Page 10 of Their After Hours Playbook

Zach valiantly marshaled everyone out of the way so they could get off the elevator.

Paige consulted the sign directing guests to their room. “I’m this way,” she said, pointing to the right.

“Me, too. Room 860.”

This day could not get any more ridiculous. “I’m in 858.”

He laughed. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“What are the odds?” He reached for the handle of her suitcase. “May I?”

She held up her hands in surrender. “Knock yourself out.”

With Zach pulling her bag, they started down the long corridor. The walls were bathed in gold-and-black wallpaper with a beautiful scrolled pattern, dramatically lit by elegant wall sconces that made it feel more like midnight than morning. The carpet underfoot was impossibly soft. Everything in Vegas was about seduction. It was one long tease designed to make you feel loose and uninhibited. To make you feel good about making poor choices. It was the worst possible place for her to be with Zach Armstrong.

“I heard that you signed Ryan Wilson. Congrats. That’s a big deal.” Paige was eager to figure out whether Zach planned to make a habit of poaching clients from other agents.

“Thanks. It seemed rude to just come out with it. You and I barely know each other.”

Something about “barely know each other” excited Paige. It was the “barely” part. Even though she didn’t trust Zach at all. “I had no idea Ryan was looking for new representation.” They slowed as they reached Paige’s door, and the air hung heavy with the implication she’d made.

“He was, but only behind the scenes. He kept it quiet. He’s not the kind of guy who tells a sports reporter that he’s not happy. But he did tell his friends.”

Paige pulled out her room key card and waved it in front of the sensor on her door. When the light turned green, she turned the handle and stuck out her hip to keep the door ajar. “I didn’t know you and Ryan were friends.”

“We are. I’m such a football nerd that I blathered on and on about how great he is the day we first met. The friendship grew from there.” He looked into her room. “Let me take your bag inside.”

“Oh. Great.” She took a step and held the door open as Zach wheeled the suitcase into her room and parked it at the end of her bed. She trailed him inside and let the door shut behind her. Paige couldn’t help but admire two things about Zach—his genuine love of sports and his gentlemanly ways. “Well, congratulations are definitely in order with Ryan.”

“Thanks. I’m excited.” He wandered over to the floor-to-ceiling window, which spanned nearly the entire width of her room. “The view on this side of the hotel is amazing.”

Paige joined him to take it all in. They were on the back side of the building, with a stunning view of the pool area down below. Far off in the distance was the craggy outline of the sandy brown mountains surrounding the valley in which Las Vegas was so carefully nestled. It was a gorgeous day with bright blue skies and only the most delicate of white, wispy clouds. She didn’t love everything about Vegas, but she was indeed in awe of this view.

“It’s beautiful in the most unusual way,” she said.

“It’s nice to get away from New York every now and then.”

Paige drew in a deep breath, eyeing Zach as subtly as she could. He was awfully nice to look at and being all alone with him, talking about something other than business, did something to her. It made her feel like it might be okay to let her guard down. It made her wonder what it would be like to kiss him. “It is nice.”

Just then, Zach’s phone buzzed with a text, snapping Paige back to reality. He pulled his cell out of his pocket. “Dammit. I need to go.” He quickly tapped out a response to the text. “One of our new agents, Derek, is downstairs. I promised I’d walk the exhibition hall with him and introduce him to people.”

This was for the best. She couldn’t stay in her room all day, fantasizing about Zach, or worse—acting on the thoughts in her head. “Time to go be the boss, huh?”

“You probably have a full day, too.”

“I do. Too many meetings.”

He started toward the door, then turned back to her. “I’d love it if we could find a way to grab a drink or a meal together. Maybe dinner? Tonight?”

Paige would’ve loved that, too, if she had the courage to be entirely honest. But she still wasn’t convinced it was a good idea. “Maybe we’ll run into each other? My schedule is packed and my best friend, April, is here. I rarely get to see her.”

“April Chapman?”

“Do you know her?”

“I don’t. But I’m a great admirer of her work.”

---