Ian's Ultimate Gamble ; Seduction, Westmoreland Style

by Brenda Jackson

  He released her mouth but kept her close to him, in his arms. “I think we did stand beneath a shooting star that night,” he said in a low voice, tracing the tip of his thumb over her lips. “There hasn’t been anything but nonstop passion between us since then.”

  She smiled, thinking of all the times they had spent together since that night, and inwardly she had to agree. “There’s always been a lot of passion between us, Ian,” she reminded him.

  He leaned down and brushed a kiss on her lips. “Yes, things were always that way, weren’t they. Do you know that you spoiled me for any other woman?”

  “Did I?”

  “Yes. I tried to forget you but I couldn’t, Brooke.”

  She sighed. This didn’t sound like the goodbye speech she had been expecting. This was a confession. She decided to follow his lead. “I didn’t even try forgetting you, Ian. It would have been useless. You were my first lover and a girl never forgets her first.”

  He grinned. “Sweetheart, the way I see it…or perhaps a better word is the way I felt it, I am your one and only. Do you deny it?”

  “No. I couldn’t stand the thought of another man touching me.”

  Ian pulled her into his arms. Hearing her admit such a thing touched him deeply.

  “Ian?”

  He pulled back and looked at her. “Yes?”

  “I don’t understand why we’re talking about these things,” she said, confused.

  He smiled. “Let’s eat and then I’ll explain everything.”

  “Okay, but there’s something I need to tell you.”

  He leaned down and brushed another kiss on her lips. “We’ll talk after dinner.”

  Ian led her over to the beautifully set table and seated her. “Would you like some wine?” he asked, his voice so husky it sent shivers all the way down her spine.

  “Yes, please.” She watched as he poured the wine in her glass and then in his.

  “I had the chef prepare something special for us tonight,” he said.

  “What?”

  He chuckled. “You’ll see.” And then with the zing sounding on the elevator he said, “Our dinner has arrived.”

  A half hour later Brooke was convinced there was nothing more romantic than dining beneath the stars, especially when the person you were with was Ian Westmoreland. Dinner was delicious. Melt-in-your-mouth yeast rolls, a steak that had been cooked on an open grill, roasted potatoes, broccoli, the freshest salad to ever touch her lips and her favorite dessert—strawberry cheesecake.

  Over dinner he surprised her by sharing with her his dream to open another casino in the Bahamas. He also mentioned the conversation he’d had with his mother earlier and her excitement over the prospect of her first grandchildren being twins.

  “I just can’t imagine Durango married,” Brooke said, shaking her head, thinking about Ian’s brother who’d been the biggest flirt she’d ever met. But then, Durango was also a really nice guy and she really liked him.

  “Neither could I at first, but after meeting Savannah you’ll see why. They may have married because she was pregnant, but now there’s no doubt in my mind that Durango really loves her. So it seems another Westmoreland bachelor has bitten the dust.”

  “Yes, it seems that way,” Brooke said, lowering her head to take another sip of her wine to avoid looking into Ian’s eyes. Maybe it was her imagination but she had caught him staring at her a number of times during the course of the evening.

  When dinner was over he stood and crossed the room to turn on a stereo system. Immediately, music began playing, a slow instrumental performed by Miles Davis. Ian returned to her chair and stretched out his hand. “Will you dance with me, Brooke?”

  Brooke sighed, wondering where all this was leading. The thought that he was going through all this just to tell her goodbye was unsettling, and when he wrapped his arms around her, she placed her head on his chest, fighting back the tears. They’d barely made it through the song when she pulled out of his arms, not able to take it anymore, and took a step back, withdrawing from him.

  “Brooke? What’s wrong?”

  “I’m sorry, Ian, but I can’t take it anymore. You didn’t have to go through all of this. Why don’t you just say the words so I can leave.”

  Ian lifted a brow. He had planned on saying the words, but for some reason he had a feeling that the words he planned on saying weren’t what she was expecting to hear. “And what words do you think I’m going to say, Brooke?” he asked, balling his hands into fists by his side to keep from reaching out to her.

