industry was making people happy. Sounded easy, but way too many people didn’t understand that.
“Just go, Terri. Grab this shiny brass ring with both hands. And if you need the cavalry, I’m only a plane ride away.”
Terri grinned. “Vegas, here I come.”
* * *
Four days later Terri was in Las Vegas, standing in the massive, opulent lobby of the StarFire Hotel. The floors were covered with wide, navy blue tiles that sparkled as if stars were trapped inside them. The ceiling was high and featured a night sky dazzled by twinkling stars and streaks of light from falling stars leaving trails of gold dust in their wakes. The effect was so real that if not for the crowds and the noise and the fact that it was the middle of the day, Terri would have thought she was outside staring up.
Paintings in gold inlaid frames dotted the walls, and a waiter served complimentary champagne to guests waiting in line to register. The noise level was tremendous, since the casino spilled right off the lobby. Slot machines beeped, pinged and sang out encouragement to the hundreds of people wandering the casino floor.
She turned in a slow circle, saw a gift shop, signs for restaurants and bars and still more people. From what Terri could see, the hotel seemed to stretch on forever. The outside had been impressive, but the inside was like walking into a different world.
One that was hers now.
That thought had her smiling and biting her lip at the same time. She hadn’t contacted her new partner, but she had made a reservation, so she dutifully joined the tail end of the line and accepted a flute of champagne from the waiter.
She hadn’t told Cooper Hayes she was coming. Terri had wanted a little time on her own, to check out her inheritance. To get a feel for what could be her new life. Or to at least explore the possibilities.
She owed that much to herself and to her parents. They’d raised her to be strong and confident. They’d sent her to college, encouraged her to find her passion. How could she walk away from this without even trying to make it work?
And in a way, didn’t she owe it to her biological father, too? She hadn’t known him, but he’d clearly kept track of her. He’d left her everything he had, so she was really his legacy, wasn’t she?
The line moved quickly and in minutes Terri was at the desk, handing over her ID to the clerk. He was young, with a practiced smile and a name tag that read Brent.
“Is this your first time at the StarFire?” he asked.
Terri grinned. “How could you tell?”
He winked at her. “You keep looking up at the ceiling.”
“Guilty.” She took a sip of the champagne. “It’s beautiful.”
“It really is.” He glanced at her driver’s license, tapped a few keys on his keyboard then stopped, turned and stared at her as if she had three heads. “Terri Ferguson?”
“That’s right.” She frowned a little and tried to get a glimpse of the computer screen. “You’ve got my reservation, don’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said with the crispness of an audible salute. Gone was the easy, flirtatious smile. Brent was suddenly all business. “We’ve been expecting you, ma’am.”
When did she become ma’am? “Expecting me?” She’d hoped to fly in under the radar but apparently that wasn’t going to happen.
“Your suite is prepared and ready for you, Ms. Ferguson.”
“I didn’t reserve a suite,” she said.
He grinned, printed off two key cards and slid them into a folder with the word StarFire emblazoned across it. He returned her ID, handed her the keys, then looked up and waved to someone behind her. “Like I said, Mr. Hayes—and we—have been expecting you.”
“He has?” Well, of course he has, Terri. Hadn’t the lawyer told her as much?
“Your name was tagged in the system so we’d recognize your arrival right away.” Brent smiled again. “Your suite’s been ready for days. Bill here will take your bags—”
A bellman in his twenties appeared out of nowhere beside her.
“Oh, I’ve only got the one bag, and it has wheels. I can—”
“It’s my job, Ms. Ferguson,” Bill said. “I’ll show you to your suite.”
Of course they’d reserved a suite. Terri had never stayed in a hotel like this one—let alone in a suite. This was so far out of her everyday ballpark, she couldn’t even see the stadium from here. But she was part owner now of this amazing hotel, so she’d better get used to it. Right, and that didn’t feel weird at all.
“Okay.” She swallowed the last of her champagne and slid the glass across the counter to Brent. “Could you take care of this please?”
“My pleasure, Ms. Ferguson. And welcome to StarFire.”
Welcome. She followed Bill across the polished lake of a floor toward a bank of elevators. Terri didn’t feel welcome. She felt...on edge. She was about to meet her new partner. About to start a life that she had zero experience with. In a place she didn’t know with people who were strangers. Sure. Great. Nerves? No, who would have nerves?
Everything had changed so quickly, she’d hardly had time to take a breath, and now she was in Las Vegas taking the first step into a world she didn’t belong in.
Now the question was, could she make a place for herself here? Would Cooper Hayes try to stand in her way? And if he did, was she willing to fight for a new life? Instantly, she thought of all the things she could do with the inheritance her father had left her. She could buy a house, send her mom and aunt on a trip around the world if they wanted it.
The possibilities were endless. All she had to do was prove she could fit in. Be a part of this world. This business.
In her head, she heard her friend Jan saying, “Go for it, Terri. Enjoy it. Life just got way interesting.”
Besides, Terri told herself, it was too late to back out now.
That last thought had barely raced through her mind when she saw him.
It was as if the crowds melted away. The ambient noise was nothing more than a buzz in her ears. Her heart pounded, her mouth went dry and her gaze locked on what was probably the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen in her life.
Every cell inside her stood up and started cheering. Honestly, even from a distance, he had the kind of magnetism that could turn a woman’s knees to jelly. He stood alone, tall and invincible as people hurried past him, instinctively giving him a wide berth. He wore a black suit with a shirt so white it was nearly blinding against the dark red tie. His black hair was expertly shaggy and his eyes were a pale, clear blue so startling, she couldn’t look away.
He was watching her, too, but she couldn’t tell what he was thinking by the expression on his face. Not surprising, she supposed. A billionaire businessman—especially one who owned casinos—like Cooper Hayes—was probably
