She put her hand on his knee. “You still love her, Luke.”
“Yeah, but what about the support? I thought that’s what I was doing, but you’ve made me rethink everything.”
“I have?” She looked into his eyes, excitement humming through her. “You’re going to support her dream?”
“Even better. I’m going to offer her a vice presidency in the corporation.”
Giselle groaned.
“What’s wrong with that? You said I should ask her if she wants to be part of the business.”
“I know. But asking her if she wants to do that is a whole other thing from offering her a top job without any prior discussion. It will come out sounding like a bribe.”
“So I shouldn’t offer her a job?”
“Maybe eventually, but first you need to let her know you understand her yearning to be a dancer. You can show you understand by hiring her at the Silver Crescent. Then, sometime after that, you can offer her—”
“Can’t risk it. Once I give her a job dancing, she’s liable to love it so much that she won’t want to quit for some desk job.”
If she’d been close to a wall, she would have banged her head against it. Or, better yet, banged his head against it. “Luke, can you hear yourself? If she does love it that much, then that’s what she should do! Life’s too short not to love your work.”
His jaw tightened. “She might also love being a doctor, or a lawyer, or hell, an astrophysicist. But she’ll never know if she goes into dancing instead.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that reasoning, except that—”
“Aha! You admit it’s valid.”
“I admit it’s logical. But that doesn’t give you the right to impose your logic on her and try to control her life. If she chooses to throw away a potential career as an astrophysicist so she can shake her booty on the stage of the Silver Crescent, that’s her prerogative.”
Folding his arms, he gazed at her with those incredible blue eyes. He didn’t even seem particularly angry. In fact, he looked a little smug. “I’ll remind you of that speech when you’re trying to convince your brother to come home and accept his responsibilities.”
“That’s different.”
“Not much. Why come chasing down here after him? Why not let him live his life the way he chooses?”
She hated to admit he had a point. But he didn’t know the stakes in this game. He saw a wayward older brother who should be allowed to choose his own path. But she saw a werewolf who could create a political nightmare for the Landry pack if he refused to take over as alpha. That was different…wasn’t it?
She tried to tell herself he was rebelling against the manipulation of his parents and future in-laws, not the concept of becoming the pack’s leader. He’d be excellent in that role.
She handed Luke the photograph of Cynthia. “I realize it looks as if I’m trying to direct Bryce’s future.”
Luke nodded as he put the picture back in the envelope. “It does.”
“But there are deeper issues at work.” Most of which she couldn’t talk about. “The family dynamic is—”
He laid the envelope on the coffee table. “You want to talk about family dynamics? Try this on for size. Your dying father puts you in charge of his beloved daughter’s welfare. I can guarantee that if he hadn’t died, she’d be about to graduate from Yale in a few weeks. He would have expected that of her, and she wouldn’t have defied him the way she’s defying me.”
Giselle believed that. Fathers could have tremendous influence over daughters. Her dad hadn’t specifically asked her to come down to Vegas and talk Bryce into accepting his place in the pack hierarchy, but she’d known that’s what he and her mother hoped Giselle would accomplish. She was here to please her parents in much the same way Luke was trying to honor his father’s wishes.
Taking a deep breath, she drew in a fair amount of humility along with the oxygen. “I owe you an apology. I have no business passing judgment on your behavior. Mine isn’t all that different, as you so correctly point out.”
His expression softened. “Thanks for that, Giselle.” He came closer and rested his hands on her shoulders. “I owe you an apology, too, though.” His gaze searched hers. “I was eager for you to help me figure out the situation with Cynthia. You seem to really get her. It’s not fair if I turn around and reject your advice.” He kneaded her shoulders with a gentle touch. “Bottom line, I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.” She saw the kiss shimmering in his eyes. Letting that happen would be so natural, but they had places to go and booby traps to deal with. One kiss would lead to two, and twenty, and…wild monkey sex. “We should go, or we’ll never get to that cabin.”
“When you’re right, you’re right.” With a final squeeze, he stepped back. “Besides, I don’t want to hurt you.”
She decided giving him some hints would be okay. “Actually, the Epsom salts did wonders.”
“Oh?” The glint returned to his eyes. “Care to elaborate?”
“No.” She grabbed her leather jacket, which still lay over the back of the sofa. “That’s for future reference. Right now we need to drive up to a mountain cabin and see if Cynthia and Bryce have found a way to soak you.”
“And after that?”
She smiled. “Epsom salts work miracles. That’s all I’m sayin’.”
* * *
Luke dropped his Lexus into third gear as he navigated the winding roads leading to the pine-covered slopes of the mountains. As the desert vegetation gave way to evergreens, he found himself thinking more about Giselle’s miraculous recovery than his little sister’s rebellious behavior. That wasn’t good.
His revved-up libido could take a hike. He needed to concentrate on the problem with his sister, and besides, Giselle might not be as recovered as she claimed. They were driving up here to check out Cynthia’s latest message, not to find a suitable spot to get naked.
Giselle put her window down a couple of inches and inhaled. “Smells great out there. I love pines.” Then she shivered and closed the window. “Chilly, though.”
