The overt invitation tempted his already eager body. She pursed her lips, pupils large and liquid, threatening to derail his resolve.

The heat of her palm seeped through the wool of his pants and into his crotch. Desire flooded his veins and he placed his hand over hers, halting the motion before things escalated. “While I’m flattered, it’s not about me, it’s about Veer. Now behave yourself.”

“What if I don’t want to behave myself?” She moved her fingers farther up his thigh. Her cheek came to rest against his as she whispered in his ear. “What if I want to be a naughty girl?”

She tongued his earlobe and he sucked in a sharp breath, heat scorching through his entire body. What had gotten into her tonight? The first time he’d seen her, she’d looked right through him to his client. Her dismissal had stung more than he cared to admit. He had been instantly attracted to her and she ignored him, setting the precedent.

He gripped the arm of the chair and tried to disregard the way her mouth drifted down to his neck. She wasn’t making this easy but if he gave in, she’d get the upper hand. Bluff your way through this and if you fail, you’ll still come out on the top. Or on the bottom, depending on how the night ended. “Then we can address this in a more private setting, one on one, the two of us.”

“Yes, we’ll do that, but not yet.” Licking full lips, she squeezed his leg, lashes lowering for a brief second before she met his gaze once more.

Not yet? His imagination flamed with the possibilities.

Raina tilted her head, then slumped back into her chair. She retrieved her phone from her purse and typed something in the internet browser. When she caught him watching, she angled the phone out of view, a mischievous grin tilting the corner of her mouth. Lust rioted through him and he curled his hand into a fist.

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