moment, she did want to fuck
him. Fuck him to Hell and back, no matter how
much she might regret it in the morning.
16
MARTEEKA KARLAND
He continued to stare at her as she
made her way to the elevator. She felt his eyes
on her. Sure enough, when she looked back
over her shoulder, he was staring at her with
those dark eyes, stark possession shining in
their depths. With her chin held high, she
turned away again and waited, trying her best
to ignore him.
It was total bullshit, of course. She was
more aware of him than she had been of
anyone in her entire life. Had been since the
day she met him. As she turned to punch her
floor number, she caught his gaze again. He
hadn’t moved an inch, and he still kept his eyes
trained on her. A faint smile touched his
sensual mouth, and he actually threw her a
small salute as the doors closed. He was
practically laughing at her!
That was it. Li Zhu was going to have to
die.
***
“That was quite possibly not the smartest
thing you’ve ever done, Li.” Connor Jackson
chuckled as he extended his hand in greeting.
Li took it with a warm smile. He’d been friends
What Happens in Vegas…
17
with the Jackson brothers since he’d moved
from China over two decades earlier. They’d
attended the same college and had finished
med school and residency together. The bond
there was strong.
“I’d have to agree with you, but it will be
worth it later.”
Connor shook his head. “Wow. I always
knew you had it bad for the prickly vixen, but I
had no idea you were into sadism. She’s liable
to shred you to pieces.”
“Believe it or not, I have thought of that.”
Li chuckled. “Don’t worry about me. I know
what I’m doing.”
“I do too,” Connor shot back. “Going into
the lion’s den.”
“Just hide and watch, buddy. She’s mine.
Might not be easy, but the best things never
are.”
Li glanced back at the elevator. It had
long since closed, but he could still smell the
light scent of her perfume. He knew he had it
bad, but he didn’t care. The fierce need deep
inside him only added to his resolve to win
Nikki’s heart.
Finishing up the last of his charting, Li
headed out for the weekend. He’d overheard
18
MARTEEKA KARLAND
plans Nikki had made while she talked with a
couple of her friends. She was on her way to
Vegas to relax and unwind with no one to bug
her. She’d planned a blissful weekend alone full
of sunbathing and spa visits during the day and
casinos and heart-stopping shows at night.
Well, Li was going to crash her party of one.
Getting a plane ticket on such short notice took
some doing, but he knew it would be worth it.
Besides, it wasn’t as if he had a choice. There
was no way he was passing up an opportunity
to see the prickly Dr. Taylor let her hair down.
With a little luck, after tonight, Nikki would
know exactly whom she belonged with.
Just the thought made him smile. She
would fight, and that made him hotter than just
about anything. There had to be harmony
between them, sort of, but he was looking
forward to the challenge. Even though he knew
in his heart they were meant to be together, he
also knew she’d provoke him every chance she
got just so the sparks would fly. When they
finally came together, the sex would be mind-
blowing.
Whipping his car into the airport
extended-stay parking lot, Li retrieved his bag
from the trunk and jogged to the gate with
What Happens in Vegas…
19
boarding pass in hand. There was no way he
could suppress the smile tugging at his lips as
he checked his bag and boarded the plane. He’d
seen Nikki boarding just before he had and
knew this would be one explosive weekend.
Although he’d seen her in casual dress
before, he’d never seen her in hip-hugging
jeans and a too-cute tee that barely skimmed
the top of her pants. Enticing glimpses of bare,
chocolate skin teased him with every move of
her body as she walked down the
Michael Cunningham
Janet Eckford
Jackie Ivie
Cynthia Hickey
Anne Perry
A. D. Elliott
Author's Note
Leslie Gilbert Elman
Becky Riker
Roxanne Rustand