Page 32 of A Lot Like Love
“Ryder, they’re your family. They’ll forgive you.”
He doubted it. “Maybe.”
“At least you have a family who loves you. Don’t take them for granted.”
He grunted, not about to argue with her when he knew she’d had it rough with her dad.
“Good afternoon, Mr. King,” the driver said, opening the back door for Chloe then loading their bags in the trunk.
“We’re headed for the Bellagio,” Ryder told him, sliding in beside Chloe.
They sat in silence as the car pulled away, both staring out the window. Soon they were driving through traffic and then they hit the casinos, the tall buildings as extravagant and glitzy during the daytime as they were at night. Ryder glanced at Chloe, watched as she tipped her head sideways and let it rest against the window.
“I haven’t been here in a couple of years but nothing changes, does it?”
She raised her head, still looking out. “Me neither. I haven’t…”
Ryder waited, but she never finished her sentence. “You haven’t what?”
She sighed. “Nothing. I, well, let’s just say I made a promise to myself that I wasn’t ever going to come back here.”
“Because of your dad?”
“Yeah. At the time I didn’t ever want to see another pack of cards or a casino as long as I lived.”
“How about we both make that promise once we’re done here,” Ryder said. Riding in the car with Chloe, the neon lights seemed tacky, the casinos just a reminder of how stupid he’d been when he’d bet more than he should have the other night. “No more gambling, no more casinos. If we ever come back to Vegas it’ll be to see a show or for me to ride rodeo.”
“A Britney Spears show, maybe?”
Ryder grinned back at Chloe, pleased to see she was smiling again. Whenever she talked about her dad it was like the lights went out behind her eyes, and it had been those shining chocolate-brown eyes that had drawn him in the first time they’d met.
“How about burlesque?” he asked, covering her knee with his hand. “I prefer naked girls dancing to singing ones.”
“I’ll make you a bet then,” she said, all the spark she’d lost before back on her face. “If you can beat me tonight, I’ll go to a girly show with you.”
He laughed. Betting against Chloe was something he was sure he’d regret. Although if the stakes weren’t that high… “And what do you get, if you win?”
“WhenI win, you have to come see Mariah Carey with me.”
Ryder cringed. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate good singing, but…”
“Kidding,” Chloe said. “When I win, I just want to see the look on your face.”
The car slowed as it approached their hotel and Ryder unclipped his seat belt as they came to a stop in front of the hotel’s impressive entryway. “How about I take you to a little bar that has a mechanical bull? I can teach you how to ride like a cowgirl as a reward.”
He didn’t miss the flush in Chloe’s cheeks as she held his gaze. “I bet you’d like to teach me that,” she said.
Ryder hadn’t meant it dirty, but it didn’t take his brain a second to switch to bedroom mode. And it wasn’t like he hadn’t thought about Chloe sitting astride him, naked and grinding.
“Let’s just see what the night brings, huh?”
She nodded. “Let’s.”
They both stepped out of the car and Ryder helped the driver get their bags out before a bellboy rushed over and took them from him. He touched a hand to Chloe’s back to guide her through the gold-rimmed doors, the building towering above them as they walked inside. Ryder crossed through the lobby, his boots sounding out on the high-gloss tiles as he walked to one of the front desks to check in. There were plenty of people milling about, the entire place oozing money, but when he turned to glance back at Chloe, there was only one person he was interested in. Even the beautiful concierge wasn’t enough to distract him from who he wanted to get back to.
“Mr. King, we have you in the Bellagio Suite. Enjoy your stay and please don’t hesitate to contact me if there’s anything you require.”
He nodded and took the key cards. “Thanks.”
