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“When in Vegas.” Without a trace of concern, Drew added chips to her bet, so Maisie did as well. Clearly, this woman, with her Wyoming ranch and her horses, could afford to toss money around like confetti. Why should Maisie worry?
The dealer revealed the final two cards, which Drew whispered were the turn and the river card of the community ones.
“Now what?” Maisie asked, not bothering to get clarification on the other stuff. For as much sense as it had made, Drew could have been talking to her about some riverfront property she had for sale.
“You’ve already raised, so now he’s going to see what everyone has.”
Sure enough, the dealer flipped over his cards and then Drew’s and Maisie’s.
“Two of a kind!” Drew clapped a hand on Maisie’s shoulders.
“Oh.” Maisie gave Drew a nod and a smile that she was sure looked equally clueless. “So, you did well?”
“No, you did.” Drew paused a moment, something in her expression that Maisie didn’t quite understand. “You won.”
“I won?” Maisie placed a hand over her chest, noticing Drew’s gaze lingering on that spot. Between Drew’s undivided attention and the thrill of winning, the rush of endorphins was more powerful than the strongest cocktail, going straight to Maisie’s head. Without knowing exactly where it had come from, Maisie’s imagination became flooded with what it would be like to feel more than the woman’s eyes on her, but her hands and lips, too. “I really won?”
Maisie gasped as she said it but not necessarily from the shock of winning.
“So, lucky lady.” Drew cleared her throat with a tiny cough, the type that hinted at some nervousness beneath her cowgirl bravado. “I guess our fate is in your hands. Do I take you to dinner or lose you forever?”
CHAPTEREIGHT
Drew heldher breath as Maisie deliberated in silence. Was this what it was like to have time stand still? If Maisie said no, it shouldn’t be a big deal. They’d only just met and would part ways again soon, anyway. But deep down, Drew feared rejection would tear her apart. She needed the type of physical and emotional connection she could never indulge in back home. She ached for it to her core, even knowing it would be temporary.
“What kind of food do you like?” A grin spread across Maisie’s face, and Drew’s entire body relaxed as it became clear she would not be spending the evening alone.
At least, not the meal portion. What happened after that would probably depend on how Drew played her cards right now. Speaking of cards, her evening at the poker table had gone so well she had almost a thousand dollars in winnings. The way she looked at it, that was a drop in the bucket when it came to what she needed to save her ranch, but it could buy one hell of a fun night on the town.
Drew ran her hand over the back of her hat, her thinking pose, as her daddy liked to say. All the while, those large, beautiful eyes were pulling her into the woman’s orbit, like some type of celestial power at work. “Have you ever been to the Eiffel Tower?”
“Hold your horses, cowgirl.” Maisie mimed roping Drew in, which was cute, but very unnecessary. Drew was as good as hooked. “Maybe I should list some parameters.”
“Such as?”
“No leaving town. I have to work tomorrow.”
“As do I,” Drew assured her with a laugh. “No planes will be involved. I promise. Didn’t you know there’s an Eiffel Tower right above our heads? It has one of the swankiest restaurants in town.”
“Oh gosh.” Maisie’s complexion tinged a greenish color. “Are we dressed okay?”
Drew swept her eyes along Maisie’s body—from her prim short-sleeved cardigan to the hem of her demure navy blue polka dot dress and then down to her sensibly low-heeled white pumps—making several scenic stops along the way. It might not have been a typical Vegas going out ensemble, but it was all sorts of classy.
“You look like Audrey Hepburn,” Drew told her, which was the highest compliment known to humankind. “As for me, I’ve got on my best jeans and my going out boots. Maybe I oughta ditch the hat for dinner.”
Drew removed her hat, which, while as functional in her line of work as Maisie’s patent leather shoes were to hers, was too bedraggled to be stylish. She gave the top of her head a quick smoothing with her palm. “Better?”
Maisie tilted her head to one side, reaching out with hesitation. When Drew didn’t fuss—she was mostly too frozen in place by the prospect of Maisie touching her to do more than breathe—Maisie gave the rubber band that was holding Drew’s ponytail a gentle tug. Her hair fell free around her shoulders, and Maisie smiled. “Much better. But this Eiffel Tower place, won’t that be pricey?”
“Do you not see that pile of poker chips I’m about to cash out? Tonight’s on me.” It wasn’t often Drew got to throw around money the way some of those hedge fund and Hollywood types did when they came to Wyoming to enjoy their fancy dude ranches. Usually, she had nothing but disdain for those outsiders, but right now, it seemed like it could be fun to play the part, at least for one night. “Come on. Remember what they say. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
“That is what they say, isn’t it?” Maisie let out a nervous giggle. She looked so darn adorable it took all of Drew’s restraint not to grab her and kiss her in the middle of the casino with the same reckless abandon they’d both shown in Stormy’s stall. Recalling thathadhappened and hadn’t been a mere figment of Drew’s imagination made the prospects for the evening look brighter by the second. “Let’s go then.”
The restaurant was quiet, and Drew didn’t even have to slip anyone a tip to get a good table with an unobstructed view of the strip. Even better, it was one of those semi-circular booths with an extra high back for privacy and the possibility of sliding closer and closer as the evening wore on.
“Wow.” Maisie’s mouth stayed in an O shape as she took in the dancing water of the Bellagio fountains below. “I wonder if the actual Eiffel Tower is this impressive.”
“Hard to believe but I’ll hold judgment until I can compare for real.” Drew opened her menu, eyeing Maisie’s unopened one, marking the lingering hesitance in her eyes. “You’re going to eat, right? Not just watch me? Because I want you to have fun tonight. Order anything you want.”
