Ian's Ultimate Gamble. Brenda Jackson

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      Ian’s hand trembled as he poured wine into his glass. Talk about needing a drink. It had taken everything within him not to pull Brooke into his arms at several points during their conversation. And even worse, he had picked up on that vibe, the same one she always emitted whenever she wanted him to make love to her.

      It had been awkward to stand beside her and know what her body wanted and not oblige her the way he would have done in the past. Angrily he slammed down the glass on his coffee table. This is not the past, this is the present and don’t even think about going back there, Westmoreland. The only thing you and Brooke can ever be is friends, and even that is really pushing it.

      He muttered a curse, and at the same time the phone rang. It was his private line. “Yes?”

      “Hey, you’re okay?”

      Hearing his cousin Storm’s voice, Ian shook his head and smiled. It had always been the weirdest thing. His brother Quade was his fraternal twin like Chase was Storm’s. But when it came to that special bond he’d heard that twins shared, it had always been he and Storm and Quade and Chase.

      Quade worked for the Secret Service, and half the time none of the family knew what he doing or where he was. But they could depend on Chase to know if Quade was ever in trouble with that special link they shared. Likewise, Ian knew that only Storm could detect when something was bothering him, even thousands of miles away.

      “And what makes you think something is wrong?” Ian asked, sitting down on a leather sofa. This spot gave him a view of Brooke whenever she swam in the shallow end of his pool.

      Storm chuckled. “Hey, I feel you, man. The one night I should be getting a good night’s sleep, now that the girls are sleeping through the night, I’m worried about you.”

      Ian lifted a brow. “Worried about me?”

      “Yes. What’s going on, Ian? What has you so uptight that I can sense it?”

      Ian’s attention was momentarily pulled away from his phone conversation when Brooke swam to the shallow end of the pool. He shifted slightly on the sofa to get a better view and knew from where he sat that he could see her but she couldn’t see him.

      He watched as she stood up, emerging from the water like a sex goddess as she tossed her wet hair back from her face. But it wasn’t her hair that was holding his attention. Have mercy! She had a body that made men drool, curves in all the right places—and he was familiar with those curves, every delectable inch. And that bikini, wet and clinging to her, looked good on her. Too good. He could only imagine the reaction she would have gotten from other men. But just the thought that he had once touched her all over, licked her all over, made love to that body in more ways than he could count, sent blood surging through his veins. “Damn.”

      “Hey, man. Talk to me. What’s going on?”

      Storm’s words reminded Ian he was still holding the phone in his hand, and it was taking every ounce of strength he had to continue to do so. He suddenly felt weak, physically drained.

      “Brooke,” he finally said, whispering her name softly, drawing out the sound deep from within his throat on a husky sigh. “She’s here.”

      “What do you mean she’s there?”

      Ian rolled his eyes upward. “Just what I said, Storm. She checked into the Rolling Cascade for two weeks for some R and R. But at this moment she happens to be in my penthouse, using my pool. We’re trying to put the past behind us.”

      “Brilliant. That’s just brilliant, Ian,” Storm chuckled. “Don’t tell me, let me guess. You and Brooke are trying to put the past behind you and become friends. Come on, Ian. Think about it. Do you actually believe you can be just friends with the only woman who’s ever had your heart?”

      Ian frowned. “Yes, since the key word here is had. I stopped loving Brooke years ago.”

      “So you say.”

      “So I mean. Good night, Storm.”

      Three

      Ian stood and walked across the room to the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling window that gave a breathtaking view of Lake Tahoe.

      When he had reopened the casino after extensive remodeling, he’d given it more than just a new name and a new face. He had given the place a new attitude. He had painstakingly combined the charm of the Nevada landscape with the grandeur of a world-class casino, then added an upscale nightlife whose unique ambiance appealed to a sophisticated clientele.

      His penthouse had the best view of the lake. Strategically set on the west side of the casino and covering portions of both the eighth and ninth floors, his domain was away from the villas, the various shops and restaurants, the golf courses with cascading waterfalls and the tennis courts. He considered his personal quarters as his very own private hot spot, although between the hours he’d spent making sure things were perfect for the grand opening nine months ago, his time had been too consumed in business matters to pursue any intimate pleasures, and he had not yet invited a woman up to his lair, other than members of his family and now Brooke.

      Brooke.

      He cocked his head, and a smile touched his lips when he heard the sound of her splashing around in the pool. For some reason, he liked knowing she was there, and regardless of what Storm thought, he and Brooke held no emotional ties. The most they could ever be again was friends.