A
WIN-WIN PROPOSITION
Harlequin
Desire, October 2011
eISBN:
9781459214200
Sebastian
Case relies on his irreplaceable assistant for everything. But since arriving
in Vegas for a conference, mousy Missy Ward has transformed herself. From
ordinary to ravishing. From modest and reserved to bold and sensual. And
Sebastian, who'd barely noticed she was a woman, finds himself dazzled by her
allure.
Now
she's quitting and Sebastian will do anything to keep her. Including accepting
her outrageous bet. One spin of the roulette wheel--black and she'll stay...red
and Sebastian owes her one night of passion. What can he lose, except maybe his
heart?
Excerpts
Multi
-colored lights winked at Sebastian Case, enticing him to come try his luck. He
ignored the electronic clatter of slot machines as they chimed, beeped and sang
of fortunes won and lost. Gambling didn't appeal to him. He believed in hard
work and perseverance, not chance.
A
couple in their sixties halted in front of him, forcing Sebastian to slow. The
wife insisted the buffet was to their left. The husband assured her they'd
missed the turn near the keno area. Both were wrong.
Before
he could circle past, the woman spied him.
"There's
someone who can help us." Her bright-red lips parted in a cheerful smile.
"Hello..." She scrutinized his chest, where a name tag might be.
"Young man. We love your hotel, but it's very confusing. Can you direct us
to the buffet?"
She'd
mistaken him for a hotel employee. Not surprising. He was probably the only
person in the casino wearing a business suit who didn't work there.
"If
you angle to the right, you'll see it." He pointed in the direction they
needed to go.
"I
told you." The woman shot her husband a smug look, dead wrong but taking
credit anyway. "Thank you."
With a
nod, Sebastian resumed walking toward the bank of elevators that would sweep
him to his fifteenth-floor suite. Missy better be there. While he'd been on a
conference call with their lawyers, going over last-minute changes to the
contract for the purchase of Smythe Industries, she'd pulled a vanishing act.
That had been almost six hours ago.
Concern
buzzed. He'd left three messages on her voice mail and sent her four or five
emails. Not a single response. Assistants didn't come any more efficient or
reliable than Missy. Should he be worried that she'd gotten into trouble?
Noisy,
crowded, chaotic Las Vegas lured tourists with over-the-top promises of
adventure and spit them out with blurry memories and empty pockets. Had Missy
fallen prey? Her small-town upbringing in west Texas couldn't have prepared her
for such dangers. Was she somewhere in the maze of slot machines, pouring her
paycheck into one? Or perhaps she'd left the hotel and been accosted on the
street.
A
cheer went up from the craps tables on his right. If his BlackBerry hadn't been
set to vibrate, he never would have known he'd received an email. Slowing his
pace, he pulled the handheld out of his coat pocket. Missy had finally
responded. The two-word subject line stopped him cold.
My
resignation.
He
stared at the concise note in disbelief. Missy was quitting? Impossible.
His
executive assistant had been with him for four years. They were a team. If she
were unhappy, he'd know it.
Sebastian
dialed Missy. After four rings he was directed to her voice mail.
"Call
me."
Without
waiting to see if she would, he shot her a terse text message demanding her
location. Thirty seconds later, he received a response.
The bar. Which bar?
He
gnashed his teeth during an even longer pause.
Zador.
He
pulled up a mental image of the casino's layout and turned to his left. A
five-minute hike brought him to the bar. Red walls, black-lacquer accents and
Asian-inspired art gave Sebastian the feeling he'd been transported halfway
around the world. Enormous fish tanks lined the wall and provided most of the
room's light. Twelve-inch koi drifted through the clear water as Sebastian
strode into the room, scanning the occupied tables for his assistant. A redhead
at the bar derailed his search.
She
faced the bartender, gesturing as they conversed. With her back to him,
Sebastian couldn't hear her laugh but suspected it would be husky and intimate,
a siren sound that lured men into her sensual web.
