Playing With Fire (Games of Chance Series Book 2)

by T. L. Cannon

  Ethan dabbed lightly at the drops of water that slid down her cheeks like tears. “I’m afraid that you are going to have to settle for a Cognac.”

  Crossing over to a nearby wet bar he poured a hearty amount of Camus Cuvee 4.176 into a snifter and offered it to her.

  “I don’t want that,” Kira lied as she eyed the enticing, amber liquid.

  “Drink it,” Ethan commanded. “You’re shivering.”

  Even though she knew that it was more than the cold, damp clothes clinging to her body that was making her tremble, Kira obediently brought the snifter to her lips and took a sizable sip. The expertly wrought sweetness of the Cognac slid smoothly down her throat, immediately creating a pleasurable sensation of warmth that radiated throughout her body.

  “So tell me,” Ethan said once she had stopped shivering. “What exactly is it that you are here to accuse me of?”

  “I already told you, hacking into Gau Lung’s computer system.”

  “And what would be my motive for doing that?”

  “The same motive you had for seducing me in Las Vegas. To gain inside information that you could use to your advantage.”

  Kira thought that she glimpsed something resembling guilt flicker in Ethan’s eyes just before he shifted his gaze to stare out at the storm. Kira’s gaze followed suit. Night was beginning to fall on Hong Kong, turning the tempered glass in front of them into a dark, wavering mirror that blurred their reflections into the rainy landscape. Kira couldn’t help but be chagrined at what a wet, disheveled mess she looked like next to Ethan’s perfectly dressed, perfectly coiffed image.

  “I’m not the one who hacked into the computer system,” Ethan said flatly.

  “And why should I believe you?”

  “I can’t think of one good reason why you should, but it’s the truth nonetheless,” Ethan replied as he turned and walked away from the window.

  “You’re not going to get what you want.” Kira swung around abruptly. “Not this time.”

  “You’re probably right,” Ethan said as he watched her wistfully, the glint of regret in his eyes standing in sharp contrast to his wry smile. “But I will be getting that sub-concession.”

  “And you don’t care what you have to do to get it, do you?” Kira approached Ethan as he stood in the middle of the living room, her expression hard and accusing.

  “You know me, baby,” Ethan quipped. “I’m bad to the bone.”

  “That’s nothing to brag about.”

  “Oh, come on Kira. You know you like it when I’m bad,” Ethan said as he inched in closer to her, deliberately invading her personal space with his almost palpable masculine presence. This time Kira refused to back away.

  “Like you would know anything about what I like.”

  “I certainly used to.” Ethan’s voice turned low and husky as he brushed a wet tendril of hair from her face with his index finger, allowing it’s tip to trail slowly down her jaw line. “Remember?”

  “I’m not the same woman I was two years ago,” Kira said as she pulled away from his touch, fighting off a tiny shiver of something the exact opposite of cold. “My taste in men has improved greatly since then. I much prefer a gentleman to a rogue these days.”

  Ethan’s eyes narrowed into emerald slits. “By ‘gentleman’, can I assume that you are referring to Gabriel Wong.”

  Kira smiled coyly, deriving a certain degree of satisfaction from the jealous tone in Ethan’s voice in spite of herself, the old familiar thrill of the brinksmanship that so heavily defined her relationship with him in the past stirring to life. “You can assume anything you’d like.”

  “Perhaps I should put your little declaration about your taste in men to the test.”

  “If you do you’ll just end up losing on two fronts.” Tossing the wet towel that had been wrapped around her shoulders onto a nearby cocktail table like a gauntlet, Kira sauntered towards the door.

  “Hey, Kira,” Ethan called out after her.

  “What?” she replied wearily, turning around as she reached the door.

  Ethan’s eyes twinkled at her from across the room. “Game on.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Kira silently conceded that she had made a tactical error going to Ethan’s penthouse as she felt the heat from his gaze prickling along her skin from across the crowded exhibition area of The Wong Gallery. It had been like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Even with her back turned to him she could still feel his eyes on her as she pretended to ignore him while studying the red lacquered Chinese vase encased in the glass display before her. “This is exquisite. What period is it from?”

