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Kristy clasped Dee Dee to her chest, glancing out the window, trying desperately to quell the churning in her stomach.
She could see the outskirts of the city. The houses loomed large against the desert landscape. The strip rose up in the distance, glaringly brilliant and really quite beautiful from this angle. She’d give a lot to see the inside of a bright, clanking, smoky casino or even an Elvis chapel before she died.
“Kristy?”
“What?”
Jack reached for her hand across the table. “Look at me.”
She glanced up as his warm palm closed over hers. She wondered vaguely how his hand could be warm at a time like this. Hers felt like ice.
“What the dog’s name?” he asked softly.
“Dee Dee.”
“Dee Dee’s going to be okay,” he said.
His eyes locked onto hers, and his deep voice rumbled through her body. “You’re going to be okay. And I’m going to be okay. An hour from now, we’ll all be laughing about this over wine and grilled lobster on the Strip.”
Kristy didn’t really believe him, but he seemed to be waiting for an answer. So she gave the barest of nods, and he squeezed her hand in response.
“Just keep looking at me, Kristy. I swear it’ll be all right.”
She held his gaze, and she started to feel hope.
The runway rushed up to meet them. The plane lurched to one side. Red emergency lights flashed in her peripheral vision. But for some ridiculous reason, Kristy kept her faith in Jack.
CHAPTER TWO
AS THE Gulfstream finally coasted to a halt at the far end of the runway, Jack quickly rose from his seat. There was no reason for anyone to be hurt, but he wanted to make sure.
True to Simon’s word, it had only been a bumpy landing, followed by a long stretch of deceleration. Even now, the emergency vehicles were struggling to catch up.
Still holding her hand, Jack went to Kristy first. “Okay?” he asked, peering into her eyes.
She gave him a series of swift nods, one hand stroking the little dog.
He smiled at her, let go of her hand and moved forward to where Leonardo was belted in. The man looked pale, but otherwise perfectly fine. Jack strode past the small closet and pulled open the flimsy cockpit door. “Simon?”
“All’s well,” Simon confirmed.
The copilot gave Jack a thumbs up.
There was a loud banging on the cabin door, and Jack quickly released the latch and lowered the staircase.
“Everybody okay?” shouted the fireman standing closest to the stairs. He was flanked by two others in their turnout gear. Behind the trio was a lights-flashing fire engine, an ambulance and two paramedics on the rain-spattered runway.
“We’re all fine,” said Jack as an airport security car pulled up, yellow lights adding to the show.
Simon appeared next to Jack’s shoulder.
“A hydraulic problem,” he told the emergency workers. “I’ll meet you inside to fill out the paperwork.”
“You need me for anything?” asked Jack.
Simon shook his head. “I’ll take care of it. But you’ll have a few hours to kill.”
Jack nodded then turned to find Hunter and Leonardo both on their feet. Leonardo was helping Kristy into her coat, balancing the little dog in his arms while he tried to be of assistance in the narrow aisle.
“We might as well go inside,” Jack said to them. “It’ll take some time to do the incident report and look at repairs.”
“Can I be of assistance?” asked Leonardo.
“Don’t worry about us,” said Jack. “Simon or I will call you when we know anything.”
“Thanks,” said Leonardo, handing the dog back to Kristy and giving it a pat on the head.
Jack gestured for Kristy to be first out of the aircraft, and one of the firemen came partway up the stairs to take her hand.
“I’m fine,” she protested.
“It’s slippery from the rain, ma’am. If you follow me to the car, security will take you to the terminal.”
Jack shrugged into his overcoat and followed them down the stairs. Hunter was right behind him, and the three hitched a ride in the back seat of the sedan to the main terminal at McCarran International.
As the glass doors of the terminal glided open, he breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone was safe, and the plane was intact. But, as soon as those facts were neatly filed away, his pragmatic brain began calculating the silver lining. At the very least, he’d bought himself three or four hours. Because, despite his connection with Kristy during the emergency landing, his mission hadn’t changed. And he now had some extra time to figure out how to stop her wedding to his grandfather.
The doors swooshed shut, and the noise and confusion of the main terminal engulfed them. They joined the crowd snaking its way past the luggage carousels and rental-car booths, and Jack fought an urge to put an arm around her shoulders and keep her close to his side. Ridiculous, he told himself. She’d had a bit of a scare, sure. But she was from New York City. This crowd certainly wasn’t going to rattle her.
He raised his voice so that Hunter and Kristy would hear him over the din. “I say we head for Bellagio’s.” He couldn’t see hanging around an airport for three or four hours. Not when Le Cirque was so close by.
“I’m going to grab a commercial flight,” said Hunter, slowing down and stepping out of the main pedestrian stream. The escalator next to him stretched up to the departures level. “I’ve got a golf date with Milo and Harrison in the morning,” he finished.
Jack glanced at Kristy, worried she might hop on a commercial plane, as well. But he quickly realized she wouldn’t want to pay full price for a same-day ticket.
“I guess it’s just you and me,” he put in, before it occurred to her to call Cleveland and ask for his credit-card number.
Kristy glanced around the crowded terminal. “You go ahead. I can wait here.”
