“I think she was more interested in making money than understanding how crime could work its way into a solid operation like this hotel.”
“I talked to some of the other security directors at other hotels,” Scott said, “and they seem to have the idea this is just the cost of doing business no matter how much they dislike it.” Scott didn’t understand it. “I know the cost of doing business can be compromised for good reasons. I got enough of that in the army where the big picture mentality is more important than the details.” Miss E. was the least tolerant of crime in the casino. She wanted a squeaky clean, crime-free business. Scott doubted she’d have a one hundred percent crime-free casino, but he could come close.
“Has any more counterfeit money shown up?” Hunter asked.
“The classes from the Secret Service have really helped. Knowing that our people are well trained means the criminals are staying clear of here. I’ve had other hotels call to ask how we’re doing and I keep telling them to talk to the Secret Service. But it’s like Whac-A-Mole. I keep hitting the mole, but another one pops up someplace else.” Even the new design of the hundred-dollar bills hadn’t kept counterfeiters from copying it. And every time he found a new way to spot the fake bills, the people passing them found new ways to get around his protocols.
His gaze followed Nina as she swayed to the music. What had started out as a friendly rivalry with her had changed to something deeper, more meaningful. He didn’t just like having sex with her. He liked hanging out with her. He liked just everything about her.
“Do you want to marry her?” Hunter asked.
“Do you think you’d just take a moment to lead in to the question gradually? Beat around the bush a bit.”
Hunter laughed. “I’m your brother. I don’t have to beat around the bush. I get to ask questions outright. And you have to answer.”
“No, I don’t.” Scott glared at his brother.
“Don’t make me put you in a headlock and give you a noogie,” Hunter warned.
“I would like to see you try. Army ranger here.” Scott pointed at his chest.
“I don’t want to embarrass you in front of your girl.”
Scott wondered what would happen if they started wrestling right here in the bar in front of guests and family.
Nina whirled and grabbed a bystander and drew him out on the floor.
“Really.”
“If I reach over and give you a good, little tap, you’ll get some sympathy from your girl.”
Scott glared at Hunter. “I don’t think so.”
“Just a little tap.” Hunter burst out laughing. “What’s really going on with you and Nina?”
“Other than having a good time, I don’t know.” Scott wanted more, but did Nina?
“Don’t you want to know?”
“She’s good at her job. She’s in high demand and I know she’s fielded four or five new offers.” Of which one was in Milan.
Hunter burst out into laughter again. “Do you hear yourself?”
Scott eyed him. “What do you mean?”
“This, my brother, is what is called karma. You’ve used the same excuse for years to avoid a relationship. Your job moves you around too much. It’s dangerous. You’re in high demand.”
Scott fingered the dish of pretzels. “I know you’re my brother and all, but feel free not to be so honest with me.”
Hunter grinned. “What fun would that be? At least Donovan isn’t here to enjoy your misery.”
Donovan was finally on his way. He’d be in Reno in a week, just in time to launch the holiday menus he’d been working on with Manny Torres. Christmas and New Year’s Day were never going to be just roast turkey again. And in a couple weeks, Nina would probably be heading out to her next job. One of the offers was to start the week after New Year’s.
Scott still had so much to do. And Nina, too. Sometimes he didn’t think she slept. She was always bubbling with new ideas to promote everything. And now that the spa was almost ready to open, she’d managed to get the mayor of Reno to attend as well as a jazz band.
“You love her. I can tell,” Hunter said.
Scott shook his head. “I don’t know. I like her a lot.” Did he love her? He wasn’t certain. Though he remembered a conversation he’d had with his grandmother a long time ago. His first love had been in high school. The lead cheerleader for the football team had been cute and bubbly. Scott was the popular quarterback who had been the object of her interest. He’d told Miss E. he was in love with her, but she had asked if he liked her. Scott had thought long and hard about it and realized he didn’t like her. She was more interested in dating popular guys and wearing designer clothes, than being likable. Miss E. had told Scott that he had to like someone first before he could fall in love. Funny, he couldn’t remember the cheerleader’s name.
Was he in love with Nina? Part of him said yes and another part said not yet. But the right conditions were there to be in love.
“Stop lying to yourself, Scott.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I can see it on your face. You’re trying to talk yourself out of loving Nina, but it’s too late.”
“You don’t know anything.” Being on the offensive with his brother was not a good place to be.
“You talk about her all the time. You can’t stop watching her. And on a number of occasions, you chose her over your job. You love her.”
“I doubt she’s going to be around once the New Year’s Eve party and your wedding are over.” Scott felt uncomfortable under his brother’s scrutiny.
“You’re never going to find out unless you ask her.” Hunter shoved himself out of the booth and walked to Lydia, falling into step with her.
Scott didn’t know what to say to Nina. He’d never been in love before. Darn! He’d just admitted it to himself. What was he going to do? He didn’t know, and the longer he watched Nina as she twisted around the dance floor the more he wanted to grab her and run off with her.
