Hot Number (35 page)

The hard lines of his face relaxed into a
smile. She was starting to smile back when a bolt of worry shot
through her. “You and your mother are going to be all right, aren’t
you? Please tell me you’ll be able to get another good job.”

Tenderly, he stroked a lock of hair back from
her face. “We’re going to be fine, babe. A small casino just hired
me as their chief of security. The pay’s a little less than what I
pulled down before, but it’s good enough. Carson actually helped
me, believe it or not. He appreciated the fact that I bit the
bullet and blacklisted you.”

He began to draw her into his arms. As good
as it felt, she couldn’t help but fume.

“I’ll bet the bastard did,” she said. “He
uses me as a pawn so he can fire you, then he gets you to nail my
ass and says he’s proud of you for doing it. Have I got that
right?”

“Yep. Sucks, doesn’t it?”

Actually, Nick didn’t sound very upset at
all. He seemed more intent on wrapping his arms around her waist
than complaining about his ex-boss. Sadie leaned back in his
embrace and shot him a mock-glare. “I can never play blackjack in a
casino again, dammit.”

He had the grace to look embarrassed. “Sorry
about that, sweetheart. Really.”

She relented. “But it’s wonderful that it’s
going to work out for you and your mom. That’s the most important
thing.”

When he closed the gap between them, she
didn’t resist. How could she? The sheriff had done what he honestly
believed he had to do, and had been man enough to apologize when he
realized he’d been wrong.

The second his lips touched hers, Sadie
melted like wax in his arms. Nick parted her lips and began a
thorough and very heated exploration with his tongue. Her body
flared, responding to his touch eagerly and with a sense of
rightness that felt like coming home. She’d tried to convince
herself she’d be perfectly fine without the sheriff. Now it was her
turn to admit she’d been dead wrong, if only to herself.

Nick trailed a string of damp,
shiver-inducing kisses down her arching neck, all the while
stroking his hand down the length of her spine. When he cupped her
bottom, Sadie let a moan slip out. But sanity, or at least a shred
of it, intervened and she pulled back. Yes, she was now officially
Sadie the wild woman, but she was Professor Bligh, too, and she was
hardly setting a good example for her students.

Nick obviously understood, easing her away to
arm’s length. She found herself slightly alarmed by the serious
expression on his face. “What is it, Nick?”

“Well, I hope you don’t mind, but I think I’m
falling in love with you, Professor Bligh.”

Sadie’s heart lurched in her chest.
“Honestly?” she breathed.

A smile lurked in his eyes. “Cross my
heart.”

Once again her life had turned upside
down—or, actually, right side up. She grinned. “That’s excellent
news, Sheriff.”

He laughed and kissed her again. This time,
for the first time in her life, a kiss held the promise of a
future—her future.

They managed to break things off before they
got too out of hand. As Sadie went back to the lectern to collect
her things, Nick seemed to study her.

“Sadie, you really love casino blackjack,
don’t you?”

The question startled her. Surely he couldn’t
think she was really still worried about that? “I wouldn’t die if I
didn’t play again but, yes, I did enjoy it. It’s the only thing
I’ve really ever been great at. Besides mathematics, but that goes
without saying, I suppose. Oh, and I’m quite decent at quantum
mechanics, too.”

Nick chuckled. “Whew, it’s a relief knowing
we’ve got quantum mechanics covered. And, by the way, I can’t even
begin to tell you how sexy that is. But I’m serious, Sadie. It’s
unjust and rotten that you’ve been blacklisted, but you know the
blacklist only applies in the United States, don’t you?”

She didn’t actually, and told him that.

“Well, it’s true,” Nick said. “And believe
me, there are a whole lot of casinos around the world. We can start
with Canada and Mexico, and maybe someday work our way over to
Europe, or even Macau. If you want to.”

Sadie’s knees almost buckled, but she managed
to grab onto him. “Good Lord, Nick, it sounds like you’re proposing
a world gambling tour. Or something.” It was the
something
that was making the blood race hotly through her veins.

