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Ready For The Rancher
Zuri Day


What could go wrong with their no-strings arrangement? Turns out, everything. When wealthy rancher Adam Breedlove ends up having a sizzling night of passion in Ryan Washington’s bed, it spells trouble! She stands for everything Adam’s against. And she’s his business partner’s sister—a partner with ulterior motives. Is Ryan’s passion a fun fling, or something more dangerous…?







What could go wrong with their no-strings arrangement?

Everything.

Wealthy rancher Adam Breedlove won’t compromise his professional plans for anyone. But when a chance encounter leads to Ryan Washington’s bed, their chemistry spells trouble. She’s headstrong, seductive, stands for everything Adam’s against. And she’s his business partner’s sister—a partner with ulterior motives. Is Ryan’s heady passion a fun fling, something more serious...or cover for her brother to destroy the company?


ZURI DAY is the national bestselling author of two dozen novels, including the popular Drakes of California series. She is a winner of the RSJ Emma Award, the AALAS (African American Literary Awards Show) Best Romance Award and others, and a finalist for multiple RT Book Reviews Best Book Awards in Multicultural Fiction. She wants you to have a zuriday.com (http://www.zuriday.com)!


Also by Zuri Day (#uffc5c4d3-f589-550a-b865-0692651776ed)

Sin City Vows

Diamond Dreams

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk).


Ready for the Rancher

Zuri Day






www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


ISBN: 978-1-474-09272-2

READY FOR THE RANCHER

© 2019 Zuri Daya

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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At home on the range or a night on the town

Whether funky line dancing or lazing around.

This book is for the reader who likes to enjoy

A ride around Sin City and a sexy cowboy!


Contents

Cover (#u0b3b7d20-6873-5336-bf22-3a38e0f4bb3e)

Back Cover Text (#ud0094223-0edc-56c8-8b54-e0bb4ef07963)

About the Author (#u3a1b0ea9-c92f-5f23-b7d7-824b119bb9e7)

Booklist (#u71d12153-bb6e-548a-8d87-0c5c63ff9dcb)

Title Page (#uc3bb274a-1935-5934-9084-3a535d973910)

Copyright (#u7c8d4301-4bc7-52b4-8fc3-e4e1d648a00f)

Note to Readers

Dedication (#u76a8d311-9ef5-55e5-8f5d-6d1f373a9be4)

One (#u11b79616-41c8-5da7-bf47-580c8d946e6b)

Two (#ucdced36c-2d80-57c9-a790-c8f7ce056b85)

Three (#uc50317f9-258f-51bd-a95d-9fbc61693556)

Four (#uc3ae55e6-0e8f-513a-8748-1b7cf8842404)

Five (#uc9f5d515-3789-567a-a1a8-2bbac57cdedd)

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Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

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Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

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Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)

Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty-One (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty-Two (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty-Three (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty-Four (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty-Five (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)


One (#uffc5c4d3-f589-550a-b865-0692651776ed)

The same sounds that helped build the Breedlove empire worked Adam Breedlove’s nerves, especially after putting in a twelve-hour day. Spinning wheels. Jangly music. Bells. Beeps. Chimes. Sounds that could be heard in any casino everywhere, even the virtual ones now online and accessible by almost anybody with a computer and an internet connection. Yet he took his time as he strolled through the loud, spacious area, two floors down and away from the CANN Casino Hotel and Spa’s opulent, upscale and quiet main lobby. He was “keeping his feet in the grass,” as his father would tell him. Staying close to the source of their great wealth was to always be reminded of who was really important—the CANN customer.

Before leaving the executive offices where Adam served as vice president of research and development for CANN International, he’d removed his suit jacket and tie and had rolled up the sleeves of his stark white shirt. It was a move to leave the position behind and appear casual, blending in with the patrons. He took in the vast Friday-night crowd, noted with satisfaction that a majority of the machines were occupied. He smiled and offered discreet waves to employees who recognized him. Eyes all across the room charted his progress. Some women offered flirty smiles. Others just stared. Men, too. Adam took it all in stride.

“Yo, Adam!”

Adam stopped and turned in the direction of the yell. A stocky man of average height waved as he walked toward him. The face looked familiar but...

“It’s Dennis, man. Dennis Washington.”

“Washboard?” Adam laughed and shook the hand Dennis extended.

Dennis patted his beer gut. “Not anymore.”

“That’s why I didn’t recognize you! What’s going on, man? I haven’t seen you in forever.”

“Since high school, no doubt.”

“Where have you been? Still living here, in Las Vegas?” Adam began walking toward an exit leading from the casino into a quieter hallway, a small seating area and a bank of elevators. Dennis fell into step beside him.

He shook his head. “Bakersfield. The family moved there shortly after I graduated, and just before I left for the military. When I came back, I settled there. Felt it was as good a place as any.”

“You were in the service?” Adam asked, his look one of teasing surprise. “I can’t imagine anyone telling you what to do.”

Dennis smiled. “It was an adjustment.”

“How long were you in?”

“Four years.” A pained expression flickered across his face. “That was enough.”

“That’s awesome, Dennis. Thank you for your service.”

Dennis’s response fit somewhere between a grunt and a snort. Adam didn’t know what the sound meant, but he knew to leave it alone.

“Are you staying here, at the hotel?”

“No, this place is too rich for my blood.” He took a long admiring glance around. “It’s something else, though. You Breedloves always were a cut above the competition. But this place is cuts, plural.”

Adam couldn’t disagree. His family had made history when their company, CANN International, had built the first seven-star hotel in North America. It had become the hotel of choice for anyone who had money or clout. But he’d been at the hotel since early that morning. Right now he couldn’t wait to get away from the place.

“An army buddy of mine has a place in Henderson. I’m crashing there,” Dennis said.

They reached the elevators. Adam went to the one on the end, slid open a panel discreetly tucked next to the doors and placed his thumb on the scanner. “How long are you going to be here? It would be cool to catch up.”

“I’d love that, bro, and would especially like to talk about your other business, Breedlove Ranch. I read that you breed cattle and are building your own processing plant.”

Adam nodded. “You read correctly. It’s almost completed.”

“That’s the industry I’m in.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yep. I manage a slaughterhouse in Bakersfield, one of the largest in the state.”

The elevator arrived. Its doors opened without a sound. Adam waved a hand over the door panel. The elevator doors remained open.

“No kidding. How long have you been doing that?” Adam asked.

“Been working at the plant since returning from the military eight years ago, managing it for the last four years.”

“We should definitely talk. How long will you be here?”

“I’m flying back tomorrow night.”

Adam pulled out his phone. “Give me your number.” Dennis complied. “I’ll give you a call. Maybe we can do lunch.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

After a hand grip and shoulder bump, the men parted ways.

The next morning, after confirming a meeting with Dennis via text, downing a quick breakfast and enjoying a ride on his prize stallion, Thunder, Adam jumped into his brand-spanking-new limited-edition pickup and headed into the downtown of Breedlove, Nevada. The unincorporated town of just over two thousand residents was founded more than twenty years ago by Adam’s father, Nicholas, and a group of like-minded businessmen. It was about twenty-five miles northeast of the Las Vegas Strip, surrounded by mountains, with planned communities and a number of businesses in and around the quaint downtown square. Anchoring one corner of that square was a restaurant Adam owned called BBs, which stood for Breedlove Burgers, purchased specifically to showcase the beef raised at his ranch.

