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OH... CHRISTINE FOUGHT to keep a mildly interested look on her face as disappointment washed over her. So that was what this was all about. Her pulse had fluttered when she realized Travis had crossed the casino floor to meet her. Her heart had thumped against her ribs when she met his piercing brown eyes. She felt like the exciting and fascinating woman she’d always wanted to be.
It had only taken a moment to believe in the fantasy. But Travis set her straight. He wasn’t flirting with her. He wasn’t interested in her as a woman. Travis had given her his full attention because that was his routine. He didn’t want to bed her; he wanted her money.
Not even as a gigolo. No, her luck never worked like that. He wanted to be her tour guide.
She should have known. If she wasn’t exciting enough for her ex-boyfriend, Darrell, then she really wasn’t going to be spellbinding for a guy like Travis. Darrell was the most eligible bachelor in Cedar Valley, but honestly, there wasn’t that much competition.
Travis, however, was different. He was so handsome that it almost hurt to look at him. He walked with the confidence of a man who had faced life-and-death situations. His hooded eyes couldn’t hide the shadows or the hard-earned experience. Women were immediately drawn to a man like Travis. He was danger, fantasy and sex wrapped in raw masculinity.
He could have his pick of women. Travis probably had met thousands of women just like her. She had nothing new to offer him, nothing to hold his attention, except for her money. He should have picked someone richer.
“You’re a guide?” she said, her voice high as she tried to hide her disappointment.
“I’ve been a guide all over the world,” he said. “I’ve taken travelers through the jungles of South America, the mountains in—”
“How many did you start out with and how many came back?”
Travis’s knowing smile made her pulse skip hard. “I haven’t lost a client,” he said proudly. “There were a few I wanted to push over the cliff, but that’s bad for business.”
“And what makes you think I need a guide?” she asked, not really sure if she wanted to hear the answer. Did she look lost and out of place? Was it obvious that she didn’t know what she was doing?
He had figured her out pretty fast. Did most women visiting Vegas alone feel as if their lives were in a rut? What did they do to get out of it? Something told her that their Vegas to-do list was sexier than hers. That wasn’t a surprise. She wasn’t a sexy woman and passion never ruled her dating life.
“You’re not interested in the gambling or the shows,” Travis said. “You want the wild side of Vegas and that isn’t so easy to find.”
“You don’t know what I’m looking for,” she pointed out.
Travis’s gaze captured hers for a beat. “I have a pretty good idea.”
She chuckled. If he knew, he would offer an indecent proposal and the key to his room. It was best that he didn’t know. She didn’t need any distractions while she tried to cross something off her list.
“I want to do something I haven’t done before,” she said, rubbing her fingers against her collarbone, belatedly remembering that she’d left her dainty pearl necklace at home. “And I’ve had so many experiences that I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few.”
“I know the feeling.”
He would know. What was she doing pretending to be a worldly woman with this man? Her blood was pumping through her veins harder than it had in a long time. Travis was the real deal. He was going to catch her in a lie.
So what? The question swirled inside her head. After this weekend, you’ll never see him again. Tell outrageous lies and do something daring. If you crash and burn, no one will ever know.
Yet she still hesitated. “I don’t think I can afford you.”
Travis’s smile grew triumphant. As if he knew he had hooked her and only had to reel her in. “Yes, you can, Christine. I’m giving you this night for free.”
That instantly made her suspicious. “Why?”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Because I like you.”
Sure he did. There had to be a catch somewhere. “Wait, did you say tonight? You want to start now?”
“Of course. Did you have other plans?”
She nervously bit her lip. This was the moment when she could find her wilder, more adventurous side. Suddenly the idea of getting settled in her room and having a good night’s sleep sounded better. Safer. “Nothing set in stone.”
“Then let’s go.” He pushed away from the slot machine and reached for her.
Christine looked at his hand. It was large and masculine. Rough and weathered. Not the kind that had earned a living working on a computer. “What are we going to do?” She cautiously placed her hand in his.