Casey's Gamble

by Eve Gaddy

  “How do you like living at Luc’s?” Casey sometimes wondered how Viv would adjust to Luc’s cracker-box house in downtown Baton Rouge after living on her family’s plantation for so long. The Pontiers owned one of the largest plantations on River Road, much bigger than Bellefontaine.

  “It’s a little cramped. We’re looking for another place. A house.” Her voice was dreamy, her eyes, when she glanced at Casey, even more so. “We’re talking about getting pregnant.”

  Casey drew in her breath, a little surprised, though she didn’t know why. Viv was her age, thirty-one, and married to a man she was madly in love with. “I don’t think talking is how it happens.”

  Viv flashed her a smile. “Okay, Casey. You’ve avoided the question long enough. Who better to talk to about the new man in your life than your best friend? Spill. Now.”

  Casey sat on the chaise, kicked off her shoes and curled up comfortably. “He isn’t the new man in my life.”

  “But you’re thinking about it. And so is he.”

  Casey nodded. “I think I’m a novelty to him. He keeps saying he doesn’t know many farmers.”

  Viv burst out laughing. “Casey, my poor deluded friend. He’s not interested in your profession, you goose. You’re beautiful. Don’t let what happened with Jordan make you doubt that.”

  “Come on, Viv. We both know I’m no femme fatale.” When Viv started to speak, she held up her hand. “And that’s fine with me. I like who I am. Jordan didn’t ruin that for me.”

  Viv muttered something that sounded like “lying, cheating son of a bitch.”

  “Forget about him. I have.”

  “Have you really? Truth.”

  “When I think about him at all, which is seldom, I’m so glad I didn’t marry him. But just because I’m over him doesn’t mean I’m ready to hop into bed with Nick Devlin.” She closed her eyes and thought about kissing Nick. In the field, and again before Esme had interrupted them. Okay, so a part of her could have happily jumped into bed with him last night and never looked back. But she hadn’t, which was probably a good thing. “It’s moving too fast for me.”

  “You mean he’s moving too fast.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “It’s definitely mutual.” Casey thought about that a moment. “And he’s so…so—” She broke off, trying to think how to describe him.

  “Hot?” Viv said.

  Casey laughed. “Oh yeah. Smokin’.”

  Viv touched a finger to her cheek as if seriously considering. “He’s gorgeous…according to gossip, loaded…and he has superb taste in music. What’s not to like?”

  “Nothing. But that’s the thing, Viv. It’s complicated. I mean, with him staying in the garçonnière. What if we have a one-night fling and hate each other?”

  “That’s simple. You kick him out. But I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

  “I don’t, either.” No, she had a feeling the two of them together would be pure nitro. “But what if it is great? Then everything becomes even more complicated.”

  Viv got off the bed and walked to her. Putting a hand on her hip, she considered Casey. “Why worry so much, chère? I think you’ve been way too serious for way too long. Besides, you never know what will happen. Look at Luc and me. We were supposed to have a one-night fling and never speak again. Look what happened with us. And we’d never have known if we hadn’t taken a chance.”

  “What happened to the cynical Viv I’m used to?”

  Viv laughed. “She fell in love and got married.”

  I should be so lucky, Casey thought. No, she’d be much better off concentrating on having a good time with an intriguing man. Love wasn’t likely to enter into the equation.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  TWO DAYS LATER, Casey was still trying to unpack. Since she could only do it at night, it would take her awhile. But unpacking was much better than dealing with the computer. Tonight she’d decided to tackle her books. She had an eclectic collection, ranging from science fiction and romance to several nonfiction tomes on various aspects of farming. She’d also brought some of her well-loved childhood books. Someday she’d give them to Megan to read. She blew dust off The Velveteen Rabbit and placed it lovingly on the shelf. After staring at it a moment, she pulled it off and began to read.

  When the doorbell rang a few minutes later, she was once again engrossed in the story of the stuffed rabbit who wanted to be real. Just as well, she thought as she answered the door. She needed to unpack, not read.

