Katherine Garbera - What Happens In Vegas... - His Wedding-Night Wager

One brief trip to Las Vegas and KATHERINE GARBERAwas hooked with endless story ideas and a fascination with that playground known as Sin City. She’s written more than twenty books and has been nominated for Romantic Times BOOKclub’s career achievement awards in Series Fantasy and Series Adventure. Katherine recently moved to the Dallas area where she lives with her husband and their two children. The only thing she loves more than writing is talking to readers. Visit Katherine on the web at www.katherinegarbera.com.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

This book is dedicated to Matt! Thanks for a fabulous wedding night and all the nights that have come after!

Special thanks to Chris Green who answered all of my Vegas questions and gave me an insider’s perspective.

Thanks also to Natashya Wilson and Debbie Matteucci for their editing insight!

Long legs, expensive silk hose and the kind of hips that he could sink his fingers into. She had it all. She always had. Hayden still couldn’t believe Shelby Anne Paxton was here in his kingdom. He’d never thought to see her again.

Her calves were well formed, tapering down to trim ankles and a pair of stilettos that sent his libido into overdrive.

The Chimera Hotel and Casino was his life. The 24/7 world of Vegas had always been his home. He wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the success of the hotel and casino. He’d sacrificed to make it into one of the premier destinations on the Vegas Strip. And he owed it all to this woman who hadn’t believed in him and to his father.

Hayden had made the Chimera the number-one casino in Vegas to prove that their lack of faith wasn’t an obstacle in getting what he wanted from life.

His entire operation was first-class, right down to the hotel’s own shopping wing, which housed only sophisticated retailers. Always expanding and changing, it was about to add Bêcheur d’Or, a high-end lingerie boutique.

Bêcheur d’Or was on the fast track to the top. It’s owners, Paige Williams and Shelby, had been profiled in Entrepreneur magazine earlier this year. Apparently Shelby had made more of his money than he’d ever expected her to.

But it had been Paige with whom he’d spoken to cinch the deal, and Paige with whom he’d met to sign the contract. Funny that Shelby had shown up here and now, especially considering he’d never expected her back in Vegas after she’d left him standing at the altar.

A long, low wolf whistle jolted Hayden back to the present and the hallway outside the newest merchandise location at the Chimera. “Well, well, well. What have we here?”

Hayden turned to see the tall, lean, dark-haired form of his best friend stroll up. Pain tightened in his gut. He didn’t want even Deacon Prescott to know who this woman was. He’d simply referred to her as the gold digger that one time he’d gotten drunk and talked to Deacon about his marriage.

Hayden glanced at Deacon and fought the surge of possessiveness swamping him. “You’re a married man.”

“Definitely. But that doesn’t mean I’m dead. Besides, Kylie knows I’d never stray.”

Deacon and Kylie had been married for almost two years now and things were going well. They were the exception to Hayden’s golden rule that marriage was a business deal.

“No, you wouldn’t,” Hayden said more to himself than to Deacon. Deacon had found something that Hayden would never admit he’d once wanted. His friend had found forever love and happiness. As for Hayden…well, he’d learned his lesson long ago.

Still, Hayden didn’t begrudge his friend. Deacon had come a long way from the man Hayden had first met several years ago. A long way from the mob enforcer who’d wanted to go straight, longing for a better life that he didn’t know how to find. Now Deacon owned the Golden Dream, a very successful resort and casino that was second only to the Chimera in terms of success.

Deacon had also found love and seemed to buy into the whole illusion of it since his marriage. Hayden knew better then to try it himself.

He wished the ending for his own story had been as happy, but reality had a way of making sure the scales were kept firmly balanced. And to Hayden’s way of thinking, if you grew up with every luxury money could buy but a father who couldn’t seem to love you, then something had to give. For Hayden it had always been the softer things.

“Are you going to go inside or just stand in the doorway?” Deacon asked.

Normally he’d walk on by, but not today. “I’m waiting for the right moment.”

“And that would be when?” Deacon asked.

“When you get the hell out of here.”

“You didn’t leave me alone when I went after Kylie.”

“Hey, we had a bet. I had to keep tabs on you,” Hayden said. He’d bet Deacon that Kylie wouldn’t marry him. It was one of the few times that Hayden had lost when he’d gambled, but he hadn’t minded the loss.

“Want to make another wager?” Deacon asked. “Only this time—”

“I’m not looking for Ms. Right like you were.”

“Why aren’t you, Mac?” Deacon asked. His friend always called him by that nickname. It was a holdover from when they’d first met and Deacon had needled Hayden about being the “Mac Daddy.” The big guy with lots of cash.

“You know I already tried marriage and didn’t find it to my liking,” he said, playing off the incident as if it were nothing more than a minor inconvenience, instead of a life-defining moment.

“But you didn’t make it to the finish line, so to speak,” Deacon said.

“I got close enough,” Hayden said. No woman was ever again going to get him to stand in front of a church full of his friends and family and wait for her. There were few feelings he could recall as clearly as the humiliation and anger that had simmered in his gut as he’d faced all of his guests and told them that the bride wasn’t coming.

Was it getting closer to forty that was catching up with him or was it Deacon’s happy union?

“That doesn’t mean it won’t work with another woman. This one looks fine.”

“Deacon, stop staring at her ass or I’m going to send the surveillance video to Kylie.”

Deacon put his hands up and backed away. “I thought you might want a little of the good life.”

“I think I’ve already got it.”

“Yeah, well, if you change your mind, I’m here and I’ve got good advice.”

“On what?”

“Romance.”

“I don’t need advice from you, Prescott.”

Deacon flipped him the finger and walked away. Hayden leaned against the wall opposite the glass storefront, continuing to watch the lady unpack her boxes. Damn it had been a long time since any woman had gotten to him like this. Why did it have to be Shelby?

He couldn’t stand outside her shop forever, so he pushed away from the wall and entered.

She straightened and her auburn hair fell in waves down the middle of her back. She had a phone tucked between her shoulder and ear as she pulled items from the open box.

“I haven’t seen him yet. I’ll check in on Friday like we planned. Please don’t call me again.”

She disconnected the call, turned on her heel and froze. Her jaw dropped and he knew she’d spotted him. Her face went pale as she reached behind her and braced one hand on the countertop, on top of her cell phone.

He walked through the room with a long, easy stride that he strove to keep nonchalant. He schooled his features and forced himself to treat her the way he’d treat any other businessperson who’d leased space from him. He wasn’t a first-rate gambler for nothing. He knew how to bluff with the best and how to keep his emotions under wraps.