Night After Night (3 page)

“Who
are
you?” She figured if she had some kind of name, she could at least press charges against this man for harassment and let her father know the guy was trouble.

“I’m someone who has a whole lot of money wrapped up in the Meridian project, and now that money has gone missing, along with your father,” the man said bitterly.

There wasn’t a person living in or around Las Vegas who hadn’t heard of the upscale casino and resort her father’s company was developing. It was a huge, billion-dollar project, and a job as big as that wasn’t without disgruntled workers.

She tried her best to reason with him. “Look, I’m not involved in my father’s company, or the Meridian project, so I really can’t help you with whatever your problem is.”

“Sure you can.” He finally released her arm but remained in front of her, keeping Zoe trapped between racks of designer clothes and his formidable body. “How about you relay a message to your father for me. Tell him that he needs to get his ass back to Vegas, along with the money Bunny and I worked damn hard for. And unless he wants his daughter to start answering for his financial dealings, then it’s in both of your best interests that he return and take care of business.”

The man turned around and walked away, leaving her trembling deep inside and trying to make some kind of sense of what had just happened. She didn’t even know the guy’s name or exactly what he was referring to. But whatever his issue, she was certain her father would take care of the problem once he returned from his business trip. In the meantime, she’d make a call to her dad and give him a heads-up on what had happened.

“Zoe?” Done appeasing her fans, Jessica walked into the store, her concerned gaze shifting from Zoe to the man who strode past her and out of the shop, then back again. “Who was that guy?”

“I don’t know,” she said, dragging a shaking hand through her hair.

“Are you okay?” Frowning, Jessica slid a protective arm over Zoe’s shoulders. “Did he hurt you? I’ll send big, bad Simon after him if you want.”

“No…no, I’m fine. Really.” Well, not
really,
but she didn’t want to cause a scene. “I have no idea how that guy knows who I am, but there’s obviously some kind of misunderstanding between him and my father. As soon as I let my dad know what’s going on, I’m sure he’ll take care of the problem.”

“Then by all means, give him a call
now,
” her friend insisted.

Retrieving her BlackBerry from her purse, Zoe punched in her father’s cell number. The call went directly to voice mail, and she left him a message.

“Hi, Dad,” she said, deliberately sounding upbeat so she didn’t worry her father. “I need to talk to you about something important, so call me as soon as you get this message. I love you.”

She disconnected the call and smiled at Jessica, doing her best to put the recent incident behind her and enjoy the rest of her day with her best friend. “The good news is, the dress fits and looks amazing on, so I now have something fabulous to wear Wednesday night.”

“That
is
good news,” Jessica said, amusement replacing her concern as they strolled out of the store together. “What a day it’s been. I sure could use a good, strong margarita. How about you?”

“Yeah. Maybe even two.”

Jessica laughed and led the way back to Caesars Palace. “Sounds good to me.”

“If you’re trying to impress me, you’ve definitely succeeded.” Settling into the plush red velvet chair Sean held out for her on their dinner date two days later, Zoe glanced over her shoulder and smiled at her gorgeous, sexy, and very charming date. “I’m in awe of your ability to secure not just
any
table at the highly celebrated, award-winning Alex Stratta restaurant at the Wynn hotel, but one at one of the private seating areas on the terrace. From what I’ve heard, most people need at least a two-week reservation for one of these exclusive tables.”

“What can I say?” Unfastening the button on the front of his fitted charcoal gray blazer, Sean sat down in the seat next to hers, his playful grin showcasing those masculine dimples creasing his cheeks. “I called in a favor. It’s nice to have connections, especially when I’m trying to impress a woman.”

She raised a brow, certain this man had plenty of practice in dazzling the opposite sex and sweeping them off their feet with memorable romantic gestures. “You use this particular connection often?”

Unmistakable amusement shone in his eyes. “If you’re talking about me bringing women to Alex Stratta for dinner, you’re the first.”

