Loving the Odds (What Happens in Vegas)

by Stefanie London

  If something more came of it, then that would be great. If not…well, it wasn’t like he had another option. He’d simply have to use his charms to convince Bailey that what they had was worth the risk, even if the odds of a Vegas hook-up going the distance weren’t that great.

  Tension tightened his muscles, but he shook the feeling away. Soon, he would know…for better or worse.

  …

  Bailey hunched over a loan application and tried to concentrate, but the words swam in front of her eyes. It was Friday afternoon and most of the office had already skipped out for drinks and to watch the Giants game. They never bothered to ask her along anymore since she hardly ever left the office before eight. But lately restlessness had seeped into her bones and all she wanted to do was get away from her desk.

  Ever since Vegas something had been amiss. She wasn’t as interested in her work and she found it hard to focus. She was also more confident in dealing with people at work, although she still preferred to work alone. But now she could handle push back from her colleagues and she’d even started embracing “The Human Element” by taking more than the facts into consideration when she presented ideas to her boss.

  He must have been impressed because he’d mentioned getting her to mentor one of their interns. Bailey wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but she appreciated that her boss valued her new approach.

  Still, she was coming to the conclusion that there was more to life than work.

  As she packed her things into her bag, the hot pink spine of Selena Lockhart’s latest book peeked out. Lately, Bailey had found her passion for romance novels had been renewed and she’d devoured the entire Forever With You series. The woman she’d met on her first day in Vegas had been right. It was seriously hot. But thankfully the rubber hadn’t quite come off her vibrator…well, not yet anyway.

  She’d thought about Lance often—both in terms of reimaging Selena’s sex scenes and otherwise. Part of her was kicking herself for tearing up his business card, but in truth she would have been able to call him easily if she looked up the Take Two website. Not having the card was an excuse and a poor one at that.

  On more than one occasion she’d typed “Take Two company” into the search bar on Google, but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to hit enter. What if she saw Lance’s handsome face there and all her resolve to protect herself melted away like she knew it would? That was a risk she couldn’t justify.

  Besides, he hadn’t exactly tried to stop her leaving. He’d simply lobbed the ball into her court and no matter how much she fantasized about what could have been—which she did, almost nightly—he was still the guy with one foot out the door.

  The last thing you need is to chase a guy who’s that risky. What has he done to show you he wants to take things further other than saying “call me”?

  Absolutely nothing. And perhaps if she kept telling herself that, it would stick.

  A tiny voice reminded her that she hadn’t done anything to show him her feelings either…but she shushed that voice up, quick smart. Unless divine intervention forced their paths to cross, she probably wouldn’t see Lance ever again.

  The very finality of that thought left a dull ache in her chest. What if she’d walked away from something important?

  “Look at the facts,” she muttered to herself. “He didn’t ask you to stay, he didn’t do anything more than say let’s ‘catch up’…it means he’s not interested. Let. It. Go.”

  But she couldn’t. Despite the short time they’d spent together, he’d changed her. For the better.

  Shutting down the internal battle in her head, she slung her bag over one shoulder and pushed her chair beneath the desk. Not a single personal item decorated the space—not a photo, not a stuffed toy. Nothing. Funny how she’d never noticed it before, but it looked frightfully dull and impersonal. She made a mental note to bring something in from home on Monday.

  Walking through the silent office to the elevator, she dug Selena’s book out of her bag. The damn things were addictive, and she couldn’t wait until she got home to find out how the hero was going to redeem himself after some particularly stupid behavior.

  “You never struck me as a romance fan. They don’t seem like your…taste.”

  Julian’s smarmy voice and underhanded insult prickled along her skin and she tried not to shudder visibly. She’d prefer him to not to know that he had any effect on her, even if that effect was negative.

  “You wouldn’t have a clue what my taste is, Julian,” she said, shutting the book since she couldn’t focus on the words with his overpowering aftershave clogging her head. How had she ever found him attractive?

  “I suppose I deserve that.” The elevator doors slid open and he stepped in before her, making a show of holding the door as if he was some kind of knight in shining armor.

  “You suppose?” She raised a brow. “Consider it a microscopic component of what you deserve.”

  “You’re very petty, Bailey. It’s unbecoming.”

  At one time his words would have cut deep, but today she found herself curiously relaxed in his presence. Ordinarily she would have remained silent so as not to disturb whatever shred of inner peace the universe had decided to bestow on her. But today—armed with her romance novel and a heathy dose of frustration over her inability to call Lance—she wouldn’t let him get away with it.

  “You know what, Julian?” Bailey turned and noticed how he jumped at her sudden movement. “You’re a jerk.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’re a jerk. You treated me horribly when we were together and you treat me horribly now that we’re not together.” She planted her hands on her hips. “Furthermore, I am not boring or unsexy. It’s just that you never made me feel good about myself.”

  He rolled his eyes. “That wasn’t my job.”

  “Yes, as my boyfriend it was your job. Finding those texts on your phone was the best thing that ever happened to me because now I don’t have to subject myself to you every night.”

