paid you to be there!"Jordanmuttered half violently.
She slid a slanting glance up at his set face and decided not to say anything further on the subject. She had won the small battle, and that was enough for now.
He watched her play with silent approval, and Alyssa found herself enjoying the admiration of a peer.
It was a novel experience, and when she picked up her chips and walked away from the blackjack table, she was feeling deliciously contented
They caught themidnightcabaret in the show room ofJordan's hotel, and afterward he led her into a nearby lounge for a nightcap. The evening had been perfect as far as Alyssa was concerned, and he must have seen the pleasure in her eyes.
"To the only woman I've ever met with whom I can truly discuss my work," he saluted her, smiling as he took a sip of the brandy he had ordered for both of them. Then he set down the snifter and asked evenly, "You'll be coming back to Vegas next weekend, of course?"
A strange tension gripped her as Alyssa faced him across the small table. She hadn't been expecting the question. Her mind had been on the present, just as it had been the night before. For a woman who made a living using statistics to predict future events, she had been doing a remarkably good job of ignoring her own future.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Why do you say, of course?" she countered as lightly as possible.
"Because at the conservative rate you're working, you've got quite a way to go before you have the down payment on that red Porsche. Vegas is the closest source of easy money for you, so I assumed you'd be coming here rather regularly for a while. Right?" He leaned back casually in his chair, his eyes never leaving her face. She felt as if she were a deck of cards he had shuffled and was now about to play with. It was not a comfortable sensation.
"Well, yes, I had planned on returning soon," she agreed hesitantly.
"Don't bother with hotel reservations," he said politely. "You'll be staying with me."
She held her breath. Part of her wanted to give way to the thrill of happiness that accompanied the notion of seeing him again the following weekend. But another part of her advised caution. The whole situation was so unreal, so much a fanstasy for her, that she couldn't analyze it properly. That knowledge alone should inspire a great deal of care, she told herself.
"You're going to be here next weekend?" she hedged
"I'll be here for at least another couple of weeks. Then I'll be going toOregon."
"Your home?"
"As much of a home as I've got, yes," he agreed dismissively. "When will you be arriving? Friday night?
I'll pick you up at the airport"
He was rushing her, crowding her into agreement, not giving her a chance to think. She knew what he was doing and had a hunch he did, too. The catch was that she wanted to be hurried along. The lure of spending another fantasy weekend with this man was almost irresistible.
"Do you really want me to spend another weekend with you?" she whispered, her eyes shining.
"You know the answer to that. I want you, Alyssa. I've never tried to make a secret of that fact. What about you? Do you want the time with me?"
Alyssa was unable to hold the golden eyes. Her own gaze dropped to the snifter in her hand as she whispered the truth. "Yes."
"Then we'll make your flight reservations tomorrow when I take you to the airport. Next Friday evening, I'll be waiting for you." There was a note of fierce satisfaction in his dark voice.
"Same room?" Alyssa found the courage to tease him.
"I'll see if I can find another one even more interesting to surprise you with," he promised.
"Oh, no! The one you have is quite surprising enough, thanks!"
"Then why don't we go on upstairs and discover whatever else it has to offer?" he suggested deliberately, setting down his glass with an air of finality and getting to his feet Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter,
She slid a slanting glance up at his set face and decided not to say anything further on the subject. She had won the small battle, and that was enough for now.
He watched her play with silent approval, and Alyssa found herself enjoying the admiration of a peer.
It was a novel experience, and when she picked up her chips and walked away from the blackjack table, she was feeling deliciously contented
They caught themidnightcabaret in the show room ofJordan's hotel, and afterward he led her into a nearby lounge for a nightcap. The evening had been perfect as far as Alyssa was concerned, and he must have seen the pleasure in her eyes.
"To the only woman I've ever met with whom I can truly discuss my work," he saluted her, smiling as he took a sip of the brandy he had ordered for both of them. Then he set down the snifter and asked evenly, "You'll be coming back to Vegas next weekend, of course?"
A strange tension gripped her as Alyssa faced him across the small table. She hadn't been expecting the question. Her mind had been on the present, just as it had been the night before. For a woman who made a living using statistics to predict future events, she had been doing a remarkably good job of ignoring her own future.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Why do you say, of course?" she countered as lightly as possible.
"Because at the conservative rate you're working, you've got quite a way to go before you have the down payment on that red Porsche. Vegas is the closest source of easy money for you, so I assumed you'd be coming here rather regularly for a while. Right?" He leaned back casually in his chair, his eyes never leaving her face. She felt as if she were a deck of cards he had shuffled and was now about to play with. It was not a comfortable sensation.
"Well, yes, I had planned on returning soon," she agreed hesitantly.
"Don't bother with hotel reservations," he said politely. "You'll be staying with me."
She held her breath. Part of her wanted to give way to the thrill of happiness that accompanied the notion of seeing him again the following weekend. But another part of her advised caution. The whole situation was so unreal, so much a fanstasy for her, that she couldn't analyze it properly. That knowledge alone should inspire a great deal of care, she told herself.
"You're going to be here next weekend?" she hedged
"I'll be here for at least another couple of weeks. Then I'll be going toOregon."
"Your home?"
"As much of a home as I've got, yes," he agreed dismissively. "When will you be arriving? Friday night?
I'll pick you up at the airport"
He was rushing her, crowding her into agreement, not giving her a chance to think. She knew what he was doing and had a hunch he did, too. The catch was that she wanted to be hurried along. The lure of spending another fantasy weekend with this man was almost irresistible.
"Do you really want me to spend another weekend with you?" she whispered, her eyes shining.
"You know the answer to that. I want you, Alyssa. I've never tried to make a secret of that fact. What about you? Do you want the time with me?"
Alyssa was unable to hold the golden eyes. Her own gaze dropped to the snifter in her hand as she whispered the truth. "Yes."
"Then we'll make your flight reservations tomorrow when I take you to the airport. Next Friday evening, I'll be waiting for you." There was a note of fierce satisfaction in his dark voice.
"Same room?" Alyssa found the courage to tease him.
"I'll see if I can find another one even more interesting to surprise you with," he promised.
"Oh, no! The one you have is quite surprising enough, thanks!"
"Then why don't we go on upstairs and discover whatever else it has to offer?" he suggested deliberately, setting down his glass with an air of finality and getting to his feet Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter,
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