Daddy's Double Duty. Stella Bagwell

her, even in this small way, was like a heady drink of wine to him, and in the far back of his mind, he wondered what was coming over him. Clearly he wasn’t himself. He’d not been himself since yesterday when he’d walked through the office and found Vanessa with tears on her cheeks.

      “I think there’s something about this town that makes people forget who and what they are. But I never thought you’d be the type to fall prey to its lure,” she said dryly. “The next thing I know you’ll be saying we should take a stroll down the strip and take in the lights.”

      “Hmm. That’s a great idea. We’ll go as soon as we finish eating.”

      Less than an hour later, after the two of them found a parking space and made their way to the busy sidewalks lining the city’s most famous boulevard, Vanessa was still wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. Spending time with Conall away from the office was something she’d often dreamed about, but she was smart enough to realize it was risky business.

      In spite of what he’d said back at the restaurant, he was her boss and she depended on him for her livelihood. Allowing herself to think of him as anything more than the man who signed her paychecks would be like inviting trouble right through the front door. Yet here she was walking close to his side and enjoying every second of it.

      “Is this the first time you’ve ever visited Las Vegas?” Vanessa asked as they slowly made their way southward along the busy sidewalk running adjacent to the congested street.

      “No. Believe it or not, I was here once with my parents. We’d gone out to Santa Anita to watch one of our horses run in a graded stakes race. On the way back Mom wanted to stop off and play the slots. So Dad and I endured while she had fun.”

      The night had cooled to a balmy temperature and as the light wind caressed her face, Vanessa realized this was the first time she’d relaxed since she’d gotten the call from Hope’s lawyer.

      “You don’t like to gamble?” she asked.

      “Not that much.”

      She smiled with amused disbelief. “How can you say that, Conall? You’re in the racehorse business. That’s a big, big gamble.”

      He chuckled. “That’s true. But in my business I pretty much know what I’m investing in. At least I can see my venture and put my hands on it.” He gestured to one of the massive casinos to their right. “In there you’re placing your money on pure chance.”

      “Like the stock market,” she joked.

      “Exactly,” he said with another short laugh, then added, “I didn’t realize you could be a funny girl.”

      “I have my moments.”

      She was thinking what a nice deep laugh he had and how much she enjoyed hearing it when his arm suddenly slid around the back of her waist and drew her even closer to his side. The sudden contact nearly took her breath, yet she did her best to hide the havoc he was causing inside her. After all, she wasn’t that same teenager who’d had such a crush on him so many years ago. She’d grown up, dated, married and divorced. Men weren’t a big deal to her anymore. Or so she’d believed. Until tonight. When Conall had suddenly started to treat her like a woman instead of a secretary.

      “Even though it’s not my cup of tea, I have to admit there’s something magical about this town. Do you miss all this?” he asked, as he gestured toward the elaborately designed buildings, the endless lights and the bumper-to-bumper traffic on the strip.

      “No. I never was into the bright lights and glamour of this place. I only saw it as a town of opportunities. And I took them. Before I ever left the valley, I decided if I had to work my way through college waitressing, I might as well do it where I could make the most money.”

      “I certainly don’t blame you for that.”

      No. He wouldn’t, Vanessa thought. He was the sort of person who never looked down on anyone because they had less than him. And he admired any person who worked hard for a living.