by Zuri Day
“You can handle it.” Lauren winked. “You’re an old man now.”
“Indeed. The big three-o.”
“Over the hill,” Lauren joked.
“Totally.”
“To your birthday,” she said.
“And beautiful gifts,” Christian added.
They clinked glasses and sipped.
“So...whatever happened to your sister and that guy?”
Lauren shrugged. “He probably got dumped, like all the others. Until her senior year in college, when she met the man who is now her husband and a father of two.”
“Good for her.” He set down the flute. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“I don’t see a ring.”
Lauren’s hands flew up in a defensive position. “No, and you won’t.”
“Dang, girl, you sound even more adamant than me.” Christian chuckled and lifted his glass. “To the single life.”
“Hear, hear.”
“So...why didn’t Faye come with you to visit my mom?”
“It’s more than a visit. I’ll be working here.”
“Oh, you’ve relocated for work. Who with?”
“Victoria. I’m her new personal assistant. As I understand it, I’ll work primarily on events for your family’s nonprofit organization.”
A slightly raised brow was Christian’s only reaction. Inside, he felt a pang of disappointment. So much for the thought of a one-night stand with Lauren, or a short-term girlfriend to cuddle with during the cold winter months. He didn’t date women involved with family business. Directly or indirectly, anyone working with his mother was no longer fair game. Any other day he would have figured it out sooner. But that week’s promotion, his birthday and the shockingly extravagant birthday gift had dimmed his awareness and caused him to be off guard.
However, now Lauren’s presence was becoming crystal clear. His mother, Victoria the matchmaker, was at it again. It was no secret that she wanted him to settle down, get married and start a family. All of which were not high on his agenda. And then there was another darker thought. Maybe his mom wasn’t matchmaking. Maybe Lauren was manipulating her. It wouldn’t be the first time a woman had used Victoria’s passion for helping others through the family’s foundation as a way to get to him.
He sighed, settled against the car’s supple leather seats and thoughtfully sipped his champagne. The possible truth behind Lauren’s visit cleared away the ardent desire her appearance had first aroused. The last thing he needed was a potentially messy fling with the daughter of one of his mom’s good friends. He’d just been promoted to president of a multibillion-dollar hotel, casino and spa conglomerate with properties on five continents. What he needed in a female companion was someone fun with no ulterior motives or long-term expectations. Right now, he was married to the family business, and for the foreseeable future, CANN International would be his only wife.
Two
He was sexier and more handsome than Lauren remembered. The teen who’d stolen her twelve-year-old heart and remained her secret crush all through high school. Tall, lean, sporting curly black hair in a clean, cropped cut that was shorter on the sides and fuller on top. The eyes were the same—dark, intense—and his magnetic smile still had the power to render her breathless.
Even after she’d begun dating, and throughout a fairly serious relationship that began in college and lasted four years, Lauren had loosely followed Christian, the Breedloves and CANN International’s ever-expanding empire, which was often in the news. A few years ago the company made history by building the first seven-star hotel and casino in North America, a distinction given to them by Top-Tier Travel Digest, the bible for agents and others who catered to the wealthy, the world’s 1-percenters and the 1 percent of the 1 percent.
Socially, Christian was a paparazzi favorite, often making the gossip columns and the tabloids while attending Hollywood premieres and high-society events with a gorgeous girl on his arm. Last year, when he made the coveted Thirty Under Thirty list, she’d bookmarked the online article and shared it with her sister Renee. Every year, the names were compiled by business industry legends who pegged the next group of savvy, successful businessmen on the rise, the ones to watch.
Christian was not only jaw-droppingly good-looking, but he was a smart, progressive thinker as well. Were she in the market for a boyfriend, the man seated beside her had all kinds of potential. But she wasn’t looking, and especially not for someone like the almighty Christian Breedlove. Not wanting to be manipulated by a rich, powerful man was precisely why she’d fled the East Coast.
“How’d that happen?” Christian asked as the limo headed down the crowded Strip toward their final destination. “You deciding to move here to work for Mom?”
“Very quickly,” Lauren said, hitching in a breath as they inched toward the CANN Casino, Hotel and Spa, an award-winning steel-and-glass masterpiece whose tallest point brushed the sky at almost fourteen hundred feet. “Just a day or so ago.”
“Really, that fast?”
“Yes.” She shifted her gaze back to his remarkably handsome face. “Victoria was venting to Mom about a dilemma. Her assistant resigned abruptly and gave no notice, in the middle of planning a Valentine’s Day–themed fashion show and several springtime charity events that Victoria says are very important to the foundation’s funding. Mom mentioned that she thought I could help, and Victoria called and asked if I could come over ASAP. I understand the fashion show is just a week away and is a very big deal.”
Christian nodded, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. “Speaking of abrupt notices, what about your employer?”
“She was totally understanding.” To his raised brow, Lauren continued, “For almost a year now, I’ve worked for myself.”
“Ah, I see. What’s your specialty?”
“Marketing, promotions, branding and PR. I have a small roster of regular clients and just finished a major campaign for a Southern university. Your mom needed help and I needed...a break...so here I am.”
