With Love From Las Vegas. Cat Schield

when the opportunity arose. And as with her high school boyfriend, eventually their differences would drive them apart.

      “Where do you want it to go?” Despite every sensible thought in her head, hope made her heart dance. She squashed the emotion. Sebastian didn’t want to date her. This went against everything she’d been telling herself to expect from him.

      “I have no expectations,” he said. “No need to control the outcome. Let’s see where it takes us.”

      “And my job as your assistant?”

      “Can I convince you to stay on?”

      “No.”

      He nodded as if he’d expected that answer. “You’ve been a part of my life for years. I’m not ready to let you go quite yet.”

      Sebastian’s desire for her might be real, but she knew it wasn’t something that would last once they returned home. Unfortunately, she was already half in love with him. Any more time in his arms was going to make it impossible to walk away.

      “And when you’re done with me? What then?”

      “Aren’t you being a bit dramatic?” His lips tightened. “I should probably warn you that Chandra overplayed her hand all too often. I don’t like it.”

      He rarely talked about his ex-wife, but from his mother, Missy knew Chandra had been a handful. “I’m not being dramatic—just trying to figure out what’s in it for me.”

      “After tonight, I would think that would be obvious.”

      If he’d offered her something besides fabulous sex, she’d have melted like butter on a hot skillet. Annoyed by his un-romantic pitch, she scowled. “I suppose you think that’s the sort of offer I’d jump at.”

      “What do you want?”

      His question startled her. Sebastian had fulfilled all her fantasies and introduced a few new ones.

      “I don’t want anything.”

      “That’s not true. Everyone wants something.”

      “Not me.” Nothing she was willing to admit to him, anyway.

      “You have me in the palm of your hand.” Turning her hand palm up, he rubbed his thumb along her lifeline until her entire body began to tingle. “This would be a great time to tell me what would make you happy.”

      She shook her head, her heart in her throat. “You really do suck at negotiating.”

      “I like to think of myself as direct.”

      “I don’t want anything more than what I have right here and now.” To expect anything more would only lead to heartbreak. “The rest of the week together and then we go our separate ways.”

      “Unacceptable.”

      Before she could protest, her purse began to ring. Like Pavlov’s dog, she was conditioned to react to a familiar sound, only instead of drooling, she sat up.

      “Leave it,” Sebastian commanded, tugging her back down.

      She squirmed out of his grasp. “It’s not you calling so it must be important.”

      “Very funny.” He rolled onto his side and watched her cross the room to the dresser.

      The phone had stopped ringing by the time she fished it out of her purse. “Whoever it was, I missed the call.”

      “Come back to bed.”

      “Just a second, let me check my messages.” Something about the late-night call gnawed at her nerves. No one except Sebastian would call her at such an hour. That meant something was wrong. When her brother’s voice sounded in her ear, she knew she was right.

      “Missy, when you get this, call me. Dad’s been hurt. We’re heading to the hospital now.” Heart twisting in fear, she ended the message and turned to face Sebastian.

      He came off the bed in time to catch her as she swayed. “What’s wrong?”

      “Sam left me a message. He said my dad’s been hurt. They’re heading to the hospital.”

      “Call him back and see what happened.”

      Her hands shook so badly, it took her three tries before she keyed up her address book and found her brother’s cell phone number. Not until the phone started ringing did it occur to her that she could have just found his missed call and hit send. Sebastian wrapped her in a robe and rubbed her arms while she waited for her brother to pick up.

      “Missy, it’s bad,” Sam said.

      “What happened?”

      “He was stabbed.”

      “Stabbed?” Her gaze found Sebastian’s. She caught concern reflected there. His fingers tightened. “How did that happen?”

      “I don’t have a lot of details. There’ll probably be more once we get to the hospital and talk to the cops.”

      “Is he going to be okay?”

      “He’s a tough old bird.”

      She squeezed her eyes shut and counted to five. “I’m going to catch the first plane out of here.”

      “Aren’t you in Vegas at that thing for your company?”

      “Yes, but Sebastian will understand that I have to leave.”

      He leaned forward and kissed her on the temple. The tender caress brought a lump to her throat. She sank into his strength, letting him absorb some of her trembling.

      “I’ll keep you informed as we get news.”

      The hand holding the phone dropped to her side. “My dad’s been hurt. I have to go home.”

      “Let me take care of everything. You go pack.”

      Numb, she got to her feet and stumbled out of the bedroom. She tossed clothes and toiletries into her suitcase and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Zipping her bag, she slid her feet into sandals.

      Sebastian entered her room. He wore slacks and a dress shirt. “I have a plane waiting to take us back to Texas.”

      “Us?” She couldn’t be processing his words properly.

      “You don’t seriously think I’m going to let you go by yourself, do you?” He took charge of her suitcase and wrapped strong fingers around her elbow to escort her into the hall.

      “But what about the summit? And your meeting with Smythe tomorrow? You can’t disappear at such a crucial time.”

      “I guess it’s good that my dad showed up, isn’t it?”

      They stepped onto the elevator and Sebastian pushed the button for the lobby. Missy shivered as reaction settled in. Sebastian pulled her into his arms and shared his heat with her.

      “You’re chilled. Do you have a coat?”

      She shook her head. “I tossed everything out. Remember?”

      He bought her a sweatshirt at the hotel gift shop and dressed her in it as if she were a small child. Caught in a dark place, Missy let him lead her across the lobby and get them into a cab. Tucked into the crook of his arm, she huddled against his side as she watched the Las Vegas strip slide by the car window.

      They boarded a private plane and were taxiing down the runway as the sky began to lighten over Las Vegas. As the city lights fell behind them, Missy began to disengage from the fantasy of the last few days.

      Sleeping with Sebastian a couple times might not be a mistake, but letting herself fall for a man who never intended to marry her went against her solemn vow to never again let herself reach too high. If she hadn’t let her heart lead, she never would have begun a game she could never hope to survive, much less win.

      Missy put her