“It’s not enough,” he said quietly. “Not for what you’ve been through. Not for what you deserve.”
I stared at him. At this forty-something man with salt-and-pepper hair and laugh lines around his eyes, who’d just accurately diagnosed my entire emotional state while feeding me Greek food and admitting he’d lied to his brother to see me alone.
“Why?” I whispered.
“Why what?”
“Why do you care? I’m just—I’m an employee who screwed up spectacularly on her first day.”
Leo’s smile remained bright. “This is Vegas. You have to do a whole lot more than have your microwave burst into flame. We’re in Sin City, remember? Conflagrations are expected.”
I laughed, a raw sound that scraped my throat as it came out.
Leo winked at me. “There you go. That’s the spirit.”
“But that text?—”
He laughed. “Oh, that? Do you know how often a dancer’s costume slips on stage?”
“No.”
“Oh, yes. Audience size doubles after the rumors fly.”
“That’s terrible,” I said with a laugh.
He paused, choosing words carefully. “Let’s just say that photo didn’t shock as much as you’d expect. Though,” he added quickly, “it was a gorgeous picture.”
Heat flooded my face. “Leo?—”
Now his tone got serious. “I have a confession to make.”
Here it is, the come-on.“You do?”
“All of this is good business.”
Those were not the words I expected, and I was slightly offended. “Excuse me?”
Leo scrubbed his face with his hand. “I’m not saying this right. Look, you’re smart, talented, funny when you’re notterrified, and yes, beautiful. My brothers noticed. I noticed. We’re human. The fact is, Tashi, we need you and your talents to help us rehabilitate the reputation of the Olympus Royale. I have no ego about where my talents lie. If I was able to do what you can do, I would have done it by now. But nothing I’m doing is working. You heard our daily sales report. Those numbers are off by thirty-one percent from last year. That’s a significant money loss the hotel can’t sustain.”
Another knock at the door interrupted what I was going to say.
“That’ll be Ares,” Leo said, standing. “I texted him the coast was clear.”
“You coordinated this?”
“Told you. Marketing genius.” He winked and opened the door.
Ares stepped inside, somehow making the spacious suite feel smaller just with his presence. He wore dark slacks and a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing forearms that suggested he didn’t skip the gym. His hair was damp like he’d just showered, and he smelled like cedar and something darker.
His eyes went immediately to me, then to the food containers, and back to me.
“You’re eating,” he said. “Good.”
“Leo brought food.”
“I coordinated,” Ares corrected. “Leo executed. I’m the one who called the restaurant.”
Leo grinned. “See? Teamwork.”
