Through the Night Read Online Free PDF Page A

instead of opening himself up to yet another rejection of who he was as a person.
    If he didn’t let anyone close enough to know the real Chase, then he didn’t have to deal with the pain of the past that still haunted him, and that was perfectly fine with him.
    Hell, most days the only thing that kept him relatively sane was the adventure of his job, and those life-or-death risks he took that deliberately stared the grim reaper in the face and dared him to complete what he’d left unfinished all those years ago.
    Valerie came to a stop in the oversized living room, clearly impressed with what she saw. “Steven’s penthouse certainly trumps one of the executive rooms I would have comped you, which are pretty darn plush, but this … this is just wow. ”
    “You’ve never been up here before?” he asked in surprise, more than happy to leave his darker thoughts behind.
    She shook her head, sending her rich, silky brown hair swaying along her shoulders and down her back. “Never had a reason to be up here in the owner’s suite.”
    “Then let’s take advantage of everything this place has to offer.” He headed toward the standard-sized, fully stocked bar across the room. “A good drink, exceptional fine dining for room service, and a view of the Vegas strip that is absolutely spectacular.”
    She grinned, her warm brown eyes dancing with pleasure as she followed him. “Sounds good to me.”
    Glad to see her relaxing with him, he walked around the far end of the long mahogany bar. Lining the mirrored wall behind the counter were shelves of every kind of premium liquor imaginable, to make every kind of cocktail imaginable.
    “Let’s start with a drink while we decide what we want to order for dinner,” he suggested. “What’ll you have?”
    She slid gracefully onto a barstool, her gaze traveling to the wine rack off to the side. “I’ll take a white wine spritzer.”
    “Really?” He raised an incredulous brow at her lackluster choice of drink, and waved a hand at the array of booze she had to choose from. “Did you happen to notice the incredible selection of alcohol at our disposal? Surely you can be more adventurous than a spritzer.”
    “What can I say?” Amusement tinged her voice as she rested her elbows on the counter and her chin in the palm of her hand. “I’m pretty tame and boring.”
    He found that claim difficult to believe. Bracing both his palms on the bar, he met her gaze, direct and just arrogant enough to get a reaction out of her. “I bet I could prove you wrong on both accounts,” he said, doing nothing to disguise the innuendo in his words or the tone of his voice.
    Her stare never wavered, and damn if all that quiet, female poise didn’t turn him on even more. “After watching your luck at the craps table today, I’m not about to accept that wager.”
    Because she knew she’d lose. He chuckled, pleased that she hadn’t tried to deny their attraction. She might be a bit guarded when it came to him, but she had a great sense of humor, and there was nothing coy about her. Genuine, honest qualities he appreciated in a woman.
    “Okay, a boring, unadventurous white wine spritzer for you,” he conceded, and pushed the room service menu in front of her to look over while he mixed her drink. Once her spritzer was made, he poured himself a snifter of select, high-end tequila, then called in their dinner order, which left them with about forty minutes before their meal arrived.
    She took a sip of her drink, then said, “So, you’re a treasure hunter.”
    It was more of a matter-of-fact statement than a question. “I prefer ‘procurer of fine things,’” he replied, only half-teasing. The term treasurer hunter sometimes came with a negative connotation, and while he did technically hunt for treasures, he did so ethically and honestly, despite what his parents thought or believed.
    “Yes, that does sound more sophisticated and refined,” she agreed, a twinkle in her eyes.