He reached the place and pulled into a crowded parking lot. An affordable menu, comfortable decor and stiff drinks had made the spot a favorite among the residents, especially the younger crowd. Adam drove around to the reserved parking at the back of the building and entered through the employee entrance.

“Hey, Adam!”

“Hola, Miguel.” Adam gave a shoulder bump to the restaurant’s head chef. “Qué pasa, hombre?”

“Nada, man.” Miguel shook his head at what he jokingly called Adam’s “gringo Spanish.”

“You come here to work or what?”

“I came here to eat a good burger. Think I can get a table?”

“I don’t know, boss. You might have to wait in line.”

Adam spoke to and joked with other employees as he continued past the building’s offices, through the kitchen and into the main dining room, where he spotted Dennis sitting at one of the tables by the window. What made Adam almost stop midstride and have to catch his breath was that his former high school friend wasn’t alone. If heaven was missing an angel, Adam knew where God could find her. Sitting at his burger joint—BBs.






Ryan Washington felt nauseous, and not just her stomach was upset. When inviting her to lunch, Dennis knew the last place his vegetarian sister would want to eat was a burger joint. He wasn’t the only one at fault. She should have known that Dennis’s inviting her anywhere held an ulterior motive, came with strings attached. She’d grown up adoring her older sibling and while she’d wished otherwise, they’d never been super close. Heck, before his call that morning she hadn’t even known he was in Las Vegas. At first she’d flat-out refused. For many reasons. She’d had a full day planned, a practice about to open. Then there was the very personal matter that she hadn’t shared with her family. But as was often the case, Dennis had persuasively changed her mind. After admitting there was a little more to his request than just having lunch, he’d told her about meeting an old friend who was now very successful. That he hoped to do business with him and that her presence might help. When she asked why, he’d very politically incorrectly said, “Because my friend likes pretty girls.”

That should have been enough to reinstate her refusal. Dennis wasn’t generous with compliments. For her brother to call her pretty meant he really felt he needed her help. And hinting to set her up with one of his friends? Not in a million years. What kind of business was this? And what if said business meant he’d spend more time in Las Vegas?

So there she sat, handling what work she could by way of her cell phone, mentally blocking out odors and wanting the meeting to be over.

“There he is!”

Ryan looked up when her brother spoke, and momentarily froze. The man—or was it the brother of Adonis?—who returned Dennis’s greeting was gorgeous, as though he’d stepped right out of a Wild West billboard ad and walked in for a meal. Everything about him screamed cowboy—Stetson hat, plaid shirt, snug-fitting denims and Western boots—all on a body for which it looked as though the clothes had been designed. But a cowboy with clean, manicured nails? That observation didn’t fit with her assumption at all. That could never happen. Tall, dark and handsome was way too common a statement to use for the hunk in front of her. But it fit. He was toned and fine with close-cropped curls, dark, intense eyes and lips made for kissing. He smiled and revealed the knockout punch, a dimple. Ryan had always been a sucker for those.

For once, a temporarily speechless Ryan was grateful for her older brother’s big mouth. She dropped her eyes down to her cell phone to call up composure and pull reasonable bits of calm and collected back from whatever part of her mind they’d fled.

“Good to see you,” Dennis continued, as Hunkalicious sat down in one of two remaining wooden seats around the square table. “Couldn’t believe when the waiter told us this was your place. Guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, you running a cattle ranch and all. The server who seated us swore the burgers here were the best in the West. Didn’t she, Ryan?”

Ryan meant to look at her brother, but of their own accord her eyes were drawn to the ones now boring into her with a casual intensity, deep chocolate orbs that fairly twinkled, framed by slightly arched eyebrows and long curly lashes.

She refocused on Dennis. “Yes, she did.”

Actually Ryan hadn’t been paying attention while Dennis flirted with the server. But since this guy her brother was trying to impress owned the establishment, she felt a little creative conversation was justified.

“You remember me talking about the Breedloves, right? The family who owns the CANN hotel on the Strip? This is one of the brothers, Adam. He and I went to high school together.”

“Hello.” Adam’s smile was warm and genuine.

“Hi.” Ryan suddenly felt shy, a rare occurrence. But she maintained eye contact.

“I don’t think you ever met Ryan,” Dennis continued. “She’s my kid sister. Growing up she was a nuisance. I rarely allowed her around.”

Ryan’s brow raised at her brother’s comment. Not that it wasn’t true. As a precocious eight-year-old with a newfound love for board games and sports, she’d followed her fearless, then-fourteen-year-old athletic big brother around like a puppy, wanted to be where he was and to do what he did. For him, it was so not cool.

“I can’t imagine you being a nuisance.” Adam held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

His voice reminded her of how a good brandy tasted—earthy, spicy, with a warmth that burned gently on its way down. She took his hand and noted its softness. He may own a ranch, but this definitely wasn’t a man who spent his days herding cattle or baling hay.

“Likewise,” she replied.

It was the merest caress, just a light squeeze of the hand she placed in his. But for Ryan it transmitted all sorts of messages. That he was thoughtful and gentle, yet strong and secure. He was probably a fabulous lover. Ryan had no idea why the thought crossed her mind. She couldn’t have cared less, but there was something about him...

Ryan wasn’t the only one smitten. Am I smitten? Surely not! At least half a dozen other females within her line of vision were, and definitely their cute server with perfectly coiffed twists, who bounced up to their table wearing a smile as bright as her starched white shirt.

“Hey, Adam!”

“Hello, Zoe, a ray of sunshine, as always. Zoe is our top server,” Adam said to Dennis and Ryan. “When she heads off to college next year, it’ll be our loss.”

“Mine, too,” she lamented. “I’m going to miss eating here almost every day and seeing...everybody.”

Ryan felt anyone looking at the lovestruck teen would assume that “everybody” was Adam.

Zoe turned to Ryan. “What can I get for you today?”

“Why don’t you start us out with drinks and an appetizer trio tray?” Adam interjected. “I’ll run down the menu so they can make informed choices.”

“Great idea.” Zoe pulled out a small electronic tablet and recorded their drink orders. “For the trio, how about beer balls, fried pickles and onion strings? Those are the most popular items on the starter list.”

“Beer balls?” Ryan asked.

“It does sound a bit weird,” Zoe replied with a laugh. “They’re meatballs, made with Breedlove beef and spicy pork, then coated with a beer batter and deep-fried.”

“Sounds delicious,” Dennis said.

“Ryan?” Adam looked at her.

A slight hesitation and then, “That’s fine.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Don’t mind her,” Dennis said. “She’s one of those funny eaters...a vegetarian.”

“Really?” Adam perched his Stetson on a wall hook, then reared back in his chair and observed her. “You don’t eat beef or pork?”

“Nothing with a face,” Ryan responded.

“Not chicken, either, or fish?”

The incredulity in his voice made Ryan laugh out loud. “None of the above.”

Adam shook his head. “I’m a meat-and-potatoes man to the bone. For me, living that way would be like dying a slow and painful death.” He picked up the restaurant menu, a simple two-sided sheet covered in plastic, and placed it back down with hardly a glance. “We have a couple salads on the menu,” he suggested. “They’re fairly straightforward but I’ve eaten them a time or two. Honestly, they don’t get ordered much. But we wanted a few healthier options along with all the fried stuff. We also have a turkey burger but that won’t help you, either.”