  “You know, the usual. Goodbye. Adios. Sayonara. Arrivederci. Au revoir. Take your pick. They all mean the same thing in whatever language.”

  He took a step closer to her. “Um, how about Je t’aime. Te amo. Kimi o ai shiteru. Nakupenda. And only because I hear Jamal say it often to Delaney in Arabic, how about, Ana behibek.”

  He took another step closer as his gaze roamed over her. “But I prefer the plain old English version,” he said, reaching out and taking her hand and pulling her close to him. “I love you.”

  The tears Brooke had fought to hold back earlier flowed down her face. Ian had admitted he loved her. Did he really mean it?

  As if reading her mind he tipped her chin up to meet his gaze. “And yes, I mean it. I never stopped loving you, Brooke, although God knows I tried. But I couldn’t. Spending time with you this week and a half has been wonderful and it made me realize what you mean to me. I’ve been living and going through the motions these past four years, but that’s about all. But the moment you walked into my office that day and I breathed in your scent, a part of me knew what had been missing from my life, and this morning when I admitted in my heart what you meant to me, I decided I don’t plan to let you ever go again.”

  Brooke’s heart felt like it was going to burst in her chest because she knew if he ever discovered the real reason she’d been here he would feel differently. She knew then that she had to tell him everything. “Ian, there’s something I need to tell you. There’re things you need to know.”

  “Sounds serious, but the only serious thing I want to hear is for you to tell me that you love me, too.”

  “Oh, Ian,” she said, reaching up and smoothing a fingertip over his bearded chin. “I do love you. I never stopped loving you, either.”

  He smiled and pulled her into his arms. “Then as far as I’m concerned, that says it all.”

  And then he leaned down and gave her a kiss that made everything and every thought flee from her mind.

  * * *

  Brooke awoke the next morning in Ian’s bed to find it empty. They had made love under the stars in the conservatory and then they had caught the elevator to his penthouse and made love again in his bed.

  She threw the covers off her knowing she had to find him immediately and tell him what was going on. The sooner he knew the better. Half an hour later she ran into Vance, literally, in the lobby.

  “Whoa.” He grinned, reaching out his arms to steady her. “Where’s the fire?”

  “Where’s Ian, Vance?”

  “He’s somewhere on the grounds with Jared and Dare. The two of them arrived with their wives this morning.” Vance studied her. Saw her anxious look. “Is something wrong, Brooke?”

  She sighed deeply. “I hope not, but I think we should take every precaution.”

  “Okay. Do you want to tell me what it is?”

  “Yes, but we have to find Ian first.”

  Vance nodded. “That’s not going to be a problem,” he said, taking his mobile phone out of his jacket. He punched in one number and said, “Ian? You’re needed. Brooke and I are on our way to your office. Meet us there.”

  Vance then clicked off the phone, placed it back in his jacket, smiled and gently took hold of Brooke’s arm. “Come on. He’s on his way.”

  * * *

  Ian arrived a few minutes after they did. He walked in with Dare. Dare Westmoreland was tall and extremely handsome just like all the Westmorelan
d men. At any other time Brooke would have been glad to see her mentor, but at the moment she preferred not having an audience when she told Ian everything, including why she’d been there for the past week and a half. She quickly concluded that now would not be the best time to tell him that particular part of it. She would tell him that later. But she needed to tell him about her conversation with Malcolm.

  She gladly accepted the huge hug Dare gave her. The Westmorelands were big on hugs, and she always accepted any they gave her with pleasure. As soon as Dare released her, Ian moved in and circled his arms around her. He had a worried look on his face. “Brooke, what’s wrong? Are you all right?”

  She smiled. “Yes, I’m fine, but I found out something yesterday that you should know. I tried telling you last night but…” She lowered her head, studying the ceramic tile floor, knowing he knew why she’d stopped talking in midsentence and also felt that Dare and Vance had a strong idea, as well.