  Nick stood on her doorstep holding the most gorgeous arrangement of flowers she’d ever seen. Roses, carnations, gladioli, lilies, as well as some others she didn’t recognize.

  “Housewarming,” he said, handing her the vase.

  “Thank you. Oh, Nick, they’re beautiful.” She buried her nose in the fragrant blossoms, more touched than she’d have believed possible. Men didn’t give her flowers. Not even her fiancé had given her flowers. But Nick had.

  He came in, shutting the door behind him. Casey took the flowers to the kitchen. “I’ll knock them over if I put them in the other room,” she explained. “I’m unpacking.” And consequently, looked like hell. Just as she did almost every time she saw him. She resolved right then that when she went to the grand opening, she’d knock him dead.

  “Viv told me you’d moved. Wasn’t it kind of sudden?”

  She walked into the den and took a seat on the couch, trying to think how to answer him. “No, it wasn’t sudden. Just a little earlier than I’d planned.”

  He followed but didn’t sit. Instead, he wandered around the room, looking at her bookshelves and what little she’d managed to unpack. He turned toward her. “That’s not the whole story, though, is it?”

  Casey sighed. “It was time for me to have my own place. That’s all there is to it.”

  He looked at her speculatively, but he didn’t belabor the point. There were boxes everywhere, and she realized how little progress she’d made. She was tired of not being settled.

  “Do you want me to go? Or can I do anything to help?”

  She shook her head. She wanted to listen to his voice, that deep sexy sound that had intruded on her daydreams since the night she’d met him. “Thanks, but I needed a break, anyway. So tell me, how are things going at the casino?”

  He took a seat beside her. “Pretty much as I expected. Everything that can go wrong has. It’s always like that once you pick an opening date.”

  “Have you done this a lot? Opened casinos?”

  He nodded, then stretched his arm along the back of the couch and began toying with her hair. “I’ve been doing it for about ten years.”

  “Is it always floating casinos?” she asked, trying to keep her mind on the conversation instead of leaning back into his touch.

  “No. I’ve run them in Reno and Vegas. I opened one in Monaco once, and stayed to manage it for a while.”

  “Monaco. How fun.” She’d been to France once, her only European excursion, but she hadn’t made it to Monaco. Truthfully, though she’d enjoyed it, she’d been homesick. “Is it as pretty as its reputation?”

  “Prettier.” His hand slipped up to pull the clip out of her hair.

  “What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.

  “Playing with your hair. Do you mind?”

  “N-no.” But he sure as shooting wasn’t helping her think clearly.

  “Good.” He smiled and spread it over her shoulders. “You have seriously beautiful hair.” He began to caress her neck with one hand, then eased her closer with the other. His lips brushed over her jaw, tempting her with kisses that stirred her to respond.

  She turned her head and put her hand to his face, seeking his mouth. Nick’s lips moved over hers, slowly and seductively. His tongue swept her mouth, once, twice. Again. Casey sighed and leaned into him. She threaded her fingers through the hair at his nape and let her mind empty of everything but the delicious sensation of kissing him.

  He continued to kiss her, long drugging
kisses. Her nipples tightened, aching. When he finally touched her breast, she couldn’t stop a whimper of need. He cupped her breast, kneaded it gently through the fabric of her shirt. It felt good, especially since she wore no bra, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted to feel his hand on her bare skin. Restlessly, she shifted and pressed her breast into his palm.

  He took the hint. His mouth moved to the base of her throat. He kissed her there, then murmured something against her skin. He slid her shirt up slowly, then palmed her bare breast. Casey closed her eyes and moaned. His fingers explored, then rolled her hardened nipples between them.

  He returned to her mouth, and, almost before she knew it, she was lying on her back and he was between her legs as if he belonged there. She wrapped her arms around his neck and thrust her tongue in his mouth. His hips pushed against her and they both groaned. How could it feel so right when she’d only known him a matter of days?