“No, but it’s okay. I’m not that hungry.”

“But if you were, your choices would be limited. Honestly, with all the time we spent on the menu we didn’t give vegetarians much consideration. This is a huge meat-eating town, everything with a face.”

Ryan laughed. This guy was delightful.

“How long has it been since you’ve eaten meat?” Adam asked.

“About five years.”

“Why’d you stop?”

“Because a screw came loose,” Dennis joked. “Anyone who’d turn down a good burger can’t be right in the head.”

Adam looked at Dennis but didn’t laugh. Ryan appreciated his nonresponse to her brother’s barb. For as much as she loved Dennis, he could be a bully and often made her uneasy. Hurtful, disparaging comments in the guise of teasing were something she’d endured from him for much of her life.

“Do you work with your brother?” Adam asked in her silence.

Ryan glanced at Dennis. His eyes conveyed a message that she couldn’t read. Her answer was noncommittal. “Not really.”

“She doesn’t butcher cows,” Dennis said. “But she does work for me from time to time, typing and other things that can be done online. She’s really good at stuff like that.”

What? Updating Dennis’s résumé and typing up a couple reports hardly qualified her as being Dennis’s employee, especially when she did those things for free. Again Ryan assumed this was part of why she’d been brought here. To contradict him outright wouldn’t look good. Dennis wouldn’t like it. Ryan’s mother had taught her a long time ago that Dennis was the golden child and image was everything. Even so, she barely concealed the question from being broadcast on her face.

“You live here?” Adam asked.

“Yes,” Ryan answered.

Dennis turned to Ryan. “Adam works with his family but he has his own company, too, Breedlove Ranch, where they raise cows for market.

“You guys hiring?” he asked Adam. “If you have any openings in the office, Ryan here would make a great employee.”

This time the message in Dennis’s glance was clearly conveyed. Play along.

Ryan gripped her fingers together beneath the table. Otherwise she could imagine them around her brother’s neck! To say that she worked with Dennis was ludicrous, and that she’d have anything to do with a company that bred animals for food was an outright lie.

But then Adam looked at her with those bedroom eyes and said, “I’m intrigued. Tell me more.”

And Ryan felt that appearing to go along with her pushy brother, at least through lunch, couldn’t hurt. She didn’t see herself seriously dating a sexy meat-and-potatoes stallion like Adam. But she could certainly ride him for a night or two.


Two (#uffc5c4d3-f589-550a-b865-0692651776ed)

Adam was surprised at how Dennis teased his sister, and didn’t like it at all. He’d been on the receiving end of such treatment. That’s how he and Dennis had become friends. The guy he remembered from high school was one who defended people who were being treated badly. That he’d been rude to his sister bothered Adam, maybe more than it should. He sensed Ryan wasn’t comfortable with the situation, either. So he decided to let the matter go...for now.

Zoe returned with their drinks and to take their entrée order. Dennis and Adam opted for the house specialty and the most popular menu item—a half pound of Breedlove beef on a toasted bun topped with onion strings, dill pickle slices, and a homemade condiment blend of spicy mustard and creamy aioli.

Adam looked at Ryan. “Would you like a salad, possibly with smashed potatoes or fries?”

“What type of oil is used to cook them?” Ryan asked.

“Good question,” Adam said. “I have no idea.”

Ryan’s query led to a visit from the chef. Once schooled in the preparation of her limited choices, her order was taken.

Dennis took a large swig of beer and then set down the bottle. “So, Adam...how’d you go from casinos to cows?”

Adam shrugged. “Wasn’t planned, although if you’ll remember, I always had a little bit of cowboy in me.”

Dennis grinned. “That I do recall.”

“Me and Christian had accompanied my father on a trip to Tokyo, where we’d just opened a second hotel. For dinner our host served us Kobe beef. It was hands down the best bite of meat I’d ever put in my mouth. I asked the host about its origins and basically became obsessed with finding out everything I could about how it was processed. When a family meeting led to a large tract of unused land being up for grabs, I jumped at the chance to come as close as I could to producing that taste in America. It’s been five years in the making, but we’re confident that Breedlove Ranch is about to deliver that product. Not Kobe, of course—that type can only come from the region that bears its name—but the best Wagyu beef ever produced in this country.”

“Is that what’s served here?” Dennis asked.

Adam shook his head. “Not yet. We’ve had customers sample the Wagyu, but here we’ll continue to offer the less expensive prime Black Angus.”

He looked over as Ryan made a face. “Sorry about that.”

“No problem,” Ryan responded.

“Tell that to your face,” Adam drawled. “You just scrunched up your nose like you got a whiff of poo.”

The comment caused Ryan to burst out laughing yet again. From a woman who Adam felt was somewhat guarded, the sound was as carefree as it was unexpected. It was a sound he decided he quite liked. A lot.

“Where is your meat processed?” Dennis asked.

Adam glanced at Ryan before answering. “Until now we’ve sold the bulk of cattle wholesale, keeping back a supply for the hotel, a few restaurants and stores in this area, that are processed by a small, family-owned business in Henderson. But we’re four to eight weeks away from completing our own facility.”

“Having your own processing plant has got to be exciting.”

“It is,” Adam replied. “Four thousand square feet, state of the art.”

Adam saw Ryan reach for her purse. “Excuse me,” she said, standing up.

“Don’t go,” Adam responded. “We can talk shop another time.”

“No, really. It’s okay. I want to wash my hands.”

Adam watched her walk away. He was struck by her beauty to be sure—curvy figure, curly hair, skin the color of hot cocoa and he imagined just as sweet. But there was something else about her, an aura of calm assuredness, a peacefulness that somehow calmed him, too. These days, as he balanced his responsibilities at CANN International with the expanded growth and heightening profile of Breedlove Ranch and the beef it produced, moments of true tranquility were in short supply.

“I see you,” Dennis said with a smile in his voice. “Checking out my sister.”

Until then Adam didn’t realize he’d been staring. “I never knew you had a sister. I remember your brother Charles, but not her.”

“Everyone thought Charles and I were brothers. He’s my cousin.”

“You’re right, I didn’t know that. We became close rather quickly in high school but you were a senior when we met. It was only that one year.”

“Makes sense about Ryan,” Dennis replied. “That you never met her. She was several years behind us in school and I don’t think you ever came to my home.”

“That’s because you guys were always wanting to come over to mine!”

“Heck, yeah. Who wouldn’t? Swimming pools. Horses. A full basketball court. Dinners made to order from a personal chef. Going to your house was like going to Hollywood! I couldn’t believe people really lived like that. You’re one lucky dude.”

“I’ll admit to luck in being born a Breedlove. After that, everything was hard work.”

“I know all about hard work,” Dennis said.

“At the meatpacking plant, right?” Dennis nodded. “How does Ryan fit into your operation?”

Adam ignored Dennis’s knowing smile, one that suggested the sister had been brought along to help seal the deal. It was a good move and a smart one, but Adam figured Dennis didn’t have to know that.

“Like I said, she’s helped out here and there. But she doesn’t live in Bakersfield, hasn’t in a while. She went to school in San Diego and lived there after graduation. Until about three months ago when she moved here.”

“Why’d she move?”

Dennis shrugged. “She got a degree in some kind of natural medicine or something. I don’t know much about it. But I know she isn’t working anywhere yet. She probably needs a job.”

“And you think she’d be comfortable working on a ranch?”

Ryan returned to the table. “Talking about me?”

