A hand on my shoulder stopped me mid step, and the nicer of the pair turned me to face him. For a moment, his eyes caught mine and the world faded. Then he dropped his hand, and everything else came rushing back.
“You don't work for the casino.”
It was statement of fact, not a question, but at least he didn't seem angry.
“I wouldn't be trying to get you and your friend out of here so quickly if I worked here, would I?” I said with a coquettish wink.
“We're brothers, actually. Dorian and Lorenzo Gianelli. Enzo, he prefers.”
My eyebrows raised, and I looked between them. I supposed I could see the resemblance in their black-as-night hair and high cheekbones. Otherwise, it seemed they couldn't be more different. And then there was the way Dorian had said their name. Like I was supposed to recognize it or something.
Shit, had Earl sent me over to wrangle two mafia sons or something? If he had, I'd never forgive him. I had a daughter to look after.
Which meant I needed to get out of here. “It's lovely to meet you both. You'll have to forgive me for speeding through the salutations, but we really need to get out of here.”
Dorian smiled at me, like I'd said something amusing. For another second, the world stopped on a dime. It was just me and the sexy man in the thousand-dollar suit. My stomach fluttered in a way that I hadn't thought it could.
Then reality came back again, and I saw the pit manager talking to the dealer who'd called out to us. Shit.
“Come on handsome, let's get you outta here.” I grabbed Dorian's hand, not caring how bold of a move it was, and we resumed walking. I supposed I needed to get used to bold. I needed it with this job.
Neither Dorian nor his brother said anything else as they followed me, but I could feel them both watching. Enzo still seemed pissed, but the tension coming from Dorian was definitely sexual. I let go of his hand once we were onto the crowded casino floor, but I could still feel the way his warm, calloused fingers had gripped mine.
The limo I called when I was rushing over was waiting outside the front entrance. I breathed out a sigh of relief and gestured toward it, hoping I didn't come across as giddy as I felt.
“Your chariot, gentleman.”
“Are you going to tell us what this is all about now?” Enzo asked the question as he climbed into the limo. He still sounded annoyed, but as long as he was going where I wanted him to go, I didn't care.
I looked at Dorian, who smiled and waved a hand toward the door. “Ladies first.”
I nodded at his chivalrous gesture and slipped into the limo, taking the long seat on the side while they settled into the row between the doors. As I settled into my seat, I told myself that I could do this. After all, I'd gotten them here. I could close the deal.
I grabbed a bottle of Cristal champagne from the cooler as I answered Enzo's question. “My boss runs one of the most prestigious casinos in all of Las Vegas. The Rock Bay.”
I offered each man a glass and then poured one for myself. I didn't like drinking on the job but being good at this particular brand of hosting meant that I had to make the two men feel at ease. People felt naturally more at ease when their host partook in activities alongside them. So, unless it was something illegal, I had carte blanche to participate.
As long as I didn't let things get out of hand.
I continued, “He heard two VIPs were being treated poorly at the competition and sent me to sort it out.”
Dorian looked at me over the top of his champagne glass. I swallowed hard. No person's gaze should be that powerful. It twisted things inside me that I thought had disappeared years ago.
“What does sorting it out entail?” Dorian asked.
I gestured around the limo as I gave myself a mental shake. “Well, first of all, we're getting you out of that awful place and over to somewhere a bit more deserving of your time. Once we're at Rock Bay, whenever you need something you can ask me, and I'll get it for you directly. Shows, reservations, you name it. All complimentary, of course. And no house limits.”
I winked at Enzo with that last statement. He finally grinned. With the smile, he and Dorian looked more alike than before. I made a mental note that both men seemed to respond to light teasing, but Enzo appeared to be more inclined toward flattery and attention.
“Seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through for two people you don't know,” Dorian commented.
I hadn't been mistaken when I pegged him as the intelligent one. He wasn't going to be easily swayed by perks and flattery. He was the sort of man who wanted to know the bottom line.
