by A. C. Arthur
“So what do you think, Noelle? Is it up to par with Vegas’s rendition of the Gramercy?” Josette asked with her smoky voice.
Josette and Kent were the ultimate odd couple in Brock’s humble opinion. Kent was boisterous and fun-loving, and Josette was astute and clever, business-minded and serene. Kent was tall and thin, whereas Josette was much shorter, with a round frame that just bordered on chubby.
“This is different,” Noelle began. “More sedate, a classical feel with a terrific historical backdrop. I think it will only enhance the Vegas facility by its differences. You guys have done a fantastic job.”
Josette smiled warmly. “Thank you. Brock was worried about how you would perceive our small-town efforts, but I hoped you’d be a woman of vision. Glad to see my instincts were right.”
“Las Vegas and Maryland are on two different scales of grandeur,” Brock said in his defense. For a brief moment Noelle had looked a little stung by Josette’s words. He hoped that his preconceived notions about her weren’t offensive.
“I was a little leery at first myself. I mean, when Linc mentioned he wanted to open another casino and sent me out scouting for places, I stayed on the west coast, looking at equally fast-paced L.A. and Beverly Hills. I would have never considered this area. But I’m glad to see I was wrong.”
If she was offended, she didn’t show it. In fact, Brock was beginning to notice how upbeat and cordial she always seemed to be, except for those few moments in his room, this morning and then once they got off the boat. Those instances still had him puzzled, but for right now he’d take her smile.
“So, here are my design ideas for the VIP rooms and the public rooms. The gaming areas have a more classical casino look. But the waterfall in the center stage area will be the eye catcher.”
Noelle flipped through the pictures Josette had given her. “That waterfall is going to be great. Have you seen the water show at Caesars Mall in Atlantic City? It’s breathtaking. This is going to make that look like a wishing well,” she said with a chuckle.
“Yes, I saw it and was inspired. I’m glad you like my twist on it.” Josette practically beamed.
“Of course I do. Now, for the colors. I like the rich golds and muted champagnes. I’m thinking we could enhance those with a cranberry hue.”
Leaning over the table, Josette moved through the swatches of fabric she had. “Hmm, I was thinking forest green.”
“Yes, that might work, too,” Noelle conceded as she felt the fabric in her hands. “But I think for the VIPs the red might seem more prominent, stately. If you know what I mean.”
Josette was already nodding. “I do. I do. How about this?”
As the two women went on about their business Kent motioned for Brock to get up and walk with him. Brock obliged.
“She’s beautiful” were Kent’s first words when they were out of the women’s earshot.
“She’s competent,” Brock responded. He didn’t want Kent even thinking of Noelle along the lines of her looks.
Kent nodded. “And you’re interested.”
Brock frowned. “Interested in how this project is going to turn out, yes.”
“Don’t try to play me, Brock. I’ve known you for a while now and I’ve never seen you watch a woman the way you’ve been watching her all afternoon. Everywhere she moves, every word she says, you’re right there hanging on to it as if it were spoken by Queen Elizabeth.”
“If you really knew me, you’d know I don’t give a flying fig about Queen Elizabeth.”
Kent laughed. “But you’re definitely feeling Noelle Vincent. Hey, man, it’s okay. I can’t blame you. She’s fine as hell. If I weren’t already married, I’d definitely try to get with her.”
“I’m a grown man. I’m too old to try to get with anybody.”
“You know what I mean. And she’s staying at your house. All I’m saying is you’ve got it made.” He clapped Brock on his back before returning to the women.
Noelle looked up as Kent sat down then around the man until she caught his gaze. She smiled briefly then went back to talking with Josette again.
If Kent only knew.
While it would appear that this was a great opportunity, Brock was beginning to rethink it. Especially after this morning.
The sex had been fast and hot and the best he’d ever had in his life. A small part of him wanted to think it was more, but Noelle had effectively doused that flame with her parting words. They weren’t going to tell Linc because it wasn’t going to happen again, that was her summation.
Brock still wasn’t sure how he felt about that or what he was going to do about it. But for right now he needed to keep his friend focused on business and not on Noelle because he swore if Kent looked at her with that hungry look in his eye one more time, he’d be going home with that eye blackened.
Chapter 9
“Do you want to have some dinner?” Brock asked when he and Noelle had finally returned to his house.
The afternoon with Josette and Kent had drawn out because they’d gone to Josette’s office and looked at even more materials and talked more about the casino layout, specifically the décor of the rooms in the VIP section as these would be the first in the Gramercy II Tower to open.
So it was well after seven in the evening when they returned.
“I’m pretty pooped. That great big seafood buffet we visited for lunch has managed to keep me feeling full.”
Brock watched her as he’d been doing all day. Every wave of her hand, toss of her head, blink of her eye, seemed to be an act of purposeful languidness. Her legs stretched on for miles and miles so when he watched her walk he was entranced by the long strides she took. When she talked her hands always moved, in sort of an animated gesture, but one that kept him attentive to every word she spoke. She always looked at whomever she was speaking to, eye to eye, as if they were the only person in the room. It was sort of intense for a guy used to being alone and doing business on the mildly cold perspective. Yet, it made Brock seem just a little more important than normal.