Adam stood but he was too late. Ryan had already pulled out her chair. He waited until she’d sat down before returning to his seat.

“Dennis thinks you’d be a good fit for my operation. He says your administrative skills are impressive.”

And if they are half as impressive as the view of your backside as you walked away from the table...

Adam shut down the inappropriate thought, gave himself a mental chastisement, forgave himself because his thought was the truth, then refocused his attention on Ryan.

“I handled a few items for him in the past, but that was a long time ago. I’m focused on developing my own business right now.”

“Which is?”

“Naturopathy,” Ryan said after a pause.

“What’s that?” Adam asked as he watched Ryan stiffen as though expecting a verbal blow. Dennis didn’t disappoint.

“A hobby,” Dennis said.

“My career,” Ryan countered, a cool breeze skittering over the previously warm and calm demeanor Adam had earlier observed.

“Lunch is served!” Zoe announced as she arrived at their table, moving a few items before expertly setting down a circular tray. “Both the pickles and onion strings are vegan,” she said to Ryan, having obviously spoken with the chef. “The barbecue sauce is also vegan but the buttermilk ranch contains dairy. Your entrées will be up in about ten minutes. Bon appétit!”

“These are cool,” Ryan said, using the tongs hooked to the bowl to pull out a wad of thinly cut and battered onion slices. “Onion strings, huh? I’ve had onion rings and a flowering onion but never ones quite like this.”

“That’s Miguel’s handiwork. He puts a unique spin on any dish he touches.”

“I like the beer balls,” Dennis said around the food he’d picked up with his fingers and plopped into his mouth. “That big old juicy burger will be even better. Good old cow meat,” he continued, smacking loudly and reaching for another meatball.

“Older brothers can be a pain in the butt,” he said to Ryan. “I know, I’ve got one, too.”

Ryan smiled. Adam immediately wanted to think of something else witty to make her smile again.

“Good to know someone else understands my pain.”

“He’s not all bad, though,” Adam continued. “Standing up to bullies is how I met your brother.”

“You mean he wasn’t one of them?”

Adam laughed. “Not that time.”

“What happened?” Ryan asked.

Adam and Dennis exchanged a look.

Adam thought back to the day as a freshman in high school where he had fought an admirable but losing battle against four students who’d ganged up against him—at first verbally, then physically. Dennis had come to Adam’s defense. The two had quickly regained the upper hand before school administrators rushed into the melee and broke up the fight. It was Adam’s last physical fight. That summer his muscles filled out and he grew six inches. Once his dyslexia was properly diagnosed, his popularity grew along with his confidence. But still, scars remained. There were traces of the disability that lingered to this day.

“Kids were always teasing me. One day, I found myself in a fight where I was outnumbered,” Adam said. “Your brother jumped in and helped me out. That’s how we became friends.”

“Interesting,” Ryan said, giving her brother a look that Adam couldn’t quite read.

“I always appreciated how you took up for me,” Adam finished. “Just like one of my brothers would, had they been there. It showed character, which is very important to me. That along with loyalty, honesty and respect are the principle virtues I look for in people I work with. Which is why I wanted to have lunch with you today, Dennis. You mentioned your sister working for me but actually the opening I’m trying to fill ASAP requires a different skill set. The person we’d hired to manage my processing facility was involved in a serious automobile accident. He’s alive, but his recovery isn’t going to allow for the type of rigor required for that position. Are you interested?”

Dennis sat back. “Wow, really, Adam? You’re offering me the job of managing your meat-processing operation?”

“I’m asking if you’re interested. We’d still need to go through the application process, but if everything from there is in order then yes, I’d feel good in you having that job.”

“Thanks, man. I appreciate it and yes, I’m very interested. I’ve always loved your family’s land. Working on it would be my pleasure.”

“I might come up to Bakersfield,” Adam said. “Get a look at your operation and see how it compares to ours.”

“Okay,” Dennis said, after a beat.

Adam found the hesitation odd but didn’t dwell on it. Now that he’d potentially solved a huge dilemma, a delay that would have put a serious wrench in their scheduled plant launch, he was ready to find out more about Ryan. Whether or not he ended up working with Dennis, he wanted to see more of her. Before parting ways he asked Dennis to send him a proposal, and asked Ryan for her number.

“Why?” Ryan asked, her expression suggesting she couldn’t think of a reason why he’d need to talk to her.

Adam smiled slightly, impressed. Most women were all too eager to give him their number. He was appreciative of one who hesitated. “To talk about food,” he replied, “and what types of vegetarian options might work with our current menu.”

She seemed relieved that his reason was work related. It wasn’t the only one, of course, but it was as good of an excuse as any.


Three (#uffc5c4d3-f589-550a-b865-0692651776ed)

Ryan hadn’t been surprised yesterday when Dennis ran off before she could confront him. He hadn’t returned her calls from last night or yesterday, either. Blindsiding her with a job she’d never heard of in front of the man wanting to hire him was pretty low, even for a brother known for sometimes being underhanded. But honestly, Ryan couldn’t be totally mad. Adam Breedlove was one hot man. She had no intention of working at Breedlove Ranch but she could put in a personal shift or two with the boss. She’d been in the city for three months without dating. One day after the other had been all work, no play. Dennis’s friend could prove a nice lightweight diversion. A little sin in Sin City every now and again.

The prospect of a rendezvous with the cowboy was totally titillating, but Ryan forced her mind back to where it belonged this Monday morning—on her practice, and building it up. After years of sharing “her hobby” as Dennis had called it with friends, classmates and coworkers, she’d gotten serious about her love for alternative healing and obtained a bachelor’s degree in naturopathy, specializing in plant medicine, biophysics, massage therapy and nutrition. She’d simultaneously pursued and received certificates in energetic healing and emotional frequency technique from the prestigious Institute of Higher Holistic Learning in La Jolla, California. From her childhood until her early-adult years as she came into her own, she’d sought to please others and be what they thought she should be. After learning of her passion, her parents had suggested traditional medicine, had thought she should pursue a nursing degree. But Ryan had finally followed her heart and become submerged in Eastern medicine and alternative forms of healing. Those three years of expedited learning were the best ones of her life. This was also when she’d met her ex, which had added some worst moments to those educational years.

While attending an expo during her senior year she’d met Brooklyn, a woman named for where she’d been born, who’d moved cross-country to Las Vegas, a place Ryan had doubted she’d ever return to live. But their long conversations on the alternative and holistic landscape evolved into others on working in complementary fields. Their shared interests and similar personalities led to them being best friends, the sister Ryan had always wanted. Brooklyn suggested they open a practice together. Ryan jumped at the chance to have her own business. That’s why she’d moved back to Las Vegas. Not the only one, but the one she felt most comfortable admitting. The other reasons were complicated, both hopeful and painful. There were secrets she hadn’t unearthed and couldn’t share...yet.

Ryan’s ringing landline startled her out of daydreaming. A blessed interruption, she inwardly noted, while crossing the airy living room of her Summerlin townhome. No doubt it was Brooklyn, calling to make sure Ryan was on schedule and that she’d make it to their appointment on time.

“Yes, I’m ready. Five minutes and I’m out the door.”

“Um, okay, but where are we going?”

Ryan’s heart raced. “Adam?”

He chuckled, a sound that sent goose bumps dancing over her skin.

