Same/Difference (The Depth of Emotion #4) (7 page)

“Good. What about tomorrow night?” He wore a mischievous expression, and a laugh escaped me.

“You don’t waste time, do you? I don’t think I have plans, but let me check with my friend. I usually spend most of my visits with her, but it shouldn’t be a problem. I just want to make sure that she didn’t buy tickets for a show or something.” I removed a business card from my purse. “Here.” I placed the card in his palm, closing his fingers around it. “It’s my cell.” We definitely had a connection. I could see it in his face. He narrowed his eyes and turned his head to give me a side-glance. It was a seductive look.

“
Ooooh
… I’ll call.” His voice lowered to a husky depth as he lightly took my hand. “When I do, I hope you can arrange it. I’d really like to see you.” I tilted my chin to hide the flush that, once again, washed over me.

“I’ll see what I can do”.

He lifted my fingers to his lips and kissed them. “Don’t forget.”

Dayaum!

As he walked away I couldn’t tear my eyes from him. Of course, neither could any other woman near me. I was usually so aloof around men but around him I didn’t stand a chance. He’d been so polite that weekend in the mountains. I took him for a quiet, soft-spoken man, but I was mistaken. He was raw sexuality. There was nothing passive in his demeanor today. I followed him with my eyes as he disappeared down the street.

I
knew I was late when I approached the hostess and saw Liz out of the corner of my eye. She was sitting at a table smiling as she sipped a tall glass of iced tea. The best I could do was mustering an apologetic look.

“Sorry.”

“Honey bunches of oats, you don’t have to apologize. I was enjoying the show.”

She made me laugh with her terms of endearment. “The show?” A wicked smile appeared on her face.

“I was there, at your hotel. I was going to meet you, but then I saw that gorgeous man run after you so I stood close enough to hear but far enough away to be inconspicuous.
Where
have you been keeping
him
?”

I blushed, saying nothing as the waitress approached and took our order. Once she left the table, Elizabeth stared me down.
“Sooooo?”

I was nonchalant.
“So, what?”

“Chica, don’t play games with me,” she teased. “Who was he, where’d you meet him, and is he single?”

Really?
I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh. “His name is Falcon Grey.”

“And?” She pried.

“And what?!” Exasperated, I answered. “I met him at a Christmas party. The one at Carter and Aimee’s.” The look on her face told me she wanted more details.

“Dear God, woman!” she said in an exasperated tone. “It’s like pulling teeth! And?”

I snapped my napkin in the air and laid it on my lap. I looked her straight in the eye. “…and he’s single. Satisfied?”

“Well, yes. Yes, I
am
satisfied.” Her shoulders stiffened and she gave me a smug look. I lifted the glass to my lips and hid a smile behind it.

“What? There’s more isn’t there.” She obviously wanted more because she did not divert her intrusive gaze.

“He asked me to have dinner with him.”

Elizabeth grinned. “And are you going to go?”

“I don’t know. I told him that I had to check with you. That we might have plans.”

“Oh no you don’t, girl! You’re not using me as an excuse to escape the clutches of that gorgeous man. We do not have plans.” She smirked at me, her lip curled with attitude.

“I didn’t even tell you when he wanted to go!”

She shrugged her shoulders and gave me a
matter-of-fact
look. “It doesn’t matter. Whatever time he wants to take you—we don’t have any plans. How’s that? You’re off the hook.” She winked at me.

Really?
“Oh, my God…” I sighed and sat back in my chair.

“What? I have a reputation to protect. If you like this guy, do you really want his first impression of me to be as your
butt-insky
friend? No. No. No. You go to dinner with him.”

“He’s just a friend.” My irritation, although slight, fed Liz’s humor. I could tell by the look on her face. She was acting like she hoped Falcon would become more than that, but she also knew me better than that. I liked him, but I never let a guy get too close. I liked men, and Falcon was certainly one I’d like to go out with. But more than friends? That would make me vulnerable. No. I wasn’t that stupid. Too much chance of getting hurt.

Thankfully, for the remainder of our meal we moved on to other topics, especially what we wanted to accomplish over the next few days. Interestingly enough, Liz didn’t bring up the topic of Falcon again, but she didn’t have to. I knew she hoped for more but I knew my limits. I’d have to be careful. Dinner and drinks. Nothing too involved. We lived on opposite sides of the state, a six-hour drive away. There was no chance we’d run into each other so a little fun was okay. Once we returned to the reality of our very busy jobs, the distance between us would suffice to keep us apart.

And for me, that was just fine.

L
iz and I spent the remainder of the afternoon registering for the convention and shopping. Of course, we hadn’t done so much damage to our wallets that carrying our shopping bags was a hindrance. As we walked back up the Strip from the stores, time passed quickly by. We were lost in conversation and a block or two away from my hotel when my cell went off. On the display was an unknown number. Liz grinned and raised an eyebrow, then walked a comfortable distance away.

“Hello?”

“Hey, beautiful.”

A smile played at my lips. “You greet all the girls like that?”

“Nope. You’re the first.” He paused. “Are you free for dinner?”

Even though Liz was standing five feet away from me she was shaking her head up and down, encouraging me to accept. I tilted my chin and glared at her.

“I think so.”

“Great. How about Gordon Ramsey’s at eight o’clock?”

