âI Came Back Because Of You, Hayden.â
Because sheâd never really forgotten him. âI canât move on. Not until I figure out what went wrong between us.â
He looked at her with that electric gaze of his. âHell, Shelby, thatâs an easy one.â
âPlease donât say it again. I wish I had the money to pay your father back.â
He narrowed his eyes and walked toward her. âSo what do you say to some sort of reparation? You give me what I paid for.â
âWhat your father paid for,â she said.
âI paid for it in ways you can never understand.â
But she did and it made her ache to realize it. âA night of sex? Is that what you want? I donât think Iâm worth a million dollars.â
He stood within an inch of her now. âNot a night,â he whispered. âHow about a week?â
Long legs, expensive silk hose and the kind of hips that he could sink his fingers into. She had it all. She always had. Hayden still couldnât believe Shelby Anne Paxton was here in his kingdom. Heâd never thought to see her again.
Her calves were well formed, tapering down to trim ankles and a pair of stilettos that sent his libido into overdrive.
The Chimera Hotel and Casino was his life. The 24/7 world of Vegas had always been his home. He wouldnât do anything to jeopardize the success of the hotel and casino. Heâd sacrificed to make it into one of the premier destinations on the Vegas Strip. And he owed it all to this woman who hadnât believed in him and to his father.
Hayden had made the Chimera the number-one casino in Vegas to prove that their lack of faith wasnât an obstacle in getting what he wanted from life.
His entire operation was first-class, right down to the hotelâs own shopping wing, which housed only sophisticated retailers. Always expanding and changing, it was about to add Bêcheur dâOr, a high-end lingerie boutique.
Bêcheur dâOr was on the fast track to the top. Itâs owners, Paige Williams and Shelby, had been profiled in Entrepreneur magazine earlier this year. Apparently Shelby had made more of his money than heâd ever expected her to.
But it had been Paige with whom heâd spoken to cinch the deal, and Paige with whom heâd met to sign the contract. Funny that Shelby had shown up here and now, especially considering heâd never expected her back in Vegas after sheâd left him standing at the altar.
A long, low wolf whistle jolted Hayden back to the present and the hallway outside the newest merchandise location at the Chimera. âWell, well, well. What have we here?â
Hayden turned to see the tall, lean, dark-haired form of his best friend stroll up. Pain tightened in his gut. He didnât want even Deacon Prescott to know who this woman was. Heâd simply referred to her as the gold digger that one time heâd gotten drunk and talked to Deacon about his marriage.
Hayden glanced at Deacon and fought the surge of possessiveness swamping him. âYouâre a married man.â
âDefinitely. But that doesnât mean Iâm dead. Besides, Kylie knows Iâd never stray.â
Deacon and Kylie had been married for almost two years now and things were going well. They were the exception to Haydenâs golden rule that marriage was a business deal.
âNo, you wouldnât,â Hayden said more to himself than to Deacon. Deacon had found something that Hayden would never admit heâd once wanted. His friend had found forever love and happiness. As for Haydenâ¦well, heâd learned his lesson long ago.
Still, Hayden didnât begrudge his friend. Deacon had come a long way from the man Hayden had first met several years ago. A long way from the mob enforcer whoâd wanted to go straight, longing for a better life that he didnât know how to find. Now Deacon owned the Golden Dream, a very successful resort and casino that was second only to the Chimera in terms of success.
Deacon had also found love and seemed to buy into the whole illusion of it since his marriage. Hayden knew better then to try it himself.