A Daring Deception (Harlequin Presents)

by Amanda Browning

  Rachel uttered a soft laugh. ‘Oh, I just bet you do!’

  Nathan turned his attention back to Luther Ames. The group had been seated and, from the loud laughter, were already well lubricated. ‘There’s no point in making a move now. We’ll wait until they head for the gaming rooms.’ Turning back to her, he noticed her suddenly pale cheeks. ‘Are you all right?’

  She pressed a hand to her stomach. ‘I think I just lost my appetite,’ she said jokingly, though nerves were making her stomach do an uncomfortable dance inside. Much to her surprise, Nathan reached across the table and gave her other hand a squeeze.

  ‘You’ll be fine. Just remember you aren’t on your own. I’ll be there to help you if things turn nasty.’

  ‘Specify “nasty”,’ she quipped with a grimace. ‘It’s a very loose term.’

  Nathan stared at her seriously. ‘I won’t let anything happen to you, darling. Trust me on that, if on nothing else.’

  She did. There was no question of it. ‘I suppose there isn’t time to change my mind?’ She made a poor attempt at a joke, but he grinned.

  ‘Rachel Shaw doesn’t renege on a deal. Linus told me that himself.’

  She blinked in surprise, though her grandfather’s confidence in her did her a power of good. ‘He did, huh?’

  He nodded. ‘Cross my heart and—’

  ‘Don’t finish that!’ she ordered hastily, holding up her hand. ‘There are certain things I don’t even want to think about.’

  Nathan took hold of her hand and ran his thumb backwards and forwards over it soothingly. ‘The man’s slime, but so far as we know he’s never done anything requiring a life sentence.’

  Rachel sniffed. ‘Let’s hope he doesn’t undergo a radical change of direction on our behalf!’ she retorted smartly, and Nathan laughed huskily.

  ‘At least you haven’t lost your sense of humour,’ he remarked dryly, and she slitted her eyes at him.

  ‘Give me a few minutes and it will go. Trust me.’

  Nathan tipped his head on one side quizzically. ‘What’s this all about, Rachel? I doubt very much if you have a nervous bone in your entire body.’

  Little did he know. She could succumb to nerves like the next woman, only he thought of her as some sort of creature devoid of human emotions. She sighed and smiled coquettishly. ‘Maybe I just wanted you to hold my hand, sweetie,’ she returned, and wasn’t at all surprised that he released her immediately.

  ‘You’re full of tricks today. First the tears, now this. What else is on the agenda?’

  Rachel shook her head. ‘That would be telling. I can’t give away all my secrets at once, you know. A girl has to have some mystery.’

  ‘Which is how I know you can do this standing on your head,’ he observed calmly.

  ‘Don’t credit me with too much. I think I’d better try it the right way up first. Why make things difficult for myself?’ she returned smartly as their food arrived. It looked and smelled delicious, and she felt her appetite returning. The momentary collywobbles were over. ‘As soon as I get this food inside me I’ll be ready for anything,’ she promised brightly, not waiting for an invitation to tuck in.

  All through the meal they were very much aware of the Luther Ames party not so very far away. The noise level rose from their table as the wine flowed, and everyone appeared to be having a good time. From the little Rachel could see, though, Ames himself drank very little. It gave her a small insight into the man. He liked to keep a clear head, so that he was always in control of the situation.

  Almost two hours passed before Ames and his friends left the restaurant in search of the gaming rooms. Nathan allowed them ten minutes’ grace before he looked over at Rachel.

  ‘Ready?’

  She took a steadying breath and squared her shoulders. She was Rachel the man-eater, capable of anything, remember. ‘Lead me to him,’ she responded confidently, and Nathan rose and walked round to help her up.

  ‘I could almost feel sorry for the man. He doesn’t know what’s about to hit him,’ he observed dryly, taking her elbow and steering her through the tables to the exit.

  Rachel’s grimace went unnoticed. Nathan might not be so confident if he knew her better, but if she pulled this off at least she would have his respect. It was all she could genuinely hope for.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  THEY HAD no difficulty finding Luther Ames, even though the rooms were thronged with people. Rachel had never seen the point of gambling, especially when the odds must always be with the house. OK, so people were winning, but the percentage was nowhere near that of the numbers who lost. Watching these people looking for answers they would never find here made her feel sad and angry, and left her with no inclination to try her hand.