Nina grinned at him and suddenly darted across the floor to grab his hand and pull him after her, her hips twisting in tune with the music. The samba had a sensual, hypnotic beat. Desire for Nina flooded him. What he really wanted to do was fling her over his shoulder and take her to his suite and spend the rest of the night showing her how much he adored her.
He loved her.
* * *
Nina stood in front the huge whiteboard she’d set up in her suite. Rows and columns were spread across it and each event she’d planned over the next few weeks was written in the corresponding box.
“Let’s talk security,” Nina said over her shoulder to Scott.
Scott stood behind her studying the schedule. “I’ve filled all the empty positions and added ten extra guards to work the casino.”
Nina glanced at the dining table. “Have you chosen which photos you want to exhibit in the show?”
“I’m having a hard time coming up with something that will look good with all those professional photos you’ve managed to grab for the show.”
“The professionals are the draw,” she replied. “You’re not competing with them, you’re a supporting player along with the other artists Caroline got.” Caroline Fairchild had turned out to be a treasure. Nina had tried to get the exhibit together for Veteran’s Day, but that hadn’t worked out. Caroline had suggested she take over and had postponed the photo exhibit until Christmas.
Caroline was organized, methodical and thorough. She’d contacted the artists, photographers and sculptors.
Nina thought having the exhibit spread out through the lobby and corridors leading to the casino would be good exposure, but Scott vetoed the idea, insisting the exhibit be in one place that was easy to secure. They’d decided on the spa lobby for its grand opening the week before Christmas. Most
of the exhibit was in already in place. Caroline was just waiting on Scott and a couple other photographers.
“I don’t feel qualified,” Scott said. He shuffled through his photographs.
“Are you kidding? You’re an artist.”
“So are you. You should put some of your booties on display.”
Nina kissed him on the cheek. “You are sweet. I’m already in the bootie hall of fame.”
He chuckled. “I’ve chosen the ones I want to show. I’ll have them framed and sent over to Caroline by Friday.”
“Thank you.”
He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. His kiss was warm and lingering and Nina leaned into it.
“No smoochies,” she said though she didn’t mean it. “We have work to do. You are now part of this community and Reno is your home. So get those photos over to the framer.”
He kissed her again. She closed her eyes. Desire flooded through her. She didn’t know what she was going to do. She’d had several job offers and had been surprised at herself for being uninterested. Being near Scott had taken precedence over her career and she was both fascinated and saddened by her response. She spent long hours puzzling over what she wanted. She knew she wanted to be with Scott, but at the same time she wanted her career.
“I said no smoochies.” She pushed him away. “Don’t you have a meeting scheduled?”
He glanced at his watch and frowned. “I almost forgot.” He kissed her again, his kiss filled with promise. “Dinner tonight?”
“My place? How about eight o’clock?” Her schedule was so filled that she sometimes forgot to eat.
“Don’t forget.” He grinned as he closed the door behind him.
Nina sighed. She needed to talk to her mom.
* * *
Grace arranged a fruit salad on two plates and set them on Nina’s dining room table. “I knew you didn’t each breakfast or lunch.”
Nina sat at the table. The doors to the balcony stood open and a cool breeze swept inside.
“What’s wrong?” Grace asked.
“How did you do it?” Nina dug into her salad not realizing she was starving until this moment.
“Do what, dear?” Grace poured water into glasses.
“You have it all, Mom. How did you manage to combine a career, a marriage and motherhood? You make it all look so effortless.”
“I had to choose what was most important to me and work everything else around it. Your father made the same decision.”
Nina rubbed her temple. “But...”
“We made the decision to be a family,” Grace continued. “It wasn’t always easy. I turned down a record deal and your dad declined a job with a jazz band. Neither one of us wanted to be away from our family.”
“I know you sacrificed a lot for us.”
“This is about Scott, isn’t it?”
Nina sighed. “I like him. I...I...” The love word just wasn’t ready to come out.
“You love him.” Grace’s voice was filled with amusement.
“I like the way he thinks. I like the way he irritates me.” She liked the way he made love to her, though that would remain unsaid. Her parents weren’t prudes, but Nina still couldn’t talk about her sex life with her mother. “I like everything about him even if he’s wound a little tight.”
“I noticed you kind of unwound him.”
“What do I do?”
Grace patted her hand. “What’s the problem?”
“I want to be with him, but I want to do my job. I’ve fielded seven offers in the last two months and none of them were interesting. Even the President of the United States has put out feelers. He wants me to help train his media people, especially with midterm elections coming up. I can’t turn down the president, but I have no desire to say yes.”
“Honey, I turned down huge rock stars. One I had to pass up because your brother was going through the terrible twos and I couldn’t leave him. And I’d just found out I was pregnant with you. You have to figure out what is important to you and once you know, you make a decision based on that.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“It’s not.” Grace smiled. “But you make a decision and live with it. That’s the rule.”
