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A loaded question with about a million different answers.
“Here in Vegas, or here in the Bellagio?” If nothing else the question would buy her some time to make up a story. Back in the old days, lies, fake identities, and making up stories on the fly came naturally. Now she was more interested in telling the truth and keeping a low profile while staying under the radar.
Nick threw up his palms. “Tell me anything.”
“Well—”
“Wait a minute,” Nick interrupted. “I get it. You’re one of the escorts.”
Cheryl’s eyes narrowed and her fists clenched tighter in her lap. “I’m not an escort.”
“You were at Wicked on Saturday, right? Sitting at Josh Turner’s table?”
“Yes.” She guessed the rumors were right, Vegas was a small town.
“Hey, nothing wrong with it, I just meant, I mean why else would you be here?”
“I guess I could ask you the same thing.” Her brain began to function again. “Especially since it was you who knocked on the door.”
“I was here before. I talked to Isabelle about hiring Selective Services.”
Her lips tilted and she couldn’t repress the snicker. “You’rehiring an escort?” Izzy said she had some high-end clients coming in to discuss their services but she never guessed in a million years it would be Nick Santoro.
His expression flattened out. “Not for me personally.”
“No need to be shy, plenty of men need companionship.” She threw an off-handed shrug. “I just didn’t think you’d be one of them.” She ended the sentence with a sly grin and this time Nick’s eyes narrowed.
“I see you haven’t lost the smart-ass. I hired VIP to provide services for Club Wicked.”
“You work there?”
“I own it—with Samson.”
He didn’t offer any other information and her brain scurried back to Izzy’s comment about the corporate name—86th Street Dream. Of course, 86th Street in Brooklyn.
He cocked his head. “How long have you been in Vegas?”
“We, I mean I’ve only been in Vegas a little over a month.”
“Hmmm.”
She saw his mind working out the details and before he could ask any more questions, she stood. “I’m sorry, I have work to do.”
He stood with her, forcing her to lock her knees and squared her shoulders. It was the only defense against being this close to Nick Santoro. She swore she felt the heat radiating off his body. A body which had only gotten better with age. Up close the angles of his face and the depth of his eyes were magnified. His raw good looks always took her breath away, but those days were far behind her. She led a different life with different goals and commitments.
“So, you do work here?”
“I own Selective Services with Isabelle.” No harm in telling him especially since he already hired them.
“No, shit.”
“No, shit.” She threw his words back at him.
He stepped to her and she shifted until her calves hit the front of the chair. He reached out to her and she sidestepped away from him.
He bit his lower lip. “Can we at least go downstairs and have a drink?”
“I don’t think so, as I said, I have work to do.” She waved her hand at him. “After all, I just acquired a new client and I wouldn’t want to let him down.”
