Cat Schield - With Love From Las Vegas

His fingers wrapped around her upper arms and bit deep. “Stay out of it.”

Eyes blazing, he pulled her onto her toes and bent down until inches separated his mouth from hers. Memories of their night together swamped her. Her fingers loosened their grip on the towel, ready to discard it if he showed the slightest hint of wanting to pick up where they’d left off in the wee hours of the morning.

He must have read her thoughts because he lowered his head still farther. Missy closed her eyes in anticipation of his kiss. When it didn’t come, she blinked in surprise. Sebastian had his own eyes closed. Tension pulled at his features, drawing his mouth into a grim line.

His chest lifted as he sucked in air. A second later she was free. Her heels hit the floor with a jarring thud that loosened her grip on the towel. It slipped off one breast before she caught it.

Snarling a curse through clenched teeth, Sebastian shifted his gaze to the pile of clothes spilling out of the trash. When his attention resettled on her, the only emotion he let her see was cool curiosity.

He used his chin to gesture toward her former wardrobe. “What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing.”

“You’ve thrown away your clothes.”

“I don’t need them anymore.”

Iron-gray eyes swept down her body once again. “Planning on spending the entire week naked?”

“No.”

He’d buried his mood beneath a neutral tone and an impassive expression, but her stomach muscles tightened. Getting caught half-dressed in Sebastian’s suite meant their encounter was no longer a complete secret. Were they to be boss and assistant or secret lovers? She tingled in anticipation of the latter.

“I thought I would buy some new things,” she continued.

He shook his head. “You don’t have time to shop. I need you to go over the arrangements for tonight’s cocktail party.”

Missy’s mood deflated. As far as Sebastian was concerned the night was over. He’d paid his debt. Time to get back to work.

“There’s no need,” she said. “I double-checked everything yesterday. We’re good to go. Let’s go down to the casino and have some fun.”

“This is a business trip.”

“And you can’t mix business with pleasure?” She cocked her head.

“I’ve already done that,” he retorted, biting off each word. The way he stared at her mouth, she could almost feel the firm pressure of his lips against hers. She swayed into the gap between them, brought up short by his next words. “Get dressed and let’s go over the arrangements.”

“I quit, remember?”

“You gave me your two-week notice,” he said. “Time to get back to work.”

He pivoted and left her staring at his retreating form. With a huff, she shut the door. She kicked at the pile of business attire that lay on the floor. At the thought of wearing any of it, a frustrated shriek built in her chest.

The phone on her nightstand rang. Summoned already? It had only been a minute since he’d left. She glanced at the door to Sebastian’s suite and imagined him pacing. She understood his impatience. This was his first time leading the summit. In past years, his father had been the CEO of Case Consolidated Holdings. Since taking over, Sebastian had made numerous changes to the business that involved selling off two companies that hadn’t fit their new business model and looking for new investments that were a better fit. He was growing into the CEO role and had a lot riding on this week in Vegas.

In the month leading up to the annual event, months of planning had gone into every presentation, every speech. Months of hard work and not just by Sebastian. When he worked hard, so did she. Sixty-hour work weeks meant late nights and weekends.

No wonder her boyfriend had strayed. She was never around when Tim wanted to get together. A part of her didn’t blame him for dumping her. She just wished he hadn’t done it the day before her birthday and that it hadn’t taken him less than a month to decide to marry someone else.

When the phone refused to stop ringing, Missy snatched up the handset.

“Missy? It’s Susan.” Sebastian’s mother sounded unfazed by Missy’s cranky greeting.

Over the years, Missy had grown close to Susan. And Brandon for that matter. They practically treated her like one of the family instead of Sebastian’s employee.

“Because my husband insists on golfing today,” Susan continued, “I wondered if you had any plans.”

“Sebastian expects me to work.”

Susan made a dismissive sound. “Tell him I need you to keep me company by the pool. I’m sure he’ll give you some time off.”

Missy ran that conversation in her head and didn’t arrive at Susan’s conclusion. “He really wants to make sure the conference goes smoothly.”

“And with you behind the scenes, it will. Now, you’ve done enough. Grab your sunscreen and meet me by the pool. I’m not going to take no for an answer.”

The people who thought the Case brothers got their determination from Brandon had never met Susan. “Sure. Give me ten minutes.”

“Wonderful.”

Feeling squashed between a rock and a hard place, Missy replaced the phone and scooped up her bathing suit. If she told Sebastian about his mom’s request, she would be in for another argument. She dropped the towel and stepped into the suit. Sebastian was already accustomed to her flaky behavior on this trip. And it wasn’t as if she hadn’t already decided that she wanted to go have some fun. Susan had just given her the nudge she needed to act.

She slid the straps onto her shoulders and shot a last glance at the door to Sebastian’s suite. Deserting her boss was going to make him even more irate than he already was.

Too bad.

Since starting as Sebastian’s assistant, the only time she’d taken off was to visit her family. And there’s no way anyone would consider that relaxing. Sebastian owed her four weeks of vacation. The least he could do is give her the morning to have some fun.

Grabbing her cover-up and a hat, she slipped out of her hotel room.

And when he caught her?

She’d cross that bridge when she came to it.

Besides, what’s the worst he could do?

Fire her?

L ocation?

Sebastian hit the send button on the text to Missy as the elevator doors opened. It had taken half an hour for him to figure out she’d pulled a vanishing act on him again. He’d intended to spend the morning going over his opening speech for the summit, catching up on emails and checking in with Max and Nathan. Instead, he was cruising through the casino, once again, in search of his wayward assistant.

His phone vibrated.

Pool .

Tucked into a protected hollow created by the hotel’s tall towers, the pool area, with its waterfalls, swim-up bar and assorted potted palms, looked more like tropical paradise than a desert oasis. Two-thirds of the lounge chairs were occupied, but as it had the night before, his gaze went straight to Missy.

She wore a cerulean blue one-piece with a wide white band around the waist that drew attention to her hourglass shape. Barely a hint of cleavage showed above the suit’s straight, unadorned neckline. In color and style, the suit was unremarkable. Sebastian doubted that anyone would give her a second look with so much skin being bared by the less modest women in her vicinity.

But she was all he was interested in.

His mother waved to him from the pool as he neared Missy’s lounge chair. Missy looked up as his shadow fell across her.

“Are you sure you should be sitting in the sun with your skin?”

“Don’t worry.” She pointed to the sunscreen label. “It’s SPF 75.”