What decision did she want to make? “I don’t want another failure like Carl. I put his welfare above my own. I made all the compromises and he didn’t.” In part, she was as much at fault as he was, no matter how much blame she heaped on him. “I didn’t insist he put as much effort into our marriage as I did.”
“Your marriage with Carl was just another media job. You just didn’t know that until too late. Scott doesn’t need you to do your job for him. He has nothing he wants, except maybe you.” Her mother took her hand. “You need to talk to Scott. You need to know how he feels. And you need to tell him how you feel. Life is all about compromise.”
* * *
Nina spent the afternoon getting ready for her dinner with Scott. She allowed her father to make the dinner while she nervously fussed over what she should wear, how she should look. Never had something that seemed so simple felt so complicated.
Scott knocked on her door exactly at eight o’clock. Kong barked once and wagged his tail in anticipation. Scott had come to enjoy Kong and the little dog was Scott’s new best friend.
She smoothed her favorite Vivienne Westwood dress over her hips. She loved the grayish-green silk with ruching down the side seams adding to her curves. She opened the door and his eyes went wide at the sight of her even though everything was covered from the high neck to the long sleeves.
“I brought flowers.” He handed her a small bouquet. “And wine.” He held up a bottle of pinot grigio and a squeaky toy for Kong who accepted it politely and immediately began to play with it.
“Thank you.” The fragrance of the flowers swirled over her. Nervously, she walked back to the kitchen to find a vase and put the flowers in it. She set the flowers on the table between the flickering candles.
“Something smells good.” He sniffed experimentally.
“My father made Brazilian chicken. You’ll like it.”
He opened the wine and poured it into wineglasses. “So what’s the occasion?”
“I needed to talk something over with you.” Did he detect the tiniest quiver in her voice? She hoped not.
His eyebrows rose. “Must be important.”
They sat down at the table and she uncovered the chicken breasts covered in her father’s special sauce and resting on a bed of rice. Another dish contained perfectly braised asparagus.
She sipped her wine nervously. He served himself and then her. “My job is coming to an end here. I’ve been fielding several offers and having a hard time deciding what to do next.”
His face went still and quiet. “What kind of job offers?”
Nervously, she plucked at her napkin. “The President of the United States is one.”
“And that would entail what?”
“Moving to Washington, DC for a few months and working with his media department and coming up with a media campaign for the midterm elections.”
He sighed. “That’s an incredible offer.”
“And a hard one to turn down.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t turn it down.”
Her heart sank. “I don’t know. DC...” She grimaced.
“What else?”
“A couple movies, a has-been actor trying to make a comeback, Fashion Week in Milan where I’d have to start now.” She took a bite of her chicken, but the food seemed to stick in her throat. She took a sip of water to wash it down, then set her fork down, uncertain she could continue. “I’m not sure where I want to go. I don’t know what I want.” How had she gone from being so self-assured to this conflicting set of emotions?
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“Sounds like you have a decision to make.”
“What would you do if you were in my shoes?”
He took her hand. “Nina, I don’t want you to go.”
She stared at him. She didn’t think he’d say anything. They’d had a lot of fun, more than she’d ever had with any other man. “What are you saying?”
He rubbed her fingers with his thumb. “Stay with me. Stay here in Reno.”
“Why?”
“I’ve never said this before to a woman, so I’m not sure I’m going to say the right words.”
“Get it out?”
“I like you a lot. I’ve come to care for you. We’ve been having a good time and I want to keep exploring it. But I don’t want to stand in the way of your career. You have an incredible opportunity in front of you. I don’t want to be Carl.”
She took a deep sip of her wine.
Scott’s phone chirped. He looked surprised while he dug it out of his pocket. “It’s Belle.”
“You better answer it. She would never call you at this time of night if it wasn’t important.”
He answered and listened for a moment. “I’ll be right down. Call the police, tell them what’s going on.” He disconnected, shoved back from the table and stood.
“Scott.”
“Armed men are in the casino.” He ran out the door.
Nina followed him to the elevator, chilled with fear. “They have guns and anyone who knows our routine might chance a payoff of ten million dollars. They didn’t come for the buffet.” He jabbed at the elevator button. The doors slid open and he stepped inside.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Scott demanded as she stepped in beside him
“You deal with the problem, I’ll deal with the media.”
The elevator descended. The doors opened at the second floor. Scott left and before he’d a gone a few feet, Nina jabbed for the first floor. She wondered why he’d gotten off, but didn’t think anything else. As the doors closed, he turned, panic on his face and shouted, “No.” He ran back toward the elevator, but the doors closed.
Nina frowned. What was wrong with Scott? She said she’d take care of the media who would probably already be congregating outside the front doors.
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