He closed his arms tightly around her. “I
figure you’re so good at blackjack, you could win enough to at
least pay for our trip before they toss our asses out the
door.”

She slapped him on the chest. Unfortunately,
she’d forgotten it was made of solid rock, and the slap hurt her a
lot more than it did him.

He took her sore hand, turning it palm up to
kiss it. “Relax. I’m just yanking your chain.”

“You can make all the snide remarks you like
about counting cards. Just be advised to wear an athletic cup the
next time you try it.”

He responded to her barb with a kiss so
tender it made her eyes sting with tears. “Sadie, I wasn’t kidding
when I said I was falling in love you. I want to be with you. The
details won’t be easy—living in different cities and all—but I know
we can make it work. If we want it bad enough.”

Sadie knew without having to think that yes,
she did want it bad enough. “Of course we can make it work. One of
the good things about academic life is that there are lots of
universities, and I’ve got a rather decent
résumé
. I’m not saying it could happen right away, but
it’s certainly possible.”

Nick’s eyes rounded in surprise. “You mean
you would consider moving to Vegas?”

“Consider it? Hell, yes, if that’s where
you’re going to be. Change is good, right? I think we’ve both
learned that.”

He hugged her close, tucking her head under
his chin. “You’re an amazing woman, Sadie Bligh. Hauling your sweet
ass off that Pai Gow table just might end up being the best thing I
ever did.”

She snuggled against him, her heart and soul
filled with a joy she could barely contain. The Eagleton prize
couldn’t compare. “You say that now, but wait until you meet my
father. I think he might be free for dinner tonight, by the
way.”

His head went up. “Meet your father tonight?
You’re kidding me, right?”

Sadie pulled his head back down, bringing
their mouths a whisper apart. “Shut up and kiss me, Sheriff. That’s
an order.”

“Whatever you say, Professor.” And he
did.

Thank you for reading our book; we hope you
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And for a taste of our other VK Sykes books, please
check out the following excerpts from Fastball and Hardball.

Happy reading!

Excerpt from
Fastball,
by VK Sykes

After what seemed like an interminable and
altogether tense cab ride, Maddie arrived at the restaurant shortly
after eight. She spotted Jake immediately, already seated and
looking astoundingly handsome in a navy sports jacket that framed
his broad shoulders, a crisp white shirt, and a gold silk tie. The
tie alone would likely have cost her at least a week’s salary and,
for a moment, she couldn’t hold back a flash of anxiety. Jake
Miller was so far out of her league it wasn’t even funny, and she
had to fight the urge to back slowly out of the room before he even
saw her. Impossible, of course, since the maitre’d was conducting
her to the table with as much ceremony as a drum major led the band
before a college bowl game.

Suck it up and act like a pro, girl.

She plastered a smile on her face as Jake
stood to greet her, his sexy mouth parting in a slow grin, his gaze
flicking appreciatively over her body. For a few seconds, she
actually felt faint with pleasure and nerves, and she had to clamp
down hard on the dizzy sensations rocking her body. Despite the
effort, she could still feel the blush spreading over her cheeks,
and the butterflies in her stomach went into full flap as Jake
gallantly brushed the maitre’d aside and pulled out a chair to seat
her.

As a sportswriter, Maddie was used to being
around hot guys. She’d had her share of locker room encounters, and
had seen enough naked chests and towel-wrapped asses to make such
sights routine. But no player had affected her quite like Jake
Miller, and she’d only seen him fully dressed. All he’d done so far
was smile and pull out her chair for her, but she could already
feel her hormones sparking in reaction.

And she couldn’t even remember the last time
a guy had pulled out a chair for her, waiting until she was settled
before taking his own seat. She had to get a grip on her
all-too-eager libido or she might be offering to have his babies
before they finished the first course.

“Thanks, Jake. Sorry if I’m a bit late. I
hope you haven’t been waiting long.” She tried for casual, even
though she felt anything but.