“I hope it’s okay that Dennis gave me your home number. I tried your cell phone a couple times but didn’t hear back, and the question I have is time-sensitive so I called your brother.”

Halfway through his explanation, Ryan had begun searching for her cell. She’d checked the living room and master bedroom. Now she headed toward the garage.

“Ryan, are you there? If this is a bad time—”

“No, it isn’t,” Ryan said, while lying on her belly and searching her car’s back seat. “I’m looking for my cell phone that I now realize I haven’t heard ring all morning.”

“When is the last time you remember having it?”

“Definitely this morning before leaving the house. I tried calling Dennis in fact and...aw!”

“Whoa, are you okay?”

“Yes!” Ryan laughed. “I just remembered where it was.” She headed into her house and the bedroom. “I forgot I placed it in my yoga bag before going into the studio.”

She found the bag in her closet, opened it up and retrieved the phone. “Listen, Adam, if you’re calling about what Dennis is doing—”

“I’m not.”

“Oh.” Ryan glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost time to head out for her meeting. But she had five minutes. She sat down. Adam’s voice was better than a massage. It made her feel all noodly, if that was even a word.

“What’s up?”

“Magic, if you’re into that sort of thing.”

If you’re doing the tricks, I very well could be. “What kind of magic?”

“What kind do you like?”

His voice had lowered just enough for Ryan to imagine a double entendre. If his bedroom moves were half as sexy as that raspy tenor...

“All kinds, I guess. I find fantasy entertaining. The ability to conjure another type of world within this one is an incredible skill.”

“I agree. Our hotel is hosting a private premiere that we feel is going to be very special. It is a show that blends illusion with dance, great music and scenes. Rather than separate tricks, an entire story is told. The guy is from Denmark. His name is Valdemar.”

“Never heard of him.”

“Few have, in America. At least not yet. And no one in the way he’ll be presented at CANN. The show is tomorrow night and I’d like very much for you to join me.”

“It sounds interesting. What time?” Ryan asked, as though it mattered. Mentally, she was already going through her closet for what to wear, but a girl couldn’t appear too hasty.

“The show starts at nine but I was hoping you’d also join me for dinner. I spoke with hotel management, who recommended a couple of our restaurants with stellar vegan and vegetarian choices.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you.” Or presumptive.

“I wanted to be prepared, just in case you said yes.”

Ryan hesitated.

“I know it’s late notice. I wasn’t planning to go until, well, I caught a bit of the rehearsal and what I saw blew me away.”

“It sounds incredible, Adam. I’d love to join you.”

“May I pick you up around...six thirty?”

“Are you sure? I could meet you there.”

“No way. I’ll come to you. What’s your address?”

Ryan rattled off her address while gathering her tablet and a couple folders and placing them in a stylish hemp tote. She ended the call, exchanged house shoes for a pair of wooden throwback clogs that she adored, placed her clutch inside the tote and walked to the car with her cell phone in hand. There was one more call she needed to make.

As soon as her Bluetooth engaged, Ryan called Dennis, at the office this time. “I need to speak to my brother, Katy. I know he’s there so tell him to pick up or I’m coming over.”

“Um, Dennis isn’t here,” Katy said.

“You sound uncertain. Are you sure?”

“Let me check and call you back.”

“I’ve been waiting for callbacks, Katy. I hate to put you in the middle of this, but I really need to talk to Dennis, now.”

“I’ll find him for you and either he’ll call back or I will, promise.”

Ten minutes later, her phone rang.

“Hey, sis!”

“Don’t ‘sis’ me. You owe me an explanation regarding lunch this weekend. What was that about?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know full well what I mean. I never worked for you, have zero interest in being a secretary and am not looking for a job. Of course you don’t know this because you never asked me. We haven’t talked in weeks.”

“Ah, Ryan, don’t be upset. I could tell Adam liked you and played on it is all, hoping his interest in you would give me an advantage when I asked him for a job. Turns out that didn’t happen because he asked me!”

Ryan sighed. “I’m glad it worked out for you, Dennis. But from here on out, don’t put me in the middle of your business, okay?”

“That’s fair, sis. I just have one more request.”

“What?”

“You’re coming home next week, right?”

“How do you know about that?”

“Mom told me.”

“Yes, I’m going home. Why?”

“Adam wants to visit my, um, facility and I thought it would be cool if I schedule his visit at the same time you’re here so we can all have dinner together.”

“What’d I just say about involving me in your meat-factory business? I don’t want to take part in it.”

“I know, and after this, you won’t. It’s just that Adam is big on family, huge. Mom likes that and wants to have him over for dinner. Your being here could be a buffer. Mom isn’t always the most gracious person, you know.”

“Yes, I know.” She had a son who was just like her.

Ryan reached the block where her business rental was located. She pulled into the parking lot, found a space and parked.

“I get a feeling there’s more to this. What aren’t you telling me?”

“That’s it, I swear! Mom says you’ll be here Friday. I’ll ask Adam to come up then, and Mom will do dinner that night. Cool?” Ryan’s eyes narrowed as she tried to get a feel for what was really going on.

“It’s all about family, Ryan. I’m asking you to help me the way we’ve helped you, all right?”

Of course he’d pull that card. “I guess, but after this I’m out. Are we clear?”

Dennis laughed. “Don’t get all huffy just because you’ve got a billionaire interested in you. I could tell him a few things to make him change his mind.”

Ryan ended the call more conflicted than ever. Going on the date with Adam now felt like a bad idea. She found him super good-looking and was madly attracted, but did she really want to go on a date and maybe sleep with a guy that her brother might end up working with? Someone she might have to see after a fling?

No, she didn’t. She couldn’t, especially now, just as she was about to open her business. Few people knew what Dennis threatened to share with Adam, details of a painful past she’d worked hard to overcome. One that for twenty years her adoptive mother, Ida, had encouraged her to keep secret. She’d demanded that her “embarrassing” birth mother, Phyllis, be left in the past. That Ryan had been in contact with Phyllis off and on for the past five years would definitely anger her. As would the latest secret, that for the first time in Ryan’s life, she was going to try and find her birth father.

Dennis was right. There were things Adam didn’t know, facts hidden beneath a carefully crafted facade of perfectly placed secrets. Even without her dysfunctional history, a man like Adam was clearly out of her league. For a while, though, she’d forgotten, had allowed herself to believe that she could have the fairy-tale life of her childhood dreams. Happily-ever-after came only in books, something Ryan would do well to remember.


Four (#uffc5c4d3-f589-550a-b865-0692651776ed)

Adam strolled out of the hotel’s private entrance, eased into the roomy back seat of the car that awaited and clipped the hanger holding his suit jacket over the bar. He hoped Ryan wouldn’t consider his transportation choice bougie, although that was a fairly apt description for an executive limousine. Any other woman and he wouldn’t have given it a second thought, knew that picking up most dates in the company’s brand-new four-seater SUV limo would impress them right out of their undies. Not that he was thinking about Ryan’s lingerie. He’d be lying to say that since meeting her such thoughts hadn’t crossed his mind from time to time.

Ryan lived in Summerlin, just over ten miles from the Strip. Adam thought of a few things he could do in the twenty-five or so minutes it would take to reach her, longer if traffic didn’t cooperate. There were emails to answer, phone calls to return. But instead of returning calls or checking texts or browsing emails he dropped his head, closed his eyes and thought about how Ryan had tried to get out of attending the show with him tonight. He couldn’t remember ever having a woman try to break a date. Why had Ryan? And for a man who could go out with just about anyone he wanted, especially when only interested in a casual good time, maybe a bedroom rodeo, why had her canceling their date not been an option?

