Bri smiled at the memory. Jude had always been so kind to her, and he'd made good on his promise, too. He'd helped her with math, and she'd gotten a B on her next test. Without his help, she probably never would have been able to keep her math grades up high enough to get her college scholarship.
And she hadn't been wrong about Jude. Over the next few years, her crush had only grown. She'd never dared voice it aloud. Jude had never given her any indication of interest, and she wouldn't risk their friendship or Max's ire for a one-sided crush. She'd always been a realist that way.
Bri had dated in college, she'd had some fun times with good guys she really liked, she'd had some even better times between the sheets, but no guy she'd ever met came close to eliciting the feelings Jude brought out with a smile or a simple touch.
She dropped her phone on the bed. She needed to be careful and keep her distance from Jude. The smart thing to do would be to push him away, follow Isla's plan to catch a billionaire and have some fun with a guy she'd never see again. It was the only way she could have her billionaire fling and get Jude out of her system completely.
She glanced at Isla's list again. She'd suggested a club in Jude's casino, SharpShooters, as a great place to meet exactly the type of high roller who'd be looking for fun. Bri tapped her finger against her phone. It was risky to go out alone, but as long as Philip drove her, she ought to be fine. He'd know something was wrong if she didn't meet up with him at the appointed time at the end of her evening out.
And she wouldn't even feel bad about taking advantage of Jude's car service. Philip wanted more hours anyway. She was really doing him a favor.
CHAPTER SIX
Jude spun his glass of bourbon and stared into its amber depths, wondering where the hell he'd gone wrong. His life had been simple, straight-forward, neat and organized, just the way he liked it. Then Brianne had shown up and nothing felt simple, everything felt flipped on its ass and confused. If he'd just stayed away from her . . .
"Hey, man," Mark said, slapping him on the back and taking a seat next to him at the five-seater in the back corner of Hole in the Wall casino's quietest bar. "Shouldn't you be in some dark room somewhere with that gorgeous assistant of yours?" Mark's sapphire blue eyes attracted lots of attention from the ladies, but they were currently focused on Jude with a cold, sharp intensity that made Jude uneasy.
"Grayson talked to you."
Mark smirked and signaled a waiter. "Don't give the man a hard time. He tried to tell me he had a date." He chuckled. "Like I'd buy that fairytale."
"And it didn't bother you that he felt the need to lie? We're meeting about business, we aren't playing hide and seek without you." Mark had joined his small circle of friends a couple years ago. In the beginning, he'd been a fun guy to have around, always up for a poker night, a day hike, or rock climbing, but the more time Jude had spent with the guy, the less he'd liked or trusted him. Mark could be pushy, even rude, and it always seemed like he was trying a bit too hard, shoving his way into situations where he wasn't wanted.
Mark rolled his eyes. "You and Grayson both need to remember how to have some fun. You should be glad I'm crashing your business meeting."
"Some of us actually need to work to make our money," Jude said, eyes narrowed. His frustration and annoyance had more to do with his inability to get Brianne out of his head, but Mark made a decent target. Emotions bounced off the man like he had a non-stick surface.
Mark laughed. "Your envy of my trust fund is showing again, man. You might not have as much dough as me, but you could retire tomorrow and live well for the rest of your life if you wanted."
Mark was hardly lazy, he owned and ran an event planning business, but the cushion of his trust fund and a life lived never having to wonder where his next meal came from, meant he lacked the same hunger for work both Grayson and Jude shared. "I'm here to talk to Grayson about his latest reconstruction project and sales stats, Mark. Whatever idea you've got brewing isn't going to change our plans."
"Hey, man, I can talk business. When are you going to give in and admit Epic Events can do a better job of organizing your casino events? You recouped your money from that disaster of a convention you hosted last month?"
Jude bit back a sigh. Another reason he hadn't wanted Mark at his meeting with Grayson was because the man had become undeniably aggressive of late about both Jude and Grayson hiring his company to plan their events. "Don't you make more money doing private events? I can't afford your rates."
