Romancing My Love(3)

“I don’t know…” Rebecca was used to handling things on her own, and she hated to take handouts of any kind.

"Why not? The Astral is a great place. Chiara loves working there.” Andy assessed her as she mulled over the offer.

I could use a stable position, and he wouldn’t be getting me the job, just the potential of an interview. It still felt like a handout.

“You’ve got that look, Rebecca.”

She darted her eyes away. Andy knew her too well.

“Look, it’s a phone call. I know you have a hard time accepting help, but come on. This is a phone call, not a million bucks.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Thank you. That would be great. But please make sure she doesn’t feel obligated or anything.”

“Of course. Let me call her quickly.” He walked away with his cell phone to his ear and came back a few minutes later. “Here you go.” He handed her a piece of paper with Chiara’s name and phone number. “She said to go over if you have time toward the end of the day and she’ll see what she can find.”

“Really? Oh, Andy. You’re a lifesaver. Thank you.” She reached across the counter and hugged him, feeling silly for her initial hesitation.

“I told her you were taking business courses.” He shrugged. “Who knows if she’ll have anything, but in this town, it’s about who you know. I hope she can hook you up.”

“A job in a real business would be like a dream come true, but at this point I’d take just about anything.” Before her mother became ill, Rebecca had graduated with a two-year degree from the local community college, and with grants and her near-perfect grade point average, she’d been awarded a nearly full ride to the University of Nevada in Reno. She’d been forced to drop out of school and give up her scholarship to care for her mother, and now she had only two more courses to complete before she graduated. She loved the academic world and found everything she’d learned about business fascinating.

Maybe her mother was right. Maybe it really was her turn to live.





IT WAS ALMOST seven o’clock in the evening by the time Rebecca crossed the marble lobby floors of the Astral after her meeting with Chiara Twain, Andy’s girlfriend and the human resources administrator for the Astral casino, restaurant, and resort. She’d arrived at five thirty after filling out applications at every place along the main drag that was hiring. She’d waited twenty minutes to see Chiara, but it had been worth it. They’d hit it off right away. Chiara took her through one of the restaurants and bars and spoke to her about jobs in both areas, as well as potential growth opportunities in other areas of the casino and administrative offices. The restaurant was decked out like a Western ranch, with photographs of the most beautiful horses she’d ever seen, with lush manes and tails and long feathery hair around their hooves. Chiara explained that the owner of the resort was very family oriented and that he’d outfitted each of the three restaurants in ways that reminded him of his family. The pictures on the walls were of his brother’s gypsy horses, which she explained were like Clydesdales, only with fuller manes, tails, and feathering. Chiara confided in Rebecca about how the owner was great to work for. Rebecca loved hearing that a business owner would honor his family in such a way. She had a good feeling about her meeting with Chiara. She said she’d contact her in a few days, and when Rebecca mentioned she was looking for an apartment or a room to rent in the area, Chiara said that they had an employee bulletin board and there was always someone looking for a roommate.

All sorts of hope swelled inside Rebecca—hope for a new job, a place to live, and maybe, just maybe, she’d eventually let herself think about having a real life. It had been years since she’d had time to think about herself, much less a relationship, and ever since last night, she couldn’t get Pierce out of her mind.

“Rebecca!” Chiara hurried across the lobby with papers in her hand. “Sorry to catch you on your way out, but we forgot to give you back your driver’s license after we copied it for the application.”

“Thank you. I would have been searching everywhere for it.” She took the driver’s license and slipped it into the pocket of her skirt. She didn’t like carrying a purse and did so infrequently. It was harder to steal from a person’s pocket than a purse, and Reno was full of pickpockets. When she’d worked at the bar, a purse was an easy target for theft. Depending on where she was going, Rebecca kept her driver’s license, money, and other important items in her pocket, or if she wasn’t in a situation where she needed to whip them out, she carried them in her bra or sometimes in the bottom of her sock. She wasn’t taking any chances of them being stolen.

“Rebecca.”