“Something came up,” she’d said. He’d told her she couldn’t cancel. When asked why he’d calmly replied, “This is a major event with huge implications for the continued success of this particular hotel venue. Every RSVP has already been tabulated into the report for our board. I can’t show up alone and there is no time to call in a replacement. You’ve given your word. I’ll be there in an hour.” Five minutes later, he’d walked to the car.

What Ryan didn’t know was that what Breedloves wanted, Breedloves got. Period, point-blank, end of story.

They pulled into one of Summerlin’s planned communities and onto a street ending in a cul-de-sac framed by townhome-styled condos. One had a red door with earthen pots on each side, brimming with flowers and greenery.

“A hundred bucks that’s Ryan’s home,” he said to the driver, who checked the address and nodded at Adam.

“Good thing I didn’t take you up on that bet.”

Adam got out of the car and strolled up to the door. A burst of excitement spread from his core to his groin. With a smorgasbord of women to choose from any given night of the week, he’d grown jaded to the art of wining and dining. It felt good to be excited. He rang the bell.

“Un momento,” she sang out. Gringo Spanish. He thought about Miguel and smiled.

In less than a minute, she opened the door. Adam turned, but wasn’t ready for the woman he saw. Not this Ryan—part innocent femininity, part femme fatale. The dress, long and flowing, following her curves like water followed the falls. The color almost matched her tawny skin, making him imagine her nude. At the restaurant her curls had been tamed by a band on top of her head but tonight they bounced wild and free, framing her face and brushing her shoulders. They teased his senses; he wanted to touch. He liked that she wore little makeup yet still looked flawless. Her lips kissed with a color of gloss that reminded him of a fine wine. He wanted a taste. How was it that with most of her body covered she managed to look so sexy?

“Hello” was all he said at first because it was all he could manage.

“Hi.”

“I’m sorry for earlier, and sounding so forceful. It’s just that I couldn’t take no for an answer.”

“It’s okay. Everything...worked out.” Ryan turned and locked the door. Adam offered his arm. Her touch was light, yet a thunderbolt of desire shot through his heart, ricocheted off a vein and zoomed into his groin.

He helped her enter the vehicle, then got in on the other side.

“You look...stunning.”

The smile that she gave him could have cured a disease. “I hoped it would be appropriate. I wasn’t sure.”

“It’s perfect.”

“Thank you.”

Adam’s brow furrowed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“It’s just that... Yes. Really, I’m fine.”

The SUV pulled away from the curb. Ryan took in the roomy interior. “This is nice.”

She sat perched on the seat, taking in the swank decor. “I’ve never been in something like this before. From the outside it looked like an SUV but in here...”

He watched as she ran her hand across the lambskin seat. Her eyes, initially reticent, now sparkled while examining the console, with its built-in bottle chiller, various openers and glass rack. She stopped suddenly, as if becoming aware of her innocent wonder. She may have thought he’d find it amusing. He thought it endearing, and with a trail of showgirls, sycophants and rich chicks in his wake, a breath of fresh air.

“So this is a limo?”

He nodded. “It’s called an executive SUV.”

“I like it.”

A brow raised. “You don’t mind that it has leather seats?”

“I’m not a member of the PETA police, Adam, you can relax.”

He made a big show of taking a breath, which made her laugh as he’d intended.

“While I don’t own a gun or a hunting license, my choice to be vegetarian is for nutritional reasons, mostly. I am cognizant of the earth’s precarious state and do what I can to try to protect the planet. I believe our bodies are our temples so I make an effort to be kind to mine. But I try not to be a holistic zealot trying to win everyone over to my point of view.

“That said...” She paused dramatically. “There are faux materials that work just as well or even better than cowhide, and mushroom dishes that would make you throw away your steak.”

“Baby,” Adam drawled, “unless that mushroom had hooves and could moo, trust me, there’d be no competition.”

She was funny and natural and easy to talk to, yet emanated a vulnerability that brought out his chivalrous side. He wanted to protect her. From what, he had no idea. By the time they’d rounded back to the hotel, the stress of Adam’s day had faded, the questions he’d had about her demeanor forgotten for now.

They entered the hotel through the private entrance and once inside the elevator, Adam accessed the panel to bypass all floors and take them straight to Zest, CANN Casino Hotel and Spa’s premier restaurant, located on the building’s one hundredth floor. As the elevator zoomed to the top, Ryan stepped closer to Adam and gripped his arm.

“Afraid of heights?”

“No, but I’m not fond of rockets masquerading as elevators.”

“I’ve got you, girl.” He placed an arm around her, grateful for a reason to brush a hand across her soft skin. “Stay close to me and don’t worry about a thing.”

The elevator doors opened, and as the host led them around the corner, Adam was rewarded with the gasp of awe that escaped every newcomer’s lips to the wonder that was the hotel’s crowning architectural and culinary masterpiece. With exquisite attention to detail, the main dining room, with a seating capacity for 140 guests, still afforded many booths semiprivacy, space between tables and an unobstructed view of the world beyond through floor-to-ceiling paneless windows that brought the outdoors inside. Classical music delicately played provided a subtle melody for the low murmur of conversation heard as Adam and Ryan were led to a booth. Its back created a wall between them and the other guests, while before them lay the whole of the Vegas Strip.

“Do you want to go for a closer look?”

Ryan shook her head as he finished the question. “It’s the most phenomenal view of this city I’ve ever seen, but believe me, I’m good.”

They sat down to a table set with linen and china, a bottle of sparkling water cooling on ice.

“This is so pretty,” Ryan said wistfully. “To think that this is everyday life for some people is a bit unbelievable. I feel like Cinderella.”

“Does that mean I’m your prince?”

“Until the clock strikes midnight,” Ryan said, her voice low as her eyes sparkled with seduction. Then, in an instant, the vulnerability reappeared. “Then I’ll have to run away before the carriage becomes a pumpkin and my clothes turn back to rags.”

“Have I told you how much I like rags?” Asked so earnestly that not only did Ryan laugh but Adam cracked himself up as well. “In fact I think I’m going to start a clothing line. Rags by Adam.”

“All cotton, no leather,” Ryan teased.

“Not cotton,” Adam responded, “leaves.”

Adam loved to hear Ryan laugh. While far from being a comedian, he’d turned the mood funny so that a certain body part straining to stand at attention would return to its at-ease position. The next few minutes was a parade of perfection as the sommelier, the maître d’ and their personal server ensured them the best of dining experiences.

After toasting to the belief in magic, the two newfound friends settled against their seats and looked at each other, comfortable in the silence, each in their own thoughts of what the night was and all it could become.

Ryan cocked her head. “What?”

“You don’t like me looking at you?”

“Worse could happen. But you’re frowning.”

“I guess I’m trying to figure you out. You’re as different from Dennis as night is from day. I only met your dad a time or two but I remember him as a quiet man. I’d say you were more like him.”

“I can be quiet,” Ryan replied. “I guess we have that in common.”

“So Dennis must be more like your mom.”

“They are almost exactly alike.”

“It will be good to see them again after all these years. And you’ll be there, too, Dennis says.”

Ryan nodded.

“Do you get back often to visit?”

