Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
“Not often, but I’ve been here a few times. It’s a great city.”
“It is, but so is Nashville. My wife and I went for a week a few months ago, and we had the best time. We’ve been talking about retiring there in a couple of years.”
“Not Florida?” I ask, because typically that’s where everyone wants to retire.
“My wife is not big on bugs, hurricanes, or humidity.”
“You’re forgetting gators,” I add, and he laughs.
“Yeah, she’s not a fan of those guys either.”
“Well, if you want, get my number from Maxim, and let me know what kind of home you’re looking for. I’ll keep an eye out for you.”
“I’d appreciate that,” he says, and I watch out the window, expecting him to head toward the Strip, so I’m surprised when we bypass sign after sign for downtown and move away from the city.
“You live here?” I look over at Maxim when we arrive at a gated subdivision with families wandering the sidewalks in front of large homes that all look a lot alike, with white stucco siding and large yards.
“I do,” he tells me when Charles pulls into the driveway of a home that is beautifully landscaped in typical Vegas style, but it’s still nothing like the modern, hip home surrounded by woods he’s purchasing in Tennessee. “Not what you were expecting?”
“Not even a little,” I admit, unhooking my belt when Charles gets out. “I assumed you lived near the Strip.”
“When I first opened my club, I did, but I learned quickly that I needed to be as far away from the nightlife as I could get when I wasn’t working.”
“I guess that makes sense.” I open my door and get out, then reach for my suitcase that Charles is pulling up the walkway. “I don’t mind helping.”
“I do,” he says, and I sigh as Maxim rests his hand against my lower back, leading me up the sidewalk to the front door, then he uses his phone to let us inside. Stepping into the entryway, I look around and can see why he purchased this place. It’s beautiful, with lots of natural light, a curved staircase leading to the second floor, marble tile, and modern touches.
“Thanks for picking us up, Charles.” He rolls my bags over to the bottom of the stairs.
“Anytime, and if you need a ride anywhere while you’re in town, let me know,” he says, then looks at me. “It was nice meeting you, April. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”
“You will.” I wave at him when he leaves, and Maxim shuts the door, then places Binx’s crate on the ground. Squatting down, I open his door, and he comes right to me. Standing with him held against my chest, I smile as he rubs his head against my jaw while Maxim wraps his hands around my waist.
“Do you want me to give you two a tour?”
“Yes.” I lean in when he bends to touch his lips to mine. “I also need to go to the store to pick up some stuff for him.”
“I asked my housekeeper to get everything he needs, so it should all be in the kitchen.” He kisses me again. “We’ll set him up, then I’ll show you around.” He lets me go, and I follow him out to the kitchen, where there is in fact everything Binx will need, including a few toys. After putting down his food and water and placing his litter box in the laundry room, we go on a tour of the house that ends when he gets a phone call that I can tell annoys him to take.
With him in his office, I make my way upstairs to the master bedroom that, like the rest of the house, looks staged with gorgeous furniture, bedding, and accessories. If there were not a few photos of Maxim and his family here and there around the house, I would have assumed this was a rental property for people looking to be close to Vegas but not too close to the glitz and glamor of downtown.
After hefting my suitcase up onto the end of the bed, I unzip it and open it up, stopping when I hear a thud. Figuring it’s Binx, I go to the walk-in closet and spot him on one of the angled shelves, chewing on the lace of an old sneaker, the other foot lying on the floor. “You, sir, are a terror.” I pick him up and hold him an inch from my face, smiling when he reaches out to tap my nose with his tiny paw. “No chewing on stuff.” I kiss him on his nose before he can swipe me with his tiny yet very sharp claws, then put the shoe back in its place and grab a few hangers.
Carrying him out of the closet with me, I make sure to shut the door so he can’t get back in there and place him on the bed next to my suitcase. After taking a moment to sniff around, he hops inside my bag, curls up on top of one of my shirts, and closes his eyes. “You’re lucky you’re so cute.” I scratch behind his ear, and he opens one eye to look at me, then stretches out his legs and rests his jaw on his paws.