With a long sigh she stood and tried to remain calm. Walking around the blackjack table she concentrated on the huge glass window in front of her and the wonderful view of the mountains.
Moments later when she saw Ian’s reflection in the glass, she knew he had come back into the room and was standing not far behind her. Their gazes met, reflected in the glass, and she was tempted to turn around.
Her gaze remained fixed on the windowpane as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned back into him, letting her head fall back against the breadth of his chest. She felt the need to share herself with him again, not just her body but her heart, whether he wanted it or not. She loved him and nothing could or would ever change that.
“Brooke.”
He said her name in that sexy voice of his while nuzzling a certain spot on her neck that could always turn her on. And then she felt his tongue lick the side of her face, moving to the area just below her ear.
“Feel me,” he whispered, and she did when she leaned back against him. She felt the hardness of him pressing deep into her backside at the same time she felt him use his hands to part the front of the shirt she wore. And when one of his hands went to her center to claim the area between her legs, a tantalizing sensation shot all through her.
“Are you sure you aren’t ready to eat?” he asked huskily.
“I’m sure,” she whispered, barely able to get the words out in a coherent voice. His beard was rubbing sensuously against the side of her neck causing an erotic friction that was sending shivers all through her body.
“Then tell me what you’re ready for, Brooke.”
He turned her around, evidently needing to look into her eyes when she answered. “You, Ian. I’m ready for you.”
Her words made something within him shatter and he lifted her to sit on the edge of the blackjack table and then stepped back to remove his pants. He kicked them aside before going back to her and tugging his shirt from her shoulders and tossing it to join his pants on the floor.
He reached out and lifted her bottom and wrapped her legs around him. “I’m ready for you, too, Brooke. Let me show you just how much.”
And before she could take another breath he swiftly entered her, going deep and locking tight. And then he began moving with a furor that bordered on obsession. At this very moment they were beating the odds. If anyone had told him that she would be here in his private sanctuary, he would not have believed them. There was no logical reason for it. But he didn’t want to dwell on logic now. He just wanted to think about making love to her while she teetered on the edge of his private blackjack table.
Tonight he needed this. He needed her.
The only thing he wanted to concentrate on was the sensations that coursed through him with each and every stroke into her body. His hands at her waist tightened even more and he lifted her almost clear off the green felt tabletop, straining to achieve deeper penetration. He leaned forward and kissed her, long and deep, liking the sound of her moan in his mouth. He’d never made love to a woman on a blackjack table before and now in his mind, played the role of a master dealer. But it wasn’t his hand he was playing. It was his body over and over into hers, and the last thought on his mind was getting busted. He was on a lucky streak and was determined to come out the winner.
When he broke off the kiss, Brooke looked up at him with eyes glazed with heated desire. And as if their minds had been running along the same thoughts she whispered, “I got a three and a five.” She tightened her hold on his shoulders. “Hit me.”
A smile touched Ian’s lips. He would hit her all right. He tilted her hips on the table at an angle that gave him greater access and thrust deep inside her, aiming for a spot he knew would drive her wild.
It did.
She screamed his name as an explosion hit. The vibration ricocheted through her directly to him. He threw his head back, loving the feel of her orgasm and knowing it would detonate his body as well. When the climax struck, he shuddered uncontrollably and nothing mattered but the woman he was making love to.
She grabbed hold of his face and brought it back down to her, taking his mouth with a hunger that he still felt. His body was getting hard again. When would they get enough? It was as if they were making up for lost time, but he was okay with that. Tonight they needed each other. Tonight they were both winners.
And they would deal with tomorrow when it came.
CHAPTER 7
“So what do you think?”
Brooke lifted her head from her meal as a blush tinted her cheeks. If Ian was asking her about the food, her reply could be that it was great. If he was referring to their lovemaking sessions, words couldn’t describe how wonderful they had been. No matter what happened after she left the Rolling Cascade to return to D.C., she would always cherish every moment she’d spent with him.
She leaned back in her chair. “You know how much I love Thai food, and your chef did a fantastic job. And if you’re asking about something else,” she said slowly, provocatively, as she picked up her wineglass to take a sip, looking at him over the rim. “All I can say is that I feel I got treated to dessert before the main course.” She then gave him a sultry smile.
Ian chuckled low in his throat. “I’m glad everything was to your satisfaction.”
He took a sip of wine and thought about how incredibly sexy she looked sitting across from him wearing only his shirt. At least she had buttoned it up.
The primal male in him wanted to reach out and pull the shirt open. He wanted to once again see how the flickering light from the candles cast a glow against her skin.
“It rated higher than my satisfaction, Ian,” she said, reclaiming his attention. “You outdid yourself. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at a blackjack table again without blushing.”
He shivered at the memory. Hell, when he saw a blackjack table again he wouldn’t blush. He would get aroused. Speaking of aroused, he watched how her fingertips skimmed a trail along her wineglass, remembering how her hands had done that to him. Knowing they were headed for trouble if he didn’t get his mind off bedding her again, he asked, “What are your plans for tomorrow?”