Elizabeth had moved closer and she could hear the deep rumble of his voice. When he said ‘Gordon Ramsey’, her eyebrows raised, she formed an “O” with her mouth, and she nodded more vigorously.

“That sounds good,” I answered, and tried to walk away from my friend. “I’ll meet you there at eight.”

“That won’t be necessary,” he objected. “I’ll pick you up. We’ll drive over together.”

Elizabeth smiled from ear to ear.

“Well, okay. I’m in room 1022.” Instantly, I regretted the anxious way I told him my room number and I tried to backtrack. “You know what? Why don’t I meet you outside the lobby? Near the taxi stand. I’ll be ready around seven-thirty.” He didn’t answer and I thought he might be offended by my dismissive tone. “Are you still there?”

“Yes, I’m here. I just left a meeting. Sorry, I was preoccupied for a minute.”

The tone in his voice told me something was wrong but I didn’t know him well enough to press the issue. “I’ll meet you in front of the hotel.”

“That sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

His odd pause in our conversation disturbed me. Maybe I was overreacting. I gave Liz a puzzled look. “Is it me, or was that a little weird at the end?” She shrugged.

“Maybe he forgot something at his meeting. Anyway, you’re going to Gordon Ramsey tonight! That place is great!” When she looked at my face she could tell by my expression that I was reading too much into the hesitation in his voice.

“
Paige
…”

She read me very well. I overthought everything, but one thing I did well was read people. It was almost a survival technique. Growing up as a victim of bullying, I learned to pick up subtle things. She was probably right, so I played it off.

“I’m fine. I promise.”

Like two eager puppies spotting a squirrel in the yard, our conversation changed quickly when we saw a woman wearing a fantastic pair of shoes. That, more pleasant, topic sparked a discussion that lasted all the way back to the hotel. I waited outside with her so she could take a taxi home. As soon as one approached, she hugged me.

“You relax and have a good time tonight, okay?”

I nodded. “I will. I’ll call you tomorrow.

“And be careful,” she warned. “Even though I was teasing you about him, I don’t know this guy. Call me if you need me. Crazy things happen in this town.”

“
Liz!
He’s in security, and he was in the military. He isn’t going to let anything happen to me, and he’s not going to try anything, okay?” I gave her a peck on the cheek. “Now go home! I’ll see you tomorrow.”

F
alcon was looking forward to tonight and couldn’t remember when he’d taken such pains to look good for a woman. Then again, he met most women in bars and had them in bed the same night. But this wasn’t one of those bars, and she certainly wasn’t one of those women. This entire situation was different; she was different. He checked himself in the mirror; black suit jacket, white shirt open at the neck. No tie. Ties were for business. Tonight was all about pleasure.

“Hello, sir.”

Jorge was right in front of The Aria, the hotel where he was staying. He opened the door and Falcon stepped in. He’d met Jorge on a trip to Vegas several months ago. Although the taxi service in Vegas was great, he needed something more reliable. Jorge was always on time, friendly, and knew the best ways to get around Vegas in a hurry. Falcon didn’t impress easily, but Jorge was an exception. Now he was his driver every time he came into town.

A few seconds later Jorge was back in the driver’s seat. “Where are we headed tonight, sir?”

“New York, New York. We’re picking up a friend, then going to Gordon Ramsey.”

Jorge looked at him in the rear view mirror. “Gordon Ramsey, sir? Must be a special friend.”

“She is.”

The two hotels were neighbors, but in Vegas traffic it could take twenty minutes to get from one to the other. That was okay. It gave him a little time to plan the evening. When she agreed to have dinner with him he was pleased, although he sensed some hesitancy on her part. Though he didn’t want to say anything to her, the preoccupation came when he saw Blake Matthews.
Did she know he was here?
It seemed odd that he would be in Vegas at the same time Paige was, especially since he obviously had a thing for her.

Blake had been nothing but a pain in the ass since the first time they met. It was the same time he met Paige, at the party. If he hadn’t asked, he would have thought Paige and Blake were together. The entire weekend Blake’s attitude darkened every time he saw Paige, especially when she was with Falcon. Blake would be on the other side of the room and the minute Falcon approached her, Blake gave him a pissed-off glare. Of course you could run into anyone in Vegas, but the kicker was that Blake was with Manny and Marisol Vallega. The three of them were an evil trio.

Falcon knew all about Manny Vallega, and none of it was good. Manny’s name was linked to many illegal endeavors but, unfortunately, very little proof existed. Manny was very careful and the lack of evidence had frustrated law enforcement for a few years. He was into everything. Drugs, guns, and human trafficking activity—all of it bore his fingerprints. Just not enough to make anything stick. Every time the DEA, FBI, ATF, or Marshal’s service thought they had something on him, witnesses and evidence disappeared. Marisol wasn’t much better. She’d become notorious in the tabloids.
“Manny’s Mannequin”
they called her. She was a trophy wife to the media, but close sources believed there was more. So much so that Manny was extremely protective of her. Falcon might never have known her, except that she’d been incarcerated for an attack on Carter’s sister-in-law. After her unprecedented release, Marisol’s name popped up on any intel regarding Manny. Earlier, while he was talking to Paige on the phone, he saw the three of them walking together through the lobby of his hotel.
Not good.