Deadly Odds (24 page)

“Nope.”

“I don’t understand.”

He gritted his teeth. Suddenly he was a horny teenager trying to avoid his mother’s suspicions. “Listen, Mommy, I’m going down to the lounge to have a drink with Kate where we may or may not talk business. I’ll get the paperwork done. I promise.”

Marcia’s mouth opened, closed again, and opened and he burst out laughing. Yeah, awkward all around.

“I…” she said. “Huh.”

“Marcia, please, go home. I’m fine.”

God help him, how did his life get to this point? Everyone around him controlled his schedule. Well, that was about to change. Hell, he might even turn off the ringer on his phone.

* * *

Kate stood to the side while Ross swiped her keycard on her door. She liked this part. Having lived alone for years, she’d learned to do everything on her own. Preferred it that way, in fact. But once in a while, letting a man do little things—like unlocking her door—was a nice treat.

She poked his arm. “Marcia is going to kill you. You know that, right?”

The corner of his mouth hitched up. “I’m hoping she followed my instructions two hours ago and left. Facing her right now, after blowing her precise schedule to bits—which, by the way, I’m damned happy about—would not be pretty.”

She tugged on the front of his jacket. “I enjoyed it too.”

“You relax me. And make me laugh. I get this…settled…feeling around you.”

He dipped his head, popped a quick kiss on her. “I like that feeling. I’m also praying Marcia is gone because I’m not up for any mood-killer nagging.”

“You know, a man deserves a life. Even for two hours.”

He pushed the door open, wedging his foot in it to keep the lock from engaging again.

As much as she wanted to invite him in, he needed to go. To let her prepare her daily report for her boss and then fall into bed. The headache she’d kept at bay these last few hours wouldn’t quit and she refused to pop pain meds while working.

She took the key from him. “Thank you.”

“You’re working tonight?”

“I am. And then I’m sleeping. Don’t come back and try to distract me.”

“So harsh, Kate.”

“You’ll survive.” Breezing past him, she gave him a little finger wave

But Ross, being Ross, didn’t take the hint and followed her into the room.

Not altogether a horrible thing, but she did have work to do and her beat up and exhausted body needed rest. Rest that wouldn’t happen with Ross in her very near vicinity.

Memories of the night before, bodies wrapped tight, skin against skin, Ross inside her, flashed in her mind and her cheeks warmed.

She turned away, her gaze shooting straight to the bed. Completely wrong place to look.

Whatever. All she knew was she wanted him. Again. There it was, the battle. Needing him to go so she could rest, yet her body craved him. Even with all the risks it meant taking, she couldn’t get enough.

“Ross, you need to go. I’m not kidding.”

“I know.”

He tilted his head, leaned in, but hesitated. When she didn’t protest, he kissed her. A long, gentle brush of lips that set her on edge and made her breasts tingle with that exquisite excitement she’d been without for so long. She smacked her hand over the back of his neck and gave as good as she got.
I want him.

She bowed her body into him, felt the press of his erection against her lower belly and once again thought back to them falling into her bed and the hours of pleasure that had ensued.

She slid her hand down the front of his jacket, gripped the lapel and inched back, meeting his gaze. “You have to go. I mean it.”

“Is that supposed to be a threat?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not scary.”

She laughed. “Mister, you undo me.”

“And that’s bad?”

“It scares me. This want. It’s a loss of control I’m not used to.”

“That’s an awful shame, Kate.”

He dragged one finger along her cheek, over her jaw and down her neck, the touch barely discernible yet frying her skin. She inched closer, felt his breath tickle her cheek and angled her head, hungering for another taste of him.

He flashed a smile. “Quickie?”

“You have to go.”

No sooner were the words from her mouth did his phone ring.

“Bingo,” she said.

He nuzzled her neck, trailing hot kisses and making her pulse malfunction.

“They’re looking for me.”

His hand slid up her side. “You have to go.”

“I know.”

This wasn’t doing either of them any damn good. She leaped back, held her hands in front of her. “This isn’t good. For either of us. It distracts us.”

“For once I don’t care. My job is everything to me. At least it was until you showed up. Now all I want is to be inside you. Constantly.”

And, oh, the thought of that. She slid another glance toward the bed.

But she needed sleep. Time to rest her aching body and clear her head.

“Can I come back later?”

And now he wanted in her bed again. She should tell him no, that they needed a break tonight. For both their sakes.

Her tingling breasts might not agree. Not one bit.

“Yes. As long as you promise me I’ll get some sleep.”

“I promise.” He dropped another kiss on her. “I’ll be back later. I’ll have someone outside your door until then. Call me if you need something.”

“I will. Now go.”

Ross left and she flipped the safety on the door, stood there for a second, smiling, despite herself. The man was just too darned handsome.

To remind herself of the importance of her job, Kate checked emails and found an update from John. So far, he hadn’t found any witnesses who could identify the driver or the passenger. Dead ends all around. But, who knew? Something might break their way and they’d get a lead.

She ordered up a steak for dinner and ran through her texts while waiting for room service. Midway through her meal her phone rang.

Don.

“Do you ever go home?” she said.

“Where are you?”

“In my room. Problem?”

“Log on. Our guy from this morning is back.”

“Seriously?”

A minute later, she had her laptop in front of her, was logged into the surveillance system and zoomed into the poker table Don directed her to. The same man from that morning sat at the table, his index and third finger spread over the cards.

“He’s doing it again,” she said. “Unbelievable.”

