Soon, she silently promised herself.
Soon she would be done with the nightmares of her past.
And Luc Angeli would be nothing but a distant memory.
Leaving the guest bedroom, Madison headed into the kitchen of the luxury condo just off the Strip.
The home belonged to her best friend during high school, Kristen Roth. The two had been inseparable despite the fact that Kristen had a very different background than Madison. And even after she’d left Vegas they’d remained in contact, meeting for a “girls’ weekend” at least twice a year in various exotic locations.
When she’d decided it was time to return to Vegas, Madison had known she couldn’t stay anywhere but the condo without hurting Kristen’s feelings.
An unfortunate necessity, she belatedly realized as she strolled into the kitchen to discover her friend already dressed in a gray power suit with her honey-blonde hair pulled into a smooth knot at her nape. Instantly, Kristen’s indigo blue gaze latched onto Madison’s pale face and the obvious signs of sleepless nights.
Kristen possessed a laser-sharp mind that had landed her a position at the top law firm in Nevada. Nothing could get past her perceptive gaze.
“What are you doing up at this hour?” she demanded, instantly moving to pour Madison a large mug of coffee.
Taking a seat at the breakfast bar, Madison readily reached for the coffee, smiling at the rich aroma. Kristen, of course, remembered that she took it strong and black. Her ruthless competence was sometimes frightening.
“After years of traveling I’ve discovered the only way to deal with jet lag is to force myself to adjust to the local time as soon as I arrive,” she said, the words not entirely a lie.
She’d arrived in Vegas late last night from a trip to Paris to recruit new models, and while she’d set her alarm, she’d intended to laze in bed for at least a few hours as she adjusted to the abrupt change in time.
“Hmm.” Kristen studied her pale face. “Jet lag didn’t put dark circles under those eyes.”
Madison blew out a sigh. “I’ve looked in the mirror, thank you very much. I don’t need you to point out I look like a zombie.”
Kristen shook her head, her classic beauty shown to advantage surrounded by the white and silver condo, with its glass walls that revealed a stunning view of the city.
It was like her. Sleek. Modern. Efficient.
“Don’t be an idiot,” Kristen chided. “You always look spectacular. If you weren’t my best friend, I’d be morally obligated to hate you. But you’ve obviously had more than one sleepless night. Tell me what’s going on.”
Madison shrugged. She hadn’t revealed the truth of her return to Vegas to anyone. Not even her best friend.
“Bad dreams.”
Kristen arched a honey brow. “Does this bad dream happen to go by the name Luc Angeli?”
“Luc?” Madison blinked in genuine shock. How the hell had she guessed? “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
Kristen waved aside her ridiculous pretense of ignorance. “Don’t be coy. No woman forgets her first.”
“Really?” Madison took a sip of her coffee, hoping the caffeine would snap her sluggish mind into gear. “So you spend your nights dreaming about Jack Roberts?”
“Oh hell no.” Kristen shuddered in horror. “But my first was a quickie in the boys’ locker room…with an emphasis on the quickie,” she said in wry tones. “Yours, on the other hand, was an epic event.”
Madison stiffened, wishing to god she’d never called Kristen after Luc had walked out on her. At the time she’d needed someone to sympathize with her brutal humiliation. Now she hated the knowledge that she’d shared her pathetic heartbreak over a man who wasn’t worth a single tear.
“Hardly epic.”
“Oh, come on, Maddy—”
“It’s Madison,” she firmly corrected.
Maddy was a needy child searching for love in all the wrong places. Madison was a successful woman who molded the world to suit her needs.
Or at least she did in all facets of her life…except one.