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Dorian
One of thegreat things about Las Vegas was that the days of the week seemed to mean nothing here. The windowless casinos, with their oxygenated air and free-flowing cocktails, promised a sort of refuge from the battering sands of time just outside. It was much preferable to sit amidst the glitz and flashing lights of the casino and wile away the days in relative ignorance than it was to face the music of life. Or at least that's how it'd always been for Enzo.
He didn't care that it was Monday morning. He wanted to play blackjack, and he wanted to play it big. He was making bets that even the other players at the high rollers table were clearly questioning, and he'd been flirting so heavily with the waitress that I wondered if this would finally be the time he gave up his “hookers only” policy and headed into a full-blown affair.
It was baffling he'd made it this long. Two and a half years of keeping his trysts quiet was longer than both Nicolas and I had thought he'd last.
I watched Enzo slip another twenty into the waist of the woman's skirt and wondered if he figured enough tips would be the same as paying for sex. I needed to find a chance to remind him that he needed to be discreet. No matter how well a casino intended to protect its patrons, nothing was full-proof.
I sighed. Enzo was driving me crazy.
Then, like a breath of fresh air winding through the casino, I glimpsed her.
Briana.
She no longer looked like she'd been summoned from a deep slumber, but rather more like she did when I'd first met her, all put-together and sleek. Just the right amount of make-up and a deceptively casual-looking hairstyle. The effect was stunning, and I wasn't the only man on the floor to notice her as she walked by.
A part of me preferred the more rumpled look. Like she'd just rolled out of bed.
My bed.
Shit.
I shook my head to clear it.
Enzo hadn't seen her yet, as he was too caught up trying to look down the waitress' shirt. I knew I should let Briana pass. We were leaving tomorrow, and any encounter with her was just another opportunity for Enzo to ask her to Hawaii.
Then again, he hadn't done it yet. He could have tried it at any point last night when she was in our room, but he hadn't. Not really. Sure, he’d thrown a few remarks at her, but no more than he would any attractive woman in his vicinity. But he hadn’t put forth any real effort. He was used to women responding eagerly to his attention, and I was pretty sure he hadn't expected Briana to be any different. When she hadn't swooned at his compliments, I knew it'd thrown him. Now, I was banking on the fact that Enzo was the type of person who excelled at things that were easy but rarely attempted anything difficult.
Because I really didn't want her to come to Hawaii with us. Not just because I didn't want to risk losing the bet, but because I wasn't entirely certain that I could ignore her for that long, especially not if she was pretending to be my date.
Hell, I couldn't stop myself from smiling as she came my way.
“I was just about to come find you two to check in on you,” she said, her eyes practically glowing under the casino lights. “How are things? How's Enzo?”
I glanced over at the cards table where the waitress who'd come with Briana was prodding at the bandage on Enzo's head. He was grimacing dramatically, but I knew him well enough to know how much was real and how much was a play for sympathy.
I thrust my hands in my pockets and leaned in for a conspiratorial whisper. “The same as he's always been, unfortunately.”
Damn, she smelled good. A bright jolt of arousal went through me, and I clenched my hands into fists.
I reminded myself that how she smelled or looked wasn't important and continued with my attempt to make her laugh, telling myself it was only about trying to keep her from falling prey to my big brother’s charms. Enzo hadn't said anything about me not being allowed to undermine him.
“I was hoping the head wound would've affected his personality a little. Alas, he's still an idiot.”
I got the laugh I'd been hoping for. A stab of pride mingled with my desire, and I found myself wishing that I'd come to Vegas alone.
“I'm glad to hear there are no long-term complications,” she said, her eyes dancing with amusement. “What are the two of you planning on getting up to today?”
I glanced over at Enzo and found him still flirting with the waitress. I didn't doubt that his main plan for the day was to see how much money he could lose at blackjack, flirt with pretty much every woman he saw, and then get rip-roaring drunk to finish off the night. And I knew if I said anything, he'd just tell me I was too uptight, and that I needed to loosen up. After all, that was why we'd come here.
I understood where he was coming from, in a way, even if our tastes didn't quite line up. He was an excellent businessman and had a lot on his plate besides that. His marriage, for one thing. For some reason, our father had chosen Enzo to be the one to solidify our deal with the Micheli family by marrying Elina. The two of them had an arrangement when it came to Enzo's roving eye, but I knew it had to weigh on him that divorce wasn't an option, not if he wanted our family to keep in the Micheli's good graces. Lately, I'd started hearing whispers that Elina's father wanted a grandchild soon, so that was a whole new issue.
Looking down at Briana, I found myself thankful that Enzo had gotten married rather than me.
“I don't know what our plans are,” I said. “Any suggestions?”
“That depends.” She tucked a wayward wave of hair behind her ear. “What kind of trouble are you boys looking at getting into?”
