Chapter One

Heaven Vaughan maneuvered her motorcycle through the early morning traffic on the Las Vegas Strip with the speed of a professional racer. Rapidly, she veered left, rode down the alley, and parked outside the kitchen door right under the no parking sign. The boss always spouted his rules were not to be broken.

Chuckling, she turned off the bike, swung her leg over the seat, and tugged off the helmet. She shook her long, scarlet hair, her signature feature, as she smiled at the line cook having a smoke by the back door.

As a juvenile delinquent, she’d learned to act as if she belonged. Once she mastered fake confidence, no one had the guts to challenge her. As an adult, she’d learned, when she stuck out her breasts and licked her lips, men used the wrong head to think.

Nodding at the young man, she ran her tongue across her lips. “Hiya.”

He took a long drag and blew the smoke out. “Right back at ya.” His eyes roamed across her formfitting leather jacket and down her tight jeans.

She really shouldn’t lead him on, but when he gawked at her that way, he was fair game. She gave him her most suggestive smile as she stuck out her chest. “What’s shaking?”

He glanced at her face and observed the end of his cigarette. “Tits ’n’ ass.”

“You’ve been watching the girls in the club again.”

He grinned sheepishly as he wiped his hand down the greasy apron. “Got me.”

She hiked toward the back door of the casino. “Gotta get to work.”

“I’d pay to see you shake it.”

Like all men, he only noticed the figure, not the person. She smiled. “Never going to happen.”

Crossing the noisy kitchen, she walked down the short hall toward the change room. She placed the helmet on a chair and slipped off her leather jacket. Opening her locker, she took out her uniform. Well, if you could call the minuscule shorts, high-heeled leather boots, and suggestive halter top a uniform.

With any luck, she would be able to get into the boss’s office today. The faster she got the dirt the DA needed, the faster he could bust the case wide open.

She tucked her too-big-tits into the skimpy top, her overabundant ass into the scanty shorts, and dragged the boots up her legs. Then she headed back to the kitchen to punch in.

After three hours of serving drinks to the gamblers in the casino, she wanted to peel off the feet-murdering boots, sit down, and wiggle her toes. No matter what she wanted to do, her job wouldn’t do itself. She could suck up the pain of her aching feet to catch the mastermind of her brother’s murder.

A man grasped her ass as he walked by. “Care to make an extra fifty?”

Heaven wanted to deck him. The casino rules were clear. When a customer grabbed you, you smiled, keeping your hands to yourself. “Sorry, I’m working.”

He seized her arm. “You’re only getting a twenty for your services.”

“No touching the staff.” The low, controlled voice sent shivers over her skin, causing her nipples to harden.

Heaven glanced at Darius Turner, the head of security, a giant of a man with wavy, blond hair and tarnished penny eyes. Even though he appeared angelic, he worked for the boss. That made him pure evil.

The drunk man sneered at Darius. “This is between her ’n’ me.” He struggled to point at Darius. “Not you.”

Before the guy knew what happened, Darius nodded and two burly men appeared from nowhere. They stood on either side of the inebriated man.

Darius drew a fifty-dollar bill from his pocket and stuffed it into the man’s wrinkled shirt. “Thanks for gambling with us today, however, I think you should try your luck at another casino.”

The man seized the money and threw it on the floor. “Keep your money. The bitch ain’t worth it.”

The two guards grabbed the man’s arms and ushered him out of the casino.

Darrius stepped closer to Heaven, keeping a respectable distance between them. His scent of musk and hot male surrounded her as if for protection. “Are you all right?”

No way would she believe Darius was concerned for her. He didn’t give a fuck about her. He would protect the casino and the crooked boss who ran it above all else.

She raised her chin so she could meet the head of security’s eyes. “I’m fine.”

“I think you should come with me to the office.” Concern laced his words.

Heaven licked her dry lips. Damn. Because the behemoth noticed her, she now had to deal with him. “Said I’m fine.”

The corner of his mouth turned up into a generous smile. “Humor me.”

