Las Vegas: Scandals. Nina Bruhns

Чтение книги онлайн.

       Chapter 10

      Conner sat back in his seat, exhaled a long, long, long breath and willed the goose bumps running up and down his arms to go away.

      His body was painfully aroused, throbbing hard and craving satisfaction.

      The woman was a witch, pure and simple. She’d bewitched him. Again. Totally. Thoroughly. Unabashedly. She’d danced her dance of the seven veils with that gossamer white wedding costume, and he’d been as lost as King Herod, ready to throw whatever she wished at her feet. Money. Fame. His heart on a platter.

      Damn. How pathetically cliché was this? Rich man falling for a much younger stripper, willing to alienate his family, his friends, his entire social circle, to be with her.

      How could he even consider it?

      He’d be on the front page of every tabloid, laughed at behind his back. His career would suffer. His family would be embarrassed. Probably end up being disowned by his overly socially conscious father.

      All because he suddenly couldn’t imagine his life without Vera Mancuso in it.

      And yet, there it was.

      He wanted her anyway.

      He wanted her.

      But he just couldn’t. Couldn’t do that to his family. Couldn’t toss aside everything he’d worked so hard to achieve.

      There had to be another way.

      A way to have her, all to himself, but not expose either of them to the severe downsides of a relationship like theirs.

       Relationship.

      He shuddered, and even more goose bumps broke out on his flesh. What was he thinking? There must be a—

      “Mr. Rothchild?”

      With a start, he came back to the present. Vera had left the stage ages ago, and another girl had replaced her. Ever since, he’d just been staring into space, his mind whirling in a chaos of growing panic.

      He turned to see a middle-aged man with an obviously expensive but still oddly ill-fitting suit standing by his table. “Yes?”

      The man extended his hand. “I’m Lou Majors, the manager, Mr. Rothchild. Welcome to the Diamond Lounge.”

      Ah. If it wasn’t Lecherous Lou himself. Conner projected his voice over the bass-heavy stripper music blaring from the loudspeakers, “Thank you. Won’t you join me?” It never hurt to schmooze the enemy.

      “Don’t mind if I do.” The manager snapped his fingers at a hostess, who hurried over with another bottle of champagne. This time it was Cristal. Nice.

      Also pretty nervy, because Conner was the one who’d end up paying for it. Not that he cared. Beat the hell out of the cheap stuff he’d been drinking.

      “Enjoying the floor show?” Lou asked politely, leaning in so he could be heard.

      “Absolutely. Some parts more than others.” Conner sent him a knowing, male-bonding-type smile.

      Lou smiled back amiably. “Couldn’t help but notice. You’re acquainted with Miss LaRue, I take it?”

      LaRue? Oh, right. Vera’s stage name. “Yes. Met her here, actually. Yesterday.”

      At the reminder of the disruption, a shadow of annoyance passed through the manager’s eyes but was quickly gone. “Her lawyer, I take it.”

      Conner winked lasciviously and leaned in closer. “Who could resist?” May as well go for broke. If the scumbucket thought she had a wealthy protector, he’d never dare fire her. “But I’m no longer her lawyer. I passed her case to a colleague. ” He lowered his voice, confidential-like. “Conflict of interest, if you get my drift.”

      He did. Lou couldn’t have looked more pleased if Conner’d just handed him a stack of hundred-dollar bills. Which no doubt was exactly what the old roué had in mind. “I see.” Several seconds went by as the manager regarded Conner. Finally he said, “Mr. Rothchild, I have a very special offer to make you.”

      “Yeah? What’s that?”

      Lou beckoned, rose and led him through СКАЧАТЬ