Read Online Leaving Las Vegas (Entangled Ignite) by Aleah Barley - Free Book Online Page B

was sitting meant there was every possibility the metal fastenings on the back of her denim shorts were scratching the finish. For once he didn’t care. If she wrapped her legs around his waist, then she could make a Jackson Pollock out of his paint job.
    Luke’s head pounded. His throat had gone dry. It was hard to think with Glory smiling at him like that. But he had to think. Had to strategize. Figure out who set him up and take the bastard down. All while getting Glory back home. And sitting on the side of the road chatting with his mother, giving the bad guys time to close in on them, probably wasn’t the world’s best idea.
    He needed to get his affairs in order. Discovering why Tiffanette had tried to kidnap him—and what backstabbing jackass had helped her along the way—would take time. Plus, if he was going to be out of town, then he needed to delegate some responsibilities. His nostrils flared.
    He hated delegating.
    But out of everyone in Las Vegas, his mother was the one person he could trust. Cherry might be a ditz, but she had a knack for business. She’d successfully managed the company for the years between his father’s death and the time Luke had been old enough and educated enough to manage the company himself. She could handle things while he took off for a while. “I need you to do a few things for me. First, find Bone. He was there last night.”
    “Is he an accomplice? Should I have him arrested?”
    “He’s probably at a hospital. Make sure his bills are paid and he has somewhere to go when he’s discharged. And then call my office. Tell them I’ll be out of touch for a few days. You can also answer any questions about ongoing projects. It’s mostly finalizing the details for the Cleopatra’s Asp opening next month.”
    “Do you want to talk to Chester? He knows more about Cleopatra’s Asp than I do.”
    Chester was a fool. Luke wouldn’t trust him to care for a fish tank, let alone a string of casinos. On the other hand, criticizing his mother’s husband wouldn’t exactly earn him a Son of the Year Award. “It’s nothing you can’t handle, Mother.”
    “Where are you going?”
    “Right now? The Grand Canyon.”
    “Sightseeing with your new lady friend?”
    “With my new lady friend.” A soft smile flickered across his face. His mother might be flakier than a French croissant, but she only wanted the best for him.
    “And where to after that?”
    He’d looked at the map of the United States on his phone last night when he and Glory had switched seats. There were a couple of different paths to West Virginia. He’d plotted out a drive that took them through the southwest before turning north again. “Albuquerque, probably. Tulsa.”
    Glory shifted and he froze. Suddenly her knees were no longer primly together. In fact, they were spread wide. He could see all the way up the short legs of her shorts. “I need to go,” he said in a rush.
    He jammed his thumb at the phone’s off button and slipped it into his pocket. He stepped forward until he was standing in front of Glory. The car’s bumper was hard against his legs. Her thigh was warm where it brushed against his. He bent down, supporting himself with one hand splayed flat against the windshield. No makeup, no time for a shower, but that didn’t stop her body from exuding a soft perfume. Cinnamon and roses.
    “Your mother sounds nice,” she said.
    “Delightful.”
    “She was worried about you. Anyone else worried about you?” Her voice wavered slightly. “Your wife? Girlfriend?”
    He bent down so close that their noses were bumping into each other. It was his turn to tease, and from the way her body tensed underneath his, her back arching ever so slightly to move her hips upward, she was just as appreciative as he’d been.
    “I don’t have a wife. Or a girlfriend.” He wondered how long it would take one of them to break, and who’d break first. If she moved any closer then he’d break his word, taking