Gold (All that Glitters #2)(9)

“You ruin all my fun,” Bryna said in a pouty voice.

“Blame cheer.”

“Fine. I will,” Bryna said. “You know I’m only doing this because my mom cheered, right?”

“Yes. Sure. Not because you enjoy it,” Stacia said sarcastically. “Your mom was a cheerleader, and your dad was a star football player. Maybe if you didn’t hang out at Tiffany’s with hot strangers, you could meet one of those yourself.”

Bryna glanced over her shoulder at her hot stranger and lowered her voice. “But then, how will I know they can afford my lifestyle?” She was only half-joking. Or maybe she wasn’t at all.

Stacia laughed. “You have a fair point. I hate to concede to it, but it is you. And I do want a wealthy, hot NFL quarterback,” she said dreamily. “We’re not asking for too much, are we?”

“Definitely not. I really have to go. I’ll come back soon.”

“Hurry up,” Stacia said before they disconnected.

Bryna dropped her phone back into her purse and then returned to the counter. Luckily, the guy was still standing there. It seemed he had purchased something while she was on the phone.

She went to take the earrings out of her ears. “Sorry. No time to get these. I have to head out. At least you found what you were looking for.”

“Yes, I did.”

The man held the bag out to her, and she stopped trying to fiddle with the earring clasp.

“What?”

“I told you that you needed them,” he told her.

“I’m confused.”

“I got them for you.”

“You purchased the earrings?” she whispered in surprise. She had said to Stacia that she wanted someone to support her lifestyle, but she hadn’t quite expected this.

“I couldn’t let you leave without them.”

“Wow.” She took the bag from him. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Of course, she was thrilled. She had rolled the ball toward him, and he had picked it up and put it on a pedestal.

“No. But I wanted to.”

It was official. This guy was too perfect. She wished she had more time.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. It was nice meeting you.”

“Bri,” she said automatically.

He took her hand and firmly shook it once. “Nice to meet you, Bri. I’m Hugh.”

He smiled and then left before her. She had no idea what to make of all of that. A guy didn’t buy a girl twenty-two-hundred-dollar diamond earrings and then not ask for her number…or something more in return.

As she exited the store, she opened the blue Tiffany’s bag and peered inside. There was a blue pouch with her other earrings inside and a crisp white business card.

HUGH WESTERCAMP

WC RESORTS

On the back, he had scribbled his number. But that wasn’t the only thing that made her stomach tighten with excitement. WC Resorts owned casinos and resorts on the Strip as well as other locations. And the sole owner of the entire conglomerate and resort fortune.

Hugh Westercamp.

BRYNA AND STACIA were going to be perfectly on time for the flight out to Oregon even though Stacia was complaining the whole way about Bryna being late. Her head was up in the clouds though, and she was tuning out Stacia’s comments. No wonder she had thought the situation had all the right characteristics for her to be interested. The man was Hugh Westercamp.

Just the thought made her skin tingle with excitement. She would have to play this right. A man like that wouldn’t accept just anyone. She was shocked he had even given her his number. He must have been so f*cking confident that she would call.

Déjà vu hit her something fierce. She remembered leaving her number with Jude, knowing that he must have been interested after the incredible night they had spent together with their intimate deep connection.

She rolled her eyes. What bullshit!

There had been no connection. Just hot sex and a whole lot of deception. At least she could take what had happened in her past and make it work for her here. If Hugh was used to something happening, then she’d need to be unpredictable. The card weighed heavily in her purse, but she vowed to ignore it for as long as she could. Absence made the heart grow fonder. Or at least she hoped it would make his wallet fonder.

“So, tell me about the hot stranger,” Stacia said. She hoisted her cheer bag out of the back of her SUV. “I see you have new bling. Atlas Collection. Obsessed!”

Bryna shrugged. She wasn’t ready to reveal all her secrets yet. The girls knew how she was, but Hugh felt like an investment she would have to take seriously or else it could all slip away.

“It was nothing. He was cute.”

“Older?” she guessed.

“Much. But I like that.”

“I know. I think you want a guy who already has a job and a career, so you can fit into his life.”

Fair assessment. “Nothing wrong with coming to college to get your MRS degree.”

“Don’t let Trihn hear you say that,” Stacia said with a giggle.

They walked into the airport where they were meeting the team.

“We’d both get a lecture on how college is about more than just finding a husband.”

“Of course it is. There are football, parties, drinking, dancing, cheer,” Bryna rattled off.