I told him the truth but gave it to him with the most charming smile I had in my arsenal. “Well, in return, my employer hopes you enjoy your time in Las Vegas at our casino and will think of us the next time you come to stay.”
I might as well have been flirting with a brick wall. He cocked an eyebrow, drank half of his glass down in one gulp, and let out a deep sigh. Enzo looked positively delighted, and I swore I could hear him already making a mental list of everything he intended to do. It wouldn't take us long to get to the casino, so I needed to make sure Dorian was on board and didn't convince his brother to walk away.
“I already have a suite set up for you,” I said, forcing myself to keep my voice easy and light. “I'll arrange to have your things brought over from the Aladdin as you settle in. Are your wives with you? I'd love to set up spa treatments for them while you two get acquainted with our other amenities.”
I watched Dorian's face closely, perhaps closer than necessary. I had to admit that I was a bit curious to see if they'd ask me to replace the young ladies I chased away. I didn't for one moment believe that they hadn't known that the women were pros. What I didn't know was if the men had been responsible for finding their dates for the night, or if it'd been something the hotel had set up.
He glanced at Enzo and then answered, “I'm not married.”
His words sounded like he'd chosen them carefully.
“Yeah, it's just the two of us,” Enzo added smoothly.
The limo pulled up in front of Rock Bay. The driver walked around and opened the door, letting the three of us out. I nodded at him, letting him know I'd keep my promise to call him first for anything to do with the brothers.
“Follow me, please.”
I led the two men through the lobby of the hotel, making sure to keep a steady pace that was slow enough they could appreciate the décor, but not so slow they'd get bored. My palms were sweating by the time we reached the elevators. When the doors closed, I felt like I was truly alone with the two brothers for the first time.
“Is it your first time in Las Vegas?” I asked.
Dorian gave me a sideways look. “Don't you know the answer? You seem to have a lot of them.”
I brushed off his comment with a smile. “I don't actually know that much, but I hope to get to know you both a lot better over the course of your stay.”
I hadn't meant it to come out sounding so sexual, and I immediately blushed when the words registered. Shit. Sometimes, I hated having such a fair complexion. Fortunately, the two of them looked infinitely amused rather than like they thought I was unprofessional.
“Oh, I hope so,” joked Enzo. The leer he gave me had genuine admiration in it, but the edge that would've made me uncomfortable was missing.
Dorian's expression, however, was guarded. “I would count on it, Briana.”
I didn't bother to try to work out what he meant by that. It wasn't my business. My business was to keep the Gianelli brothers happy at Rock Bay. Flirting was one thing, but I wasn't part of the perks. Enzo seemed to get that, but something about what I said had made Dorian react in an odd way.
I shoved the thought aside. If I really wanted to take it out and examine it, I'd do it later. Right now, I needed to get the men settled. My contacts at the Aladdin had told me about Enzo and Dorian's suite there, so I knew this room was much better than the one they'd had before. It was a good thing the Ala
ddin didn't have rooms quite as ostentatious as ours because the guys were getting the top of the line here.
Enzo whistled through his teeth. “You don't mess around, doll.”
“I certainly do not,” I replied, pleased with the endearment. He really had this whole flirting-but-not-flirting thing down. “I hope everything's to your satisfaction. Your belongings should arrive within the next hour or so, but you don't need to wait for them. The staff will bring them in.”
Enzo's brief admiration of the suite was my only indication that they were impressed at all. Dorian was quiet, walking around the place like he was expecting to find dust under the throw cushions. Enzo headed straight for the bar to pour himself a drink, and I was starting to wonder if I'd misread which brother was the one I'd prefer to spend time with.
Not that my personal preference mattered at all.
“Is there anything else you need from me before I leave?” I asked.
Dorian looked up at me then. “Actually, there is one more thing.”
“What's that?”
He crossed the room in a few long strides, drawing up in front of me, and staring down with a crooked smile on those distracting, sensual lips. “Your phone number.”
