by Helen Conrad
She was very good, he thought. He could see her pale beneath the heavy makeup. She didn’t look at him, and the smile was still frozen on her face as she looked at Jasper. But she’d put two and two together, and he didn’t like to think of what would happen when the sparks began to fly from the combustible material she’d assembled.
“Enough blackjack,” he said firmly, taking her elbow and deliberately turning his back on Jasper. “Let’s go over and see how lucky you are at dice.” She nodded to Jasper, but neither of them said goodbye. Cody quickly took Kelly to a group at the opposite corner of the room, and before long she was talking and laughing with them. Everyone wanted to get a chance to talk to her. She was a hit.
But some of the enjoyment had apparently gone out of her evening. Cody noted that she looked back over her shoulder to get a fix on where Jasper was every now and then. Though she didn’t say a word, he knew what she was thinking. He drifted away from the bunch she was with, standing alone and surveying the scene.
The night was shot to hell as far as he was concerned. Jasper had ruined it.
“Mr. Marin, may I get you a refill?”
Cody looked up at the waiter. He was leaning against the wall again, away from the others. His scowl must have scared people away, because no one but the waiter had bothered with him for a long time. “Thanks. Make it a double.”
He took the heavy glass and downed half of the drink in one swallow. Jasper was hovering near Kelly, but he hadn’t yet attempted to thrust himself at her again. Cody’s fingers tightened on his glass until the knuckles were white. Damn you, Jasper, he thought harshly. Lay one hand on her and you’re a dead man.
He took a deep breath and steadied himself. No use blaming it all on Jasper, he realized. He had to admit the evening had been off center from the start. There was a feeling growing in him, something he couldn’t quite analyze. It made him uneasy, wary. He looked at Kelly. Maybe he should just grab her and get out of here.
Every time he was near her, he found himself touching her, putting an arm around her shoulders as though he were protecting her from something. But there was no need. She was having a major success and no one wanted to hurt her.
Finishing his drink, he set down the glass and took the two steps to her side. He touched her shoulder and she turned into the curve of his arm. “Come with me,” he whispered to her. “I want to show you where I live.”
She looked up into his eyes. “What?”
“My room is in this hotel. Didn’t you know that?”
“No.” Her smile was surface only. “But I knew you had to live somewhere. Why not here?” She touched him lightly, standing close but not cuddling. “I’d love to see it.”
He took her to the private elevator. It shot them to the top of the twelve-story building, but she didn’t look him in the face once during the trip. Still, he put an arm around her waist as they disembarked.
He unlocked the door and turned on the light, escorting her in. She turned slowly, taking in the sunken conversation pit, the plush white carpets, the chrome and glass, the original sculptures in bronze, the original oil paintings.
“Wow!” she said softly. Looking at him, she felt odd. He was almost a stranger again in his exquisite suit, gold glittering at his cuffs and from his tie bar. “This is beautiful,” she said, a little more formally.
He frowned, watching her, sensing her discomfort. “You’re the most beautiful thing in it,” he said, but he knew his words didn’t ring true. Cursing softly, he reached for her.
“Careful,” she warned, pulling away. “Don’t smudge the makeup.” She wasn’t sure why she’d said such a thing, but she knew she didn’t want him to hold her right now.
He turned on his heel and strode to the bar to pour himself a stiff drink.
“Haven’t you had enough?” she asked him a little anxiously, following him over.
“No. Not nearly enough.” He drank it neat and set down the glass. Everything was wrong. Everything was messed up and he didn’t know why. He didn’t want to go back down to the party. He didn’t want her to be like this. He didn’t want her in that makeup. An urge to take her into the bathroom and scrub it from her face came over him, but he fought it.
Kelly watched him, not sure what he wanted. Her own emotions were awash in confusion and she didn’t want to think things through right now. On the one hand, Cody’s friends were being wonderful to her. On the other, seeing one of the men from the alley had only served to remind her of things about his way of life.
