Chapter two
I never was one to hide in the seedy part of any town. I lived life to the fullest grabbing onto whatever happiness I could find along the way. I had driven the expensive sports car and left it three states from where I was currently. It would be stripped for parts.
I was no stranger to Las Vegas. The three potential partners agreed to meet me at the Mandalay. I had a standing reservation under the name of Cassandra Jamison.
I waited in one of the many restaurants for my next appointment. His name was Patrick Owens and he came as a package deal with his wife Allison. I was willing to give them a chance to knock my socks off with some innovative ideas. The only stumbling block was that they did spend time behind bars.
I could hear the telltale sound of the casino raking in millions by fleecing unsuspecting victims. They were doing it legally. I had an investment in the New Jersey casino with a stake in the profits for 10-percent annually. It kept me flush, but robbing banks and other establishments had nothing to do with the money. It was the rush.
The New Jersey casino wasn’t my only investment. I had gotten in on the ground floor of some real estate deals netting me more than I could spend in a lifetime. The IRS wouldn’t be able to touch it. It was safely squirreled away in the Cayman Islands.
I fingered the crystal of the cosmopolitan sitting in front of me. I was no longer feeling them breathing down the back of my neck. I was breathing safely in one of my sanctuaries.
“I sent them away.” I turned slowly to face a man with a reputation to get things done.
“Graham Locke. I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.” He was tanned dark and handsome, but there was only one way to find out if the rug matched the drapes.
For him, I could definitely see myself going against my first rule of business. Getting personally involved was a mistake and one that I was determined never to make.
“I decided to show up early. Patrick and Allison will not be joining you.” He had this dark aura surrounding him like a halo. There was nothing Angelic about him. I could almost see the horns of the devil in his eyes.
I kicked the chair and motioned with my hand for him to sit down. I caught the attention of the waitress and she knew to bring me what I wanted.
“I took a risk inviting you to this interview. I know you have problems playing nice with others.” There was no way to avoid him looking at my exposed cleavage. Sex did sell and made it easier for me to lull him into a false sense of security.
“I wasn’t even sure I was going to show up.” His blazing blue eyes tore through whatever resistance I had. The wall of indifference was crumbing under his gaze.
“I’m still not sure this is going to be a good fit.” The heat between us was unparalleled. He was dangerous and the death count after he left a job was unnecessary.
“I was about to say the same thing. My curiosity was piqued after I got the personal invitation by the ghost. I thought you were going to be taller.” I thrust my chest out and stretched my arms over my head to make him focus on my best attribute.
“Some people have this opinion about me. There’s a picture in their head that doesn’t necessarily match reality. I’ve followed your career. The only thing impressing is your ability to get out of tight situations. Frankly, everything else appalls me and makes me believe that you are what is wrong with this business.” I sipped my drink and watched him over the rim still staring at the modicum of skin I had exposed.
“I may have done things reprehensible in the past. The faces of the dead still wake me up in the middle of the night.” His body was a work of art worthy of the hand of Michelangelo painting him by the numbers.
He wasn’t muscle-bound, but he was perfectly proportioned. His six-foot height and 180-pound body had not even an ounce of fat on it. He carried himself with distinction and confidence. If he was putting on an act…it was a good one.
“Give me one good reason to give you a chance. Remember, I will make you famous which will require you to change everything about you down to your shoes.” His chest was sculpted from marble with arms big enough to carry me into the boudoir. I would not go kicking and screaming.
“I’m sure you could find somebody else, but they wouldn’t be as good. I pride myself on accounting for every variable. You can’t always do that, but you can have contingency plans in case things go off the rail.” He was all about having an exit strategy.
I was a little afraid of his misogynist attitude toward women. He was already undressing me with his eyes. It would only make things complicated to throw caution to the wind.
“I’m planning on this next job to be my last. The take will be 5050 right down the middle. I would estimate there will be $20,000,000 in your pocket. What you do with it is none of my business.” He was dressed to impress wearing a custom-made suit tailored for his body. There was no tie and the brief hint of skin from the first couple of buttons undone was enough to make me think obscene thoughts. He was the envy of every man in whatever room he stood in.
