Chapter 1

My entire life I’ve heard people use the expression, “You’re never too old to try something new.” I used to believe that was just a way the old folks made themselves feel better about the aging process. Okay, so I admit I was wrong. The last thing I planned on was becoming another cliché, a Vegas cliché at that. However, that’s exactly what happened…

For weeks, work had been excruciating. I was ready to throw in the towel. Try being the manager of a five-star hotel for a couple of days and you will see what I mean. It was always do this, do that, or sit back and fake a polite smile while some overly-excited traveler divulged their life history. Granted, there were times when I didn’t mind listening to some of their stories. Other times, I could have wrung their necks with my bare hands to make them shut up.

I settled into my first class seat and pulled out the book I had packed in my laptop case. Even though my trip to Sin City was strictly professional, at least I could enjoy a bit of reading while in flight. I couldn’t recall the last time I had ventured on a pleasure trip. Nothing about life seemed pleasurable these days. Starlight, the cooperation I worked for, was in the market to purchase a hotel that had just gone up for sale on the strip. I was the lucky one sent to investigate the grounds and see if their price quote was doable.

With a long sigh, I opened up the novel, cringing when I realized I had grabbed the wrong book. Go figure. I had packed in such a frenzy that I was now stuck with 'Stress for Dummies' instead of the romance novel I’d planned to indulge in. “Damn it,” I mumbled.

“Those tips really help,” I heard a perky southern voice say.

I looked up to see a leggy brunette slip into the aisle seat with a smile. Already I could feel my annoyance with her. God, please tell I did not have to sit beside her the entire flight. I was not in the mood for idle chitchat with some cheerful stranger. I looked up at her, remaining silent. Maybe if I ignored her she would flutter away.

“Are you traveling alone,” she asked.

Oh come on, did this woman not know how to shut up? Couldn’t she see I was ignoring her? I slammed my book shut, conceding that I probably wouldn’t be reading. Besides, it wasn’t like 'Stress for Dummies' was my idea of flight entertainment. Looking up, I caught a glimpse of her brown flesh. Despite her irritating perkiness, she was rather cute. I would have been happier if the perkiness was non-existent; that quality in a woman had always driven me crazy. It was like listening to a flock of chirping birds. “Yes,” I finally answered.

“Me too,” she said as she looked down, picking at imaginary balls of lint on her black blazer. I mentally cursed myself for allowing my eyes to linger on her voluptuous chest a little longer than necessary. I couldn’t help it. There were two cannons pointing directly at me. The V-neck blazer allowed a generous amount of cleavage to topple free and bulge out in all directions. At least Ms. Chatty’s breasts were a much-needed distraction. Her toasted-almond flesh suggested she either spent far too much time in the sun or on a tanning bed. I shook my head, attempting to focus on something other than her delectable breasts. “Business or pleasure,” she asked while snapping the buckle to a secure close around her slender waist. A glittering ring of gold boasted a diamond encrusted “H.”

“Business,” I murmured distractedly. I quickly glanced down at my book. I needed to think of something, anything besides my screaming libido. My work schedule left little time for intimate relations. At least while I was in Las Vegas maybe I could find some form of adult entertainment. I stared down at the book, still wondering how in the hell I had managed to grab this one by mistake. The fact I always waited until the absolute last minute to pack probably did not help matters.

“Same here,” she said with a groan. She stretched her neck so that she could peer out the small window with a downcast face. “I hate flying.”

“Are you afraid of heights?” I looked up, catching the cringe on her face. She wrinkled her wide set nose in disgust, her cheeks puffing slightly. I was mesmerized as I watched the delicate way she rubbed her palm across the center of her forehead before centering a single finger against her temple. When I saw the way the color had suddenly drained from her cheeks I felt a little sorry for her.