Seven Nights of Sin - Lacey Alexander [108]
“No way—the night is young. And Vegas never sleeps. I’m ready to go dancing, or maybe do a little gambling. Have I ever told you how lucky I am at craps?”
“Uh, no. But even if you aren’t tired, maybe I am.”
Kelly lowered her chin and stabbed her fists into her hips. “O-ho-ho no you don’t. You are so going out with me. I’m betting you were out ’til the wee hours every single night the last time you hit Sin City, so no way are you going to just put on your jammies and go beddie-bye.” Kelly grabbed her wrist, saying, “Come on.”
And before she knew what hit her, they were back in the elevator.
Given the prime-time hour, it was crowded, people coming and going on various floors, and Brenna wasn’t paying much attention until Kelly latched on to her arm again and dragged her out into a quiet hallway. “Where are we?” she asked.
“One of the lower floors. I think there’s a dance club around the corner.”
“I don’t hear any music,” Brenna said but followed Kelly anyway, thinking the area looked vaguely familiar—and finally recognizing it when they exited through a pair of doors that led out to the lush pool area. “Oh, this leads to the pool. We’re in the wrong place,” she informed her friend.
But Kelly pressed onward anyway. “Well, while we’re here, I may as well check it out, scope out my chair for tomorrow—since I intend to spend at least half the day working on my tan.”
Brenna followed behind silently, not particularly wanting to revisit the pool, either, but forcing herself to be tolerant. Hair of the dog, hair of the dog. I don’t need a man, I don’t need a man.
The area was bathed in darkness, but the surrounding neon lights of the city illuminated the place enough for her to make out the columns and arches, the potted trees, and the alluring beds at various points along the pool’s edge.
Which was when she noticed…
Was there someone lying on one of those beds?
She squinted, figuring she was seeing things in the shadowy darkness—but then she froze in place.
Oh God—it was Damon.
Wearing his usual T-shirt and jeans, he stretched out along the elaborate poolside bed, his head propped on one fist. His grandmother’s cross glinted in the moonlight. And his eyes sparkled, sexy as ever.
He met her gaze, looking wholly seductive, and curled one finger slowly toward him, beckoning her.
Beyond shocked, she couldn’t quite process what was happening, and she glanced to Kelly for help.
“Go on already,” Kelly said, giving her a light shove forward.
Brenna peeked over her shoulder, once more, at her friend. “But…”
“I’ll be downstairs at the craps tables if you need me—but I don’t think you will.” She concluded with a smile, then turned and walked away—and Brenna understood in that moment what a really wonderful, priceless friend Kelly was.
Then she turned back to Damon.
Who she couldn’t believe was really here.
“Lie down with me, Brenna.”
Cautiously, she approached the bed that had drawn her into fantasy the first time she’d seen it. Slowly, she climbed up onto it, reclining beside him. “Does this mean…you don’t hate me anymore?”
“I never hated you,” he said. “Not really. I was just…angry. I felt betrayed.”
“Of course—I understand. But…you don’t feel that way any longer?”
“I called Kelly and we met for coffee, talked for awhile—about you. She convinced me that the you I’d fallen for was the real you and that the you who lied wasn’t.”
“That’s so true,” she said, leaning toward him. “I hate lying. I didn’t want to lie. But I felt my job was on the line if I didn’t.” She glanced down. “Of course, I eventually ended up without it anyway, but that’s another story.”
“Come work for me,” he said, “at Inspiration.”
She let out a heavy breath. “That’s a generous offer, Damon, but…I’ve concluded that I’m not really cut out to be an A&R rep.”
“Yeah,” he said, “Kelly told me that part of the story, too. But I’m not offering you an A&R position—I want you to run the office. I need good people, and I figure you’re a great place to start. Although I would also welcome your input on music, babe—you’re good at that,