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“Wait right there,” he tells me, climbing out of the car and coming around to open my door. He holds his hand out for me and I place mine in his, letting him help me out of the low seat.
“Such a gentleman.”
“Sometimes.” He winks, and I swear every time he does, my heart flutters like a damn butterfly taking flight.
Vinny places his hand on my lower back as we walk over to the elevator where he proceeds to put in a passcode, press his finger to a small pad, and then leans forward so a laser can scan his eye.
It must all be a part of the security updates he was talking about.
The elevator doors open, and when we step inside, Vinny presses the button labeled ‘R’, and we shoot up the entire building. The doors open again in a little vestibule area with nothing more than a black rug with The Aces’ logo on it, a small table, and a potted plant.
He guides me out of the elevator and pushes the glass door open, causing a gust of frigid air to hit me in the face that renders me breathless for a moment.
“Wow, this is a great view.” The Aces is the highest casino around, letting me see the lights of all the other casinos down the strip and the colorful lights of the pier’s rides.
“That’s why I brought you up here.” The wind continues to whip at my face and I shove my hands deep in my jacket’s pockets. “My apartment is only a few floors down and I love seeing the view from it every day. But there’s more,” he says, turning me away from the edge.
“Oh, my God. Wow,” I breathe.
“We used to use the roof strictly as a helipad, but last year, Alec had that built for his girl, Tessa. Well, I guess his wife now.” Vinny shakes his head. “I just found out they eloped when they found out she was pregnant.”
“And you weren’t invited?”
“That’s what I asked too,” he says, a sadness to his voice. “But they’re happy, so I’m happy. I think they’re going to throw a big party once they tell everyone. At least, I hope they do.”
“That would be nice. Your family should celebrate both announcements.”
“My thoughts exactly. Now, let me show you the inside.”
This is freaking love.
His cousin built a whole damn greenhouse on the roof of the casino for his girl.
“It’s made of a special kind of glass that can withstand the winds and weather this high up. Alec doesn’t let anyone else inside besides the gardener that comes by to maintain the plants and Tessa, but I asked to borrow it for a special occasion.”
“And I’m the special occasion?”
“Without a doubt, dolcezza.”
Vinny opens the thick glass door for me and I’m immediately enveloped in warmth. There’s a heater by the door and another on the other side, creating a comfortable temperature, and not a stifling one you usually find in greenhouses.
Lush green plants hang from the ceiling and line one of the glass walls on wooden stands and in planter boxes. The other side is lined with roses of all colors, but it’s the really dark, nearly black ones, that draw my attention first. I walk over to them and touch the petals with my fingertips.
“These are beautiful.”
“Alec had those created for Tessa by a botanist. I don’t know the specifics, but it’s a one-of-a-kind variety.”
“That’s so romantic.”
“Don’t say that in front of him. He’ll deny it.” Vinny laughs, touching the pink roses nearby. They’re the same color he brought me tonight.
“Is this where you got the roses?”
“No. Alec would kill me if I touched any of these.” I want to think he’s joking about that, but I don’t think he is.
I finally take notice of the table set up for dinner and smile when he pulls the chair out for me. “Vinny, this is so nice. You didn’t have to do this for me.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I absolutely had to, and will continue to. You deserve to be treated like you’re special, because you are.”
