That she forgot that sometimes, emotionally, he couldn’t give her what she needed. That she forgot that maybe he wasn’t the kind of guy she wanted forever.
He took his private elevator to his penthouse apartment. As ordered, there was a candle on every surface. He had his Bose CD player keyed up for a compilation of Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis songs. He hoped the music would be a pleasant reminder for her of their first date.
There were two large vases filled with roses—six dozen in all. A discreet jewelry box containing a stunning diamond choker and matching bracelet sat on a table. Rose petals were strewn on the floor leading to the bedroom.
Everything was perfect. So why was he sweating? This was just what the magazine said every woman wanted. He had planned every detail to guarantee success. But if he knew anything about Kylie, it was that she was unpredictable.
His cell phone rang. “Prescott.”
“Hey, buddy, tonight’s the big night, right?” Mac had been keeping track of his courtship of Kylie. Utilizing the many security cameras that lined the strip it had been shockingly easy for Mac to spy on them. In fact, it was virtually impossible to have any real privacy in Las Vegas.
“Don’t you have a hotel to run?” Deacon asked.
“I can do that in my sleep. Watching you plan the perfect proposal is definitely more interesting.”
“Back off, Mac.”
“Hey, I was only kidding. She’s going to say yes. And I’m not even going to mind losing the bet.”
“Goodbye, Mac.”
“Good luck, Deacon.”
Mac hung up and Deacon straightened his tie one last time. He patted his pocket for the ring. He’d ordered it from a jeweler that Mac had recommended in New York City and had had it flown in by special courier.
He checked on the bottle of champagne that was chilling, called the kitchen to make sure everything was as he’d ordered for dinner and then had no choice but to cool his heels while he waited to go meet Kylie.
He paced to the window and looked out at the city. His city. Vegas embodied everything that was Deacon: past, present and future. Kylie was the key to moving from casino-owner upstart to upper-class society. She would give credibility to everything he’d worked so hard to accomplish.
He checked his watch and went back downstairs to meet Kylie. He met the photographer he’d hired to take pictures of the two of them. Josh was a new employee to the Golden Dream but had earned his reputation in Los Angeles by photographing celebrities. Deacon had paid top dollar for Josh tonight because he’d learned the hard way that you get what you pay for.
And if you’d never really had anything, then you had to pay a little more for everything.
“We’ll meet you by the El Dorado. I’m going to have the security guys trigger the waterfall when we’re ready for the picture.”
“You’re the boss.”
Deacon nodded and walked away. He took a deep breath and reassured himself that he had nothing to lose this evening. If Kylie said no… She wasn’t going to say no. He’d bet good money on it. A lot more than good money.
The door to the salon opened as he approached and Kylie entered the hallway. For a minute he couldn’t speak. He could just stare at her. She was everything he’d imagined she’d be and more. Her hair was piled on top of her head with a few tendrils framing her face. Her eyes were wide and serious as she met his gaze, and he felt his heart beat speed up.
He wanted to toss her over his shoulder and carry her back to his cave. He wanted to mark her as his and make sure that no one, not even Kylie, especially not Kylie, ever forgot she was his.
“What do you think?”
“Beautiful, angel. You’re beautiful.”
“I’m kind of amazed,” she said, walking slowly toward him.
She stopped only inches from him, resting her hands on his shoulders, the way she always did before she leaned up to kiss him. But she didn’t lean up. She just stood there watching him.
He took his private elevator to his penthouse apartment. As ordered, there was a candle on every surface. He had his Bose CD player keyed up for a compilation of Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis songs. He hoped the music would be a pleasant reminder for her of their first date.
There were two large vases filled with roses—six dozen in all. A discreet jewelry box containing a stunning diamond choker and matching bracelet sat on a table. Rose petals were strewn on the floor leading to the bedroom.
Everything was perfect. So why was he sweating? This was just what the magazine said every woman wanted. He had planned every detail to guarantee success. But if he knew anything about Kylie, it was that she was unpredictable.
His cell phone rang. “Prescott.”
“Hey, buddy, tonight’s the big night, right?” Mac had been keeping track of his courtship of Kylie. Utilizing the many security cameras that lined the strip it had been shockingly easy for Mac to spy on them. In fact, it was virtually impossible to have any real privacy in Las Vegas.
“Don’t you have a hotel to run?” Deacon asked.
“I can do that in my sleep. Watching you plan the perfect proposal is definitely more interesting.”
“Back off, Mac.”
“Hey, I was only kidding. She’s going to say yes. And I’m not even going to mind losing the bet.”
“Goodbye, Mac.”
“Good luck, Deacon.”
Mac hung up and Deacon straightened his tie one last time. He patted his pocket for the ring. He’d ordered it from a jeweler that Mac had recommended in New York City and had had it flown in by special courier.
He checked on the bottle of champagne that was chilling, called the kitchen to make sure everything was as he’d ordered for dinner and then had no choice but to cool his heels while he waited to go meet Kylie.
He paced to the window and looked out at the city. His city. Vegas embodied everything that was Deacon: past, present and future. Kylie was the key to moving from casino-owner upstart to upper-class society. She would give credibility to everything he’d worked so hard to accomplish.
He checked his watch and went back downstairs to meet Kylie. He met the photographer he’d hired to take pictures of the two of them. Josh was a new employee to the Golden Dream but had earned his reputation in Los Angeles by photographing celebrities. Deacon had paid top dollar for Josh tonight because he’d learned the hard way that you get what you pay for.
And if you’d never really had anything, then you had to pay a little more for everything.
“We’ll meet you by the El Dorado. I’m going to have the security guys trigger the waterfall when we’re ready for the picture.”
“You’re the boss.”
Deacon nodded and walked away. He took a deep breath and reassured himself that he had nothing to lose this evening. If Kylie said no… She wasn’t going to say no. He’d bet good money on it. A lot more than good money.
The door to the salon opened as he approached and Kylie entered the hallway. For a minute he couldn’t speak. He could just stare at her. She was everything he’d imagined she’d be and more. Her hair was piled on top of her head with a few tendrils framing her face. Her eyes were wide and serious as she met his gaze, and he felt his heart beat speed up.
He wanted to toss her over his shoulder and carry her back to his cave. He wanted to mark her as his and make sure that no one, not even Kylie, especially not Kylie, ever forgot she was his.
“What do you think?”
“Beautiful, angel. You’re beautiful.”
“I’m kind of amazed,” she said, walking slowly toward him.
She stopped only inches from him, resting her hands on his shoulders, the way she always did before she leaned up to kiss him. But she didn’t lean up. She just stood there watching him.
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