  The baccarat tables were surrounded by onlookers all eager to watch fortunes change hands. True to reports, Ames had a bevy of beauties about him. As banker, he had the shoe, and was deftly dealing the cards as they approached. On the way in Nathan had bought chips of a value which had taken Rachel’s breath away. She couldn’t believe he was actually going to bet such a sum, but with a casualness she could only admire Nathan took a vacant seat and set up his chips. Seeing them, Ames gave him a long, considering look, then proceeded to deal another round.

  Rachel took a position behind Nathan, one hand resting possessively on his shoulder, and watched the run of play. Nathan lost that time, and, slipping into her role, she uttered an audible gasp.

  ‘Oh, darling, you lost!’ She pouted in disappointment. Looking up, she found Luther Ames staring at her. There was blatant sexual appreciation in his eyes and, though she disliked it, she eyed him in return and then sent him her best sultry smile. The response was instantaneous. He smiled back, and ran those eyes over her in a way that stripped her naked and left her feeling sullied.

  Promising herself a long, cleansing shower when she got back to her room, she instinctively smoothed her hands over Nathan’s shoulders. Under her fingers she felt Nathan flex his muscles, and knew he was nowhere near as relaxed as he appeared. She doubted if another soul in the room knew it. No wonder he had hidden his attraction to her for so long. He was the master of cool.

  Nathan paid up and the play went on; he lost again, but on the third attempt he won handsomely. Rachel gave a whoop of delight and coiled her arms round Nathan’s neck in a hug. ‘I thought you were never going to win!’ she whispered, for his ears only, kissing his cheek enthusiastically, leaving a smudge of lipstick behind.

  Nathan grinned up at her. ‘You and me both,’ he admitted under his breath, then added more audibly, ‘I told you you were my lucky mascot, darling. You just stay right there and bring me some more luck,’ he ordered, and Rachel preened at his praise, brushing another kiss near his ear.

  ‘If the eyes are supposed to be the mirror of the soul, this man’s soul is a cesspool,’ she added in an undertone, then straightened, smoothing her dress down over her hips. In doing so she managed to catch a glimpse of Ames watching her fixedly. She would say she had most certainly caught his attention.

  ‘The lady is not only lucky, but beautiful too,’ Luther Ames declared fulsomely from across the table, and she batted her eyes at him, producing her most dazzling smile.

  ‘Why, thank you, sir. You are most gallant,’ she responded, and was a little surprised to feel Nathan tense beneath her touch.

  Ames grinned and paid off the winners and the game went on again. The right hand chair eventually became empty and Nathan moved into it, immediately calling banco. Ames stared at him narrowly.

  ‘The bank stands at…’ He named a figure that drained the strength from Rachel’s knees, and she was glad she was holding on to Nathan. How he could sit there so calmly she couldn’t imagine; her heart was thundering.

  A hush fell as Ames dealt the cards, followed by a collected holding of breath as it became clear that Nathan held a natural. Unless Ames could match it, he would lose. For a full ten seconds it seemed as if the room had gone into slow motion as
Ames revealed his cards, added another…and lost. Then pandemonium broke out. As laughter echoed round the onlookers Rachel drew in a shaky breath and looked at Ames. He was smiling, but even in the low lighting she could see it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

  ‘Congratulations, Mr…?’

  ‘Wade. Nathan Wade,’ Nathan supplied.

  ‘You were lucky, Mr. Wade,’ Ames declared, pushing over a stack of chips to cover the bet. ‘I admire a man who is not afraid to take a risk. However you must allow me the opportunity to win this back.’

  Nathan gathered up the chips and pocketed them. ‘It would be my pleasure,’ he agreed. ‘However, not this evening. Tonight my lucky mascot and I intend to celebrate in style,’ he went on as he rose to his feet and slipped his arm about Rachel’s waist. With a nod to Ames he urged her away from the table. ‘Come along, darling. You and I have some serious celebrating to do.’

  ‘My God,’ Rachel declared as soon as they were out of earshot. ‘Do you know how much money you stood to lose?’

  ‘Don’t remind me,’ Nathan said wryly.

  Rachel groaned and placed a hand over her still racing heart. ‘I almost died when he turned over that last card. Did you see his face? He didn’t like losing, not one little bit.’

