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Briana
Vegas hada weird charm to it that I'd never been able to describe properly to visitors. They came in and wondered how anyone could live here, pointing out that the strip was a shit show on the best of days, and living in the desert was nobody's ideal. A visitor had once commented that Sin City was like a giant amusement park for adults.
But Vegas meant something different for me. There was the strip, sure, and all that went with it. The gambling and the tourists, the pleasure, and the sin. But when you stepped away from all that, there was something romantic about the sunbaked scenery and living alongside a pulsing hotbed of excitement.
A majority of the greats had called this place home over the years, if only for a day or two. It wasn't where I wanted to live for the rest of my life, but it was where I was building my career now. Once I was financially secure, I'd look into other places to work and live. Maybe another big city, but one with a different kind of vibe like Chicago or New York. Some place where Mikala could see snow.
And I wouldn't mind a change from the virtually non-stop heat that I'd lived with every summer while growing up in Oklahoma, and then moving here.
I stepped through the front door of the little rancher I shared with my roommate, Tiffany, and sighed happily as the air-conditioned breeze hit my face. I definitely wouldn't miss these summers if I was able to move further north.
“How did it go?” Tiffany called from the kitchen. “You're just in time to tell me all about it before I head to work.”
I slipped off my heels and walked across the cool tile to the kitchen. Tiffany was chugging a glass of water, no doubt hydrating for the long night of dancing ahead of her. Her copper colored pixie cut shone in the evening light. It was pin straight, ends a little frayed. I expected she'd be getting a haircut soon, since she never kept one hairstyle for long, but she was the sort of beautiful that could wear pretty much anything and look good. At twenty-six, she looked at least four or five years younger than she was, and I reasoned she'd probably keep having people think she was in her twenties well into her thirties.
“I think it went well,” I said as I leaned against the counter. “They seemed to be enjoying themselves when I left. I got them into the hotel. That's half the battle.”
She laughed and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Her skin sparkled from her glittery moisturizer, but she hadn't yet put on her make-up. She usually saved that for when she got to the club, preferring instead to stay fresh-faced as long as possible. Even without it, her skin was flawless, her blue eyes electric.
She was the sort of woman other women wanted to hate simply on principle, but she was so tough and fiercely loyal that I couldn't help but love her.
I texted her earlier to tell her about the assignment Earl had given me, and to ask if she'd be around this weekend to watch Mikala if needed. Unfortunately, she was working tonight, which meant I'd been forced to ask Elroy to keep my baby a bit longer. I wanted to leave my plate open in case Dorian and Enzo needed anything. One more night with her father versus the advantages I could give her if I landed this job seemed worth it.
“That's the best you can hope for, I think.” She smiled, teeth perfectly white and straight. “And I meant to text you back, but I fell asleep. I can totally watch Mikala for you the next couple days if you need me to. After I get off tonight, I'll be free until Wednesday evening.”
I sagged with relief. “That means a lot, thanks. I don't know how long those guys are staying, and I want to stay free in case they need something. I know it's a huge pain in the ass, but this could mean a huge promotion for me.”
“Think nothing of it, my love.” She glanced down at the time on her phone on the counter, then shoved the device into her purse. “Gotta get going. Lots of horny men waiting to ogle my goodies and put some money in the bank.” She winked at me as she headed for the door, calling over her shoulder as she went, “I'm grabbing milk on the way home, so don't worry about running to the store!”
“Thanks!”
When I told people I lived with an exotic dancer, they usually pictured some big-boobed girl with hair extensions, plastic surgery, and a drug habit, but that wasn't Tiff at all. In fact, at most of the high-class strip clubs in Vegas, pretty much the only part of that description that applied was the plastic surgery, which was usually related to the large breasts. Tiffany had an athletic build, and the last man to suggest she get implants had gotten a knee to the crotch. Granted, he'd been grabbing her ass at the time, but I was pretty sure she was just as pissed about the comment as the groping. If the men at the club had known that, in addition to the ballet classes she'd taken growing up, she'd been kickboxing since she was nineteen, I doubted they would've dared to look at her cross-eyed.
The best thing was, she was just as fierce when it came to protecting Mikala and me. She'd taken us in when we'd had nowhere else to go, supported me, given me the strength I'd needed to raise my daughter. I didn't know what I would do without her.
As I heard the door close behind her, I checked my phone and saw that Elroy had texted me.
ur gonna owe me big time 4 this be here at 8 tomorrow or there's gonna be hell 2 pay I got shit 2 do
I sighed, half because of his atrocious grammar, and half because that was about what I'd expected from him. It was always about him, even when it came to our daughter. He took her on weekends when it was convenient for him, then used it as leverage against me. I had a bad feeling I'd be paying for this extra night, but right now, it was worth the future cost.
At least most things seemed to be going my way today. An amazing job opportunity, Elroy had at least agreed to keep Mikala, and Tiffany was getting milk on her way home. That meant I could enjoy the rest of the milk in the fridge in my cereal for dinner without feeling guilty, and that I had the whole place to myself for the next eight hours or so.
Well, unless the Gianelli brothers needed something from me.
Dorian's image immediately popped up in my mind, though I knew it hadn't been far to begin with. There was something about him.
His suave, charming smile. The way his hair curled over on his temple, likely the trace of a cowlick he’d tamed over the years. Or at least attempted to tame.
And his body. God, his body! I smiled just thinking about it. The simple dress slacks and white dress shirt had been perfectly tailored – no doubt specifically for him – and they showcased his athletic build and long, lean legs.
He probably looked even more amazing naked.
A blush crept up my cheeks, and not for the first time, I found myself wondering how long it'd been since a man had made me blush. I was only twenty-four, but I knew it'd had been years. Probably not since before Mikala was born. Definitely not long after.
Yet Dorian had made it happen. More than once. A look, a smile. Just the thought of him was enough to bring it on.
A thin strand of desire coiled in my stomach, new and unexpected enough to make me catch my breath. When I first met Elroy, I'd experienced that head spinning, stomach clenching sort of arousal. But I was a teenager then, and I'd learned all too quickly that it didn't last.
