Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
“I better not.” She grinned, moving on to another machine that had a genie holding a slipper full of gold coins that looked as if the coins were about to slip out.
“You playing tonight, Kent?”
A feminine voice drew her interest away from the machine. Turning, she saw a woman in a tight-fitting, sleek black dress had stopped to talk to Kent.
“Not tonight, Mandy.”
The waitress glanced from him to her then went back to Kent. “I’m on duty until one, if you change your mind.”
Sage watched the woman walk away in high heels she would have never attempted to wear with an ease she envied.
Looking back to Kent, she raised her eyebrows at him. “A friend of yours?”
“Mandy is one of the casino hosts here.”
“I can see why you prefer to stay here versus getting an apartment.”
Putting an arm around her waist, he guided her through the casino. “I stay here because it makes more sense. I can use it as a tax deduction. Plus, I get housekeeping daily.”
A cocktail waitress passed in front of them, wearing a short skirt and fish net stocking.
“I can see the perks for you,” she said, managing to keep a straight face as they walked down a huge hallway to the elevators.
As they rode up the elevator, she couldn’t help but wonder why he was interested in her when he had so many women available to him. Not only were the women who worked here extremely attractive, the women she had seen playing at the tables they had passed were dressed for a good time.
“Don’t.”
Not understanding, she looked at him. “Don’t what?”
“Think what you’re thinking.”
“You don’t know what I’m thinking.”
“I can read your face. You’d make a terrible poker player.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. What was I thinking?”
“You’re comparing yourself to them.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” she half-admitted.
Kent rolled his eyes at her as the elevator doors opened. “Mandy is married to the head chef here,” he explained as they walked down a long hallway. “All the women who work at the casino are locals, and most of them are married and have boyfriends. Those who aren’t, I haven’t been attracted to, not because of their jobs, but I just haven’t met any who attracted my interest to ask.”
Kent took a key card out of his wallet as he stopped at a door. He slid the key card into the slot then opened it, motioning her to go inside.
The room turned out to be a suite. Her nerves loosened when she saw there wasn’t a bed in sight. They stepped into a small hallway with a restroom next to the door before it opened up to a small kitchenette, with a small table and counter with bar stools on the other side.
Instead of the bed she expected to find, there was an elegant living room with a tan couch and chair, and a huge television on the wall. Her breath caught at the view through the window.
“I would stay here for the view alone,” she exclaimed, moving closer to the window, then hastily took a step back. “I didn’t realize how high we were.”
“Are you afraid of heights?” He placed a hand on her back when she took another step back.
“Only if I get too close. I’m perfectly fine if I don’t look out.”
“In other words,” he teased, “you are.”
“Maybe a little,” she conceded.
“Have a seat before you fall down.”
He didn’t have to tell her twice.
Kent went to the window once she was seated to close the drapes.
“You didn’t have to close them,” she protested. “I like looking at the lights.”
Turning around, he stared at her with an unfathomable expression on his face.
“What?”
“You’re drawn to lights, aren’t you?”
She had to think about it. “I guess so.” She shrugged.
He ran his hand through his hair as his eyes delved to hers, as if trying to make up his mind about something. Then the expression was gone, and his smile returned.
“What can I get you to drink?”
“What are you going to have?” she asked, slipping her shoes off with relief.
“A whiskey.” His curt voice made her frown.
Was he regretting asking her to come to his hotel room?
“Do you have any wine?”
“No,” he answered shortly, taking a glass out of a cabinet.
“What are my choices, then?”
Trying not to have her feelings hurt by the way he was acting, she watched as he opened another cabinet to remove a whiskey bottle.
“Bottled water, Coke, Sprite, bottled tea, pineapple juice.” He named them without looking at her.
“Do you want me to go?” she asked miserably.
He was raising the bottle up from pouring it in his glass but set it down on the counter with a thump and placed his hands on the counter as he stared at her. “Do you want to go?”
“I do if you want me to.”
“I don’t want you to.”
“Then I don’t want to.”