Betting on Both

by Sheryl Nantus

  She had to be under a spell.

  Kat McMaster didn’t believe in magic but if she did, it was obvious Julien Devereaux had put the whammy on her. She should have fired the fool, thrown his ass out into the street for conflict of interest.

  Instead she’d practically handed him the keys to the kingdom.

  Kat shook her head as she burst out the doors and back into the high humidity, the thick air clogging her lungs as she struggled to understand the momentary insanity she’d slid into.

  Let him lead the renovations. Shut the casino and most of the hotel for weeks.

  She trotted over the gangplank, enjoying the sway of the boards under her feet. The heated night air tore at her and forced her to slow down.

  Kat stopped at one of the lampposts and leaned against the cast-iron pillar, struggling to breathe. She pressed one hand against her heart, feeling the rapid thumping through her blouse. Her leather jacket stuck to her spine, a trickle of moisture heading south down her back.

  Jacob was going to lose his mind.

  Only if we lose money, the little voice at the back of her mind whispered. And we’re only going to lose money if it doesn’t work.

  Cole stopped next to her, his hands in the pockets of his sweat jacket. He glanced back at the riverboat.

  “You serious about this?”

  Kat scrubbed her face with her palms, feeling the sweat dot her skin. “I have to do something. You saw the crowd in there—pitiful. The decor might not be the only problem, but it sure as hell isn’t helping.” She sighed. “I have to try something.”

  “And if it doesn’t work you have a scapegoat on hand.”

  She smiled as she eyed him. “You’re not as innocent as you seem.”

  His predatory grin caught her unawares, freezing her in place. “Never said I was.”

  The breath caught in her throat as he moved into her personal space. One hand lifted to brush a stray curl off her face, tucking it back into the tight braid.

  “Be careful of who you trust,” Cole murmured. “In all matters.”

  Kat held her breath, waiting to see what he would do.

  Cole offered his arm. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to get some sleep tonight.” The smile was weary and contagious. “It’s been a long day and you’ve got plenty of work to do tomorrow.”

  She tucked her arm into his and let him lead her back to the hotel and to their suite where he said good night and went into his own room, leaving her alone in the living room.

  It wasn’t until she’d showered and climbed into her large, empty bed that she wondered what Cole would have done if she’d invited him into her bedroom.

  Chapter Three

  The next morning she woke to the sound of her phone’s alarm, disoriented in the new hotel room. It took a few seconds for the previous night’s events to register.

  Julien . . . the casino visit . . . Cole . . .

  The kiss.

  Her fingers brushed over her lips as she struggled to full consciousness.

  Damn.

  Kat threw back the sheets, grateful for the room’s air-conditioning. She was no big fan of sweating to death before, after, and probably during a shower.

  She peeked out into the main room after dressing in jeans and a pale pink blouse to see Cole sitting on the sofa, television remote in hand and clicking through the channels. He settled on a local news broadcast before glancing over at her.

  “I’ve already ordered you breakfast.” He wore khakis and a white dress shirt, the top buttons undone.

  Kat wrinkled her nose. “I don’t do breakfast.”

  “You do now.” Cole returned his attention to the screen. “If you want to work all day you’re going to need fuel. More than just a cup of coffee.”

  She was about to scold him when a knock came at the door.

  He went to the door and the aroma of pancakes and bacon wafted in, triggering her drool reflex.

  “Maybe you’re right,” Kat admitted as he pushed the tray in. “After all, I do have to keep an eye on the food quality.”

  “I wasn’t sure what you wanted so I ordered most of the breakfast menu.” Cole poured himself a glass of orange juice. “So what do you want to do today?”

  She paused, already stacking fat, crispy slices of bacon on her plate. “I need to do a full site inspection. If I’m going to let Julien have a free hand with the renovations, I have to see what we’re starting with.” Kat bit off one end of the bacon and enjoyed the saltiness on her tongue. “Then we tear this place apart.”