“When was the last time you were in Vegas?”
“Three years ago, for a friend’s wedding.”
“So you haven’t been to our new hotel.”
“No,” Lauren replied. She looked beyond Christian and out the window. The limo turned into an impressive entrance bordered by marble waterfalls, the word CANN bold, shiny and backlit to stand out in the night. “But I’ve seen pictures. It looks amazing in magazines and now, up close, is even more impressive.”
The limo passed the main entrance and continued to a side door. Christian exited and reached back his hand to help her. “It delights me to hear you say that,” he murmured as a uniformed employee opened the door and greeted them. “For CANN, our goal for this location is quite simple—to be the most spectacular hotel in the world. We believe it is.”
Once inside, Lauren totally agreed. Unlike other hotels boasting casinos on the Strip, the area they entered was elegant, modern and most of all, quiet.
“Where’s the casino?” she asked.
“The main casino is two floors down, accessible by a separate entrance,” he answered, pulling out his phone to respond to a text. “There’s a private one for high rollers on a higher floor. We’ll go later, after dinner, if you’d like. It’s a whole other world.”
Lauren noticed that the employee who’d opened the door still walked behind them, a respectable distance away. As Christian put away his phone, he saw her glance back and looked, too.
“I don’t need anything. You can return to your post.”
“Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do for you, Mr. Breedlove?”
“Absolutely sure.”
“I understand it’s your birthday, Mr. Breedlove.”
He tsked. “Can’t keep a secret around here.”
“Not with us,” the emp
loyee responded with a small smile. “Happy birthday, sir.”
Christian walked over and shook the employee’s hand. “What’s your name?”
“Eric, sir.”
“How long have you been a part of our security detail?”
“Was just hired a month ago, sir.”
“I think our security manager made a very fine choice. Welcome to the team.”
“Thank you, sir.”
They continued down the hall and past an opening where Lauren glimpsed a vast lobby filled with well-dressed women and expensively suited men. For many reasons, she was glad they’d come through a private entrance. The paparazzi seemed to live for Christian. A splashy spread announcing her whereabouts was the last thing she needed.
A few moments later, they reached an elevator that blended seamlessly with the wall, its doors boasting the same design. She watched him place his thumb on a scanner discreetly located above a chair rail. When the doors opened, Lauren slipped her arm around the one Christian offered and held on, taking in the landscape of neon lights as the elevator ascended to Zest, the Michelin-starred restaurant she’d read about that was housed on the one-hundredth floor.
The doors parted, and the view from the room took Lauren’s breath away. Beyond the semiprivate booths and massive crystal chandelier were floor-to-ceiling windows that gave the illusion that there were no walls, that one could walk to the edge of the floor and touch the sky. The atmosphere in the main dining room was fairly quiet, dim and understated. All of that changed when Christian opened the door to the private dining room.
“Happy birthday, Christian!”
“You’re the man, Chris!”
Other shouts and cheers filtered through the applause as those who were sitting got to their feet. Lauren looked at Christian, who’d stopped just inside the door, clearly surprised to see the large crowd that filled the room. Two men broke away from the group and approached them. Had she not known about the twins, Lauren may have thought the champagne had kicked in and caused her to see double. They were identical—tall, dark, handsome, sporting the Breedlove dimple in their left cheek and swagger in their stride.
“The dynamic duo,” Christian said once they’d reached him.
“Gotcha, old man!”
“We did it, huh?”
“He didn’t see it coming.”
“Had no idea!”
Lauren stood mesmerized at the twins’ rapid-fire delivery, sometimes finishing each other’s sentences without a pause in between. Her eyes shifted back and forth between them, trying to find a way to differentiate between the two. They had the same soft black curls as Christian, but while his were close-cropped, theirs were longer, wilder. Studying them reminded her of a favorite puzzle at the back of one of her popular fashion magazines, where two pictures that looked identical actually weren’t. The test was to find the differences. There were usually several. Here, she was just trying to find even one. Then she spotted it. The one on the left wore a tiny diamond stud in his ear. The one on the right didn’t. Bingo!
“The dyno duo strikes again!” The two men high-fived before executing an intricate handshake. Their joy and excitement was contagious. Christian was clearly enjoying their friendly verbal sparring match. Just being around them made Lauren smile.
“Where are your manners, Chris?” Diamond Stud asked.
“Yeah, Chris. Introduce us to this beautiful lady.”
“To do that you two will have to quit talking.”
“Whatever.”
Said in stereo. Cute.
“Lauren, meet my annoying younger brothers Nicholas Jr.” He motioned toward the twin who’d last spoken, the one not wearing an earring. “Called Nick to differentiate between him and my father.”
“Hello, Nick,” Lauren said, with outstretched hand.
“And Noah.”
“Hi, Noah.” Again, she offered her hand.
“Ah, no, Lauren. Shaking is for business. Hugging is for friends.”
Noah pulled Lauren into a bear hug.
Christian placed his hand on Noah’s shoulder. “Back off.”
Nick laughed. Christian looked over as a few others headed toward them.