  Days. A little over a week. A small but insistent voice in her mind chanted too fast, way too fast. His lips fastened on her nipple and he sucked it. Her hands tightened convulsively on his shoulders and she wanted so much to ignore the reservations clamoring to be heard. If she meant to stop, it had to be now. She should have stopped him long ago.

  “Nick.” She pushed against his shoulders until he raised his head and looked at her. His eyes were dark and alive with desire.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked huskily.

  “I’m not ready to—” She halted, then finished the sentence in a rush of words. “I’m not ready to make love with you. I know I should have told you before now, but I—” She broke off, unwilling to admit she’d been too caught up in the moment to call a halt. “I’m sorry.”

  He pressed his mouth to hers, a gentle yet sensual flutter. “Does this mean that sometime you are going to be ready?”

  Not trusting her voice, she nodded.

  He smiled and kissed her again. “Good.” He nibbled her ear, blew in it, and she shivered.

  “I thought—” Casey sucked in a breath as his lips ran down her neck. “Oh, what are you doing?”

  “Kissing you.” He cupped her breast again, beneath the shirt she’d already pulled down. “You said you weren’t ready to make love, but we can still kiss, can’t we?”

  “I’m pretty sure that’s not all we’re doing.”

  He laughed against her skin, then looked at her. “Relax, Casey. I won’t push you into doing anything you don’t want to do.”

  Why was she delaying the inevitable? Torturing them both, when all she had to do was take his hand and lead him to her bedroom.

  The doorbell rang. “It must be a sign,” she muttered.

  “Are you going to answer that?” Nick asked when it rang again.

  “I should.” But she didn’t want to. She didn’t really want to move.

  Nick got up, then reached out to help her. “I’ll go into the kitchen while you get that. Do you have anything to drink?”

  “There are some diet drinks and milk in the fridge. Help yourself.” She tucked her hair back in her clip and straightened her clothes, then opened the door, catching Murray just as he was about to pound on it.

  “Murray, hi.” He looked upset, so she added, “Is something wrong?”

  He looked her up and down, his face unsmiling. “I need to talk to you, Casey. It’s important.”

  “It’s not your father, is it?” Roland hadn’t been in the best health lately and she knew Murray had been worried about him. “Is he all right?”

  “He’s fine. Are you going to let me in?”

  “Sorry.” She stepped back and let him enter, closing the door behind him. To Nick, who was still in the kitchen, she said, “You and Murray have met, haven’t you? The night of the fire?”

  Nick came into the room and the two men shook hands and exchanged greetings.

  “Sorry, I didn’t realize you had company,” Murray said.

  Casey blinked at the blatant lie. Nick’s car was parked in the driveway, and Murray knew very well it wasn’t hers. “What’s up, Murray?”

  Instead of looking at her, he looked at Nick. “It’s private.”

  She was feeling more mystified by the minute. Especially when it became clear the two men were engaged in some silent communication.

  Nick turned to her and smiled. “Casey, why don’t you walk me out?”

  “Now, wait just a damn minute. Nick, you don’t have to leave.”

  “Don’t worry about it. See you later,” he said to Murray.

  After another puzzled glance at Murray, she followed him. “Do you know what’s going on?” she demanded as soon as they were outside. “Because I sure don’t.”

  “Believe me, sweetheart, it’s obvious.” He put his hands in his pockets. “You didn’t tell me you were tied up with someone.”

  “I’m not.” She stared at him until it dawned on her what he meant. “You mean Murray? He’s just a friend.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Definitely.”

  “I don’t think he’s clear on that.”

  “Nick, Murray and I have never been anything but friends. He’s my neighbor. We’ve known each other all our lives, went to high school together. It’s crazy to think there’s anything more than that between us.”

  He smiled and put his fingers beneath her chin. “Tell me that after you’ve talked to him. I left my cell phone number on your kitchen counter.” He dropped a kiss on her mouth and left.