  The entire morning was taken up with walking around the hotel, popping her head into every dark spot and dirty room, and taking extensive notes. Cole stayed at the edge of her vision most times, almost out of sight as she poked and probed around. Kat was grateful for the extra space, not needing the distraction.

  She hadn’t forgotten the kiss last night, the tingling on her skin from his touch. The question was what, if anything, she would do about it.

  Work was a welcome distraction.

  It turned out the situation wasn’t as dire as she’d been led to believe from the original files. The only major trouble she could find was a massive amount of indifference to the Majestic’s issues. The maids were surly and sluggish; the waitstaff in the restaurant maudlin despite the excellent food being produced by the chefs in the kitchen. She wasn’t sure if it was due to the atmosphere or the lack of caring exhibited by the previous owners.

  That, of course, had to change.

  Kat made a point of avoiding Julien for two reasons. First, if she wanted to make a change she needed to see the issues without his presence. People tended to not be honest with management hanging around.

  Second, because of his infectious grin. One look into those dark eyes and she knew she’d forget what she was thinking about, talking about. It wasn’t good for business and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be good for her.

  She already had to deal with one man making her blood run hot. Adding Julien would be throwing gasoline on a simmering sensual campfire.

  Kat hadn’t forgotten the two of them sitting in her office, the silent battle waging between them. It’d carried on to the nightclub and she had no doubt it’d keep on happening every time the two met.

  It was a lovely distraction, but a distraction nevertheless. One she couldn’t afford to indulge in if she wanted to make the Majestic great again.

  The meetings began after lunch.

  One by one she called in each department head and drilled them on what was going on under their watch. By the end of the day she’d put three employees on notice; if they didn’t improve their attitude and work ethics, they’d be out the door.

  She’d fired ten. Not everyone went quietly.

  Kat was grateful to have Cole present.

  “You can’t do this to me,” the cleaner snarled. He stood, fists clenched at his side. “I’ve been working here for five years.” His ears went red; the handful of dark hair left on his head in an awful comb-over struggled to stay in place.

  Kat got to her feet with a slow, methodical pace, steeling herself.

  This confrontation was long overdue. The tension in each meeting had increased, the rumors flooding the hallways that a new boss was in town and she wasn’t afraid to make changes. It was only a matter of time until she met someone who would push back.

  She locked eyes with the middle-aged man. “Do you think I’m an idiot?” Kat tapped the pages. “Mr. Robertson, the facts are clear. Crystal. I don’t know how you got this past the previous owners, but it’s going to stop now.”

  “It was only a few bottles of cleaning solution.” The man crossed his arms and glared at her. “We had an agreement that I’d take the bottles in exchange for unpaid overtime.”

  “So you could run a carpet-cleaning business on the side subsidized by McMaster Industries? I think not.” Kat continued her staredown with the senior employee. “And I don’t find two skids’ worth of supplies ‘only a few bottles.’ I could have
you arrested.”

  Robertson snorted. “I’d like to see you try.” He looked over at Cole. “Go ahead, sic your pet gorilla on me.”

  Cole uncrossed his arms. It was as if he grew even taller, adding to his already impressive stature. He locked in on the cleaner with laser-like intensity, his stoic expression giving no indication of what he was thinking about.

  Robertson swallowed hard, the flush spreading from his ears to his plump face.

  Kat didn’t react. “If you leave right now I’ll consider not calling the police or wasting my time in court. We’ll mail you your final check, and you never set foot on a McMaster property again.” She waited a beat for her words to sink in. “Or I can have my ‘pet gorilla’ drag your ass out to the curb in front of the staff and embarrass you before we toss you in jail. Your choice.”

  Robertson scrunched his face up in a childlike temper-tantrum pose and she saw Cole tense, ready to move.

  A few seconds later the worker’s shoulders slumped. “I’ll go.” He spun on his heel and gave Cole one last glance before walking out.