“Well, I’m going to fix a sandwich. Otherwise I’ll be up in the middle of the night, making enough noise to wake the dead while I search for something.”
“Suit yourself,” she said with a shrug.
“Actually, if you join me, that would suit me just fine.”
She hesitated and he knew in that moment she was preparing her defenses. Since his attempt earlier this afternoon, she’d successfully ignored this subject.
Something told him she could probably continue this way for the rest of the summer. By this way, he meant not discussing the fact that just this morning they’d had sex. He wondered if she handled everything in her life by ignoring it. Sex aside, her words before she’d left him alone had Brock perplexed. Noelle Vincent did not strike him as a woman with an identity crisis. So saying this wasn’t who she was bothered him. While he in no way fooled himself to believe that this was some fated love connection, possibly because that was the last thing he was looking for, he still felt that this warranted some discussion. Agreeing not to tell Linc wasn’t their only issue. Figuring out how they would proceed through the rest of this project was another one.
“Come on, you don’t have to eat. You can just keep me company.”
He’d turned without waiting for a response from her but was pleased to hear that she was following behind him into the kitchen.
Brock was getting out lunch meats and lettuce from the refrigerator, then moved to the counter to get the bread. “What are you thinking?” he asked when he caught her watching him with an amused stare.
“I’m thinking that it’s a wonder you stay so fit with your appetite. You had three plates of food this afternoon and now you’re fixing what definitely looks like the beginnings of a Dagwood Bumstead sandwich and I’m just amazed that you aren’t sporting a potbelly or at the very least a spare tire around your waist.”
Brock chuckled. “I like to eat. I offset that habit with a lot of physical e
xercise.”
She nodded as if she already knew that. “Why don’t you have a home gym? Linc has two in his house and I didn’t see a gym when we were in town earlier.”
“Linc’s always been sort of obsessed with the bodybuilding thing. Actually, no, I think it started out more as a competition with him and Trent. Me, on the other hand, I prefer physical labor.”
“Is that why you got into construction?”
“I’ve always liked to build things,” he responded. “I like creating something from nothing.” What Brock didn’t say was that his father had introduced him to the world of building.
“So you always knew you wanted to be a builder. That’s nice.”
“What’s nice? Being a builder?”
“No. Always knowing what you wanted to do with your life.”
“I take it you didn’t set out to be a casino manager?”
“No. That was the furthest thing from my mind.”
“Let me guess?” He put his sandwich down and stared at her with a half smile. “You wanted to be a model.”
“Of course not. That was further from my mind than casino manager.”
“Why? I’d say you definitely have the looks for it.” She didn’t blush, nor did she acknowledge the compliment.
“Maybe so. But I don’t have the patience. Standing still while somebody takes my picture or tells me which way to stand, which way to look, is not my cup of tea. I’ve never been that disciplined.”
With his sandwich complete Brock filled a glass with juice and sat across from her at the island. “So how’d you end up managing Linc’s casino?”
“Hmph, that’s a long, funny story.”
He took a drink from his glass, then lifted his sandwich and tilted his head toward her. “Go ahead, I’ve got time.”
Making herself comfortable on the stool across from him, Noelle propped her elbows up on the marble countertop. “I like shoes,” she began.
Brock paused midbite, giving her a quizzical stare.
“Okay. It’s a fetish. I absolutely love shoes. And because of that character flaw I sort of became caught up in the casinos and ended up owing money. Because I was gainfully unemployed at the time I went to my sister to bail me out, once again. Only this time, Jade didn’t even have the money. Her jackass ex-fiancé had cleaned her bank account out when he’d split. So in an effort to help me, because that’s how Jade is, she went to the casino to try and win back the money that I owed. Instead she ended up losing, causing us both to owe even more money. Luckily she and Linc had a history and were able to work out a payment plan.”
Brock laughed. “Oh, yeah, the date he bought for a week. I remember that.”
“The date that became his wife and the mother of his children,” Noelle added.
“Who would have guessed that an arrangement like that could end up the way it did?”
She drummed her nails on the counter. “I know. It seems beyond weird for Jade to walk into a casino and instead of coming out with a fortune, she came out with a future. But I couldn’t be happier for her and for Linc. They’re meant to be together.”
“You believe in love, marriage, meant to be together and all that jazz?”
“I believe in love. I believe in commitment. So when two people find that they can share those things, then yes, I believe they should go for it.”
That was interesting. It wasn’t as if Brock didn’t believe in those things, as well, but in his position, love and commitment weren’t going to be enough. “You speak as if you’ve never experienced those things.”
She nodded. “I haven’t.”
“Do you want to?”
Here it was, the moment she’d known was coming. It had been too much to think he wouldn’t venture toward this discussion again. She stopped tapping and stared at him evenly. “Look, there’s no need for you to get nervous. I’m not the type of girl that believes that sex equals a commitment. We’re attracted to each other and, just like I said this morning, we acted on it. It’s over and done now so you don’t have to worry about me making it into something else.”
