Bristol washed the sweat away, and as much as she wanted to just stay under the perfectly pressured stream of hot water, the thrill of hanging out with normal people got her out of the shower in ten minutes. Phoebe was waiting.

“How do you want to wear your hair tonight?”

“Just down is fine.”

“Easy enough,” Phoebe and her assistants had Bristol ready in no time. Bristol’s stylist picked dark skinny jeans, ankle boots, an oversized cream-colored shirt, and a field jacket she would wear only if the casino was cool.

“Hi.” Bristol kept the greeting simple when she walked into the living room. Annie and Charley were holding champagne flutes and looking out at the flashing lights of the Strip. The rest of her entourage were huddled together laughing at something somebody said, completely ignoring not only the spectacular view, but her invited guests. Annie turned and smiled beautifully at Bristol.

“Thank you so much for inviting us. This is amazing.” Annie waved her hand over the penthouse and windows. “I don’t think I’ll sleep tonight.”

“Yes. Thank you. This is incredible,” Charley said.

Bristol grabbed a water from the coffee table. “How do you feel about gambling?” She looked at the thin Cartier watch face that rested against the inside of her wrist.

“I’m down to learn.” She stifled a yawn. “I feel like I’ve been up for days,” Annie said.

Bristol took a step back. “Oh, if you want to go to sleep, don’t worry about me.” Annie’s fingers on her wrist stopped her. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

“Who can sleep here? This is even more exciting than New York City. I’m okay to gamble.”

Charley piped up. “I’m not great either, but I’m excited about it.”

Their attention turned to Lizzy, whose voice was suddenly raised above normal conversation level. “I don’t care what you think, Bruce. I need six guards. Wake them up if you have to. We need them tonight. Your job is to provide round-the-clock security. That means twenty-four hours a day, which, if I’m not mistaken, includes the night.” There was a slight pause in their conversation. “I realize the casino will provide security as well, but their job is the casino, and yours is Bristol. I’ll see six of you in five minutes.”

Annie looked shocked at Lizzy’s outburst. Bristol grabbed a flute of champagne to bring the attention back to them. She tapped her glass against theirs. “Let’s go have fun. I think we all deserve a night like no other.”

Chapter Eleven

Annie shivered when she felt Bristol’s breath on her hand. She watched Bristol’s lips pucker and felt the warmth feather across her fingertips. How was she here tonight, next to Bristol, in Las Vegas, at the high-limits table rolling the dice at a craps table?

“For good luck,” Bristol said.