Rebecca turned at the sound of the male voice that had been seared into her brain since last night. It sent her stomach aflutter. When her eyes met Pierce’s, the air left her lungs. He wore a dark suit that probably cost more than a year’s rent, and he was even more handsome in the light of day. And—oh my—he was heading her way.

“Hi,” she managed, wondering how he knew her name. She caught sight of Chiara standing at the elevators and realized he must have heard Chiara call her name across the lobby.

“So, it’s not Ronda, then?” His eyes held a tease.

She forced her legs to move before the blush she felt creeping up her chest from the Ronda Rousy reference seared her skin and turned her legs to Jell-O.

“Rebecca Rivera, actually.” She headed for the rotating doors, and he followed her out, walking so close she could smell his musky scent. Inside the glass enclosure of the doors, she breathed him in, and good Lord, heat rolled off the man. He was like a sexual magnet. It was all she could do to keep a straight face. She didn’t think men like him existed outside of Hollywood.

“That’s a much prettier name,” he said as they reached the sidewalk. “Are you just getting off work?”

Shit. Shit. Shit. “No. I was applying for a job.” She looked around as if she had someplace to go. Why couldn’t she have someplace to go? His voice was sending tingles to places that weren’t used to tingling.

“Really? Is the Astral hiring MMA fighters?” He arched a brow, which eased her nerves a little, so she went with the ruse.

“They usually don’t, but, well, you know. I’m special like that.” Oh God, really? It had been so long since a man flirted with her that she had no idea how to react. Her tingling parts must have taken over her brain.

“Yes, you are.” He held her gaze just long enough to send a shiver down her spine. “I’m just getting off work. Would you like to grab a drink?”

“Sure. Why not?” What? You live in your car. Do. Not. Go Out. With. Him. Her mother’s voice pushed the thoughts away. It’s your turn, my sweet girl. She’d spent the last few years putting aside what she wanted. It was a drink, not a date, and, boy, did she want to go.





SURE, WHY NOT? That was far from the typical responses Pierce received. Rebecca’s shoulders lifted and she crinkled her nose in an adorable way that made him want to hug her—and was in sharp contrast to not only the offhand way she answered but also to the angry, determined woman he’d seen last night. He wondered if he was being pranked, and half expected his brother Jake to appear and make a joke about Rebecca’s less-than-enthusiastic response. This was just the type of joke his competitive brother would play on him. Jake would take great pleasure in seeing Pierce befuddled by a woman. He glanced around just to be sure Jake hadn’t flown in from Los Angeles for a surprise visit.

Nope. This was all Rebecca, which threw him for an even bigger loop. Pierce watched Anderson Claymore, the valet, talking with a young man in a dark suit. Anderson finished his conversation and joined them.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Braden. I’ll bring your car around.” Anderson was in his midfifties and had worked for Pierce for four years. He was respectful, and he had a good sense of humor and a solid sense of loyalty.

“Thank you, Anderson.”

A few minutes later his charcoal-gray Jaguar arrived. Rebecca’s eyes bounced from his expensive car to the high-fashioned casino patrons in a way that made Pierce wonder if she felt out of place, which was nonsense. She wore a primly buttoned white blouse and a tight black skirt that stopped just above her knees. She looked feminine and even more beautiful than she had last night. With a face and a body like hers, she could wear a paper bag and she’d be more beautiful than the cars and the patrons combined.

Pierce caught Anderson’s eye and guided Rebecca around him, as if the Jaguar wasn’t his. “Actually, Anderson, I think we’ll walk.” The last thing he wanted to do was to make her more uncomfortable, or give her a reason to change her mind.

“Yes, sir. I’ll cancel your car.”

“Thank you.” Pierce slid Anderson a nod, indicating that he’d give him a little something extra later. He didn’t want to whip out a fifty in front of Rebecca. She was nervous enough already. Out of habit, he placed his hand on her lower back and immediately felt her body tense. He removed his hand and hoped a cozy environment would ease her nerves. “There’s a nice pub around the corner.”