  She waited until he pulled out of the driveway before going back inside. Murray? Interested in her romantically? Nick had to be mistaken. It was just some weird guy thing.

  She closed the door and glared at her friend, her irritation growing. “Was it really necessary to run off my company? What’s so important?”

  “Sit down, Casey.”

  He looked the same as he always had—brown hair, gray eyes, even features, medium build. A nice-looking man, though not astonishingly so. And Murray had been a good friend to her, especially after her fiancé jilted her. Remembering that, she relented a bit, and sat beside him on the couch. “What’s wrong?”

  “How involved are you with him?”

  “With Nick? Is that what this is about? Why on earth is that any of your business?”

  “Casey, please.” He took her hand and squeezed it. “I need to know.”

  She sighed. “I don’t understand any of this. I’m not involved with Nick. Exactly. But I probably will be before long. There, are you satisfied?”

  He took both her hands and looked at her, more solemn than she could ever remember seeing him. “After Jordan left, we had a lot of long talks. Do you remember when I told you he wasn’t worth one of your tears?”

  “Yes.” Obviously, he was going somewhere, but for the life of her she couldn’t see where.

  “And that someday you’d find a man who would love you like you deserved to be loved?”

  “Of course. And I remember not believing it. Then.”

  “Casey, I was hoping—I’ve hoped for a long time—that you’d let me be that man.”

  Her eyes widened. Murray was in love with her? “Murray, I—”

  He interrupted. “No, let me finish. I’ve been in love with you for years. That’s why I broke my engagement to Sarah. I knew I couldn’t make her happy when I was in love with another woman. With you.”

  Casey shook her head, not wanting to hurt him. “Oh, Murray, I’m sorry. I always wondered what had gone wrong. You never would talk about it.”

  He looked impatient. “That isn’t important now, but you and I are. I thought after Jordan you’d realize how I felt, and that you’d come to love me, too. But you never did. And I never pushed the issue because I believed you just weren’t ready for another relationship. So I waited.” He brought her hands to his mouth and kissed them. “Then I heard about Nick Devlin.”

  “How did you hear? Because if you heard Aunt Esme ranting, you heard a lot of hooey.”

  “Is it? Then, what took you so long to answer
the door?”

  She gaped at him. “I cannot believe we’re having this conversation. I don’t have to answer to you, Murray. What I do isn’t your concern. It never has been.”

  “It sure as hell is my concern. Am I supposed to stand by and let you become involved with another man? One who’s bound to hurt you?”

  She suppressed the flash of anger at his assumption she couldn’t take care of herself. “You can’t know that. You don’t know anything about Nick.”

  “I know he’s a player. He’s going to break your heart and then move on. Just like Jordan.”

  “If he does, that’s my business, isn’t it?”

  “Damn it!” He let go of her hands, sprang up and began pacing the room in agitation. “I’m not going to stand by and watch you ruin your life again.”

  “It’s not your choice to make.”

  He pulled her up off the couch and into his arms. “Give me a chance, Casey. I swear, I’ll make you happy.”

  Her mind reeled. If someone had told her half an hour ago that she’d be standing here listening to a declaration of love from Murray, she’d have laughed. Before she could speak, he kissed her. She was so stunned, she simply stood there. She hadn’t kissed Murray since they were kids, and never as he was trying to kiss her now.

  She turned her head. “Stop it, Murray!” She twisted out of his arms and stared at him, chest heaving. “What’s the matter with you?”

  He dragged a hand through his hair, closed his eyes and shook his head. “I won’t tell you I’m sorry. I should have done that years ago.”

  “If you had, it might have made tonight a little more comprehensible. You’ve never given me a clue that you were in love with me.”

  He laughed without humor. “Yes, I have. You just didn’t want to see it. Think about it, Casey. What did I say after Jordan left?”

  “That I could count on you,” she said slowly, remembering. “That I could always count on you. But you didn’t mean… You meant it as friendship.”

  “No. I was in love with you then. Just as I’m in love with you now.”