  “Okay, you want to tell me now? Or is it private between the two of us?” he asked in an incredibly low and sexy voice.

  She raised her head and met his gaze. “No, in fact Vance needs to hear it and Dare might be able to lend some of his experience and expertise.”

  Ian frowned. “This sounds serious.”

  “It might be,” she replied.

  “Then how about you tell us what’s going on.”

  For the next twenty minutes she repeated her conversation with Malcolm. Most of it, anyway. It would have taken less time if Dare and Vance hadn’t interrupted with questions. Both Dare and Vance had heard of the Waterloo Gang.

  Ian turned to Vance. “What do you think?”

  Vance’s face was serious. “I think we should do as Brooke suggested and take additional precautions.”

  Ian nodded. “I agree.” He then turned to Brooke. “According to what you’ve said, it’s this gang’s usual mode of operation to set up shop within their targeted site, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “That means they’re probably already here then,” he said, and she could hear the anger in his voice.

  Brooke nodded. “More than likely. But keep in mind nothing has been confirmed yet. The Bureau is still checking out this informer’s claim.”

  “In that case,” Dare said, “who gave you the authority to share this information with Ian?”

  Brooke met Dare’s gaze. She knew what he was asking her and why. “No one gave me the authority, Dare. I felt Ian should know. Even if it’s not true at least he should be prepared.”

  “And if it is true,” Vance said, his voice thickening with anger, “then we’ll be ready for them.”

  Ian sighed. “And let’s make sure of it. Come on. We need to get up to the surveillance room.”

  When Vance and Dare turned toward the elevator, Ian called over his shoulder, “You two go ahead. Brooke and I will be there in a minute.”

  Once Vance and Dare had left, Ian crossed the room to sit on the edge of his desk. He drew in a deep breath as he continued to look at her. Then giving her a questioning look, he said, “You’re extremely nervous about something. There’s more isn’t there? There’s something you aren’t telling me.”

  Brooke sighed. She knew the time of reckoning had arrived. For a moment she didn’t say anything and then, “Yes. I didn’t want to say anything in front of Vance and Dare.”

  He nodded. “Okay, what is it?”

  She lifted her chin a notch and met his direct gaze. “There’s a reason I’ve been here at the casino this past week and a half, Ian.”

  He frowned. “So you weren’t here for rest and relaxation like you claimed?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  Silence surrounded them for a moment and then Ian asked, “You tracked the Waterloo Gang here?”

  Her expression became somber. “No, it had nothing to do with the Waterloo Gang,” she said, walking over to the window and looking out, trying to hold on to her composure.

  He raised a brow. “Then what?”

  She turned back to him. “You. I was asked to come here to make sure you were running a clean operation. But at no time did I—”

  “What!” he said, coming to his feet. “Are you standing there saying that you were sent here to spy on me and that all those times we spent together—days and nights—meant nothing to you other than you doing your job? That I was nothing but an assignment?”

  Brooke quickly crossed the room to him. “No! That’s not what I’m saying. How could you think that? It really wasn’t an official assignment and—”

  “I don’t want to hear anything else!” Ian said in a voice that shook with anger.

  “Ian, please let me explain things to you,” Brooke said, reaching out to grab hold of his hand.

  He flinched. “No. I don’t think you need to say anything more. You’ve pretty much said it all.”

  CHAPTER 9

  Both Vance and Dare glanced up when Brooke walked into the security surveillance room. Vance lifted a brow. “Where’s Ian?”

  Brooked shrugged as she approached the two men. “Not sure. He left a couple of minutes before I did.”

  They nodded, too polite to probe any further. “I’m having my men run the tapes of the vault to see if there’s any particular person or persons who made frequent trips over in that area,” Vance said.

  He then turned to the man sitting at a monitor. “Show us what you have, Bob.”

  Before Bob could pull anything up, Ian walked in. Although everyone glanced his way, no one said anything. It was obvious from his expression that he wasn’t in the best of moods. Vance explained to Ian what they were doing.