"Private events take too much work, man. Clients are fussy. I'm ready for something more hands-off, if you know what I mean. I'm willing to negotiate with you on price."
After what had gone down with Max, Jude had made a promise to himself never to get into business with another friend. Even so, the man had a point. Jude's last big event at the casino had been a clusterfuck of epic proportions, with scheduling mishaps, a catering error that had almost caused a guest to have an anaphylactic reaction, and a DJ who was barely out of high school and didn't have a clue what he was doing. He'd fired so many people over that fiasco he still hadn't replaced them all. "I'll think about it," he said.
Mark grinned and slapped him on the back. "I knew you'd come around." He leaned in. "What's the deal with your hot assistant? You wouldn't mind if I take her out, would you?"
Mark's tone and the hard look in his eyes disgusted Jude. He'd always known Mark was a player, but his tone in that moment bordered on predatory. Even if Brianne was nothing more than an employee to Jude, he wouldn't want Mark anywhere near her. As it was, he wanted to grab Mark by the throat and declare that Brianne belonged to him. It was a level of anger and possessiveness he'd never felt toward any woman, which was exactly why he wasn't going to do or say any of that. "She's a family friend." He spoke slowly to produce the air of calm and nonchalance he didn't feel. "And you are a man whore who will use her and break her heart. I'm merely protecting her."
Mark slapped a hand to his chest in mock hurt. "That's what you really think of me?"
"That you're a walking dick he wouldn't let near his worst female enemy without a warning label?" Sebastian asked, taking a seat on the other side of Jude. "Thought that went without saying." Sebastian wasn't any better in the womanizing department than Mark, but he was a better person and a better friend to Jude. Sebastian might not be looking to settle down, but he was always open and kind to the women he dated, even when they weren't around to hear what he was saying. He was shorter than Mark, but what he lacked in height, he made up for in sheer muscle mass. There were few who wouldn't back down from a fight once Sebastian stepped in, but he was more a lover than a fighter.
"No," Mark said, before Jude could change the subject. "There was more than protectiveness on Jude's face when he walked out of his office and saw me talking to that chick. He was fucking furious."
Sebastian eyed Jude, suddenly more interested in the conversation. "I want to take your side on this, Jude, but if you're banging her, maybe you ought to give her a warning about yourself. You're always going to be married to your casino."
"I'm not banging or planning to bang anyone," Jude said, his chest tight and his pants feeling tighter the more he thought of Brianne in any scenario that involved her naked and beneath him. He could still fucking taste her kiss and her little moans still rang in his ears giving him a perpetual hard-on and a need that ate at him like physical starvation. "I don't want Mark involved with her or anyone else who works for me. She's been doing a good job, and I'd like her to continue to do a good job, rather than nurse a broken heart."
Mark shook his head and his grin widened, but the waiter appeared and took his and Sebastian's drink orders before he could say anything more. Then, Grayson showed up and Jude got him talking about the new addition he'd just made to the gaming rooms at his casino. Grayson was the only other casino owner in their circle of friends, and Jude was closer to him than he was to Mark or Sebastian. Tall like Mark and built more like Sebastian, Grayson probably could ha
ve had his pick of ladies if he made any effort, but he rarely did. Grayson gamely prattled on about his choices in wood and felt, not to mention seating options and his satisfaction with the contractors he'd hired, while Mark and Sebastian had a look around the bar for any women who might be interested in their attention.
There were few women who weren't interested in the attention of a billionaire and Mark and Sebastian never kept their personal wealth a secret long. Unlike Jude, they didn't have a problem with women only being interested in their money. It probably helped that they were both young, fit, and knew how to tell a joke. Sebastian owned a construction business that did well.
"Hey, Grayson," Mark said. "Jude hired a new assistant and she is as gorgeous as she is sweet. I asked her out and he told me she's permanently unavailable, but claims she's nothing more to him than an old friend."
