“Territory, mostly. Vegas is Matt’s kingdom—Xavier’s trying to expand from Silicon Valley.” Ryan’s eyes tracked Xavier’s progress. “Plus, there was some drama at MIT. They were there at the same time. Apparently, it got messy. No one knows the full story.”
We spent the next half hour people-watching while Ryan provided colorful commentary on Vegas’ finest. I learned that the man by the bar had lost his first fortune in Bitcoin before making it back in real estate. The twins in matching Dior had once gotten into a fistfight at a charity gala over a tennis pro. The elderly woman holding court near the quartet had been married six times, each husband mysteriously richer than the last.
“This is prime entertainment,” I admitted, watching a woman carefully maneuver her way between three ex-husbands.
“Right? Oh, try these.” Ryan snagged something that looked like modern art from a passing tray. “They’re doing some kind of fusion thing with the food. That’s probably tuna, but I wouldn’t bet my trust fund on it.”
I was about to ask exactly how many trust funds he had when I noticed a tall man in a perfectly cut gray suit joining Matt’s group. He moved with easy confidence, but something about him seemed more… accessible than the others in their circle.
“That’s Porter from Greene Tech,” Ryan supplied. “They’re the ones developing that new sustainable energy thing Matt’s interested in. Boring stuff, really, but apparently revolutionary.” He popped another piece of maybe-tuna into his mouth. “The real entertainment is watching Xavier try to steal the deal.”
I observed as Porter engaged Matt in what appeared to be an intense discussion. He’d been in several of the groups Matt hadmoved through tonight, I realized, always on the periphery but consistently present.
The evening flowed like the endless champagne, a river of wealth and whispered deals. Ryan and I had claimed a spot near one of the ornate pillars, which gave us an excellent view of what he called “Billionaire Theater.”
“Watch this,” he murmured, nodding toward where Xavier had smoothly inserted himself into Matt’s conversation circle. Even from across the room, I could see Matt’s shoulders tense slightly. “Ten bucks says Xavier brings up the Palmer contract.”
“The what?”
“Big deal Matt’s been working on. Xavier’s been trying to—” Ryan paused to wave at someone across the room. “Anyway, Xavier’s been circling like a shark. Matt’s about ready to throw him off the Stratosphere.”
I watched the subtle dance of power playing out across the ballroom. Matt was all controlled grace, his public mask firmly in place, but I could read the tension in his jaw. The memory of how that jaw had felt under my fingers in the shower made my cheeks heat.
“Earth to Andy,” Ryan singsonged. “Stop undressing my brother with your eyes. There are impressionable billionaires present.”
“I wasn’t?—”
“Please. You’ve got that same look you had when I interrupted your shower fun.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Which, by the way, you’re welcome. Matt’s shower speeches are legendary. Last time he had company over, the poor guy had to listen to a thirty-minute lecture on sustainable energy initiatives.”
“You’re making that up.”
“Cross my heart.” Ryan snagged two more glasses of cider from a passing server. “Though something tells me Matt’s speeches weren’t what had you all hot and bothered earlier.”
I nearly choked on my drink. “Can we talk about literally anything else?”
“Fine, fine. Oh look, there’s the Thompson twins. Did I tell you about the time they tried to buy the same island?”
As Ryan launched into what promised to be an outrageous story, I noticed Porter had drifted back into Matt’s orbit, this time with what looked like conference materials.
“Your Matt radar is going off again,” Ryan teased.
“I was actually watching—” I gestured vaguely toward Porter’s group.
“Boring business stuff. Though I guess someone has to care about…” Ryan squinted at the papers Porter was showing Matt. “Whatever that is. Probably charts about wind farms or something equally thrilling.”
A burst of laughter from nearby drew our attention. Xavier had gathered quite the audience, his natural charisma on full display. “And then,” I heard him say, “the entire server room went dark.”
“He tells that story at every event,” Ryan informed me. “Usually right before he tries to poach someone’s development team.” He straightened suddenly, interest sparking in his eyes. “Speaking of entertainment…”
Xavier was making his way toward us, that perfect smile still in place. Up close, he was even more striking—all sharp cheekbones and emerald eyes that probably made most people forget how to speak.
“Ryan Caine.” Xavier’s voice was as smooth as aged whiskey. “I didn’t expect to see you at something so… corporate.”
“Xavier! I’m hurt. You know I live for quarterly projections and market analytics.” Ryan’s grin was pure mischief. “Have you met Andy? He’s Matt’s?—”
“Date,” I supplied, not missing how Xavier’s eyes sharpened with interest.
“Charmed,” Xavier said. “I hope Matt’s showing you a good time. Though it seems he’s rather preoccupied this evening.”