  “Ha. You say every night like you even took the time to see me more than once a week. You were always too busy working.”

  “My job is important to me.”

  “Well, I guess you’ll have to wait and see if that thug boyfriend of yours will put up with it longer than I did. I have my doubts.”

  What on earth was he talking about? He could only be referring to Lance but thug seemed like the least appropriate verb possible for him.

  Julian folded his arms across his chest. “He’s lucky I didn’t call hotel security for the way he threatened me. If it wasn’t for the fact that Selena and I had a flight to catch, I would have.”

  As the elevator doors slid open Bailey sucked in breath. If they had a flight to catch that could only have happened on the Sunday, after she’d already gone home. Had Lance been defending her honor?

  “Lance is not a thug.”

  “No? He threatened to break my arm if I didn’t give him the watch back. Did he tell you that?” Julian stomped out of the elevator and she followed in a daze.

  Lance had her grandfather’s watch?

  Since he had nothing to gain from it himself, he must have done it for her. Then why hadn’t he called her? Realization struck her. He hadn’t called because he didn’t have her number, or her address. Or her work details. And she hadn’t called him.

  “Did he tell you that he cornered me in a restaurant like some, some…hooligan,” Julian spat. “Is that the kind of person you want to be with?”

  “Yes.” She couldn’t hold back a grin. “I absolutely want to be with someone who’s willing to stand up for me.”

  They stood in the middle of the company’s lobby and Bailey had the sudden urge to run home so she could call Lance. She wanted to tell him that she’d made a mistake walking away, that she’d let fear of his commitment issues hold her back from trying.

  That she’d let Julian’s actions define her boundaries.

  “Then you deserve one an
other.” Julian turned to walk away but Bailey called out to him.

  “You’re right, I do deserve him. And you know what else? It turns out I do like sex. I like it in lots of different positions. But I didn’t like it with you.”

  A group of women who were standing nearby gasped, giggling behind their hands as Bailey strode out, leaving Julian red-faced in her wake. Okay, so it wasn’t exactly the most professional thing to say—but she was tired of being Boring Bailey.

  Tonight, she was going to go home and look up the number to the Take Two offices. Then she would call Lance and ask him out for a coffee.

  Being the new, improved Confident Bailey wouldn’t happen overnight. She knew that. And it might not happen in a day, a week, or a year. The difference was, this time she’d put the effort in and not let herself get stuck in the past.

  Bailey strode out of the office building feeling renewed. Reenergized. Vegas might not have worked out exactly the way she’d wanted it to…but going outside her comfort zone had done her a world of good. It proved that she could do more than assess risks. She could take them.

  Outside, it was a beautiful evening, still light and warm with a cool breeze that danced along her skin. The kind of evening she could imagine spending with Lance. An evening where they might take a walk together, have dinner, and then go to bed early…and go to sleep late. Anticipation fluttered in her belly like the beating wings of butterflies.

  All she had to do was find his number and dial it. The rest would be left to the universe.

  “Bailey,” a voice called out and she turned toward the sound.

  Leaning up against a pillar stood a tall man in a light gray suit. He had blond hair—sandy and cropped shorter than she remembered—and his eyes seemed to shift between gray and green.

  It seemed impossible, but he looked even more attractive than he had during their crazy Vegas weekend. A steady hum vibrated through her.

  Her body had not forgotten him.

  “No way,” she whispered. “This is not happening.”

  “This is the part where you say ‘Hi, Lance, long time no see’ and then I say ‘Yes, Bailey. It’s been a while but I’ve missed you terribly.’” His crooked grin damn near stopped her heart. “But we can start with a simple ‘hi’ if that makes you feel more comfortable.”

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, wincing at how harshly the words came out.

  “Or we could go with that.” He chuckled. “I’m here to see you.”

  He pressed his lips together and her heart pounded as thoughts of what might come next filled her head. The rush of traffic and Friday evening frivolity floated in the air around them, but she only wanted to hear one thing—him.

  “I have something for you.” He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small, black pouch. “Here.”

  The pouch was heavy in her hand. The weight familiar and reassuring. “Is this a Vegas souvenir?” She pulled at the drawstring and stifled a cry of relief when she saw the watch nestled inside.

  He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his suit pants. “You told me you got the watch back.”

  For a moment she was ashamed for how cowardly she’d acted. “I lied.”

  “I figured that out when I ran into Julian the next morning and saw him wearing it.”

  “I’m surprised you were able convince him to give it to you.” She turned it over in her hands looking for the scratch on the crown, the engraving on the back, and the ding in the shoulder where her grandfather had knocked it saving her from falling out of a swing. She loved the watch even more because of its marks. They were evidence of its history, its love.

  “I told him politely that I would break his arm if that’s what it took.”

  A smile twitched on her lips. “That doesn’t sound polite.”

  “I said please.”

  She slipped the watch back into the pouch and put it into her bag. No way was she ever letting it out of her sight again. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “Have dinner with me.” His eyes were focused intently on her as though he could burn a hole into her brain to see what she was thinking.

  “Dinner?”