The rest of the women working in the casino would eagerly follow him to the ends of the earth, but she’d be no man’s fool. So why did her pulse quicken when he glanced at her that way?

With his rugged good looks, some might consider him as handsome as the entertainers who worked in the casino’s big lounge, but his seven-foot-tall frame and stern expression made him appear menacing.

“Sure.” She smiled.

His expression softened.

Could the goliath be swayed with a smile?

She followed him toward the door leading to the private elevator. He slowed his gait until she walked beside him. As they approached the door, it opened. She knew he’d pressed the switch in his pocket.

He controlled everything in the building. He enjoyed being in charge. So did she.

In the elevator, he gazed at her as his scent permeated the small space, sending a pulsing electricity down her spine. She shifted her weight from her left foot to her right and back again, trying to ease the need building between her legs. Being so close to him suddenly caused the air to escape her lungs. “You realize this isn’t necessary.”

He straightened his gold cufflinks. “I think it is.”

She scrutinized his thick flexing fingers. Heat rushed through her, warming every inch of skin.

The elevator doors opened. He nodded for her to leave first. She stepped out into the hall, and in a second, he was beside her again, leading her.

Heaven paused at the office while he opened the door and walked into his lair. Behind the desk, monitors filled the wall.

For a second, she stopped. Every part of the casino and hotel were displayed. She pointed at the wall. “You watch all of these? At once?”

Darius chuckled as he passed her. “I have a team who views them.” The corner of his lips turned up. “I check up on things from time to time.”

He lugged out the chair in front of the desk. “Please.”

Heaven sat down. “So, you enjoy watching?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she heard the innuendo.

His eyebrow rose as devilment danced in his eyes. “You could say that.”

“I didn’t mean…” Heat crossed her cheeks. Damn, how unprofessional to blush. She’d never been the teenager with a crush on the quarterback. She was a professional private investigator. “So why did you bring me here?”

He sat down behind the solid, mahogany desk. “To talk.”

Her whole essence quivered. With arousal or fear? She cleared her throat. “About?”

He placed his fingers in front of his mouth as if hiding the truth. “I’m concerned about what just happened to you.” His thumb twitched. “Does it happen often?”

Heaven held back a gasp as relief rushed through her. He didn’t know about her job with the DA to gather evidence against the boss. “Yes.”

Darius grimaced. “I see.”

“We’ve established that.” She pointed toward the bank of monitors behind him.

The corner of his lips turned up. “I mean you shouldn’t have to deal with that kind of behavior.”

“I agree.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder, giving him full view of her breasts. “What is a girl to do?” When he didn’t glance at her exposed flesh, she shrugged. “It’s part of the job.”

“Yes. What can we, the company, do to help avoid this?”

He didn’t care about her, just the damn company. “Stop making us dress as if we’re hookers.” She raised her leg. “Let us wear flat shoes instead of these killer boots.”

When he gazed up the full length of her leg, his eyes deepened to twilight.

She lowered her leg. “Maybe stop serving alcohol.”

Darius snickered. For the first time since they’d met, his shoulders relax. “Not going to happen.”

She crossed her legs. “So why the chat?” Leaning back in the chair, she said, “Men hit on women. Women hit on men. You can’t stop it.”

He scrutinized her face, then her breasts that bulged under her ill-fitting top. “Wouldn’t want to stop it. I enjoy fun from time to time myself, however, I don’t enjoy anyone handling the staff.”

“So, you really are a watching-no-touching kind of guy?”

He smirked.

Heaven couldn’t figure out why he’d focused in on her. There were more attractive women working at the casino who would screw him if he asked.

He rested his fingers on the desk. “The point I’m trying to make is, I’m responsible for everyone’s safety. Would you help me figure out what I can do to ensure the women here are protected?”

A part of her wanted to work with him to stop the sexual harassment that occurred daily. A part of her knew she shouldn’t play with fire.

She forced herself to stop staring at his gigantic hands. What would those thick fingers feel like as they explored every inch of her? She rose. “Beats me. I’d better get back to work.”

He pointed toward the chair. “Please.”

