Their Million-Dollar Night Read Free Page A

one?”
    He laughed. “We’ll have a bottle of the Thelema Chardonnay 1998, Stellenbosch.”
    The sommelier left and Max turned his attention to her. She felt uncomfortable under his intense stare, as if she was naked but not in a sexual way. His gaze was probing as if he were trying to fit together all the pieces that made up Roxy O’Malley. She desperately hoped he couldn’t, because Roxy O’Malley wasn’t sure who she was anymore. Not a dancer, not a hot body, not any of the things she’d always been.
    Finally she couldn’t stand it anymore. “What?”
    â€œWhat, what?”
    â€œWhy are you looking at me like that?”
    â€œBecause you are a beautiful woman.”
    His words hurt in a way he couldn’t understand. Because at one time she’d have tossed her hair and given him a smile that would have brought him to his knees. “Not anymore.”
    She couldn’t believe those words had escaped. “How long will you be in Vegas?”
    â€œLong enough to convince you that you are beautiful.”
    â€œThat’s not why you came,” she said, telling herself that he was here for the Vegas allure. The mindless flirting, the hours of gambling. The vacation from reality and real life.
    â€œMy plans have changed.”
    â€œWell then, you won’t be needing my company anymore. I’ll let Hayden know.”
    He took her hand in his, his thumb stroking over the backs of her knuckles as it had when they first met. “I’ll still require your company, Roxy.”
    She tried to tell herself that things hadn’t turned personal, that she was still objective and just his hostess. But she knew she wasn’t.
    There was a promise of something in Max’s eyes that she wanted to claim for herself. Something elusive and tempting, and she couldn’t quite make herself ignore it.

Two
    A fter dinner, Max excused himself to return several business calls. Sitting in his suite, he was aware of what his life had become. He was forty and successful but alone.
    Alone by his own design, granted. But still alone. No mistress—he’d learned the hard way that even couching an affair in business terms didn’t mean a clean break when things were over.
    Harron had made several comments about the fact that Max was lacking a wife, a family. But Max had his family. They were paid employees and a small core group of lifelong friends.
    There was a knock on his door. He hoped it wouldbe Roxy, but knew it wouldn’t be. Instead it was the bellman with a FedEx box containing paperwork from his office.
    He took the papers with him to the minibar and poured himself a Scotch. Looking hard at his life made him realize that in his quest to make sure no one thought he was riding his father’s coattails, he’d created a vacuum. A place where no one existed except for himself.
    Ah, hell, he was getting morose. He signed the papers, dropped them in the return envelope and then swallowed his drink in two long gulps.
    He wanted Roxy.
    He wanted to spend more time with the beautiful woman who could be charming until she remembered herself. Then she was awkward and shy. And he wanted to know why. He really did want to uncover her secrets, but he sensed she wouldn’t share them. Not yet.
    He also couldn’t compromise her job. He made a quick call to Hayden and asked that Roxy’s job be changed, explaining very little to his friend, but then Hayden was a man known for being quick-witted. “I’ll be taking her out of the casino tomorrow for the day.”
    â€œDon’t allow my business to get in the way of your personal plans,” Hayden said.
    â€œYou are the one who extolled her virtues.”
    â€œThat’s right. I did, but I didn’t count on your interest interfering with my business.”
    â€œI won’t.”
    Max hung up the phone then dialed the front desk and asked for Roxy, knowing that even though