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“What I mean is, I was excited for you to meet him, as my friend. I know how much you like him, and it made me happy that I could introduce you two. I was looking forward to you two connecting. And yes, your dick improved my mood, too.”
Her comment helped soothe his bruised ego, but it wasn’t quite the reassurance he would have liked.
“Was that it? That’s the only reason you were so happy to see him?” Beau asked, not entirely convinced. He told himself he wasn’t being jealous; he just wanted to know.
“Yes. It is. I am truly happy to go to the concert with you. For the record, it’s not actually part of my job. I have others who could serve as your host, but I chose to do it myself.”
“I’m sorry, I know that. Thank you for this. And thank you for coming with me. Seeing you having such a good time makes me happy.”
Alessandra looked at him intently, and Beau wondered what she was thinking. Was he showing too much emotion for her? “You’re welcome. I’m having the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I’ve already seen the concert, of course. But tonight, I’m more relaxed. Probably because of you.”
Beau smiled and moved toward her. Was she hinting at feelings that went beyond sex? Or was she just being nice? He pulled her into a hug. She molded her body to his, reciprocating his touch.
Encouraged, he rubbed her back, letting his hand briefly drop to her ass. She pulled back, and he thought she would push him away, but instead, she leaned in to kiss him. It started as a light press of their lips. Even so, he felt himself stir again and pressed closer to her, letting his tongue explore her mouth.
The music started again. They heard River say, “This is for the two lovebirds in the front row.” Embarrassed, they realized he was talking about them, and they laughed. Then they parted and sat back down. Beau felt a wave of relief as his jealousy dissipated, knowing River had noticed their affection for each other.
At that moment, Beau knew she wasn’t spending time with him just because of her job. There was still a genuine attraction between them. He thought with chagrin that for him, it was more than just attraction. He had to admit he was just as mesmerized by her as he’d been twenty years ago. Just like back then, she could be so focused on the business that she seemed out of his reach.
Now, she was in charge of the entire resort, for Gods’ sake. And now, when she opened herself up to his attention, he felt as he did when they were both so young. Regret, for his stupidity at the time, entered his brain once again. Now that they were both in their forties, it seemed he might have another chance with her. Today, she’d shown him every part of her as the powerful woman she was.
It caused his feelings to amplify beyond purely sexual. That was what he was wrestling with—he wanted more of her, wanted to talk about their past, wanted to hear about her aspirations for the future. He wanted to know what it was like rising to be the only woman CEO of a luxury resort on the Las Vegas strip. He wanted to know everything that made her tick, and he couldn’t remember feeling that way about any woman, ever, even when he was younger.
The problem was that even if she felt the same way, some things hadn’t changed. He would never be able to give her the relationship she deserved. He didn’t want her to be like his mom—loving a man who was rarely home. One who couldn’t even get to the hospital before she died.
Besides, despite their sexual chemistry, Beau was fairly certain Alessandra didn’t have time in her life for anything close to a serious relationship. She’d made that clear a few times, putting distance between them after their intimacy, claiming work obligations.
She’d attributed a bad day at work to explain her mood earlier, though he suspected it was more than that. She was sending him a message, telling him not to get too close. He tried to ignore how that had hurt his feelings before they’d made love in the green room.
Shit. I’m acting like a girl.
By the end of the concert, he’d forced himself to push that emotion away. He was resolved that this thing with Alessandra was no more than a Las Vegas fling. A fun time between two ex-lovers. He thought there might be more opportunities; after all, he was in town for another four days. Hopefully, he and Alessandra could explore each other’s bodies again and then go back to their regular lives.
“Ready to gamble?” Alessandra asked, bringing his thoughts back to the reason he had come to Las Vegas in the first place.
Having decided on a way to manage his feelings for Alessandra, Beau was ready to have fun. “Absolutely,” he replied. “I don’t want to have to think too much, so not poker. I was lucky at the craps table last night, so let’s do that.”
“I’ll make sure they have a table ready for you in high-limit,” Alessandra said. Again, he was reminded of her job, reminded of why they could never be more than weekend lovers. She was a busy woman, in charge of a business, married to her job. He was a gambler, a man who’d hurt her in the past, and a customer. They could have fun together, but it wouldn’t last long.