Jasper Cramer was the man who was doing illegal things. She was sure of it. He was the man Cody refused to turn in, the man who had ordered him beaten. Yet he worked with the man, partied with him. It didn’t make sense, but she didn’t want to discuss it with Cody now. If she brought it up, she knew they would only end up fighting.
“Come sit down,” he said abruptly, leading the way to the long sectional couch, taking off his jacket as he went. He sank into the pillows and watched her approach.
“Are you having a good time?” he asked.
She moved restlessly, trying to find a place to settle. “Yes. Of course,” she said automatically. “It’s a wonderful party.”
He looked away and frowned. “You fit right in.”
She took a deep breath. “Everyone has been very kind.”
They were like two strangers sitting on the couch, talking, he thought. He couldn’t stand it. He had to do something to erase this black feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Kelly.” He touched the back of her neck with his fingertips. Tiny hairs seemed to bristle at his touch. “Oh, Kelly.” When he said her name, all his yearning filled his voice. Leaning forward slowly, he pressed his lips just below her hairline, brushing lightly, letting his tongue flicker out to tantalize her.
She closed her eyes and forgot about the makeup. As his mouth moved across her skin, her tension flowed away, leaving her limp and lazy. There was something in her that could turn off her mind when he did things like this. She could block out all thought and let herself float on a lake of sensuous pleasure.
“Oh, Cody,” she sighed, turning into his kiss, tasting him, reveling in him. Her hands went to his chest and began to stroke up and down in wide, circular motions, but in a moment they stilled, intrigued by what she could feel.
There was a wildness in him tonight. She could feel it in his heartbeat. He kissed her hard, as though he had to probe for what he needed, and she gasped, wanting to please him but disturbed by his intensity. He pushed her down onto the couch, sliding his hard body next to hers, pressing against her.
Roughly he murmured something near her ear. She couldn’t make out the words, but she knew he was impatient. He’d never been the impatient one before. It was usually she who was rushing him, he who was teasing, holding back, making her do the demanding. But not this time. Kelly felt his hand slide under her skirt, up across her thigh, his fingers urgent. But she was eager, too, and she arched her hips to cradle his touch.
His hand had the magic that lit the blaze. Every time he was near her this way, her skin caught fire. Every touch was agony and ecstasy intertwined. She closed her eyes, taking in the raw scent of him, the textured touch, the ragged sound, letting herself begin the ride toward the edge of the waterfall.
Cody felt like a driven man. He wanted her so badly, it was like a wound that he was frantic to assuage with her body. She was lovely as a crushed rose, completely in his power. All he could think of was how much he needed to prove she was his, to prove it to her, to prove it to himself by possessing her so totally that neither one of them might ever recover.
Her skin felt hot beneath his hands. Her fingers curled into his hair, pulling him to her breast, and her body writhed against his. He shuddered, his breath coming faster. His hand slid up across the silk of her panties, his fingers catching in the lacy elastic.
She made a sound, he raised his head and looked at her face, and suddenly everything went still. He stared at her, and as he s
tared, her face blurred and a dazzling parade of faces flashed through his memory— women’s faces, beautiful faces—they’d all been lying here on his couch, just the way she was. Over the years there’d been too many of them. And here was Kelly— just another? A wave of revulsion swept through him. His mouth went dry and he took a shuddering breath. Then he tore himself away from her.
“Come on,” he said roughly, rising from the couch and pulling his clothes back together. “I think we’d better get back to the party.”
Kelly sat up slowly, staring at him. What had happened? She didn’t know what she’d done. She’d been so sure he was going to make love with her. She’d wanted him so much. But the look on his face told her it was over.
Slowly, silently, she straightened her clothing. He wouldn’t look her in the face, and she began to feel dead inside.