  Nathan grinned down at her, and there was more than a hint of grim satisfaction in his eyes. ‘I know. The man is not a good loser. He won’t rest until he’s won the money back. I fully intend to give him the chance.’

  ‘Then why are we leaving?’ she queried reasonably.

  ‘Because I don’t want to play in here. We need to be invited to his house, remember. If he’s as sore a loser as he looked, the invitation won’t be long in coming,’ Nathan explained, making for the cashier to cash in his chips. When that was done they left the casino for the adjacent showroom.

  They were shown to a table near the stage, and, keeping up the image, Nathan ordered champagne. When it arrived, Rachel took a much needed sip to steady herself. She wasn’t cut out to be a gambler. She couldn’t stand the tension.

  ‘What are you going to do with the money?’ She asked curiously some time later, and Nathan shot her a contemplative look.

  ‘Hoping to do a little shopping, are you?’ He ventured mockingly, and it annoyed her so much that she bit back her intended suggestion that he donate it to charity and produced a feline smile.

  ‘We—ell, now you come to mention it, there are one or two things I’ve had my eye on for some time,’ she purred, and wasn’t surprised to see his eyes glaze over. Mr Predictability! ‘For instance…’

  ‘Forget it sweetheart. You aren’t going to get your sticky fingers on one red cent of it,’ he told her coolly, and she shook her head sadly.

  ‘Tut, tut, it’s rude to interrupt. Now you don’t know what I was going to suggest,’ she chastised him, and his lips curved in amusement.

  ‘I can imagine,’ he drawled scornfully, and it was all she could do to hide her sense of injustice. He never gave an inch. Never gave her the benefit of the doubt. It was so galling.

  ‘You seem to imagine quite a lot of things about me. Do you know something? I think you think about me much more than you dare to admit,’ she returned with a silky suggestiveness designed to set his back up. Unfortunately it missed the mark, and he turned it neatly back on her.

  ‘I think about you all the time, sweetheart. It’s the only way to keep one step ahead of you,’ he countered smoothly, and she hid her frustration behind a cool smile.

  ‘Surely that only works if you know where I’m going,’ she pointed out dulcetly, and the hairs rose on her skin as she witnessed that fascinating gleam enter his eyes.

  ‘Don’t think I don’t. There isn’t a move you could make that I can’t anticipate,’ he returned equally softly.

  There was, she realised, something dangerously exciting about bantering words with him in this fashion, despite the way he constantly taunted her, and it made her blood zing a little faster through her veins. ‘That’s quite a claim,’ she said with a husky thread to her voice, and it made his lips curve, producing the dimple she secretly longed to touch.

  ‘Not really. Women hold few mysteries for me. I doubt you know any tricks that would really surprise me.’

  Rachel dropped her gaze to her glass, hating to be reminded of all the women he had known. He thought she was angling to be one of them, but she wasn’t. What she wanted was to be the only one, but right now she had more chance of winning the lottery than of achieving that goal. However, that need not stop her picking away at the edges of his defences, so she looked up at him boldly.

  ‘You won’t know unless you try me,’ she invited seductively, and held her breath for his reply.

  It came with a wry laugh. ‘You don’t give up, do you?’

  Curse it, but she loved the way he laughed. Life could be so unfair. ‘What else is there to do?’ she shrugged. ‘I have to amuse myself somehow.’

  He raised his glass and took a sip, eyeing her over it. ‘I amuse you, do I?’

  ‘You could do more than amuse me, only you’re too scared,’ she charged daringly, and his eyes narrowed speculatively.

  ‘Is that so?’

  ‘Um-hum,’ she confirmed, allowing her eyes to rove over him in a way that set her heart tripping like fury. ‘You’re scared you might like it.’

  Blue eyes glittered with amusement, and something else she couldn’t put a name to. ‘I am?’

  ‘Oh, yes.’ She nodded with a secretive smile, wondering what she would do if he suddenly took up the challenge. But then again, she knew he wouldn’t. ‘What price everything you’ve said if you plunge in and find yourself out of your depth?’

  ‘I’m a strong swimmer. I never get out of my depth,’ he advised her in the same light tone she was using.

  Rachel wagged a finger at him. ‘There you go again with that “never”. I’ve told you before how dangerous it is to use it. You’re taking an awfully big risk.’

