“I hardly know the man.”
“Didn’t look that way to me. He carried you in here.”
“Because the heel on my shoe broke.”
“And that means you can’t walk, of course.”
“Well, my ankle’s slightly sore.”
“I’ve seen you do a show with an ankle twice the size of what you’ve got now.” Mo shook her head. “Not buying.”
I sighed. “Fine. He’s taking me to dinner tomorrow night after the late show. Why don’t you come along?”
“Dinner? Damn, you’re lucky.”
“I’m trying to help you get lucky.”
“Three’s a crowd, Zee.”
“It’s not a date. I just met the guy.”
“You just met Reid Wolfe, and now you’ve got a date with him. Damn.” She took a big drink of her wine. “You have all the luck!”
All the luck.
Did Mo have any idea how ridiculous her words sounded to me?
All the luck.
I’d been hunted. Then I spent the next several years on drugs, trying to deal with what had happened to me. Finally, I got off the drugs and found the strength to confront Derek Wolfe about what he’d done. That led to the settlement. He paid me off, and I let him.
Then I came to Las Vegas and changed my name. I wasn’t qualified to do anything, so I put those years of dancing classes to good use. Turned out I fit the bill for a showgirl. I was tall, well-built, and strong. The head pieces we wore often weighed twenty pounds or more. The modeling classes helped as well. My posture was outstanding. After two months, I got a job in a revue.
I supposed I was lucky in that respect. I found work. I’d used most of my settlement money then to finance my move to a new city. In retrospect, I should have demanded more. I had a ton of debt from rehab, and a big chunk of that settlement went to pay it off.
And lucky…
In one big respect I was lucky.
Lucky to be alive.
Those other girls…
They weren’t so lucky. I never saw any of them again.
“Earth to Zee.” Mo waved her hands in front of my face.
“Yeah, what?”
“You went catatonic there for a minute. You okay?”
“Yeah, just thinking. You’re right, Mo. I am lucky, in some ways.”
“Try all ways, girl. You’ve got a face and body to die for, and you’re dating a Wolfe.”
“I’m not dating a Wolfe. And not in all ways.”
She scoffed. “I suppose no one is lucky in all ways.”
“True story,” I agreed. If she only knew.
“So…about dinner tomorrow. You sure I won’t be a third wheel?”
“Absolutely not. I want you to come.”
No truer words. Reid Wolfe scared me senseless.
I was scared of what he wanted from me.
And even more scared that I kind of wanted it as well.
8
Reid
Charlie’s eyes went wide. Roy’s didn’t.
My brother knew me pretty well.
“Who’s the lucky lady?” he asked.
“The lady’s passed out,” I retorted. “I’m taking her to bed.”
“Clearly.” My brother smirked.
I let out a huff. Did my brother seriously think I’d take an unconscious woman to bed? What the fuck?
“Isn’t this supposed to be your wedding night?” I asked.
“It is. We’re sharing a late dinner at Massey’s, and then—”
“Please,” I said, “spare me the details.” Especially since, at this point, I clearly wasn’t getting any tonight.
“Looks like you’ll be busy as well.” Roy nodded to Nieves.
“This is Nieves Romero, Roy. She passed out in the bar, and I’m taking her to bed. Not my bed. Is that really what you think of me?”
“Of course not,” Charlie said.
“You are the Wolfe of Manhattan.” This from Roy.
“I can be the Wolfe of Manhattan without preying on the defenseless. Damn.” I walked into the still-open elevator.
“Hey, bro, I didn’t mean—”
“Yeah, you did,” I said as the elevator doors closed, erasing Roy and Charlie from my view. No, I didn’t actually believe my brother thought so little of me. I was just pissed at this situation.
I arrived at my suite and laid Nieves on the bed in the second bedroom. Thank goodness Jarrod or Charlie or whoever had made these reservations had booked us all in two bedroom suites. I did not want to sleep on a couch tonight.
First things first. I removed the wristlet bag hanging from Nieves’s hand and unzipped it. A credit card, a couple bucks, and her ID. No hotel room key. All right. No problem. I reassessed my decision to let her sleep in my extra bedroom, made a quick call to the front desk, and booked her a room. Then I carried her to it, met a concierge there, and put her to bed.
Nicely done, I said to myself. This way she’d wake up somewhere other than my suite. As much as I’d enjoy a good fuck, I wanted to deprive myself for now.
So I’d be hungrier for Zee tomorrow night.
I needed to be in full Wolfe mode to get her into my bed, and I planned to do it.
Oh, I’d stay loyal to Riley. I wouldn’t push. No. I’d seduce Zee slowly. In fact, I’d wait. It didn’t have to happen tomorrow. It could happen the next day. The hungrier I got, the better I’d seduce her.
I’d make her want me.
When she wanted me, she’d want to please me.
And I’d convince her that the way to please me would be to tell her story.
Simple enough.
Back in my suite, I stripped off my clothes and went to bed in my boxer briefs. To my surprise, I fell asleep to visions of a black-haired beauty with immensely sad light-blue eyes.
I jerked upward in bed.
Someone was pounding on my door. My phone lay on the nightstand, flashing the time. Six a.m.
Certainly not Rock. He wasn’t an early riser. Riley and Matt were still on their wedding night. Ditto Roy and Charlie.
Had I ordered breakfast? Yeah, I had, but room service wouldn’t be pounding. I grabbed a robe from the bathroom, headed to the door, and looked through the peephole.
“Nieves,” I said under my breath.
Against my better judgment,
