Page 23 of Vegas Duology

“And you're okay?”he asked after a minute.

I nodded.“I am.It’s not always easy, but I’ll be fine.”

Putting two fingers under my chin, Leo tilted my face so that our eyes locked.“I believe you will be,” he whispered.

When he leaned forward, all the words I’d been about to say vanished.I’d been waiting all night for this.The warm breath on my cheek, the musky scent of him.I could feel my own breathing become shallow.I closed my eyes, afraid that if I looked at him, I would say something to ruin the moment.I tipped my chin; his lips brushed mine.

My cell phone rang.

I ignored it.

It rang again.When I opened my eyes, he was so close that with a fraction of a movement I would be kissing him.I could ignore the phone.With only a—

It rang again.

I swallowed my disappointment and reached for my cell phone in the depths of my purse.

I didn't bother to look at the call display.“Hi, Nicole.”

“Lex?Where are you?Are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” I said, and looked at Leo, who had sat back and was watching me with a small smile on his face.“We went out for a burger.”

“We?Who are you...are you with...no way.”

I turned so Leo wouldn't see me trying not to laugh.“Yup, and I'm fine.Honestly, I’m surprised you went back to the room so early.Are you done celebrating already?”I knew if I shifted the focus of this conversation, she would follow, at least for a while.

“Are you kidding?I came back to the room to check on you and tell you not to wait up.Josh and I are going to, well...”

He must be standing right there.

I laughed.“Go, Nic.Have fun but be safe.”

“I could say the same to you,” she said.“And Lex?”

“Yes.”

“Go for it.You need this.I won't be coming back to the room so—”

“Thanks, Nicole.”I was glad I wasn't looking at Leo because I’m pretty sure my face had turned an unattractive shade of tomato red and I did not need him to see that.“I'll see you in the morning.”

After I hung up, I took my time putting the phone back in my purse and fiddled with some papers.I fished a lip gloss out of a side pocket and after I applied a thin layer, I couldn’t procrastinate any longer.I put it away and turned back to Leo, who wore an amused expression on his face.

“I'm assuming she gave you her blessing,” he said with a grin.

“I don't need her blessing.”

“But she did give it?”

How could I be sitting in the center of the Las Vegas Strip with a complete stranger in the middle of the night contemplating, well, whatever I was contemplating?I didn’t do this type of thing.

Maybe that was the point.

“Leo,” I said, facing him again.“What's your last name?”

“Mendez.”

I cocked an eyebrow at him.