her senior, but she’d been closest to him out of all four of her brothers. When she’d needed someone to talk to, he was the one she’d turned to. So how had she missed hearing about Jax?
She tilted her chin and met his gaze. “You know, it’s funny he’s never mentioned you since you skipped town.”
“Maybe he thought it was for the best.”
“Why would he think that?”
Jax gave her a do-you-really-need-to-ask-that-question look. “As I recall, his kid sister had a massive crush on me—the kid from the wrong side of the tracks. I’m guessing he wouldn’t want you having anything further to do with me.”
Heat flamed in her chest and licked at her cheeks. “That was a long time ago. You can’t fault me for my lack of judgment. I was just a kid. I’ve grown up since then.”
“Trust me, I’ve noticed.”
The implication of his words only multiplied her discomfort. Why was she letting him get her worked up? Back then she’d been a teenager with raging hormones and a complete lack of sense. And the fact that her family disapproved of Jax had only made him all the more attractive. What girl didn’t go through a stage of falling for a sexy bad boy?
But even now with this mature version of Jax, his sexiness had only escalated. And his dreamy smile still had the power to penetrate her defenses and turn her insides to mush.
“We aren’t here to talk about the past.” She cleared her throat and schooled her facial features into what she hoped was a serious expression. “Why don’t I show you to your bungalow?”
“Listen, I don’t want to get you in any more trouble with your boss, but this arrangement obviously isn’t going to work. So I don’t care how you want to explain it to him, but you can’t be my casino host. Better yet, don’t say anything to him and you’ll officially be my host but from a distance. A long distance.”
“What?” Her chest tightened. “I—I can’t do that. You’re one of the casino’s most valuable players. Upper management would find out immediately and accuse me of neglecting my duties.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.” His brows gathered. “I just want a quiet vacation.”
“And you’ll have one while I take care of you...er, manage your needs.” She pressed her lips together, knowing that with each attempt to dig out of this uncomfortable hole, she was only making it deeper for herself.
A deep chuckle rumbled from his chest. “Cleo, you still have a way of making me smile.”
She glanced up, noticing how his face lit up when he smiled, easing his worry lines. Maybe his new life of luxury wasn’t all chocolate and roses. From the obvious size of his bank account, she couldn’t imagine what problems might be plaguing him. For a second, she considered asking but resisted. It wasn’t any of her business.
“Does that mean I can go ahead and do my job?”
“Still as persistent as ever.” Jax shook his head. “All right. Maybe we can try it on a trial basis. But that’s no guarantee it’ll work.”
It was so much better than a no and it would give her time to soften him up. Hope bloomed in her chest. She would make this work...one way or the other.
Before she could say anything else to amuse him and embarrass herself, she turned to exit the office. “I’ll show you around. I’m sure you’re anxious to get to the tables.”
“Actually there’s no rush.”
Cleo glanced back. “Really? Because if you’re concerned about unpacking, don’t be. I can have the staff do that for you.”
“Are you that eager for me to start losing my money?”
Her gaze narrowed at his snide comment. “I get paid based on how much you wager, win or lose. So if you’ll follow me, I’ll give you a quick tour of the casino on the way to your lodging.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’d just like to get there quickly and discreetly.”
If he wasn’t up to something, why was he acting so strange? And did this have anything to do with his newfound wealth? The questions buzzed through her mind.
He was no longer Jax Monroe, Hope Spring’s rebel. The truth was she never believed that he was a bad boy, more likely misunderstood and living up to people’s low expectations of him. Back in the day he’d been so sexy with his long hair and holey jeans. Every girl in town had her eye on him—including her.
Cleo couldn’t wait to tell her mother about this amazing transformation. Suddenly her excitement dipped. The gaping hole in her heart throbbed. Sometimes when she got excited, she’d forget that her mother was no longer speaking to her.
“Was there something else?”
Cleo glanced up at him, unable to recall their discussion. “What?”
“You were about to show me to my room.” Jax’s penetrating gaze met hers, making her turn away before she said or did something stupid.
“Follow me.” She started toward the players’ area.
“Is there a back way to my room?”
She nodded and turned around, guiding him down a long nondescript maintenance hallway. Jax may be tall, handsome and mysterious, but she had to remember that he was her client—a stranger to her now.
She didn’t even know if she should trust him, but a little voice in the back of her mind said that he was still the same good guy down deep where it counted. He was also the guy her family didn’t approve of—at least not for her. It niggled her that he was good enough for her older brother to pal around with, but when it came to her, she’d been forbidden to hang out with him—not that it had stopped her.
The silence between them stretched on. She didn’t do well with awkward moments. “We’re having a vintage car show in our convention center, if you’d like to look around—”
“Maybe later.”
So much for conversation. She didn’t recall Jax being this quiet when he was a kid. In fact, there were times he hadn’t known when to shut up. She couldn’t believe she was missing that smart-mouthed kid—the same kid who would go out of his way to put a smile on her face. What in the world had changed him so drastically?
She stopped and pushed open a heavy steel door. The glare of the Nevada sun nearly blinded her. She blinked and her eyes soon adjusted. As she moved along the secluded footpath, the sound of laughter, the cacophony of voices and the splash of water filled the air.
Jax grabbed her arm, giving her pause. “I thought we were taking the back way to my room.”
An army of goose bumps raced over her skin. She pulled away from his touch and ignored the fluttery feeling in her chest.
She lifted her chin to face him. “We are. Your bungalow is in a secluded area just beyond the pool. Don’t worry, there’s a path over here on the side that we can use.”
As they passed the pool she found herself glancing over at the crowd of young people on summer break, enjoying themselves. Her family were ranchers—and ranchers didn’t take holidays. Or so her parents told her every time she asked them if they could go on a trip like her friends did.
It was always expected that when she wasn’t in class, she would be at home helping out. It’s what her brothers did. No one ever seemed to understand she was different. Was it so wrong to want to hang out with her friends? Or take vacations?
It was always presumed she’d become a rancher’s wife—just like her mother and grandmother. After all, she was a Sinclair and ranching was in their blood. Except somehow the love of ranching had skipped over her.
“This sure is different from Hope Springs,” Jax said, as though he, too, were thinking about the old days.