She set her glasses down on the table and pursed her lips. “Like with Fremont Street. There’s been a lot of attention there over the past few years with the remodeling.”
Thomas nodded. “Exactly.”
“And you think you can pull it off?” She eyed him over her soda, her gaze calculating.
He leaned in, capturing her attention and refusing to let go. Something in her eyes sparkled, sending a fist of desire to his gut. “I have not a doubt in the world. When I’m finished with you, you’ll walk away completely satisfied.”
She choked on her soda and cleared her throat. “Wow. Okay then. Confident much?”
He smiled at her, and for once it didn’t feel fake. “I’m nothing if not confident of my abilities.”
“I see that.” She looked at him, her eyes hot and burning into his, and gave a firm nod. “I’ll go over the proposal and present it to my board of investors.”
Thomas smiled. “If you have any questions, you can call me on my cell. It’s on the last page.”
The waitress came with their food and Thomas took the free moment to watch Brianna. She moved with a sure grace that told him more than any resume could—she was confident and assured of her place in the world. He liked that about her.
And he wanted to know more.
They ate in companionable silence, and Thomas watched her from the corner of his eye. The whole time they ate, he plotted a way to get her to agree to see him again. When he’d held her in his arms on the sidewalk, she had piqued his interest with her spitfire attitude. Now that he had gotten to see the other side of Brianna…he couldn’t help but wonder what else lay hidden beneath her false calm exterior. And he wanted to find out.
Though he had generally avoided dating anyone over the past few years, he couldn’t help but want to break his “no business entanglements” rule. Going on a date with her would be a huge mistake. It would be sloppy. Stupid. And yet…he couldn’t resist. He might be happily single—but he wasn’t blind, deaf, or stupid. She was a one-of-a-kind woman, and he had no intention of letting her slip through his fingers untouched.
When he finished eating, he wiped his hands on a cloth napkin and sat back. “On second thought,” he said slowly, “I’d like to have some recommendations for a fun night out. Something to pass the time.”
She blinked at him and then reached into her purse for a pen and a business card. After jotting down a few notes, she handed it to him with a smile. “Here you go. Any of these should be fun.”
He took the paper from her, purposely brushing his fingers against hers in the process. She met his eyes at the touch and licked her lips. He held her gaze and didn’t even look at the list she made. “Which one would you go to?”
“Me?” She picked up her soda and took a long sip, looking away from him. “Well, I guess I’d do the show at the Mirage. It’s supposed to be excellent.”
“Great.” He shoved her note into his pocket. “I’ll pick you up at seven at the casino. While I’m there, you can give me a tour of the building.”
Her eyes widened. “I can’t go out with you.”
“Why not?” He rubbed his jaw and cast a look at her left hand. “I don’t see a ring on your finger. Are you seeing someone?”
She opened her mouth and closed it. “N-No. But I can’t just–”
“Great. It’s settled, then. I’ll see you at seven.”
She frowned. “I must decline.”
He met her eyes. “I must insist. I really would like to report back to my boss with some inside information on how the casino works. You could show me tonight when I come to pick you up.”
“Okay,” she said, her forehead wrinkled. “I can take you on a tour. But no show afterward. It’s not necessary for our business relationship for us to go on a date.”
He leaned forward and caught her hand, brushing his fingers across her knuckles. When she shivered, a wave of satisfaction mingled with a jolt of need. She wasn’t as unaffected by him as she pretended.
“I didn’t say it had anything to do with business, Brianna.” He pulled her hand closer, leaning over it to kiss her fingers. “I simply wish to get to know you better.”
“Well…” She swallowed hard. “We shouldn’t.”
“What will I do with my time here if you don’t go out with me?”
She gave him an inscrutable look, her hands clenched tight. “Take up a hobby. Go sightseeing. Get a cat,” she said tartly. “I don’t care what you do on your own time, Thomas.”
“My hotel doesn’t allow pets.” He idly fingered the corner of the presentation folder. “It’s one date. What do you have to lose?”
“What do I have to gain?”
He pressed a hand to his heart. “Ouch. That hurts.”
She snorted. “I doubt that.”
“Say yes anyway, out of guilt.” He bit back a grin. He could taste the victory on the tip of his tongue. “It’s the least you can do after I saved your life earlier.”
“You’re right. The guilt is overwhelming me,” she said sarcastically. But in her eyes, he saw the spark of amusement. She might be pretending to be annoyed, but she was having fun.
And miraculously, so was he.
“Come on. Give me one good reason why we can’t enjoy each other’s company for the evening? You can show me Vegas through the eyes of a local. Give me better insight into how I could market the Golden Hand.”
She chuckled. “Going for the business approach now that the date suggestion failed?”
He steepled his fingers under his chin. That’s exactly what he was doing. “Yep.”
She met his eyes and sighed. “Okay—but it’s not a date.”
He stood up and grabbed his briefcase, biting back a smile. It was absolutely a date. “I’ll pick you up at seven for our date.”
“You’re insufferable,” she said, a grin tipping up the corner of her mouth.
“Can’t say I didn’t warn you. And here’s another warning.” He leaned across the table, his body brushing against her as he did so. She tensed and held her breath. He stopped at eye level with her—his face an inch from hers. “I go after what I want—and I want you.”
“Oh?” she asked breathlessly. “Do I get a say in this matter?”