Brock picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth. “That’s good to know. So now what? We had a one night stand and we continue to work together like nothing happened?”
“Well, Mr. Remington, I’ll give you this. You’re not easily forgotten,” she said pointedly. Just because she had no intention of sleeping with him again didn’t mean she couldn’t at least be honest about the experience.
“Well, Ms. Vincent, I’ll give you the same compliment,” he replied genuinely.
She wasn’t easily forgotten and she wasn’t exaggerating when she said she could never be a model because she couldn’t keep still very long. She was already slipping off the stool, going to the cabinet and reaching for a glass, he suspected to fix something to drink. Either that or she was trying to put some distance between them and this conversation.
But Brock had no intention of letting her off that easily. “So we’ve already discussed that we’re not going to tell Linc. And now we’ve accepted that we’re attracted to each other. We both equally enjoyed the sex.”
She’d gone to the refrigerator and taken out a carton of orange juice. Pouring a glass full she said, “Correct.”
“Now, my next question is…” Brock paused, waited for her to put the orange juice back in the refrigerator and face him again.
“When do we get to enjoy the sex again?”
She almost choked.
Coughing and covering her mouth with one hand Noelle gingerly placed the glass down on the counter. She’d known this was a mistake. They’d almost made it successfully through the day without touching this subject. And had she simply gone straight to bed as originally planned she would not be standing in front of him with his dark eyes tearing into her calm facade.
One thing Noelle had noticed about Brock Remington in the hours spent working with him today was that he was tenacious. From the heated discussions with city hall regarding the gaming permits to the debate with Josette over the cost of the carpets she’d selected, he was a man that bargained until the very end.
Fortunately for her this wasn’t a situation that could be negotiated. Noelle’s mind was made up and her decision had nothing to do with Brock directly. The fact that their attraction was so strong that she’d momentarily forgotten her resolve when it came to relationships and men was unfortunate but she could fix it. She had to.
“Haven’t you ever heard of a one night stand?” she asked, trying valiantly to keep this as light as possible.
“I have and I’ve participated in them a time or two. But I get the distinct impression what we shared was a bit more than that.”
“No.” She shook her head negatively, even though her body was humming to his words. That same intrinsic feeling she’d gotten when he’d walked her to her room and kissed her and then when he’d joined her in the pool. It was like his words, his voice alone could summon a part of her that she had no control over. And that was just too damn weird to comprehend. “It was just a one night stand, Brock. You don’t know me and I don’t know you. In fact, we both should have exercised a little more self-control. I’m sure this isn’t what Linc had in mind for us working together.”
“Linc has nothing to do with this. This wasn’t about the casino.”
“But it is. I’m only here because of the casino. Otherwise you and I would have never met.”
“We would have met at Trent’s wedding or some other family function.”
“Not necessarily. You weren’t at Linc or Adam’s wedding, nor were you at the twins’ christening. So it’s logical that we could have gone even longer without meeting.”
“Logistics and excuses. I’m asking you frankly if we’ll be having sex again.”
Sexy as hell and just as candid as she was with her words. She had to admire that regardless of the situation. “No. We won’t,” she said just as candidly, then walked out of the room.
He didn’t call after h
er, nor did he follow her, which was a relief. But as Noelle took the steps two at a time, in a hurry to get as far away from him and her still-burning desire for him as quickly as possible, she wondered if that was truly the end of this conversation. Or if, like her own body, Brock’s would demand that he continue to push her.
Lord, she hoped not. Because as strong and focused as Noelle claimed to be now, there was no denying that something about Brock Remington had her stirred up. Something she was afraid her heart couldn’t handle.
Chapter 10
“Good morning,” Brock said when Linc came on the line. He was sitting in his office, leaning back against his chair, his long legs propped up on the end of the desk, crossed at his ankles. The speakerphone was on so his hands were free.
The conference call was at the same time every Wednesday morning. It had been for the last six weeks. The routine hadn’t changed, Brock surmised. Only the situation had.
“Hey. So how are things going?” That was always Linc’s first question, designed to lead into a summary of all of last week’s happenings with the Gramercy II.
This morning Brock hesitated.
“Brock? Man, you there?”
“Ah, yeah. I’m here.” Brock reached for the folder on his desk, trying to get his thoughts together. Which was easier said than done since in the last two days his mind had done a complete three-sixty turn from the Gramercy II to the sexy little site manager. Not to mention the fact that he wanted her again and she was hell-bent on keeping their relationship strictly business.
Noelle, he sighed, having been unable to get her, her name, her body out of his mind. After their tryst she’d been as thrown off-kilter as he was. Yet she’d surprised him by not acting hysterical either way. She wasn’t apologetic and she wasn’t angry. She’d simply accepted and moved on.
“I was going to ask you how things were working out with Noelle. Jade said she talked to her for a few minutes Monday night. She said you two were getting along.”