Grayson was the most socially inept of the group, some might call him nerdy, but he wasn't stupid. He looked at Jude, saw the warning in his eyes and shrugged. "Doesn't sound like much of a story to me. I wouldn't want you assholes sniffing around a woman I considered a friend, either."
Jude gave the other man a slight nod, but knew the questioning look in Grayson's eyes meant he'd be asking for more information as soon as Mark and Sebastian weren't around.
In his pocket, his phone vibrated. He reached for it out of habit as much as anything. As the owner of a casino, it was rarely a good idea to let a call or a text go.
His heart dipped when he saw Brianne's name in a text message from Philip, and his blood froze when he read it.
"I propose we head up to the top level and see what's happening at SharpShooters," Jude said. The other three men gaped at him. SharpShooters might be a club in Jude's casino, but it represented everything he hated - loud techno music, a crowded dance floor, and a wild crowd. He didn't want to tell them about Brianne, didn't want to give them more fodder for their gossip and speculation. He could have bailed on their impromptu guys' night out, but that would only have invited more suspicion. His best bet was to get them all to SharpShooters and lose them before he found Brianne. "I've heard it can get rather intense in there. As the owner, I should see it for myself."
"Right," Mark said, his typical smirk expressing intense skepticism.
"I'm in," Sebastian said. "I've got tomorrow off and I'm in the mood to get hammered tonight and find a good use for my hammer." He waggled his eyebrows. "If you know what I mean."
"I'm out," Grayson said. "I've got an early meeting tomorrow."
Grayson hated loud clubs and throngs of people more than Jude did, but Grayson was hurting from a recent break up and had been alone too often lately. "Just hang out for an hour," Jude said. "I probably won't last much longer there myself."
Grayson stood with the others, but he looked less than enthused about the plan. Jude paid for everyone's drinks, they had a group rule that the person who invited everyone out always paid, and walked to the elevator with his friends.
On the way to the club, Jude reminded himself that he just had to be careful, in control. As an old friend it was his duty to make sure Bri stayed safe. She was free to date or dance with whoever she wanted, but he'd make sure she got home in one piece. The very thought of her with someone else might cause his hands to fist and his knees to bend, ready to fight, but that was merely emotion. He'd never been ruled by emotion before and that wasn't going to change.
Together, the men stepped off the elevator right into SharpShooters, a club that took up the entire top floor of his casino. Recognizing the changing demographics of Vegas gamblers, his top tier club employed both women and men as waitstaff, all of them scantily clad. The club floor was packed, the music loud, the drinks flowing, the money changing hands at a pace he loved to see. He could almost get over the obnoxious noise and the drunken throngs if he focused on how much money all those drinks were putting in his bank account. Almost.
He led his friends through the pulsing crowd and past the red ropes to the VIP area, scanning for Brianne as they walked, but when he reached a table and took a seat there was only Grayson still with him. His friend sat next to him with a slight smile. "They got distracted by something shiny."
Jude ordered a drink from a waiter in nothing but black briefs, chaps, and a red bandanna, his uniform neat, his attitude calm and unhurried in the crazy, loud club. Jude took note of the name tag on the bandanna and made a mental note to remember him and look into whether or not he was due for a raise or a promotion. After the waiter left to fill their order, Jude scanned the dance floor from his upper-level vantage point. He wanted to rush down there and find her, to get to her before she found a dance partner, but that was emotion talking. No. He'd sit, enjoy his drink with Grayson, and keep an eye out for her.