Her cheeks warmed at the thought, and she was grateful for the dim outdoor lighting that disguised the extra color suffusing her face. “Lucky me.”

Unexpectedly, Sean reached out and skimmed the pad of his thumb along her jaw, then trailed his fingers along her bare neck in a sensual caress. “No, lucky
me,
” he murmured huskily.

A delicious shiver coursed through Zoe. The feel of his long, strong fingers against her skin awakened her feminine senses, and her awareness of him as a man didn’t stop there.

With his dark hair, striking blue eyes, and chiseled features, most likely a gift from his Irish heritage, he literally took her breath away. Add to the mix a pair of wide, strong shoulders and the promise of a hard, toned body beneath the fitted charcoal gray blazer he wore, and he’d attracted his fair share of appreciative female glances as he and Zoe had walked through the upscale restaurant.

It was truly a sin for a man to look so devastatingly handsome. To be so tempting and self-assured. Unfortunately, between his stunning good looks, flirtatious personality, and effortless ability to make her feel high with desire with just a look or touch, the man had “heartbreaker” written all over him.

He was exactly the kind of guy she avoided, the kind who’d rather play around than settle down. Having been down that route before, she recognized those bold, charismatic traits of his, and while she’d promised herself over a year and a half ago that she’d steer clear of potential playboys, for tonight Sean provided a nice, temporary distraction she was determined to enjoy.

She was certain that once she made a decision between the Onyx and Caesars Palace for her boutique, they’d go their separate ways. After all, he’d been the one to say to her that this was just a dinner, not a lifetime commitment, and that worked perfectly for her.

Tomorrow, and the things weighing heavily on her mind, would come soon enough. She’d left another voicemail message for her father on his cell phone and even talked to his secretary, Sheila, who’d told Zoe she’d spoken briefly to Grant a few times, but that he was in the middle of intense contract negotiations and was incredibly busy.

While not hearing from her father wasn’t unusual when he was on a business trip, Zoe was still feeling unsettled by what had happened at The Forum Shops two days ago. Hearing something,
anything,
from her father would go a long way in reassuring her that everything was okay.

Their waiter came up to their table and introduced himself, bringing Zoe’s thoughts back to the present. After the waiter made a few recommendations, she made a quick decision on her meal; then Sean ordered his dinner and an expensive bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Their wine was delivered and poured, and once their server left and they were alone again Sean leaned toward her, the sandalwood scent of his cologne adding to the awareness already curling through her.

His dark gaze took in her features, then slowly drifted down along her exposed shoulders to the coral-hued dress she wore. “By the way, you look amazing tonight. Then again, I have a feeling you always look put-together.”

She crossed her legs beneath the table and smiled at the compliment. “As someone who works in the fashion industry, I try to represent my name and designs in how I dress and look when I’m out in public. It’s like being my own walking advertisement, if that make sense.”

“It does.” He picked up the long trio of tiered necklaces draped around her neck, the back of his hand lightly grazing the rise of her breast as he fingered the chain of glittering, colorful crystals. “Is this necklace part of one of your collections?”

“Yes.” If he’d noticed the peak of her nipples against the fabric of her dress due to the brush of his hand, he was enough of a gentleman not to show it. “The bracelet and earrings, too.”

“Very nice.” Finally releasing the Eye Candy necklaces, he reached for his glass of Cabernet, relaxed back in his chair, and took a drink. “Tell me about your business.”

She picked up her wine, too, the vibrant stones wrapped around her wrist glittering from the lit candle in the middle of their table. “What would you like to know?”

“How did you get started in the fashion industry?” he asked, sounding genuinely interested.

She sipped her wine and sent him a smile. “You mean to tell me you don’t know?” she asked, injecting a teasing note to her voice. “When we met on Monday, you seemed to know a lot about my company.”

After setting his wineglass back on the table, he picked up her hand, his fingers clasping hers intimately. “I know a lot about your business, yes.
You,
not so much,” he said as he stroked his thumb along the back of her hand. “And that’s what interests me the most.”

