Against the Sky Read Free

relax, maybe gamble a little—not too much.
    Samantha winced as she shoved her feet back into her high heel shoes, and he remembered seeing them in the hall in front of her door where she had taken them off and dropped them.
    He was afraid he’d scare her if he suggested she open the door, go in and get a different pair, but he wanted her to be comfortable.
    â€œI got a hunch those shoes are hurting like hell. Why don’t I wait for you by the elevator? Give you time to go in and change?”
    The smile she gave him was so full of gratitude, he figured he’d scored another point—besides the one he’d gotten for pulling that big bastard off her.
    She opened her purse, found the key she’d been searching for, flashed it in front of the lock and opened the door. “Thanks, Nick. I’ll be right there.”
    He frowned. The lady was way too trusting. He could have pushed her inside and done any damn thing he wanted. He thought she would have learned her lesson with the bruiser who’d been manhandling her.
    His frown slowly faded, replaced by another smile. In an odd way, he found her naiveté refreshing. Still, if he got a chance, he’d talk to her, make her understand the need to be careful with strangers. Clearly, his cop instincts hadn’t faded, probably never would.
    Time ticked past. Standing next to the elevator, he checked his watch. She’d been gone fifteen minutes when he spotted her coming down the hall. She’d changed out of her pale peach linen suit into a short black skirt, pink and black top, and another pair of heels, just as tall but open-toed and apparently more comfortable.
    â€œThanks for waiting,” she said. “I’ve been working all day. It feels good to get into something that isn’t wrinkled.”
    His eyes ran over her. “You look fantastic.” Damned if she didn’t. With her heart-shaped face and warm brown eyes, he’d thought she was attractive. Now he could see she was way more than pretty, with a great figure, curves in all the right places, just a hint of cleavage above the neckline of her blouse. She had taken the clips out of her hair, letting the springy, light brown curls that hung down her back tumble softly around her face. He wanted to grab a fistful, see if it felt as silky as it looked.
    They got into the elevator, rode it down to the casino. He’d chosen the hotel on the Internet, got a deal on the rates. His suite was a real treat, with a marble bathroom and views out over the city. They headed over to one of the numerous bars, one he’d visited last night that wasn’t far from the elevators.
    â€œHow about right here?” he suggested. “It’s not as noisy as some of the others.”
    â€œPerfect.” She smiled. “And my feet get a chance to rest.”
    He smiled back, led her into a quiet corner. Samantha ordered a glass of white wine while he went for a whiskey and Coke. He was mainly a beer drinker, but hey—he was in Vegas.
    The waiter brought the drinks and Nick took a sip, enjoyed the burn and the view across the table. The more he looked at Samantha, the more he liked what he saw: pert, slightly upturned nose, big golden-brown eyes, full pink lips, and smooth skin with just a touch of rose.
    He watched her sipping her wine, took another drink of whiskey. “You said you were working. So what do you do?”
    Samantha smiled and he felt a little kick. “I’m part owner of a chain of dog-grooming parlors in the San Francisco area. Four so far. The Perfect Pup. I’m the marketing person. I’m here for the Super Pet Zoo, hoping to get some new ideas. We’re planning to expand.”
    He imagined her trimming a poodle or washing a big St. Bernard and fought not to smile. “A dog-lover and a businesswoman. Nice combination.”
    â€œActually, it’s not what I set out to do in life. When I was a kid I wanted to be a vet, but