Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
He didn’t apologize. He was a goddamn ruthless businessman who was planning on expanding on his casino ownership. Running around apologizing to people wasn’t in his genetic makeup.
But this woman… For some inexplicable reason, he wanted to soothe her. Ensure she hadn’t been hurt by his old man’s callous words. The icy wall surrounding her had been lined with barbs, sharp and deadly. He had no doubt they would slice him wide open should he dare approach.
Shoving his hands in his pants pockets, he shrugged. “What do you have for me?”
Daisy remained upright in the chair, eyes focused on the man who continued to peruse what she’d brought him. It wasn’t anything definitive because, in truth, this person was devious. They’d laid out a blatant trail to follow, but the subterfuge ran far deeper. All she’d presented at the moment was her plan to go through each crumb which had been left.
He dropped her paper to the desktop and pinned those slate-gray eyes on her. Stiffening her spine, she met his gaze head on. She refused to shift or look away.
“How sure are you that the first trail, leading to my brother, is a fake?”
She gave a slow shake of her head. “I can’t comment on that yet. I will say,” she continued when his gaze narrowed and he opened his mouth, “that the trail basically giftwraps him for you. All of the pomp and circumstance of his conceivable guilt makes me wonder, especially given that the intricacies of the hidden trail are meticulous and have been created with painstaking care.”
“Which you doubt, then, was him?”
“Let’s go with this. It makes me wonder why someone would leave such a rousing announcement they’d been there if they were trying to steal from someone I would presume knows them fairly well.”
Livingston rocked back in the highbacked leather chair and her mind flashed to their night together in the hotel room. There’d been a similar chair there. No wheels and not leather, but with the high back. He’d taken her on it, one hand gripping her hip and one splayed in her hair as he fucked her.
Heat flushed through her and she closed her eyes, needing a moment to regain control. To will her body to calm down.
“Ms. Wentz.”
God, that voice made her long for things in the past. She gulped as quickly as she could and glanced at him once more.
Unable to read his expression, she locked down her emotions and waited for him to say something else. He didn’t, just sat there watching her. Damn it, she wanted to shift beneath the intensity of that gaze.
“The sooner the better for me, Ms. Wentz.”
She took that as a dismissal and rose with a nod. “Understood.” Bending at the waist, she picked up her briefcase and walked to the door without another word. Grip on the burnished gold handle, she froze when his heat brushed up against her from behind.
He still smelled the same as she recalled from their night together. There was a hint of fresh nature scent around him, and since their night together, she had been hooked on it. She wasn’t the outdoorsy one of her family, she’d been sick and not able to go outside a lot. She did enjoy sitting out and enjoying a stunning view, but for her it was more of having windows and lights to see. City lights were fine. But the scent of outdoors on him, sign her up.
“There’s something about you, Daisy Wentz, that intrigues the fuck out of me. I will figure it out.” He settled his hand on hers, opening the door. “When I do, you and I will be having a different discussion.” His final words were spoken against the side of her neck, and she shivered in response.
Daisy didn’t look back, didn’t respond to him, just removed her hand from beneath his and walked out, giving Monica a small nod as she strode to the elevator. Even there, she refused to use the polished amber of the elevator door to see if he remained where she’d left him.
At the arrival of the elevator, she stepped on, spun around and pressed the button for the ground floor, as she had something to do down there. Livingston hadn’t moved, his eyes on her, his face still an unreadable mask.
She didn’t know if he was mad at her or unsure of what to make of her. Damn man confused the hell out of her. Using the time during the ride down to her benefit, she pushed thoughts of Livingston Rhodes out of her mind.
As she walked through the casino, she again hugged the edge, not wanting anyone to have an issue with her carrying a briefcase.
“Daisy!” a familiar masculine voice called out to her.
A true grin, the first of the day, spread over her face as she hurried toward the man waiting for her.