The Billionaire's Gamble Page 0,3

her fidgeting hands, she squared her shoulders and faced him with the small amount of confidence she had built up inside her over the past six months. “Excuse me, Mr. Mathews, I know you’re incredibly busy running the Solara but if you could spare a few hours and don’t have anything better to do, why don’t you stop by my house for dinner tomorrow night?” she suggested. “It will be simple, probably not anything you’re used to,” she said, shrugging her shoulders and almost brushing off the suggestion as soon as she uttered the invitation. She felt silly. He probably had some beautiful woman waiting in the wings ready to while the hours away in bed.

Sid watched her for a long moment, a feeling of deep satisfaction entering his body and mind. He liked the way she glanced up at him shyly, as if she were hoping for acceptance, but bracing herself for rejection. “What time?” he asked, leaning back in his big leather chair.

Sabrina’s eyes widened in shock and pleasure. A bright smile spread across her face as she replied, “How about six o’clock? I know it isn’t sophisticated to dine that early but most of my friends need to get up early for work the next day.”

He nodded, tapping his pen against his chin as he considered her across the room. “I’ll be there,” he said.

Sabrina released the breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. “Wonderful,” she said, excited but terribly nervous at the same time. She pulled the door open quickly, deciding a fast exit was better than falling on the floor in excitement over the prospect of spending time with this dynamic man. “I’ll give directions to Liz,” Sabrina said and smiled brightly again.

Sabrina let herself out and gave directions Sid’s secretary, hoping the older woman didn’t detect the butterflies whirling around inside her stomach. She left the executive area and walked slowly down the hallway towards the casino area, careful to hide her excitement. “Cool it, Sabrina,” she warned herself as she walked sedately to her office. “He didn’t have any other plans. It means nothing except that he’s probably bored and wanted some company on Christmas.”

Regardless, Sabrina left work early that day and rushed to the store to buy several bottles of wine. She had no idea what he might like and knew that he probably was used to wine that cost more than her weekly salary, but she got the best she could afford as well as some gourmet cheese and a few other items that were nicer than what she’d originally planned to serve.

She and her neighbors had agreed on a pot luck dinner and Sabrina had volunteered to make a salad and dessert as well as act as hostess for the event. She’s said it would be simple, but there wasn’t anything wrong with spicing things up a bit, was there?

Chapter 2

“Good morning, sunshine,” Nina Matthews called out loudly, opening the door to Sabrina’s small cottage home with her own key. The sisters had exchanged keys the moment they’d both settled into Las Vegas, far away from parents who lived on the East Coast. “Aren’t you awake yet?” Sabrina’s younger sister called up the stair case.

Sabrina groaned with the fatigue that kept her magnetized to the soft mattress. Opening one blurry eye wearily, she rolled over to look out her window. When she saw the glorious, bright sunshine, she grimaced. “No,” she called back down and pulled the rose and chintz patterned comforter over her head. Sabrina had been up until two in the morning making a special dessert she’d remembered from her mother’s Christmas dinners. She’d had to try it twice before it looked right. The first one she dumped into the trash since it looked, and tasted, awful. There was no way she’d bring out something like that when Sid Matthews arrived.

Nina laughed at the grumpy sounding voice but was unrelenting. “Wake up, sleepy head,” she called back and walked farther into the foyer. “If you don’t get down here, I’ll come up and you know you won’t like that,” her younger sister called up over the banister.

Sabrina rolled over and peered out the window just to be sure her sleepy eyes hadn’t deceived her. It was no use. Sunny again. She sighed and pushed the covers back. She knew she’d have to get out of bed. Staying under the covers while her sister was around was always a bad idea. Nina would be merciless, pulling off sheets and