Was she masochistic?
“My treat,” he clarified, in case money was stopping her. He would have paid for her dinner in any case. It was his plane. She was his guest.
She started to back away. “I’m sure you have plenty to do without me hanging around.”
“Like eat a steak and drink a martini?”
She smiled at that, and it was hard to imagine she was a gold-digging opportunist.
“Reports to read?” she asked. “Phone calls to return?”
It was nice of her to offer. Really it was. But didn’t she know enough to shut up and take the free dinner? Besides, he had no intention of letting her out of his sight.
“I’m honestly only planning to eat,” was his answer. And conspire against her, of course. But he didn’t think it was necessary to divulge that bit of information.
She gave him a look that said she didn’t believe him. “What about Dee Dee?”
“The hotel will take care of her. You won’t be the first celebrity to show up with a pet.”
“I’m not a celebrity.”
“Yeah, but they won’t know that. I’ll get us a really long limo, and I guarantee the concierge will find a solution.”
He could see she was still hesitating, so Jack brought out the big guns. “Do you really think my grandfather would ever forgive me if I abandoned you in an airport?”
Her eye twitched, and he knew he had her.
He knew he had her even before she opened her mouth.
“Okay,” she finally said with a nod. “We don’t want to upset your grandfather.”
“That’s right. We don’t.”
Hunter gestured to the up escalator with a jab of his thumb. “You two kids have fun. I’m off to find another ride.”
Kristy gave Hunter a brilliant smile and moved gracefully toward him, her hand outstretched. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
Hunter reached for the hand, a goofy grin growing on his face. “Me, too. I’m sorry I have to leave you here.”
“Don’t be silly. You obviously have things to do. Me, I’m clear for the rest of the weekend.”
“Really?”
Jack could see Hunter rethinking his golf game with Milo and Harrison.
“If you want to come along,” Hunter said to Kristy. “We can probably catch something on United.”
Jack wasn’t about to let that happen. “Kristy’s not interested in being stuffed in a last-minute back seat of a commuter jet.”
“How do you know?” asked Hunter.
“Because she has a brain,” said Jack, shifting in front of Kristy, squaring his shoulders and giving his cousin a crystal-clear back off glare. How was he supposed to save the family fortune if Kristy was off flirting with Hunter?
Hunter shrugged his capitulation. “Catch you next week, then.”
“Yeah,” Jack returned. “Next week.”
With a wave, Hunter stepped onto the escalator.
Taking Kristy on a date. Of all the crazy, lame-ass plans. Did Hunter think he could dazzle her with his good looks and charm and make her forget all about Cleveland’s billion-dollar offer?
Kristy didn’t want a relationship. She wanted a sugar daddy. She wanted a besotted rich old man who would indulge her every whim.
Jack stilled.
Wait a minute.
What was he thinking?
Kristy didn’t want a besotted, rich old man. She simply wanted a besotted rich man. She’d probably take a young one just as quickly. In fact, she might prefer a young one.
He stole a sidelong glance to where she was cooing at Dee Dee.
They were stuck together in Vegas. The land of glitz and glamour and fantasy. Where better to fall head over heels for a rich young man? Where better to have a rich young man fall head over heels for you?
And Jack was a rich young man—at least he was comparatively young. When you put him up against Cleveland.
Cleveland. What better way to make sure his family’s reputation and fortune didn’t take another hit, he’d get Kristy to marry him instead. And keep their money out of her hands.
Of course, he’d have to work fast.
Simon would lie for him about the jet repair, buy him tonight, maybe part of tomorrow. But eventually Kristy would get tired of waiting. She’d bite the bullet and buy a ticket on a commercial airline.
Until then, however …
He offered his arm and gave her a genuine smile. “Ever tried the tasting menu at Le Cirque?”
She shook her head, hesitating then taking his arm.
“Then you’re in for a treat. Come on.” He gently urged her forward. “Let’s go find ourselves a really flashy limo.”
FORTUNATELY, since Jack ordered the tasting menu, Kristy didn’t get a chance to look at it. If she had, she suspected the prices would have given her a heart attack. Everything about Le Cirque reeked of wealth and privilege.
The tables were covered in white linen, well-spaced, with comfortable, padded chairs. The service was impeccable, and the decor spectacular. Bold burgundy carpets covered the floor, while padded, striped chairs surrounded the tables and spotlights shone on recessed circus murals.
They started almost immediately with chilled cocktails, then she savored course after course of exotic delicacies complemented by fine merlots and chardonnays.
Afterward, Jack didn’t even glance at the bill before handing over his platinum card.
His cell phone rang.
“I’m sorry,” he said, reaching for his inside breast pocket.
Kristy shook her head. “Don’t worry about me.” She settled into the overstuffed chair, sighing as she gazed around the softly glowing room. The ceiling was draped with bright silk—yellow and orange and ivory fluttering like a tent dome around a central chandelier. It was dark outside, and the dancing lights of the fountains beyond the windows added to the intimacy of the restaurant.
“What time?” Jack asked into the phone.
Kristy took another sip from her wineglass, letting the tart, woodsy flavor ease over her tongue, as the room’s ambiance seeped in and relaxed her.