  “The Qianlong dynasty, I believe,” Gabriel said as he looked nervously around the room.

  “You believe? I thought you were as much an expert on Chinese antiquities as your father,” Kira teased.

  “No one is as much of an expert on anything as my father is,” Gabriel replied with uncharacteristic bitterness causing Kira to shift her attention to him in concern.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No. Just ignore my foul mood,” he said with a wave of his hand. “I guess I’m just a little nervous about this evening. As you know, father put me in charge of this event and a lot is riding on how well I pull it off.”

  “Is that so?” Ethan’s voice suddenly emanated from directly over Kira’s shoulder, startling her with the speed and stealth with which he had suddenly materialized at her side. “Like what?”

  “That’s hardly any of your business, Mr. Chance,” Kira replied coolly.

  “You might as well tell him,” Jeremy said sourly as he joined the trio. “He’s going to find out soon enough. Everyone will.”

  “Find out what?” Ethan asked. “About your father’s restructuring plans?”

  Kira’s eyes narrowed suspiciously in Ethan’s direction. “How could you possibly know about that?”

  “It’s not exactly a state secret. There have been rumors swirling that Yi is going to be handing over control of Gau Lung to one of his sons for quite a while now. And I couldn’t help but notice during our meeting this morning that he seemed more interested in gauging Jeremy and Gabriel’s reactions to my proposal than the proposal itself.”

  “How very observant of you,” Jeremy eyed Ethan curiously.

  “At the risk of sounding arrogant, I’m a good judge of situations.” Ethan returned Jeremy’s gaze pointedly, a look of disdain barely hidden beneath the gracious expression on his face. “And people.”

  Jeremy bared his teeth at Ethan in what passed for a smile. “Then I am certain that, in your vast astuteness, you realize that the final decision regarding the sub-concession will ultimately end up in the hands of which ever one of us it is that my father chooses. Which, if my father is wise will be me as Gabriel simply doesn’t have what it takes to run things.”

  “Given the fact that your father has entrusted Gabriel with overseeing this exhibition, it’s obvious that he disagrees with your assessment,” Kira said, immediately jumping to Gabriel’s defense when he, in his natural tendency towards civility, made no attempt to defend himself. She hated the fact that Jeremy was giving Ethan a front row seat to observe the Wong family’s considerable dysfunction, knowing that displaying any weakness to Ethan was an open invitation for him to take advantage of it. However, if Jeremy was hell bent on being his usual obnoxious self, she wasn’t going to allow Gabriel’s tactfulness to undermine his authority where Ethan was concerned. Not only was Gabriel a dear friend but she was counting on him to help her keep the Wong family sub-concession out of Ethan’s hands. “In fact, it would appear that by entrusting Gabriel with his most prized possessions, Yi is heavily leaning in Gabriel’s direction.”

  Both Jeremy and Ethan glowered at Kira, clearly not pleased with her defense of Gabriel for very different reasons. The tenseness of the moment was broken up by the loud, shrill voice of Bunny Wong as she barreled into the exhibition area.

  “There you are, Gabriel,” she squealed breath
lessly, her ample bosoms bobbing precariously within the barely adequate confines of the plunging neckline of the too tight dress she was shoehorned into as she wobbled her way over to her stepson on five inch stilettos. For what seemed like the millionth time, Kira marveled at the fact that this was the woman that a man as refined and dignified as Yi Wong had chosen to be his wife a year ago. The saying ‘opposites attract’ had never been more apt. “You must come with me at once! We have an emergency on our hands!”

  “What is it?” Gabriel asked, the sudden alarm that clouded his face conveying just how much was weighing on this event running as smoothly as possible.

  “Some idiot waiter just dropped an entire case of champagne!” Bunny wailed dramatically. “The whole bloody lot has been destroyed!”

  The muscles in Gabriel’s face relaxed noticeably with relief. “That’s not a problem. There are plenty of reserves in the wine cellar.”