  He smiled faintly. ‘A calculated risk, maybe, with the odds on my side.’

  She shook her head in part-feigned, part-real annoyance at his attitude. ‘It’s possible to be over-confident. You’re going to fall one day, and fall hard.’

  Nathan looked at her squarely. ‘Very likely, but it won’t be for you, sweetheart. So disabuse yourself of that notion.’

  It hurt to hear him say it so bluntly, but she didn’t allow it to show even for an instant. ‘It never entered my head,’ she lied without compunction.

  ‘I don’t suppose it did. For all your faults, you’re a sensible woman. You know what side your bread is buttered.’

  Yes, the side that hit the ground! ‘You’ll turn my head with all this flattery.’ she drawled mockingly, and waited expectantly for a pithy reply, but Nathan’s attention had been caught by something beyond her. ‘What is it?’

  ‘Ames just walked in. No, don’t look round,’ he ordered sharply when he saw her about to do just that.

  Rachel froze and licked her lips nervously. ‘Has he seen us?’

  Nathan shook his head. ‘Not yet. Ah, now he has. Get ready, Rachel, he’s heading our way.’

  Rachel felt Luther Ames’s presence before he arrived at their table. The man had an aura about him which set her teeth on edge. It was the most uncomfortable feeling she had ever experienced.

  ‘Ah, Mr Wade, I’m delighted to find you still here,’ Ames began as he came alongside, smiling in a way designed to impress them with his friendliness. It would have worked if they had been ignorant of his misdeeds. ‘I was remiss in not making myself known to you before. Allow me to do so now. Luther Ames,’ he introduced himself, holding out his hand.

  Nathan shook it, then coolly slipped an arm round Rachel’s shoulders. It felt for all the world as if he were laying claim to her, but she told her whimsical heart not to be so fanciful. It was all part of the act.

  ‘What can I do for you, Mr Ames?’ hr queried in equally friendly tones.

  Rachel was uncomfortab
ly aware that Luther Ames eyes had followed Nathan’s possessive movement and were focused on her soft flesh. She was relieved when he drew them away to answer Nathan’s question.

  ‘Ah, I’ll come to that in a moment. First, won’t you introduced me to your lovely lady?’ he said with a light laugh, but his eyes were hot when they returned to her.

  Nathan glanced down at her, his look caressing. ‘My lovely lady goes by the name of Rachel,’ he revealed. ‘Say hello to Mr Ames darling.’

  ‘Hello, Mr Ames,’ she responded obediently, smiling archly and holding out her hand. His hand felt uncomfortably damp when it closed around hers.

  ‘Rachel.’ Ames allowed her name to linger on his tongue, as if savouring it. ‘An exquisite name for an exquisite woman,’ he added, and she very nearly gagged at the flowery compliment.

  Keeping her smile in place with an effort, Rachel drew her hand away slowly. ‘You shouldn’t be saying such things, you know. You’ll be making Nathan jealous,’ she exclaimed with a husky laugh, giving Nathan a sideways look.

  ‘As I said before, you’re a very lucky man, Mr Wade.’

  ‘I believe so, Mr Ames,’ Nathan responded dryly. ‘With women and cards,’ he added for good measure, which brought Luther Ames back to the point of his presence there.

  ‘As you say. But luck is a fickle mistress. You must allow me the chance to turn lady luck in my favour.’

  Nathan inclined his head. ‘Happy to. I’ll be here for a few more days. How do you say we meet tomorrow, or maybe the next night?’

  Ames spread his hands. ‘Alas, I am only here for one night… You cannot see your way clear to…?’ He left the suggestion hanging, and Nathan shook his head emphatically.

  ‘I’m afraid not.’

  ‘Then it seems I am out of luck, unless…’ Ames appeared to hesitate, but Rachel could see the calculation in his eyes.

  ‘Unless?’ Nathan prompted, as he was expected to.

  Ames smiled, including Rachel in his supposed warmth. ‘Could I persuade you to be my guests for a few more days? I have a house on the lake up by Crystal Bay. I have some friends staying with me, but not enough to make up a table, so I would be pleased to have your company. The house is totally secluded, with its own private beach. We will be undisturbed. I can promise you you won’t be disappointed.’