Read Online Hot on His Heels (What Happens in Vegas) by Margo Bond Collins - Free Book Online

front of her. Sadie stepped into them and took a few wobbly steps before she found her balance.
    From across the room, Amelia let out a low whistle. “Wow.”
    Surprised by the knot in her stomach, Sadie moved toward the full-length mirror.
    My worry has nothing to do with spending the evening trying to talk to a male romance-novel cover model. Though if I have to talk to a beautiful man, I would kind of rather spend the time with Jake—even if he does drive me insane.
    She was just anxious because she didn’t want to look ridiculous.
    But if that were true, surely the tight feeling would have dissipated when she saw her reflection.
    She looked amazing—like she had never looked before. The red dress accentuated curves that Sadie would have sworn weren’t there, her stick figure suddenly slender instead of skinny. The heels gave her calves definition, and the makeup that had felt so heavy on her face served only to highlight the deep brown of her eyes and fine porcelain texture of her skin.
    Instead of sticking out in wild corkscrews, her hair curled softly to her shoulders in loops.
    She really did look beautiful. “I kind of feel like Cinderella.”
    A knock at the door shocked her out of her examination.
    Frantic, she glanced at the clock. Is it really time for the model to be here? Wide-eyed, she glanced from Emerald and Ruby to Amelia.
    “Go ahead, hon,” said Ruby. “Answer the door.” Emerald backed her partner up by waving both her hands in a shooing motion.
    It’s just a few hours. I can do this.
    Taking a deep breath and straightening her shoulders, Sadie pulled the door open.
    Out in the hall, hand raised to knock again, stood Jake Blaine in a black tuxedo, looking every bit the male model himself.
    Sadie froze, unable to speak. Only two words came to mind.
    Devastatingly handsome.
    But not the date she had been expecting.
    Dropping his hand, he turned to face her, his mouth open as if to say something. Instead, though, he stopped, his gaze traveling from her head to her toes, and back up again. When he finally looked into her eyes, the flare of heat in his stare sent a shiver down Sadie’s spine.
    Oh, dear. I really am in trouble.

Chapter Eight
    Jake stood paralyzed, stunned into immobility by the woman in front of him.
    He had been attracted to Sadie Quinn before, to the banked passion he saw in her eyes and heard in her voice when she spoke about her project, to the delicate beauty that she seemed determined to hide. And he had known what he was doing when he arranged for Emerald and Ruby to take charge of Sadie’s makeover—they were the best hair, makeup, and costume team he had worked with, either as a model or on the rare occasions when Kamille had asked him to cover for her during photo shoots after he had moved into his editorial position.
    Still, his senses reeled as he took in the beauty in front of him. Her wide-eyed stare reminded him that he should probably offer some comment.
    “Amazing,” he finally managed to whisper.
    She blinked several times, as if clearing her vision.
    “Where’s the model?” she finally asked.
    Model? Right. Niall. He shook his head to clear his own mind. “He’s not feeling well. Kamille asked me to take over.”
    “I…see.” She sounded more doubtful than he would have liked, but at least she stepped out into the hall to join him.
    …
    The light from the water show at the Bellagio played across the delighted expression on Sadie’s face. Hell, her whole body seemed to light up with joy as she watched the fountains dance to the music. Jake had rarely seen anything like it.
    She doesn’t even know that she’s beautiful.
    The thought surprised him. It wasn’t that the thought of a woman without a clear sense of her own attractiveness surprised him—after all, he made his living editing books full of female characters who weren’t sure of their own charm, but he’d thought that was just a trope, just a literary device to get a story rolling. Until