  “I told you that you were overreacting, mother.” Jade Vandercamp trailed wearily behind Bunny, admonishing her mother in a slight British accent, the dulcet tone of her voice as markedly different from that of Bunny’s as her appearance. With her conservative but elegant black evening gown and overall reserved air, one would never guess that the two were mother and daughter. The only discernable similarity between them was their blond hair and even in that the delicacy of Jade’s sleek, silvery blond tresses stood out in sharp contrast to the brassy disarray of curls tumbling around Bunny’s face like a mane of bronze corkscrews. “Naturally, Gabriel has everything under control.”

  Gabriel smiled gratefully at his new step-sister. “If you all will excuse me, I’d better go check on that champagne.”

  Kira resisted the urge to tag along beside him even though the chance to escape Ethan’s unsettling presence tempted her greatly. However, she immediately recognized that would not only be cowardly on her part but also grossly negligent of her on a professional level. She was hired to be Gau Lung's troubleshooter, and Ethan Chance was definitely trouble. He was up to something, she could feel it in her bones. If the security breach at Gau Lung that coincided with his arrival on the scene hadn’t convince her of that then the fact that he somehow already knew about Yi’s plans to give control of Gau Lung to one of his sons certainly had. That, along with the dangerous edge in his voice as he spoke to Jeremy Wong moments earlier convinced Kira that she needed to keep a very close eye on him.

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure he won’t be gone for long,” Ethan said dryly as he brought a glass of champagne up to his lips, irritated by the wistful look on Kira’s face as she watched Gabriel’s retreat. “I promise I won’t gobble you up in is absence.”

  Kira shot a defiant look in Ethan’s direction. “I promise you won’t either.”

  “And just who is this handsome young man speaking so intriguingly of gobbling ladies up,” Bunny cooed as her big, baby blues locked in on Ethan.

  “This is Ethan Chance,” Jeremy said, taking on the task of introductions with a decidedly bored tone as he frowned at Bunny and her daughter. “And this, unfortunately, is my father’s new wife and her kid.”

  “Her kid’s name is Jade, by the way,” Jade said as she extended a slender hand to Ethan.

  “Jade Vandercamp, the Vice President of Accounting for Gau Lung,” Ethan added with a nod as he accepted her outstretched hand.

  Jade flashed a charming smile at Ethan that reflected the distinctively feminine brand of approval that shone in her azure eyes as she studied his handsome features closely, clearly intrigued. “And you are the President of Rising Phoenix Unlimited.”

  “It looks like we’ve both done our homework.” Ethan gave Jade a charming smile of his own, causing Kira’s heart to suddenly sink in the process.

  “How admirably studious of you both,” Kira sniffed, hating both the undertone of cattiness she heard in her own voice and the unwanted emotions that triggered it.

  “I like to keep abreast of everything that’s going on within the company,” Jade said, appearing to be oblivious to Kira’s sarcasm.

  “So I've noticed.” Jeremy scowled down at Jade with open hostility. “Far too much interest for an outsider, if you ask me.”

  “Is it really necessary for you to air our family's dirty laundry out in public like this?” Jade asked, fixing Jeremy with a hard look that belied her exquisitely delicate outward appearance.

  “We’re not family,” Jeremy growled, glaring at her with a stare as cold and hard as black ice before stomping away in a churlish huff.

  “You’ll have to excuse my stepson,” Bunny said with a nervous titter. “He’s having a little difficulty adjusting to the change that his father’s marriage to me has created in his life. Now if you'll pardon me, I really do need to check on our other guests. Press the flesh and all that.”

  “What Jeremy is having difficulty with is being a mature adult,” Jade said irritably, countering her mother’s excuse for Jeremy once she was no longer in earshot. “That’s why I am certain that Yi will be giving control of Gau Lung to Gabriel. If I were you, Mr. Chance, I would focus my energies on winning him over.”

  “Please, call me Ethan,” Ethan replied smoothly.

  Kira noticed a flicker of increased interest flash across Ethan’s face as he turned his full attention towards Jade. Wariness and something perilously close to jealousy mixed uneasily in the pit of her stomach.

  “I’m afraid that courting Gabriel won’t do Mr. Chance much good,” Kira volunteered, directing her comments as much towards Ethan as Jade. “He has as many doubts about the prudence of this proposal as I do.”

