her eyes. "I know you don't need my help, but it will speed things up considerably if you let me give you a hand."
It was true, of course. Alyssa made it a rule to keep all of her wins on a small scale in order to avoid suspicion. Working alone, it would take most of that night and Sunday to gather the thousand dollars.
WithJordan's help, it could be done in a much shorter iirne. But the thought of taking money from him after spending the weekend in his bed went against her grain.
"No, Jordan. Please. I don't want any help." She twisted the key violently in the lock and pushed at the door, not looking at him.
He caught her shoulder as she stepped into the room, spinning her around to face him as the door clicked shut behind them. His tawny eyes blazed down at her, all trace of his easy, relaxed mood gone. The infinitely skilled fingers proved as knowledgeable in the art of subtle punishment as they were in dealing cards or giving pleasure. He didn't quite hurt her, but Alyssa found herself not daring to move. It crossed her mind that Jordan Kyle would be a very dangerous man under certain circumstances.
"Alyssa, I'm not trying to pay you for this weekend," he said bluntly.
She drew in a breath. "That's what it would seem like you were doing," she said carefully.
"That's ridiculous."
"Is it?"
"You know damn well it is!" he retorted.
"I hardly know you at all,Jordan. That's just the point," Alyssa said with unnatural calm. "And I'd rather not take money from you. Let me rephrase that. I won't take money from you. Do I make myself very clear?"
The fingers on her bare shoulder dug a little deeper, and the hard lines of his face seemed to have been etched in steel. "Oh, yes. You make yourself very clear. It's quite clear that you're being stubborn, illogical and overly sensitive, but if you insist on behaving like that—"
"I do."
"Then I'll let you get away with it For a while." He freed her shoulder with an obvious effort at self-control and glanced around the hotel room. "Now why don't you change your clothes so that we can stop wasting the day."
Hiding a sigh of relief, Alyssa obeyed. She felt as if she'd had a rather narrow escape, although she wasn't precisely sure what she had avoided.
Her weekendLas Vegaswardrobe included a sleek, strapless maillot diagonally striped in black and white Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
and piped at the upper edge in crimson. Over it, she wore an overscaled white cotton cover-up that she had bought a week earlier. Styled with push-up sleeves and a red sash, it fell to her knees and doubled as a casual dress. When she reappeared from the bathroom,Jordan's eyes flickered with approval, and he inclined his head in a gravely polite manner.
"Does anyone back inVenturaknow the real you?" he asked whimsically.
"No one knows how I've been spending my weekends lately, if that's what you mean," she admitted.
And what a disaster it would be if anyone did!
"Not exactly, but we'll let it pass for now. Come on, my sweet business associate. Let's go find a pool and prepare ourselves for a hard night's work."
That evening, after dinner, when Alyssa walked into the first casino onJordan's arm, she did so with a whole new appreciation for the fantasy. It was infinitely more enjoyable sharing it with a man who truly belonged in this world, she decided.
"Do you ever feel like a marauding shark swimming through a casino and taking a bite here and there?"
Alyssa demanded laughingly as she joinedJordanafter he'd walked out of a poker game with a discreet pile of chips.
He looked down at her and smiled faintly. "Sometimes. How are you doing?"
"Okay. I'm going to play a little more blackjack and then quit for the evening."
"I've made enough tonight to put you over the top of your goal," he reminded her quietly.
"I'm on schedule," she retorted firmly.
"All right. Have it your way. I don't want you lying in my arms tonight thinking I've somehow
It was true, of course. Alyssa made it a rule to keep all of her wins on a small scale in order to avoid suspicion. Working alone, it would take most of that night and Sunday to gather the thousand dollars.
WithJordan's help, it could be done in a much shorter iirne. But the thought of taking money from him after spending the weekend in his bed went against her grain.
"No, Jordan. Please. I don't want any help." She twisted the key violently in the lock and pushed at the door, not looking at him.
He caught her shoulder as she stepped into the room, spinning her around to face him as the door clicked shut behind them. His tawny eyes blazed down at her, all trace of his easy, relaxed mood gone. The infinitely skilled fingers proved as knowledgeable in the art of subtle punishment as they were in dealing cards or giving pleasure. He didn't quite hurt her, but Alyssa found herself not daring to move. It crossed her mind that Jordan Kyle would be a very dangerous man under certain circumstances.
"Alyssa, I'm not trying to pay you for this weekend," he said bluntly.
She drew in a breath. "That's what it would seem like you were doing," she said carefully.
"That's ridiculous."
"Is it?"
"You know damn well it is!" he retorted.
"I hardly know you at all,Jordan. That's just the point," Alyssa said with unnatural calm. "And I'd rather not take money from you. Let me rephrase that. I won't take money from you. Do I make myself very clear?"
The fingers on her bare shoulder dug a little deeper, and the hard lines of his face seemed to have been etched in steel. "Oh, yes. You make yourself very clear. It's quite clear that you're being stubborn, illogical and overly sensitive, but if you insist on behaving like that—"
"I do."
"Then I'll let you get away with it For a while." He freed her shoulder with an obvious effort at self-control and glanced around the hotel room. "Now why don't you change your clothes so that we can stop wasting the day."
Hiding a sigh of relief, Alyssa obeyed. She felt as if she'd had a rather narrow escape, although she wasn't precisely sure what she had avoided.
Her weekendLas Vegaswardrobe included a sleek, strapless maillot diagonally striped in black and white Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
and piped at the upper edge in crimson. Over it, she wore an overscaled white cotton cover-up that she had bought a week earlier. Styled with push-up sleeves and a red sash, it fell to her knees and doubled as a casual dress. When she reappeared from the bathroom,Jordan's eyes flickered with approval, and he inclined his head in a gravely polite manner.
"Does anyone back inVenturaknow the real you?" he asked whimsically.
"No one knows how I've been spending my weekends lately, if that's what you mean," she admitted.
And what a disaster it would be if anyone did!
"Not exactly, but we'll let it pass for now. Come on, my sweet business associate. Let's go find a pool and prepare ourselves for a hard night's work."
That evening, after dinner, when Alyssa walked into the first casino onJordan's arm, she did so with a whole new appreciation for the fantasy. It was infinitely more enjoyable sharing it with a man who truly belonged in this world, she decided.
"Do you ever feel like a marauding shark swimming through a casino and taking a bite here and there?"
Alyssa demanded laughingly as she joinedJordanafter he'd walked out of a poker game with a discreet pile of chips.
He looked down at her and smiled faintly. "Sometimes. How are you doing?"
"Okay. I'm going to play a little more blackjack and then quit for the evening."
"I've made enough tonight to put you over the top of your goal," he reminded her quietly.
"I'm on schedule," she retorted firmly.
"All right. Have it your way. I don't want you lying in my arms tonight thinking I've somehow
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