  Kat sat, steadying herself. No matter how many times she’d fired employees, it never felt good. In this case it not only felt good, it felt right.

  “Now you know why I’m here,” Cole said in a low voice.

  She didn’t answer him, busy scribbling notes to hide her trembling.

  Cole stood for all three hours in the corner of her office, silent and watchful. Every few minutes he’d speak softly to the communication link settled in one ear, receiving updates on the rest of the site. He’d left once to take a short break and meet with the other members of his security team, leaving another man in his place.

  The short, dumpy man stared at the floor until Cole returned and dismissed him with a nod, taking up the vigil once again.

  “Get yourself a chair,” she’d said one time between meetings. “I feel strange, sitting here while you’re standing there all the time.”

  His smile disarmed her annoyance. “I can always stand over here.” He shifted over to the other corner of the room. “How’s this?”

  “You’re . . .” Kat waved him off and tapped the intercom to call in the next poor soul. “You’re aggravating.”

  He’d said nothing back, maintaining his guard as another supervisor entered.

  It was hard not to let her attention wander as the day dragged on, mentally stripping her gentle giant of his clothes between making notes and phone calls. He stood there, arms crossed in front of him or at his sides.

  It was hard to reconcile him with who she now realized had been her other bodyguards through college.

  She stole another look at him under the pretense of reading another page of data on her laptop. The firm jaw, the broad shoulders. The dark hair, cropped so close to his head that there’d be nothing to grab if she . . .

  Kat swallowed hard, pushing the thought away. She turned her face and caught a blast of cold air from the nearby air conditioner.

  There was no rule, as far as she knew, keeping her from taking him to bed.

  Or anyone else, for that matter.

  The door flew open and Julien entered with a loud laugh.

  Kat jumped in her seat as Cole snapped to attention, ready to spring at the sudden visitor.

  “Mon Dieu, you’ve been tearing through the staff like a tornado.” He turned and nodded at Cole. “Good day.”

  Cole’s lips turned back and for a second Kat thought she heard a snarl.

  Julien winked at Cole before looking at her. “You’ve made quite the impression on your first day. I’ve heard your name both as a blessing and a curse.” He held out a file folder. “I did as you asked. All of the suggested renovations are there along with recommended contractors. One of them is already here on site. Might as well toss them the extra work, hmm?”

  He sat, draping himself over the chair as she opened the folder and studied the pages.

  It was hard to stay focused. Today Julien wore a dark red dress shirt and black pants, both at least one size too small. His shirt was open and his long, loose dark hair brushed the lapels as he grinned at her.

  Kat couldn’t help comparing the two men even as she studied the numbers. Cole played the silent soldier well; Julien the fun-loving joker. Yin and yang in a crazy man circle.

  Both men appealed to her, to different parts of her.

  Kat gritted her teeth and focused on the pages. It didn’t take long to find a distraction. “So you want to strip the paint off all the walls?” She looked up. “Are you kidding me? According to the records it was done less than a year ago.”

  Julien’s expression turned serious and he leaned forward, clasping his hands together. “They weren’t stripped, just repainted. There are years of paint on paint everywhere. The previous owners just slapped on another coat. That’s why they look bad, peeling here and there or the colors soaking through. Take them down to the base and then lay down a neutral, creamy white.” He smiled. “The old wooden moldings; take the paint off and apply a lovely coat of varnish. There are good deep natural colors there that should be seen, not hidden.”

  She studied the notes. “You didn’t pull this information together overnight.” It was hard to seem stern given the man’s elfish smirk. “You had this done beforehand.”

  Julien spread his hands. “I like to be prepared for every opportunity. One never knows when a golden apple’s going to drop from the tree.” He made as if to catch the invisible fruit.

  Kat allowed herself a knowing smile. “You knew Max was going to quit so you made this up to impress me.”