“Tyson!”
Tyson, a striking blond with clear brown eyes, bore a mock scowl as he approached. “You going to stand here by the door all night?”
“You’re a trip,” Christian said. The two men enjoyed a hearty embrace. “I can’t believe how well you helped pull this off. You remembered everything, bro.”
“I’m good like that.” He looked at Lauren, clearly impressed. “Hello, I’m Tyson Ford.”
“Lauren Hart—”
“Hey there, birthday boy!”
Lauren found herself being pushed aside by a whirlwind of haughtiness wearing stilettos and cloaked in what smelled like an entire bottle of perfume. The woman threw her arms around Christian. Lauren looked on, more amused than annoyed. But if she read his expression correctly, for Christian the opposite was true. She watched as he deftly removed the brunette’s arms from around his neck, just as more and more of his friends came over to greet him. Soon he was swept into a circle of admirers, all clamoring for attention. From the corner of her eye, Lauren saw someone approach.
“Come, dear,” Victoria said, slipping her arm through Lauren’s and walking toward the head table. “That was Chloe, who grew up with Chris. I’ve seated you with the family, beside me, so that I can offer a play-by-play on this motley cast of characters. In order to do your job properly, you’ll need not only an in-depth grasp of the CANN conglomerate but also the ocean of high society here in Nevada and beyond...”
She paused and watched Chloe glide back to her table. “And the sharks who swim in those waters.”
The next hour was a blur of names and faces as during dinner Victoria pointed out the movers and shakers of metropolitan Las Vegas and the few who resided in Breedlove, the unincorporated Nevada town founded by Nicholas and a few others more than twenty years ago. Lauren was introduced to some of them, along with many of Christian’s friends from across the country who’d flown in for the occasion. Once the last dessert plate was removed, a few tables were rearranged to make room for a dance floor. A famous DJ from Miami fired up the crowd.
Nick walked over. “Come on, Lauren. Let’s dance.”
She waved him away. “It’s been a long day. I’d rather just relax and watch all of you.”
“Okay, but if you change your mind...”
“I’ll come find you.”
When Lauren got up a few minutes later, she didn’t head to the dance floor. She’d seen Victoria and Nicholas heading toward the exit and after getting their attention, made a beeline toward them to catch a ride to her new home. In the past forty-eight hours, her already-chaotic life had been thrown into further disarray, and she needed time to try to process everything and figure out what would come next.
She felt eyes following her as she crossed to the door, saw Chloe whispering to another girl as she neared the Breedloves and fell into step beside them. She could only imagine what Chloe and all the other socialites were wondering about the new girl, and whether or not she, too, was vying to become the missus of tonight’s birthday boy. They needn’t worry. While they may be in a footrace to catch a husband, Lauren had upended her life to avoid one.
Three
Am I still dreaming?
Last night, Lauren swore that was true. After the driver dropped off Nicholas and Victoria, he’d continued on for about a mile until reaching a cul-de-sac lined with exquisite single-story homes, all different architecturally and uniquely beautiful. Her immediate favorite was the very first one on the corner lot, a Spanish-inspired design of tan stucco and adobe brick with a black gabled roof. Even in her exhaustion she’d admired the wrought iron accents and arches on the windows and doors. When the driver had pull
ed into that home’s driveway and announced it as the guesthouse chosen for her, Lauren’s jaw had dropped.
“I’m staying here? Are you sure?”
“Positive,” the driver had responded with a knowing smile. “You’ll find your luggage in the bedroom. The residence has been stocked with everything one might need for an extended stay, but just in case you need anything else the guesthouse manager’s card is on the table in the foyer.” He handed her a small envelope. “Here’s the code for the lock. Can you make it in okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Just checking. You look pretty wiped out.”
She had been, but from exhaustion, not from too much drinking as she believed the driver assumed. It had taken her a couple tries to key in the correct code, but upon opening the door, it was like entering the abode of a fairy tale. The decor was straight out of Architectural Digest.
And now, awakening on the cloudlike memory foam bed after a blissful night’s sleep, the dream had yet to dissipate. She sighed contentedly. The sun was shining. She was well rested. And everything that had happened, all that she’d seen, was real.
Lauren sat up, stretched and reached for her phone. She tapped the face. “Oh my God!” It was after 10:00 a.m. An early riser since college, Lauren couldn’t recall the last time she’d slept this late, even after a night of partying. She’d even slept through the telephone ringing, with missed calls from Avery, her bestie, and her mom, Faye. Victoria had told her to come by after she’d risen for a casual visit. Lauren had said to expect her around nine o’clock. Now she’d be lucky to get there by eleven.
After sending Victoria a quick text requesting they meet at eleven, she took a quick shower, pulled her hair into a high ponytail, and hurriedly donned a free-flowing, light yellow maxi dress, silver jewelry that included her ever-present charm bracelet and a pair of ivory-colored sandals with cute yet comfy wedge heels. She arrived at the front door of what could only be described as a mansion with two minutes to spare.
A middle-aged Hispanic woman with coal-black hair and kind eyes opened the door.