“Yeah. And we think he has a new partner. Look at the guy in the small blind.”

Kate zoomed in on that table position. “Got him. Do you know him?”

“No. He’s up thirty grand. And he doesn’t want a player’s card. The dealer asked him twice. We’re running him through facial recognition.”

Facial recognition. If they got lucky, he’d be in the system. But if he wasn’t, they’d be nowhere. And she needed to be somewhere. Somewhere that would get this assignment wrapped up so Ross would no longer be her client.

Right now, that’s what she wanted. To take a chance on Ross Cooper.

Get to work.

She stood and, still in her suit, slipped on her shoes. “I’ll call you back in twenty minutes with his name.”

“How are you getting his name?”

“The old fashioned way. I’m going to flirt with him.”

* * *

Having been summoned to the surveillance room, Ross hauled-ass and found Don hovering over the shoulder of one of the techs. The poor guy had to love that.

“What’s up?”

“Our physical office guy is back.”

Don pointed at one of the screens. Kate sat at a poker table, her long hair swept over one shoulder—vixen style—as she leaned toward the goofy guy they’d been watching that morning. She set her hand on his shoulder and laughed at something he said. What the hell was she doing?

He knew. Sure he did. Even if her body language was all wrong.

All wrong for Kate anyway.

And, yeah, ass that he was, he didn’t like it. If this is what emotional entanglements got him, no wonder he’d stayed clear all these years.

“What’s she doing?”

Don laughed. “She’s doing what women do best.”

And if Don meant to irritate the crap out of him, he was doing a damned fine job.

“What does that mean?”

“He doesn’t want a player’s card. She’s working him for his name.”

“Seriously? This is what it’s come to?”

Don shrugged. “Can’t say
I
have a problem with it.”

Ross locked his jaw. Best thing to do. Engaging him would cause Ross to lose his patience. Don knew that.

After years of working together, they each knew how to push buttons.

Not this time.

“Fine,” Ross said. “Keep me posted. I’m heading down to do a walk-thru.”

He left the room, pausing in the hallway for a few seconds. A breather to clear the sight of Kate hanging on some guy. He had to get straight about this woman. Not let his emotions rule. She had a job to do. They
all
did. And with Samuels on the warpath, Ross couldn’t blame her for using whatever tricks necessary.

Just as he reached the elevator, the door dinged and slid open. Kate stepped off and he stopped moving, waited for her to look up and notice him. To smile at him and lock on with her man-destroying green eyes.

“Hi there,” she said.

He halted in front of her. “Hi. Don called me. I just saw you at poker.”

She nodded. “I was able to get a name for our suspicious player. Dillon Reegs. Do recognize it?”

“Uh…no. Can’t say that I do.”

She cocked her head, squinted a little. “What’s wrong? You look like something is up.”

Oh, something was up all right. And he didn’t like it. Not one bit. After he’d touched every inch of her skin, put his lips places his mother would smack him for, he didn’t want her hanging on other men. There. Done.

But he wouldn’t be stupid enough to say it. Nope. He’d just save this rapid form of torture for himself. Idiot.

“I’m good,” he said. “Tired.”

The corner of her mouth quirked and she stepped closer, the soft scent of her lotion hitting him, bringing him back to focus. She tugged on the front of his jacket. “You know I’m doing my job, right? I was trying to get a name. I got it and I walked away.”

Ross shook his head, ran a hand over his face. Had he always been this much of a dumbass? He took a few deep breaths, focused on the end result. She got his name. She did her job. “You’re right. Sorry. I’m—” he rolled his hands, “—churned up. With what’s gone on with you this week, I don’t like you putting yourself in these situations. I reacted emotionally to a business situation.”

“The lines are blurring.”

“Ya think?”

Her lips quirked.

“I get it,” he said. “Now. A couple of minutes ago, all I saw was you and another man and something snapped in my brain. It was dumb and it won’t happen again. Maybe a little warning next time though? So I know it’s coming.”

“Sure. I’m sorry too. This situation is new. I’ve never dated a man I worked with. John was different. He was LVPD and I was FBI. We were both law enforcement but not in the same office.”

“Believe it or not, I can say the same. I don’t like mixing my personal and business lives. Complicates things.”

She curled his tie between her fingers. “I don’t know what we have here, but I know it feels good. I haven’t felt that in a long time.”

“Yeah?”

“John and I were…a habit. It was nice and settled and…”

“Boring?”

She twisted her lips. “
Routine.
”

“Unh-huh.”

She poked him in the chest. “
You
are not routine. Completely opposite of what I usually go for. You love Vegas life, and I love being on a ranch.”

“That doesn’t scare me.”

“Well, it terrifies me. But it’s early yet. I’m trying not to think too far ahead.”

Kate glanced over his shoulder, nudged her chin and he angled back to find Don standing in the hallway. Son of a bitch.

“Dillon Reegs,” she said to Don, “That’s all I know. Run him.”

“Alright. Good work.”

Don shook his head at them then swung back into the surveillance room. There’d be a lecture. No doubt. But when Ross turned back to Kate, she hadn’t backed away, hadn’t put distance between them.

“Ross, we’re making progress. Let’s just figure out what’s going on in your casino. Quit worrying about me.”

“After what’s happened to you this week? I’d be nuts not to worry.”

“Okay. I’ll give you that, but under this roof, with all the security you have around me? I’m not afraid. I’m motivated. And when we catch whoever this crossroader is, it’ll be even better. Just be patient.”