Oh.
My heart stopped...then ramped up to a million miles an hour. I stared up at him, wide-eyed, and probably looking as immature as I suddenly felt, but I seemed to have completely lost the ability to speak. And think. My prolonged silence gave me away. Dorian chuckled.
“In case we need anything,” he pressed.
“R-right,” I stuttered, hating myself for it. But not as much as I hated myself for thinking that a man like him would want anything other than business from me. He'd shown that he had no problem paying for it, and he could afford women who made me fade into the background. “Of course.”
After giving Dorian my business card and hoping he wouldn't mention my silly flub to my boss, I headed out into the hallway to call Earl.
He answered on the second ring. “Earl speaking.”
“Hey, Earl, it's Briana. The high rollers are here. I just set them up in their suite.”
“Great, sweetheart. That's just great,” he replied. “Stay on them and make sure you give them everything they want, hmm?”
That much I knew.
“Will do, boss.”
I pressed the down button on the elevator, getting ready to end the call.
“Oh, and Briana?” Earl said.
“Yeah?”
“Great job, sugar.”
I was glad he was happy, but I couldn't help but wonder if his confidence in me was founded, or if I’d completely screw everything up.
Then the image of my little girl floated in my mind. The same strawberry blonde hair. Blue-gray eyes, and just a hint of freckles. She was sweet and intelligent and so much more than I deserved.
I was doing this for her, and I wasn't going to fuck it up.
5
Dorian
“Not bad. Not bad at all,” Enzo commented as he refilled his glass. “I'd say this whole experience has been...enlightening, so far.”
“What's that supposed to mean?” I shot him a nasty glance from my seat on the Italian leather sofa. I'd been feeling...off, and it bothered me. I'd always been comfortable in my own skin, and right now, I wasn't.
Enzo sighed dramatically and swirled the champagne in his glass. He'd already gone through half the bottle and showed no sign of sobering up anytime soon. He'd always liked to drink, rarely getting so drunk that I couldn't handle him, but he'd been consuming more alcohol than usual during this trip.
“I couldn't help noticing that you couldn't take your eyes off that girl,” Enzo said, raising his brows. “What was her name? Brittany?”
“Briana.” I ground out the name between clenched teeth, not liking the direction this was going.
He chuckled. “Right. Briana.” He rolled her name around like he was tasting it, settling back into the couch to look at the Vegas skyline from the floor to ceiling windows. “I wonder if she costs as much as the hookers she chased away? What do you think?”
“She clearly isn't like that, so there's no point wondering,” I snapped.
I hadn't intended to get pissed off at him, but he was dancing on my last nerve. First with the obnoxious behavior, and now purposefully being a dick about Briana just because he knew it would set me off. I normally didn't have temper problems. In fact, Enzo could usually be counted on to be the hothead of the family, but hell if he couldn't bring it out in me.
Especially once he found something to pick at.
“Oh come on, Dorian. Don't be like that.” His lips curved in a mischievous smile, the glint in his eyes one I'd come to recognize. “I'm just saying, she's quite dedicated to getting our business. I'd be willing to bet she'd sleep with either of us for it. Hell, she'd probably do both of us if we asked.”
I'd had enough, but I knew that letting him goad me into an argument would only make matters worse. I forced my hands to relax, my fingers to uncurl from the fists I'd made unconsciously. I needed a distraction as much as I needed to get Enzo off his current train of thought.
No way in hell was I going to let him even think about doing something as asinine as propositioning that girl. Since he got married, he'd stuck with escorts for his extra-curricular activities, but I could see him justifying it in his head that, technically, if he could get her to view it as part of her job, it would be the same as paying for sex.
I needed a change of scenery before I said something I regretted.
“Let's go see if the tables downstairs really don't have any limits,” I suggested. “I'm interested to see how this place will hold up to your particular brand of tornado.”
