I laughed. How could I not? She was fucking adorable.
"All right, all right, that's enough mocking me, mister. Your turn. Tell me something about you."
I ducked my head and wiped the grin from my face. "I, too, like to boogie. And I don't mean to brag or anything, but I'm a pretty kick-ass cook."
"You are, huh?" she asked. "That's... unexpected, yet awesome. What do you like to cook?"
"My mom used to be a chef for Antonio's. It's a local Italian restaurant. Great, authentic cuisine. She taught me."
"Mmm. Italian food."
For one, suicidal moment, I considered inviting her back to my condo so I could cook for her. She was so damn adorable and there were many things I wanted to do for her... to her. Cooking seemed like a great start. Still, I'd never brought a girl back to my condo and Bones would have a shit-fit if I invited this one before he'd properly vetted her, so I swallowed back the offer.
Instead, I asked, "What have you been up to?"
"Just taking care of my sister while she got better. Oh, and I found a rescue mission that works with kids. They need help, so I put in my volunteer application. Got the call that it cleared today, so I start volunteering tomorrow."
"Ah, so you'll be staying in Vegas for a while?" I asked, hopeful.
She shrugged and looked away. "As long as I can."
Strange answer.I filed it away to reevaluate later and changed my line of questioning. "What do you do at these orphanages?"
"Whatever they need. In Africa I did a lot of administrative work like marketing and finding sponsors, but here I'll probably do things like laundry, maybe help out in the kitchen, read to the little ones, shoot hoops with the bigger kids, stuff like that."
"Oh, I see. You're kind of short for basketball, so you play with kids." I grinned.
She gasped in mock offense. "For your information, I made the southern Idaho all-star team my juniorandsenior years of high school." She crossed her arms and tried to scowl at me, her dimples betraying her. "I got hops."
"Hops? You think you can jump on those short legs, huh? I'm more of a believe-it-when-I-see-it kind of guy." Then seeing my golden opportunity, I added, "So you're gonna have to prove it. And this will be a perfect opportunity for you to get to know me better. Give me your phone number and we'll settle this on the court."
Turns out I wasn't above goading Markie into a basketball game to get her digits. Truthfully, I could get her number with a few clicks on my computer, but didn't want to go down like a stalker.
Her expression dropped, and she looked away. "As much as I'd like that, I don't think it would be a good idea, Angel."
I wanted to ask why not, but Bones and Ariana returned, carrying drinks. Markie accepted a glass of wine from her sister, and Bones handed me a bottle of beer.
Markie sipped her wine and leaned back against the window, staring out. Beautiful, mysterious, caring, I couldn't stop staring at her.
"Why orphanages?" I asked.
She glanced at Ariana (who was heading to the other side of the pod alone), and then lowered her voice. "We lost our parents when I was a freshman in high school and Ari was still in middle school. Our uncle was the only family we had, and he's a jerk. But since we had nowhere else to go, we moved in with him, and life was... difficult. I can't tell you the number of times I wished some long-lost family member would show up and give us another option... someone else to live with. I guess I want to be there for those kids like I wish someone would have been there for us."
There was a bigger story behind her uncle's custody, I could see it in the way her eyes narrowed when she mentioned him, but I didn't want to press. I filed it away to ask her about later.
"It's so beautiful up here," Markie said, her attention back on the view.
I followed her gaze to the lights of the strip and saw something different. Connections, money, ties, some buildings would welcome me, and some would see my presence as a threat or a sign of disrespect. I knew the managers, the back-door operations, and the family who got a cut from each one. My father's world called to me through neon signs and dancing lights, reminding me where I belonged. Looming and confining, there was nothing beautiful about the city.
However, one look at Markie took my breath away. Outlined in the glow of low lights, eyes wide with wonder, she was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen. I pressed closer and breathed in the coconut fragrance of her hair. Something soft and crooning played over the speakers.
"We're nearing the top," the announcer said over the speakers. "Starting the countdown from twenty, nineteen, eighteen."
"I love this so much," Markie said, turning to face me. She grabbed my hand, and as our fingers intertwined, little electrical jolts danced up my arm toward my chest. The startled look she gave me, told me she felt it too. "Thank you, Angel."
She flashed me another dimpled smile, and every inch of my body reacted, surprising me. We were in a goddamn pod with Bones and her sister not ten feet away, and I was horny beyond reason. Thankful for the suit jacket, hiding my erection, I shifted, trying to get myself under control.
"Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen..."