On the dance floor below, bodies twisted and gyrated. Hair and sweat arced over the heads of the dancers in the pulsating disco lights. Jude appreciated the beauty of the bodies in motion, high on the music and booze, completely giving themselves over to the abandon of the moment. He'd never been so free, so wild. He'd always had to stay in control, in charge. It was his nature, but it was also the result of growing up with an alcoholic for a father. A father who'd been unreliable, prone to fits of emotion, and impossible to trust if an accident or emergency occurred. His father had never been mean or abusive, he'd even held down a good job and appeared to the outside world to be a good, upstanding husband and father. Jude's mother rarely drank, but she spent much of her energy taking care of Jude's father when she wasn't at her own demanding job, so it had been up to Jude to look out for Isla, to be the voice of reason when his mother couldn't be. He'd shoved emotion aside, he'd shoved aside his own desires, and he'd done what had needed to be done. He'd been doing it for so long, he'd begun to doubt he was capable of abandoning control, of experiencing freedom. Except that he'd come close, with Brianne. He'd been on the verge of forgetting every caution, every reason to hold back, on the verge of abandoning control and just living in the moment, just experiencing every taste of her, every last bit he could wring out of her.
Instead, he'd walked away, and it was the smartest thing he'd done. If he gave up control around her, she'd take it, and she'd destroy him.
Grayson leaned against the balcony and surveyed the crowd below. Jude joined his friend. "See anyone down there who interests you?" Jude asked.
Grayson frowned at the swaying, twisting bodies. "I could never . . ." He sighed and blew out a long breath. "I'm just not built for this, man. Abigail, she understood me. She and I wanted the same things and she was happy . . ." He grunted in annoyance. "I thought she was happy to live quietly, peacefully. I worked all the time, but she never seemed to mind." He shook his head. "It didn't occur to me until she was walking out the door that she hadn't minded because she hadn't missed me. We'd never been more than good friends who had decent sex on occasion."
Jude never ceased to be amazed by how alike he and Grayson were, even though they came from such different worlds. "I've been there," he said. "You ever think we'll always be married to our work because it's just fucking easier than figuring out how to make another person happy?"
The anguish in Grayson's expression made it clear he wasn't on the same page at all. "I hope not. I want the wife and the kids and the happy family. I don't want to die and only have the fucking casino and a fuck ton of money as my legacy."
Jude didn't think that sounded like such a bad legacy to leave behind. He slapped Grayson on the back. "You'll find the right woman, but you have to be open to it."
Grayson shook his head and winced as the music changed and the dancers screamed in appreciation. "I'm not going to find her in a place like this. I can be damn sure of that." He bumped his fist against Jude's. "I'm done, man. I'll see you next weekend for our hike."
Jude waved his friend off and looked back down at the crowd. Grayson might be right about not finding the right woman in this club scene, but Jude had already found the woman of his dreams and he knew exactly where she was.
He just needed to figure out how to let her go.
CHAPTER SEVEN
In her pretty, though mall-bought, dress and heels, Bri felt like a different person. Normally, she might be nervous to step into a loud club on her own, but she felt ready to take on the world, because of the clothes, but also because she was so long overdue to raise some hell.
All of which was very good, since she couldn't afford a drink to bolster her confidence. She'd barely been able to afford the cover charge. She was going to have to stay in that club until dawn to make it worth the money she'd spent.
She walked straight to the dance floor, careful not to think of or look for Jude, and found a spot in the middle of the undulating throng of bodies.
She swayed and danced, but mostly she people watched. She watched men dance up on women to get accepted or rejected. She watched couples get lost in each other as though they were the only two people at the club. She watched drunk idiots and drunk happy people reveling in the joy of the music. A few guys tried to head her way, but she shot them down with narrowed eyes and a shake of her head. She'd know the right guy when she saw him. She could have more fun alone than she could with some guy who didn't light her up, who couldn't make her laugh.
Hands landed on her waist with a hard grip and she spun, ready to tell the guy to get lost, except it wasn't just some rando trying to feel her up, it was Jude.
She stared, shocked at how happy she felt to see him, how badly she wanted to press her body against his. His expression was grim, but also uncertain as he scanned her body, his hands now loose by his sides. She could tell him to go to hell or she could dance with him. He was allowing her to decide.
She moved toward him as though it wasn't even a choice. Maybe it wasn't. Keeping her distance all day at work had made her willpower weak. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he let out a sigh, audible even over the loud music.
How to Lasso a Billionaire Page 10