“Fine.” Enzo slung back the rest of his drink and then set the glass on the coffee table. He combed a hand through his hair as he stood, though he still looked just as perfectly put together as he did when we stepped off the plane this morning.
It seemed that no matter what Enzo did during his day, whether it be drinking and gambling or board meetings and schmoozing, he always looked like he'd walked right out of the barbershop. As for me, it didn't matter how I tried to control my hair. It just did what it wanted. I supposed that was why most people assumed Enzo was the one in charge. That was fine with me. I preferred working in the background.
As soon as the elevator doors shut, he turned to me, and I knew that my attempt at distracting him hadn't worked. He shot me a devious smile, and I found myself wishing that the elevator moved faster.
“How about a real bet on our little hostess, brother? Two hundred K says I can get her to come to Hawaii with us. And that I can get her in my bed by the end of the trip.”
I rolled my eyes in an attempt to get him to see how little I cared. “You're crazy.”
“Like a fox.”
I thought the idea was ludicrous, but I couldn't deny that part of me wanted to prove him wrong about Briana. She was different. As much as I hated to admit it, there was something that attracted me to her in a way no woman had caught my interest in a long time. Maybe it was how she acted like she had everything all figured out when I could tell she was new at this. The role of ultimate Girl Friday suited her, but instinct told me that she could peel it away like a second skin and reveal something completely different underneath. And despite myself, I was curious to see what that would be.
But I knew without a doubt that Enzo was nuts if he thought he had any chance of wooing her. I thought she'd be almost as likely to slap him when he made a pass at her as she would be to walk away. Either way, she'd never sleep with him.
“Alright, I'll take your bet.” I offered my hand. “Before we shake on it, I'd recommend reconsidering. Briana won’t go for you, and even if she did, don't you think your bed is already quite crowded? What with your wife and all?”
Enzo frowned, as if he'd forgotten that Elina would be joining us in Hawaii. Not really surprising since the two of them rarely went places together.
I liked my sister-in-law in general, and even more so for putting up with my brother's shit. Everyone knew their marriage was a business alliance, so most everyone ignored his dalliances, even Elina, and Enzo was careful to keep his affairs private and to sex only. Taking Briana to Hawaii with the intention of fucking her would be a slap in the face, and I knew our parents wouldn't stand for it.
“We'll tell everyone she's your date,” Enzo said, slapping his palm against mine and shaking. “But to be clear, you're not allowed to sleep with her. The only way you win the bet is if she doesn't sleep with either of us.”
“Fine.” I gave his hand a hearty shake as the doors slid open. “I'll take your bet.”
We left the elevator and continued over to the high rollers area of the casino. Enzo headed straight for the craps table, as was his custom. A gambler to the core, he may have dabbled in poker or blackjack, but he preferred games of chance. Betting on our lovely hostess was just another game for him, just another spin of the wheel. Though he was generally good at gambling, he'd never been particularly good at gambling against me.
“Does this mean we're not seeking out other distractions while we're in town?” I asked, curious to see which part of my brother's nature won out: his libido or his competitive nature.
He meditated on the problem thoughtfully as he waited for the dealer to hand over his chips. The women we'd hired to keep us company at the Aladdin hadn't particularly secured my interest, but I'd never been as concerned with sex in general as my brother. I enjoyed it, and I wasn't celibate, but going a weekend in Vegas without fucking wasn't a hardship in my opinion.
“I suppose not,” he decided finally. “If I want to get her to come with us, I doubt having another woman hanging all over me would be much of a turn-on. Unfortunately.”
“So be it, then.” I huffed a sigh and left Enzo to his game.
I had to admit that a part of me was a little relieved. I didn't want Enzo winning the bet, but if he got a call girl, I'd get one too just so I wasn't sitting around while my brother got laid. My cock didn’t even twitch at the thought. The idea of slaking my lust with the woman I'd hired before, or even another, seemed less desirable now than it had been before I met Briana.