  “Or something more?” He took a step closer. “Because I want more. I want to start over with you, Bailey, and this time I won’t give you my ‘no promises’ speech.”

  “Why?” Her heart wanted so badly to believe him.

  “Being with you feels different,” he said, reaching out for her hand. The touch sent a shiver racing up her arm. “I know it’s completely crazy and it’s probably throwing all kinds of risky red flags up for you.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, you’re a giant red flag.”

  He led her to a bench facing the street and they sat. Heat radiated from him and, like a magnetic force was tugging at her, she wanted to press against him. She wanted to feel his arms around her—God, how she’d craved that every lonely night the past three weeks. There was something about him that felt so…right.

  “That weekend we spent together affected me. You said something that got me thinking.” He interlaced his fingers with hers. “You told me to think about how women felt when I dated them. And the truth was I was so focused on setting boundaries that I never thought about how my words made others feel. Not until you.”

  “I’m glad I’ve been able to teach you a life lesson.” She ran the pad of her thumb over his knuckles. Touching him brought alive every memory she had of how incredible she’d felt being with him…and how she desperately wanted to make more of those memories. “But this is crazy. We barely know each other.”

  “Trust me. I’ve gone over it and I still can’t make sense of it. But I was meant to find you that afternoon.” His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. “I’m sure of it. And if you give me a chance, I promise that I’ll make you feel valued and cherished and important. I’ll treat you the way you deserve to be treated and I’ll spend every single day getting to know you better.”

  “I’m scared,” she whispered. “I don’t want to be hurt again.”

  He brought her hand up to his mouth and pressed his lips to the backs of her fingers. “What’s the best thing to do if you’re scared of something?”

  “Hide under a blanket?” She stifled a smile when he shook his head.

  “Let someone else share the burden.” The air crackled around them. They were both taking baby steps but there was a shared desire. A tension. A promise for more. “Bailey, I knew if I didn’t at least tell you how I felt I would regret it for the rest of my life.”

  “You would have forgotten about me,” she said.

  “Never. That’s one thing I can say with absolute honesty.”

  “Thank you for bringing the watch back to me. I hardly deserved it after lying straight to your face.” She slipped her hand out of his grip and traced the edge of his smoothly-shaven jaw.

  The sharp outline of his lips drew her touch, they were so perfectly shaped. Built for sinful kisses and whispered pleasures. But would they hurl hateful words at her one day? Would they call her dull and boring and bad in bed?

  “Bailey.” Hearing her name in his rich, deep voice made a slow ball of desire unfurl in her stomach. “I would have waited in this exact spot rain, hail, or shine for a chance to see you again. The watch was an excuse. I’m here for us.”

  “Us.” She rolled the word around on her tongue like a piece of candy. It was so sweetly tempting.

  “Will you give us a chance?” he asked, his face full of light. “It’ll be one hell of a story for the grandkids.”

  This was it, her giant fork in the road. Should she stay safe or go all in for a shot at true love? Chances were they’d crash and burn. She had no idea if they were compatible and the odds certainly weren’t in their favor. But just this once she didn’t care about that. Failure wasn’t the end, as her grandfather had once told her. It was simply a crack in the pavement. It might look ugly and trip you up, but it wouldn’t stop you from walking.
/>   A small flame of hope lit inside her chest. “Yes.”

  His hands came to her shoulders and smoothed up her neck until he cupped her jaw in his palms. “Really?”

  “I’m going all in.”

  As his mouth closed down on hers, Bailey allowed herself to take the biggest risk of her life and fall madly and deeply for Lance.

  Epilogue

  “You couldn’t have picked a different place?” Bailey teased as they dragged their suitcases into the foyer of the Masquerade Hotel. The familiar sight of retina-searing color and giant baubles hanging from the roof set off a warm and fuzzy feeling in her chest. “I’ve only been to Vegas once and now I’m staying in the exact same place.”

  “I thought we could re-live the excitement of our first weekend together,” Lance replied.

  “Oh God, please no.” She laughed as they walked up to the reception desks. “That trip had enough drama for a lifetime.”

  As they checked into their room, Lance had his hand jammed down the back pocket of her jeans and was not so subtly groping her behind. He’d gotten handsy in the taxi and she’d almost had a heart attack when the driver looked into the rearview mirror and caught them kissing. But delayed gratification was the name of the game and she’d do her best to keep her boyfriend at bay until they got up to their room.

  At that point though, all bets were off.

  “Come on,” he said, nudging her in the direction of the elevators. “Time’s a-wasting.”

  “I thought we were going to go sight-seeing?” she said innocently.

  “It’s too late. We’ll have to do that tomorrow.”

  Outside the hotel the sky was blue and the sun was shining like a perfect golden orb. “Too late, huh?”

  “It’s practically bedtime.” He pulled her back against him while they waited for the elevator and planted a kiss on the curve of her neck. “We should go to bed straight away. You know, for health reasons and because of the…jet lag.”

  “Sounds responsible.” She wriggled her bottom against his crotch and he moaned into her ear. “They do recommend at least eight hours of sleep a night.”