Oh yeah, the man was a pro at making a woman feel special, as though what she had to say really mattered to him. The inviting look in his blue eyes, his attentive nature, made resisting him impossible.

“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always loved dressing up. I can remember getting into my mother’s clothes and jewelry and makeup and loving all the pretty, sparkly stuff. I thought I looked like a movie star, but looking back on the pictures my mother took of me, the truth is I really looked more like a drag queen wearing a glittering feather boa, bright red lipstick, and ridiculously gaudy costume jewelry.”

He chuckled. “Well, if it makes you feel better, your tastes have improved over the years.”

“Thank God,” she said, and laughed, too. “In high school, I added designs and beaded stones to my belts and purses and other accessories and I made my own crystal jewelry. Even before I graduated, I knew I wanted to do something in fashion.”

“Did you make your own clothes, too?”

Remembering her many disastrous attempts at sewing, she grimaced. “I tried, but I’m no seamstress. So, I decided to stick with what I was good at and doing what I loved the most. Designing accessories is my passion.”

“I love a woman with passion.” He winked at her.

The man was truly incorrigible. “I just bet you do.”

His wicked grin said it all.

At that moment, their waiter arrived to deliver their first course—an escargot tart for Sean and a roasted-beet salad for her. Their server refilled their glasses of wine and left them alone again.

Zoe glanced at Sean just as he took a bite of his appetizer and tried not to cringe at the thought of him eating a snail, even if it was a French delicacy and was drenched in a rich butter sauce. She tried her salad, the taste of beets, goat cheese, pistachios, and balsamic dressing a delicious surprise.

“What did you do after high school?” he asked a few minutes later, jumping right back into their conversation.

She ate another bite of her salad, then swallowed a sip of wine before answering. “Since I already knew that I wanted a career in fashion, I decided to bypass a traditional university and went to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. During that time, I shopped around my designs to trendy boutiques in Hollywood that I knew the rich and famous shopped at. Little by little I sold my merchandise, gained celebrity endorsements, and made a name for myself, until orders increased to the point that I couldn’t do it by myself any longer and I had to hire a few people to help me out.
That’s
when I knew I had a chance at making it as a successful designer.”

Finished with his first course, he placed his small fork on his dish and reached for his Cabernet. “Now I’m the one who’s impressed.” He tipped his glass toward her in a silent toast before taking a drink.

“Thanks.” She smiled, appreciating his comment. “My mother thought my interest in fashion design was just a carryover hobby from my teenage years and never really understood how important it was to me, or why I was so determined to make it on my own.”

Her mother’s philosophy in life, and what she hoped her daughter would emulate, was that a woman’s chief goal should be to find and marry a rich man who would take care of her so she never had to worry about being financially stable. That was, after all, why Collette had married Grant Russo, and even after their divorce she’d gravitated toward wealthy men. Currently she was living with a billionaire oil baron in Texas and hoping for an engagement ring.

While Zoe loved her mother, her superficial views when it came to the opposite sex and marriage weren’t something Zoe believed in, and she never would. She didn’t want to rely on any man to support her, and when she did get married one day she wanted the union to be for pure, unadulterated love, along with mutual honesty and trust.

Their waiter came by and cleared their dishes. After promising that their main course would be out in a few minutes, he moved on to an inside table to take an order.

“Your mother must be very proud of you now,” Sean said, his smile warm as he topped off her Cabernet.

“Now that I’m successful, she’s come around. She likes the fact that her daughter is becoming ‘famous,’” she replied, her tone deliberately droll. “According to her, that makes what I do acceptable.”

“That has to be tough,” he said, his tone soft and sympathetic.

“It is what it is.” She shrugged, having learned a long time ago what to expect, and not expect, from her mother. “I don’t need her approval to feel good about myself and what I do.”

“Good for you,” he said, clearly respecting her confident attitude. “And your father? What does he think about your choice of career?”