“A few times a year, holidays mostly. But since my dad’s diagnosis, I’ve tried to go more frequently, and with the business about to open I thought that now, before that happened, would be a good time.”

“What’s going on with your father, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“He has chronic kidney disease.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Me, too.”

“How long has he had it?”

“Apparently much longer than anyone realized. He battled diabetes and high blood pressure for years. No one knew how much havoc was being wreaked on his kidneys. The symptoms were always attributed to what we already knew.”

Adam observed the hurt reflected in Ryan’s face as she nervously bit her lip. Clearly, she loved her father. For a Breedlove, that kind of family devotion was a very endearing trait.

“Is that what made you want to study...”

“Naturopathy? That was part of it. But I’ve always had compassion for anyone hurting. I watched people struggle and wanted to help them, especially as a little girl.”

Adam watched as another flicker of pain flitted across her face. He wondered who caused it even as he felt an urge to protect her from it ever happening again.

“My parents thought I’d be a nurse. But I can’t stand the sight of blood, which in the field of nursing is a bit problematic.”

“Then you’d definitely not fare well at a meat-processing plant.”

“Definitely not. During my senior year of high school I went to a job fair and discovered alternative-based medicine. It’s where I first heard the word naturopathy. Before the hour was over I knew what I wanted to do. Now, I’m here.”

“About to open your own business?”

“Yes. Me and a partner are opening our own practice in a strip mall not far from here.”

“What services will you offer?”

“My specialties include whole food nutrition, that’s a plant-centered diet, and energy healing that includes therapeutic massage.”

“Hmm.” Adam’s eyes brightened. “I’ve got a few kinks. Can you work them out?”

“Kinks I can get rid of, but your eyes are sending a more kinky vibe. I’m not sure I can take care of that.”

“But you could try.” He reached for Ryan’s hand. It was soft and delicate, engulfed in his much larger one. Her nails were manicured and squared. She wore no rings. “Yes, I think you should try. These feel like magic hands.”

“They’re healing hands,” Ryan corrected, slowly pulling her hand out of his while looking in his eyes.

It was as though Adam felt every cell on her delicate skin. He wanted the time to touch more of it, all of it, everywhere. “For someone who’s sick, healing is magical. And I get the feeling that for any number of ailments that I might encounter, your...magic...could be the cure.”

The teasing continued, flirting increased and lust heightened through six incredible courses. Just as they finished up a decadent concoction of sweetness that gave dates, coconut, gelato and cacao nibs new meaning, Adam checked his watch. The timing was perfect. The show was set to begin in the Jewel, a two-thousand-seat state-of-the-art arena named for Adam’s grandmother. Between the two of them a bottle of Krug had disappeared. Alcohol always stirred Adam’s libido and it appeared to stoke Ryan’s fire as well.

The arm that held Ryan’s slid to her waist as they neared the elevator. She wasn’t petite exactly, and her body felt toned, but her five foot five was overshadowed by his six foot two, even with her sexy stilettos. He felt protective and probably wouldn’t have been able to keep his hands off her even if he hadn’t remembered her aversion to the fast-moving car.

“Are you ready for magic?” he asked as they descended.

She turned to him, her eyes sincere. “I thought it had already begun.”

Adam squeezed her waist gently and then dropped his hand. It wasn’t Ryan’s fault that she’d lit him up like a match soaked in gasoline. His body was burning with desire. He hoped in time the enchanter beside him could help douse the flame.


Five (#uffc5c4d3-f589-550a-b865-0692651776ed)

Her birthday wasn’t for another two weeks, but Ryan knew that no celebration she could dream up or afford would top what was happening tonight. Since this was the only date she’d have with Adam, she intended to make the most of it. The champagne helped her push thoughts of possible repercussions or regrets to the back of her mind. As they ascended the stairs to enter the Jewel arena, she was aware of both admiring and envious eyes. Adam cut a suave figure as he walked next to her in a suit tailored to the perfection of his lean frame. The finely spun black wool matched his close-cropped curls, soft, she knew, because her hand had brushed across them in the elevator when she’d picked an imaginary piece of lint from his suit jacket collar, just to be able to touch them. The white shirt he’d paired it with emphasized his bronze skin and dark brown eyes. He walked with assurance and purpose, seemingly comfortable with all of the attention afforded him. For Ryan, this was a whole new world, one in which she wondered if she could ever be comfortable. Adam had called her beautiful but her dress, as much as she liked it and as pretty as it was, paled in comparison to the diamonds, beaded gowns and designer everything that surrounded her. She saw more than one woman sweep her from head to toe and decide she was hardly worthy of Adam’s attention, much less his arm. The devil on her shoulder told her they were right. She tried to ignore them by going within as Brooklyn would tell her, to summon an inner angel to counter those negative voices with the truth, that she was enough, just the way she was.

It also helped still feelings of inadequacy by looking past judgmental faces and focusing on the elaborate entryway. It was, in a word, magnificent, and the interior, too. She thought it impossible for any space to outdo Zest but that feat had been accomplished. When it came to glitz and glam, Las Vegas was known for its gaudy, sometimes garish displays. But in this room the theme of jewels was understated and sophisticated. The ceiling twinkled with them, like stars in the sky, a 3-D effect allowing one to believe they could reach out and touch them, while in actuality they were more than thirty feet away. They reached a center aisle dividing the orchestra section from the lower tier. Adam led them down that center aisle toward a curtained entry.

“I probably should have warned you sooner,” he said softly as they passed through the curtain and mounted a short flight of stairs. “But you’re about to meet my parents.”

She stopped their movement. “What?”

“They won’t bite you,” he said, and the dazzling smile he shared with her chased the initial panic away. “But just so you know, my mom’s a matchmaker who’ll try to learn your life between acts. You’re under no obligation to allow her to pry, or to answer questions, no matter how skillful her attempted extraction. Are we good?”

“I guess so,” she responded. They continued around the corner and up another short flight. “Though had I known I was going to be meeting your family I may not have drunk that last glass of champagne.”

“Don’t worry, Ryan Washington. Just be yourself.”

They entered a private box to the right of the aisle. It contained ten chairs, of which six were occupied. A beautiful couple sat in the two front left chairs. They turned and smiled. At once Ryan knew they were Adam’s parents. He had his dad’s eyes and his mother’s smile. There was another couple beside them of similar age and a handsome young man behind them stamped with the Breedlove beauty that the girl beside him clearly adored. She took in this tableau within the seconds it took to cross the wide aisle and enter the booth.

Both older men stood. “Mr. Chapman!” Adam returned the middle-aged gentleman’s hearty greeting and kissed the hand of the woman smiling at them from her seat. “Sherry, you look lovely as always.

“Greg, Sherry, this is Ryan Washington. Ryan, the Chapmans. Greg works at CANN and both are longtime friends.”

Ryan shook their hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you. Sherry, I love your necklace.”

“I was just going to say the same about yours. I’ve never seen a design quite like it. So...bohemian chic!”

Ryan’s hand went to the chakra necklace she’d purchased during a visit to Taos, New Mexico. Made with crystals ranging from amethyst to yellow topaz to trapiche emeralds, the jewelry had cost a small fortune, a graduation present to herself. “It’s one of my favorite pieces.”

“Dear, you wear it very well.”

They continued to where the woman Ryan assumed was Adam’s mother stood with his father, a thought that was confirmed when he gave both a warm embrace.

