What Matters Most: The Billionaire Bargains, Book 2 (8 page)

“Good evening, Mr. Steele,” the chauffeur greeted. “Where to tonight?”

Tony looked at Reese inquisitively. “Same as last night?”

She crossed one leg over the other, not bothering to pull the hem down. Tony had to force himself to look away. “Definitely the same as last night.”

He liked that. “That good, huh?”

“Oh, you have no idea.”

“Reese—”

“No, seriously, you have no idea. So let’s go find out if you can go two for two.”

Sassy. Sexy. He could definitely go two for two.

“To Mr. Leitner’s club,” Tony told the chauffeur.

“Very good.”

They pulled away from the curb and Reese turned to watch the strip pass the window.

Tony studied her profile. She was so damned beautiful. There was no way they’d made the drive to Matt’s club without talking, and he remembered asking her if she’d been to Vegas before—the answer had been no—and other assorted small talk-ish questions. Her favorite city she’d ever visited had been Chicago.

That seemed strange. And he remembered that it had seemed strange last night as well. But then she’d pulled her lipstick from her purse and applied it and he’d kind of lost his train of thought. He remembered the peach-colored gloss. He also remembered thinking those peachy lips would look damned good around his cock.

He cleared his throat. “Why have you never been anywhere nicer than Chicago?”

Chicago was a great city. But it hardly measured up to New York or Rome or Barcelona.

She looked over at him. “I never had the money to travel. Our family trips were to places like the Grand Canyon. Places we could drive to.”

“You never had money to travel?” he repeated. “But your dad—”

“Kyle is my stepdad,” she said. “He married my mom when I was nineteen. And, yes, he’s got tons of money and would likely give me as much as I asked for, but I don’t ask.”

Kyle Sutherland was the owner of the elite club where Tony played cards. Where he’d met Reese.

“Your last name isn’t Sutherland?”

She shook her head. “It’s Chaplin.”

“You’ve never corrected me before.”

“Have you used my last name before?”

He looked at her. He didn’t even know her real last name? What else didn’t he know?

Probably a lot.

The realization hit him hard. He and Reese didn’t really know one another very well. The only time they’d spent together had been at the club and once at Jeff’s birthday party. Otherwise… He shook his head. It didn’t matter. He could get to know her now.

“So your mom and dad divorced?”

She nodded. “When I was seventeen. They sort of shared custody, but my brother was nineteen and pretty much out of the house and my sister was fifteen. Since we were older, they just let us decide where we wanted to go and when. I get along great with Kyle, but I don’t want to ask him for money. I’m a grown woman. I don’t need my stepdad giving me an allowance.”

Tony respected that. It also made some things clearer. Like the way Jeff had showered her with gifts and expensive dinners and a new car. Jeff must have known her situation. Apparently, her stepdad being a wealthy, well-respected businessman was enough to gain Jeff’s father’s approval, even if Reese wasn’t the direct heiress of Sutherland’s money.

Tony frowned. He didn’t like that Jeff had known something intimate about Reese that he hadn’t. It felt strange that there were secrets she’d shared with Jeff.

Which was the epitome of stupid.

Jeff had been her fiancé. They were going to get
married
. Of course Jeff knew things Tony didn’t.

And Tony wanted to know every single blessed one.

“Here you are, sir,” the driver said as they pulled up in front of Matt’s club. “Would you like to call when you need me?”

Tony was irritated that they’d arrived.

Also stupid.

He loved Matt’s club. Matt’s club was always his first stop in Vegas. In fact, he probably could come up with the details of their stops last night. He had a routine when he came to town. Matt’s place, then David’s, then Zach’s.

But now, tonight, he wanted to take Reese somewhere else. Somewhere quiet and private where they could talk. Where he could ask her all about her childhood and her mom and about her trip to Chicago.

Wow.

The tequila had really killed off some brain cells.

“Um, thank you,” Tony finally said to the driver when he realized both the chauffeur and Reese were watching him. “We will…call.”

“We took a cab to the next place,” Reese said with a smile.

“We did?”

“Yes, because I told you I’d always had a fantasy about making out in the back of a cab.”

Tony had to swallow hard before replying, “I think we’ll take a cab to the next stop.”

“Very good, sir. You have my number.”

Looking at Reese’s sly smile and the twinkle in her eye, Tony realized that it was most definitely
not
just the tequila that had thrown him off last night.

If he’d gone through the entire night distracted by wanting Reese but trying to be a good friend and let her call the shots, then he’d been very likely way too worked up to remember many details, liquor or not.

“So, let’s go dance,” he said, holding out his hand. He remembered enough of their time at the club to remember the dancing. He’d been a gentleman, a good friend. He’d meant it when he’d said she could call the shots. He’d kept distance between them and
just
danced.

Tonight was not going to be
exactly
like last night.

The doorman greeted Tony by name and shook his hand. “Welcome back, Mr. Steele.”

“Hey, Bruce.” A thought occurred and Tony said casually, “Have you met my wife?”

Bruce didn’t react but Tony could tell he was working hard not to. “I met the lovely lady last night, but I didn’t realize she was Mrs. Steele.” Bruce gave Reese a little nod. “Nice to meet you. And congratulations.”

Reese smiled. “Oh, I’m a lucky lady.” She looped her arm around Tony and pressed against his side. “My husband made every detail of my wedding day so memorable and amazing.”

Bruce didn’t seem to notice the underlying sarcasm that Tony heard in her tone. He let his hand drift lower and pinch her butt. She giggled.

