100°

Fair Play

"All dressed up with somewhere to go. You wanna let me in on where we're headed?" Tyler asked as they walked through the lobby of their hotel.

She'd booked a suite, which they were sharing since it was one of the last rooms available. But they had their own rooms, so that was that.

It was likely the ritziest spot he'd ever been. He was surprised there wasn't gold spitting out of the fountains.

"You don't like surprises?" she glanced over him.

The dress wasn't the only thing about her that was different tonight. The glasses were gone and it was hard as hell not to stare.

Alex was more than pretty, she was down right beautiful. And she was wearing the hell out of that dress. He was glad she accepted the gift. The last thing he'd given a woman was a bouquet of flowers. They weren't even roses and he'd been tossing over the cost in his head.

Now he was in a position to buy a woman a designer dress without blinking an eyelash. It felt damn good.

It also felt like they should be out on a real date.

But shit, would she be interested in a guy like him?

All this time he'd just been having occasional inappropriate thoughts about her and never thought about what she felt.

He couldn't be her type.

She'd like a polished guy that had it all together. The kind that knew what Dior meant and where all the best restaurants were.

Pretty much his polar opposite.

So that's where the situation was now. He wanted her but knew he couldn't have her probably more from her own opinion rather than her working for him. And it set something off in him. Frustration was tightening his shoulders.

Once thing he didn't like was not being in control.

But he had to tamp it all down.

All he had to do was be a gentleman and get through the night.

"Shit this place is packed."

"It's fight night across the street."

"Really?"

"Yup, boxing. That's where we're headed."

"You're shittin' me?"

"Manners."

He demonstrated he had them by opening the glass door for her that led outside.

"Very good."

The circular curb was packed with sports cars and limousines.

And most of the people were just as flashy, lots of glittery dresses and tailored suits.

If any of them were celebrities, Tyler sure as hell didn't recognize them. He barely watched TV outside of football.

Alex wasn't fazed by the action and why should she be? She'd probably been in places way more chaotic than this.

Tyler made sure to keep up with her while looking over the scene.

"A world away from the ranch, hm?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

The sight of gathering photographers made him turn his head.

"You don't want your picture snapped?"

He caught the amused glint in her eye. "Hell no."

The feel of her fingers in his as she led him around the crowd that was forming didn't help anything going on in his head.