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“The ice is already broken. Now you can yell at me all you want and I won’t be surprised in the slightest.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it. “Do you often get yelled at in business meetings, Mr. Jones?”
“All the time. I’m insufferable, but you’ll come to see that by the end of lunch.” He smiled at her, but it wasn’t because he wanted to this time. This time, it was the marketing exec inside of him creeping out.
She cleared her throat and averted her eyes. He’d made her uncomfortable. “Have you ever been to Vegas before, Mr. Jones?”
“Please. I think we’re already on a first-name basis, don’t you?” He tugged at his tie. Why was the thing so damn tight? “Call me Thomas.”
She inclined her head. “Then you must call me Brianna.”
“Hello.” The waitress pulled out her pad. “Can I get you something to drink?”
Thomas motioned toward Brianna. “Ladies first.”
“Uh.” Brianna’s cheeks flushed. “I’ll have a diet, please.”
“Scotch, no rocks,” Thomas murmured. His gaze lingered on the flutter of her pulse against that soft hollow where the chain rested. “Are you ready to order, too?”
Brianna nodded and handed the menu to the waitress. “House salad with fat free Italian dressing, please.”
Thomas raised a brow. Why did women insist on eating puny salads all the time? “I’ll have a bacon cheeseburger with fries. Medium well.”
The waitress walked away, leaving the two of them alone. Thomas leaned back in the booth and laced his fingers over his stomach. When Brianna’s gaze wandered downward, lingering over his abs, he fought back a grin. At least he wasn’t the only distracted party at this meeting.
Brianna tucked her hair behind her ear, and he checked her ring finger for a wedding band. It was bare but there was the slightest bit of a tan line where one might have once been. Interesting.
She tapped her fingers on the table. “You never answered my question.”
He racked his brain for what their last topic of conversation had been, but he came up blank. “Repeat it, please?”
“Have you been in Vegas before?”
“Oh. Yes, a lot.” When she continued to look at him expectantly, he continued on. “I have been here numerous times for MotoTek, which is one of the reasons we are setting up a satellite office here. Also, my sister used to live here.”
He had no idea why he added that last bit. What did she care if his sister used to live in Vegas? Idiot.
She smiled at him. “So then you don’t need any pointers on where you should go for a good time tonight?”
He nearly choked, his mind conjuring up images of her showing him a good time. Somehow, he didn’t think that rolling around in his bed naked was what she was suggesting. Once he gathered his senses, he caught her gaze. “Were you offering to accompany me?”
“N-No,” she stammered. “I was going to suggest a few hotspots.”
“Pity. I would’ve loved to have you by my side tonight. I could’ve kept an eye on you to make sure you were watching where you were going.”
She bared her teeth in a feral grin. “I assure you I don’t need male supervision to walk.”
“Nonetheless, I’d like to be at your side tonight.” He leaned in, smiling at her. Her eyes went wide and she drew in a deep breath. He knew how to read people. It was his job to read people. And right now? He saw a woman who was interested in him. “What do you say, Brianna?”
She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you hitting on me, Mr. Jones?”
“Thomas,” he corrected. “And what if I am?”
“Then I’d have to tell you to stop,” she said, her eyes flashing. “We’re here for business, not pleasure.”
He wagged a finger. “Ah, but you said it yourself. We met before this, so it’s different.”
“You’re right. You are insufferable.” She gave him a dirty look, b