“That’s the beauty of living in Vegas. You can go from the warm desert to the cool mountains in no time. Lake Mead’s in the other direction, so Vegas has it all.” He sounded like the damned Chamber of Commerce, and he knew exactly why. He wanted to gauge her reaction to the city, in case…well, just in case. He was a fool to keep hoping, but every time he looked at her, he was more convinced than ever that she was the one.
And it wasn’t all about sex, either. Silly as it sounded, he liked the way they argued without getting nasty about it. She stood up to him, but she fought fair. She had the qualities he looked for in a friend.
“Obviously you’re happy living here,” she said.
“I am. It’s where I grew up, so that’s part of the reason. But I’ve seen other parts of the country, and Vegas suits me. I like the energy of the city, the mild winters, and the chance to head for the mountains or the lake for a quick change of scenery.”
She nodded. “That’s good.”
Although he would have preferred a more enthusiastic response, at least she hadn’t disagreed with him about the city’s appeal. “Are you happy living in San Francisco?”
“Oh, yeah. The cool air, the fog, sailboats on the bay—love it.”
So it wasn’t only her job holding her there. That was discouraging. “Ever considered another part of the country?”
“Nope. Besides the fact that I love the area, my family’s there. I’m very family oriented.”
“I used to be.” Whoa, that sounded pathetic. “The plain fact is, most guys would love to be in my shoes. I have plenty of money and the freedom to do what I want if I keep the corporation on an even keel.”
“Sounds like a nice life.”
“Exactly. Of course, Mr. Thatcher is hoping I’ll get married and have a bunch of kids so he’ll have something to do. I found out this morning he’s bored out of his skull.”
“So that’s Mr. Thatcher’s dream. What do you want?”
You. But he couldn’t say that. “A better relationship with my sister.” He hadn’t meant to say that, either, but it was the truth. Now that his mother was in France, Cynthia was the only family he had close by. Fighting with her felt terrible and he wanted it to stop.
“You know the way to get that, right?”
“Yeah, give in.”
“It’s not giving in, Luke. It’s letting go of your role as the father figure and becoming a brother and a friend.”
The idea beckoned to him like an oasis in the desert. “As I’ve mentioned before, my dad would roll over in his grave at the thought of her dancing with the Moonbeams instead of finishing her education.”
“Yes, but he’s not here,” she said gently. “Expecting you to run the corporation is one thing. Putting you in charge of your sister’s future is unfair. Of course she’s not going to give you the same respect she gave your dad. If my brother tried to tell me what to do, I’d spit in his eye.”
That made him grin. “I bet you would.” Spotting a street sign ahead, he slowed the car. “There’s the turnoff.” The road was gravel, which made him doubly glad he’d brought his car instead of Giselle’s rented motorcycle. Patches of snow lay in the shadows created by the tall pines.
No one else was on the road, so he braked the car and pulled out his cell phone. “I’m sure they’ve left and Owen followed, but let me double-check.” He glanced at his text messages. “They took off about an hour ago. Owen tailed them to…the Silver Crescent? Damn it! They’re running us around in circles.”
“She’s trying to prove a point.”
Luke glared at the text. “Well, she’s pissing me off.” His phone chimed. “I’ll bet that’s her, gloating.” He read the text. “Game is over. Time to talk. Meet us here at eight o’clock.”
“Eight o’clock tonight? That’s ten hours from now.”
“I know. But Cynthia loves the number eight. We used to play Crazy Eights when she was little, and then in junior high she found out that turning an eight on its side was the sign for infinity.”
“And it’s the difference in your ages.”
He nodded. “That too. I wonder if they’re in the penthouse yet.”
“Oh, dear.”
He looked over at her. “Yeah. She could have a field day. Mr. Thatcher would have waited for my signal before he brought in housekeeping.”
“Smart man, but if nothing’s been done in the penthouse…”
He met her gaze. “Then the bedroom is as we left it—sheets covered with chocolate, pillows on the floor, bed a tumbled mess. There won’t be much doubt what went on there last night. She’ll figure that out right quick.”
“So will Bryce.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, so they find out we had sex.”
He lifted his eyebrows.
“Well, so it was over-the-top sex, with chocolate mousse cake spread everywhere and our clothes strewn on the floor.”
Luke speed-dialed Mr. Thatcher. “Maybe they’re not in the penthouse. Maybe they went to Cynthia’s apartment. That’s logical. I don’t have a key to her place, so they could hide out—hello, Mr. Thatcher? Please send a cleaning crew up to the penthouse ASAP. Thanks.” He disconnected. “Call me old-fashioned, but I’d rather not have my little sister creating mental images of what went on in that bedroom.”
“I agree. I’m not wild about having Bryce check out the aftermath, either. He knows I’m not a vestal virgin, but I’m not in the habit of advertising my sexual adventures.”
“Me either.” Luke tucked his phone in his jacket pocket and let up on the brake. “Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Mr. Thatcher beats them up there and clears away the evidence.”
Chapter Nineteen
Giselle was damned uncomfortable about having Bryce find out she’d had sex with a human, especially after the strong stand she’d taken on the subject. But maybe she’d been due for a comeuppance. She might have been way too sanctimonious.