She glared at him. No way would she cozy up to Darius. His job was to protect the company and the boss. Her job was to get the information she needed to put the boss behind bars.

If Darius decided to make watching her his pet project, she wouldn’t succeed. “I have to get back to work. I need the tips.”

“Why?”

“What’s it to you?”

His expression hardened. He was making it his business.

She shrugged again. “I’m saving so I can go back to school.”

“Studying what?”

Damn. She had to out of here and as far away from him as she could before she blurted out any more truths. Heading toward the door, she avoided eye contact by glancing at the floor.

“Heaven?”

The tenderness in his voice undid her. She gazed at him over her shoulder. “Law. I’m going to clean up this city.” Aware she’d revealed too much, she fled down the hall.

Heaven wanted to kick herself. One smidge of sincerity in his voice, and she revealed everything. She’d never admitted the truth that easily before. Now he’d probably have her checked out.

Entering the casino, she made her way toward the bar, grabbed a tray, and set off for the high rollers’ table where the big money was. Everything she did from now on must fit with what she’d told the delectable powerhouse who wanted to scrutinize her.

She was a PI not a model. As a teen, when she compared herself to the magazines, she realized her curvy figure didn’t fit the typical image of sexy. She would never believe Darius Turner, the hunkiest hunk she’d ever laid eyes on, would be interested in her.

Smiling at the customers, she took their orders. She could not help but remember Darius’s eyes taking in every inch of her body. Was he in his office now, studying her every move?

When she walked from customer to customer, she stood taller and bent lower to serve them drinks, making sure her breasts jiggled for the security cameras. She wanted Darius’s cock hard, tenting his pants as it reached out to her. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, hoping he noticed her abundance of cleavage quivering just for him.

Cassie Lorenzo, her friend, bumped into her. “What the hell is up with you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re prancing around here as if you’re on center stage at a girlie review.” She smiled at a pit boss as he passed. “Don’t forget every man here just wants a free tumble and to hurry back to their wives or girlfriends. Stop trying to attract them.”

Heaven only wanted to entice Darius. Focus on the job and stop being turned-on by the big, bad boy watching your every move.

After scolding herself, she got back to work. She had to find the evidence quickly before Darius realized what she was up to.

Near the end of her shift, she grabbed a tray, a bottle of single-malt whiskey, a glass, and headed toward the boss’s office. She knocked on the door. No one answered, so she slipped in.

Setting the tray on the coffee table, she scanned the room and sat down at the desk. She didn’t know the computer password, so she opened the drawer on the right. At the sound of the soft scraping of the door on the lush carpet, she froze.

Darius filled the doorway. “What are you doing here?”

Quietly, she closed the drawer. “I was told to bring the boss a bottle of scotch.”

Darius nodded at the bottle on the tray. “I see.”

Seductively, she thrust out her breasts. “You do a lot of that.”

“What are you doing behind the desk?” His low, measured voice sent shivers through her.

“Nothing.” She shrugged. When he did not respond, she said, “The truth is, I need to get another computer. I figured the boss would have the top of the line with all the bells and whistles.” She forced a smile. “Just checking it out.” She got up and edged around the desk, hoping to get to the door before Darius pressed the control in his pocket to call his men.

He blocked her. His rock-solid frame resembled a wall yet excited her. Taking a calming breath, she tried to walk around him. He sidestepped, blocking her again.

Heaven stared at his chest, afraid to meet his eyes. “I should get back to work.”

He leaned toward her. “You should.”

His chest moved rhythmically with every breath. How would it feel to press against him, body to body, heat to heat? She sensed him wondering the same thing. This giant of a man wanted her. It could be fun…except he worked for the devil. His caress would scorch her soul. She wouldn’t burn in hell for any man.

She ducked around his massive frame.

He raised his arm. “Wait.”

Her pulse pounded at her temples. She stopped to fill her lungs with air. “What?”

He pointed toward the table. “Don’t you think you should take the tray with you?”

Flashing him a smile, she moved the bottle and the glass to the table and grabbed the tray. “See you later.”

She forced herself to measure her steps as she passed him, and his sweet scent lingered all the way down the hall.