She didn’t say anything to him on the way down. Once they’d entered the banquet room again, she left his side almost immediately. She chattered to everyone she met, throwing herself back into the gaiety of the party, tossing dice and playing cards, having a wonderful, if slightly hysterical time.
Cody stood aside watching her, drinking too much and growing increasingly morose. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t working. And now he thought he knew why.
He didn’t want her to be in this world. He wanted to have her for himself, somewhere else, away from here, and he was angry, dog-in-the-manger style, that anyone else should have any part of her.
But it was more than that. Much more. Damn it to hell. He was in love.
He pushed his glass away with a sense of disgust. Drinking didn’t help at all. There was only one way he knew to make himself feel better. Sighing, he turned toward the poker table.
Kelly felt as though she were constantly trembling. She was smiling and laughing, but inside she felt sick.
It had all begun so beautifully. She’d felt so right here. People had responded to her, laughed at what she said, paid attention, admired her. She’d felt like a totally different person—a star.
But Cody had acted weird from the first. The scene in his room had been like a knife in her heart. He’d rejected her, and she didn’t know why. She was running on empty now, keeping up appearances, but hollow inside. Her only goal was to stay sane until she could get out.
A burst of gold lame and feathers, and Sugar was coming toward her. She couldn’t help but smile. Something about Sugar was irresistibly appealing.
“Hello, darling!” Sugar gave her an extravagant hug and laughed. “I can’t believe it. You’ve still got him.”
“Who?” Kelly retorted, pretending not to know what she was talking about.
Sugar winked and lowered her voice dramatically. “You know who, you little devil. Good old Cody. He’s never gone with one woman for this long before.”
Kelly shrugged, avoiding her direct and probing gaze. “It’s only been a couple of weeks.” And it may be over, she added silently.
“A couple of weeks. You see? That’s just what I mean. And practically daily, too. That’s something our boy just doesn’t do.” Sugar shrugged, gesturing grandly. “I think you should marry him.”
“Marry him?” Kelly almost shrieked out the words, she was so surprised. Quickly she covered her mouth with her hand and muttered, “What on earth are you talking about?”
Sugar suddenly became serious, moving in closer and talking low. “I really do. Marry him. Get him out of here. You’re the first woman I’ve seen yet who could do it.” She patted Kelly’s shoulder. “Marry him and take him away from all this.” She grinned, but then Jasper appeared beside them and her grin evaporated like smoke on a windy day and she started to back away. “I’ll talk to you later, Kelly,” she said, waving as she retreated to another part of the room.
Kelly nodded, sure that Sugar’s quick departure had to do with Jasper’s arrival. She could understand that. She felt like leaving, too. Instead of greeting the man, she turned toward the dice table. So did he. Feeling trapped, she turned to face him.
“Hello,” she said shortly, appraising him. What a slimy character he was.
“Hello, beautiful.” He smiled as though he knew her secret, whatever that might be. “I’ve been watching you.”
“Have you?”
He nodded. “I think you and I should get together. I think we could make some beautiful music together.” He said the stale lines with no sense of irony at all.
Kelly wanted to slap his face. Instead, she stared at him, hard. “I can’t say that I agree,” she said evenly. “I don’t know anything about you.”
He laughed, leaning against the wall behind her so that he was swaying offensively close to her. “What do you want to know, darling?”
She looked around and found they had a small knot of interested spectators. That gave her an idea. She turned back to Jasper. “Everyone’s been telling me about how the casino runs. Just exactly what is it you do here?”
His chest went out three more inches. It was the first time she’d ever seen a man swagger while standing still. “I’m head of security for the casino.” He said it clearly, obviously proud.
“Oh, I see.” Kelly nodded wisely. “That’s why you have the goon squad.”
The room grew very still. Jasper stared at her. His swagger seemed to fade. “The what?” he said.
“The goon squad.” She enunciated each word carefully. “You know. Those guys that you hire to beat people up when you want to make a point.”
An excited buzz began to stir in the room. Jasper’s face was suddenly a bright shade of purple. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said through clenched teeth.