And if the cleaning crew didn’t arrive in time, there could be benefits for Luke and Cynthia’s relationship. Maybe a dose of humility would help Luke realize he had no business trying to control his little sister’s life.
“This is it.” Luke parked the car beside a small log cabin with a covered front porch. A couple of wooden rockers sat on the porch, and a rock chimney added to the rustic charm of the place. Large pines hovered close, as if sheltering the cabin.
“Cute.” Giselle wouldn’t say so and risk hurting Luke’s feelings, but she much preferred this setting to the glitz of the Vegas strip. Any werewolf would.
“Yeah, cute. I wonder how they’ve booby-trapped it. They’ve had hours to plan this one.”
“We could just not go in.”
“True.” He glanced at her. “But then we’d never know what they did.”
“Yeah, okay. I’m curious, too. “We’ll approach with caution.” Giselle thought of the many pranks her brother had pulled as a kid. “Watch where you step.”
“That’s not reassuring. Anything could be hidden under the leaves scattered on the ground.”
“I’m used to the woods.” She glanced over at him. “Want me to go in first?”
“No.” He blew out a breath and opened his door. “I’m not letting you get doused when I’m her target. Stay here while I check things out.”
“Nothing doing.” She climbed out of the car, her boots crunching on dry leaves. Ah. Fresh air. Woods. Her favorite environment. She stretched her arms over her head.
He rounded the car and stood gazing at her. “Would it have made a difference if I’d said please stay put?”
“Probably not.” She lowered her arms and breathed in the pine-scented air as she walked toward him. “But you could try that next time and see. Taking a wild guess, here, but did your father give orders?”
“He was the boss.”
“Of the world?”
He blinked. “Of course not! He was the boss of Dalton Industries, and giving orders is part of the job.”
“What about your family? Was he the boss there, too?”
“Yes. I can tell you don’t approve of that, but for the most part, it was a good thing.”
“I’m not passing judgment on him, Luke. He obviously loved you all very much. But a benevolent dictatorship doesn’t work these days, especially when a man gives orders to a woman.”
He sighed. “You’re right.”
“But I have to say, meeting you has taught me a lot, too.”
“By my poor example?”
She couldn’t help smiling. “Yep, ’fraid so. When I finally talk to Bryce, I’ll be more interested in hearing his side of the story than trying to convince him to do his duty.”
Luke sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face before looking at her again. “I get it, Giselle. I really do. But for a sister to give her big brother space to be his own person is one thing. For a brother to do the same for his little sister, which includes standing by while she struts around half-naked in front of drooling strangers… Can you see why that’s difficult for me to accept?”
“Yes.” She closed the distance between them and slid her arms around his neck. “I can see that what Cynthia’s asking of you goes against every protective male instinct you have.”
He gathered her close. “It sure as hell does. Thanks for recognizing that.”
“You’ll have to override those instincts.”
“How?”
“I can’t tell you how, but I can tell you why.”
“I’m listening. Strong motivation is always good.”
“Backing off will show that you trust her to manage her own life. After that, you can stop being the authority figure and move on to becoming her friend.”
He searched her gaze. “You’re a smart lady.”
“I am?”
“Uh-huh.” He massaged the small of her back. “Ultimately, that’s what I want with Cynthia, although I couldn’t have put it in
to words. You just did.”
“Probably because you’re so close to the situation.”
“Maybe, but thanks, anyway. My dad used to say a parent isn’t supposed to be a friend, and he was right. But I’m not a parent.”
“That’s right.”
“It’s so damned simple, Giselle. I’m not her parent.”
Happiness bubbled within her as the sparkle returned to his blue eyes. “Congratulations, Luke. I think that was an honest-to-goodness breakthrough.”
“Yep, it is.” He beamed at her. “I can feel it. I was thinking like a parent, but it’s like a switch was just flipped in my brain. No more parent. Whew.”
“Feel better now?”
“Yeah, and about a hundred pounds lighter, too. I don’t even give a damn what sort of soaking I’m about to get inside that cabin.” He gave her a squeeze and released her. “Let’s go find out what they’ve been up to.”
“I’m sure they put some effort into it, whatever it is.”
He took her hand as they walked toward the cabin’s front porch. “I guess I should be flattered by that.”
“I think so. If she didn’t care about you, she’d leave town and begin her dancing career somewhere else. Instead she’s campaigning for a job in your casino.”
“I still say she has an unrealistic vision of how that will turn out, but at least I’ll be there if anything goes wrong.”
“And she wants that.”
“Apparently.” He paused. “Do you hear music?”
She’d heard it long ago, but had decided not to draw more attention to her excellent hearing. “I do. Do you recognize it?”
“I do.” He sighed. “She’s been in the family vault. I realize it’s her choice, but damn. She took a hell of a chance, leaving it playing with the door unlocked and no one here.”
Giselle squeezed his hand. “Not such a huge chance. She knows you’re right behind her, and this area seems relatively quiet.”
“I suppose.”
“And you’re not the parent.”
“No. See, I thought I’d fixed myself, and then I reverted back the minute I thought she’d taken a chance with a video.”
Werewolf in Las Vegas: Wild About You Page 18