“That is a hefty payday and one I would be a damn fool not to consider. I was wondering if there aren’t some extracurricular activities we could be doing to build the trust between us.” The trust-building exercise he had in mind was mattress related. His hand was resting on mine. His thumb was moving across to ignite a spark of excitement. It was having the desired results.
“I never mix business with pleasure. We keep things platonic without making things personal. I don’t want to care for you. I don’t want you to pine over something you can’t have.” I pulled my hand away like I had stuck it in a boiling pot of water.
“I think after a few more drinks you might be changing your mind. It’s been my personal experience I look and sound a whole lot better with beer goggles.” I couldn’t help but smile at his attempt to lower my guard.
“Drinking to excess has gotten me into trouble in the past. It’s not advisable for me to walk down that road.” He was soon polishing off a bottle of whiskey and I was getting whatever drink I wanted from a waitress who knew my order like the back of her hand.
“I’ve never seen anybody handle their liquor…like you do. I’m feeling a little buzzed and you don’t look the least bit affected.” I shrugged my shoulders and looked at the clock to see 2-hours had gone by. I was enjoying seeing him make a fool of himself. The trick was having someone on retainer to make my drinks virgin. He didn’t know any better.
“Tomorrow is a big day.” I moved my hand through my red hair tangling in the curly locks. “I’m going to take you into my confidence. It’s not going to happen until you are sober. You are going to need some time to sleep it off.” I downed the remaining cosmopolitan without even a trace of liquor on my crimson lips.
“I don’t think that I can get up to my room without some help.” The twinkle in his eye told me this was a ploy to get me behind closed doors. One touch and he would find himself nursing a black eye and a bruised ego.
I helped him to his feet and draped his arm over my shoulder. His scent was intoxicating and familiar. I was pretty much powerless to resist if he was in control of his full faculties. He stumbled and tried to say something but his words were slurred.
We got into the elevator and he moved his finger down over the board with his eyes half closed. He finally pressed a button and then feigned surprise when he didn’t get it right. It was one floor up on the sixth floor.
He had a considerable weight advantage. Pushing me up against the wall and running his hands down along my frame had me hungry to feel more. His touch brought about a flash of us underneath the sheets twisting and turning to the cries of ecstasy in the room. It was a waking wet dream about to come true.
My hands were over my head and he was nipping on the skin of my neck sending a shiver of desire down along my lower extremities. His one hand was lifting my dress and I gasped with his tongue in my mouth from how he was palming my mound. The reek of alcohol did nothing to deter the blazing fire between us.
“God damn… you are irresistible.” His words fueled me to reach between us to grab the scepter of his love.
We were dancing to the music of lust in our hearts. The steps to this particular dance weren’t hard to figure out.
“I bet you say that to all the girls.” I was a little breathless and my nipples were hard enough to cut through glass. He was manhandling the girls.
“You would be surprised. I’m usually quite selective unless of course, I have been drinking more than I should. I confess it happens more frequently than I would like to admit.” The beer goggles were on the other foot.
He was seeing things through the hazy vision of inebriation. Amazingly, his hands were not clumsy and his arousal was unaffected by the volume of liquor he had consumed.
We were making out heavily with his fingers finding me open to his advancements. My eyes widened in surprise when he opened me up. He fell to his knees, holding my hips with the red dress bunched in his fist. He was licking me through the black panties. I was anticipating what that experienced tongue could do to bare flesh.
I was running my hands through his hair and then he collapsed. I’m sure the guys in the video room were having a good laugh at my expense.
It was rather embarrassing and I found it necessary to pull my dress down. The crotch was already soaking wet from a combination of him lapping noisily and my own excitement blazing a trail between my lips.
“You are going to regret this in the morning. You’re going to wake up with a hangover and fuzzy images about what happened. If I’m feeling magnanimous, I might fill in the blanks.” It was amusing although the pleasure inflicted on me could’ve been something of an eye-opening experience. It was a shame.