Page 6 of Playing By His Rules

“Someone has to be.”

Andrea’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Since you’re so intent on doing this escort thing, maybe you’ll meet a really rich guy there who’ll sweep you off your feet and make our current life be nothing more than a bad dream.”

Madison laughed as she retrieved her pinging cellphone from her purse. “That’s a wonderful fantasy, but this isn’t a fairy tale like Cinderella.”

“You never know,” Andrea said with too much hope and enthusiasm. “Your young and handsome prince charming could be there.”

It was Madison’s turn to roll her eyes at her sister. With a chaste pink bracelet on her wrist, she was certain she’d only attract a few old toads.

“Okay, my Uber,notmy pumpkin carriage, is here,” Madison teased as she headed toward the door. “I need to go.”

“Text me and let me know when you get there so I know you’re safe,” Andrea called after her. “And when you leave to come home!”

Madison couldn’t help but laugh, because Andrea sounded just like her when her sister went out with friends for an evening. “I will. I promise.”

Chapter 4

Ashort while later Madison’s Uber pulled up into the marble lined drive to the entrance of Reign, which was located off the Vegas strip and was more of a luxurious resort with all the amenities it offered on site—celebrity owned five-star restaurants, designer boutiques, a full-service spa and salon, and an eighteen-hole golf course. As soon as the vehicle came to a stop, a valet rushed up to the car and opened the back door for her to step out.

“Welcome to Reign,” he greeted with a friendly smile. “Are you a member or a guest?”

Neither. Tonight, I’m an escort. She bit back the inappropriate retort and opted for the later choice. “I’m a guest.”

“Then you’ll need to check in with that gentleman over by those double glass doors,” the young man said, pointing the way.

She returned his smile. “Thank you.”

Madison headed in that direction, noticing that the valet greeted other arriving men and women by name, and those people used a different set of doors to enter the hotel more freely, though everyone had to scan their key card to gain entrance. She assumed they were the known paid members of the hotel and casino, and their electronic access was noted on their card.

When she reached the good-looking man dressed in a black suit, he was all business, his expression neutral. “Good evening, Miss. Can I see your ID and security card if you have one, please?”

“Oh, of course.” She retrieved both from her purse and handed them over. Tammy had mentioned that the security at Reign was strict and tight, which made sense considering the members of the resort paid upwards of six figures a year for the privilege to stay at the exclusive hotel and casino.

He took a few seconds to scrutinize her driver’s license, then her, comparing the eight-year-old photo taken in high school with the woman standing in front of him. Once he was satisfied that there was enough of a resemblance and she was one and the same, he took her key card and swiped the stripe through the magnetic reader attached to the computer tablet he was holding in his hand. Information popped up onto the screen, including the more recent photo she’d submitted during the application process for the job.

“Looks like it’s your first time here,” he said, obviously gleaning that information from her profile. He shifted his gaze from the tablet to her, while giving her ID and key card back. “Do you need someone to show you to the elevators that lead to The Penthouse?”

She shook her head. “No, thank you. I’m meeting someone who knows the way.”

“Very well.” He swiped his own security card through a reader attached to the glass door, which disengaged the lock. He opened the door for her and inclined his head for her to enter. “Have an enjoyable evening, Miss Corbin.”

Enjoyable was not a word she’d use to describe what lay ahead for her, she thought, walking into the lobby. The interior of the hotel was sleek and stylish, the décor modern yet tastefully sophisticated. The wealth of the guests was apparent in the way they dressed—men in tailored suits and women in designer apparel and accessories—as well as the affluent way they carried themselves.

Madison found Tammy waiting for her in the lobby’s sitting area as she’d promised, her head down as her thumbs typed something on her cellphone. Tammy was literally the definition of a bombshell, stunningly gorgeous with big blonde hair, plump red lips, artfully applied make-up, and surgically enhanced breasts. She wore a red dress that screamedpeel me off and fuck me, please, along with stilettos that were equally suggestive. There was no mistaking the appreciative looks cast her way from the men who walked by.

Madison felt plain and tame in comparison to her friend’s sexy appearance, even though she knew her own dress accentuated her curves, at least.

Tammy glanced up as Madison approached her and grinned. She’d met Tammy a few years ago when she’d been working part time in the evenings as a blackjack dealer to make up for another one of her father’s deficits, and Tammy had been a cocktail waitress. The two of them really were opposites, with Madison being more reserved to Tammy’s extroverted personality, but they’d clicked and remained friends.

“Hey, you made it,” she said, tucking her cellphone into her purse as she stood from the chair she’d been sitting on. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to change your mind about coming tonight.”

She gave her friend a rueful smile. “Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury of changing my mind.”

Tammy nodded in understanding, since she knew the situation that Madison’s father had left her and Andrea in. “Are you nervous?”

“A little,” Madison admitted.

“The first time is always the hardest,” Tammy said, frowning a bit as she threaded her fingers through Madison’s hair and deliberately tousled the wavy strands. “I promise it gets easier once you know what to expect.”

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