  “Maybe,” he concurred. “Or maybe it was for the previous owners, and they rejected it because they had no vision and didn’t care what a subordinate had to offer.”

  The tone told her the truth.

  She leaned forward. “What makes the Majestic so important to you? I can think of a hundred, a thousand other casinos you could be working at. Why here, why this place?”

  “Because she’s a lovely old lady who deserves to be treated right.”

  Kat cocked her head to one side, trying to figure out if he had some hidden angle. “That’s all?”

  “Does there have to be more?”

  She paused, still deep in analysis. “Okay.” Kat shuffled the pages together. “At this point we’ve got nothing to lose. As soon as the last hotel room’s empty tomorrow, the entire complex is closed for renovations.” She held up a finger, seeing the glee in his eyes. “But if this doesn’t work out, you will find yourself blacklisted from every McMaster hotel and casino. If you’re lucky you’ll end up washing dishes at some second-rate café between your piano sets.”

  Kat thought the threat would dampen his enthusiasm.

  The fire in his gaze scalded that thought away.

  “Done and done.” He stood quickly, enough to startle Cole into stepping forward. “Now, let me take you out for dinner to celebrate.”

  “What? What?” she repeated, taken aback by his forwardness. “I can’t . . .”

  “Sure you can.” Julien reached across the desk and took her hand. He pressed his lips to it, giving her a mischievous wink. “You can even bring the mastiff.”

  Cole glared at the man’s back.

  “Come on,” Julien said. “You’ve been working hard all day. The last thing you need is to go back to your room and have dinner, alone.” His thumb moved to skim over her fingers. “Consider it a research trip, if you must. But you need a break.”

  His touch was warm on her cool skin, almost hot. He continued to caress her hand, muddying her thoughts.

  Cole cleared his throat.

  Kat pulled her hand free. “I’ll meet you in the lobby in an hour. That should give you enough time to set the wheels in motion to replace the personnel I fired today and start on your restoration fantasy.”

  He laughed and went to the door. “Ah, ma chérie—that’s not the only fantasy I can help you with. You have only to ask.”

  Another sly wink and he
was gone.

  Cole let out a huff as the door closed.

  “You don’t like him.” Kat busied herself with straightening the pages, willing her pulse to slow.

  “I don’t think he’s safe.”

  She gathered up her laptop and papers before sweeping by him to open the door and leave. “Maybe that’s what we need. A bit more danger in our lives.”

  Danger wasn’t the word Cole thought of when he considered Julien Devereaux.

  Insanity, perhaps.

  The man was a hustler, he had to give him that. The sales pitch had worked and Julien had not only gotten a promotion, but wrangled his way into directing the renovations and was preparing to make a move on his boss.

  Cole didn’t have to like it but he wasn’t going to stop it until it broke the threshold for a security risk.

  He ducked into his room and snatched a pair of granola bars from his stash and stuffed them in his pockets.

  It’d been his experience in the past that odds were he’d end up at the bar, sipping club soda, and munching on bar peanuts—if he was lucky—while his client ate a fabulous dinner.

  The meeting with the security team had been as productive as he expected. Some of the deadwood had already quit when the hotel changed hands in anticipation of working for McMaster Industries. He’d already launched a search for replacements, and those staying knew they’d be asked to kick their job performance up to another level. An assessment of the casino’s resources was ongoing, and new security cameras were on order to be installed in the parking lot. He’d personally interviewed the personnel qualified to guard Kat, and they all seemed competent enough to hand her off to when he needed a break or had to attend to some issue.

  He didn’t plan on doing that too often. While she worked he could get updates via his phone or his earpiece, staying in contact with his staff while staying close to her.

  Very close.

  A flush of heat shot straight to his groin as he pictured her again, working hard in the office and dealing with the staff.

  Smart and sexy. A lethal combination in any woman.

  Some of the supervisors had come in with wide grins, expecting a bubble-headed girl who could be manipulated and twisted to serve their own needs.