And he was suddenly looking forward to the night ahead even more.

They stepped into the club, their arms still around each other. Well, Tony’s hand was still on her ass. He didn’t intend to move it any time soon.

They started through the crowd. The club was pulsing with music and the hum of conversation and laughter, but it was definitely more subdued than most Vegas clubs.

“Tony.”

He pivoted to find Matt coming toward them. “Hey, Matt.”

“Two nights in a row.” Matt looked Reese over and cocked an eyebrow. “I’m honored.”

Tony narrowed his eyes. He had never in his life felt possessive about a woman, but the urge to keep Matt far from Reese hit him quick and hard. Matt was a friend. But Reese was
his
.

Tony cringed at that thought. It wasn’t Matt’s fault that he saw nothing wrong with perusing the woman Tony had brought to his club twice in one week. He had introduced women to Matt before, and more than once a woman had decided that if sleeping with a billionaire was a thrill, sleeping with two was even better. They’d never been with a woman at the same time, but they’d been with the same woman separately. And there had been no hard feelings.

“Thanks.”

Matt extended his hand. “I’m Matt,” he said to Reese.

“Reese,” she said, taking his hand.

Matt lingered over the handshake longer than necessary, and Tony wasn’t a bit subtle about removing Reese’s hand from Matt’s. He didn’t remember Matt acting so interested in one of Tony’s dates before. But, honestly, it was probably more that Tony had never cared if Matt was interested before.

Matt grinned. “Very nice to meet you, Reese. And if there is
anything
I can do for you, please know that I am willing and able.”

“Matt—” Tony started.

But Reese said, “That is so nice of you, Matt. I can’t think of anything my
husband
and I need more at the moment than champagne. What do you think, Tony?”

He couldn’t answer immediately. Hearing her claim him and put Matt in his place at the same time, Tony was overcome by the urge to pick her up and head straight for the nearest firm surface.

“I think champagne sounds perfect,” he finally said. He looked at Matt.

He looked appropriately surprised. But also amused.

That wasn’t good.

“Well, you’re clearly something special, Reese,” Matt said. “It’s not every girl that Tony marries. I mean, there’s only been two others.”

Between Jeff and Matt, Tony really had to question his taste in friends.

To her credit, Reese didn’t give Matt the satisfaction of reacting. “Doesn’t matter if I’m first,” she said, running her hand up and down Tony’s arm. “Just matters that I’m last.”

The lift of Matt’s eyebrow showed that he enjoyed her answer.

“You know only one of those was for real,” Tony said. He looked at his current wife—his
second
wife, not third. “I was just pretending with one of them to keep her ex at bay.”

“Uh, huh,” she answered with a smile, seemingly not concerned about his past nuptials.

“And the other was…” He trailed off. Because what was he going to say? It had been a real Vegas wedding. And had lasted about sixteen hours.

“Tequila?” Reese supplied.

He couldn’t deny it.

“Tony has great taste in wives though,” Matt said. “Jenni and I had a great time on their honeymoon.”

“Jenni was the fake or the real?” Reese asked.

“Real,” Matt said. “Unless you count her breasts.”

“You slept with Tony’s wife on their honeymoon?” Reese asked.

“Tony was fine with it. It kept her out of his hair.”

Tony felt Reese tense beside him, but she still held her smile. “Well, I’m sorry to tell you that it’s going to be less a pleasure to meet
me
than it was to meet Jenni.”

Matt chuckled. “Can’t blame me for asking. There was tequila last night, after all.”

“There sure was,” Reese agreed.

Yeah, yeah, okay.

“We came to dance,” Tony said, starting forward with Reese. “Unless I need to find a new favorite club.”

“Oh, don’t overreact,” Matt said, falling in step beside them. “I can see why you want to keep this one. I was just checking.”

Tony gritted his teeth and steered Reese through the crowd toward the dance floor.

He took her in his arms and was relieved to watch Matt move off toward another group of people to annoy.

Reese wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed close to him. Close enough that Tony felt every centimeter.

“So tell me about your first wife.”

He groaned. “We did not talk about Jenni last night.”

“No. But I also didn’t get hit on by your friend.”

“Good,” Tony muttered. He wouldn’t have put it past Matt.

“I did, however, have one of those to drink.” She pointed at the tray the waitress was carrying as she passed them.

It was a tall, blue, foamy drink with a long straw.

“You had that
and
shots?”

“Yep. And a martini.”

He really was impressed. He signaled for another waitress and placed Reese’s order, never letting her more than an inch away from him.

Once she had liquor in hand, he said, “Jenni was just one of the many stupid things I’ve done, Reese. It didn’t mean anything. We annulled it the next day. I haven’t seen her in a couple of years. It was all just…”

“Tequila.”

“Yes.”

“Like me?” She sipped from her straw while moving her hips against his to the music.

It was really hard to concentrate, but he knew he had to answer this question. “Not like you.”

She tipped her head, the straw still in her mouth.

“Reese, you and Jenni…it’s not the same thing at all.”

“You were
drunker
when you married me?”

“I was dumber before I married you.”

She smiled. “Is that right?”

“Actually, I got smart the minute I interrupted your wedding to Jeff.”

She sipped more of her drink, watching him. “I’m glad you did that,” she finally said.

He settled his hands on her hips and brought her closer. “Me too.”

“So tell me the three other stupidest things you’ve ever done,” she said, taking a long pull on her straw.