She grinned. “I won’t be going shopping, that’s for sure.”
“Would you spend the day with me?”
His question surprised her. She would have thought that after tonight he would avoid her at all cost, if nothing else but to see if she was out of his system. She gazed at him thoughtfully as she leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands. “Um, it depends. What do you have planned?”
He smiled. “After an important meeting with my event planner to make sure all the bases are covered for Delaney’s birthday party, I’ll be free to do whatever I want. Do you have any suggestions?”
They fell silent as Brooke contemplated his question. “Blackjack is definitely out.”
He chuckled. “If you say so.”
“Um, what about a game of golf?”
He lifted a brow. “Can you play?”
“No, but I’d like to learn. Would you teach me the basics?”
“Yeah, I can do that.”
“And I’d like to go swimming in your pool again if you don’t mind.”
He studied her for a long moment, remembering her in his pool. “I don’t mind, but this time I’ll take a dip with you.”
She stared at him, thinking that was exactly what she had hoped he’d do. “All right.” She glanced at her watch then back across the table at him before standing. “It’s late. I’d better get ready to go.”
He stood, his gaze intense. “Stay with me tonight, Brooke.”
Her heart jumped at the invitation, spoken in a deep, husky voice. Her mind was suddenly bombarded with all the reasons she shouldn’t, the main one being that if he ever discovered the truth as to why she was staying at the Rolling Cascade, he would consider her actions deceitful.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ian. We were supposed to be doing the clo
sure thing, remember?” she said softly.
“I remember,” he said, coming around the table to stand in front of her. “But at the moment, the only thing I can think about is doing the opening thing with you.”
She lifted a brow. “The opening thing?”
A smiled touched the corners of his lips. “Yes, like this,” he said, reaching out and working the buttons free on his shirt she was wearing. When the shirt parted he slid his hands over her waist then upward to her chest, tracing his fingertips over the hardened tips of her breasts.
He met her gaze. “Need I say more?”
The gaze that returned his stare shimmered with passion and desire, and when his hand moved lower and touched her between the legs, her breath caught. “No, you don’t have to say anything at all,” she said after making a soft whimpering sound.
And then she reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers, deciding they would work on that closure thing another time.
* * *
Ian blinked. “Excuse me, Margaret. What did you say?”
Margaret Fields smiled. It was obvious something else had her boss’s attention. He definitely was not his usual alert self this morning. He seemed preoccupied. She couldn’t help wondering if the others present at the meeting had detected it. “I said that I spoke with Mrs. Tara Westmoreland yesterday and she faxed me her preference for the menu. I’ve given it to the restaurant that will be handling the catering.”
Ian nodded. “How many people are we expecting?”
“There are three hundred confirmed reservations.”
Ian knew that in addition to family and close friends, because of Jamal’s status in international circles, a number of celebrities and dignitaries were included in the mix.
“There’s a possibility the secretary of state might make an appearance. We’ll know in a few days if her schedule will allow it,” Margaret said as if in awe of such an event taking place.
Ian then glanced over at Vance. “I take it security is ready to handle things.”
Vance smiled. “Yes, and if the secretary does come, I will work with the Secret Service to make sure her stay here is a pleasant one.”
Ian knew that Sheikh Prince Jamal Ari Yasir had also reserved a large portion of the resort to house the guests invited to his wife’s surprise birthday bash. Ian glanced at his watch. “Okay, keep me informed of anything that develops. Otherwise, it seems everything is under control.”
Ian stood. He was to meet Brooke in half an hour and he clearly had no intention of keeping her waiting. “That will be all, and thanks for all of your hard work. I want for us to do everything in our power to make this a special night for the princess of Tahran.”
* * *
Brooke sighed as she glanced around. The golf course was a lush green, and the open architecture of the massive clubhouse was breathtaking. The redesigned course had been nominated by Golf Digest as one of the best new resort courses, and she could see why.
Measuring over eight thousand yards from the back tees, the fairways that wound through large moss-covered hardwoods, oak and pine trees were wide and didn’t appear to be squeezed in by the villas.
Ian had told her last night that the first and last holes played along Lake Tahoe and one of the tee-off greens was set on a bluff overlooking the water. Nothing detracted from the ambience of the course. Except for the man she was waiting for.
Ian.
Goose bumps suddenly appeared on her body when she thought of how wonderful it was waking up in his arms that morning. Being the Perfect Beginning that he was, they had made love again and she had fallen asleep, only to awaken an hour or so later to find him dressed and leaning against the bedroom door frame watching her.
They had stared across the room at each other for what seemed like an eternity before he finally moved forward, slowly removing his jacket and tossing it aside. Then he reached for her and pulled her up into his arms and kissed her as if his life depended on it. After a long, deep kiss, he’d left, promising to meet her on the walkway in front of the clubhouse at eleven.