“About time you got here,” the man said. “The doors will lock once the show starts and this is one you don’t want to miss.”

“We were here,” Adam responded. “Just finishing dinner at Zest.”

Ryan noted a suddenly raised brow above the kind eyes that viewed her. “You had dinner at Zest?” she asked. She looked from Adam to Ryan. “The lovely woman on your arm must be special indeed!”

“Ryan had never been there,” Adam answered. “Mom, Dad, this is Ryan Washington. She’s Dennis Washington’s sister. Remember the guy who used to beg for Gabe’s cinnamon rolls every time he came to the house?”

“The young man who that one summer practically lived in our pool?” Mrs. Breedlove asked.

“That was Dennis,” Adam responded with a laugh. “Ryan, these are two of the greatest parents in the world, my mom, Victoria, and my dad, Nicholas.”

Victoria stepped forward and pulled Ryan into a light embrace. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Ryan. You look lovely tonight.”

“It is my pleasure,” Ryan responded. “I’m looking forward to the show.”

She offered a hand to Adam’s father but he brushed it away. “Handshakes are for business deals,” he said, giving her shoulders an affectionate squeeze. “Hugs are for friends of the family.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Breedlove.”

“Please, call me Nicholas.”

“Okay, Nicholas. Thank you.”

“And I’m Victoria.”

“All right.”

“Had I known you were bringing a guest,” Victoria said to Adam, “I would have rearranged the seating. It would have been great for your date and me to get to know each other better.”

“Exactly what I was afraid of,” Adam retorted, which earned him a frown from Ryan, a laugh from Nicholas and a slap on his forearm from Victoria. “Looks like the show will be starting soon. We’d better take our seats.”

After a quick introduction to one of Adam’s younger brothers, Noah, and his date, the two settled into comfortable, spacious seating where Ryan proceeded to be mesmerized by the best and most beautiful show she’d ever seen in her life. Valdemar was more than a magician; he was a creative genius who transported the audience to imaginary worlds.

A magnificently performed trick left Adam’s eyes bright with wonder, and Ryan even more thrilled to have been invited, to be the woman sitting beside him enjoying the show. When in the finale everything on the stage seemed to disappear, Ryan joined Adam and everyone around her in an enthusiastic standing ovation. The handsome Valdemar had almost convinced her that magic was real and dreams did come true. Ryan allowed herself to enjoy the moment but knew from experience that magic was for arenas like this and dreams were for sleeping. No matter how beautiful, eventually one woke up and the dream came to an end.

“Was that not the most spectacular show ever?” Victoria beamed, squeezing Ryan’s hands in her own.

“I’m speechless,” Ryan responded. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Victoria turned to Adam. “Are you two joining us backstage? There’s going to be a brief meet and greet and reception for the cast and special guests.”

Ryan looked at Adam. She could have drowned in the depth of desire she saw in his eyes. They’d rarely spoken throughout the magical performance but she knew he’d felt the energy emanating from the stage as deeply as she, and was fully prepared for him to turn down his mother’s invitation for a romp in the nearest hotel suite.

Instead he placed an arm around Ryan. “Would you like to meet Valdemar?”

“Of course.”

He looked at his parents. “After you,” he said.

Valdemar was as quietly introspective in person as he was gregarious and commanding onstage. They met other people, too, familiar faces Ryan had seen on television or in magazines. People were gracious, but Ryan couldn’t help feeling that she didn’t belong. She was glad when they left the Jewel and arrived at the car, where the driver stood at an open door. Happy that the trek through the hotel was over, Ryan climbed inside. Once seated, she immediately leaned forward and removed her shoes.

“Oh my goodness, my feet are killing me!”

Adam settled in beside her. “May I?”

Desire, already pooled at the base of her core, splashed and bubbled over, sprinkling her feminine flower with dew. “Sure.”

He hit a button. The privacy partition raised. His eyes bored into hers as he pulled her feet into his lap and ran a large hand over the sole of her foot. His gaze dropped then as strong, sure fingers began massaging her heel, pressing against the ball of her foot and caressing her toes one by one.

“Am I doing it correctly?” he asked.

Ryan closed her eyes and leaned into the limo’s cushiness. “That feels so good.”

He finished one foot and reached for the other. Ryan was vaguely aware that music had been turned on, barely recognizable because so was she! Who cared that he was out of her orbit? At the moment she wanted nothing more than for this man, Adam Breedlove, to make hot and passionate love to her, to send her to another world. Would he think her too easy if she asked for what she wanted, nothing deep or serious, but a night filled with mind-blowing pleasure, the kind she would have bet money that Adam could provide? He was Dennis’s friend, something that would have normally been problematic, except one, she’d never been attracted to any of his other friends, and two, what happened between her and Adam was something that Dennis didn’t need to know. She and Adam had flirted all evening. Had he been dropping real hints about how he wanted the evening to end, or just testing the waters? When she felt his fingers leave her heel and proceed up her ankle and gently squeeze her shin, she threw caution to the wind and decided to find out.

She lowered her foot so that it touched his leg, slowly ran it up his muscled thigh until it rested near his crotch. Her eyes flittered open to find his narrowing as he sucked in a breath. It was all the encouragement she needed. That single simple intake of air unleashed a torrent of physical craving from inside her, brought out a boldness not normally possessed. She brought her feet to the floor and shifted her body closer to him, placed a hand on his chest and leaned in.

“May I?” she asked in a whisper, catching his answer with her lips.

Adam responded by opening his mouth and swiping his tongue in a manner that suggested that she do the same. She did; their tongues touched and danced and mimicked each other, even as she felt Adam’s arm slide around to her waist and down to her butt. Having expected a kiss that was hard and demanding, as powerful as Adam’s long-legged strides, she was surprised at the softness with which he approached her, how he nibbled her lower lip and kissed her cheek before sliding his tongue back into her mouth. He kissed her slowly, thoroughly, as if savoring the taste of her. His leisurely kiss, deep and hot, drove Ryan crazy. She moved closer, her hands finally able to play in the curls the way she wanted before sliding down and over broad shoulders and back to the nape of his neck. Adam’s hands moved in time with hers, one sliding beneath the silky fabric of her dress and tickling her thighs. She moaned, her hips moving of their own accord, to a rhythm she wanted to dance with the partner beside her. Then something happened.

The car stopped.

Ryan opened her eyes and took in the red door of her condo, softly lit by the porch light she’d turned on when they left.

“We’re here already?” She sat back, straightening her dress. “That was fast.”

“Too fast,” Adam said.

She looked into his eyes, wondering if she should voice her desire. With this next question there’d be no turning back.

“Would you like to come inside?”

Adam’s smile was slight as he shook his head. “No. I want to go home.”

Her heart fell. A man like Adam? She should have known. She gathered her purse and made a move for the door.

Strong fingers clamped around her arm, holding her fast. “Wait! I want you to come with me so that we can...finish what we’ve started. Would you like that?”

Ryan laid her head on his shoulder. “I’d love that.”

She watched Adam push a button and tell the driver, “Elvis, change of plans. Take me home.”

Ryan closed her eyes as she felt Adam’s lips against her temple, his hand stroking her hair. Those blasted whispers tried to push through the haze of happiness and warn her that she was just being used and would then be tossed away. She shut her mind and refused to listen. She was a twenty-first-century woman who knew what she wanted. If in fact Adam was using her, so be it. Because tonight she planned to put his hard, strong body to good use, too.




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