Wild Nights Read Free Page B

“Private.” They passed some staff members along the way.
    “David, I’m heading up to my suite. Please let the managers know where I can be reached in case of emergency.”
    David nodded. “Of course, Grace. Have a nice time.”
    She intended to. Mike had piqued her curiosity Now she wanted some time to talk to see if her instincts about him were right. She punched the code and the elevator door opened. Mike stayed silent on the ride up to her penthouse. One of the advantages to living where she worked was that there was no commute. When she wanted some privacy all she had to do was take a short ride and she was home.
    “Nice place,” Mike said as they stepped inside her suite.
    “Thank you.” She didn’t need to live extravagantly, preferring to put her money back into the club and bank the rest of the profits for later on. She didn’t intend to be in this business forever. But she loved the view of Las Vegas afforded by the floor-to-ceiling windows in her living room, and the privacy of living high above the city.
    Her décor was simple—beige and black. Nothing fussy. Standard furniture, comfortable couches and tables and chairs. She liked her living space livable—not pretentious.
    “Would you like a drink?”
    He stepped to the window. “Whatever you’re having is fine.”
    She poured two brandies and handed one to him. “I love this view. Frenetic pace, dazzling lights, absolute madness down there. But still, it relaxes me.” She took a sip of her drink, feeling it burn its way down and warm her.
    “It’s home to you. Anything that’s home is relaxing.”
    She motioned him to the couch in front of the window, kicked off her shoes and sat, curling her legs under her. “Tell me what’s home to you.”
    “Oklahoma. I’m a veterinarian. Own a practice with my best friend. We’ve been partners since our college days. I have a house in a small town and that’s where I kick back and get away from it all.”
    “And you obviously love animals.”
    “Yeah, I do.” He took a long swallow of the brandy. She watched his throat move as he tilted his head back. “I have a couple dogs and I’d eventually like to own a horse ranch.”
    Grace stared out the window. “I’ve never been on a horse in my life. But I’d love to ride someday.”
    “Come visit me sometime. I’ll take you for a ride.”
    “I’ll just bet you would.” She teased, imagining the kind of ride Mike would take her on. “But I’m serious about the horses. I’ve always loved animals but I never had any pets.”
    “Why not?”
    She shrugged. “My parents never allowed us to have any, and after I moved away from home my lifestyle wasn’t conducive to keeping one.”
    “That’s too bad. I was brought up around animals. I grew up on a farm.”
    “Interesting.”
    “Are you from Las Vegas?”
    She laughed. “Oh, God no. I’m from Kentucky.”
    He arched a brow. “No trace of an accent.”
    “I left home at eighteen. That was a while ago. There’s no part of the Kentucky girl left in me.”
    He reached out and grabbed a tendril of hair from the side of her face, letting it slide through his fingers. “You know what they say. You can take a girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl.”
    “Trust me. This girl has no country left in her. I left their morality and their holier-than-thou standards and prejudices on the doorstep the day I walked out. There’s nothing of them left in me.”
    “Bitter?”
    His voice was soft. No accusation. “Not at all. I just didn’t want what they were selling.”
    “Which was?”
    “Hypocrisy.”
    Mike nodded. “Now, that I understand. Those who preach one thing and practice another.”
    “Exactly.” She took another drink and sighed, wondering why she’d revealed so much about herself to a stranger. She never talked about her past with anyone. Some of her close friends at Wild Nights didn’t know where she’d come from. “Your glass is empty