  “Okay, Bob, let her roll,” Vance said.

  They viewed over thirty minutes of footage, and nothing stuck out to arouse their suspicions. At one point, Brooke glanced over her shoulder and found Ian staring at her. The look in his eyes nearly broke her heart. Whatever progress they had made over the past week had been destroyed. The man who had expressed his love for her last night looked as if he resented her in his sight today.

  “Hold it there for a moment,” Vance said to Bob, breaking into Brooke’s thoughts and claiming her attention. “Give me a close-up.”

  The monitor zeroed in on the red-haired woman’s facial features. Vance shrugged and said, “Okay, move on. I thought for a second she reminded me of someone.”

  Brooke, who had been sitting in an empty chair beside Dare, stood, her mind alert. She stared at the woman they had just brought up on the screen. “Hey, wait a minute.”

  Dare glanced up her. “What?”

  “I’ve got a funny feeling.”

  Dare chuckled and said, “If history serves me correctly, that means she might be on to something.”

  Brooke glanced over at Vance. “Can we do a scan of the casino for a minute?”

  Vance nodded to Bob, and the man switched to another monitor that showed the occupants who were milling around in the casino. Dare laughed. “I see my wife is spending money as usual,” he said, when the scanner picked up a pregnant Shelly Westmoreland strolling into a gift shop.

  “Can you give us a clue as to what we’re looking for?” Ian asked in an agitated tone.

  Brooke glanced over her shoulder. “Remember that woman I mentioned last week that I bumped into while shopping and who didn’t remember me the next day?”

  “What about her?” Ian asked.

  “I’ve always found it strange that every time I ran into her in the casino she acted different. I always got bad vibes from her. It seemed as if she had a split personality.”

  “Could be she was just a moody person,” Vance interjected.

  “Or you may have run into her on her bad days,” Dare added.

  Brooke nodded. “Yes, but there were other things, and something in particular that I just can’t put my finger on,” she said, tapping her fingers on the desk. Then she remembered.

  “That first day I bumped into her and accidentally knocked packages out of her hand, she me
ntioned she was on her way somewhere but not to worry because she was known to always be an early bird and that she would be on time for her appointment. The next day I saw her at the golf course, she mentioned being habitually late everywhere she went.”

  Brooke turned her attention back to the monitor and watched as it continued to scan all the occupants in the casino. “Okay, Bob,” she said, moments later. “There she is. The blonde standing next to the tall guy with shoulder-length black hair. That’s supposed to be her husband.”

  By this time, everyone’s curiosity was piqued and they stood staring at the monitor.

  “Do a profile check, Bob, to see who they are,” Vance instructed when the screen had zeroed in on the couple’s faces. Moments later information appeared on the screen. The woman was Kasha Felder and the man, Jeremy Felder. They lived in London. Both had clean records, no prior arrests or violations. Not even a parking ticket.

  “Now go back and run a profile check on the woman with the red hair.”

  Bob quickly switched screens. “Um, that’s strange. I’m not coming up with an ID on her. It’s like she doesn’t exist.”

  Brooke nodded and glanced up at Vance. He now knew where she was going with this. “Scan both women’s facial structures,” Vance instructed.

  Moments later, it was evident that even with different color hair, the women had the same facial structure. A more detailed breakdown showed the woman with red hair was a natural blonde and she was wearing a wig.

  Ian came to stand beside Brooke. “Same woman?” he asked, frowning.

  Brooke shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

  He glanced over at her, lifting a brow. “Twins then?”

  “More than likely, which would explain my split-personality theory. But I have a gut feeling there’s more.” She glanced over at Vance. “Can we look at the tapes around the vault from last week?”

  Vance smiled. “Certainly.”

  Brooke chuckled. She could almost imagine the adrenaline running in the older man’s veins. He probably hadn’t experienced this much excitement since leaving the nation’s capital.

  For the next thirty minutes they scanned the footage. Ian, who was still standing beside her, asked, “Just what are we looking for now?”