Kelly smiled brightly. “Don’t you? Well, maybe I can help remind you—“
Suddenly Sugar was back at her side, pulling her away. “Come on, honey,” she said with phony cheer. “Let’s you and me go freshen up a little. In the ladies’ room.” She gave her a shove in the right direction. “Where no men can enter, even the head of security,” she added under her breath.
Kelly let her engineer the escape, but she was still boiling. “That lousy bastard,” she fumed. “To think he can just sashay his way into polite company as though he weren’t a gangster—“
Sugar almost shook her. “You’ve got to watch it, honey. He’s not a guy to cross.”
“Oh? Well somebody ought to cross him. How can you people just sit back and let a man like that get away with beating people up?”
Sugar started to say something, then shook her head. “Hush now,” she warned urgently. “Someone will hear you. You just stop now. And you ask Cody about Jasper. He’ll give you the lowdown. From now on, stay away from him.”
Kelly decided Sugar might be right. What good was it going to do to confront Jasper here? Everyone already seemed to know what kind of man he was. She left the ladies’ room and looked about for Cody.
She finally found him. He was sitting at a poker table, a thin, black cigarillo in his mouth and a beautiful woman on either side of him. His eyes met hers and he looked away, saying something to one of the women that made her laugh. Kelly had to bite her lip to keep from crying out.
Cody had the deal. She watched as his long fingers seemed to skim the cards, shuffling and cutting almost by magic. She’d thought Nathan and Jasper were good, but Cody was beautiful to watch. His hands had a grace that reminded her of ballet. Dealing, he looked like a wizard casting spells.
He won the pot. Reaching out, he raked in the chips, then picked up a handful first for one of his companions, then the other, and as he bestowed the gifts, he gave each a hard kiss on the mouth.
Something rose inside her. She hated this place. She had to get out of here. Looking up, she found Monty by her side. Despite Sadie’s hard feelings, she’d liked and trusted him the most out of all the people she’d met here at the casino.
“I’m not feeling well,” she told him. “I really think I’d better get home.” She shivered uncontrollably.
He looked genuinely
concerned. “Would you like me to get Cody for you?”
“No, no,” she said quickly. “Don’t bother him. He’s very busy.”
He followed the line of her glance and frowned. “I’ll unbusy him in two seconds,” he said firmly.
“No, please don’t.” She put a restraining hand on his arm. “I’d rather... if you could call me a cab.”
“Nonsense. I’ll take you home myself.”
She hadn’t meant him to do any such thing, but when she thought about it, his taking her home seemed for the best. It wasn’t until they were in his huge Cadillac and driving down the Strip that Kelly remembered she wasn’t immediately going home. She was going to Sadie’s, where she’d left Tammy and her own car.
She gave Monty the directions. “You know that I work for Sadie,” she added when he looked at her in surprise.
“Yes.” He nodded his handsome head of silver hair. “I remember you there at the nursery.”
Kelly stared at him, inspiration flooding her despite the misery she was fighting off. She hesitated, wondering if she had any right to interfere. But if she didn’t plunge in, who would? Taking a deep breath, she did a swan dive. “Sadie told me about what happened when you two knew each other.”
Monty didn’t look at her, but he frowned. “She told you about that?”
“Yes. And I really think you should talk to her.”
His laugh was short and bitter. “I don’t know. She doesn’t seem to want to talk to me.”
Kelly turned in her seat, getting warm to her subject. “She’s still a bit upset about... well, the incident with the letter.”
They’d stopped at a light. He turned and looked at her blankly. “I don’t know about any letter. All I know is, she ran away all those years ago, and now she won’t talk to me.”
“She didn’t run very far.”
He shrugged. The light turned green and he released the brake. “I didn’t know that. All her friends told me she’d gone back to Michigan where she came from, and when I tried to trace her there, I ran into a dead end.”