Page 32 of Gamble
Elijah watched her closely, trying to gauge her reaction to his impassioned speech. He hated that her beautiful green eyes were glistening with unshed tears.
Thankfully, she recovered, a mischievous smile lighting up her face as she asked, “Who wears potato sacks?”
His chuckle escaped just as he released her arms. “Just proves how ancient I am compared to you.”
He’d just turned to put more distance between them when Reagan pulled him to a stop, holding onto his arm this time. “Now, who needs to eject bad thoughts?”
Fuck.
“Touché.”
He was pretty sure Reagan’s bright smile could power the Vegas strip. “I’ll make you a deal.” She paused, waiting to make sure he was paying attention before adding. “I’ll promise not to think negatively of myself today as long as you promise not to keep pointing out how much older you are than I am.”
It was tempting to argue that their age difference was a fact, not an emotion, but truthfully, he didn’t want to spend even a minute of their limited time together arguing. He may only have her for a weekend, but if he had it his way, he’d be making their time together memorable for both of them.
“Deal,” he agreed. “Now, while you were getting ready, I was making some arrangements. Are you ready to head out?”
“Where are we going first? Do I need to dress differently?” she asked, spinning around like the model she could pass as. He hadn’t been joking about her looking good in a potato sack.Even in her khaki shorts, simple t-shirt, and sandals, she was stunning.
“You’re dressed perfectly. It’s gonna get to one hundred degrees this afternoon, so we’re heading toward the High Roller with one brief stop near there on the way. I’d rather be moving on to our indoor activities by the time the afternoon sun makes it miserable out there. Especially since I wouldn’t want you to burn that gorgeous skin of yours.”
They were already walking toward the elevator as she pointed out, “The burning isn’t the worst part of spending time in the sun.”
Pushing the down button, Elijah asked. “I’ll bite? What’s the worst part?”
“The damn freckles. They pop up everywhere and only get worse when I’m in the sun for too long.”
Grateful they were alone while they waited, Elijah leaned closer, unable to resist teasing her. “I hope I get a chance to inspect all of those freckles later.”
Reagan’s breath hitched and for the briefest of seconds, he was tempted to lean in and brush their lips in a kiss. The ding of the arriving elevator reminded him to take things slower. They weren’t at Black Light where everyone arrived with a reasonable expectation of having sex. The Las Vegas debauched reputation aside, he needed to keep things moving slowly enough to make sure he didn’t spook the beauty.
A wall of noise hit them the second the elevator doors opened at the lobby level. The Bellagio was in the throes of a busy convention weekend, making Elijah even more glad they’d be getting out of the hotel for a few hours.
Weaving through the crowds of gamblers, families, and businesspeople was difficult, and when they almost got separated, Elijah reached for Reagan’s hand, pulling her closer so he could lead them through the throng.
A wave of arid heat hit them just as the revolving door spit them out into the circular portico.
Reagan turned toward the line of waiting taxis, but Elijah pulled her to a stop. “I arranged for a car. It will be easier that way.”
He glanced back at her just in time to see her surprise register when he led her to a waiting black town car. The driver hopped out just as they approached.
“Mr. Keaton?”
“Yes.”
Opening the back door of the luxury car, the driver welcomed them. “I’m Marc. I’ll be your driver for the next few hours. There are some cold bottles of water in the back for you and your guest. It’s going to be another scorcher today.”
Elijah waved Reagan forward. “Ladies first.”
But Reagan stopped short of getting into the air-conditioned back seat. Turning to him, she asked, “You arranged for a driver?”
“Of course. I mean, I drove over from L.A., but parking is a bitch when it’s this busy. This will make things much smoother and with this heat, there’s no way in hell I want us walking far.”
“But… isn’t it expensive?” she asked, looking unsure.
Moving into her personal space again, Elijah couldn’t resist touching her face, palming her cheek to make sure she was paying attention before reminding her. “I think you promised you wouldn’t argue with me about money today, either.”
“This is different…”