He shook his head, sending a lock of thick,
wheat-colored hair sliding onto his forehead. He quickly raked a
hand back to put it in place. “Maddie, would you mind if I say that
you look absolutely spectacular tonight?”

She accepted the compliment with a smile and
fussed with her purse for a moment before meeting his gaze. Casual
wasn’t working, so maybe a little honesty was called for. “I’m not
exactly sure how to do this, Jake. I’m obviously not used to
conducting an interview under these circumstances. Maybe the best
thing would be to eat, and then I’ll get out my recorder and we’ll
talk business over coffee. Would that be okay?”

Jake shrugged, and Maddie found herself
mesmerized by the slide of his brawny shoulders under the smooth,
expensive fabric of his jacket. She blinked and gave her head a
mental shake. Man, she truly needed to get a grip.

“Sounds good,” he said. “But why don’t we
make a start on it now, after we get you a drink?”

“Even better,” she said, relieved to focus on
work. Right now, it felt just a bit too personal for her
comfort.

Jake motioned to the waiter. Since it
was
supposed to be a business meeting, she thought about
ordering a coke or mineral water. But she opted instead for a glass
of Sauvignon blanc, secretly acknowledging she could use a drink to
settle her nerves. Jake ordered a bottle and Maddie retrieved her
digital recorder, placing it on the table between them.

“Okay to start?” she said.

He leaned back, elbows resting on the arms of
his chair, fingers laced in an easy grip. “Fire when ready,” he
replied, looking totally relaxed. Maddie had never met a man who
seemed more comfortable in his own skin, and it had the effect of
easing her own nervous tension.

You can do this. Just stick to the prepared
questions and you’ll be fine.

A deep breath and she launched into her
questions. “Jake, I’m sure you must be expecting that I’ll want you
to talk about the progress of your recovery from the ankle
surgery,” she said rather formally for the benefit of the recorder.
“About your expectations for this season and so on. I do want to
talk about all that, but we can get to those things later, if
that’s all right.”

He arched his brows slightly. Good. She had
surprised him.

“I say that,” she continued, “because that
stuff isn’t really what I’m interested in for a feature piece.”

He unleashed one of those sexy smiles.
“Whatever you like, Maddie. I’m in your capable hands.”

It finally dawned on her just how much that
devastating smile contributed to his charm. His was an open and
honest face with chiseled features, and his easy, masculine grin
conveyed both mature intelligence and good humor. Maddie found it
disarmingly inviting.

She blinked, losing her bearings for just a
second before pulling it back together.

“Um, what I want to write about is what it’s
been like to be Jake Miller, ballplayer and man. What was it like
for you growing up? What were your hopes and dreams, and have you
fulfilled them yet? What your life is like now, both on and off the
field—who you’re close to, what inspires you, that sort of
thing.”

His sharp gaze narrowed on her, as if
assessing her intent. That irked her a bit, since she’d been
straight with him from the beginning. If someone at this table had
an ulterior motive for the evening, it sure as hell wasn’t her.

“You said you’d tell me what I wanted to
know. Well, that’s what I want to write about,” she said, defiantly
meeting his gaze. “I want my readers to know something about who
Jake Miller really
is
. I don’t want to simply feed them the
usual babble and athlete-speak that players and reporters always
trot out. That’s incredibly boring and we all know it.”

When she stopped talking, a short silence
fell over the table. Maddie reached over and clicked off the
recorder before lifting her eyes back to his face. “Look, Jake, I’m
even willing to let you see a draft of the article and talk about
it before I submit the final version to the paper. I don’t want you
to hold back because you think I’ll sandbag you somehow. That’s not
my style, and I think you know it. When this piece is ready to go,
my hope is that you’ll be as happy with it as I am.”

She held his gaze, praying she hadn’t made a
huge blunder by coming here. She couldn’t afford to offend him, but
she had a job to do and he needed to be clear on that. Whatever
else might be going on she could address later, after she got her
interview.

If
she got her interview.