Hot Number by V.K. Sykes Page A

us.”
    “Sorry, I can’t do that. I’m on duty. Anyway,
I’m used to this weather. I grew up here, and it’s a nice, dry
heat.”
    “Are you kidding? So is the heat in my oven,
but I don’t want to live inside it.”
    He laughed. “I know. It’s murder on everyone
but the locals.”
    Sadie drew her legs up and propped her
forearms on her knees. For the first time all day, she was
beginning to enjoy herself. “You seem to be here all hours of the
day and night. Are you ever off duty?”
    He glanced over his shoulder, as if someone
might be watching. “I take my job seriously.”
    “Tell me something I don’t know,” she
responded dryly.
    His smiled faded, his eyes narrowed again,
and the sheriff was back on duty. “How does your ankle feel today,
ma’am? You gave me the impression it was in pretty bad shape last
night, but you seem to have recovered quickly.”
    Sadie started to bristle. Had he come to Skin to check out her body or just rattle her chain some
more? Or, and this made her stomach give a sickening little flop,
was he just humoring her while he did his job? Granted, she was
hopeless at reading men, but she swore that the heat blazing in
those onyx eyes clearly signaled he was thinking of stripping off
her skimpy bikini bottom, coming down on top of her, and having sex
right there on the day-bed. And part of her couldn’t think of
anything she’d rather do more.
    As that startling image crowded into her
mind, her face flushed with heat. Could he read her thoughts? God,
she hoped not. He’d think she was a slut, for sure.
    Time to push back . “I appreciate your
concern, but I’m giving the ankle a good rest, as you can see,” she
said in a haughty voice. “A little sun and some time in the pool
should do wonders.” She rolled over on her side, draping an arm
over her bare breasts. “And I’m behaving myself—so far, anyway.
Though who knows what the evening may bring.” Okay, now he would probably think she was a slut, but she couldn’t resist
taking a parting shot.
    Saxon’s mouth settled into that
all-too-familiar hard line as he pushed his sunglasses back on.
“You have a good afternoon, Ms. Bligh.”
    He turned and strode away, his long, easy
gait carrying him quickly past the beckoning female looks from the
poolside. With a sigh, she watched him go, not shifting her gaze
until he disappeared into the double sliding doors of the
hotel.
    * * *
    Nick strode down the narrow hotel corridor
toward the casino floor, mentally kicking himself for venturing
into the Skin pool area. No doubt Carson would have a report
on his desk within hours, if not minutes. Sure, Nick would give the
disturbance created by those three losers as his excuse, but both
he and Carson knew a little dust-up like that wasn’t an incident
requiring intervention by security staff.
    He’d told himself he’d only pop his head in
the entrance to see if she did really have the guts to try the
topless pool. But when he spotted those three drooling dogs around
her and her friend, he’d wanted to chuck them into the water. And
when the asshole next to Sadie stuck his mitt on her leg...well,
that was it.
    But damned if the little firecracker didn’t
up and whack the guy first. She might be trying to convince herself
and the rest of Vegas that she was up for anything, but that small
action spoke volumes. Then, for no good reason Nick could figure
out, he’d turned frosty on her. Maybe it was the very fact that she
had actually gone to Skin in the first place, letting her
ample assets all hang out, even though he suspected it wasn’t
really her thing. And, yes, it had pissed him off to stand there
watching those clowns leering at her soft, beautiful breasts. But
so what? That failed to explain why he felt...well, jealous was the
only word for it. But why over this woman?
    He slowed down, pausing outside the main
casino floor as he tried to shrug the tension from his shoulders.
Maybe he should swing by Starbucks and grab