Lachlan’s eyeswidened to saucers. “I think I’m impressed. Is that what you weredoing the other morning when I, uh, bumped into you? Staking itout?”
She nodded.
“What are yougoing to do now?”
“I’m not sure.I’m not due to fly home for a while,” she shrugged. The movementcaused her to lose her balance slightly and careen into thecushions. She sighed with bliss. “But I don’t really fancy stayinghere any longer. Maybe I’ll do some sightseeing before goinghome.”
Lachlan glancedup and Emma caught her breath. His brown eyes were soft, and hisgaze on her was gentle, and she just wanted to melt. That broadchest looked like the best place on Earth to snuggle against.
She tried toshake the thought off. “Uh, what about you? Are you heading homenow the wedding is over?”
“I haven’tquite worked that out.” Lachlan put his glass on the table andleaned back, crossing his ankles.
“Sky’s thelimit, huh?”
“I keep tellingmyself that now is the time for me. I can do all the things I neverdid because I was responsible for a child. Sky diving, white waterrafting, hiring a motor bike and touring around the country…”
Emma lifted herbrows. “Except that doesn’t really sound like you.”
“Nope. It’sweird, you know? As a kid, I never really had a burning desire tobe a doctor or a lawyer or a fireman or anything. I was fourteenbefore I developed an interest in architecture and decided I couldgive that a go. But before I’d really had a chance to grow upmyself, Sarah came along and she was my entire focus. My wholeworld.”
“She soundswonderful.”
“She is.”Lachlan’s voice was wistful. “Anyway, now I don’t have a singleclue what to do with myself.”
Another pangclenched in her heart. To lighten to mood, she asked, “did youdress like Elvis?”
Lachlan barkedout a laugh. “She’d have killed me.”
His facerelaxed with the memory: his eyes sparkling and lips curving, andEmma sucked in a breath. How had she never really noticed howhandsome he was?
Oh, that’sright. Because the first time she’d seen him, she’d been scared outof her wits. The second time she’d thought he was a pervert; andthe third time, he’d stolen her things down at the pool.
“I don’t havethe side-burns for starters,” Lachlan said.
“Or blackhair.”
Lachlan rose,walked to the bar and returned with the bottle. He offered it toher and she held out her glass.
“I’ll regretthis in the morning.”
“Yeah. But it’sVegas. Everyone needs a story to take home from Vegas.”
CHAPTERTEN
The jackhammer wasrelentless, pounding through Lachlan’s head. Were his teeth comingloose? Jeez.
He let out agroan and threw one arm across his eyes as though that could stopthe vicious sadist in his head.
Had heever been this hungover?
Through sore,gritty eyes that had to be bloodshot, he blinked at the ornateceiling of the chairman’s suite. The last time he’d been this drunkwas…twenty years ago at his high school formal. Three months afterthat he discovered he was going to be a dad. Thank God he wasn’teighteen again.
Last night wasa blur of flashing lights, smooth whiskey and cigarette smoke. Histhroat was parched, like he’d eaten a bag of rusty nails forbreakfast. He swung his legs off the side of the bed, leaned hiselbows on his thighs and stared at the carpet.
Sarah wasgone.
The sunshine ofhis life was now reduced to a hastily sent text message on hisphone: arrived in NY safely. Love you xx. He’d done his job.He’d given her away. Oh, how he hated that expression. It made hersound like she was a piece of old furniture he didn’t want anymore.As if he could ever give his daughter away. She’d always be part ofhim, and he’d always be there when she needed him.
But for now, hewas thirty-seven years old and he had the rest of his life in frontof him.
A blankcanvas.
Yeah, he’ddrunk too much last night, but, jeez, his daughter had just gotmarried. He could cut himself some slack, surely.
He groanedagain as his stomach threatened to heave. Sitting here wasn’t goingto solve anything but Lachlan couldn’t make his feet move until afeminine voice spoke behind him.
“Oh myGod. I think I’m dying.”
Lachlanstaggered off the bed. His heart pounded in time with thejackhammer in his head. He clutched it, whirling around to find ahead of light brown hair pushing up from under the covers. The facethat followed was pale. Brown eyes widened as they focused onhim.
“What are youdoing in my room?” she demanded. “Again?”
Lachlan’sstomach shot to his feet. He stared down at his body. His boxerswere in place but that didn’t necessarily mean he’d worn them allnight. What had he done? What was a woman—that woman—doingin his room?
Emma pushed toa sitting position, then closed her eyes with a groan. “Well?”
“You’re inmy room.” Lachlan wanted to shake the cobwebs loose butfeared moving his head. Spewing his guts up in front of her was thelast thing he wanted. She’d humiliated him enough.
She peeredthrough one eye. “Why am I in your room?”
He cocked aneyebrow and she dropped her head forward on a sigh.
“I’ve neverdone anything like this,” she muttered. “I’m the responsibleone.”
The wordssounded strangely familiar. Had they talked about that last night?For the life of him, he couldn’t remember.
“I’ll order ussome breakfast.” That would give him something to do, other thantalk to her. “What do you want?”
She sank backagainst the pillows. “I don’t know what a hangover cure is, apartfrom never drinking again. Uh, did I eat sandpaper last night?”
Lachlan grinnedand picked up the phone.
Emma’s fingerstrembled like they were made of jelly. She struggled with thebuttons on her dress, slowing her movements down and staring at therecalcitrant button until her vision blurred.
A knock soundedfrom the sitting area and she ducked further into the bedroom. Thesuite was like a palace and she didn’t think she could be seen fromthe living room, but she didn’t want to take the risk. She’d neverhad a hook-up before.
Did thiscount?
“It certainlywon’t happen again,” she muttered. The button finally slid intoplace and she breathed a sigh of relief which set her head poundingagain. She pressed her hand against her temple and swore never todrink again.
“Breakfast ishere.” Lachlan appeared in the doorway. He’d dressed into
