the reason for the meeting. This is why we need to get along well enough. A public show, if you will. We have to band together at times.
“Vegas has so much to offer,” he says, more professional in his tone, but still with a sultry finish to his words. “So much to experience. Don’t you think?”
I laser in on the marketing message. “Fantastic nightlife, amazing restaurants, world-class casinos.”
Nightclubs in my hotel, like Rapture. Restaurants and bars in my hotel, like Speakeasy. Experiences in my hotel, like the blackjack tables, the slot machines, the sports bets.
And entertainment, like Max and Alex.
I want them to be mine. Not his. He won The Exquisite Show. Max and Alex are in my court, and I intend to woo them to a yes.
And woo them away from this man.
That’s what I need to center my thoughts on because Cole Donovan and I are colleagues, but we will always be competitors too.
I can’t forget that simply because he smells so damn good this close to me, or because he’s clever, or because he’s flirty and filthy.
Or because he’s more fascinating than I imagined he’d be.
I can’t forget that simply because I still very much want to experience all of him.
It’s time to lay down the law. Be firm and clear.
I draw a breath, square my shoulders, and look him in the eyes. “But the trouble is we both want the same experiences. We want this marketing campaign to go well, but ultimately, we want people to experience the city at our own hotels,” I say, reminding myself of the score as much as him. “And there’s not really space to experience each other when we want the same thing in business. When we’re angling for the same deals, the same stars. Wouldn’t you agree?”
He doesn’t answer right away. He takes his time, his brow furrowing, as if he’s weighing my question, deciding if he likes the feel of it in his hand.
When he answers, his tone is a cocktail mix of business and bedroom. “I agree. You and I will always be vying for the same prizes.” He exhales a satisfied sort of breath. “And yet, as I said earlier, I am a man who knows what he wants . . . and I would like to fuck you, Sage.”
I blink.
What the hell?
Did he truly say that?
“Excuse me?”
He gestures to the window overlooking the casino. “Those are my cards. I’m putting them on the table.”
“And what do you want me to do with your cards?” I ask, more flustered than I want to be.
“That’s up to you,” he says with a shrug as he leans back into the couch, resting his arm over the back of it again, looking too cocky for words. “Lady’s choice. It is always lady’s choice.”
“Who was the other man?”
“My business partner. Daniel Stewart. Longtime friend. We went to college together.”
Somehow that thrills me more. My two rivals.
And as I sit with one of them, I’m burning up inside, wishing I didn’t want him.
I deny that wish. I suffocate my desires with professionalism once more. I slice a hand through the air. “Nothing more can happen. When we go to the meeting with the city, that’s what we will do. We’ll focus on business, on partnerships that benefit us both, but nothing more. That’s my choice.”
“But of course. Though, before you think I’m no gentleman,” he says, his tone a touch sexier now, “I do have a gift for you. Since I’m new to town, it seemed like the right thing to do. To bring you a little something.”
Something in me softens, bends. I do love little gifts. Special trinkets that show someone is thinking of another person.
Dipping his hand into the inside pocket of his jacket, he hands me a small leather-bound book. Warmth rushes over me as I remember the Fitzgerald he had at the party. Books—they must be his thing. I flip it open—it’s a book of sonnets.
Maybe we can do this partnership thing, and only this partnership. We already have something in common—a love of words, a love of books.
“Thank you. This is lovely,” I say, running a finger across one of the pages. “And I have something for you.”
I reach for the bag of chocolate, handing it to him. When he looks into the bag, his lips curve into a grin. An irrepressible one. A smile that seems to light his whole chiseled face. “I love chocolate. How did you know? Did you research me? Admit it,