Matt smiled again, knowing full well thatworkwas going to be anything but dull tonight.
“Oh, I will,” he said, slipping on his jacket and heading out the door.
Moments later, Matt strode into the security department. The room buzzed with activity—monitors flickering with live feeds, security personnel huddled in discussion. Eddie broke away from a cluster of guards, his broad frame cutting through the chaos.
“Boss,” Eddie greeted him with a nod. “We got them in the interrogation room.”
“Both of them?” Matt asked.
Eddie’s mouth twisted into a smirk. “Yeah, Andy and his friend Sean. The kid’s been playing poker, losing a hundredgrand he borrowed from our private loan. Contract’s under Andy Donovan’s name.”
A slow grin spread across Matt’s face. Leverage was a beautiful thing. Andy Donovan was now in his grasp, whether the young man realized it or not.
Eddie continued, his brow furrowed with irritation. “They caused quite a ruckus on the floor, too. Scared off some high rollers. We’re looking at damages worth tens of thousands.” He shook his head. “Had to get security involved to break them up.”
Matt’s jaw tightened ever so slightly. As much as he enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, he despised any disruption to his business. Still, the thought of seeing Andy, of having him at his mercy, sent a thrill coursing through his veins.
“Good work. Take me to them,” Matt said.
Eddie led the way, and as they neared the interrogation room, Matt could hear raised voices—one of them unmistakably Andy’s. A surge of anticipation rippled through him, his steps quickening.
“You think gambling is going to solve this? Are you completely insane?”
Matt heard an apology from Sean, and he opened the door to see Andy had Sean cornered against the wall, his fist cocked back, ready to strike.
Matt reacted with lightning speed. In a blur of movement, he had Andy pinned against the opposite wall, his larger frame pressing against the young man’s slender body.
Andy’s eyes widened in surprise, but the fire within them didn’t dim. If anything, the proximity seemed to fan the flames, igniting a spark that danced between them like electricity.
Andy struggled against his grip for a moment before locking eyes with Matt. The young man’s beauty hit Matt like a punch to the gut. His ebony hair was tousled, a few strands falling across his forehead in a way that made Matt’s fingers itch to brushthem aside. His eyes, a mesmerizing blend of light brown and glittering gold, were alight with defiance. Matt’s gaze traced the straight line of Andy’s nose, the soft angles of his jaw, and finally settled on those full, lush lips that seemed to beckon Matt’s kiss.
Matt didn’t release his grip, his hand wrapping around Andy’s neck as he drank in every detail of the young man’s face. In that moment, every inch of Andy’s lithe, lean form called out to Matt like a siren’s song. He could almost taste the young man’s scent—a tantalizing blend of musk and something sweetly alluring, and it sent a jolt of desire straight to his core.
Matt knew with absolute certainty that he couldn’t let Andy slip through his fingers. This beautiful, defiant creature belonged to him—a prize to be claimed, a treasure to be savored. The thought of possessing Andy, of making him his own, consumed Matt’s every sense, leaving him utterly intoxicated.
Three
ANDY
Walking behind Matt along the hotel corridor, I felt like a Chihuahua trailing after a Great Dane. He was impossibly big, his broad shoulders cutting an imposing figure against the polished marble walls. No guards flanked us; Matt didn’t need them. One look at him, and it was clear he could tackle me in an instant if I so much as thought about running.
Just moments before, he had barked orders for his men totake care of Sean. The words reverberated in my head like a bad echo. I tried not to imagine what that meant—didn’t want to picture Sean’s body found somewhere in the street or splashed across the news later. It was an open secret that Matt handled his problems with ruthless efficiency. Billionaire or not, he had more in common with a mafia boss than a business tycoon.
The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding, and we stepped inside. Standing next to him in that confined space was almost suffocating. His presence seemed to fill the entire elevator, leaving me feeling small and insignificant. Every time he moved, his muscles rippled under his tailored suit like some kind of predatory beast.
My body reacted against my will—a fluttering in my chest, a knot tightening in my stomach. Damn it. This wasn’t the time for confusing feelings.
When the doors opened again, I followed him out into what could only be described as a palace disguised as an office building. Moments later, we entered a sleek office with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a breathtaking view of the city below. Las Vegas sprawled out like a glittering sea of lights and possibilities, stretching all the way to the horizon.
The office itself screamed luxury—mahogany furniture polished to perfection, abstract art pieces on the walls that probably cost more than my entire life savings combined, and plush carpets that seemed to whisper beneath our feet.
Matt motioned toward an opulent leather chair facing his desk. “Sit,” he commanded.
I obeyed, sinking into the chair’s embrace. It felt like being swallowed by comfort and intimidation all at once.
Matt lowered himself into his chair like a king settling onto his throne, and I couldn’t help but feel like a pauper in the presence of royalty. He commanded the space effortlessly, his every movement exuding an aura of power and control. He leaned back, his eyes boring into me with a dangerous glint that made my skin prickle. Meanwhile, I sat rigid as a statue, my heart pounding against my rib cage like it wanted to escape this suffocating situation.
I swallowed hard, attempting to match his stare. The silence stretched on, thick and heavy, until I couldn’t bear it any longer. My mouth felt dry, words sticking to the back of my throat.