Because Ian had also mentioned that the Rolling Cascade’s golf club adhered to a dress code, she had visited one of the golf shops earlier to purchase the proper attire. From what the salesmen told her, golf clothes were often bright and colorful, so she had purchased a black top and a lime-green pair of shorts with belt loops, which the salesman claimed were a must. Shorts with cuffs weren’t practical because they had a tendency to trap dirt. The salesman had suggested that she purchase a hat with a visor to keep the sun off her face. And arriving at the clubhouse early, she had gone inside to rent a pair of golf shoes.
Brooke turned and recognized the woman walking down the walkway in her direction. She was the person Brooke had bumped into while out shopping yesterday, knocking the shopping bags out of the woman’s hands. Brooke, in one of her rare clumsy moments, hadn’t been looking where she was going. She’d been captivated by that black lace dress on a mannequin; the one she’d purchased and worn last night.
“Well, hello again,” Brooke greeted, smiling when the woman moved to pass her.
The woman eyed Brooke with surprise and to Brooke’s way of thinking acted as if they’d never seen each other before. She decided to jog the woman’s memory. “Remember me from yesterday?” Brooke said. “I accidentally bumped into you at one of the shops and knocked your packages out of your hand and—”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right. I remember now. Sorry about that. My mind was elsewhere,” the attractive thirty-something blonde with a British accent said, striking a friendlier tone. “Hello to you, too. Sorry, I didn’t recognize you,” she quickly added, and plastered what Brooke perceived as a fake smile on her face.
Brooke shrugged. “No problem.” She then noticed her outfit and the golf shoes she was wearing and asked, “You’re about to play a game of golf?”
“Yes, I’m supposed to be meeting my husband in the lobby, and as usual I’m late.”
Brooke nodded. “Well, don’t let me keep you. Enjoy your game.”
“Thanks.” And the woman rushed inside the building.
Brooke frowned as she watched the woman walk away. It was as if the woman had no recollection of their earlier collision.
“Hey, beautiful. What’s the frown for? You been waiting long?”
Brooke turned and smiled when she saw that Ian had driven up beside her in a golf cart. “No, I haven’t,” she said, sliding into the cart to sit beside him.
“Then why the frown?”
“No reason, I guess, other than a lady who I accidentally bumped into yesterday while shopping didn’t remember me today. I’m surprised because I practically knocked all the packages out of her hands and had to help her pick them up. She was pretty chatty then.”
“What! You mean there’s someone who doesn’t remember you? That’s not possible,” he teased. “You’re so unforgettable,” he said, and grinned as he pulled the cap over her eyes, just seconds before maneuvering the cart around several trees in their paths.
Brooke turned toward him. “Hey, let’s not be a smart-ass,” she said chuckling. She couldn’t help wondering if he really thought that. Had he had as hard a time forgetting her as she had forgetting him over the years? But then, she’d never tried to forget him. He had remained an integral part of her nightly fantasies.
When Ian continued driving for a while, Brooke asked, “Where are you taking me?”
He smiled over at her as he drove around yet another tree. “To my private golf course. If I’m going to teach you the game, I don’t want any distractions. Golf is like blackjack. You have to be focused.”
“Oh.” Just hearing him say the word blackjack was eliciting memories of the night before. And with those memories came heated lust. She wondered if it would always be that way with them and quickly remembered there wouldn’t be any reason for things to be that way because in a week they would part ways and there was no telling when they would se
e each other again.
Not wanting to think about that, she turned her attention to her surroundings and the cart path they were taking, keeping clear of the greens and the fairways.
Finally Ian eased the cart to a stop and she followed his gaze as he took in the area that sat on a bluff overlooking the lake. Brooke glanced at him. “And what am I supposed to do if I hit a ball over into the water?”
He chuckled. “If you’re worried that I’d send you to get it, don’t be. This is going to be a practice session, and if we lose a ball we play a new one. I brought plenty of them along.”
When he climbed out of the cart, Brooke did likewise and waited by his side while he got the golf bag out of the cart. She couldn’t help noticing how good he looked in his golf shirt and shorts.
He turned to her after placing the straps of the golf bags on his shoulders and said, “Let’s go. Oh, by the way, did I mention that golf involves a lot of walking?”
Over the next half hour he explained golf etiquette, as well as how to fill out the scorecard after each hole and tally it after a round of golf. “Ready to learn how to swing?” he asked, and handed her a club. He then came to stand behind her.
She was about to tell him no, that she wasn’t ready and that the nearness of his body pressed against her back would make it impossible to concentrate. But evidently she was the only one with the problem. The close body contact didn’t seem to bother him one bit.
Wrapping his arms around her and placing his hands on top of hers, he showed her the proper way to hold the club and swing it. “Just remember,” he whispered right close to her ear, “when you’re doing a backswing, make sure your body doesn’t move slower than the club. And for a downswing,” he said, demonstrating, “you don’t want your body to move faster than your swing. Your club shouldn’t play catch-up with your body.”
Ian's Ultimate Gamble ; Seduction, Westmoreland Style Page 9
