“I should ask you the same thing.” He took his seat then with a nod motioned for her to do the same.
She didn’t want to sit. She wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible. But that would prove she was afraid. And she’d be damned if she gave him that satisfaction. She sat in the chair across from his desk. “Casinos are open to the public.”
He sat back in the chair eyeing her carefully. “That they are. But they don’t give away money. At least my casino doesn’t. And according to my Pit Boss you want to speak to me about a five-thousand-dollar marker owed. How do you plan to pay? Cash or credit?”
Oh, God, this was his casino. Lincoln Donovan owned the Gramercy. She truly did have bad luck! Still, she refused to break down. There was a solution, she just had to find it. “I don’t have that much cash on hand. I can sign a promissory note and…”
He was already shaking his head negatively. “I don’t take promissory notes.”
She cocked her head to the side. “But you don’t have a problem taking innocent girls?” She hadn’t meant to say that. Yes, as a matter of fact she had. She hadn’t ever planned on seeing him again, so all the anger she’d had that morning when she’d awakened to an empty bed in a male dormitory came rushing back with a vengeance. Over the years she’d thought of a million ways she wanted to curse him out for what he’d done to her.
He frowned. “I’d rather we talked about business.”
“That’s fine. But our first order of business is the past. You know, the night you seduced me and the morning you left?”
“Jade—” he began.
“How could you be so careless? So evil?”
He stood, slamming his hand down on the desk. “That’s enough!” he roared. “I am not going to rehash the past with you. It happened. Get over it.”
“Get over it?” She stood, too, glaring at him with a look so vicious that it probably matched his. “Who the hell do you think you are? You can’t just do what you want and think you don’t have to ever answer for it.”
He came around the desk towering over her until she had to crane her neck to keep eye contact. “I can do what I want. And I don’t have to answer to you. On the other hand, if you don’t come up with my five thousand dollars I can call the LVPD and they can engage you in a question-and-answer session.”
At that moment she hated him more than she’d ever hated another human in her life. She wanted to slap him, to scream at his callousness, his arrogance. But she’d been raised better than that. So with a deep breath and a step back she decided to forego the fact that Lincoln Donovan would forever be on her most-hated list and handle her business. “I told you I don’t have the cash. So what do you want?”
That was a loaded question if Linc had ever heard one.
She was beautiful. Too beautiful for words. But then he’d known that years ago. What he didn’t know, or perhaps hadn’t had the chance to experience, was how sinfully sexy she became when she was fired up. He’d wanted nothing more than to grab her, to toss her over his desk and have his way with her. Luckily, like Jade, he remembered their past. In the instant he’d touched her the memories of their one night together came barreling back. He’d noticed her weeks before they’d actually met and had watched her the entire time she was at the party. He’d known then that he wanted her in his bed. It wasn’t until after he’d achieved that feat that the trouble began.
Jade Vincent was incredible to look at. Who would have guessed that he’d want more? He had no idea that spending one evening with her would incite feelings of permanency that would scare him witless.
But that was then.
And this was now. Did she have any idea how much her words had turned him on? No, she was clearly too angry to see that.
This was a totally different Jade than he remembered. She didn’t have that naive look about her anymore. Her body had filled out more, her stance had become more self-assured and assertive. No, this was definitely not the college girl he’d slept with.
And yet, he desired her just the same.
“I want you,” he said slowly and watched as her eyes grew bigger. “For an entire week. Seven days and six nights.” The thought came to him as simply as his next breath.
“What?” she whispered.
“I’ll clear your debt if you spend the week with me.”
She was already shaking her head negatively backing further away from him. It wasn’t her debt, but he didn’t need to know that. He didn’t need to know anything about her. “You are out of your everlasting mind.”
She moved and he moved with her until her back was to the wall, her front dangerously close to his. “I’m making you an offer. Spend the week with me or I’ll call the police.” To his own ears the ultimatum sounded stupid and offensive and he waited with baited breath for her to answer.
He should have stopped, should have kept a reasonable distance from her but simply couldn’t. The tips of her breasts brushed against his chest and tension fairly crackled between them. “Six nights, in my bed.” He lowered his head until his lips were scant inches from her ear. “Seven days at my beck and call.” His tongue scraped her earlobe.
Jade melted. Heaven help her she was still attracted to this monster. And now she owed him money. Simply put, she was at his mercy.
Even so what he was suggesting was ridiculous. She wasn’t for sale…her body wasn’t for sale. “No,” she stated in a shaky voice.
He traced a scorching path down her neck with his tongue. “And you don’t strike me as a woman who would renege on her debts.”
Chapter 2
“Seven days and six nights,” Jade stated matter-of-factly.
Linc was still kissing her neck but the shift in her tone stopped him. A moment ago she’d been breathless, feeling the same attraction that he was, the same attraction that they’d shared eight years ago. He couldn’t believe he could still want her with the same urgency as a young, horny student. He had to get a grip on his actions, on what he was about to do, but couldn’t help being entranced by the woman in his arms.
He pulled back until he could once again look into her eyes. She had deep, compassionate eyes. Eyes that held secrets and sadness. He’d always wanted to know why. Jade Vincent had intrigued him from the moment he first saw her. Linc was shocked to realize that eight years later her effect on him hadn’t changed.
“My parents are celebrating their fortieth wedding anniversary this week. There are a lot of activities planned and I’ll need a date. For reasons I won’t go into I need a woman to give the appearance of a healthy, loving relationship.”
“I find it very hard to believe that you can’t find a date,” she quipped.
Reaching out a hand he let his thumb trace her bottom lip, the very spot he longed to taste. Linc forced himself to be cautious, to take this twist of fate slowly. Eight years ago he’d let her slip away and for the last ten minutes he’d been thinking of any reason he could to keep her here.
“I can get a date. But this calls for something a little less dramatic. You’ll be doing a job, working off your debt.”
Jade folded her arms over her chest, effectively ending the intimate contact between her breasts and him. She looked up, defiance clear in those sultry eyes. He was curious as to what was going on in that pretty little head of hers but decided to wait until she divulged her thoughts, which, if he remembered her correctly, he was sure she’d do. Jade didn’t mince words. That was part of the reason he’d left his