  “I’m certain that he does. No doubt, firmly planted in his mind by you,” Jade murmured sharply.

  Kira bristled at the abrasiveness of Jade’s retort, a by-product of the very extensive background check Kira had conducted on Jade and her mother as part of her duties at Gau Lung when Yi first began dating Bunny. Kira had not dug up anything noteworthy on either of the Vandercamp women but somehow word of her inquiries had reached Jade and she’d held it against Kira ever since. Kira knew that Ethan, shark that he was, could smell the bad blood in the water and that was the only thing that kept her from replying to Jade in kind.

  “Gabriel can think for himself,” Kira said in a neutral tone.

  “Yes, he can. But he is also very open to the opinions of others as all good leaders should be. Gabriel and I have become quite close since out parents’ marriage and I think that with a little tweaking of certain aspects of the deal I could sell him on this partnership with Rising Phoenix.” Jade turned her attention pointedly towards Ethan, her pouty pink lips curving up invitingly. “I would be more than happy to meet with you privately to discuss the matter further at a more appropriate time.”

  Ethan cocked his head to one side as he studied Jade more closely. “I would definitely appreciate your input.”

  “I’m sure you would,” Kira interjected, the knot of tension coiling ever more tightly in her gut. “However, this proposed business deal falls outside of both Jade’s duties at Gau Lung and her area of expertise.”

  “Oh, don’t be so damned rigid, Kira,” Jade said with more than a bit of annoyance. “It’s just a discussion. I’m certain that Yi will have no problem with Ethan and I talking.”

  Kira’s face twisted into a frown. She too was certain that Yi would have no problem with it. Yi never seemed to have a problem with anything that Bunny and her daughter did.

  “Well, now that that’s settled, why don’t I phone you tomorrow and set up a meeting. Perhaps over dinner,” Ethan suggested, casting a quick sideways glance in Kira’s direction. As he had hoped, she looked as if her head were about to explode.

  “That sounds lovely. Let me give you my number,” Jade offered eagerly.

  “I’ve got your number,” Ethan replied with a wink. “More of that homework we discussed earlier.”

  “You’re very thorough,” Jade observed, lightly licking her lips. “I like that quality in a man. I look forward to
our meeting.”

  Tossing one last sultry glance over her shoulder at Ethan as she walked away, Jade glided into the throng of people milling about the gallery, mingling amicably with Yi’s other guests with the same smooth effortlessness with which she had just scored a date with Ethan.

  “You haven’t changed a bit have you,” Kira remarked, a hint of disappointment mingling with the disdain in her voice.

  “What does that mean?” Ethan asked.

  “It means I’ve got your number. You’re planning on seducing her, aren’t you?”

  Ethan narrowed his eyes as he watched Kira intently. “Would it bother you if I did?”

  “Who you sleep with is none of my concern,” Kira sniffed as she endured another sharp stab of jealousy. “However, if you are planning on parlaying a sexual relationship with Jade into a business advantage the way that you did with me back in Vegas then who you sleep with will quickly become my concern. Professionally speaking, of course.”

  Ethan’s lips twisted into a knowing smile. “Of course.”

  “I need some fresh air,” Kira suddenly announced. Unable to stand the ridicule she saw twinkling mischievously in Ethan’s eyes, she brushed past him and headed for the doors leading outside to the terrace overlooking the garden surrounding the gallery. The night air was chilly, causing Kira to shiver beneath the thin material of the traditional Chinese dress she wore. She had known that the Cheongsam with its short sleeves high slits and Mandarin collar was an impractical choice of attire given the weather but had chosen it anyway because of the flattering way that the delicate black silk clung to her body. She had told herself that the knowledge that she would be seeing Ethan that evening had nothing to do with that choice.

  “We didn’t finish our conversation,” Ethan said as he stepped out onto the terrace, closing the French doors leading back into the gallery firmly behind him.

  Kira turned to face him, noting that he was blocking her only path of escape just as he had in the elevator.

  “We are quite finished,” Kira snapped, her voice as cold as the night air.